2026 South Dakota State Foosball

Wali-G Report for 2026 South Dakota State Foosball Championship

Start: Portland, Oregon
Destination: Frozen prairie of Eastern South Dakota.
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About: Wali-G was a foosball hitchhiker at the turn of the 21st Century. He is getting to closer to releasing these adventures in book form.

One of his drifter hobbies back in the day was carrying a notebook and pen for journaling, writing down jokes, brainstorming, quotes, and noting things such as the weather.

As a throwback to those hitchhiking times, the following Wali-G Report is based on the notebook entries from the weekend at 2026 South Dakota State Foosball Championship.

The following report represents some of the ideas and topics from this foos drift.
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“May God bless your steps!” -B Real

While packing my bags, I am listening to the B Real TV podcast on YouTube. This is probably one of the best travel quotes I have heard in a moment and the perfect mindset for a good adventure.
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February 25, 2026. Wednesday
Day 1: Stalled in Portland

Time to hit the skies. It is foosball season! Headed to the Santee Sioux Reservation’s Grand River Casino and Hotel for South Dakota State Foosball Championship. This foosball tournament is part of the World Foosball Tour (WFT) in 2026.

The only reason I am able to sit at my computer today, February 25, is the fact my flight from Portland (PDX) to Sioux Falls, South Dakota (FSD) got delayed by fog in Portland and high winds in Denver.

What is wild to me, in all of my global travels in 2-decades, this has been the first time my flight is delayed. I traveled by air a lot over that time. This is one time that Mother Nature said “nope.”

At this point in traveling, I am not surprised by delays. In this scenario, I am super-not worried. I have been in worse positions.

My deadlines are not pressing. My commitments are not pressing. My accountability is not pressing.

Admittingly, today did not feel quite right for travel. Thoughts of high wind turbulence does not sound like a vacation. I imagine a flight where seat belts are required with the crew getting tossed around trying to serve beverages.

Patience. Tranquillo. This is the travel way especially on vaction. Try the airport again in a few hours.

Travel hot tip: if you are in the airport and your phone goes off about flight delays, go speak with an actual person at counter and/or the front airport check in. They got access to computer systems that your phone does not have. It may save you time, money and stress in trying to realign your last minute plans.
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Whelp…. just about to fly out …..Portland.

Nope. Flight postponed because of weather. Try again tomorrow.

Calm down Mother Nature. Your fog in Portland with high-winds in Denver are a bit much.
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February 26, 2026, Thursday

Arrive at FSD airport in Sioux Falls in the afternoon.

Travel Hot tip: Avoid late arrival-times when I friends or family are picking you up. They like their sleep too.
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The South Dakota weather is surprisingly the same as it was in Portland today.

Wind and 35-degrees. It is a relatively warm and dry winter in both places right now.

Normally, Portland is wet and Sioux Falls is frozen. Normally, wind and fog in Portland is not an issue.
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Welcomed Home

I get “welcome-homed” by my dad at the Sioux Falls airport. My old man is in his mid-70’s picks me up. I haven’t seen him in over a year. Him and my mom are hanging in there, but I think about their later chapters in life. It is good to see them in good health and with their sanity.

Regardless of how the foosball weekend is going go, I have been waiting and looking forward to seeing my parents.

My dad picks me up in a minivan on his way home from covering a grave. He’s retired, but he keeps busy as a sexton. He covers the tri-state area of Minnesota, South Dakota, and Iowa tucking-in the deceased in a bed of soil. While not burying people, he stays busy with mowing the Catholic cemetery, gardening, and helping his brothers and sisters with projects and problems.

We catch up on the year as we head east to Minnesota. My mom’s side of the family wants to meet up at the Howling Dog in Luverne for dinner and a brew.
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Friday, February 27, 2026

Normally, I skip breakfast and eat a big lunch.

The parents are fueling me for the weekend. They are sending me with fuel.

The parents serve a home cooked Midwest “continental breakfast”:

Bacon
Eggs
Toast of bread
Other breakfast options including avacadoes and fruit.
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The Yukon

My dad borrows me his bucket-of-bolts Chevy Yukon SUV.

I gave him this vehicle a few years ago as a farm and garden truck.

The Yukon has some high-miles on it. All of the warning-light are on. I’ve driven worse vehicles.

At least these vehicles as known to go to 500,000 miles to a million or three. The vehicle’s body might be ready to fall off from rust, and there are mysterious noises in the dashboard that make you wonder if the vehicle is possessed, but the Yukon is ready to go the distance.

The hour-drive to the South Dakota Santee Sioux reservation in Flandreau, South Dakota goes quick. My thoughts wander down memory lane. I lived in the area for 5-years working for the Rock County Soil and Water Conservation district in southwest Minnesota. I am very familiar with the terrain and farms in the area as part of my conservation technician job was to walk the land of people interested in making their farm and soils better.

I did not grow up in Southwest Minnesota. I grew up in Northern Wisconsin. However, my great grandparents, grandparents, parents, aunts, and uncles call Rock County home.

Memory lane on this roadtrip also involves my thinking about visiting my wild cousins. I am kind of surprised nobody got rhurt from some of the dumb things we pulled off back in the day.

The ride goes quick while thinking about the past. However I arrive late and I miss out on my first event of the weekend at the Royal River Casino and Hotel. The plan was to warm up my goalie game for the weekend by playing the first event of Goalie Wars.

Nope. That plan is not going to happen. I am 5-minutes late. Hopefully this isn’t a sign for what the weekend will become.

I still have not found a doubles partner for any of the events this weekend. That task should have been done a month ago, but I still have hope that maybe 1 of 4 people I contacted over a month ago will come thru. If not, I should be able to team up with a random person at the front desk at the last minute. Rank doesn’t really matter to me. Some the best and funnest tournaments in the past have been from teaming up with strangers.

Let’s play some foosball!
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My Events

Friday
1. Expert Doubles 1pm
2. Monster DYP 6pm
3. Amateur Singles 9pm

Saturday 2/28/2026
4. Pro Singles Noon
5. Open Doubles 2pm
6. Open Singles 4pm
7. Expert Singles 6pm
8. Billy Roto DYP 9pm

Sunday 3/1/2026
9. Pro Doubles Noon
10. Amateur Doubles 1pm

Double elimination tournament brackets. Race to 5-points. Best out of 3-games.

The Open Matches: best out of 5-games.
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Foosball is Inclusive

One thing I love about foosball is that it is a “genderless and ageless” competition. Aside from Women, Senior, Junior events, you can sign up for any event. Physical size and speed are not precursors to winning foosball. Aside from the Women’s and Juniors events, all of the events are open to men, women, and children with no pre-qualifier events.

If you want to compete against the best players in the Western hemisphere, in the form of a weekend marathon that involves hand/eye coordination, concentration, quick decisions, adjusting to opponents, smooth mechanics when passing/shooting, keeping your cool, and just flowing better than the other team…..foosball is the sport for you.

Foosball doesn’t care about your sex, age, height, body fat percentage, etc…

Foosball wants to know if you can bring your best game and win against a diversity of opponents over an extended marathon weekend.
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Foos Sleep

Foos tournaments these days tend to kick off no earlier than 9am. Due to the late nature of some of the tournaments, you might not expect to start till noon. Every tournament is different. Check with the foos desk before retiring for the evening.

As a general plan, I try to get up at least an hour or two before the event. Gives me time to shower, change clothes, figure out something to eat, etc. As a general strategy, on a Saturday and Sunday, you might as well just set your alarm to foos at 7am.

Probably the best plan for most people in a weekend foos marathon is to just automatically set your alarms for 7am and work from there.
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Breakfast with Michael Veit (Idaho)

I am still trying to figure out my foosball diet for the weekend.

Part of me believes I should just carry on my normal feeding habits. Another part of me believes I should nutrient-load when I can since this is a marathon. A lot of calories are burned during a weekend of foos.

I head to the Hotel and Casino breakfast buffet Saturday to get my fats, carbs, and salts for the day.

As the elder waitress walks me to my booth, a voice shouts out: “come sit with me.”

Michael Veit waves me over to have breakfast with him.

Cool!

Veit and I are somewhat familiar with each other from passing each other at tournaments and from Facebook media posts. Veit wants to share a foos breakfast with a stranger.

We last met at the Hometurf south of Portland a few months ago. Veit is a pretty strait-laced engineering-type. Smart and super-nice. He refurbishes foosballs and foos-tours. He also writes some great media posts. Veit is who I would consider a “foosball sports journalist.” We are on similar paths.

“The real Michael, the Archangel!” Veit says as I sit down.

Veit’s nickname is “The Archangel.”

I joke back, “All Michaels have a little Archangel in them. It makes it hard for evil when The Archangel is spread across humanity.”

I am not sure if he is familiar with my foosball hitch hiking 20-years ago and my recent publishing projects, so I give him a run down on who I am. I tell him about DrifterRadio.com. He listens with curiosity.

“You should talk to Ryan Moore (owner of the World Foosball Tour) about writing articles on foosball tournaments. You could arrive early and promote the tournament. Then, stick around a couple of days afterwards to promote the city and area,” he suggests.

Agreed. It has basically been what I have instinctively done in the past. Making a formal proposal makes sense and could pay my way to tournaments.

Veit is a pleasant personality. Veit is a solid player willing to share. He’s a good ambassador for foosball.

We finish off a pot of coffee and our Denver omelettes. This is an excellent way to get a Saturday started.
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What not to do: Where’s My Doubles Partner?

Open Doubles sign up is coming to a close at 2pm on Saturday. I have not found myself a partner.

Normally, you can find a random person that just wants to play. They usually are lingering around the sign up desk area. At the sign up desk there is also a list of people with their name and phone number available looking to team up. Lastly, Carma Burfield is a good friend from La Crosse who is very much in charge of sign ups and the brackets. While waiting till the last minutes is not a good strategy for most ventures, I am confident that the universe will send me someone.

This is not the case for today.

There is no on the list looking for an Open Doubles Partner. Nobody milling around the sign up desk.

Carma gets on the sound system and calls last call for sign up. She informs the room 1 person (me) is looking for a partner. This yields no results either.

Perhaps, Davis will walk in? He did say he would go to South Dakota State Foosball and shoot with me a few months ago. He also has been ghosting me. I am not surprised that he does not magically show up.

At 2pm, Open Doubles closes. They are not going to hold up a whole tournament for one person even if they know the person. I missed another event for the weekend. I have never had a problem with missing an event. This is my second miss of the weekend. It is not a great feeling.
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Foos Music

DrifterRadio.com is always curious about a good foosball tournament music playlist. Different tournaments, venues, age groups, and parts of the country have different music tastes.

I like to take notes of songs that get played during the tournament. One reason is that it helps the memory and gives a bit of context to the tournament when writing foos stories later on.

Music is being played at both the casino and in the tournament room. The tournament room, there is a variety of genres, but primarily 1990’s rock and grunge seem to grab my attention. Songs such as “Break my Rusty Cage” by Soundgarden, “Wherever I May Roam” by Metallica, and “Still Alive” by Pearl Jam were new bangers when I started playing foosball, so they are a pretty familiar tunes that have been on the radio for a moment. The tournaments have done a good job of trying to bring upbeat adrenaline to the tournaments while being family friendly.

The casino music is dialed in to more of the 1980’s. Their playlist also seems to be a on a loop. Over the course of the weekend a few songs are repeated through out the hotel and casino: “I’m still standing” by Elton John, “Heart and Soul” by T’Pau, “The Warrior” by Scandal, “Funky Town” by Lipps Inc., “I’m Still Standing” by Elton John, “Just like Paradis” David Lee Roth, and “Don’t Worry Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin. The music creates a pretty chill vibe when needing to get away from the competitiveness of the tournament room.

I like to poll strangers too about what they like play foosball too. One amateur in his 20’s from Northern Minnesota wanted to hear more classic rock (60’s-90’s), such as “Riders on the Storm” by the Doors and “Tom Sawyer” by Rush. The older generations that played since the 1970’s tend to favor this music, so I was a bit surprised on the request.

Stadium-bangers were also recommended. Music you might hear at a pro-basketball or NFL game such “Gangnam Style,” by Psy, and “Jump Around” by House of Pain.

Personally, I like all of the above, but I would also like to hear some new songs and new genres. Classic punk, electronic music (EDM), blues, and most importantly, blue grass. High-energy American bluegrass. If you like the guitar speed of metal to get you going, you should enjoy the lightning fast strings of bluegrass. Let’s hear some Billy Strings from Michigan!
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The Planets Align

Feb. 28, 2026 – Saturday; Day 2 of Foosball

A rare parade of planets in the sky tonight. Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune.
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Billy Sumptom Roto DYP

Billy Roto Draw-Your-Partner (DYP) is a blind draw specialty event in honor of one of South Dakota’s foosball greats, Billy Sumpton. It is a raise to 5-points with best out of 3-games. The caveat is that you have to switch positions every time your team scores, so it gives its a bit of a different element where normally your team decides who should be playing goalie and who should be playing forward.

I pay my $25 to enter the event and hope for the best partner. A DYP is a great way to meet new players and potentially draw a pro or pro-master to teach you a thing or two.

I draw a middle school girl named Emma Owens.

Normally, competitive foosball adults in the past would think, “great. I drew a kid. I just wasted $25.”

However, since the likes of Billy Pappas, Tony Spredeman, and Michael Stahl, I have learned that if a kid is at a big tournament on a Saturday night, I would rather shoot with them than play against them. To a certain point, age is not a determinant if you can win or lose a major event. Many of the times, these kids will play out-of-their minds because they have learned to focus, practiced fundamentals, and don’t have the mental baggage and responsibilities adults have occupying the adult-mind.

These kids just love to play foosball. And they want to compete against the best competition. They dedicate themselves to learning and practicing. They typically wouldn’t be here if they didn’t.

Emma is super shy as a player, but foos-deadly with her passing and snake shot. She’s got enough precision and heat on her shot that we have a decent chance to win at least a few rounds. Looking at her results, she went pretty far in a lot of the brackets above her rank. She definitely played better than I have this weekend.

Our first match we play the up-and-coming Ethan Wahle from South Dakota. This 20-something rookie/amateur will quickly be gaining rank in foosball. I’ve witnessed him have excellent showings in past SD State and Minnesota State tournaments. His push shot is a problem to block. He also has a lot of tricks up his sleeve from playing pro locals in Sioux Falls.

Emma and I put up a fight. Her fundamentals are sound, but switching positions doesn’t quite work. I have been practicing nothing but goalie for the last year. There is a shooting and passing dust to brush off. Emma does great on defense, but you can tell she has been working mostly on her offense. We are not able to figure out what needs to be done, but it was a fun and competitive match.

It also doesn’t help that Wahle is on a heater this weekend as a goalie and forward. His forward defense is as solid as his goalie defense. It’s a problem for any opposing team to figure out.

Emma is also going to become more of a problem for opposing teams as she gets more tournament experience. Give her a few more years and her parents are going to have to find extra-space for her trophies. Team her up with another female middle schooler, Saida Kreuger (WI), proud parents of Amanda and Teddy Kreuger, and the both parent sets might just want to start looking into renting storage space this year.
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Letting a Partner Down

There are many ways you can “let a partner down.”

1. Tell them that you will team up with them 3-months in advance. Then ghost them and not show up.

2. Fist fighting your partner in the middle of the match.

3. Talking too much while playing and causing a brawl with the other team.

4. Other
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Foosball Shenanigans

Saturday afternoon Zach Hofer asks me if I have some extra dollars for some shenanigans. Hofer has a good, but different sense to him. He likes good times. He likes to keep it weird. I do in fact have extra shenanigan dollars for the weekend.

“You need to check out the hotel and casino gift shop,” Hofer tells me. “They got crafted flutes and such. We should do a giveaway for the tourney.”

Hofer takes me to the gift shop and talks me into two different styles of Native American flutes, sage, and sage spray.

“We just need to figure out who wins the prizes.”

“Whoever loses the last match of the Saturday night wins,” I say. “It’s a prize for the last loser of the evening.”

Fast forward to midnight. I have been sitting around waiting to hear my next match in Expert Singles and the Billy Roto Draw. I am not use to being up past 11pm. I need a nap in case my match gets called so I head to my hotel room. Emma from the Billy Roto is hanging out in the hotel lobby waiting for matches. She doesn’t look the least tired.

One thing a person needs to consider about taking naps after 11pm is that you might not wake up. I laydown for a moment to rest my eyes from the day.

Around 3am, I wake up wondering what I am late for. I look at my phone. Hofer called and texted me around 1:30am telling me I am up as the last match of the night with my Roto Doubles partner.

Letting people down. Goes around and comes around.

Circumstances do play a part, but now I am mad at myself.

The next morning I search out my partner.

“I apologize for not making it to the last match of the night,” I say. “Were you able to make it?”

“Yes,” she says.

I hand her $25 to refund her entry fee. That’s my bad as a partner.

She doesn’t know what to say or do that a random stranger is giving her money. She just kind of stares at it in her hand.

“Good shooting!” I tell her. “We will get’m next time.”

I wander over to Carma at the front desk to share yet another failure story of the weekend.

“So we bought these prizes for the losers at the latest part of the night…turns out, it was me. I won a sage spray. Guess my mom is going to get gift.”

Carma is laughing.

“I felt so bad about missing the match, I refunded my partner $25,” I tell her.

Carma keeps laughing. “You know it only costs juniors $5 for events? You made her money back by 5 times.”

No. No I did not know that.

“Whelp, at least I made her day and armed her with some dollars to get into more matches.”
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Pro Doubles: Still Waiting on Davis

Nope. Still don’t see Davis any where in the tournament room.
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Agony of Defeat vs the Agony of Winning

Which is worse: the agony of defeat or the agony of winning? Let me explain what I am asking.

A man and his wife in their 60’s sit down next to me outside of the foos tournament room. He has just been eliminated from a tournament. He is taking it pretty hard. He’s got some tears in his eyes. His wife tries to console him.

“You’ll get’m next time,” she tells her husband.

He has come to a moment of reckoning in his life.

“No,” he says. “My days are numbered in this game. I have fallen from the heights of a champion. I was the best in the South Dakota at one point, but now age and injury have set in. I lose to beginners.”

We sit quietly as we let the words settle. If you have not gone through the exact situation, it is wise to just not say anything. Many times, people just want to be heard. With no sharing. No “answers.” They just want to be able to voice something to another human, so they can hear their own words.

To me “Freudian Therapy” in its best form is basically letting someone tell their human experience to some one they can trust, so they can hear their own thoughts. There is no reason to say “you are right” or “you are wrong.” It is better just letting the moment be in the moment. If the person doesn’t actively ask for your uneducated opinion a matter, it is probably because they are just trying to wrap their head around their situation by hearing themself talk to a relative stranger.

The former foosball champ seems to have the Olympic blues. Last week, while the Winter Olympics were happening, I was introduced to a new mental health concept: Post-Olympic depression. The “Olympic comedown” was talked about recently on how fast the Olympics come and go for super-athletic, super invested, super goal orientated people who have basically defined their whole existence an athletic competition.

Much like military veterans, there is a loss of identity and purpose after reaching the summit of excellence. No addiction to that sweet adrenaline of success. No more revelry. No more being on top of the world.

According to one 2023 International Olympic Committee study, 34% of elite athletes experience anxiety and depression after a relatively short rise to awesomeness. Roughly 27% face sever mental health challenges upon the end of their career and dreams.

The inevitable crash after scaling great heights. Climbing the tallest mountain then falling off the other side. The higher you achieve, the farther to roll down the mountain. The agony of winning.

To me, this man’s situation isn’t just about foosball. It is about aging in general.

I decide to open my mouth. It pains me to see to someone low and in despair.

“We should go for a walk,” I tell him. “There’s more to life than sitting outside of tournament room. Walking clears the mind and emotions.”

He agrees and we wander the hotel and casino property.

“I hear you man,” I say and explain, “Olympians know your pain. Michael Jordan knows your pain. You got to the pinnacle of your sport, but time keeps moving on for everyone.”

“I also recommend being kinder to yourself. Time will beat you up enough. You don’t need to beat yourself up too for things you may not accomplish again. Be proud you competed at the top level and did well.”

I continue, “my foosball trajectory has been a bit a different then yours. I have tried for 20-years to scale the foosball mountain, but I have not gotten beyond basecamp. There have have been tournaments where I felt soulless and drained on day two of a tournament. Spent. Mind cloudy. Anxiety about winning.

“But then I realized, this game of foosball and this game of life are not much different. You set your mind to conquer the world. You can have promise, hope, and skills, however, none of this may help you achieve your ultimate goal of being a champion. There is only one champion.”

“After 20-years of touring, I have to come to a realistic reckoning that I may not have the time, money, focus, mindset, skills, mentorship, support, or luck to make it to the top. I am fine with this because I have resigned my self to focusing on the what I can control: being present in the moment, having gratitude for what I do have, and just trying to enjoy life.”

“I try to enjoy my time on this planet. Winning or losing is subjective depending on how you want to phrase it for yourself. I try to base “winning” on the concept that if I am still alive, I am winning in life. A simplistic mindset for sure. You are never guaranteed the next day, so have gratitude for the day. I am fine with losing on the foosball table as long as I am winning in life.”

My friend hears me out as we walk the casino. It seems to help him by reminding him some different perspectives. A new framework and language. Language is a powerful human antidote for what ails ya mentally.

So which is it?

Would you rather you suffer the agony of defeat while having curbed expectations. Or would you rather suffer from the agony of winning?

Personally, I would probably take the agony of winning, even if it is a lonely place to be, mostly because the agony of defeat is something you will need to deal with at some point in life if you are fortunate to live long enough.
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Purity of the Sport

As a player in the 21st century, foosball has never been about the money. There was no money incentive to play. The reasons you toured: a journey and destination, glory, the addiction to winning, the addiction to the hope of winning, the opportunity to actually play the best in a sport, the community. Getting rich from foosball has not been a thing since I’ve played.

I am fine with that. Sport and art has a certain purity to it before the tentacles of commercialization gets hold of an idea. You see happen all of the time in every industry. Something good, with the right energy, gets corrupted by dollars. It is not about the expansion of dollars of the shareholders.

Foosball isa player funded event. No dress codes. No staged interviews. No glitz. No mass-media package.

I get it. It appealed to me at the time of my raging-against-the-money-machine mentality.

However, at this point in my foos journey, I am seeing in 2026 an interesting pivot to make foosball profitable at the organization-level and the player-level.

And I think I am down for this change.

The productive future of foosball is not “selling out.” The productive future of foosball is embracing the fact that technology has flattened whole systems including media. You don’t need to be on NBC, CBS, ABC, or ESPN. You have the internet with platforms such as Youtube or Twitch in which to livestream matches.

There is a whole new system of communication that didn’t exist two decades ago. Foosball is still a non-electronic hand game, but the ways of watching and promoting this game have increased significantly with technology.

Which opens doors to paying out tournament players more than the minimum wage champions received since the 1980’s.

There has not been real money involved with foosball since the 1970’s, but may be there needs to be.

As a friend of Tony Spredeman, I have watched him rise to GOAT excellence in foosball. Played him at the Wisconsin State Tournament in Oconomowac when he was 16-years old. He was fiery, but not disrespectful.

Spredeman didn’t play “because of the money.” He liked the game. He liked to win. It was not about the $.

Admittingly, I feel responsible for my fellow Wisconsinite, Tony Spredeman, for not making GOAT dollars.

It pains me that I have to write an article on the lowest-paid GOAT of All Time. Across any sport.

Spredeman was the best in foosball industry and he was making just over the poverty line as professional foosball player.

His old man, Bud, financed his early days on a lower-middle class budget. This is pretty incredible how Bud was able to make this happen for Tony. Bud deserves Hall of Fame recognition in Wisconsin at least.

So, considering the fact foosball drifter Bud Spredeman, and prodigy Tony Spredeman, were able to tour without money being a factor…..just sport….I’ve been intrigued with their journey.

But at the same time, “why the hell can’t foosball get its players paid?!”

I think I am changing my perspective on foosball having money as part of the game.

It will always be pure sport to some, regardless if there is money on the line.

I want to see the Spredemans, my fellow Wisconsinites, get paid.

I want to see the next round of foosball drifters get paid. I totally recommend joining the foos tour to compete, but the economics need to be figured out.

I think we can figure foos-tour out in this new tech world where it can be profitable, but at the very least, easier to to travel for the tour.
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Highlight of the Weekend: Monster DYP

What is a Monster DYP you might ask?

It is not just your regular draw your partner (DYP). This is a DYP where you have a different partner in the qualifying rounds (3+ rounds). Matches tend to be a single game (race to 7 to10 points). Then, if you make the cut, you are partnered for a single elimination playoff (best of 3-5 games; race to 5-points).

There are variations in different tournament rules, but that is the basic explanation.

This DYP “mixer” is even better than a regular DYP. You get to meet more strangers. There is also the added element of who can team up with strangers in the moment to be the most effective team. At the end of the day however, a pro-master can’t carry you through the qualifying rounds, so it is up to players of lesser-than-pro caliber to figure out your team together.

Round 1 of the Monster DYP: Oakes, The Callum Guy

Don’t judge a foosball player by their clothing. This is a good theme for tonights event.

My first partner is Callum Oakes. Never heard of him. He’s sporting the Larry the Cable guy look. In sandals.

He is quiet. Serious. Doesn’t have Cable Guy jokes.

We have to play one of the Tapper kids to start the evening. He’s probably 12-years old. I am not great at guessing ages since I’ve never had kids.

I do know that I would rather shoot with one of the Tapper kids than play against them. The Tappers must play a ton of foosball at home. I’d rather not defend against well-practice children. If they are signed up a big tournament, they probably have focus and sound mechanics from hours of practice.

Oakes does not say much. He quietly goes about his offensive-business. I am able to do my part by keeping the Tapper kid from scoring too much. We end up winning the match.

I later find out who Callum Oakes is. He is not a southerner from the US related to Larry The Cable Guy. He is a pro from Britain and on a committee with the World Foosball Tour that goes on to win Pro-Singles at South Dakota State 2026.

https://britfoos.com/2026/03/03/congratulations-to-callum-oakes-for-winning-the-pro-singles-in-south-dakota-state/

Round 2 of the Monster DYP: Monster Draw 2

My favorite random teammate of the weekend: Owen Tapper.

I think his name is Owen. He’s one of the Tapper kids. He’s the younger brother of the Tapper kid I played against in the first round of the Monster DYP. He’s probably 7 or 8-years old (I don’t have any kids, so I am bad at judging ages). He’s definitely in grade school.

He is about 3 foot 6 inches tall. He is wandering around a tournament amongst walking-trees known as adults. He’s about half the size and a 75th of the age of the competitors at South Dakota State.

Tapper can’t even see over the playing-area of the foosball table without a platform. He’s been hauling aroud a wrestling-style mat all weekend to stand on.

I suggest to my half-sized teammate, ”ever thought about putting wheels on a platform? Might be easier to move it around.”

He just stares up at me with wide-eyes like I popped out of a fairy tale. He doesn’t know what to say about his grizzle-bearded partner. He shake his head ‘yes.’ While he doesn’t seem to know how to talk to adults, I’m not really sure how to talk foosball with kids.

“Would you like to play front?” I ask. He shakes his head ‘yes’ and puts on his sport goggles.

Tapper might only be a kid, but you can tell is fundamentally strong already with passing and scoring. I am guessing they play a lot of foosball at the Tapper house.

I don’t say much to him other than, “keep doing what you are doing.”

I find it amusing that he takes his goggles off and holds them in his left hand when shooting. Never seen someone do that before. This kid has some character to him.

We put up a good fight in the match, but ultimately come up 2-points shy of victory.

Next time kid!

Again, don’t judge a foosball player by their medium-kid sized clothing.
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Player Smack Talk; Yay or Nay?

One of the debates about making foosball more entertaining to a viewing audience is to allow “smack talk” amongst the players during a match. The rules currently don’t allow talking at the other team while the ball is in play as it would be considered a distraction. It is also a matter of sportsmanship.

Personally, I like not having people trying to play head games in order to win. Things can get out of hand and unsportsmanlike real quick. I remember when I first started playing in the 1990’s. Fights and shouting matches were not as common as the 1970’s or 80’s, but still happened occasionally. It was kind of gross and non-family friendly.

If smack-talking was allowed, perhaps there could be PG13-style rules. Keep the cussing down. Don’t attack a person based on family or culture. Don’t talk about people’s wives, husbands, kids, or mothers. Etc.

Perhaps there could be smack-talking events. There are some real personalities that play foosball that could bring the game to life in real time. There is some real funny stuff that gets said during stressful and highly competitive situations.

Regardless, I do believe it is important for viewership to have the tables with mics. Foosball is a percussion instrument. It is one of the draws to the game. Let your game talk for you by smacking the back of the goal.
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The Mental Marathon of Foosball

One of the things I love about a weekend of competitive foosball: it is a mental marathon.

There is a difference between players that can have one good evening. It is a whole other thing to keep your game rocking all weekend. You are going to be on your feet all weekend, trying to be in peak focus modes, and operating on a different sleep schedule. Diet can be an issue too.

If you really lean into the weekend, by day 3 you may experience aches, pains, and exhaustion that you have never felt before. The older players know this feeling. People do in fact physically train for foosball. You don’t need big muscles for this sport, but you do need a mental and physical fortitude to be able to win the weekend.

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Romanian Timeout

Not sure where the term “Romanian Timeout” came from, but it is a strategy to get your car fixed.

A player at the tournament was rumored to have called a timeout during a match…in order to get his car fixed. He didn’t have any tools to fix his vehicle in the parking lot, so in the middle of a match, he calls a timeout, walks to the sign up desk, and asks for table maintenance. They have tools.
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Trophies versus Medals

As part of foosball welcoming back money for playing the game, I recommend that we get ride of trophies and issue in an era of medals and coins for few easons:

1. Trophies can be hard to travel with.
2. Trophies can take up a lot of space at home or in storage.
3. Coins/medals actually hold value beyond bragging rights and can be exchanged for money if need be
4. The main sponsor of WFT is a precious metals trading company, Philoro.
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Saying Goodbye

While it is true a foosball championship is a marathon, it comes to an end pretty quickly. It is a relief to cross the finish line regardless if you win or lose. But, there is also a certain sadness that foosball paradise has to come to an end. The party ends and the foos friend family needs to get back to reality.

Goodbyes are said. Handshakes. Hugs. See you next-times.

This can go on for a moment especially the Mid-West goodbye. This can go on for hours.

I am not a fan of the Midwest goodbye. When you say goodbye, it is a wrap, not time to add extra chapters to the conversation. This extra conversation should have happened way before a goodbye is said. My goodbyes and exit is pretty quick.

I have given my all this weekend in terms of social interaction. I am tapped out. I probably should have introduced myself to Ryan and Iveta Moore and thanked them for their huge effort for evolving foosball in to its next phased. However, I am guessing they are probably pretty tapped out too. I will catch them later.

I jump into the Yukon and head back to Rock County. It was an excellent weekend. I might have not have been winning at foosball, but I definitely felt like I was winning in life. Good people. Good times.
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Saying Goodbye to the Parents

My parents drop me off at the Sioux Falls airport a few days later. While saying goodbye to family and friends can be difficult because you may never see them again since life has not promises, it can be even more difficult when you have parents in their 70’s. It is statistically more likely that you may never see them again rather than someone in their 30’s.

I hug my mother and shake my dad’s hand. We take a selfie. I express my concern about “final goodbyes” with your parents.

My dad shares some family philosophy, “Like my 100-year old Uncle Bub use to say, ‘getting old isn’t for sissies.”

“Until we meet again,” my dad says. He doesn’t just mean this from a travel perspective. He also means this in regards to Catholic sexton philosophy: we will see each again either in the physical form or the spiritual form after we die.

I board the plane with another round in life of good memories. My notebook has been completely filled this past week, most with topic ideas for writing. I have a lot of writing ahead of me when I get back to Portland, Oregon.

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Next Foosball Adventures

1. 2026 Foosball Moneyball in Portland, Oregon. Teaming up with my brother Steve “Wolfgrave” Walgrave.

2. Minnesota State Foosball Championship in Mounds View, MN (Twin Cities) April 24-26th, 2026.

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Thank you for taking the time to read this whole article. I didn’t expect it to balloon out to 20-pages. I probably should have just entered each of these sections as independent website posts. I will try to cut the number of words down next time.
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“Keep the Pace!”