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Beer & Sports go together like Mac & Cheese, always have and always will. If you’re like me, drinking beer before, during and/or after your weekly kickball/softball/flag football/(insert sport here) league is a major part of your enjoyment of the game. After a hard fought 20-0 loss to the sandbaggers you would have beat back in your prime who should never have been in this league in the first place, nothing beats being able to kick back a few cold ones with your friends and reminisce on the one play that would have turned that game around. Or how terrible the refs were. Or “did you see the buns on #9?” Beer in sports builds team unity, brings out your inner competitor, makes you look better to the opposite sex (it’s science), and makes you say things to the refs and the other team you normally wouldn’t. In short, beer is awesome, and in an effort to promote it’s awesomeness, here are some tips you should be aware of:

10 tips for Perfecting your Sports Drinking Game

1) Lose the Liquor

This article is about beer. And while I have a soft spot for liquor as well, it has no place on the sports field. While it may not slow you down as much as a 6 pack, it’ll hit you alot harder and faster which can lead to increased risk of dehydration and face punching for uncontrollable taunting at the one guy you shouldn’t have made that yo-mama joke about. The goal is to not lose control, and just to have a good time, and beer is your best option for both. Same goes for wine, but I would hope that goes without saying…

2) Stick to Light Beers

As much as I am a fan of the darker brews, IPA’s and basically anything that doesn’t taste like water, if there were ever a place for lagers and lights it’s on the sports field. Similar in concept to ditching liquor, light beers won’t weigh you down as much, will help keep you from getting drunk as quick, and will show the ladies/guys out there how health conscious you are drinking a low carb variety. Win/win.

3) Brush Up on your Science

Depending on the science and source, beer is actually good for you, and this is good information to have at your disposal. If you tend to drink regularly, and you have a significant other, chances are you’ve had the “maybe let’s not drink so much” talk. Well there’s good news, science says it’s good for you. Here’s one article that talks about how the intake of beer regularly can cut the risk of getting a common cold by 60%, useful for those cold night games. Here’s another article talking about the benefits of beer for fighting inflammation, aiding in digestion, preventing some cancers, etc. These can also serve as fodder for small talk with that teammate or foe you’ve been looking to strike up a conversation with at your post-game. You’re welcome.

4) Get Salty

Speaking of post-game, one of the biggest fears some people have of going out and kicking back a few beers after working up a sweat on the field is dehydration. That’s a valid concern, and alcohol without hydration can lead to additional tiredness and cramping muscles. Fortunately, there’s a study for that too, one that found simply adding a pinch or two of salt to your brew can greatly offset that. It also mentions light beers being your best bet. I’ve got to figure out how to become a part of these test groups.

5) Create Your Own Rules

Sometimes when you’re playing it’s just more fun to make up your own rules as you go. One way to do this is to inject drinking your beer of choice directly into the sport at hand. For instance, we play in a weekly flag football league where the regular season really doesn’t matter and most of the time we’d destroy our competition without even trying. Insert new rule: drop a pass, get subbed and chug a beer. Miss a flag, get subbed and chug a beer. Your guy scores a touchdown on you? Run a lap while chugging a beer. You get the picture. It causes chaos with constant subbing and half-inebriated quarterbacks, and it’s insanely fun. Try it!

Let us know if you have any other beer related tips, stories or advice in the comments below!