St. Patrick’s Day is known for green debauchery and for those looking to maximize the festivities in the 419 area, the Toledo Area Soccer Association (TASA) has got your back once again with their annual pub crawl.
If you are looking to experience the best of St. Patrick’s Day, go to some of your favorite bars, possibly check out some new ones, all without the worry of driving, the pub crawl is for you. With 2 bus loops covering 15 bars, participants gain access to specials at each stop for the price of $30.
Grassroot beginnings
The Toledo Area Soccer Association has humble beginnings. Beginning with 5 teammates and a passion for the sport of soccer, the organization grew into a community of over one thousand members. Stemming from the desire to have quality fields and friends, TASA has built a community based around the love of soccer. The organization formed in 2006, and became official in 2008 as a nonprofit in order to secure a grant through Walmart to better local fields, and in turn, strengthen their growing soccer community. President Richard Parish said, “We just wanted to play, and we wanted to build and grow soccer through individuals, teams, leagues, and facilities.” As their community strengthened, they looked to find places outside the field to hang out.
From the field to the pub
As part of the communal experience, members gathered at the Claddagh to watch soccer matches from leagues around the world. While talking over a pint, members discussed on field tactics, which soccer teams are the best in their respective leagues, and how to grow the TASA community.
TASA president Richard Parish stated, “The purpose of TASA is to linking people together, not just with soccer.” It was over one of these pub talks that the crawl came about. Rich said, “The question of how can we all go out have a good time and not worry about driving came up repeatedly, and we eventually came up with the pub crawl idea.” Rich continued, “The pub crawl allows our members to become acquainted with entire soccer community, local populace, and vice versa.” What began as five guys having a kickabout, eventually turned into an entire community crawling around Toledo.
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Words of wisdom
We’ve got a few hints on how to maximize all of your St. Paddy’s Day Pub Crawl shenanigans. Most importantly, make sure you have a cab or friend pick you up at the end of the night. With your $30 ticket, you receive an all access lanyard that allows you to skip the entry fee to the bars included. Make sure to pace yourself and drink plenty of water. Each bus has chauffeurs that help with scheduling and any other questions you may have. Additionally, they may encourage bus festivities such as singing and chanting— so be prepared. Your lanyard will have the addresses of each bar on them as well as the number for a cab.
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