2026

The 12th annual Short Family Games was arguably the most competitive games of all time. Familiar rivalries returned, powerhouse partnerships reunited, pigtail matches were played, and the yard was full of the intensity we all know and love.

After sitting out in 2025, Zach and Kori returned as The Stinkers and quickly reminded everyone why they're always a team to watch. Two proven team pairings came back together after competing with different teammates in recent years: Guess Who's Back (Vristol and Kaitlyn), and The Prophecy (Morgan and Jake). With Mack and Samantha splitting up this year and Rachel photographing the 3M Open, Jodi and Will entered the games as the only returning team champions and encouraged everyone to Bend the Knee.

This year's Games also served as a reminder that every season of life looks a little different. Whether you're a parent to a new baby, in the absolute best shape of your life, or dealing with the unexpected, you compete with the body and circumstances you have that day. Short Family Games is more steps than a marathon, so respecting your limits is part of the competition.

We welcomed four newcomers to the competition: Emily, Laney, Ryan, and Madi. We love watching the circle of competitors grow over time.

Samantha somehow competed at nine months pregnant, while Catherine and Taylor balanced the Games while pumping, Zellmer was absolutely ripped (and bald), Chris played with literal Metal in his body, and we also had an unexpected trip to the ER for Sam, and we're incredibly grateful everything turned out okay.

We always take care of each other. And even when the competition is fierce, we remember that it's supposed to be fun. A special thank you to everyone who contributed to the food shelf donation. We donated 94 pounds this year.

Here's how the day unfolded...

The Yard Games

Kubb

Kubb is always a toss up. This year, Big D (Samantha and Ryan) rolled through everyone and locked in the win. Not Fast But Furious (Zellmer and Carly) took second and The Stinkers (Kori and Spatch) took third. The Kubb tourney also went well into the day, with some teams still playing Kubb games even after the relay. It's a long game so the commissioner has made the decision to move the Kubb tournament to Friday night in 2027. You read that correctly, for the first time in Short Family Games history, we will begin the tournament on Friday night at 5pm. We will also go down to 2 batons each.

Volleyball

The Volleyball tournament was very fun and competitive this year. The Stinkers (Spatch and Kori) and Not Fast But Furious (Carly and Zellmer) had a fantastic championship match with The Stinkers coming out on top and claiming the title. Number one ranked A-Team (Shelby and Cortez) rounded out the top 3 in third place. There will be no changes to Volleyball in 2027. 15 rally scoring in the championships, 11 rally scoring in the consolations.

Pickleball

Vamos - Bend the Knee (Jodi and Will) reinforced their dominance in Pickleball but were met with tough competition in The Prophecy (Morgan and Jake). After trailing behind in the championship match, Morgan and Jake moved to the I formation, came back, and stole the title. Got Milk (Catherine and Dom) secured a third place finish and prove to be a factor in the Pickleball tournament. An important change from the commissioner for 2027: All Pickleball games - championship and consolation - will be played to 11 and it will be serve scoring only. There will be no rally scoring in any Pickleball matches next year. That is how the game is intended to be played.

SpotKick

SpotKick returned for its second year. 7th seeded The Prophecy (Morgan and Jake) shocked everyone and locked in the title against Guess Who's Back (Vristol and Kaitlyn). Big D (Samantha and Ryan) took third. There will be no changes to SpotKick in 2027. Practice your kicks!

Rampshot

The Stinkers (Kori and Spatch) had an outstanding Rampshot tournament and took the title. They are one of the only teams who consistently use the Slap Back, and they beat people when they do it. After losing their first match to unseeded, Guess Who's Back (Vristol and Kaitlyn), Vamos - Bend the Knee (Jodi and Will) came all the way back, won 7 games in a row and took true second. Got Milk (Catherine and Dom) was third. There will be no changes to RampShot. 21 rally scoring in the championships, 15 rally scoring in the consolations.

Cornhole

One of the most fun yard games every year, Cornhole returned under the lights. The Prophecy (Morgan and Jake) beat Vamos - Bend the Knee (Jodi and Will) in the championship match. Morgan with a clear transformation from one of the worst cornhole players to one of the best. She "stuck it in everyone's faces", according to the commish. The Prophecy threw great bags all night. Cherry Bomb (Mack and Emily) rounded out the yard game with third. Emily proving she will be a strong contender and partner to Mack in years to come. There will be no changes to Cornhole. It is a tough competition every single year.

Canjam

Canjam was one of the most surprising brackets this year. The 6th seed, Cherry Bomb (Mack and Emily) sealed the deal and won the Canjam tournament this year. Looked great throughout the day. In an extremely tight true second match, The Prophecy (Morgan and Jake) just barely beat The Stinkers (Spatch and Kori), who by the way were unseeded and in the pigtail match. Threes were being made almost every throw. It was played under the lights and there was no missing whatsoever. One of the longest canjam matches of all time.

The Relay

Dominated for the second year in a row, The Vikings (Quayin and Lilli) won the relay. They roll right through whatever we put in front of them. Everybody has to work harder if they are going to try to catch Quayin and Lilli. They are a good 30 seconds ahead of every other team right now. Gang Green (Megan and Jordan) were second place. The Madderjacks (Jack and Madi) took third. Huge shout out to Madi for what is likely to be the fastest bucket carry we will ever see on the compound. She sprinted with the weights around that pond! If the water is high enough in 2027, the boat row will be back. There will also be an improvement to Spike Drive. We will be pre-drilling holes to avoid the knot.

The Challenges

The challenges are a lot of fun. Guess Who's Back (Vristol and Kaitlyn) secured the Darts win. If you want to win this challenge you're going to want to get under 3 minutes. We made an important change this year with Axe Throw and it was a great one. You must land the blade to score points. Josh scored more than anybody in all games on his throw. Up the Hill (Josh & Sydnie) won the Axe Throw. Shout out to Samantha for the highest score for the women. The Stinkers (Spatch & Kori) won Around the World, finishing it in 1:34. The Vikings (Quayin & Lilli) with a lights out performance in Marksman, each scoring 52 points. In other words, both of them hit four 10s and two 6s or five 10s and one 2. A notable point to call out: The Stinkers (Spatch & Kori) placed in every single challenge. Those placements will later prove extremely valuable in the final tally of the day.

The Bar Games

Our winners of the Bar Games were as follows: Big D (Samantha & Ryan) won Beer Pong and Shuffleboard, The Prophecy (Jake and Morgan) won Ping Pong, and The Vikings (Quayin & Lilli) won Hammerschlagen for the second year in a row. There will be two changes to beer pong in 2027: in the championship rounds you will get balls back if both players make the cup. In consolation, each player will get 2 throws, meaning you get 4 throws. There will be rebuttals. We will be removing Shuffleboard from the Games and adding Foosball. Start practicing.

The Champions

We closed out the 2026 Short Family Games around 4:30am. Only 23 points separated 1st place teams to 7th place teams. Truly, the closest scoring games of all time. The Stinkers finished the day on top with 114 points. A huge moment in Short Family Games history. A team without the last name "Short" added their names to the Champions Circle. But make no mistake, Zach Spychalla has been playing the games since as early as 2015. Consider the fact that Up the Hill is an extremely tough team and was seeded in almost everything and they took home the Spirit Stick at 9th place. Consider the fact that The Vikings won Hammerschlagen, The Relay, and Marksman, literally won 3 events and took 11th. Gang Green placed in almost every bar game and every challenge and took 8th. These games just get harder and harder every year. There are no bad teams.

Champion’s Cup – The Stinkers (Kori & Spatch)

Spirit Stick  – Up the Hill (Josh & Sydnie)

Men’s Horn – Zach Zellmer

Women’s Horn – Samantha

Best Team Name – Got Milk (Catherine & Dom)

Best Video – The Prophecy (Morgan & Jake)

Best Drinkers / Team – Cherry Bomb (Emily & Mack)

Best Drinker / Individual – Zach Zellmer

1st - The Stinkers (Zach and Kori) 114

*2nd - The Prophecy (Morgan and Jake) 106

*2nd Vamos - Bend the Knee (Jodi and Will) 106

4th - Cherry Bomb (Mack and Emily) 101

*5th - Not Fast But Furious (Carly and Zach) 100

*5th Big D (Samantha and Ryan) 100

7th - Guess Who's Back (Vristol and Kaitlyn) 91

8th - Gang Green (Jordan and Megan) 79

9th - Up the Hill (Josh and Sydnie) 77

10th - Got Milk (Catherine and Dom) 73

11th - The Vikings (Quayin and Lilli) 71

12th - Madderjacks (Jack and Madi) 48

13th - The A Team (Cortez and Shelby) 47

14th - I Don't Care (Wade and Jessica) 30

15th - Armed and Dangerous (Drez and Laney) 24

16th - Heavy Metal (Bobbie and Chris) 18

17th - Frid University (Sam and Taylor) 15

Around the World

1 - Not Fast But Furious (Zach and Carly) 1:34

2 - The Stinkers (Zach and Kori) 1:51

3 - Big D (Samantha and Ryan) 2:40

4 - Vamos (Will and Jodi) 2:42

5 - The Prophecy (Jake and Morgan) 2:45

6 - Vikings (Quayin and Lilli) 2:48

7 - Armed and Dangerous (Drez and Laney) 2:50

8 - Madderjacks (Madi and Jack) 5:57

Axe Throw

1 - Up the Hill (Josh and Sydnie) 51

2 - Gang Green (Jordan and Megan) 48

3 - Madder Jacks (Madi and Jack) 45

4 - Big D (Samantha and Ryan) 44

5 - Vamos - Bend the Knee (Jodi and Will) 42

6* - The Stinkers (Zach and Kori) 37

6* - I Don't Care (Wade and Jessica) 37

8 - The Prophecy (Morgan and Jake) 36

Darts

1 - Guess Who's Back (Vristol and Kaitlyn) 3:05

2 - Vamos (Will and Jodi) 3:07

3 - Big D (Samantha and Ryan) 3:25

4 - The Vikings (Quayin and Lilli) 3:32

5 - Not Fast, But Furious (Zach and Carly) 3:36

6 - The Stinkers (Zach and Kori) 3:46

7 - Armed & Dangerous (Drez and Laney) 3:55

8 - Cherry Bomb (Mack and Emily) 4:00

Marksman

1 - The Vikings (Quayin and Lilli) 104

2 - Gang Green (Jordan and Megan) 100

3 - The Stinkers (Zach and Kori) 90

4 - I Don't Care (Wade and Jessica) 88

5 - Not Fast, But Furious (Zach and Carly) 76

6* - Cherry Bomb (Mack and Emily) 72

6* - Got Milk (Dom and Catherine) 72

8 - Up the Hill (Sydnie and Josh) 66

Can Jam

1 - Cherry Bomb (Mack and Emily)

2 - The Prophecy (Morgan and Jake)

3 - The Stinkers (Zach and Kori)

4 - The A-Team (Cortez and Shelby)

5 - Vamos (Jodi and Will)

6 - Not Fast But Furious (Zach and Carly)

7 - Guess Who's Back (Vristol and Kaitlyn)

8 - Vikings (Quayin and Lilli)

Cornhole

1 - The Prophecy (Morgan and Jake)

2 - Vamos (Will and Jodi)

3 - Cheery Bomb (Mack and Samantha)

4 - Big D (Ryan and Samantha)

5 - Guess Who's Back (Vristol and Kaitlyn)

6 - Up the Hill (Sydnie and Josh)

7 - The Stinkers (Zach and Kori)

8 - Not Fast But Furious (Zach and Carly)

Kubb

1 - Big D (Samantha and Ryan)

2 - Not Fast, But Furious (Zach and Carly)

3 - The Stinkers (Kori and Zach)

4 - Cherry Bomb (Mack and Emily)

5 - Vamos (Will and Jodi)

6 - Guess Who's Back (Vristol and Kaitlyn)

7 - A-Team (Cortez and Shelby)

8 - Up the Hill (Sydnie and Josh)

Volleyball

1 - The Stinkers (Kori and Zach)

2 - Not Fast, But Furious (Zach and Carly)

3 - A-Team (Cortez and Shelby)

4 - Up the Hill (Sydnie and Josh)

5 - Got Milk (Catherine and Dom)

6 - Cherry Bomb (Mack and Emily)

7 - Prophecy (Morgan and Jake)

8 - Vamos (Will and Jodi)

Pickleball

1 - The Prophecy (Morgan and Jake)

2 - Vamos (Will and Jodi)

3 - Got Milk (Catherine and Dom)

4 - Up the Hill (Sydnie and Josh)

5 - Cherry Bomb (Mack and Emily)

6 - The Stinkers (Kori and Zach)

7 - Guess Who's Back (Vristol and Kaitlyn)

8 - Gang Green (Jordan and Megan)

Ramp Shot

1 -

2 -

3 -

4 -

5 -

6 -

7 -

8 -

Spotkick

1 - The Prophecy (Morgan and Jake)

2 - Guess Who's Back (Vristol and Kaitlyn)

3 - Big D (Samantha and Ryan)

4 - MadderJacks (Madi and Jack)

5 - Cherry Bomb (Mack and Emily)

6 - Not Fast But Furious (Zach and Carly)

7 - Vamos (Will and Jodi)

8 - Vikings (Quayin and Lilli)

Hammerschlagen

1 - Vikings (Quayin and Lilli)

2 - Guess Who's Back (Vristol and Kaitlyn)

3 - Gang Green (Megan and Jordan)

4 - Cherry Bomb (Mack and Samantha)

5 - The Stinkers (Zach and Kori)

6 - The Prophecy (Morgan and Jake)

7 - Up the Hill (Josh and Sydnie)

8 - Got Milk (Catherine and Dom)

Ping Pong

1 - The Prophecy (Morgan and Jake)

2 - Heavy Metal (Chris and Bobbie)

3 - Vamos (Will and Jodi)

4 - The Stinkers (Zach and Kori)

5 - Guess Who's Back (Vristol and Kaitlyn)

6 - I Don't Care (Wade and Jessica)

7 - Big D (Ryan and Samantha)

8 - Armed and Dangerous (Drez and Laney)

Beer Pong

1 - Big D (Ryan and Samantha)

2 - Got Milk (Catherine and Dom)

3 - Gang Green (Jordan and Megan)

4 - Not Fast But Furious (Zach and Carly)

5 - The Prophecy (Morgan and Jake)

6 - Up the Hill (Sydnie and Josh)

7 - Cherry Bomb (Mack and Samantha)

8 - I Don't Care (Wade and Jessica)

Shuffleboard

1 - Big D (Samantha and Ryan)

2 - Gang Green (Jordan and Megan)

3 - Cherry Bomb (Mack and Emily)

4 - Guess Who's Back (Vristol and Kaitlyn)

5 - Up the Hill (Sydnie and Josh)

6 - Heavy Metal (Chris and Bobbie)

7* - Got Milk (Catherine and Dom)

7* - Vikings (Quayin and Lilli)

1 - Vikings (Quayin and Lilli) 5:36.06 MH:8:12 WH:14:26

2 -

3 -

4 -

5 -

6 -

7 -

8 -