2025

Morgan Short
Aug 1
5 min read

Updated: Aug 18

The 11th annual Short Family Games opened with a different kind of energy this year. Before a single game was played, three huge announcements set the tone: Shelby, Catherine, and Rachel are all expecting! There were tears, hugs, and a wave of emotion that carried us right into the competition. On the flip side, both Chris and Morgan were dealing with health issues this year. Chris, unable to compete, owned the mic as commentator all day bringing his classic wit and fire to the sidelines. Morgan played only a handful of games with Bobbie before leaving early, but the prayers and support for both were felt deeply. We welcomed Gina and Jack back to the games after a hiatus. JJ, Taylor, Sage, and Addie were all first time players. We love bringing new people into this wild tradition of ours.

From there, the day rolled on with all the intensity and tradition we love.

The opening games were as fierce as ever. Kubb continues to be anyone’s game. In the last four years, we've seen four different Kubb champions. This year, Quadruple Threat, Mack and Samantha claimed the Kubb title. They also locked in Can Jam and Ramp Shot titles. After the morning yard games, they were sitting on top. But the Games aren’t won in the daylight alone.

A new game, Spotkick, made its debut. The first-ever kicking competition brought out unexpected talent, with FU, Taylor and Sam earning their first yard game tournament win ever.

There were a couple changes to the Challenges. Teams were only allowed to practice the challenges for 2 minutes before recording their scores. Scores were also blinded so teams could not look over other teams' scores. Rumpydoodle, Megan and Jordan, swept three of the four challenges. Extremely impressive.

A-Team, Shelby and Cortez won the Volleyball title. They’ve become the team to beat in that arena, and no one could stop them this year. Up the Hill, Josh and Sydnie battled and placed in 10 of 11 of the brackets and top 3 in 5 brackets. Exceptional all around team and ended up tying Quadruple Threat for third place.

Meanwhile, Cowboys, Q and Lilli reminded everyone why they’re in the running every year. Q won best drinker award and together, Q and Lilli captured Marksman and Relay titles. Speaking of, the relay was a dogfight this year, made even tougher with both teammates rowing and new challenges like the spike nail for women and an extra flippy cup beer. It was brutal. It was beautiful. It was everything the relay should be. The top eight teams were within thirty seconds of each other, creating one of the tightest finishes in Short Games history.

Next year, relay scoring gets a slight adjustment. Finishers earn 4 points. First place grabs 20, second 18, and so forth. The commissioner made it clear: start training now.

Balanced, Will and Jodi, won the Ping Pong and Cornhole tournaments. Cornhole is always a tough competition, Balanced will secure bragging rights for the next year.

The headline of the day belonged to Just Try Hard (Jake and Sage). They clawed their way back over and over, winning multiple true second matches after losing early in brackets. Every time they were down, they fought harder. They went 41-16 across 57 matches, placed in 9 brackets, and beat Balanced in the long-time rivalry in Pickleball to win that tournament. When it mattered most, they had the heart and stamina to outlast everyone. They took home the Championship.

2025 Awardwinners

Champion’s Cup – Just Try Hard

Spirit Stick (tie) – Tribe Zellmer & FU

Men’s Horn – Josh

Women’s Horn – Samantha

Best Team Name – Tribe Zellmer

Best Video – Tribe Zellmer

Best Drinker – Quayin (lights out, no contest)

2025 Results

1st - Just Try Hard / Jake and Sage

2nd - Balanced / Will and Jodi

3rd - Quadruple Threat / Mack and Samantha TIE Up the Hill / Josh and Syd

5th - Rumpydoodle / Megan and Jordon

6th - The A-Team / Cortez and Shelby

7th - Cowboys / Q and Lilli

9th - FU / Taylor and Sam TIE Tribe Zellmer / Zach and Carly

11th - Busch Lattes / Vristol and Addie

12th - Shake and Bake / Drezden and Kaitlyn

13th - I Don't Care / Jess and Wade

14th - The Switch Up / Morgan and Bobbie

15th - TBD / JJ and Taylor

16th - UnFazed / Gina and Jack

Interesting Stats

Just Try Hard: 137 points, 41-16 record, 9 bracket placements, Pickleball champs.
Balanced: 117 points, 35-18, 10 bracket placements, Cornhole & Ping Pong champs.
Quadruple Threat: 107 points, 3 championships: Kubb, Can Jam, Ramp Shot
Up the Hill: 107 points, top 3 in 5 brackets, placed in 10 of 11 brackets
Rumpydoodle: 82 points, Beer Pong champs, 3 of 4 challenge wins.
A-Team: 79 points, Volleyball champs.
Cowboys: 76 points, Relay & Marksman champs.
Reapers: 73 points, Shuffleboard champs.
FU: 71 points, Spotkick champs.
Tribe Zellmer: 71 points, strong across 7 brackets, and a standout in Ping Pong.

Unseeded teams also shook things up, with Reapers winning Shuffleboard, FU surging to 4th in Pickleball, Rumpydoodle claiming Beer Pong, and Tribe Zellmer snagging 3rd in Ping Pong. Even Busch Lattes popped up with an unseeded 2nd in Cornhole.