It was a crisp autumn evening in Weesp, and the team from BALLPARK—Raoul, Menco, Benthe, Rachel, and Marlinde—gathered outside De Eendracht, the warm glow of the pub's lights reflecting on the damp pavement. Excitement buzzed among them; tonight was their debut at the infamous pub quiz, and the mood was infectious.
Raoul, the de facto captain, clutched the quiz sheet with enthusiasm. "Alright, team," he said, his voice firm but playful, "This is our night. We're going to show them what BALLPARK is made of!"
Menco grinned, adjusting his scarf. "You mean, we’ll show them that we know more than just designing and branding, right?"
Benthe, always the pragmatist, raised an eyebrow. "Let’s not get too cocky. I’ve heard some of the regulars are basically trivia wizards. But we’ve got this—right, Rachel?"
Rachel, with her natural curiosity and encyclopedic knowledge of random facts, smirked. "I’ve been preparing for this all my life. If there's a round on obscure 90s pop culture or Dutch geography, we're sorted."
Marlinde chimed in with her signature calm confidence. "Whatever happens, it’s all in good fun. But yeah, we’re aiming high."
Inside, the pub was lively. Tables were already packed with eager teams, and the smell of bitterballen and freshly poured beer filled the air. The quizmaster, a lively local named Jeroen, took to the small stage with a booming voice.
"Welcome, everyone! Let’s kick off tonight’s pub quiz! Twenty teams tonight, and I can already tell it’s going to be a fierce competition!"
Team BALLPARK settled into their corner table, drinks in hand, as the first round began. The categories were diverse: music, history, science, and a curveball—"famous Dutch cheeses."
The first few questions went smoothly. Raoul excelled at the history questions, effortlessly rattling off dates and events, while Benthe, with her meticulous attention to detail, nailed the questions on Dutch cheeses. Rachel, as expected, dominated the pop culture round, naming obscure TV shows and forgotten one-hit wonders with ease.
Menco, always the joker, kept spirits high. Even when they missed a tricky question on early 20th-century Dutch painters, he laughed it off. "Van Gogh would forgive us," he said, earning a round of chuckles.
The competition was stiff, though. Around them, teams were furiously scribbling answers and strategizing. One table in particular, the reigning champions known as "The Quizmasters," seemed unnervingly confident. Every time Jeroen read a question, their pens flew across the paper without hesitation.
By the time the final round arrived, Team BALLPARK was hanging in there. Marlinde, who had quietly been keeping track of their progress, smiled reassuringly. "We’re doing better than you think. Just keep going."
The last round was tense: general knowledge. Jeroen fired off rapid-fire questions. “What’s the capital of Liechtenstein?” (Rachel knew it immediately: Vaduz). “Who won the 2004 Tour de France?” (Menco, a secret cycling enthusiast, blurted out the right answer). And then, the last question—a wildcard: “What year did the first McDonald’s open in the Netherlands?”
The team exchanged glances, unsure. They tossed around guesses, finally settling on 1971 after a short debate. When Jeroen announced the answer—1971—they erupted in cheers. A small victory.
With all rounds completed, Jeroen called for a short break while the scores were tallied. The room buzzed with anticipation, as drinks flowed and tables speculated about their standings.
Finally, Jeroen returned to the stage. "Alright folks, I’ve got the results!" The room fell silent.
He started from the bottom. "In twentieth place… Team ‘We’re Just Here for the Beer’!" Laughter erupted from a table in the back.
Slowly, he worked his way up the list. Team BALLPARK leaned in, nerves growing as he passed the lower numbers. “In sixth place… Team ‘Mind the Gap’.” The tension at the BALLPARK table was palpable now.
"And in fifth place," Jeroen continued, pausing for dramatic effect, "Team BALLPARK!"
A cheer went up from their table. They exchanged high-fives, smiles wide with pride. It wasn’t first place, but fifth out of twenty was a strong start, especially for their debut night. They had held their own against seasoned quiz-goers, and that was no small feat.
As the top teams were announced, Raoul lifted his glass. "Fifth place on our first night," he said, beaming. "Next time, we’re going for first."
Menco raised his beer in agreement. "Absolutely. But first, more bitterballen?"
They laughed and toasted to a successful night, already strategizing for their next pub quiz outing. Even though they hadn’t won, the team spirit was alive and well, and in that moment, that felt like a victory all on its own.