No dart league? Think again, says a Labrador couple who went online to stay social

People are beginning to adapt to the new social norm of staying home amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and some have even made a game of it.

Patricia Maloney and Tony Cullen have created an online dart league, and it allstarted with Maloney and Cullen taking on another couple fromtheir real-life league.

Since then it has blossomed into 18 teams, all couples,playing the game through video conversation appFaceTime.

"We're all missing each other," Cullen told CBC Radio's Labrador Morning.

Cullen handles the game scheduling and the league's statistics. From there it's up to the other couples to set up a FaceTime connection. Both sides keep score sheets and point their mobile devices at their home dartboards during the call.

Maloney said it's nice to have a feeling ofnormalcy, despite all teams being stuck insidetheir respective homes.

"Everybody is enjoying it. They love it so much, and to be able to just talk to each other and playing the game that we all love so much, it's one way that we're all being able to stay connected," she said.

"It's a highlight of our day."

The league even broadcasts some games live from within its members-only Facebook group.

June will mark the beginning of the playoff rounds. The league will be split into two groups: the top eight playing for the championship, while the bottom 10 duke it out for bragging rights.

As for prizes, Cullen said he and Maloney will donate something to the winners, but nothing big it's mostly about staying connected.

From there, depending on the province's public health emergency restrictions still being in place, they will start all over again, potentially expanded.

"I already got a couple of requests to join, but it will have to be the next league," said Cullen.

Aiming to improve your dart game? You may like this piece by our colleague Zach Goudie.

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