While the origin of darts is somewhat shrouded in mystery, the popular theory about its beginnings dates back to the Middle Ages. There are accounts of bored soldiers who took to throwing arrows at the covers of wine barrels.
Later, it was discovered that the cross-section of a tree would work even better as a target, since the rings made a natural scoring zone. As the sport moved inside during the winter, the large arrows were replaced with smaller projectiles, which became darts.
These days, every pub, arcade, garage, and basement has a dartboard of some kind. It’s an addictive endeavor, one that puts less emphasis on physical prowess and more on mental strength, steely concentration and great hand-eye coordination.
“I think darts is so popular because of where it originates – the public house,” says Trina Gulliver, a seven-time Ladies World Dart Champion who resides in Great Britain. “Everyone who takes up the game tends to because of the social side. Then it is taken more seriously as time goes by. It’s also a sport that you don't have to be superbly fit for; however, stamina can be a main factor in long tournament play. It’s relatively cheap to play, in that the equipment you use is simple and cheap in comparison to, say, golf or tennis.”
For young players out there, experts recommend working with someone knowledgeable to avoid developing bad habits. “Find a dart league in the area and ask one of the better players for help,” says Mike Aducci, who has been the president of the Pittsburgh Dart Association for the past eight years.
“Most dart players have no problem mentoring a young player, and that is very important. If you don’t learn the basics, you will only be able to improve so much, and then you will be stuck, unable to go any further.”
While darts is huge in Europe, particularly in England, the game is less popular as a professional endeavor here in the States. Even so, some of the top players in the world reside on U.S. soil and, in fact, the top two players in the country – Johnny Kuczynski and Darren Young – hail from Pennsylvania. Furthermore, three members of the Darts Hall of Fame, Al Matthews, Howard Grimm and Jim Wall are natives of Southwestern Pennsylvania, making the area more than just the Cradle of Quarterbacks.
While electronic boards with soft-tip darts are very popular these days, Aducci has always been partial to steel darts, which are thrown against a board made of a material known as sisal.
“Using the steel-tipped darts is great. It forces the players to do their own math on a chalkboard. That helps a lot with math skills for kids. For instance, if you hit a triple-17, you quickly learn to calculate that as 51 points.”
According to Gulliver, the most important thing to do when taking up the sport is to practice a lot and have fun.
“As in anything one chooses to do, try your best. Put the hard work in and it will pay off. Most of all enjoy it.”
For anybody interested in getting involved in the local dart scene, Aducci welcomes any questions. He can be contacted at mike@pghdarts.com.
