The temps are getting milder, and though that famous groundhog saw his shadow, spring seems just around the corner. What better time—to say nothing of a nearby Olympiad—to check in with various sports clubs in our fair region?

First up is Team Oregon, a statewide consortium of athletes with their sights set on this summer’s Gay Games VIII in Cologne, Germany. As countless sports fans turn their attentions to the two-week spectacle up in Vancouver, B.C., Just Out spotlights the efforts of Team Oregon to represent their home state—along with other profiles of leagues and players of every stripe, shoe, mitt, helmet and other field fashion.

That’s not all. Columnist Daniel Borgen cheers on sports enthusiast-turned-field-activist Kody Leonard (p. 16). Travel writer Andrew Collins previews the WinterPride festival, Whistler’s Gay and Lesbian Ski Week (p. 18). And whether or not you’re Olympics-, Gay Games- or WinterPride-bound, we even have a few options for those itching to join a local league—both undercover and in the great outdoors.

So many options, in fact, that we couldn’t fit them all in print. Visit blogout.justout.com in the days to come for profiles of other vital members of our sporting community, including soccer stars the NetRippers, bodybuilder Arden Johnson, and roller derby divas the Rose City Rollers. So go on. Suit up, stretch out, let’s play!

– AMANDA SCHURR