Photos and story by Grace Galbreath
WILDWOOD – Earlier this week, Wildwood celebrated a major milestone: 100 years of the National Marble Tournament. The tournament, which ran from Monday through Thursday, hosted 44 participants between the ages of 8 and 14, who competed to be crowned the “King” and “Queen” of Marbles. After three long days of marbling, Jessica Thompson from Middletown, MD and Isaiah Garcia from Philadelphia, PA earned the titles.
The tournament was held at Ringer Stadium, located on the beach off Wildwood Avenue. Mid-way through the week it was moved into the Wildwood Convention Center due to rain, but that did not stop the ‘mibsters’!
“King” of the Marbles, Isaiah Garcia, is 13 years old and has been playing for just seven years. “I started in 2017. I started because my mom played when she was younger,” he said. Isaiah and his younger brother Nate, who placed third in this year’s competition, were most looking forward to the finals.
Isaiah’s grandmother, Marie Thomas, has been coaching for 28 years and was very excited to see her grandsons compete in such a monumental year. Marie said, “Looking back, it makes you look at the history but then I think it also helps us to think forward of what could be the future of marbles. We are looking to promote it and see it grow. We love the game!”
President of the Board of Directors for the National Marbles Tournament, Dan LaGamba, first got involved with the tournament as a child. At 10 years old, he first participated in the competition, and he has been coaching, playing, and helping out ever since. Dan travels from Pittsburgh, PA every year for the tournament, and he is excited to be a part of the tournament’s centennial year.
“This is such a big, monumental year for us, and it is exciting to be a part of something that has been going on for as long as it has been. I think this year in particular it’s been great to see so many different people that have been playing come back and kind of converge on part of their past time, part of their childhood. And to see a game that has been relatively unchanged for the most part, to see them come back and be a part of it and be able to contribute and play and just be around the atmosphere once again. It’s like a big reunion. It’s been pretty awesome,” said Dan.
The true heart of the marbling community, however, lies in its tight-knit group of alumni. These dedicated former ‘mibsters’ travel to the tournament each year to coach and cheer on their younger counterparts. National champions from as recent as 2018 and as far back as 1973 were present for the competition!
Ricky Broad, National Champion of 2009, traveled from Cumberland, MD to coach and chaperone. He said, “This is what I look forward to every year. I just love being around everyone that has been playing marbles their whole life. Some of my best friends have been made through playing marbles.”
Mother-daughter duo, 1973 National Champion, Debra Stanley-Lapic and 2009 National Champion, Whitney Lapic, have returned to the tournament annually to show support. Together, they show familial ties that have grown because of the game. Debra said that her daughter was born into marbling. Whitney said, “I grew up with it. My birth announcement was: ‘Now announcing the birth of a future National Marbles Champion.’ We even have photos of me at two days old propped up in a carrier with a marble in my hand. So, I have literally grown up surrounded by marbles my whole life.”
Although the 2023 tournament finished, the ‘mibsters’ assured that they will back next year, to celebrate 101 years of marbles.
