The clang of steel quoits echoes through the room, followed by jokes, laughter and the occasional whistle. One moment, players are dead focused on their throws, and the next, those same players are laughing with one another and taking sips of their drinks. The score is tied and both teams continue playing while talking and laughing between throws.
For nearly a century, the Mercer County Church Steel Quoit League has brought players together each week in Ewing, preserving a tradition that dates back generations. However, the league is shrinking, with fewer younger players joining and longtime members concerned about its future.
The league, founded in 1933, was described as possibly the only steel quoit league in the country in the 1974 New York Times article “Quoits Rings a Bell” by Jay Spearcy, and it continues to play every Monday at Ewing Presbyterian Church.
For nearly a century, the league has preserved community and tradition every year, with the only interruption during World War II.
According to the 2015 QuoitsUSA article “History of Trenton-Style Quoits,” quoits dates back further than the traditional game of horseshoes and has links back to the discus throw in Greco-Roman times.
The objective is to throw a steel ring, weighing about 2½ pounds, around a steel stake, or hub. Standard games usually go up to 21 or 25 points, but matches held by the Mercer County Church Steel Quoit League go up to 31 points, with two points awarded for throwing the ring around the hub and one point for getting the ring closest to the hub.
Matches are typically played one-on-one or in teams of two to four players and last around 20 minutes.
For many players, however, steel quoits is more than a sport with a long history; it’s a game they grew up with.
Ron Towne, a player in the league, said he started young.
“That’s all we’ve known as kids – there was always quoits in the backyard. So ever since I could pick up a quoit, I had a pit in the backyard, and I couldn’t reach it, and then eventually, you know, you get older, you can reach. And then we play at parties, picnics, everywhere.”
While growing up with quoits is what brought players into the league, it is not what primarily keeps them coming back.
Nick Lukasewycz, a casual participant in the league, said, “It’s a camaraderie that goes on… People enjoy the back-and-forth and a little ball busting… But for every one idiot, there’s twenty really, really good people, and I think that’s basically what gets people coming back.”
Despite that sense of camaraderie, it is not enough to fill the gaps left by younger players.
When asked about the past 50 years of the league’s growth, Jerry Golden, the oldest member of the league with 53 years of experience, said, “Nah, it’s decreasing. We had… 16, 18 teams at one time… It had maybe a hundred players total.”
Golden said, “But it’s, but as the people get older, it’s harder to get younger people to play because when they start to play, they’re not scoring points. It takes a long time, and they get frustrated, and they quit. So it’s hard to get [them interested]. That’s why we’re down to four teams now, out of roughly 16 or 18 teams we used to have.”
According to John Maloney, president of the Mercer County Church Steel Quoit League, as of March 3, 2026, the league has 38 active players.
However, this number isn’t increasing, largely due to the lack of younger players.
When asked about where he sees the league in 10 years, Maloney said, “I think it’s [going to be] probably about the same. We’re trying to get some younger guys involved. Younger players.”
Golden agreed that recruiting younger players would be essential for the league’s future, saying: “Yeah. Well, gosh, yes. Just so the, the, the game doesn’t die off… If young people don’t continue on to play and learn the game, it, it dies off.”
This concern is not new.
As far back as 1974, the New York Times article “Quoits Rings a Bell” noted that “Today, Trenton may have the only steel quoit league in the country… Most of the players are in their fifties and sixties and there is concern that the game might soon die.”
Games are competitive, but they are also about camaraderie.
It is less about the outcome of the games and more about the time spent together. That strong bond between players and the tradition passed down through generations has kept the Mercer County Church Steel Quoit League active for nearly a century.
When asked about what separates steel quoits from other sports, Towne said, “You can hang out and throw some quoits and hold a beer. You can’t do that in regular sports.”
Anyone interested in participating in the Mercer County Church Steel Quoit League is encouraged to contact the president of the league, John Maloney, at mjm1927@yahoo.com
