We all have memories, be they positive or negative, about playing kickball out in the schoolyard during recess or gym class. While some of us may not choose to relive that experience, over 20,000 adults in America have joined the World Adult Kickball Association.
The retainers may have been replaced by pace makers, but the kickball is still the same.
We asked team captain and kickball league coordinator Sam Eifling about the trend.
‘The Most’: How did you get started playing adult kickball?
Eifling: A friend in D.C. got me started in 2004. This is my sixth season—the seasons are short, and there are three seasons per year of about 10 games each.
‘The Most’: Do you really use the same red rubber ball I remember from childhood?
Eifling: Yep. It looks like a big clown nose.
‘The Most’: What are the rules?
Eifling: You can’t hit people in the head with the ball, you can’t throw it. There are 11 outfielders and the team needs to be coed with at least 4 girls. Good teams pick the small, unassuming girls because they are secret weapons.
‘The Most’: I read in Newsweek that there are players in their fifties. How old are the teammates?
Eifling: The are typically 24-30 years old.
‘The Most’: Are there crazy antics involved?
Eifling: Someone who worked at a printing company brought a giant landscaping poster to a game. Our team ran through it like in the movies, and we had a crappy smoke machine and did a little pregame show. Of course, there were no spectators so we did it for us.
‘The Most’: Any tips on how to rule the kickball roost?
Eifling: Good teams will bunt kick to third base. It’s a sure bet to safety on first because it’s a gigantic ball and it’s hard to throw over to first. Guys with an ego get into trouble. They try to kick the ball out in space and they end up getting out.