Can You Kick It? Yes We Can!

Thursday nights in Ocean View Park are not for whiners. But if you're looking for something a little different one of these summer evenings, this could be the spot for you.

"Someone take third, and PLAY SMART!" shouted a member of the Grasskickers, one of seven teams in the adult kickball league run by the city's Recreation & Community Services Department. Its latest season started earlier this month.

Last night the 'kickers, the reigning 3-time champions, suffered a miserable defeat at the feet of Good 'n Fruity. This is a disappointment, to say the least.

"It's our defense. Our defense wins the games and tonight... it just wasn't there," said another Grasskicker.

These teams will be matched against the Underdawgs, Balls en Fuego, the Hotsy Totsy Unicorns and Swift Kick in the coming months to see who has what it takes to rise to the top.

Some teams got word that, on the night of Aug. 12, the city will renovate the field to make it suitable for baseball. (It's now used just for softball.)

The renovation falls on the same night the defending champions play the Blue Balls. In the words of one Blue Ball, it's "the defining rivalry of the season."

"Yeah, we're counting on you to take out the Tutti Frutti," said one of the Balls to a Grasskicker.

"It's Good 'n Fruity," someone responded.

"Whatever," the first replied.

In October 2008, the kickball league started with five teams in the competition. But when one dropped out, many were afraid the league would fold. The revival has been impressive. This season there are three new teams in the league, a huge jump from only four last season. 

Even so, it's clear that everyone has their place. The newcomers may be donning bright orange jerseys, but any team who's watched the Grasskickers' rise to kickball fame soon turns green with envy. Their defeat Thursday night may have reignited the hopes of Balls en Fuego that, with a little practice, they too can bask in the glow of victory and the bright, Thursday night lights of Ocean View Park's pitcher's mound.

"Hey, you wanna play on our team? We're one short!" a striped-socked Ball en Fuego asked me.

"Uhm, well, yes, but I'm wearing flip-flops," I answer.

"You can borrow my shoes! What size do you wear?" she said without skipping a beat.

The shoes turned out to be the wrong size, so I had to sit that one out but, driving home after the game I felt the kickball fire...err, fuego, start to burn within me. Next season, better watch out!