FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) – The best part of sports is its ability to bring people together. In Broward County, it’s a childhood sport from the playground days that’s giving adults a new sense of community based on a sense of nostalgia.
What began as a recess activity in elementary school has evolved into a nostalgic pastime for adults.
Kickball is where everyone gets a chance to socialize, make new friends, and sneak in some exercise. Plus, who doesn’t enjoy the thrill of kicking a ball hard and watching it soar?
“Kind of reliving that past, right?” said Jonathan Korb, president of the Red Ball Social League. “When you smell that rubber ball, when you hear that doink of the ball when you kick it, it kind of floods all back to you.”
And the best thing about kickball? Whether you’re on defense or offense, it’s a sport for all ages and athletic levels.
“I love being able to come out here, you know? Run around, do some stuff with some friends, and then you also have the social part of it,” said Jenna Brooks. “So I mean, it’s a great combination, whatever you’re looking for.”
While it’s all in good fun, these intense adult kickball games are no child’s play.
“I’ve been playing with these people for I don’t even know how long,” Jenna said. “Since, like, 2016? And it’s always different people. Some of the ones, it’s ones you were fighting with the last game about overplay, and now we play with each other.”
“We do have a fun social aspect to it, but at the end of the day, we keep score for a reason, right?” Jonathan said. “Someone’s going to win, someone’s going to lose.”
Part cardio workout, with the perfect element of social hour, kickball is so therapeutic and much more affordable.
Just ask the over 500 men and women of the Red Ball Social League throughout Broward County who get together a few times a week to get some, you know, what.
I mean, it allows you to relieve stress in a way, if you have anybody that has stress,” said Chose Griffiths. “I mean, you come out and have fun. You had a long day at work; you want to kick some ball, take out some anger, throw balls—there you go.”
Given how much fun the sport is, I asked the league president which past and present athletes he would choose for his dream kickball team and why.
“Dead or alive? Doesn’t matter? Okay. We’re going for Pelé first; we’ve got to get Pelé out there. Cooper Flagg. I’m going to do LeBron, and even though I’m not the biggest fan of LeBron, I’m getting LeBron. I mean, throw Michael Jordan out there, because he could probably do anything. Mia Hamm could probably get it done. Of course, myself. And you know, I might get a Channel 7 guy to come out just so we can look okay out there. But those would at least be a couple of my players.”
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