There’s nothing like coming home after a long stressful day at work and changing into some nice comfortable clothes before throwing on a pair of tennis shoes to wind down with a friendly game of kickball.
Columbus Parks and Recreation Department sports coordinator Patrick Senn has provided an opportunity for Columbus residents to get away from their daily routines by participating in his Adult Kickball League that’s been running since 2005.
Senn was looking for a pure recreational event that adults could use to socialize with each other that didn’t involve any prior knowledge or set skills to play when he landed on kickball. He did some research on different active events that led him to a kickball club in Washington, D.C., that sparked the idea for his league.
He first was inspired to create his own dodgeball league by the movie “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story” that was released a year prior, starring Vince Vaughn and Ben Stiller. But that didn’t last long. It was too difficult trying to find an available indoor facility to host tournaments.
“I hosted a couple tournaments for dodgeball,” Senn said. “It just didn’t go well. I didn’t have a good feeling about it, and I kind of switched gears looking for something else.”
That’s when he decided on kickball, and it looks to be a hit for the community, so much so that Senn had to move from one season to two seasons a year. He added a fall season after the first two spring seasons went so well. Many of the teams participate in both.
The seasons are six games long with a single-elimination playoff. All games are played at Lincoln Park on Diamonds 5 and 6. The spring games are played on Tuesday nights, and the fall games are on Mondays. The game times are at 6, 7 and 8 p.m. and sometimes 9 p.m., depending on the number of teams.
The league is open to adults of all ages. There are players as young as 22 years old and as old as 60.
Kickball is similar to baseball and softball in terms of the number of players and rules used and is played on baseball and softball diamonds. The ball is much larger and rubber and is kicked, rather than hit. Defenders can get baserunners out by hitting them with the ball.
Thirty-year-old Eric Robbins and his team have been playing for four years, and Robbins said the team’s most valuable bench player is his 60-year-old mom, Diane Robbins.
The team relies on Diane to play when it doesn’t have enough women. It’s a coed league, so each team must have at least three women players on the field. Many teams will also go out to dinner afterward, which helps make for an even better socialization experience, Eric said.
“It’s actually a blast,” Eric said. “It gives you something mid-week, a nice break. We do coed so you get a good mix of people. Everybody is trying because you want to do well, but it’s also nice, relaxing and gives you something to do. It’s just a good fun time and good camaraderie with your friends going out there and doing something fun and making fun of each other.”
Game day is a very relaxed atmosphere with no umpires or official form of refereeing. Players call their own calls as they try and enjoy a break from everyday life for a little while.
Registration for the spring season started March 5 and will stay open until March 30 for those still interested in joining. Registration is $175 per team, and the season starts the third week of April. To register, visit columbusparksandrec.com.
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Registration for the spring season will continue through March 30 for those still interested in joining. Registration is $175 per team, and the season starts the third week of April. To register, visit columbusparksandrec.com.
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