'Everybody loves kickball'

It's quitting time in the nation's capital and thousands of 20-somethings are streaming towards the green fields of the National Mall with softball gloves and bats, with puppies, kites, blankets and bikes.
And bouncing red kickballs.
Yes, kickballs.
The sport of choice on playgrounds nationwide is fast becoming the sport of choice among young adults in the Washington area. A league that started with 150 people in 1998 has grown to 4,000 in 2002.
"It's fun," said Phil Rodriguez of Arlington, Va., whose "Team USA" has been in the World Adult Kickball Association four seasons. "A lot of the people you'll find here have never been involved in an organized sport."
And that's part of the allure.
The physical demands are minimal. Unlike softball, which requires some degree of skill, kickball mainly requires good humor and a touch of childhood nostalgia. Said Julia Salo, a 28-year-old Washington DC resident who works for a lobbying group, "It's just fun to hang out with your friends and play outside."
And it may be coming to a city near you.
The world's largest kickball league was conceived over beers five years ago at a Capitol Hill bar called Kelly's Irish Times.
Computer consultant Jimmy Walicek and his friends were planning their weekend when someone mentioned playing a game of kickball. Then someone else mentioned starting a team. Then starting a league.
"Then someone said, 'Let's take over the world.' Boom, that was it. World Adult Kickball Association was born," Walicek said. "I think we even came up with the name WAKA in those five minutes and it stuck. It was quick, a lightning flash of an idea."
The current national board members _ Walicek, David Lowry, Nancy Campbell, Johnny LeHane and Rich Humphrey _ incorporated the league as a non-profit, organized a schedule, and launched a Web site. They even arranged for a theme song, "Everybody Loves Kickball," which was written and recorded by local entertainer Pete Papageorge, who plays at the Irish Times.
After games, every team in the league heads to a bar to celebrate, win or lose.
Over time the combination of the scenic Mall and its Washington Monument backdrop, playground hijinks, alcohol and single folks proved a winning combination. Word quickly spread that kickball was a happening place to meet people.
"The women," are why 28-year-old computer consultant John Crawford plays. He also said something about the overall fun and low-stress nature of the game. But mostly "the women."
Walicek said that females comprise more than half of all league members. "We haven't had a kickball wedding yet but it is bound to happen," he said.
A look at team names reveals the league's fun-first approach: Keg Kickers, Afterschool Specials, Vandalay Industries, Mulletude, O'Doyle Rules and We Like It Bouncy are just a few.
The league became so popular two years ago that one bar could no longer handle the post-game crush so teams were split into divisions, each sponsored by a different Washington watering hole.
The close of each season is celebrated with the Capital Cup championship in August, which is followed by what is fast becoming one of the biggest parties in Washington each summer, the Kick Ball Extravaganza.
"It was absolutely, festively raucous," said Team USA's Rodriguez.
The league costs $60 to join and the age range varies from 21 to 55, with most players in their mid-20s to early-30s. Each roster holds as many as 26 players.
The game favors speed over power, which would explain the disproportionate number of computer consultants and information technology managers who choose kickball over the Mall's other longstanding pastime, co-ed softball. The games are similar _ both have batters and fielders and bases _ but kickball is more a finesse game.
"Surprisingly the best strategy is to bunt," said second-year-player Crawford, who plays for Tony's Tigers. "No matter how hard you kick it, there are good outfielders out there.
"The biggest guy on our team last year, I don't think I ever saw him really kick the ball. But he had the highest average on the team."
The World Adult Kickball Association has big plans. Executives are confident that the game will spread outside the Washington era by next spring. Two cities _ Toledo, Ohio and San Francisco _ made efforts to organize this year but fell short number-wise.
Once divisions have sprouted in 20-25 states "WAKA" will push for international expansion.
"We want it to be in every major city in the United States so that every time a person moves they can join a kickball division," Walicek said. "We'll be happy, but we won't be totally satisfied. We have had interest from other countries, Spain, India, Argentina, Brazil, a lot of South American countries.
"We want to keep growing until everyone can play that fun game again."

On the Web: www.worldkickball.com

(Contact Joe Donatelli at DonatelliJ(at)shns.com.)
Recommended for Memorial Day weekend use