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On a blustery, frigid day in late December, a group of individuals came to Marina Vista for one purpose in mind: kickball. But these weren\u2019t a group of intrepid grade schoolers, braving the frozen tundra, these were grown adults. Using the same rubber balls from the playground, these kickball players were tossing wicked spins and cranking homerun kicks a kid could only dream about.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not just for kids anymore,\u201d says Stevin Ozier, regional coordinator. WAKA, or World Adult Kickball Association, is parent to over 250 leagues worldwide, with Southern California being home to around 20 different leagues. The Big Kahuna, Long Beach\u2019s league, has 12-16 teams, each team having a minimum of 11 players.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThe social aspect is just as important, if not more so than the athletic part.\u201d With this many players, it\u2019s not hard to see how many new friendships form every Saturday on the kickball field, just like back in elementary school days. Over 400 players come out to Marina Vista every Saturday during the season, which lasts 10 weeks. After all the games are played for the day, the entire field then relocates down to 2nd Street bars for even more fun.<\/p>\n
With 3 seasons a year, Kickball is happening year round. Winter 2013 season starts on January 19th, with the last minute sign ups being open until the 13th. \u201cAnyone can come and enjoy the game,\u201d Ozier says. \u201cNo one should feel bad coming in under the wire.\u201d Registration is $73, which also includes a team t-shirt. While cleats aren\u2019t required, Stevin highly recommends them.<\/p>\n
For those of us who aren\u2019t feeling the most athletic, Ozier just laughs and shakes his head. \u201cSize or shape doesn\u2019t matter.\u201d That point is one of the most important to Stevin, many of these kickballers are just weekend warriors. While the average age of players runs 25-31, Ozier has seen much older players, the oldest coming in at 44.<\/p>\n
But Kickball is really much more than just Kickball. On WAKA\u2019s website, their motto is \u201cBest Parties. Best Games. Best Friends.\u201d And partying is definitely something that the Big Kahuna League knows about. Camping trips, Vegas trips, and holiday parties are all abound with these kickball friends.<\/p>\n
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\u201cComing as a lone kickball is encouraged,\u201d says Ozier. \u201cAnyone can just sign up as a free agent.\u201d And after that, it\u2019s all in Ozier\u2019s hands to distribute players accordingly to teams. To be sure of diversity, official kickball rules also state that 4 males and 4 females must be on the field at all times, ensuring that every team is mixed. Ozier takes it a step further to also make sure that no team is stacked with ringers. \u201cIt\u2019s still just Kickball.\u201d<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re still feeling hesitant, there will also be a free pickup game this Saturday the 12th, at 1pm. Anyone is invited to come try everything out and meet some new people before having to register. \u201cIf you\u2019re shy, I will introduce you to people, that\u2019s my job.\u201d<\/p>\n
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