The Kickball Balance

Kickball culture is kind of like a microcosm of 20-somethings culture, but with a high school drama kind of twist. A lot of players in most of the leagues have been playing for awhile, many of them play across multiple leagues, and teams are constantly changing so that quite a few players have played with anywhere from 25-50% of the players in the bar on a given night.

Striking a balance on any team between being competitive enough to win some games and not being that douchebag team that everyone hates is a lot more difficult than you might imagine. You have to strike just the right balance between girls and guys, have just enough really athletic people to balance out the people whose strength is more in being social and most importantly, you have to make sure everyone knows the rules. Because the team that wins games, 9 times out of 10, will be the team that knows the rules best.

And then there’s the flip cup to consider. This is where players who may not pull their weight as well on the field really need to shine. The drinking in this league is almost more competitive than the kickball (because let’s be honest, most of us have a lot more practice at one than the other). If you can’t hold your alcohol, you don’t belong here.

All that said, we have an AWESOME team this season (and I have played on some truly terrible one). We’ve won 3 of 4 games played (and we really only lost the first one by a run because we were still figuring out the best places to put everybody) and we DOMINATE on the flip cup tables. We’ve been at least 4 teams 7-0 and have yet to lose a match.

And this is a big part of my current dilemma. My mid-season party hookup has turned into more of a will they or won’t they sort of scene that’s unfolding in front of the whole team. Cute Kickball Boy (CKB for short) and I are very much in like (as Makarlin would say) but we are at risk of upsetting the delicate balance of our truly badass team.

Hookups are a big part of the kickball culture. Relationships have their place, but starting one is a tricky proposition, which multiplies exponentially when you try it with someone on your own team.

So wish me luck guys. CKB and I have a movie date tonight to watch The Sand Lot and I am STOKED. I love that movie! And he’s already promised to cook for me next time. We are those nauseatingly cute people that make you want to gag yourself with a fork right now and I am loving it.