Adult Kickball Leads To Fun, Rivalries, And (Sometimes) Matrimony

Who said kickball is just for kids?

Probably not the close-to-1,000 participants playing under the auspices of Big League Kickball (BLK), and certainly not the many participants on four clubs in the newly-formed Nyack Division sponsored by Black Bear Saloon.

Black Bear has already sponsored leagues in Purchase and Stamford, CT, and has become the home base for the players.

"Here, we all go to Black Bear in Nyack and mingle," said Larchmont's Maurice Reep, a Mamaroneck High School graduate and now a field manager for BLK. "What's great is that you don't need a special skill to play. We take anyone as long as you can kick a ball and run the bases. And it's coed."

Among the readily convinced newcomers is Con Ed employee Bryan Gillman of Nyack.

"I was actually looking to find a basketball league and found this," he said.

Kickball is played similarly to softball, with a soft rubber ball 10-inches in circumference. Balls and strikes are called, homers are hit and players can be seen diving headfirst into bases during the course of a seven-inning game.

More important than the competition, however—which can be intense at times, especially between teams that have developed a rivalry—is the camaraderie and family atmosphere.

"A lot of friendships are made," Reep explained, noting that kickball is quickly catching on throughout the region.

"We have four teams in the Nyack Division, but it's the first year," Reed added. "The largest is probably the Purchase Division with 14-16 teams and in Stamford, with about the same number."

Pearl River High School graduate Melissa Deirlein—a three-sport star for the Pirates and an all-state honorable mention selection in lacrosse—also fell for the sport.

"I love it," she said before playing last Sunday. "My two sisters play, my husband [Craig] and my friend Gabby [Somma]. My family comes, the players are friendly and it's a chance to get some exercise besides chasing my three kids."

Somma, another Pearl River grad but a resident of Nanuet and a middle school teacher at Suffern, perhaps summed up best the lure of adult kickball.

"We all want to be kids, too," Somma explained with a wide smile. "My friend got involved first and their team needed players so I came along—and we've stuck together."

The friendships that Reep suggested are often formed has led to the first reported marriage of kickball players, scheduled Dec. 18 in Delray Beach, FL.

"We met in the fall of 2008 at a game in Yonkers," recalled John Dematas, a graduate of Mamaroneck High, referring to his future bride Marlene Marji of the Terrace City team.

"I played freshman basketball [in school] but that was it," he continued. "I play kickball in Stamford and Purchase. I actually travel to play kickball—it's crazy."

"Who doesn't have fun playing kickball?" Dematas added. "Everyone has a good time. People network, find jobs and Black Bear is great. We have parties during the year and at the end of the year."

Suffern High grad Adam Hochler is another devotee. Hochler, lured to the game by his girlfriend Paige Blankoff, a softball standout at Spring Valley, was surprised by kickball's competitiveness.

"Actually, I expected it to be slow, less athletic," Hochler said (he's also the former Suffern soccer team captain). "But people come to play. This is my first year but definitely, I'll be back for many more years. It's good."

Anyone interested in joining a league can visit the BLK website, or others. For an up-close look at the sport, visit Tallman State Park any Sunday at noon through Oct. 31.