Getting a Kick Out of a Childhood Sport

Craig Hanson is up. The red ball rolls across the dirt. Hanson, 31, a financial adviser in Minneapolis, Minn., runs forward, kicking the ball into the outfield where an adept fielder snags it. But the throw is too late to prevent base runner Anthony Aderhold, 26, an engineer, from crossing home plate and lifting his team, the Ball Whackers, to victory. Yes, the recess game of everyone's childhood is piquing the interest of adults. The World Adult Kickball Association has more than 300 teams in 10 cities catering to more than 10,000 players. And the Midwest Unconventional Sports Association has 230 teams with about 3,700 players in five cities. For those who can't remember, kickball is played much like baseball — only you kick the ball rather than hit it with a bat. The teams generally consist of 10 or 11 players each (men and women), and the game lasts for five to seven innings, depending on the league. Expertise isn't required. "I am totally not athletically inclined," says Jennifer Wendt, 27, a Minneapolis marketing manager and enthusiastic kickball player. "But kids can play it, so I figured I could play it too."