Kick It 915 - Fun in the Sun Kickball Tourney - REVIEW

With the popularity of co-ed adult kickball continuing to grow in El Paso so does the need for more kickball tournaments. Currently most local kickballers find themselves having to travel out of town to be able to participate in kickball tourneys, which is unfortunate considering there are three kickball leagues operating in town.

The last local kickball tourney was held by the almost now defunct El Paso Kickball league. They would hold an annual charity kickball tourney called the Kickball Clash for the Kids. In all fairness the tournament was actually fairly good. However since the Clash there have been no local tourneys that is until the introduction of the new Fun in the Sun Kickball Tourney hosted by Kick It 915. Kick It 915 is looking to become El Paso's first major kickball tournament league.

The Fun in the Sun Tourney was set to feature:

2 Divisions: Social and Competitive

Cash Prize for the Competitive winner

$150 Bar Tab for Social winner

Water Ballon Fight at noon

3 Games guaranteed

Now when looking at any tourney, three categories on which you can grade the quality are location, format, and organization. In addition, the quality of a tourney can also be relative to whether a team is looking for a competitive atmosphere or a more fun event. 

7 teams ended up registering for the tourney which resulted in one big division rather than two separate ones. The teams were a mix of competitive and fun teams.

The tourney was held at Dick Shinaut Park, on the main soccer field area. This late in the year the grass is already going into hibernation, but it still made for a playable surface although not ideal. There was plenty of parking and trees for shade. There was music playing which provided a good atmosphere. 

The format was double elimination and due to low participation, the competitive and fun groups were merged. There was no pool play and match-ups were essentially scheduled at random, which left some teams confused. There was also one team that despite only having one loss was slated to play the 3rd place match-up. The format seemed to suffer from the uneven amount of teams and having to merge the fun and competitive groups. More participation should alleviate these problems.

Organization wise, there were a few problems. For starters, the tourney was scheduled to start at 9am, but didn't start until 10am. Which resulted in a later than planned end time. This often causes headaches for players who have plans later in the day. Also transition between games was shaky with teams waiting to hear who their next opponent was. Just a couple of items that would make for a better tourney if corrected. 

The officiating was sub-par at best. Umpires were often confused on the rules, that were supposed to be Kickball 365 inspired. Its important for umpires who run a game solo to be mobile and get into position, something the officials didn't do during the tourney. A much needed upgrade here.

And ultimately things seemed to be decided on the fly. Hopefully organizers due a better job of planning for the next tourney.

However the spirit of kickball seemed to be alive and in a drought of kickball tourneys, kickballers were happy to attend a new event. The initiative was greatly appreciated. 

There seems to be another tourney planned for February. Let's see what Kick It 915 has in store for kickballers in the future.

That is all for now kickballers, Good Luck and Happy Kicking!~

Wreck Top Seeds Choke; Defending Kixxx Eliminated

Down goes Frazier!

Down goes Frazier!

Down goes Frazier!

And just like that King of Kickball defending champs, Kixxx, are removed from their throne.

After a mediocre season, the Kixxx squad was stopped dead in their tracks by a deserving New Kicks on the Block. Obviously any #4 vs #5 playoff match-up, statistically, should be a close battle. And thus was the case between New Kicks and Kixxx, who grinded out a 2-1 final.

Arguably one of the major factors of Kixxx's demise were their injuries. With Michael Trujillo coming off of gallbladder surgery and the most glaring injury, their big time pitcher, Jose "Pipi" Delgado with torn ligaments. He had to essentially pitch on one leg. Although some within Kickball Nation report that said injuries were really just dramatic exaggerations. Either way,  they were able to keep it close,but it just wasnt enough to hold off an always dangerous New Kicks.

Hats off to New Kicks for a well played game. They are a crowd favorite and will need every bit of that support to get by their next opponent #1 Kickin' N' Screamin.

The rest of the King of Kickball bracket fell into the predicted order with KNS, I'd Hit It, and Smoking Aces all moving into the semi-finals. More on them later.

Because the bigger story has to be both #2 Just Kickin' It and #4 Pitches Ain't Shit fell in the first round of the Wreck group playoffs.

How bout them Tennenballs!  The #5 Royal Tennenballs have finally combined their fun loving ways with new found winning ways. As they stunned an untested Pitches Ain't Shit. Pitches Ain't Shit had an awesome season but not many quality wins. While the Tennenballs played strong competitive kickball all season long, which Kickball Nation was a witness to with their near upset of #1 Pitch Please during the regular season.

Another big time upset came at the expense of #2 Just Kickin It, with the Toe Jammers knocking them out early.

Nice to see the #7 Toe Jammers refusing to die and earning the big upset against #2 Just Kickin It. Up until last week the Jammers were a huge disappointment. Pre-season they were primed and picked by IJK to mow down the Wreck group. Which they ended up doing the exact opposite. So it was a relief to see them bounce back with a major upset victory.

Will they be able to come up with two big upsets? That's going to be a tall order as they will be facing the #3 Kickballaz.

Even though the Kickballaz just scraped by Pitches Love Me with an eye popping 12-11 final, they are considered a strong championship contender. The Kickballaz came to play and they're making it known. Apparently IJK started some kickball dramatics with the release of some credible Coconuts hearsay. Unfortunately it may have caused some unintended drama.

Most notably the new story line of the "true" Wreck teams vs the "competitive" Wreck teams. Kind of reminds me of a Star Belly Sneaches type Scenario. It's all Wreck right? Star or no star.

Should make for an interesting Wreck Semi-Finals as the #7 Toe Jammers and the #5 Tennenballs are being dubbed the People's Champs.

Now cruising back to the King of Kickball title.

A small Kickball Nation poll is predicting that Lucas' IHI may finally be in position to take the Crown. With their stone wall defense in full effect, they need minimal runs to secure a win. Lucas is finally letting his team participate to a certain degree which was the one element missing from this team. It's encouraging to see a team who doesn't put much emphasis on off-season recruiting and is still able to improve season after season. As long as the offense gets off to a good start, I'd Hit It's defense should be able to secure a victory.

Unfortunately they are facing a reinvigorated Smoking Aces crew. The Aces have buried their internal struggles and are rising from the ashes. Their new found stability couldn't have come at a more opportune time. The stability should solidify their defense and their aggressive baserunning may surprise I'd Hit It. Look for the Aces to get down and dirty on the bases.

Intense match up slated between these two teams. A game of the Aces offense against IHI's defense

The other semi-final features New Kicks on the Block and Kickin N Screamin.

New Kicks has some good momentum after taking down defending champs Kixxx. They will need every bit of that momentum as they face powerhouse KNS. Obviously they will need their coach David "Domino" Fernandez to set the pace. Lately he's been a little quiet on offense, but still anchoring the defense. A curious note, IJK has been noticing there seems to be some miscommunication going on between Albert aka Slayer on the pitching mound
and Coach Domino in right field. They often seem to disagree on game management situations and scenarios, could result in some potential missteps.

New Kicks opponent Kickin N Screamin is undoubtedly the biggest name in kickball and are looking to remind folks why. Especially after dropping their first championship last season against rival Kixxxs. Tons of talent but execution has been a problem as of late. Execution is a matter of mental preparation. When all the pieces are set its all a matter of getting them in play. May be easier said then done.

No predictions Kickball Nation. Just big time games!  Check them out!

Took a while to get this blog out, but look for a special From the Field - IJK Report tomorrow during the semi final match ups. Also don't forget to tune into Rio Pod Co Tv for all your playoff coverage! Can't make it to the fields?  No worries we bring the game to you!

That is all for now... Good Luck and Happy Kicking!

Wreck Playoff Spots up for Grabs

There is a reason why SCK's non-competitive division has been dubbed the Wreck Division. While each team is fun and unique in their own individual way, the entire division's inconsistent nature usually leaves Kickball Nation scratching it's head. With only one week left in the regular season, there are still many division playoff spots up for grabs.

However the top 4 teams within the division are essentially sitting pretty.

Just Kickin' It currently holds a 5-1 record as they head into their double header week. Their 1st opponent will be This...Pitch, which should be a walk in the park for JKI. However their 2nd opponent Pitches Ain't Shit, one of the other Top 4 Wreck teams, may prove to be a bit more challenging. Just last week Pitches Ain't Shit got into a shoot out with the improving Kickaholics, but were able to ultimately out score the Kickaholics 12-9. Considering though that JKI has a very stout defense this should make for an interesting match up.

The Kickballerz and Pitch, Please are the other two Wreck teams that are already prepping for the post-season as their playoff bids are locked in. These Top 4 teams are the only Wreck teams have done enough to ensure a post season bid.

Now for the rest of the Wreckers, with four teams tied at 3-4 and two teams tied at 2-4, there are 4 playoff spots that could swing either way. 

Two teams that have peaked my interest are the Hash House Harriers and the Kickaholics. They are both looking at double headers and will also have to play each other; however with a little help, both these teams or at least one of them may slid into a post season slot. My gut tells me the Kickaholics may squeeze in with the 8th seed spot, but we will see.

Rookie team the Alchobalics should also make their first playoff cut and also league veterans Royal Tennenballs. The rest of the division however better be ready come game time.

Well that's all for now.

Good luck and Happy Kicking!

LSK Week 4 - Clobberin' Thunder!

Lights go out during Lone Star Kickball Week #4

Written by: Rich Alvarez

With streaks of lightning in the sky and rumbles of thunder in the distance, many a kickballer was worried how Mother Nature was going to toy with their night of kickball fun. Unfortunately Mother Nature was in a fickle mood and decided to end the night early. A nearby lightning strike would officially end the nights' games a bit early.

Which was lucky for the Billy Bad Asses, considering the Smoking Aces were giving them all they could handle plus more during their 8pm match-up. The Smoking Aces are slowly turning their previously questionable offense into a small resemblance of a consistent offense. Although the game was still in the very early stages, the Aces looked comfortable, confident, and in control. While the Bad Asses looked a tad bit frustrated, but did not look completely defeated. The Bad Asses do have a potentially explosive offense, they just didn't seem to be in sync this evening. Fortunately they'll get a re-boot and a second chance at the Aces, as this match-up will get rescheduled at a later date and time.

The only teams that didn't get bogged down by the weather were the Animals and Where's My Pitches At?. The Animals were coming off a 3-5 loss against powerhouse Screamin' Kixxx during Week 3, while WMPA was coming off a small 3-1 victory against talented rookies 915 Changos. By all accounts the up-and-coming Animals should have handily or at least convincingly beat the Pitches, but WMPA had something different in mind. The Pitches were able to take advantage of the Animal's miscues and more importantly, they made some plays and keep grinding to take the lead mid-game. However the Animal's testicular fortitude was strong enough to battle back and at least allow them to walk away with a sister-kissing tie. So much for clobberin' time...

The Animals were looking to be the team to compete against Screamin' Kixxx for the Lone Star Kickball inaugural season championship, but are we starting to see the early signs of weak play. Not to mention, the unfortunate exit of their starting pitcher Daniel "Chucky Bear" Acuna and key player Omar Anguiano. Both players will be missing they rest of the season. The Animals will need to tighten up their play if they plan to keep the Smoking Aces and WMPA from taking their championship hopes.

Short report this week on account of the weather, so until next time...

Good Luck and Happy Kicking!