Midweek Tradition: kickball kings and queens at Quinns

Adult Kickball at Quinn's Junction. Photo: TownLift // Michele Roepke

PARK CITY, Utah — If it’s a Wednesday in the fall, it’s Adult Kickball Night at the Quinns Junction Sports Complex, and last Wednesday was no exception where, among a five other games, all coed, the team named ‘Big Balls, Little Kicks’ got a victory over the team called ‘Ice Age’ with a score of 11 – 4.

Halfway through the season now, three players on the ‘Balls’ team are glad to have this midweek tradition for this over-21-year-old group of local athletes. 

Louis Posada, who when asked which position he plays, all three answered answered, “all of them” in unison. Zachary Strickland is at first base, and then there’s pitcher Pete, who has also served as coach since its inception. 

“It’s just super social, a great way to connect with people in person,” Strickland told TownLift.  

For Strickland, this is his third year with the team, and he grew up playing football, lacrosse, and soccer, “back in Massachusetts.” Pete used to play football and run track “back in Colorado,”  and Louis enjoyed “all the sports available.” Pete told TownLift, “Folks should totally sign up for next year.“

Each team plays two games on Wednesdays, three on each of the two fields. The ‘Big Balls, Little Kicks’ team doesn’t work together; they’re just friends from over the years.

There’s a definite vibe of BYOB, and definitely BYOD, bring your own dog.

Pete said, “We want to say thanks to the organizers of this league, the umpires are amazing, the restrooms are always open and clean for everyone, the fields are maintained meticulously.” Strickland chimed in, “The new light poles are perfect.”

When asked how he became the coach, Pete said, “Well, I started the team in 2017, and mostly because I’m willing to do the group chat every week” A robust and giggle-filled discussion broke out with their witty banter as Louis respectfully disputed exactly when this team started, saying, “But I think it was the year before because I remember, I got married, then the next year I celebrated my first anniversary playing kickball on a Wednesday night.” then he happily stepped away from the interview, put down his water bottle, and attentively bent down and fed his young daughter a cookie.

This team is ranked at mid-season, tied for second place overall.  Regarding last year’s results, “We got upset in the playoffs, in the semifinals.” Pete said, “It was a tough loss, two to three, so we’re on a revenge tour,” he quips. “But we’ve won our league twice, so we’re coming for more. “

“There’s just a lot of camaraderie. We have the same team, a lot of the same people for like, eight years,” he continues. “It really brings us together. Sometimes I don’t see Louise (he points to his right) all year, but then I get to see him for kickball. So it really brings a lot of people together. And it’s gotten a lot friendlier. There were a couple of seasons in the past when it got pretty competitive, and there were a few tense moments, but now it’s just a ton of fun. Everybody’s having a great time. You’re getting all kinds of people out there. You have people like Logan (he points to his left), who plays year-round. He plays down in Salt Lake, so he’s always playing kickball.”

Redstone Handyman sponsors this team. Additionally, Chesley Electric, Evolution Design Build, and the Park City Fire District have teams, providing opportunities for local small businesses and organizations to sponsor teams in the future.

The winning teams of the leauge championships get not only big bragging rights each which makes for engaging chairlift chats, but also t-shirts declaring as such, “Awesome t-shirts,”  Pete said,  “you get your picture in the newspaper, “Then you get to wear those t-shirts to the gym and sorta silently say, “look at this, don’t you know who I am?”