A kickball game to remember
As the unseasonably warm afternoon sun settles down, a more-than-welcome, cool, crisp air creeps out and UHCL students, faculty and staff gather on Oct. 13 at the Delta Fields for a kickball game.
The words ‘kickball game’ may sound friendly enough, but this particular event is a student vs. faculty and staff match. This circumstance turns your usually helpful, knowledgeable teacher and quiet, inquisitive student into unrecognizably competitive opponents.
Prospective players surround Jacob Crawford, coordinator of Campus Recreation, to sign in and receive a shirt – blue for students, green for faculty and staff – officially synthesizing a color-coded bond between teammates.
Although the teams are uneven, 11 faculty and 9 students, nothing gets in the way of the scheduled 6:30 p.m. game time. Blue clad students scatter out into the field, cover the bases and another steps up to pitch as the green guys (faculty) line up to kick.
After a few left-swaying fouls, Kent Case, coordinator in the Student Assistance Center, steps up to home base. His forceful kick causes the rubber ball to reach far and high enough to secure first base. From there he waits, adrenaline flowing, as the next kicker comes forward.
As soon as the next kicker’s foot slaps against the ball, Case takes off toward second base without realizing it was a foul. Halfway between first and second, Case becomes aware of his mistake and members of the blue team assume their positions across the field and start moving in on Case.
Across the expanse of the field stands a staggered line of blue shirts, each ready with open arms and quick feet to receive the ball in an effort to tag Case out. With no time to spare, Case turns around and bounds back toward first. The ball is projected into the air and his blue opponent’s anticipation to catch the fast-flying ball inspires Case to dive, hands stretched forward, into first base – and he’s safe!
Later, Case, reflecting on his quick dive-in reaction, simply stated, “I’m in it.”
The greens and blues repeatedly switched from kicking to outfield, but ‘in it to win it’ was apparently the green-shirted team’s motto, making it through the first half of the game with a score board dominating 7-0.
Desperate for a comeback, a trail of blue shirts line up behind home base ready to kick. Eager to make a mark on the scoreboard, the students began to cheer words of encouragement for upcoming kickers.
A blue-shirted team member, obviously not a first-time kickball player, applies a solid kick and jets with a fire under his feet toward first base. He makes it to second. Third. Students are up on their toes to cheer him on. He scores!
Both teams played with a fierce fervor, but in the end the faculty and staff won by a landslide with a final score of 11-5.
“It was fun seeing the staff, faculty and students playing a fun, friendly game even though we won,” said Nhee Vang, Intercultural Student Services coordinator.
“It was hard to lose,” said Matt McDonald, communication major. “I’d say we let them win; we knew they had to get home early.”
Although the students lost this time, they have a chance for redemption at the next faculty, staff and student sporting event. This intramural event, sponsored by Campus Recreation, will take place in the form of a soccer game where students and teachers can play on a mixed team on Oct. 23 at the Delta Fields at 1 p.m.
