As we prepare for our season ending tournament for the Grown Up Sports Spring 2012 Sunday Coed Kickball League at Lawrence Park in the Historic Houston Heights let’s take a moment to revisit the path we paved to get here and the teams that blazed the trails.
Since we first met, we knew there was something special about this team. On day one they showed up in full force, picked the hot pink t-shirts and persistently asked “did you get that on camera” and demanded “that has to be in the recap.” It was a match made in heaven. On a team of vocal leaders, the whole team leads with their play, whether that be Tony “Swag King” McClean and his boisterous vocal leadership, Kristen “Home Plate Heroin” Brockman and her particular brand of trash talk, as well as her proclivity to protect the plate at all costs or Ronnie “Stranger Danger” Strange giving you a three up, three down in the infield, despite that gaffe in week 1. Not to mention, the bunting perfection displayed by Amy and Nikki, and the brute force of Brian “Go Kick Yourself” McKinstry. If they have their Aussie inspired pitcher, Stephen, throwing his patented boomerang roll, they’re the undisputed favorites to take it all this Sunday and pour the Gatorade bucket over Coach Bradley’s head, capping off a perfect season. And they won a game like this (controversy included).
CG… Wut-Wut
This topsy turvy CG team is one of legend. Though they began the season on a slow start, they’ve kicked it up a notch, losing only to the undefeated GKY squad. The only weak point they have is attendance. Juan “The Logo” Herrera has come back strong on the pitchers mound, primarily powered by his awesome headgear. Matt “El Sugundo Cap”, although not technically team captain has clearly become the rallying force pushing this team to success along with the brotacular Shamus. What sets this team apart though is the stellar play of their ladies. Jenna “NO RISKS” Rissky, has a patented small ball approach that guarantees easy bases. Sarah “Jolly, No Folly” Jones has a knack for playing the holes when at bat and stopping the gaps when playing catcher and is a key component to victory. This seasons additions of Wade and Claire has done wonders for this team’s consistency as well. If CG can get the performances they need from Beth and Eric, both with stellar defensive performances throughout the season, they may be able to steal the title they’ve so valiantly chased.
Gotta love this team. At times they look like the best team out, at times they look like Larry, Curly, Moe and Shemp (people always neglect Shemp). Either way, they look good doing it and have a grand ole time. They’re the most spirited bunch, routinely taking swigs of Michael Jordan’s Secret Stuff to re-energize in the late innings. There’s not much to say here because they have everything they need to be successful. They have overly competent female players in Jessica, Stefanie, Sonia, Esme, Tabitha and Krystin. Jessica is a whirlwind at pitcher in particular. The biggest challenger to this squad is going to be the rules. There’s always a catch with this team, with more rule-challenging plays happening during their games than one could possibly prepare for. Jacob, Ric, Carlos and Ossie stay prepped and ready to blast one into the outer realms so this team certainly has all the pieces to complete the puzzle. If they take their vitamins and eat their Wheaties this team is still in contention for the World Champions of The World title.
Oh, The Foot. Plagued by truancy, they still manage to make every game interesting. Such resiliency. Such camaraderie. Such grace. They have every one of the 23 keys to teamwork except follow-through. Team Co-captains, Jay and Tarana, look like the mold of resilience powering through the varying roster and keeping this train a’chugging. Late season additions, Max and DK have added some strong kicking and enthusiasm to this team as well, and DK may be a kickball natural. Their test is going to be endurance, as they have the long road to success in the playoffs. Team trash talker extraordinaire Audrey, who is a force on D and O, ran out of juice in the double header last week, but this week is going to be a triple header if they want to take the cake. She’ll be a key part of the success or failure for this team in addition to Vena and Andrew. If tricksters, Lawanza or Erik reemerge from the ashes of the early season, this team still has a shot. Although we all know the good guys win, here’s to hoping the Foot can alter history.
The story of resilience, this team has gotten consistently better throughout the season, battling that ever-pressing enemy known as the rules. When we started this season, the Kickfooter’s found a way to make even the most routine plays seem hard. Now, deep in the season, they have found a way to make even the most challenging plays look routine. Its been a great turn around, as evidenced by their late season victory over the Foot Clan and their near upset of #2 seed CG… Wut… Wut… With Dennis roaming the field making catches, David playing his role perfectly, Eugene finding his space as pitcher extraordinaire, and Saolo mastering the art of base running, this team is ready to rumble. In addition, Angie has found a way to master the catcher position, and Veronica and Jennifer have become key in advancing runners with their perfect bunting style. Though they will have an up hill battle, if anyone can do it it is these Kickfooters.
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That’s all we wrote. Don’t forget registration is open for next season already. Season is set to begin mid to late August! You can sign up by clicking here or emailing us at favor@gusleagues.com
-Favor and Joe
