http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/BjLewis/8403 It's not fighting, lack of enthusiasm, lack of players or (definitely not) beer that has killed the Crossroads Kickball Association. It's the city of Victoria. Big surprise there. Kickball is a kids school yard game, yeah but in the last couple years it has been a merry time for us adults in the Crossroads area. For me especially, kickball was a way to get to know my co-workers. The league started when I was new to Vic. It gave me something to do outside of work, that was the first benefit. The other was to get to know people in the newsroom. Sure I did while at work, but let's be real, everyone acts a certain kind of way at work because they are at work. Kickball got us out in a fun, casual setting and let us be our-(in a lot of cases, drunken)-selves. I looked forward to it every time it came up. Though the Ballcrushers didn't always fair well, we had fun. This last season we won the most games in franchise history and even posted a nice 4 game winning streak. But I was given the sad news there is no more kickball to be had in Victoria. One of the reasons was the city wanted to get their grubby hands into the mix. It seems the city has decided the deal that has worked so well over the last two years ain't so great anymore. They want to charge the league for use of the fields, take over league operations and bring in city umps (that last one might not be so bad). The bottom line is the money. In order to meet the city's (extortion) requests, they would have to charge kickballers out the yin yang. They aren't going to do that. (yay for the Frics, boo to the city) Basically the only hope for kickball would be finding a new place to legally play. End of sad story. The DFW area has kickball. Three month season just got underway here about a month ago I believe. It's so big here they had to start another division in Ft. Worth. It keeps people happy and I am sure it generates some cash for some people here and there. Someone could study that and see how they are doing it. Alas, good job city of Victoria, way to rain on the parade of so many people looking for something to do in Victoria other than work, drink and get drunk, fight and get arrested at Cactus Canyon. I'd be half tempted to move back to Victoria in time for the next city elections just so I can not vote for you people there now.  Bj Lewis Formerly, Co-Captain America Super Awesome Kickball Phenom Go! Kickball God. Period. King Kickball   It's not fighting, lack of enthusiasm, lack of players or (definitely not) beer that has killed the Crossroads Kickball Association. It's the city of Victoria. Big surprise there. Kickball is a kids school yard game, yeah but in the last couple years it has been a merry time for us adults in the Crossroads area. For me especially, kickball was a way to get to know my co-workers. The league started when I was new to Vic. It gave me something to do outside of work, that was the first benefit. The other was to get to know people in the newsroom. Sure I did while at work, but let's be real, everyone acts a certain kind of way at work because they are at work. Kickball got us out in a fun, casual setting and let us be our-(in a lot of cases, drunken)-selves. I looked forward to it every time it came up. Though the Ballcrushers didn't always fair well, we had fun. This last season we won the most games in franchise history and even posted a nice 4 game winning streak. But I was given the sad news there is no more kickball to be had in Victoria. One of the reasons was the city wanted to get their grubby hands into the mix. It seems the city has decided the deal that has worked so well over the last two years ain't so great anymore. They want to charge the league for use of the fields, take over league operations and bring in city umps (that last one might not be so bad). The bottom line is the money. In order to meet the city's (extortion) requests, they would have to charge kickballers out the yin yang. They aren't going to do that. (yay for the Frics, boo to the city) Basically the only hope for kickball would be finding a new place to legally play. End of sad story. The DFW area has kickball. Three month season just got underway here about a month ago I believe. It's so big here they had to start another division in Ft. Worth. It keeps people happy and I am sure it generates some cash for some people here and there. Someone could study that and see how they are doing it. Alas, good job city of Victoria, way to rain on the parade of so many people looking for something to do in Victoria other than work, drink and get drunk, fight and get arrested at Cactus Canyon. I'd be half tempted to move back to Victoria in time for the next city elections just so I can not vote for you people there now.  Bj Lewis Formerly, Co-Captain America Super Awesome Kickball Phenom Go! Kickball God. Period. King Kickball   en-us WTF? No kickball!!!! I wonder if the city is charging because they need a way to pay for certain legal fees??? I hope the Advocate puts together a piece on how heartbroken a lot of people will be. Bj, Glad to see you're still blogging, even all the way from Denton!!! http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/BjLewis/8403/#c_62512 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/BjLewis/8403/#c_62512 WTF? No kickball!!!! I wonder if the city is charging because they need a way to pay for certain legal fees??? I hope the Advocate puts together a piece on how heartbroken a lot of people will be. Bj, Glad to see you're still blogging, even all the way from Denton!!! The Kickball League was the only form of exercise I got all year (those 12 oz. curls make for some wicked awesome biceps). This makes so sad. Signed, -Co-Captain Morgan http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/BjLewis/8403/#c_62513 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/BjLewis/8403/#c_62513 The Kickball League was the only form of exercise I got all year (those 12 oz. curls make for some wicked awesome biceps). This makes so sad. Signed, -Co-Captain Morgan Sadly, I'm not too surprised. If something is successful, the city seemingly wants to ruin it. Way to go, City of Victoria. Way to take away something us Gen-Xers and Gen-Yers enjoyed, whether participating or watching. It's no wonder people [like Bj] leave this town. http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/BjLewis/8403/#c_62516 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/BjLewis/8403/#c_62516 Sadly, I'm not too surprised. If something is successful, the city seemingly wants to ruin it. Way to go, City of Victoria. Way to take away something us Gen-Xers and Gen-Yers enjoyed, whether participating or watching. It's no wonder people [like Bj] leave this town. It's hard to believe there's no middle ground here...but I guess that's the city's way?  Too bad, I always looked forward to when the next kickball season would start.  There's nothing like good clean, trash-talking fun.  Who knows, maybe the city will start one of their own anyway and face it...kickball is fun no matter who is running the show.  And the added benefit would be umps that were all on the same page for a change!! http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/BjLewis/8403/#c_62548 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/BjLewis/8403/#c_62548 It's hard to believe there's no middle ground here...but I guess that's the city's way?  Too bad, I always looked forward to when the next kickball season would start.  There's nothing like good clean, trash-talking fun.  Who knows, maybe the city will start one of their own anyway and face it...kickball is fun no matter who is running the show.  And the added benefit would be umps that were all on the same page for a change!! When I moved here last fall, kickball was the first really social thing I had to do. In fact, I think the Advocate used kickball as a recruiting tool -- I seem to remember someone telling me about it when I came down for my interview. But I think we all knew that without Bj, there is no kickball. That's the real reason behind this. Maybe everyone should start rollerskating with me instead. If you can actually get roller derby started, there's no stopping it. http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/BjLewis/8403/#c_62554 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/BjLewis/8403/#c_62554 When I moved here last fall, kickball was the first really social thing I had to do. In fact, I think the Advocate used kickball as a recruiting tool -- I seem to remember someone telling me about it when I came down for my interview. But I think we all knew that without Bj, there is no kickball. That's the real reason behind this. Maybe everyone should start rollerskating with me instead. If you can actually get roller derby started, there's no stopping it. Hi my name is Leslie "Shameless plugger of all things roller derby" Wilber. Hehehe Leslie, if I had any sort of skating ability at all, I would totally join you in derby. It looks like so much fun. Unfortunately, I would break my leg lacing up my skates.   http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/BjLewis/8403/#c_62571 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/BjLewis/8403/#c_62571 Hi my name is Leslie "Shameless plugger of all things roller derby" Wilber. Hehehe Leslie, if I had any sort of skating ability at all, I would totally join you in derby. It looks like so much fun. Unfortunately, I would break my leg lacing up my skates.   Derby's awesome. Hoping to get to a bout up here next weekend. But I digress... Boooooo city of Victoria.... Long live kickball!!! http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/BjLewis/8403/#c_62573 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/BjLewis/8403/#c_62573 Derby's awesome. Hoping to get to a bout up here next weekend. But I digress... Boooooo city of Victoria.... Long live kickball!!! Kickball was cheap entertainment. What, only $20? What would the city charge? $50? $100? More? And the city did make money on the concessions. Soooooooo sad:( http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/BjLewis/8403/#c_62575 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/BjLewis/8403/#c_62575 Kickball was cheap entertainment. What, only $20? What would the city charge? $50? $100? More? And the city did make money on the concessions. Soooooooo sad:( OMG! this is sooo sad.  i looked forward to those games.  being a groupie was fun.  it got me (and the kids sometimes too) out of the house.  braving the winds, the cold, and for what?!   AWESOME KICKBALL !!!   so the Ballcrushers didn't win every single game, they had FUN.  Beer in one hand, cigarette in the other, trying to catch the ball all at the same time (YOU ROCKED APRILL !!!). *sigh*   gonna miss those times. http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/BjLewis/8403/#c_62586 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/BjLewis/8403/#c_62586 OMG! this is sooo sad.  i looked forward to those games.  being a groupie was fun.  it got me (and the kids sometimes too) out of the house.  braving the winds, the cold, and for what?!   AWESOME KICKBALL !!!   so the Ballcrushers didn't win every single game, they had FUN.  Beer in one hand, cigarette in the other, trying to catch the ball all at the same time (YOU ROCKED APRILL !!!). *sigh*   gonna miss those times.