Struggling Sports Team Turns To Humour

New Video From NZ's Only Kickball Team Shows You Don't Need To Be Sporty to Play

NORTH SHORE, AUCKLAND, January 19 — In a last-ditch effort to recruit enough players to save their league, the first and only kickball team in Aotearoa has released a video proving they're far from elite athletes and that anyone can play kickball. North Shore-based Action Sports and Social Club (ASSC) has run the only adult kickball league in the country for the past two years, but they will be forced to close if they can't recruit more players by January 22. Ahead of a last-minute "Try It Out" game scheduled for Jan 21, a group of players has created a funny video in the style of a cheesy retro ad to showcase how fun kickball can be -- and how little athletic ability is required.

"Do you want to join a social sports team, but you're not that sporty?" asks one player in the ad, moments before she's hit with a ball.

"Kickball is like softball, but with bigger balls," says ASSC co-founder Anthony Williams later in the video, before his wife and co-founder Jessica Williams chimes in with a smile: "Balls you can kick. As hard as you want."

Jessica says that "kickball is for everyone." Originally from Florida, she and Anthony founded ASSC after immigrating to New Zealand.

"You don't have to be really sporty or fit to play -- we have players of all shapes, sizes and abilities, and you learn as you play. We made the video to introduce more Kiwis to the sport and show that anyone can have fun playing kickball."

"As you can see, we're happy to laugh at ourselves!"

Kickball is a popular sport in North America and closely resembles softball, only with oversized, bouncy red balls that each player kicks instead of using a bat. The game is well suited to beginners and those who aren't particularly athletic, and it's ideal for anyone looking to join a no-contact sport.

With kickball being so new to New Zealand, Jessica says that low numbers of new sign-ups forced her last week to scrap the entire league. But her existing players haven't given up yet, spreading the word on social media in the hopes of recruiting new players.

"It's amazing to see how much everyone cares about kickball and wants to keep it going," Jessica says. "The video was so much fun to make. That's what our league is like: we love to have fun."

ASSC is holding a "Try It Out" game on Sunday, January 21 at 6:30pm at Rosedale Park (meeting at the main clubhouse). Adult players 18+ of any skill level and athletic ability are welcome.

If the team pulls off their miracle, the summer season of ASSC Kickball will start on January 22. Games are played Monday evenings at Rosedale Park in Albany, with start times of either 6:30 or 7:30pm.

Players can sign up now at kickball.co.nz.

Action Sports and Social Club on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/actionsportsandsocial

Action Sports and Social Club website: https://actionssc.co.nz/

© Scoop Media