Lone Star Adventures: Kickball

This week FOX 4s Richard Ray heads to to Gateway Park in Fort Worth for league play with the World Adult Kickball Association.

Kickball is pretty much the game you remember from childhood. A big air filled ball is rolled at the plate and then kicked into play on a softball diamond.

The adult version of the game is under the umbrella of an organization called the World Adult Kickball Association, or WAKA. Enthusiants say it's growing at a tremendous pace because the game is serious fun without being too serious.

WAKA started back in the late 1990s in Washington D.C. Three IT guys were looking for an alternative to the bar scene as a way to make friends. They also wanted to meet girls.

Kickball's popularity is exploding in Texas. There are now 1200 players on leagues in Dallas, 500 in Fort Worth and more kicking in all the time. The organization is in the process of starting up new divisions in Plano and Arlington.

WAKA isn't just an athletic organization. Members say they focus on the social aspect by getting together for parties, raising money for charities and meeting new friends.

Despite its fun side, kickball can get competitive. Umpires say they see just as much competitive drama as any other sport. There's a national tournament in Las Vegas every fall where some teams get very competitive. Local players say they're just in it to have fun.

Kickball isn't just for the guys. Each team is required to include at least four women.

For more information about World Adult Kickball Association or joining a local league, visit www.kickball.com.