Friday, November 17, 2006

Kickball! The Renaissance!

We live across the train tracks from Conway Field. It's a public sports field with professional grade lights that shine in our windows until 11:00 PM from May through December. During long summer days, we can sit on our back porch and watch the kids playing little league. But in November after dark it's a different game entirely. All November long, the lights are blaring and the field is teeming with activity and cheers? Is it a high school football game? Is it the Little League Championships? Are these excited children celebrating a hard fought win after months of practice?

No, it is not.

It is a bunch of extremely loud adults in matching t-shirts playing... kickball. They run, they stomp they yell and cheer. Boy do they yell and cheer, oblivious to the fact that the field, like all of Somerville is adjacent to a residential neighborhood and their screaming at 10:00 PM and beyond might be a little disturbing to the neighbors. But John Smith just kicked a home run! We must yell and scream. This is important!

I've been part of various adult softball teams over the years. And aside from the occasional clapping and "Yoo Hoos!" we weren't particularly loud.

What is it about adult kickball that encourages such vocal excesses? Is it really that exciting of a game?

I'd like to know.