Kids get a kick out of Kickball Day
Published 10:00 am Saturday, October 31, 2020
Tracy Todd runs to first with her little girl, Josie Todd, during a kickball game Saturday at Calvary Christian Church.
Tracy Todd runs to first with her little girl, Josie Todd, during a kickball game Saturday at Calvary Christian Church.
Kylie Korb runs the bases during a Community Kickball Day game Saturday at Calvary Christian Church.
Kylie Korb runs the bases during a Community Kickball Day game Saturday at Calvary Christian Church.
Kylie Korb runs the bases during a Community Kickball Day game Saturday at Calvary Christian Church.
Gunner Couch kicks a hard drive down the middle of the infield during Community Kickball Day Saturday.
One of the dads, Shawn Oliver, goes for the ball as Jonas McCormick runs the bases.
Pitcher Zeke Ross has the ball as the runners make their way around the bases as Asher Oliver, left, runs toward home plate.
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Mike McCormick stood in the outfield, watching the play unfold and shouting encouragement to the little runners.
“Bring ‘em home! There you go! Score! Go to third! That’s it! Stay there, stay there! Go back to third!” Then “Ahhhh!!!!” as one of the kids was tagged.
But it was all in good fun.
Upward 40391, the local chapter of a national faith-based youth sports organization, was hosting Community Kickball Day Saturday, Oct. 24, at churches and parks around Winchester for children in various age groups, from kindergarten through eighth grade.
The game being played in Calvary Christian Church’s parking lot was for kindergarten through second.
Other games for other age groups were played Saturday at Christ Church Winchester, Community Park, First Church of God and Calvary Christian.
Normally, Upward 40391 has a basketball season, but because of COVID, this year’s season was canceled, and the group decided instead to do one-day activities.
“That way we’re able to do smaller audiences. Let the kids have some fun and do it in a safe way for the season,” McCormick said.
At this game, the parents were also players.
“More’s to come as we get into the wintertime, and we’re still deciding what,” McCormick, lead pastor of Calvary and “kind of executive director” of Upward 40391, said. “We’d like to do some basketball camps and clinics, and we may do other sports kind of like this.”
Upward 40391 just created its own nonprofit, Clark County Youth Sports Association, doing business as Upward 40391. McCormick encourages people to donate to help the kids have a good time during a difficult year for kids.
“We sponsor about a third of the kids who participate, and we have about a thousand kids a year. Three to four hundred of those usually receive scholarships,” he said.
The donations also help pay for uniforms, T-shirts and other items.
“We’ve had great community support, and we’ll be up for the Good Giving Challenge this year,” McCormick said.
More information is available at www.upward40391.com or by sending an email to info@upward40391.com.
About Randy Patrick
Randy Patrick is a reporter for Bluegrass Newsmedia, which includes The Jessamine Journal. He may be reached at 859-759-0015 or by email at randy.patrick@bluegrassnewsmedia.com.
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