Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristin Newman.
Hi Kristin, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
In 2005, our founder and my mom, Robin Newman, and a couple of her friends saw how much fun kids had when playing kickball, so Robin spearheaded getting enough women to form two teams to play each other. Our first couple of years, it was just these two teams (the Diamonds and the Sapphires), and we played each other every Saturday. As time went on, we grew to more teams. Our league is a place where women get together for camaraderie and to release stress from the week. We play, we laugh, we get dirty and tired, but we have a blast while we are there.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road. We have had our struggles, but it has all been worth it. We understand that all adult women are very busy with life. Sometimes, we struggle with keeping our numbers up because women struggle with juggling other responsibilities that keep them from playing. We also would like to be able to have our own fields with at least 3 playing fields. It is very difficult for our small league to compete with softball, baseball, and soccer for city fields around the area.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Our league is specifically for women 18 years of age and older to play the old-school game of kickball. We are very proud that we get to keep coming back and playing this game with wonderful women year after year. Now, our male counterparts are wanting in the action, so several years ago, we started holding a Co-Ed tournament as a fundraiser, and each year, it keeps getting larger. Now, we are working on offering a regular co-ed league option.
I am most proud of our growth and the continual new players we get each year. We welcome all players, no matter their skill level. We are unique from other kickball leagues in the area and most of the United States because we focus on our women. We focus on empowering women to feel strong, capable, and welcome. We understand that women have kids, family, and job obligations, so we stay cognizant of those when making plans for our league.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts, or blogs that help you do your best?
For our purposes, GroupMe and TeamSnap have been incredibly helpful in communicating to our players, volunteers, and board members. We regularly use social media to get the word out for our community to come see what we are truly about. In other words, we use whatever apps and other resources we can on a grass-roots basis to help us grow and thrive.
Pricing:
- $50 early-bird registration (5/11-31)
- $55 registration after 5/31
Contact Info:
- Website: netwka.com
- Instagram: @netwka
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NETWKA
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@netwka2023
