Here’s a topic that’s come up before, and is resonating now (for various reasons). Is DCKickball different? Or, isn’t DCKickball just a mini-version of brand X?

I think the answer is yes and no. Depends on how you look at it. Is Tryst just a mini-version of Starbucks? They both sell grossly marked-up caffeinated beverages. They’re both for-profit enterprises. The owner of Tryst subsequently opened The Diner and, most recently, Open City. He’s doing quite well for himself, yet I still love Tryst. It’s my home away from home.

I think there is a world of difference between Tryst and Starbucks. As there is a world of difference between DCKickball and other kickball leagues. It just depends on how you choose to look at things. If you asked me 2 years ago what the guiding purpose of DCKickball was, I think I would have answered it then, the same as I would answer it today:

CHOICE

If DCKickball did nothing different from Brand X, it still created a marketplace (in DC) where players could now have a choice of which league they wanted to join. That’s incredibly valuable. In fact, it’s impossible to overstate how important that is. It’s so powerful a notion, that even players not in DCKickball benefit from the leverage that a viable alternative gives them when dealing with their own league. In the wake of DCKickball, we now have NAKID and District Sports offering kickball in he District.

Naturally, I think DCKickball provides tons of reasons to set it apart from other leagues. Some people who play in multiple leagues might agree with me, others might not. It’s a fact of life that you won’t make everyone happy, but you keep trying anyway. DCKickball isn’t for everybody, and I don’t want it to be. If you want a more serious and competitive kickball experience, there other leagues to try out. If you want to buy into an all-encompassing social scene, complete with tubing trips and Gold Cup tents, DCKickball might not be for you. We try to focus on what we’re good at: carefree kickball, flip-cup filled happy hours, raging parties and charitable fundraising.

But, despite our best efforts, sometimes DCKickball isn’t the right fit for everybody. So, I’d like to announce right here that I (by way of DCK Sports will help any player, team, or division that would like to start their own league. Call it whatever you like, register a domain, and you’re off and running. DCK Sports will handle (for a nominal fee) all of the registration, payment collection, and league management tools that you’re accustomed to using today. How much you want to charge and how you choose to spend it is entirely up to you. How you want to register your business (non-profit, for-profit) is entirely up to you. We’re just here to help.

So, choice is a good thing. Feel free to comment below.