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Kickball as an All Family Team Sport with Jeremy Netting · The Family Teams Podcast

• 0:01
  Hi, welcome to the Family Teams Podcast. Our goal here is to help your family become a multi-generational team on mission by providing you with biblically rooted concepts, tools, and rhythms. Your hosts are Jeremy Pryor and Jefferson Bethke, and we can't wait to chat about all things family. Awesome, guys. Well, today I am excited to bring on to the podcast my friend Jeremy Netting. Jeremy, thanks for joining me today.
• 0:29
  All right. Thank you. Yeah. I'm excited to talk to Jeremy. So Jeremy and his wife, Kristen are in our family Inc community and they have been working on a business with their six sons. And they also, we also got to hang out with them in Orlando for our family teams camp. And so we got to know them. And in the midst of that time, I was just chatting with Jeremy and he brought up
• 0:55
  I don't know what conversation we're having, but he brought up that he had started a family kickball league. And I was like, what? Tell me about that. And so the deeper we got into this conversation, the more curious I became. And the reason why I'm so interested in this topic is that I...
• 1:14
  in the conversations we've had about family teams, everywhere we've gone, we make the analogy of fathers being like coaches. And probably one of the biggest questions we get from people is what about sports, especially when they have larger families? It's one thing you have one or two kids and...
• 1:31
  You know, you put your kids in sports and you can still kind of, you know, maybe manage that. But you have three, four, five, six kids like the nettings have. It starts to get a little crazy. But there's so many advantages to having your kids in sports. And especially you're talking about family teams. And so I don't know of any more sort of sort of stark tension that I've ever heard people feel than on one hand.
• 1:59
  They want to build a family team. On the other hand, they can't afford the time it takes to enroll their kids in sports. And they sense the tension, right? Because if your kids are in teams, they can really learn a lot about team. And they can experience a lot of the values of team that they could bring to the family. But if you do that...
• 2:19
  You end up sacrificing so much time and all your kids are going so many different directions that you lose any kind of sense of cohesion. And so this tension is so profound for so many families. And so we've tried to figure this out for years. And, you know, we've gotten into various sports that really can scale, you know, across sports.
• 2:39
  age groups like tennis and taekwondo and pickleball. But the one thing that it always seemed to lack is where we're all playing on the same team at the same time. That's hard to do with those sports, right? You don't really have the same experience you have being on like a team sport team altogether. But I'm like, that's, you can't do that, right? You can't have kids. There's too many, there's too many questions, too many age groups, too many to actually play in any kind of competitive area.
• 3:07
  sense all on the same team at the same time. That's not possible. That's what I thought until I had this conversation with Jeremy. I tried my best to pick apart his strategy for doing this, and I was unable to do it. I think he's pulled it off. And so we're going to talk about this. So Jeremy, I want to start with just talking through your story, what caused you
• 3:32
  uh to to think of this idea uh and then we're gonna get into the details so you guys can hear like the rules and and the and how to actually pull this off if you're interested but yeah take us back jeremy to to where this came from yeah i mean it it was just like you said i mean we were we're at the point we had six kids but we have four kids playing soccer on four different teams um
• 3:55
  all through the community soccer league. And it was like, you don't think about it when you sign up and the time commitment that it is.
• 4:04
  But there was, I mean, we had practices four nights a week. We were going all day Saturday with games. It was like Kristen would take two kids one direction. I would take two kids one direction. I even was coaching for a long time just to be a part of being with the kids. But it just got like halfway through the season. The last season we played, it just wore us out and –
• 4:30
  Just we were like, we didn't have any time for family meals. Like we were gone every evening and it just got so overwhelming that we were just like, we have got to find something else. That's awesome. And so what do they say that necessity is the mother of invention? So, yes. So, yeah. So you started to think about something. Did you look around first for a solution before you came up with this one?
• 4:59
  I tried. I just kept brainstorming games like different games that any age could play. And being like with six boys, it has to be they need competitive. They need that competitive nature there. I mean, they they compete in everything they do in our house. Like everything is a competition.
• 5:19
  And so we couldn't just, we didn't feel like we could just eliminate that at all. Like there had to be something out there. Nice. So you looked around and when did the kickball idea sort of first spark for you? Um, yeah.
• 5:35
  I kind of just was just brainstorming different games. Like how can we do baseball? Can we do like they're very into football? And it was just like, how do you get younger kids? I mean, our kids age range is three to 16. And so how can you get all six kids involved in a sport? And kickball was the one thing I could come up with that would allow for everybody with just some. We didn't change the rules too much, but just with some slight changes.
• 6:04
  You could really get everybody involved. Man.
• 6:07
  So, yeah, there's kind of two elements I want to kind of tease out how you actually pulled this off. So you decided kickball. That's something that maybe we could we could with a few adjustments. And so there's a there's two questions I think people are going to ask immediately. I don't know you had to deal with in order to make this happen. So one is that different families have different size, different age kids. And so and so it seems like it seems impossible to solve that problem.
• 6:35
  And then there's that, you know, in order to actually compete against another team. Right. So that's problem number one that I've I've never been able to solve. And then problem number two is is when you have even on your own team kids at different different ages and stages. How did how does it how does it stay competitive? How does it not bore the older kids out of their mind or crush the spirit of the younger kids? So so you've thought about both of these problems and let's maybe take them one at a time. So the first is.
• 7:03
  How did you solve the problem of competing against other families that might be totally different age range than your family? So we started out with the first season we did. We had four families that played. And so it was small, but it worked out really well. So we pair each family up with another family. So you have...
• 7:31
  at least two families on one team, they kick and they play the field together against two other families. And we didn't really, sizes weren't important. Like, so one team may have had 12 people on it. Another team may have had eight. But then, so then every week we rotated, you changed who your partner was, who your family was. So you got to play with a different family each week
• 8:00
  and then play against different families each week. And so it kind of, it worked itself out in the end. Like some weeks you would have a bunch of older kids on your team and some weeks you'd have a bunch of little kids on your team. But it kind of, over the course of a season it worked itself out.
• 8:16
  Yeah. So, so part of what, so part of what Jeremy did in this is so, so you, you are, you're always combining with a different family. So it's not just your family competing against another family. It's, it's you plus a partnering family on one team competing. It's another two families that are partnering together on the opposite team. So if you have four families competing, then, then you're in your switching partnering families, but didn't you, so isn't there, what's the score component in terms of like the whole season? Yeah. So,
• 8:46
  Yeah, so each week you would keep your score for your family. So you and another family scored 10. You would get 10 points. Both families would get 10, and if the other two families scored 15, they would get 15. Well, then the next week you're with a different family, and so you would score – you would have your 10 from the week before plus whatever you scored that week. So that kind of rotated through who you were playing with. You got – and then that –
• 9:14
  added up the scores throughout the season. Yes. And so we had one family that would win at the end.
• 9:20
  So this really allows to kind of moderate the abilities of maybe one particularly athletic family. They're constantly being paired up with other families that might be giving them a handicap or whatever. But this sort of begins to create the even out, the situation. And then you're tracking your family score so that you are sort of tracking with your team, even though you're being paired up with other families. I love that strategy. Yeah.
• 9:49
  And then if you have a family that has mostly younger children playing against a family with mostly older children, let's say you paired up two together that both have younger. So you mentioned that part of what starts to moderate this is you've got two more innovations. One is...
• 10:07
  the parents then would get more at bats, right? Correct. Yeah. So yeah, if you have a, and that's, that's something we found that larger families kind of, there is some disadvantage to that because the parents are, the dads are up there kicking. If you have two families of four, you only have eight people. The dads are up there kicking every eight people, you know, six or seven times. So yeah.
• 10:31
  I love that. Because it's like you could imagine going up against the nettings where there are six boys and you're like, oh, my gosh, with my three kids, two daughters. How are we ever going to – even if you pair us with another family. But this kind of can get really – both the husband and wife, they both are participating in most – in the league. Yeah, yeah. Everybody participates. So it actually for –
• 10:59
  My wife, Kristen, she is the least competitive person I know. She actually has had a, she has enjoyed playing so much. I think just being out there with everybody and being able to do it all together is the win for her. That's so awesome, man. And to have her, I can't imagine what it's like to have her six sons just all cheering her on.
• 11:22
  Yeah. In a competitive sport. I love it. That's great. Yeah. Oh, man. So, okay. So, so that, that's one of the things you had to solve. And so we solve it by every family has its own score that sort of accumulates over the season. And the season is you, you ended up with about how many, how many games?
• 11:41
  We do about eight weeks right now. Eight weeks. It lasts about two months. About a two-month season. You're all showing. And now you started with four. It seems like four is sort of like a beginner number, and now you've moved to eight. Yeah, so this last fall we had eight teams playing, so we actually broke it into two fields. Okay.
• 12:04
  And then we had two games going on at one time. And we had, so then it was, you played with every family one time was on your team against another family. I got two other families. Yeah. So that allows you to cycle through the entire, so you have, man, there's so many advantages to this because you're also getting to know all those other families. Yeah. Like you're playing on a team with all the other seven families. Yeah. It really helps build community. Yeah.
• 12:30
  so what is any you find a place with like maybe two baseball diamonds that are kind of next to each other is that how you um we're actually just using the field behind the church that we attend oh nice so when we just we go out we paint lines on it put bases out so yep the put put each game at like the two corners of the field yeah yeah okay nice so the outfields kind of share but what day of the week do you guys usually do this
• 12:56
  We've done it most on Thursday nights. On Thursday nights, okay. Wow. So we've rotated between Tuesdays and Thursdays. Because we do it in the spring and in the fall. So you do a two-month sort of season in the spring, two-month season in the fall, both with eight families on a Tuesday or Thursday evening. And so you guys show up. About how long does the whole competition usually take?
• 13:26
  We try to keep it to about an hour. It normally lasts that long. Yeah. And then is it... What's an actual game? Is it a certain number of innings? We do seven innings. Seven innings? Yep. Do you do three outs or do you do through the lineup? Just three outs. Just like a normal kickball league would be three outs and seven innings. Nice. We do limit each...
• 13:55
  So if you have a massive team, you can always score 10 runs in an inning. Okay, max out of 10. Yeah, so that way if you do have one. But we found it pretty – it levels itself out pretty well, so –
• 14:10
  Awesome. Now I want to get into the littles. So part of the genius of this idea is, you know, what do you do with, with like babies or really young children? They can't possibly pick play kickball. So how did you guys handle having little kids in a family? So we,
• 14:29
  I picked the age of five and under because I was just looking at our kids. So we have a three – at the time we had a three-year-old and a five-year-old. So the rules for them is they get up every – at-bats their turn, and they get to kick the ball, and they get to run to first. They can't get out, and they just get to kick the ball and run because that's what they love to do. So they can't get out at all, but they have to be pushed by the player behind them.
• 14:59
  Okay. So they can run to first and then they stay at first person gets up behind them. They kick, they can run one base ahead of the person behind them. So if that person kicks a double that the under five kid can run all the way to third without kidding out. Okay.
• 15:18
  So if the person behind them gets out, then they have to wait till another player comes up and pushes them all the way around the bases. Got it. That's awesome. So so so there's that creates obviously an advantage when you have a young young kid, because now you've got basically a ghost runner running around the bases that can't be taken out. That's going to score a run for your for your team, assuming somebody behind them can push them all the way to home. Yep. Yep.
• 15:48
  So we did add, we have a couple of families with even littler kids. So we added a stroller rule. Okay. So if you have a baby and you want to, and my brother-in-law does, you can push a stroller around the bases and it's an extra point if it gets all the way home. And if that guy gets out, does his stroller get out too?
• 16:11
  No, the stroller can stay at the base and the person that's coming up behind you can pick up the stroller and keep pushing it. No way. Yeah. Awesome. I mean, some of the kids in the stroller love it. Oh, I bet. They're just sitting there like getting all of a sudden to get pushed by somebody, one of their siblings. And, you know, and you're going for a double run, basically, if you can get that stroller all the way around.
• 16:34
  Yeah. So yeah. And running, running with a stroller is pretty funny sometimes. Man. Awesome. So those are the basic rules. Any other rules that, that have, that you've, um, we did add if you're under 10, if you're, so if you're between five and 10, um, you can't be caught out on a kick. Okay. Cause I, I was trying to think like most kids that age are going to kick the ball in the air. They can't kick it that far. And another kid,
• 17:04
  Somebody's going to catch it every time, and that's not going to be fun for them.
• 17:08
  So they get to kick the ball. If it's caught, they still get to run to first. They can still get out going to first, but they have to be. So every kick is considered a ground ball, no matter what. I got it. Yeah, I love this because I think these rules, again, they're going to be a little unusual for people that are used to same age games.
• 17:34
  you know group yeah sports but if you're trying to design a sport that is both competitive and involves the entire family the real key and i think you've discovered this it seems like is is you got to have a few special rules that make it fun for everybody and as long as everyone's signing up for that you know understands that that's the real goal then you can still have a really competitive game and and uh
• 18:01
  and have kids all the way down to in strollers participate, which is amazing. Yeah. That's so cool. Now, what's the vibe like, like in terms of like dads and moms and coaching and kids and like, talk to me, like what's it? It's swayed both directions. Like you have a lot of dads out there coaching their kids, kind of teaching them how to play, what to do when they get the ball and they throw it to the wrong base or whatever.
• 18:28
  It's there's a lot of coaching going on and you're right there on the field with them coaching them. So that's a great aspect of this.
• 18:35
  And then there is, there has been a couple of points where the dads and the older kids have gotten very competitive and it's, it's gotten a little, little much. So we did add this year, we are going to like have something called the spirit of the game where we kind of have the dads sign something that says, you know, we understand this is competitive, but this is more for various children. And yes, so yeah.
• 19:05
  That actually is a good sign. When people get that intense about a game, you can tell they believe that it's a real competition. But you do have to then moderate, like, hey, guys, we've got to remember why we're doing this. So we're going to experience and enjoy a really challenging competition, but we're trying to create a family experience that's positive. So that's great. Right.
• 19:33
  Have you guys done other things to do celebrations? How does a season look for you guys? Any other things you've done to kick it off or to end? At the end, we'll normally... The last time we had eight teams, so we played seven weeks of round-robin play where you play with everybody. And then the last week, we let the two top teams who had the most points, they played against each other, but they got to pick their...
• 20:03
  pick their family as their teammate. So whoever they wanted to play as their teammate, they got to pick their family and then they play for like the championship. Nice. And then we just have like a pizza party afterwards and stuff and just kind of hang out. Okay. So, so the eighth week is a little bit more of a championship round with a party at the end and celebrating the season. Yep. Did you guys give anything to the winning team? So we have a trophy. My kids, um,
• 20:34
  started chanting. Uh, so when a dad would get up and kick, they would call him the beefy bomber. And so we found a bomb trophy on an Amazon that we get and we call it the beefy bomber award. Nice. So you, you would present that to the winning dad of our family and they would get to keep the beefy bomber for, for the, uh, until the next season. Yeah. Yep. So that's awesome.
• 21:01
  Very cool. Well, any other details, Jeremy, that might be helpful for someone who's like, ooh, man, I think I'm going to start a league of kickball? Just let it be small to begin with. Four teams worked out really well. Four families worked out really well the first season. You actually played with everybody twice. It just kind of went through.
• 21:30
  a progression and kind of gave us the opportunity to see how it worked and how everybody kind of played together. And I mean, for us, I mean, this is the biggest benefit for us is this is one night a week. Like one night we're still together as a family that night. We're not gone four nights a week for practices. We're not going all day Saturday with games. It's, that's been one of the real benefits that we've seen from this.
• 21:59
  Yeah, man, that's awesome. And it seems like when you guys had to go from four teams to eight, there's got to be a bit of an intense recruitment because you need to get to eight, right, to really make this work. Yeah, we did play a season with six kind of in between there, and we just kind of worked it together and worked it out. We do charge $50 to play, but we provide T-shirts for everybody with your family members
• 22:28
  any name you want on the back of your shirt and everybody gets to pick their color. And then that, that kind of gives it a commitment. Like you're going to show up. Cause it's like, if a family doesn't show up, it kind of puts a strain on, on the whole game. So we figured we needed some kind of, some kind of commitment. So, and we figured like $50 for a,
• 22:51
  sport that your whole family can play. I mean, most rec leagues are, most rec leagues are way more than that per kid. Yes, man. Yeah. I mean, I would love to see if somebody wants to, I'm going to add this into the release on the podcast, but also into the family Inc.
• 23:08
  library because if somebody wants to do this as a side hustle or i just would love to see i know we got several families that have more sports related um businesses that they're starting i'm like man we gotta we gotta we gotta we gotta like pour some gasoline on this thing this is this is this would be such an amazing culture shifter for i think so many communities to begin to even see something like this like what a family can compete together
• 23:34
  Like, man, that in itself, I think, could flip, you know, some paradigms about family and sports and team. Yeah, it has really changed our, like our kids, they don't even act like the first time we told them that we were going to stop playing soccer. There was pretty upset about it. And but they have not asked since we started playing football, they have not asked.
• 24:01
  about playing soccer. They actually ask, hey, when's kickball starting? Nice. So, yeah, that's, this could be kind of like gateway. If you've got a kid who's just really into their individual sport, but it's like ripping your family apart too much, you know, too much time to, you know, you know, get, get a kickball league going and see if, see if this scratches that itch. And, you know, I think for so many families, like they, they,
• 24:25
  And it's legitimate. They need to be involved in something like physical, competitive, team-based. All those things are such good values. But man, to do this in a way that actually allows you to come together as a family and for moms and dads to get to coach their kids, this is awesome. So cool. And you guys put together a website. I think it has the rules. What's the URL, Jeremy? Familykickball.com.
• 24:53
  Familykickball.com. All right, guys. So familykickball.com. If you guys go there, this is for the league that the nettings have started. So this isn't for you to sign up if you don't live in Ohio like they do. But you can see the rules. There's a PDF. Yeah.
• 25:13
  of all the rules that Jeremy came up with. So they got the standard kickball rules and then the under five rule, the five to 10 year old rule, the babies and strollers rule, all bulleted out for you. So if you wanted to print this out and, you know, show this to other families and get them on board and help, you know, you guys see this and,
• 25:32
  Yeah, I'm excited. And I think I would love to see this just keep keep growing and keep evolving. And yeah, this is this is the best seed of a family sport idea I've heard. So I'm super excited to see people do this. So any any last things, Jeremy, you would add to anything that might be helpful?
• 25:50
  Um, no, I think that's it. Cool. So, man, well, thanks so much for both coming up with this and, uh, I've been willing to share this. This is, this is going to be great. So, um, and if you, uh, there's also a Facebook page. So if you're, if you're doing, you start your own league, let, uh, let the nettings know what you're doing. I'd love for Jeremy and Kristen to get to see this spread. And I hope, I hope it does. May, uh, may you guys have fun. And I, I, I want to see one.
• 26:18
  started down here in Northern Kentucky. Um, anybody has any, any ideas, let me know. I'll, uh, I'll bring my family and we'll, we'll get this thing rocking here. Nice. Awesome. Thanks Jeremy so much for talking to me about this. Thank you.
• 26:33
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