Liberians are the original owners of Kickball, but it is not clearly stated the exact year it was discovered in the country, but what we know is that the sport has been in existence for more than 60 years, consistently playing in the country.
The only sport which Liberians can learn to play without attending an academy or school is kickball. The majority of female Liberian children can participate in the sport once they turn four or five years old. Many claim that Liberians are innately good at kickball.
The top kickball players in Liberia are regularly awarded scholarships by numerous secondary educational institutions, even though they receive nothing upfront. Their actions are a result of their passion for the game and their desire to draw in more schools to their affiliation.
A large number of Liberian students indicated interest in joining particular universities due to the caliber of kickball players available to represent them in high school athletics.
How to play Kickball
Kickball is a female-only sport where the goal is known as a “home run.” Two teams, each with twelve players, compete in the game. The first, second, third, and home bases make up the triangle-shaped measurement of the field.
Nine players are available for defense when the opposing team is attacking. Playing the game requires using both hands and legs. On the other hand, the attacking team does not rely solely on its defensive players. The number of innings determines how long the game will last.
Each team’s inning is the amount of time it takes to finish a round. The number of innings in a match is usually five, although depending on the tournament’s significance or competition level, the officials may occasionally state that there are six innings.
Why Kickball will continue to outnumber many international sports in Liberia?
Although kickball is unknown abroad, several other widely popular sports, except soccer, are still having difficulty gaining traction in Liberia.
The reasons for their struggles are as follows: 95 percent of Liberians are proficient in kickball; kickball is the second most popular sport in the country after football; many women who enjoy playing football also regularly play kickball to show their passion for the game.
Other contributing factors to their struggles include the lack of attention from many Liberians, the ease with which kickball can be played throughout the country, and the willingness of academic institutions to offer scholarships to kickball players.
In an effort to recruit more students, secondary educational institutions often compete to field their best football and kickball teams. Because kickball is their most prized sport, kids always strive to win in both or one of the sports.
Basketball receives a lot of support from time to time, but other popular sports like handball, boxing, cricket, lawn tennis, judo, wrestling, table tennis, and athletics, still struggle to establish a strong brand. Even while a few federations have had a noticeable impact on the global scene, they are still having trouble becoming well-known in Liberia.
Kickball with an edge has surpassed other sports
Due to its historical significance, the National County Sports Meet, the nation’s most famous athletic event, which is arranged annually by the government through the Ministry of Youth and Sports, regularly introduce football and kickball to the nation.
In addition, a lot of individuals who plan athletic competitions for peaceful protests or political gatherings primarily focus on football and kickball. Their justifications serve as an obvious example of how well-liked football and kickball are across the nation.
Reason for postponement of kickball’s introduction in other nations
By now, kickball would have gained popularity and been played in other nations, but Liberians lack the funds to introduce the sport.
Other sports that predate kickball are still played on a daily basis in other nations, but the lack of funding has prevented kickball from being played on a regular basis.
One of the most legitimate reasons why kickball will not be introduced in other nations sooner is because the government sets aside a minimum budget for the sport’s subsidiaries to operate within each fiscal year.
The federation’s actors have pleaded for increased funding over the years to help them advance the sport, but their demands have not been granted.
National Kickball League and its importance
Winning the league is a great accomplishment, even though the Liberia Kickball Federation winners do not compete in any international tournaments like other sports.
The First and Second divisions, as well as the Knockout Cup, have been successfully hosted by the Federation. Under its supervision, every competition has been fierce, with clubs giving it their all to win and become champions.
There are many notable clubs in the League, including Amazon, Supreme Girls, Angels of the SKY (ASK Sisters), Girls of Aris, the oldest and most successful kickball club in Liberia, Girls of Aris, Community Youth Empowerment (CYE), and Young Stars Sports Club International (YSSCI).
Liberians valued the league so highly that they frequently founded new clubs and registered them into the competition. Every year, there were more clubs; nevertheless, some of them disbanded because of financial difficulties. Owing to the increased number of clubs throughout the nation, the federation created Sub-Committees as a way to include everyone.
Sponsorship of the League
Lack of sponsorship is one of the main issues impeding the sport’s rapid expansion. Even football, the national sport, is having trouble finding sponsors. Because of the popularity of the sport, various politicians have occasionally made little interventions during political periods in order to gain significant votes during elections.
However, obtaining consistent sponsorship continues to be quite difficult. The 2022 League Season was sponsored by Security Expert Guard Agency of Liberia (SEGAL), whose Chief Executive Officer, Momo T. Cyrus, provided cash prices and jerseys for the participating clubs, among others.
Additionally, Senator Saah H. Joseph of Montserrado County offered cash prizes for the winners and runners-up in the National League’s first and second divisions, as well as the Knockout Cup for the 2023 campaign.
