Photos: Getting a kick out of Brown’s intramural summer kickball league

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] - As thousands of Brown students scattered for the summer to places far and wide, some of those who remain on the quieter campus are embracing the chance to try something new.

This summer, Athletics and Recreation at Brown has organized a new intramural kickball league, creating an opportunity for students, faculty and staff to connect with fellow Brown community members through weekly games on the Brown softball field at the University's Erickson Athletic Complex.

Open to anyone in the Brown community, the inaugural summer kickball league has six teams, comprised primarily of undergraduate and graduate student participants who have organized around shared programs and interests. For example, one team is composed of first-year master of public affairs students, who began their degree program at Brown in June. On another team, lead researchers from the Center for Computation and Visualization playing alongside the center's student interns.

The weekly summer competitions will culminate in playoffs in August, through which an eventual champion will be crowned, according to Nyindu Kabangu, Jr., who coordinates intramural and club sports for Brown Athletics.

However, competition is not what brings the teams together. On the sidelines, players from opposing teams joke with each other and regularly cross over to the other team to ensure games are not just fair, but fun for everyone.

"It's been a super great way to build community," said Nathan Hostert, a first-year MPA student. "It's helped get our minds off classes while bonding."

Ellen Duong, a lead research software engineer at the Center for Computation and Visualization, echoed that sentiment.

"It's added a sense of community to our internship program," Duong said. "Our interns are all on different projects, so this helps bring them together."

Below are images from recent kickball games.

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