How Recess Kickball League Built a Bicoastal Family

In the isolating summer of 2020, as New York City’s vibrant pulse faded to a quiet hum, five friends decided to create a spark. What began as a simple kickball game in a park (a safe way for people to connect amidst the uncertainty) has gone on to become a powerful, bicoastal movement. This is the story of the Recess Kickball League (RKL), a community that has grown from a handful of friends to a registered sports league with over 250 players, sponsored by adidas, and supported by hundreds of fans across NYC and Los Angeles.

Born from a need for connection, RKL has become a vital hub for BIPOC professionals, offering far more than just a chance to play. It has evolved into what its Chiefs of Staff Saadiya Mutawakil and Audrey “Selly” Nyarko, and PR Social/Lead, Kathleen Exantus,  call “a thriving ecosystem that spans several stakeholders on and off the field.” For many members, a large number of whom are transplants to the city, the league has been a transformative force. “It’s an honor that RKL has been a vessel in our members’ lives to feel more connected to their chosen home of NYC and to find family with fellow, like-minded BIPOC professionals,” they add. From casual weekend games to city-wide cultural events, RKL has masterfully blended sport, wellness and culture to build something truly special: a place where everyone has a chance to belong.

Scroll down to read the interview in full. For more sports communities to follow, read about SeaSisters, the local surf school empowering women in Sri Lanka.

On RKL’s Focus on Inclusivity

Mutawakil: From day one, we wanted our league to reflect the beautiful diversity of the city we call home. We chose kickball because it’s a game that brings everyone together, just like it did on the schoolyard. Today, we’re proud that 60% of our 200+ players and staff are women. To ensure that balance, each team is led by a female and male co-captain, and rosters maintain a strict 50:50 gender ratio. Women lead at every single level of our operations, and we simply couldn’t function without them. Longtime captains like Rana Abu-Ghazala of 24Karats, Jasmine Hill of the Black Mambas, and Kiana Tipton of the Blueprints have cultivated teams with enduring spirit and fun, too.

On the RKL Difference

Exantus: What truly sets us apart is that RKL is an ecosystem, not just a league. There are infinite ways to get value from what we’ve built, whether you’re on the field or not. While many recreational leagues just offer a space to play, we give people a chance to build skills, integrate wellness into their lives, grow as leaders, and, most importantly, find a genuine community. The transformations we’ve seen in our members, even after just one season, have been profound.

On Their Motto (“You Don’t Gotta Kick It, To Kick It”)

Nyarko: Community is the absolute center of our mission. Our motto is, “you ain't gotta kick it, to kick it,” which means there’s a place for everyone here. We work hard to maintain that focus, especially as we grow. Many of our members have been with us since the beginning, and their dedication has shaped the unique identities and traditions of our teams. To honor that, we don’t impose term limits on players or captains. We also give current members and volunteers the first opportunity to join teams before opening recruitment to the public. The bonds built on the field extend far beyond the game; our members celebrate life’s milestones together, share career opportunities and have truly found a family in one another.

On Building Partnerships

Mutawakil: As we’ve scaled, our partnerships have grown organically from our community-first approach. We started by collaborating with local businesses in Flatbush, like Aunts et Uncles and Lips Cafe. Soon, our own members began championing us in their professional networks, which led to partnerships with brands like Janelle Monae’s Wondaland, Pinterest and Tres Generaciones Tequila. This internal advocacy was ultimately how we connected with adidas. Whether it’s a local business vending at our games or a major corporation providing gear and funding, we value every partner who believes in our mission. We’ve faced our share of challenges, too: from learning how to manage umpiring to securing park permits and creating enough roles for everyone who wanted to be involved. Each hurdle was a learning experience that made our foundation stronger.

On the Future of RKL

Nyarko: Our proudest moments are our annual Juneteenth and Holiday Classic events. They set the tone for the entire season and have become cultural staples in Brooklyn and LA. This year’s Juneteenth Classic in Brooklyn was our best yet, drawing over 600 people. We hosted a marketplace for minority-owned businesses, played our most competitive games to date, and saw our entire community—volunteers, players, and sponsors—come together to create a seamless, joyous day. The collective effort, amplified by our partnership with adidas who unveiled our new jerseys, solidified the event as a cornerstone of the city’s Juneteenth celebrations.

Exantus: Looking ahead, the sky is the limit. The natural next step is expansion into cities like Atlanta, D.C. and Chicago, and we’re already planning to test the model in Atlanta. We envision evolving our events into a full RKL All-Star Weekend festival and integrating our league into major cultural moments like the World Cup and the 2028 LA Olympics. Ultimately, our goal is to build thriving community spaces that bring together sport, joy, and connection wherever they are needed most. We want to create a space where we can all become our best selves.

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