A Love Letter To KVKL

Fourteen years ago, after spending many summers watching my friends play, I was finally asked to sub on their Fall Ball team. I was beyond ecstatic, blindly jumping into what—little did I know—would become a massive part of my life: then, now, and forever.

Lawrence has always been so much more to me than just a place to live, a place to visit, a place to be; it is a city with a true heartbeat, a community I love deeply. And, KVKL has always felt like a direct extension of that heartbeat. When I first showed up to play, it felt like I had gained entry into an exclusive club. I shared the field with folks who were just out there to have the time of their lives, right alongside players who looked like they were chiseled from marble to be the prototypical athlete. I had found a place where I could escape the weekly “rat race” to just have fun, compete, and, also form lifelong bonds. Most importantly, it gave me a way to make a lasting impact on the community where I have so firmly chosen to lay my roots.

Every story has its ups and downs, its good times and its bad. I have been honored to be even a small part of this amazing league’s incredible journey, and I am incredibly lucky to be sharing this particular moment in time with all of you right now.

For some, kickball is a bonding experience that unites us to form something none of us could have ever imagined. For others, it is an intense form of competition: 36 teams, 4 trophies, One Goal, The Cup. But no matter why, or how, each individual plays the game, at the end of the day—and at the end of the season—we all come together with one true purpose. We strive to enhance and lift up our local community, leaving a positive mark each and every season through our charitable efforts and continued donations to local organizations. None of the hard work that goes on year-round would ever be possible without each and every single one of you.

Personally, I love absolutely everything about Kaw Valley Kickball—top to bottom, inside and out. The people, the atmosphere, the shared goals, the competition, the love, the rivalries, the excitement, the community… absolutely all of it. KVKL has inspired me to be a better person, parent, partner, and leader. Kaw Valley Kickball has brought me some of the closest bonds I have ever formed in my life and the best friends I could have ever asked for. It even provided the perfect platform for the biggest surprise of my life: the engagement to my now-wife, Corinne, during Game of the Week at our beloved Hobbs Park (I have so many thanks to so many people, but the biggest of all to Bryson Stricker).

Thirteen Seasons ago, I never could have imagined where that first game would take me. Now, as I continue, with so much excitement, to in OUR league, I am filled with overwhelming gratitude. I am so thankful for what those who came before us all have built for us all to continue that legacy today!

THANK YOU, FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!

Here is to the remainder of the 2026 Season and the many more that come after it!

With love and gratitude,

Shawn M. Meredith