ISLAMORADA — Founders Park is bustling nearly every night with some sort of activity, whether soccer leagues or baseball practice or competitions at the skate park.</p><p>But Parks Director John Sutter says Wednesday night is when the park really comes alive with dozens of competitors battling it out on the field and large crowds cheering them on.</p><p>The draw: kickball, straight from grade school but played — sometimes competitively, but mostly comically — by adults.</p><p>“The response has been amazing. Really surprising,” Sutter said. “You wouldn’t think kickball would have this kind of draw. I think we just really hit something with the public.”</p><p>The popularity of Islamorada’s adult kickball league spurred officials at the Key Largo YMCA to begin a similar league at Key Largo Community Park.</p><p>The Key Largo league had its first game Oct. 23 and teams are still signing up. Organizers expect that the two Upper Keys leagues will eventually meet in a tournament to decide an Upper Keys champion.</p><p><b>Big everywhere</b></p><p>“We tried to put teams together three years ago and it didn’t take off,” said Joyia Fontanez of the YMCA. “But now it’s just big everywhere across the country.”</p><p>There are currently dozens of official leagues in every state and several countries, according to the World Adult Kickball Association.</p><p>The game is similar to baseball, with “batters” kicking a red ball and trying to score by running around a baseball diamond. </p><p>Kickball allows 11 fielders on defense instead of nine, and games are capped at five innings instead of nine. Games usually last about 45 minutes.</p><p>Formed 10 years ago, the kickball association promotes the “social aspects” of adult kickball by tailoring rules to allow all skill levels of players to compete and fostering social interaction during the game.</p><p>The social aspect is definitely apparent in the Islamorada league. Game night usually begins with pre-game drinks and food at bars such as the Ocean View and ends with more drinks and food at places like City Hall Café.</p><p>During the game, family and friends watch from the stands while children wander over to the baseball field from soccer practice and continue to play in the grass.</p><p>Islamorada’s league started play on Sept. 16. Sutter and league organizer Mike Onsgard said it’s been one of the most immediately popular activities the park has ever hosted.</p><p>“Our parks program manager Maria Bagiotti came back from vacation in Georgia, and she said there was a huge league up there,” Onsgard said. “We put up some flyers at the pool and other buildings and faxed it to a couple local bars. We filled up teams quick, and we’ve got more asking to play in January.”</p><p>Fishing Capt. Steve Leopold joined his team, Team Motion, with neighbors and friends in the marine industry.</p><p>“My wife is on the team, so we get to have fun together and we both look forward to it,” Leopold said. “It takes away from the seriousness of the day, and it’s really about getting together more than athleticism.”</p><p>But Leopold said he thinks the league may get more competitive if it expands into tournaments with Key Largo. That may push out some players who are there simply to socialize.</p><p>But then again, he said, it’s still just kickball.</p><p>“I think it’s going to change, but if I can still go out and have fun with my friends, then it’ll be great,” Leopold said. “But this first year might be the best.”