Eight teams competed in the recent Kick the Habit Kickball Tournament, which once again proved to be an educational and fun event for players and spectators alike, said Tyler Morton, Juvenile Services prevention advocate.
Barton County Youth Crew organized and participated in the games.
The winning eight-person team was the Kick Magnets, which defeated the Toe Jammers in the final round at the Great Bend Sports Complex.
“The goal was to have conversations about kicking bad habits,” Morton said. “This includes substance use but goes beyond that. While our primary focus is on alcohol, drugs and tobacco, we realize that bad habits in general can lead to difficulties in life.
“Therefore, we want to encourage people of all ages to reflect on their daily decisions to help improve their quality of life. Hosting this fun, free community event draws attention to Youth Crew and opens doors for discussions we may not otherwise have.”
Morton also noted that the 21 Youth Crew members who played kickball and/or volunteered to organize the event “did a great job with set-up and tear-down, and everything in between. Our planning committee, under the strong leadership of Jaci Sandberg, deserves much of the credit for the success.
“All of us appreciated a great turnout of up to 200 spectators. This is something we enjoy doing with our community.”
Morton also is grateful to Shane Sandberg at Great Bend Rec for helping with tournament logistics and to local businesses that donated raffle prizes.
“Rise Up Central Kansas provided the umpires and the Barton Community College men’s and women’s soccer teams and Coach Rafael Simmons added to the experience.
“Central Kansas Partnership, the Barton County Health Department, County Attorney Colin Reynolds, BJ Wooding and Davis Jimenez also played instrumental roles. Everyone involved in any way is appreciated. We couldn’t do this without the community’s support.”
20th Judicial District Juvenile Services empowers youth in Barton, Rice, Ellsworth, Stafford and Russell counties to achieve positive outcomes by offering Juvenile Intake & Assessment, Immediate Intervention, Intensive Supervised Probation, Case Management, Journey to Change, Life Skills, All Stars and Youth Crew. Parents and guardians also are offered The Parent Project. Visit 1800 12th in Great Bend or call 620-793-1930.
