Milwaukee County kickball tournament aims to build trust with youth

Milwaukee County used a free kickball tournament at Baran Park to pull youths ages 9 through 14 into a structured summer afternoon built around more than the final score. The 414 Trust Kickball Tournament ran Thursday from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at 2600 S. Chase Ave. in Milwaukee, and the setup made the goal plain: give kids a place to compete, eat, play music and meet adults in uniform outside a call for service.

The Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office and the Cops and Kids Foundation organized the event, and county materials said registration was required. Participants received a free event T-shirt, food and refreshments, music and entertainment, prizes and giveaways, a package that removed the usual barriers that keep some families out of youth sports events. Teams were mixed-age, and the day ended with an award ceremony for first and second place.

That format fit the larger pitch county officials have attached to the tournament for years. Milwaukee County described the event as bringing youth and law enforcement together through friendly competition, teamwork, friendship and sportsmanship. The county also said the tournament has been part of its wider community-engagement work, listed alongside National Night Out, back-to-school events and park cleanups.

Baran Park added another layer to the event’s identity. County park maps identify the site as operated by Journey House, which helps explain why the location has become a repeat setting for the tournament. Milwaukee County called the 2025 version the fifth annual 414 Trust Kickball Tournament, while local coverage described the 2023 edition at Baran Park as the third annual event. The annual return suggests the county is not testing a one-off idea here; it is building a familiar summer stop where kids know the format and officers know the audience.

The trust-building piece has stayed at the center of it. In 2023, several agencies including the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office, Milwaukee Police Department and Wauwatosa Police Department took part, and Sheriff Denita Ball said, “It’s an opportunity for us to come together with the community, particularly the youth.” In 2024, children played alongside deputy sheriffs, police officers, firefighters and other first responders, widening the event from a simple kickball outing into a broader public-safety mixer.

For Milwaukee County, that is the point. The bases, outs and first-place trophy matter, but the larger play is giving families a free, low-pressure summer event where kids can run, laugh and see law enforcement in a different light.