Norfolk church hosts summer kickball gathering at Lakewood Park

Spurgeon Baptist Church brought Summer Kickball and Jesus to Lakewood Park in Norfolk on Friday, July 10, with the outing running from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at 1612 Willow Wood Dr. The gathering was set up for kids ages 9 and up, with no experience needed, and paired kickball with snacks, new friendships and time learning about Jesus.

The format made the priorities plain. This was not a standings chase or a bracket night built for serious adult league players. It was a low-pressure park event aimed at kids, parents and church families who wanted a simple summer activity that mixed recreation with fellowship. The listing framed kickball as the common ground, with faith and conversation carrying the rest of the afternoon.

That approach fits the way kickball still works best in 2026. The World Kickball Association still boils the sport down to its simplest selling point: have fun and be social. Its FAQ also notes that the standard ball is a 10-inch red ball inflated to 1.5 PSI, a reminder that the game stays approachable because it asks so little from participants. That low barrier is exactly why church groups keep using it as an easy entry point for families and first-timers.

Kickball also has a long memory. The Society for American Baseball Research points to a common origin story that credits Nicholas C. Seuss with formalizing the game around 1917, with earlier related versions preceding it. However the history is sorted out, the through line is the same: kickball has always been tied to accessible play, and that makes it a natural fit for church-sponsored outings that want motion, not pressure.

Lakewood Park gave the event room to breathe. The City of Norfolk lists the park at 40.58 acres, with lighted baseball and softball fields, outdoor basketball, picnic shelters, playgrounds, horseshoe pits and tennis courts. It also has three picnic shelters, each built for 100 people and equipped with one grill, and the city says its permitting office for park shelter and event reservations is located there. For a summer gathering built around kickball, snacks and time together, the park was set up for exactly that kind of crowd.