Liberia’s beloved kickball: Women-only sport
In Liberia, a unique version of baseball thrives, but without bats and without men. Known as kickball, the sport uses a soccer ball and is played exclusively by women, making it the country’s second most popular sport after soccer.
Kickball arrived in Liberia in 1964, when Peace Corps volunteer Cherry Jackson introduced the game to girls at a Monrovia school. It quickly became a tradition for girls nationwide, evolving into a cultural staple, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
The National Kickball League, founded in 1994, aimed to unite Liberians during post-civil war reconciliation. Today, the league remains women-only but is run mostly by men, a fact that some players hope to change. “Their husbands might have a problem with them working full-time,” said league president Emmanuel Whea, acknowledging cultural barriers.
Despite its popularity, Liberia’s professional kickball faces major funding challenges, leaving athletes struggling to earn a living. Still, players like Perryline Jimmie, 23, cherish the sport: “When you’re a girl growing up in Liberia, you will play kickball.”
League leaders hope to expand the sport to men and introduce it across Africa, but for now, kickball remains proudly female. As player Saydah A. Yarbah put it: “Men come to practice sometimes—but they don’t stand a chance. We always win.”
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