WORCESTER, Mass. - A new kickball league has been gaining momentum in Worcester because of the inclusive community its helped create.

Matthew Gonzalez started the league last spring as "Woo Pride" kickball. With the growing interest he’s seen over the past year, he decided to merge with OutLoud Sports, a nationwide league of more than 60,000 athletes focused on uniting queer and allied communities for the love of sports and competition.

Sunday marked the first of eight weeks of kickball at Great Brook Valley Park, and Gonzalez said it’s been exciting to see how positive the reception has been.

“The last time Worcester had something like this was in the late 1980s with a lesbian softball team, so we haven’t had this in a long time,” Gonzalez said. “We have a lot of players here that are not good at being social, something like this is what they need, that teamwork, that encouragement, you may have lost that game but you had a fantastic catch, so that’s what it’s all about.”

Gonzalez hopes to expand into dodgeball, softball, pickleball and other sports in the near future.

His ultimate goal is to eventually host a tournament at Polar Park with OutLoud athletes from across the country.