ERLANGER, Ky. – An epic showdown in northern Kentucky saw police officers taking on a local nonprofit in a game of kickball.
It was a chance for officers to show they can have fun, too. And the same for a portion of the community that doesn’t always get the same opportunities.
Adrienne Price said her daughter Jade doesn’t always get the chance to kick some butt. So when given the chance to kick trained police officers’ butts in kickball, she and other members of the Point/Arc team kicked as far as they could.
“For sure. They’re police and all, but that’s okay. We’re gonna round those bases and be victorious,” Price said. “She’s been having a blast. It’s nice, as she’s an adult, to be able to find a group of people that you can do various activities with. And it’s part of her community.”
The Point/Arc works with disabled individuals to reach their highest potential residentially, vocationally, socially and educationally.
And that potential was sky high as the nonprofit crushed the Covington Police Department in a game of kickball Tuesday at the Griffin Elite Sports & Wellness in Erlanger. Point/Arc Activities Director Regina Watts plans similar events every week, but this one had some extra juice, as it was the first game they’ve played against CPD.
“Anytime we’ve needed [CPD], they’ve always been there,” Watts said.
“Getting [the participants] out, meeting their friends, meeting new friends and learning about what it’s like to be out in the community,” she said. “They look forward every week to doing this. They love seeing their friends. But also the competitiveness on the field is amazing.”
Price put it another way.
“It gives them a sense of purpose, and a reason to get up every day, to be able to enjoy life,” she said. “So, for you and I, it may be going to work, or going out with friends. But for a lot of the individuals that participate here, they have to have someone that helps incorporate that for them.”
CPD’s Sgt. Rachel White said they couldn’t turn down the invitation.
“As soon as I saw kickball, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I haven’t played kickball in forever,’ and I definitely want to do that,” White said.
For White and the other officers, it wasn’t so much about winning as it was showing a different side of themselves to a community that otherwise wouldn’t get to see it.
“It’s really important to get to know each other on that kind of level. They understand us as we’re not just scary police, we’re actually good people that genuinely care,” White said. “Because honestly, we don’t get to interact with them a whole lot. It’s not like we see them every day on the streets. And a lot of times we do hold events or go out to events, they’re not all the time there. So it’s nice to actually be able to interact with them, talk with them, and hang out with them.”
Price said it warms her heart, too.
“To understand what their job is. They’re here to protect, and activities like this help incorporate that. So that takes out any kind of fear that they may or may not have,” she said. “They are just like us. But they’re here to help.”
Those warm feelings, however, didn’t stop the Point/Arc from running up the score: 51 to 8. Covington’s finest may not be its finest kickballers, but on this day, it didn’t really matter.