Northwest Austin Kickball (NWA)
NWA, a member of Little Miss Kickball International Inc., is a sports league for young women based in Austin, Texas. The NWA Little Miss Kickball League’s mission is to provide an organized sports program for young ladies. We encourage each player to reach her potential by:
- Enhancing SELF CONFIDENCE
- Building HEALTHY EXERCISE Habits
- Teaching RESPECT for others, TEAM PLAY & GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP
- Providing POSITIVE ROLE MODELS
- Encouraging FAMILY & COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
- Having FUN !!!
Ages and Divisions
Northwest Austin Kickball (a.k.a NWA) has long been one of the premier sports leagues for girls and young ladies – not only in Austin, but across South-Central Texas. From our very humble beginnings in 1978, we have grown into one of the largest, most successful kickball leagues in the state, frequently competing for the State Championship crown each July.
The League gets in gear each January with player registration. February brings tryouts, drafts and clinics to help form teams and get parent volunteers ready for another exciting season of kickball! March tends to be the ‘official’ start to things with practices at the beginning of the month and game play ramping up by the last week or so of the month. As the temperatures heat up, so does the kickball action taking place in Northwest Austin. April and May are filled with thrilling games, weekend tournaments and loud kickball cheers!
“Kick it high! Kick it low! Kick it to the Alamo!”
But as they say, all good things must come to an end and as May closes, so does another fun-filled kickball season!
As a league, we offer 5 distinct levels of play from the very young PeeWees to the seasoned veterans of the Teenage division.
PeeWee Division – ages 4-6:
The PeeWee Division, often the first opportunity for girls ages 4-6 to play in an organized sports league, has two primary focal points: 1) developing fundamental skills and knowledge of the game; and 2) giving the girls a means of having fun. Coaches and parents are actively involved in the games to help provide constant guidance and positive reinforcement. The specialized rules for this level help the girls have fun while learning the fundamentals of organized kickball. Everyone goes home a winner in this Division. Games and practices occur on Mondays. The youngsters learn to play and enjoy kickball through good instruction and active participation in the PeeWee Division.
Rookie Division – ages 7-8:
The Rookie Division continues the theme of “girls just want to have fun”. While the level of play grows substantially from the PeeWee Division, the focus is still on development of fundamentals, knowledge of the game and, most definitely having FUN!. In many ways, this is the start of full kickball. The girls begin to learn the various fielding positions as well as a better understanding of the rules of the game. As they grow in skill, the competitive aspect of the game increases as well! This Division is also typically limited to only two (2) kickball activities (generally one game and one practice) each week. Practice occurs on the weekend and games occur on Monday or Tuesday. The goal of this division is to help the girls learn the value of competition, how to win and lose and how to respect the game and its competitors.
Junior Division – ages 9-11:
The Junior Division is a step up in the quality of play and the intensity of the game. Although the focus is still having fun, the game is played with a much greater understanding of the rules and much stronger sense of competition. The season is generally 16 games, often two (2) per week, and is filled with spirited play and loud cheers from the players and fans. From the tryouts in early February through Closing Ceremonies at the end of the season, Junior Division kickball is fun and exciting. This Division is the youngest group to participate in the Little Miss Kickball State All Star Tournament (say that 3 times) following the end of the season.
Senior Division – ages 12-14:
The Senior Division takes Junior kickball up another notch, or two! The game grows in intensity, skill and strategy. While friendly off the field, once the players step between the chalk their game faces are on! Like the Junior Division, the Seniors play 16 regular season games. However, since there are fewer teams at this age division across the city, this division introduces inter-league play to the regular season pitting teams from NWA against teams from UHO and Central Austin. This also works out to two (2) games per week on average. There are a number of tournaments, in Austin and elsewhere around the state in which teams have an opportunity to play against other leagues. These are fun and exciting and give players an opportunity to measure their own skills against those of other leagues. The Seniors also participate in the LMK State All Star Tournament each July.
Teenage Division – ages 15-18:
The Teenage Division adds the dimensions of speed and strength to the game of kickball! Teenage players also participate in Inter-league play against teams from UHO and Central Austin. The pride and spirit on display in this division, not to mention the intensity and quality of play, all contribute to raise kickball to a new level. This division is the oldest division to participate in the annual LMK State All Star Tournament.