Getting to Know: Bryan Freed

Just For Kicks General Manager Bryan Freed made his WAKA debut back in the Spring of 2009, playing for Wilfred Brimley's Mustache Ride. Right from the beginning, he was hooked. Playing in several WAKA leagues on the Peninsula and Southside and traveling to the Founders Cup Weekend in Vegas on at least two separate occasions. He's best known for being the founder and leader of Just For Kicks, one of the most dominate forces on the Peninsula and the single season record holders for runs scored, runs allowed, all-time winning percentage, and more... Recently, I got a chance to sit down with the man for an indepth interview (Seriously, this column is long. If you are planning on printing this out and reading it all on the toilet, be prepared for your legs to go numb before the end). We covered a wide range of topics, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did...

BRENT WENTWORTH: Freed, thanks for joining me and agreeing to do this interview. First question; How does the adult kickball game in 2011 differ from the game you grew up playing during the great depression?
BRYAN FREED: The Great Depression. (laughing) That’s a good one, Brent! Thanks for the compliment of thinking I’m a lot younger than I really am. Rubber had not been invented when we first started playing the game so we used rocks. The game was very similar to the kickball we play now but there were a lot more injuries. In fact, half way through the second season we implemented a rule that you could not tag a base runner out by hitting them in the head with a rock. A variation of that rule is in use today.

WBMR - Fall 2009 

BW: (laughing) Ok, ok, I promise that will be the only age joke during this interview. I had to get it out of my system. But speaking of age, it is fair to say that you are a little older than the average kickballer. How did you get find out about WAKA, and why did you choose to sign up? Was it a tough decision?
BF: In 2008, some of my co-workers had played a couple seasons in the new Peninsula Kickball league. They asked me to come to an open pickup game before the beginning of a season. I was hooked right away. I had a tough decision of how to fit kickball into my work schedule, but I decided to do it and joined my co-workers and friends team Wilford Brimley’s Mustache Ride. I have enjoyed every season since.

BW: What is it about WAKA kickball and VA Peninsula that you enjoy the most?
BF: What has impressed me the most is the camaraderie of the Peninsula league and it just gets better every season! When we go to the bar after the game you can see all the different color t shirts mingled together.

BW: That's really what it's all about. Going back to your earlier response. You mentioned that you were originally recruited by co-workers to play. What type of work do you do?
BF: I am a senior engineer at Newport News Shipbuilding and have been there for many years. I think I started shortly after they opened in 1898 but those days are a little fuzzy because whiskey was not as refined as it is now. I opened a small company in 1991 and another in 2001. It took a long time but both are now very successful. I am not involved in the day to day operations anymore but will work a lot of hours in the evening and weekends in the spring and summer as the two companies go through their busy season. I got my real estate license a few years ago and help friends buy or sell a house. I could do a lot more real estate but I like to focus on friends and co-workers.

Freed gives Panik Attack's pitcher some fitness advice.

BW: That's pretty awesome. A lot of people probably didn't know that about you. What else do you like to do outside of work?
BF: Like a lot of us I’m pretty active. My girlfriend, Gayle, said “The reason you don’t gain weight is because you don’t stay still long enough for a fat molecule to attach itself.” I spend a lot of time working since I enjoy what I do. My hobbies are KICKBALL, mountain biking, going to the gym, travel, and flying.

BW: Dottie and I had an awesome time last summer when you flew us up to Tangier Island in your Cessna. Really one of the highlights of our summer, and I wanted to thank you again... But let's move on to the next question. You founded Just For Kicks a year ago, and have been an absolutely dominant force on the Peninsula. What is the secret to your success? How did you go about creating this record breaking team?
BF: Here are five keys to making any team successful. 
BW: Take notes, captains!
BF: The first is to promote the team mentality.  No matter how good any one player is, they cannot play the game on their own.  Could you imagine a one person defense?  Everyone has to know their responsibility.
BW: Definitely. This is truly a team sport.
BF: The second key is to make the women part of your team, not an afterthought! ALL the best teams do this and their women play an active role in both offense and defense. I think some teams just say go out there and we’ll cover you. The better teams are very clear as to what the women teammates are to do and let them practice doing it. The JFK, EC, and V+D  women are awesome!

"The Professor" at work last fall.

BW: Again, I completely agree. Not trusting your girls can be crucial. Because at some point in a season, every person will have to step up and execute in order to win.
BF: The third key is for the captains of a team to explain or teach the overall responsibilities and then back off. Let the players figure out the details. Once they know what they are supposed to do, they will determine how to best work with each other. You can’t tell a charger and a catcher to go to certain points. Theirs is one of the most crucial team work facets in the game. They will work it out. This is true all over the field. 
BW: Yeah, you can't really micromanage the game from the sideline.
BF: Exactly, sometimes I yell out something like do this or set up here and the response is, “I got it Freed!”  That is my queue to shut up.
BW: So, that's how to make you shut up. Ok, I'll have to remember that. (laughing)
BF: The fourth key is to teach early in the season how to do things. For example, I have heard other teams say, “Just go bunt it.” The person goes up not knowing what to do. We teach our JFK teammates, and anyone else that is interested, this is how you line up for a bunt, this is where your torso should be facing, this is where you should be looking, this is how you approach the ball, and this is how you should be positioned over the ball. The same is true for kicking, throwing, and base running. Every player will be more comfortable and do better if they know what they are supposed to do and how to do it.

BW: That's why they call you "The Professor of Kickball"... So, what is the 5th key component of building a successful team?
BF: Buy me beer at the bar after the games and I’ll tell you the fifth key to making a good team.

BW: (laughing) Ok, you got it. Now, as dominant as JFK has been, the team still has not been able to win the prestigious Wentworth Trophy, falling short against the VIPs in the finals of the past two seasons. Why do you think JFK hasn't been able to get over the hump against The Emperors Club?
BF: In the spring 2010 season JFK lost to Emporers Club but we were just out played that day. The Emperors Club deserved to win that game! The injury to Melody Gardner near the end of that game shook us up too. The VIPs were ahead when that happened, and the game nearly ended due to a time limit (Editors Note: prior to the Fall 2010 season, the End of Season Tourney was played entirely on a Wednesday night. The S10 Finals did not finish until close to midnight that season.) Afterward, we celebrated a great season together! We didn’t know how severe Melody’s injury was until a couple of days later (Editors Note: Gardner suffered a severly broken femur in an infield collision that game). The loss to the VIPs in the Fall 2010 final was different. After all of our “team” philosophy, the cohesion of the JFK team just broke down and The Emperors Club continued to play very tough all the way to the end.

BW: Last season in particular had to be pretty tough. JFK was up by 2 runs with 2 outs, no VIPs on base. Of course we know, The Emperors Club rallied and ended up winning by one run. What the hell happened? Why weren't you all able to close it out?
BF: I think you can go one of two ways with a team. Be all about the fun or be competitive. It is very hard to do both at the same time, but I thought JFK could pull it off. Because of this, there was some conflict among some of  players on the team the last couple weeks of the season. We put a lid on it but it started up again during that final game. The “Team” just broke down.
BW: The team sure did pick a hell of a time to collapse, that's for sure.
BF: As captain, in the last inning, there were exactly four things I wanted to call out and do. I did none of them. Twice, I wanted to reposition a couple players and was going to call time out to do so. I didn’t, and any one of those four moves could have ended the game. Our team was disappointed, but I was probably the most bummed. Our players got us to that final game, but in my mind I had let the team down. We were so close to winning that final game. However, all of this will be history with the first kick of the new season!

Freed scores a run for the VIPs in 

VA Recess competition this winter.

BW: Well, like you said earlier, it's a delicate balancing act between letting the players play and micro-managing the game. Now since we're talking about the finals, in a recent poll conducted by the league, JFK vs. the VIPs was voted one of the top rivalries in Peninsula history. What are your thoughts on the ongoing rivalry? And what are your thoughts about actually playing with The Emperors Club during the Winter VA Recess league? That's gotta be a little weird, right?
BF: Playing on The Emperors Club for the winter season has been a blast! I know the VIP winter team is a mixture of players from The Emperors Club, JFK, 5 O’Clockers, and Rumspringa, but it has been a lot of fun finally playing on a team with many of the people I have competed against over the last few seasons. I have to admit, I was honored to be wearing a red shirt this winter, but cheering VIPs in the huddle before the game didn’t come out easily the first couple weeks! (laughing) After the winter season, I am making a voodoo doll using my red shirt and I'll stick pins in it before we face off this season. Of course though, I’ll wear The Emperors Club shirt with pride when we are playing against each other.

BW: Let's shift gears and look forward to the Spring season. It's been widely covered in the GMOT, that JFK is going through something of a transition period. You've lost several players from the past season including Bryan "NoShoes" Moore, Jimmy Wilcox, Joey Smith, Joey Smith's abs, Noelle Walsh, and Sarah Rourke to the expansion team, Vicious and Delicious. Why do  you think they chose to jump ship, and what are your candid thoughts on the matter?
BF: Everyone that left JFK is what I consider an “A” level player. They have the best playing abilities, competitiveness, and knowledge of the game. I was happy to play on a team with them and hope to do so again.
BW: Come on, Freed. I said candid thoughts. That's way too political and nice.
BF: Look, JFK was a mix of “A” and “B” level players and I include myself as “B” level. JFK will not cut players. Once a player is on the team they are there for as long as they want to be. David Dixon and Bundy [Chris LeBlanc] are putting together a team of “A” level players. That is very appealing! I totally understand why people from JFK and Victorious Secret would want to be a part of this. They can all play at that level. I would like to be part of this too but my “A” level playing days were before most of these people were born.

Expect to see plenty of JFK good times at Luckie's.

BW: After losing so many key players, your challenge is rebuilding. What is your approach to the Spring 2011 season?
BF: JFK took a different tact this season.  We decided early to go for who was going to have a good time as a “Team” and who would enjoy playing together. Read the GMOT write up about Wes [McClain] and Nikki [LeBlanc]. That is exactly what we are about now. Several people such as JC [Cashwell], Eric[Stevens], Andrew [Swenck], Daniel [Shaw], Jill [Simms], Sarah [Crecelius], Rob [Lewandowski], and Cregen [Brady] had options of going to other teams but decided to stay. Players like Wes, Nikki, Jeremy [Pinier], Lindsey, and others are new welcome additions.

BW: You mentioned some of the new players to the team, including Nikki LeBlanc, Wes McClain, and Dr. Jeremy Pinier. What are your expectations for the coming season?
BF: Our aim is to be drama free. What comes out of that will be fine. I think we’ll be a good team, as well as The Emperors Club and VD. But we can’t look past Rumspringa, 5 O’Clockers, Chubby Gangsters, and Chicken Tetrazzini. Those teams that are going to be very tough this season.

BW: Let's wrap it up (Editors Note: Finally!) with some word association. I'm going to through some names out there and you let me know what words first come to mind.
BF: Let's do it.

BW: Ashley Williams.
BF: Great teammate, Most improved player, HUGE enthusiasm.

BW: JC Cashwell.
BF: Too cool. A stone faced poker player.

JFK - Spring 2010

BW: Eric Stevens.
BF: Passion for kickball and life.

BW: George Kiriazidis.
BF: The best smile in kickball.

BW: The Emperors Club.
BF: Great group.

BW: Rumspringa.
BF: Looking forward to cheering them on from the sideline in a championship game, and that will happen soon.

BW: NoShoes.
BF: Good friend. Great kickball teacher.

BW: Vicious and Delicious.
BF: Great talent.

BW: Bundy.
BF: Best strategist in kickball. Fun to talk to.

Freed and Swenck looking forward to a fun and 

successful season. 

BW: Joey Smith.
BF: Intense.

BW: Brent Wentworth (3rd Person Alert!)
BF: Glue that has held this league together and made it grow, great opponent, better teammate.

BW: Hey, thanks, Bryan. I appreciate that. In fact, it sounds like a great note to end this interview on! Thank you again, for taking the time to answer the questions. Great interview!

BF: Thank you, Brent.