Austin has the mojo for this brand of kickball

Programmer develops game fit for the brainy, clever and non-athletic types

By J.J. McLaughlin
SPECIAL TO THE AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Thursday, April 03, 2008

With a name like Mojo Kickball, one might expect a game requiring superhuman strength and the pounding of the chest with ape-swinging bravado after a score.

But fear not — Mojo Kickball does not require alpha male-like gusto. In fact, the sport was created to cater to sedentary types and to fill a void in recreational sports.

That's what Eric Heiberg — Mojo Kickball creator — envisioned when brainstorming a sport to combat the inactivity of those who would rather be calibrating or were just turned off by competitive sports in general.

"I wanted to create a sport that would actually level the playing field, and in this game you could put children on one team and adults on the other and you wouldn't have a shutout," says Heiberg, a Web developer at Trnsfr in Austin (you can tell by his grimy T-shirt, signature geeky laugh and his subtle references to technology). "There's no need for handicaps in this game."

Unlike many Web geeks, Heiberg waged war against his inactive lifestyle. Most programmers aim to create clever, cool things that everyone can use on a universal platform, and that's exactly what Heiberg did, creating a sport instead of a Web application.

What is it? In short, Heiberg says it's not kickball.

"A lot of Mojo is thinking, temperance, patience, strategy and using resources," Heiberg says. "In other words, it's a type of sport that has no need for ESPN highlights, because if you play like a showboat your team will lose bad."

Recalling his days at recess in grade school, Heiberg says he was motivated to bring the pure fun back to recreational sports and he wanted to create a sport in which athletic ability or gender didn't determine whether someone would excel. Consider Mojo Kickball a slap in the face to the traditional formula for success in gym class, where athletic ability, gender and age sometimes dominate skills like strategy.

He started with kickball and then put more balls into play; he needed complexity or else he wouldn't have gotten much exercise.

Heiberg spills enthusiasm when asked how to play the game.

"Take absolutely any aspect of Mojo Kickball and I could write a freakin' book about it," he says. He follows by saying the game contains a lot of strategy, and he barks out terms like "monkey in the middle," the "train" and "cannon fodder."

The game contains elements of dodge ball, kickball and flag football. Six balls are hurled during play and, as you can imagine, a sense of chaos permeates the field. The stop-and-go action is continuous and there seems to be no playbook. But there are rules. And there are those who aim to find certain loopholes in the rules and strategy, to break the game, so to speak, and Heiberg wants them on the field. He said players' drive to uncover flaws in the game's rules will result in tweaking the established rules and ultimately making it a better game.

Nick Blazier is one of those players.

"I recognize certain strategies in the game that are unique ... it's a thinking man's game, though it's very situational, and you have to observe and respond quickly," Blazier said.

Blazier has been playing Mojo for about a year and said it's the little ways you find within the game strategy to get that leverage that make it so fun. He mentions a particular luring method that involves the fielding team holding all six balls so that runners cannot score, or pitching multiple balls in a rapid order to create mayhem for the outfielders. (The pitcher is on the kicking team; see sidebar for more on how to play.)

Heiberg is also a member of the Austin Improv Collective, and he doesn't shy away from any opportunity to express his love and passion for Mojo Kickball.

"It's hard for Mojo Kickball not to come up in conversations at parties, and I feel bad about it because I feel like I'm selling something like religion, but I've got the 60-second elevator speech down now," he said.

The sport started with about a dozen people showing up through word of mouth, Craigslist and the sport's e-mail list service. These days, an average of two new Mojo enthusiasts register on the Web site (www.mojokickball.com) daily. Heiberg's not sure what exactly contributed to the game's growth but attributes it in part to the character of Austin.

"It's a lot like philosophy in life, and you just follow your bliss, and when people see your enthusiasm and it's something they can get excited about, too, then before you know it, you'll have yourself a cult," the Dallas native says.

The sport has been brought to other cities, such as Dallas and Los Angeles, though Heiberg said it's not the same as it is in Austin and hasn't received the same level of interest that Austinites have shown. He said Austinites just have a unique mind-set that puts value on being different, where normal is synonymous with boring. He said Austin breeds weird and creative things, and though other cities might, too, Austin is also a mecca for recreational and outdoor activities.

Heiberg has traveled to other cities and helped establish the sport by offering his assistance in setting up city-specific Mojo Kickball Web sites; he says he's not in it for the money. (It's free to play, with a $2 suggested donation.)

"Someone from New York asked if they could franchise, and I was like, 'psssh' ... it's not like that," he said. "I simply want the sport to grow and spread like wildfire."

When players are asked what type of person is usually drawn to the sport, the answer is about as ambiguous as the game itself.

"It takes the mind of a project manager to play well, because those are the types who are able to multi-task," says Leslie Geller, a Mojo enthusiast in Austin. "But it's an all-encompassing sport and a heightened game with very involved rules, so everyone has a key role ... I don't know if there's a certain type of player who would excel the most."

The Mojo founder himself is stumped by the question. "That's the beauty of the game," he says, with a sly smile. " ... There are just so many layers to it and so many things your typical athlete will have to unlearn."

He was able to say who might not like the sport so much: "People who like conventional sports and feel stupid playing something that isn't on one of the major sports networks will not like the game."

Athletic ability is the least of the skills needed, and Heiberg said cleverness can substitute for physical talent.

The Mojo master envisions taking the sport to a new level within the near future. He wants to create a league with set schedules and times to play at a designated field. They play at Krieg Softball Complex now, but organizing playing times with city officials has been challenging.

He's even creating a logo for Mojo Kickball T-shirts. He says, only half jokingly, that the slogan will read: "I play Mojo Kickball, screw your sport!"

Ultimately, the Web developer would like to see the sport take off in Japan, a place he says could take Mojo to another level. But until then, he'll keep playing, drawing more crowds and giving his 60-second spiel to curious minds.

"Mojo is undefinable. And you really can't describe it," he says. "But it's lighthearted and fun and sure, it's chaotic, but any new sport will be chaotic, unless of course, it's thumb wrestling.

"I love it."

HOW TO JOIN

• Visit the Mojo Kickball site, www.mojokickball.com, to register for game updates. (Games are also promoted on Craigslist.)

• More than 350 people have signed up online to receive updates on games, which are usually every other Sunday and sometimes during the week at Krieg Softball Complex, 515 S. Pleasant Valley Road.

• You can also see photos and recaps of previous Mojo Kickball games and sign up for a possible Mojo dating service (not yet launched but there is a form to fill out).

• A $2 donation is suggested, but it's free to play.

Rules

• The rules seem overwhelming at first, since Mojo Kickball is a constantly moving game with six balls in play. From the official Web site, which lists the in-depth rules and various strategies: 'Put simply, Mojo Kickball is multi-ball kickball with elements of dodgeball, tag and even a little touch football mixed in. But it's so much more than that. It fills a void in recreational sports that has existed for a long, long time, for adults and children alike.'

Some basics

• The game is timed and divided into 12-minute quarters.

• The pitcher is on the kicking team and, similar to kickball, you get a runner out by tagging or throwing the ball at them. But getting out isn't a bad thing. Once out, the runner can score points for his or her team and collect points through an interesting strategy called "shagging balls."

• The offense also fields two players in the outfield. They're called chasers. They wear bright belts and do two things: guard their runners and tag outfielders who are holding a ball. And to make things more chaotic, there are unlimited strikes, outs and fouls. In Mojo world, getting to third base is a score, too. There are penalties too, but even when you are penalized and forced to sit out, you are still in play.

Confused?

• A brief tutorial is offered before games.

MOJO AND MORE

The recreation-minded can try Mojo Kickball, or one of these other sports:

• Austin Table Tennis Club www.austintabletennis.com

• Adult Co-Rec Kickball League www.leaguelineup.com/cityofaustinkickball

• Central Texas Baseball League www.ctbl.org

• Austin Social Sports Club www.austinssc.com

• Ultimate Frisbee League www.austinultimate.org

• Austin Runners Club www.austinrunners.org

• Austin Kayak Polo Club www.austinkayakpolo.org/default.aspx

• Austin Softball League www.softballaustin.org