Twenty-one teams participated in ACU’s first co-ed intramural kickball tournament Monday and Tuesday nights.

The tournament was free and open to all interested students, said Kenli Edwards, director of intramural sports. It is the only co-ed intramural sport available at ACU.

“I wanted to do co-ed because we don’t have any other co-ed sports,” Edwards said. “I thought it would be neat for everyone to just sign up with their friends and get a chance to all compete together.”

Edwards said this was the first time they have arranged a tournament of this sort, but there are plans to make it an annual event or to have one at the end of every semester.

“I thought it would be a fun way to end the semester, to have something that brought you back to your elementary glory days.” Edwards said. “Kickball is something that anybody can play; you don’t have to be great at it.”

Edwards said it offered even more variety to the sports offered through intramurals. She said kickball was a kind of childlike sport that allowed more people to play without being overly serious.

“I think it’s one of the most fun times you can have playing something without a lot of pressure,” Edwards said. “It’s one of the most fun things you can do as an adult.”

Edwards said that the co-ed aspect of the tournament also brought about a different atmosphere and allowed groups of friends to have fun together.

“It brings a little variety to what you’re doing, so it’s not just a movie or hanging out at someone’s house,” Edwards said. “It’s getting out there and playing and having fun with people that you always hang out with but in a different way.”

Kaleigh Sheffield, junior music education major from Argyle, who was on a team called “Our Kicks Don’t Lie” with a mix of girl and guy friends, said playing with guys gave the game a different feeling.

“Guys bring a kind of intensity to it,” Sheffield said. “With girls there are a lot of cat fights.”

Ross Darden, senior accounting from Midland, summarized his feelings toward the tournament on his Twitter profile by posting, “Kickball: I LIVE FOR THIS.”

“I figured this could be just a fun and free thing to do at the end of the semester to kind of wind everything down and to finish out intramurals in a fun way,” Edwards said.