Janessa’s rules for summer fun

Janessa Wagner’s voice carries across the kickball field at Bohnert Park as she outlines the rules: no bunting, no one in front of the pitching mound when the younger kids kick, tags have to be below the waist.

And no arguing with her calls, or you are out of the game.

With 30-something kids milling around on two giant teams, there’s going to be a couple that pushes the limit of Janessa’s no-arguing rule.

At least one.

This day, the first kickball session of the year, one participant decides he’s the one. He hollers at a couple of Janessa’s calls from the field. It’s hard to blame him, though; he knows the rules, and sometimes they conflict with Janessa’s goals. He wants to win; she wants everyone to have fun. The arbiter of fun wins.

He argues three times during the hour-long kickball session. They are every Tuesday morning and usually feature two games with Janessa mixing up the players in the middle. She stands on the sidelines calling strikes, balls and outs in between taking questions from kids and solving lighthearted disputes.

As Mr. Argumentative was leaving, he asked how close he got to the line. “I was gonna get kicked out, wasn’t I?” he asked.

“Yeah, you were,” his mom laughed. She had watched the back and forth from the sidelines.

That’s also new. Parents haven’t always stuck around. When Janessa first started, parents would drop off the kids and pick them up when they were done. In recent years, as more kids have started showing up for the events, parents and grandparents have begun to pop up camp chairs and spread out blankets to stick around to watch the antics.

The comfort with Janessa has come as she’s led the summer recreation program for the past ten years. Many of the same kids and parents keep showing up for the kickball games, dodgeball matches, bucket ball, home run derbies, and so much more that she offers through the summer.

Then, when she arrives at the swimming pool later in the day, those same kids are saying hi to her.

They know her, and with so many rotating in and out, it’s a marvel how she seems to know every one of them. From the first time they come, Janessa makes sure she gets their names right. She uses a couple strategies.

“I don’t want to draw too much attention to them,” she explained. “But I’ll be sure to say their name when it’s their turn and be sure to throw them a high five.”

She loves the summer programming and being outside with the kids. “My major is Recreation Management with a concentration in Youth Leadership,” Janessa said. “I’m fortunate enough that I’m literally in the job that I went to school for, so I love summertime. It’s stressful, but in a good way.”

Before leaving, there are always a couple of kids who make sure to say thanks or goodbye to her. She’ll see them again and again and again.

The summer always ends too soon. But for now, she’s got a lot left to look forward to.

It’s something special.

“It’s free. It’s fun. It’s recreational. It’s simple, and that’s just what I like to do,” Janessa said. “I feel like we’re doing something right when we see these kids so often.”

Jasper Park and Rec has brochures with the annual activity schedule, and you can also see it on the Jasper Park and Recreation Facebook Page.