Stonewall Sports Norfolk Statement on Venue Change for Kickball and Invitation to Town Hall

Happy Monday, Stonewallers!

Change is hard, but it’s also important. The Leadership Board is comprised of a hardworking group of volunteers that want to make our organization better each year. The Board recognizes that transparency is the most important aspect of service to our community, so we wanted to take the time to share some details.

I’m sure you have heard by now that our venue for Fall Kickball 2022 has changed to the Simon Family Jewish Community Center (JCC), located at 5000 Corporate Woods Drive, Virginia Beach, Virginia. Some of you may be familiar with this facility from Dodgeball and Volleyball. We are extremely grateful for the kindness and partnership that we have received from the JCC. A big part of what makes Stonewall Sports so special is our community partnerships and we look forward to building another bridge. With that being said, to address the main questions on everyone’s minds:

What was the reason for the venue change?

There were many aspects to the decision to change venues for Fall Kickball. First, the fields at Larchmont have not been exactly well-maintained. We had several injuries last season due to divots and uneven surfaces on the fields. The JCC has a beautiful, well-kept space that will line up all four fields in one row, also offering better views for spectators. We can have the grass cut or double-cut any time it is needed. There is also proper field drainage for water.

Second, the JCC has offered us use of the fields for a fantastic deal for this season only. As we currently have Dodgeball and Volleyball (hard court) at their facility, this is a chance to streamline most sports to one location. I will note that there is no obligation to continue using their fields for future seasons. If we, as a community, would prefer to move venues, we will absolutely take this into consideration and welcome your input.

Third, ya’ll are going to love this location. Besides the tidy fields, there is a GORGEOUS gazebo with a playground for the kids nearby. Parking is a dream. No more having to walk a million miles. There are outlets for charging phones and speakers to make sure we have music each Sunday. Plus, it’s an easy 14-minute drive to our favorite watering hole (MJ’s duh). We also have our pool party coming up at the JCC on September 10th and I promise this location will make it an event to remember.

But we are Stonewall Sports Norfolk. What gives with all sports being outside of Norfolk?

When Stonewall Sports Norfolk was founded in 2018, it was a requirement from Stonewall Sports National that only cities could be represented. There are now 23 cities throughout the US that have chapters, and it’s worth visiting https://stonewallsports.leagueapps.com/ to see how each city is represented. Our anchor represents the Hampton Roads area as a whole, and we are currently in discussion with SSN about a name change to reflect our 7 cities.

Compared to the other chapters that are major cities, we are a wide community full of members that live all over Hampton Roads. For some, this venue change is a major win. For others (like my fellow Norfolkians), it feels like a bummer. In my years with Stonewall, I have played sports in many different cities, and I can appreciate “taking turns.”

Additionally, we are excited to be rolling out our newest sports – Billiards – in the late fall. Even more exciting is that The Wave will be our location and they will now be open on Thursdays. The Leadership Board is also working hard to add additional sports and events to Norfolk.

Finally, we love our sponsors. MANY of our sponsors are Norfolk-based, and we know that Norfolk knows how to party. This venue change will not affect the support that we as Stonewallers give to our lovely sponsors. Stay tuned for some new faces this season as well, in Norfolk and surrounding areas.

So, now that we have addressed the elephant in the room, we would like to cordially invite you to our annual Town Hall at the JCC or virtually through a link to be provided. Come see what all the buzz is about! We will have an announcement about the date for Town Hall this week, and you can expect it by the end of September.

We invite you to email any questions about the venue change or about Stonewall Sports Norfolk in general to Ezra Rose, our Administrative Coordinator, at norfolk.info@stonewallsports.org. I promise that we will address all questions at our Town Hall and also inform our community what we have been up to the past year and our future plans.

We love Stonewall!!

Truly,

Abigail Southern-Kline
Administrative Director – Stonewall Sports Norfolk