Meet Commish Kirkland of Six Pack Sports

Today we’d like to introduce you to Commish Kirkland.

Commish, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
When I moved to Denver, I signed up a team of buds for a softball league in the summer of 2008. We were all friendly and outgoing characters, figuring we’d make a heap of new friends and have a blast. We made zero new friends. The league was far too intense and cold, with no community culture. I told my team: this time next summer, we’ll have our own league in which sports, camaraderie and community beautifully collide. I ran our intramural sports leagues as a student job at Middlebury College and had a great deal of leadership experience- and I saw the need for an inclusive, fun-loving rec sports organization.

I founded Six Pack Sports in the winter of 2008-2009 with our first league of broomball (which is a wildly entertaining version of ice hockey, played in sneakers instead of skates). We had our own version of softball that summer; we play coed, with wiffleball bats, slow-pitch tennis balls, gloveless outfielders and the potential for two-point runs if you’re able to complete a beverage on the basepaths. I wanted to create a version of softball that was more inclusive (for instance, you have the option to hit from a tee at any point in the at-bat, if batting doesn’t come naturally to you), more fun (the two-run rule significantly spices up the action) and more community-focused with postgame get-togethers, end-of-season award parties, highlight reels, all-star games and all-day park parties.

Over time, we’ve added more leagues and one-day events: bowling, lawn olympiads, golf tourneys, flag football, bocce, shuffleboard, relay, kickball, Family Feud, Pond Broom, etc.- all with the unique 6PS flair of alternative rules and an inclusive community culture (which has led to 11 marriages and counting- two more coming this summer- of folks who met at 6PS events). We also run annual fundraiser events (the Million Vertical Feet endurance skiing fundraiser every odd year and the Incline Fundraiser every even year) to support Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado, providing all the funds to take the matches skiing and to a high ropes course every year.

I also work full-time for BBBS, supporting the matches and running Sports Buddies events for them every week. Many of my Six Packers have become Bigs and vice versa; we’re blessed to have a truly wonderful partnership between my two jobs. Six Pack Sports is now in its 12th year, going strong, connecting people and continuing to build a cohesive and inclusive community. Very few people refer to me by my birth name Michael; more commonly, folks call me Commish as I’m the commissioner of Six Pack Sports.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The biggest obstacle for Six Pack Sports has been the balance of growth vs identity. I’ve cautiously pushed to slowly grow the participant base of 6PS. I’ve seen the effect that growth has had on other rec sports organizations- and I don’t like what I’ve seen and I don’t want 6PS to go down that route. The larger the league, the more impersonal each becomes. I’ve played in softball and volleyball leagues via larger rec sports organizations and felt the same gripe I hear constantly from my Six Packers about other leagues: there is very little sense of community or personal attention on the larger scale leagues.

The most distinguishing characteristic of 6PS is the community culture we work so hard to cultivate and maintain. Folks can play in 6PS leagues with the confidence that their fellow teammates and foes will be friendly, inclusive and fun-loving. They come to 6PS with the expectation of making new friends and expanding their personal and professional networks. And we generally attract an older demographic compared to other rec sports organizations; many of our participants have children whom they bring to the events. They know that these environments will be safe and fun-loving. I’ve worked diligently to protect this culture and brand; the more I expand the business, the more I jeopardize said protection.

I’ve always joked that I’m a terrible businessman because I consciously keep 6PS at an intimate size. We have 2,500 unique participants and our leagues/events average in size from 40 players to 200 players, whereas larger rec sports organizations may have well over 10,000 unique participants and league sizes of over 500. My options for sustaining the business and a livelihood that can afford Denver’s increasing costs are truly expanding the business or supplementing my income elsewhere. For years, I’ve chosen the latter, working as a ski coach for nine years and currently working for Big Brothers Big Sisters- juggling two full-time jobs.

Please tell us about Six Pack Sports.
Six Pack Sports provides adult recreational sports leagues and events, centered around an inclusive community culture. The primary goal of Six Pack Sports is to connect people around sports designed to be as fun, unique and inclusive as possible. We offer sports leagues and one-day events year-round, including broomball (ice hockey played in sneakers), our own alternative version of softball, volleyball, bowling, flag football, lawn game olympiads, golf tournaments, kickball tournaments, shuffleboard, bocce, relay and more.

We also run annual fundraiser events (the Million Vertical Feet endurance skiing fundraiser every odd year and the Incline Fundraiser every even year) to support Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado, providing all the funds to take the matches skiing and to a high ropes course every year. I’m most proud of Six Pack’s community- it’s most distinguishable characteristic. We’ve gone to great lengths to keep the organization as inclusive and fun-loving as possible. Our community has led to countless friendships, business connections and 11 marriages- and counting. Furthermore, our folks feel comfortable bringing their kids and dogs to events to cheer on their parents and make friends of their own.

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite childhood memory was playing youth sports- baseball, soccer, hockey and cross country. I loved the camaraderie of team sports and savored the teamwork, leadership skills and friendships built through sports. These fond memories shaped my passion for working in sports- starting with my first job teaching tennis to my college job of running our intramural sports to coaching skiing, coaching cross county and founding Six Pack Sports.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sixpacksportsleague.com
• Email: michael@sixpacksportsleague.com
• Instagram: @sixpacksports
• Facebook: Six Pack Sports

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