Meet Ermias Tessema & Cris Jones | Recess Kickball League Co-Founders

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ermias Tessema & Cris Jones and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ermias & Cris, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Recess Kickball League was birthed out of a need to create a safe space where friends could play while following COVID-19 safety measures. Zoom wasn’t working for us; we wanted to leave the house and move our bodies. So, during the summer of 2020, we started to meet up in parks in Brooklyn to play kickball. We chose kickball because it was a sport we all played as kids in school, and it was inclusive. We wanted to have mixed teams and didn’t want the competition to overshadow the fact we were gathering together as a community of friends.

What should our readers know about your business?
We’re extremely proud of the friendships and connections that have grown and fostered over the years. There have been members — whether they are playing, spectating, or volunteering — who came in knowing no one and now have a group of friends that they consider family. We know how hard it is to find community as an adult, especially in sprawling cities like NYC and LA. What sets our league apart from others is the “RKL ecosystem” which includes players, volunteers, front office staff, umpires, fans and vendors who really show up for each other on – and more importantly – off the field too. Whether it’s through a post-game social, booking each other for freelance gigs, supporting artistic ventures or shows, taking trips to Palm Springs, or even delivering your teammates’ baby as their doula. The intentionality that everyone within RKL displays when building and fostering relationships with one another is the secret sauce, in our eyes.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
This is a tough question because LA is sooo huge and has lots of gems to visit. However, if I had to direct my friend to my go to spots I would highlight some of these spots based on activities.
Dope eats and drinks South of the 10: Sip and Sonder for co-working space and coffee, Tev’s Kitchen for an incredible Caribbean lunch, Somerville for the trendiest and most aesthetically pleasing restaurant. But my favorite meal in the city is the Spicy Pomodoro at Cento in West Adams – BRAH!!
Looking for Cardio and Community: Get your namaste on with the good people at the Walk Good Yard (@walkgoodla) and if you want to turn it up…Keep It Run Hundred (@keepitrunhundred) will have you doing miles with a run club full of hundreds of people!
Looking to party all weekend: Enjoy rooftop views of the Hollywood Hills and cocktails at “Must Be Nice” Day Party (@mustbenice) and end the night off dancing to amazing music and vibes at “Dance Therapy” hosted by RKL’s own – @GOODVIBESJONES.
And an LA trip of course is not complete without catching a sunset at Santa Monica beach.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The shout-out is to all the first-year RKL captains in BK and LA. This league would not be where we are without these individuals who led teams in the inaugural seasons, especially the captains. For the Brooklyn division, that’s Felicia and Ugi of OnlyPans, Kiki and CT of Code Red, Angel and Jones of Black Mambas, and Emmanuel and Helen of 24 Karats. For the Los Angeles division, that’s Nayomi & Jordan of Maroon Vibes, Brianna & Kwesi of Forest Fury, Erin & Juwann of Big Smoke, and Coiya & Jarenn of KWA.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/recesskickballleague

Other: https://beacons.ai/recesskickballleague/mediakit

Image Credits
Breanna McElroy