Nathan Shenk
Nathan Shenk, originally from Michigan, grew up in Miami. He went to college in Pennsylvania to study Education. At about 28 years old, Shenk, now 40, made the move to Gainesville for a job opportunity in Elementary Education and has resided here since while working.
Growing up in Miami, Shenk tried to participate in any sport his school offered (track and field, soccer, baseball, etc.). He honed in on soccer in middle school and played through high school.
Eventually, a friend recommended kickball to Shenk. At first, Shenk was skeptical about whether he'd be interested in the game he considered played by children in recess or physical education class growing up. Kickball, however, allowed him to feel like a child again because he already had a love for kicking a ball from playing soccer, he said.
Shenk soon found he enjoyed kickball much more than he expected. He found that kickball is a great way to get back in touch with his childhood and to have fun. It has become one of his favorite pastimes, playing it since joining a league in Gainesville in 2015. When Swamp Sports was formed a few years ago, Shenk, along with a lot of his new friends he met through kickball, joined, and has continued to play there.
Shenk loves that Swamp Sports offers a competitive nature to a child’s game and that it allows him to play competitively for someone his age. It makes him feel like he’s capable of playing a competitive sport despite physical limitations due to a recent knee surgery.
In the past, Shenk would spend hours in the gym, but as he grew older and more responsibilities fell onto his lap, he was unable to devote much time to the gym. Kickball offered him the opportunity to be active once a week for two hours.
The benefits of kickball have not only been physical and mental for Shenk, but also social, he said. As a result, he has made friends he considers a second family, and even introduced his girlfriend at the time (now wife) to the sport. His wife is also enamored with the sport and even began playing competitively!
“The friends you make out there are insurmountable, so many good-hearted people, and it feels like a small family and community.”
