Stephen Haupt didn’t set out to become a kickball commissioner. But when the Lehighton Adult Kickball League faced an uncertain future at the end of last season, the Palmerton area resident stepped up to keep something special alive in Carbon County.

“The kickball league was kind of up in the air whether we were going to do it or not,” Haupt said. “I’m a big sports guy, so I’m like, we need something in this community to keep going. I didn’t want it to fade away.”

What Haupt inherited was a seven-year-old league that had quietly become a weekend tradition for area adults looking to recapture some competitive spirit. What he’s building is something even bigger.

This season, 84 members across six co-ed teams took the field at East Penn Sporting Club every Sunday from June through early August. The format was simple but effective — doubleheaders from noon to 6 p.m., with the club open for food and drinks for players and spectators.

“The whole thing behind the league was to give adults something to do,” Haupt said. “We’re typically behind the fence cheering on our kids, and this kind of gives a reverse role. If you do have kids, they can cheer you on while you’re out there.”

The league’s co-ed requirement adds a strategic element. Players must be 21 or older — it’s officially a beer league — and teams must roster at least four women, with three on the field at all times.

“You don’t have to be the most athletic,” Haupt said, noting kickball’s accessibility compared to other adult sports leagues.

That accessibility has helped fuel impressive growth under Haupt’s leadership. The league’s Facebook page jumped from 260 members in June to more than 800 by season’s end — a 600-person increase that even Haupt didn’t expect.

“I know there are already two more teams wanting to join next year,” he said.

The season culminated last weekend with a championship matchup that had all the drama of a Hollywood script. Slime Time, a kickball dynasty that hadn’t lost in five years, faced off against the upstart Suck My Kick (SMK) in a double-elimination tournament.

“They were the two undefeated teams going in, and SMK ended up beating Slime Time, which was a big upset,” Haupt said.

Slime Time battled through the loser’s bracket to force a championship rematch, winning the first game. But double elimination meant they needed two wins, and SMK rallied to take the decisive final game and the title.

“This team hadn’t lost in five years,” Haupt said. “It was kind of a big thing.”

While most players are from Carbon County, the league also attracts participants from outside the area, including three who drive more than 80 minutes from central Pennsylvania, and others from the Wilkes-Barre area and the upper Poconos.

“There’s really not much for adults to do in Carbon County,” Haupt said, noting the closest organized adult kickball leagues are in Schuylkill Haven, Bristol, Warminster or Souderton.

Haupt has big plans for the offseason, including adding sponsors and possibly running two seasons next year instead of one. He’s also considering an all-star game against another league.

“We’d take our top three players from each team and go to them, or they’d come to us,” Haupt said. “Then we’d play against each other.”

Before next season, the league will hold one more event — a Halloween kickball tournament in October, with costumes required.

For those interested in joining, Haupt recommends starting with the league’s Facebook page.

“I’m going to take this offseason and just put the foot to the gas and go hard,” he said.

In a region where adult recreational opportunities can be limited, Haupt has built something valuable — a place where neighbors become teammates, weekend warriors get their competitive fix, and the simple joy of kickball brings people together every Sunday afternoon.

Not bad for a guy who just didn’t want to see something good disappear.