Meet Kelsey Jung, Steve Kaschinske, Daniel Stern

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kelsey Jung, Steve Kaschinske, Daniel Stern and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kelsey, Steve, Daniel, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
During the pandemic, all the ball hockey leagues in the Denver area closed their doors with no plans to relaunch post-COVID. As vaccines became more readily available and we adjusted to the new normal, we realized how much we missed playing. Our smaller group started with casual drop-in and pick-up games at public facilities, and then decided to really step it up. We founded Radical Recreation in the summer of 2021.

Our first league back we had to require everyone to wear PPE, and Denver’s ball hockey community got together to play and invite their friends to join in. Everyone was really understanding and respectful of the safety requirements. Seeing the joy of people returning to the sport and trying it for the first time made the whole process entirely worth it! Our main goal is fun with low costs so we can make the league affordable yet still deliver a quality experience. For 2023, we decided to participate in the National Ball Hockey League. Three of our regular participants had played NBHL in California in 2021-2022, and our great community in Colorado seemed prime to get together and represent our state and sport on a bigger stage.

In May 2023, we sponsored and managed the Colorado Massive NBHL team to compete in NBHL Texas with four existing Texas teams and a defending champion that had played in the Mylec Cup National Championship in New Jersey. Our Radical Recreation Colorado Massive squad made it all the way to the Texas championship game, and we are excited to send at least one squad to compete in the NBHL in 2024 and perhaps host some NBHL games in Colorado!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Establishing your own company is never easy, but when you have teammates you can rely on, it makes it so much more fun. We’ve learned quite a bit throughout this process, but what guides us in the decisions we make are the people who play in the league. We always keep them top of mind – How can we make sure that everyone feels safe and respected while playing? How can we encourage more individuals to join and grow the sport? How can we help develop connections and friendships within our community and the greater Denver area?

One important thing to know about us, is we don’t take any profit from the organization. We truly aim to keep our operating expenses as low as possible, so the game and league can be accessible to all. In the past we’ve even donated hockey equipment to the Uganda Ball Hockey Organization, so that school children could learn to play and foster a love of the game.

We want our organization to be a place where people can be accepted for their authentic selves, exercise, foster friendships with teammates and competitors that will last a lifetime, and have fun!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If someone was visiting Denver, we’d definitely start the day by going for a hike up in the mountains. To avoid ski traffic, we’d go up to Conifer/Buffalo Creek area. Then we’d head back into town, stopping at MacNation just outside Evergreen for lunch. After cleaning up, we’d take the light rail downtown to check out Union Station and hit up a brewery/patio for a few afternoon beers – maybe even grab a margarita at Rio. Then, we’d need to head over to Tivoli to grab a bite to eat and some great beer before heading to the Colorado Avalanche hockey game. Naturally, the AVs would win to make it the perfect day!

The next day, we’d grab a coffee and start our day with a walk around Wash Park before heading to meet the Radical Recreation crew for a quick drop-in scrimmage. Because we’d all have so much to catch up on, the hour long scrimmage would last about two and a half hours, ending with a grabbing a quick bite and beverage at Illegal Pete’s just down the road. A quick nap and then we’d be off to Red Rocks to catch a show and round out the weekend.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
We have to shoutout all the players in the league. Without them, this wouldn’t be possible. Their willingness to jump in and help, whether that be subbing, reffing, you name it, is incredible. It really does take a village. We’d like to specifically mention and thank the following individuals for going above and beyond: Steve Haege, John Richard, Josh Rotkvitch, Devin Kaschinske, Jordan Kaschinske, Chris Lawson, Carson Froese, Ethan Martin, Wyatt Clough, Tyler Brubach, and many more!

Website: https://www.radicalrec.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/radicalrecreation303/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/radicalrecreation303

Other: https://www.instagram.com/coloradomassive303/

Image Credits
Shoutout to Georg Schui.tv Baumann for our logo design. Shoutout to University of Denver. Shoutout to Parker Fieldhouse.