'Kickball Cupid' Kicked Off Tinder For Using App To Find Players

PAWTUCKET, RI — People have been disappointed with dating apps since their early days, with a very small percentage of successful couples surfacing, some users have used the platforms as tools for business, getting to meet friends - or even, starting a kickball team.

Gianna Pecchia - otherwise known as the "Kickball Cupid" said she had been using Tinder and other dating sites during the pandemic, but amid awkward online first impressions and a stagnant quality of dates, she decided to use the dating apps for something that would better suit her. "The quality of relationship just isn't ideal on Tinder," Pecchia said.

So Pecchia instead dared to ask the question "what if I bring all of my Tinder matches to kickball and meet them there?" Her dating app strategy was a successful one, bringing in 21 players the first year, and another 25 in her second.

The Warwick native used Tinder as a platform to meet and interview potential members for her adult kickball league, Clubwaka - formerly known as the World Kickball Association.

Kicking off this season with 46 people already, Pecchia started the idea back in June 2021 to get recruits for the fall season. "At one point I had 100 people in a group chat interested in playing kickball," Pecchia said adding that most people returned for the second season this year.

But her glory days were cut short when Tinder banned Pecchia for life for violating their promotion and solicitation rules.

"It's okay, I'm not going to let that stop me from recruiting," Pecchia said adding that she still uses other platforms to get others interested.

Those not on Tinder but interested in joining can do so by checking out Clubwaka's website here, or Pecchia's Instagram here.