BringJoy

Conch Pride with Michael Henriquez

• Joy Nulisch • Season 6 • Episode 69

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A true Conch story of how a simple kickball league becomes a weekly ritual, keeps families close, and turns local pride into action. Michael Henriquez shares how mentors, multi-sport grit, and a deep family legacy shape coaching, camps, and community.

• Why a weekly kickball league beats one-day tournaments
• How “mid-game madness” cards make play inclusive and fun
• Eight teams, playoffs planned, and a kids’ day on deck
• Family nights at the ballpark and community connection
• Baseball camps, mentors, and giving young players their flowers
• Multi-sport values and the case for football plus baseball
• Conch family roots, lineage of catchers, and public service
• The Joy of Raising kids in Key West and seeing your kids thrive with family and tradition

If you enjoyed this episode, drop a review, share, and subscribe because there's a lot of good stuff on tap


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SPEAKER_02:

Thanks for tuning in to the conks of Bringjoy Podcast. I'm your host, Joy Newish. I'm a first generation quunk raised by a fourth. What does that add up to? A whole lot of Kunk Pride. And that's what this show is all about celebrating the incredible people of Key West and their stories from every corner of our punk community. So sit back and relax, cuz. Let's do this thing. Shout out to Randy and Ambrass Alveda for supporting the show and keeping Kunk Pride alive. How are we doing, Kunk fans? I got a good one for you today. We're talking with Michael Henriquez, a true Kunk through and through, and he recently started a kickball league, the Key West Kickball League. Welcome to the show, Michael.

SPEAKER_00:

How are you doing, Miss George? Thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_02:

For sure. I want to hear about this kickball league you started.

SPEAKER_00:

So we got Key West Kickball going on every Tuesday at the men's saw ball field. It's been really fun last couple weeks. Everybody's excited. Been a great time so far.

SPEAKER_02:

And uh how many teams do you have?

SPEAKER_00:

We've got eight teams total, 10 to 15 people on each team.

SPEAKER_02:

That's good stuff. If you got eight teams in their first year, you're off to a good start.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, you know, good start so far. And you know, there was more people that wanted to get involved too, just kind of came in late, and we had a schedule already. And uh the excitement around the league's been fun. Uh, we we got a couple different variations to the game play going every week, too. So um it's been really fun to to to watch, be a part of, and shout out to my cousin Daniel Padrone for uh helping me out every week, helps me umpire, brings good energy. Him and I brainstorm ideas 24-7. So shout out to the big cuz.

SPEAKER_02:

I was gonna ask you, how'd you get the idea to start the league?

SPEAKER_00:

Well the idea came from God bless them, the the Rotary Club. Thank you so much for making sure everybody shows up to work on Mondays with pulled hamstrings, tight backs, and twisted knees. But uh the events that they put on the last couple years have been great, always for a good cause, and uh everybody has fun at these kickball tournaments. You know, I kind of had the idea to set something up, you know, for for folks that wanted to do something, you know, one game a week versus eight games in a day is a is a lot uh is a lot easier on the hammies nowadays. So it's been fun.

SPEAKER_02:

And uh you mentioned the rules. I was gonna ask you, is it the same rules as baseball, or what what are the rules?

SPEAKER_00:

So we got a couple different variations to the rules. So we do a thing in every third inning of every game, something called mid-game madness, where if the gameplay is altered, uh, you know, one example is gameplay cards, and uh, you might pull the Uno reverse card for the third inning, and you gotta run the bases in reverse. One inning, the defense might the only way to get out is by pegging the people. So no force outs, no pop-ups, nothing. Uh and then we got different variations uh you know throughout the game for different perk cards and stuff. I'll tell you, I'll give you an example, and I'll send you the cards too. You can show them.

SPEAKER_02:

Please do.

SPEAKER_00:

We got a card called uh Angels in the Outfield, where no, you know, you everybody has to come into the infield for four kickers, right? And everybody uh you got nobody in the outfield. I got another one that's uh it's called uh jail time, and basically you can only have four players on the defense for four kickers in a row, and everybody else has to stay in the dugout like they in jail. So we got different variations, different stuff, and trying to make it fun every week.

SPEAKER_02:

That sounds good. And you're playing over at the men's softball field, that's uh the the whip field, yeah. And what a great facility that is, right?

SPEAKER_00:

Oh man, thank you. Uh thank you to Marcus and his guys. You know, we take for granted the work that these guys do on a daily basis, but you know, tell me, tell me another place where your kids get to grow up with facilities like this, and you know, we'll we'll keep waiting. Great spot, great job, and just couldn't ask for a better start, better spot to start the league.

SPEAKER_02:

And you've got eight teams, so how long is the season going to run?

SPEAKER_00:

So we're gonna run till mid-November, do a little playoff tournament to end the fall season in November. Um, and then I got some ideas for uh you know later on at the end of the year and do something in the spring.

SPEAKER_02:

Okay. I was gonna ask you if you're gonna have a championship.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, yeah, yeah. We're gonna do a playoff tournament one day. Gonna try to reach out to have some vendors out there selling some food, different stuff like that, kind of make it a community thing, get the buzz growing for the spring season.

SPEAKER_02:

And so this league that you got going in the fall is for adults. Is there any way that they were gonna see some kids out there playing?

SPEAKER_00:

Absolutely, absolutely. So trying to work something out for uh Christmas break, actually. Maybe have a kids' kickball day that uh a couple of us are trying to put together really quick. So it should be a good time.

SPEAKER_02:

That sounds like fun because I gotta say, when you hear the word kickball, something happens to you, you immediately go back to your childhood.

SPEAKER_00:

For sure, right?

SPEAKER_02:

Because yeah, instant. I didn't want to tell you this, but because I didn't want to make you nervous, but you know I'm a champion kickball player, right?

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, listen, dude. We got a card, we got a celebrity shot card where you can pull anybody from the stands to come kick for you. So when my team plays on Tuesday, I need you out there.

SPEAKER_02:

Hey, hey, you might look 1977 Pointiana Elementary School, third grade, Mr. Bell's class. We were the best kickball team out of the whole school. Fourth graders, fifth graders, we could beat them all. Of course, they didn't want to play us, but but yeah, I'm a kickball champion, Michael.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, I better see you Tuesday, Tuesday at seven. You better be there.

SPEAKER_02:

Hey, that was a long time ago. Talk about a hammy.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, no, I I'll tell you, and and there's muscles in your hands and in your hamstrings and your backs that you don't know you use until you're playing kickball. I'm telling you. I'm telling you. Bodies bodies are dropping out there, unfortunately.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, well, good on you for getting it started. And it sounds like a lot of fun. I I live just a block away from the field, and I hear a lot of ruckus going on. Um, there must be families out there on Tuesday night, everybody gathering. So that that's a lot of fun too, right?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, that's I think that's the coolest part is, you know, I know our team, we brought out all the kids and have my son coaching third base. He didn't know what he was doing, but God bless him. But you know, to me, that's the best part, is right is families get out there, they bring their kids, friends, crack a smile, crack a sweat, and just have a good time.

SPEAKER_02:

That sounds good. Let's talk about the baseball camps. How long have you been running those?

SPEAKER_00:

Been a long time. I've been involved with the baseball camp since I was in high school with shout outs to Coach Miguel and Coach Fraga and those guys. Uh, you know, I'd help them when we were in high school, and then during the summers in college, I'd come and help them. And then uh they passed the torch to me. So I've probably been running it probably seven, eight years now. Been running the summer camp.

SPEAKER_02:

And I love that you mentioned a couple of names and and you going to the camps when you were young. I noticed in some pictures of uh camp last summer that Preston Hearst and some of the other former Cong players were there in the stands helping you out. Why is it so important for us to give back to the community?

SPEAKER_00:

That's that's the the backbone of us all, you know. I when I was a kid, I it's so funny. I have this picture. I'll send you this picture too. When my brother was playing, there's a picture of Antonio Knowles and a couple of these other young kids stand on the fence while he's on deck. And and that is that is when you're a kid and you see these guys at the Rex, you know, these you're just enamored, right? Those these guys are these guys are kings. And you know, when you play for QS and you grow up here, it it means a lot to you, especially when your dad or your cousins and everybody else did it too. So it just it just means more, especially when when it's a uh I can't even say kid anymore, a young man like Preston Hearst. Um one of the things I did at camp too was give a kid like Preston his flowers, right? Preston's if you had a son, that's that's that's how you want your kid to be, right? Preston Hearst is the epitome of a student athlete, good young man, comes from a great family, so uh to me that's that's the best in the world. Like when I was a kid, seeing uh, you know, I want I wanted uh I wanted I want to be like Dexter Butler. I thought Dexter Butler was still yeah the coolest person in the world. So to me that's the best part of Key West.

SPEAKER_02:

I had a um Miguel Menendez. You mentioned Miguel earlier. I had him on the last episode. He was your coach when you played for the Conks, right?

SPEAKER_00:

Yes, yes. Coach Miguel, the man. The man is the goat right there.

SPEAKER_02:

Right? He's doing big things.

SPEAKER_00:

I always knew, I always knew. He's um great, great baseball coach, great baseball mind, can motivate anybody. Yeah, he's the man.

SPEAKER_02:

And when you play with the conks, you were a catcher.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I caught I caught my senior year and I played some infield prior to that too.

SPEAKER_02:

You come from a family of catchers.

SPEAKER_00:

Correct, correct. Yep.

SPEAKER_02:

Tell me a little bit about the Henrique's bloodline when it comes to baseball and catchers.

SPEAKER_00:

All right, well, so so to start, so my grandfather's brother, Uncle Mo, so Uncle Mo's coach Ralph's dad, Ralphie's dad, starts there, right? He he was incredible. My uncle Wafy, my Uncle Bookie's other brother, he was like the best catcher in high school. He had a bronzed catcher's myth that I guess they gave to the best catcher in high school. He was incredible, another good catcher. And then cousin Ralph speaks for itself, great catcher, great, great baseball mind. My cousin Ralphie, great catcher, one of the best, if not the best, Key West high school catcher of all time. My dad got hosed. He's the only left or lefty in the family. So he's hey, he's lefty, he's lefty, he's a little slow, and he can hit, so they gotta stuff him at first base. So somebody had to do it. So they then they threw me in there.

SPEAKER_02:

That's awesome. And your little brother, uh, he played a good second base, Anthony.

SPEAKER_00:

He played a good second place, played good outfield, he could hit. You know what? I take full credit for him being able to hit because I used to I used to torment him in whip football at a young age. So everything I used to throw at him, that made him the hitter he he was. He could play. He could play for sure.

SPEAKER_02:

Like a true big brother, you take the credit for all the good stuff.

SPEAKER_00:

Somebody asked to. Somebody asked.

SPEAKER_02:

You made him tough. And speaking of tough, you were a multi-sport athlete. You also played football. You were a linebacker for the Key West fighting conks.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes, yes, yes. Love, love playing football. I had the bay I had a baseball player's body, but I I wish I had a football player's body.

SPEAKER_02:

You had that heart. That heart.

SPEAKER_00:

Football, football in Key West was fun, you know. We uh always always were the underdog when you played, you know, Boleyn, Pace, Booker T. We played Booker T, Miami Jackson. I mean, we played guys that were incredible, but absolutely loved it. Big advocate advocate for uh dual sport guys. You know, I hope some of those kids and the age group coming up, uh, there's a couple kids that I think are gonna play football. Absolutely love it, big, big fan of it, you know, just teaches you a little bit different about yourself. Football's an 11-on-11 battle every play. Absolutely love it. I hope I hope a lot of kids keep playing uh football and baseball. Just does a lot for them.

SPEAKER_02:

And have you been out recently and seen this group of finding conks?

SPEAKER_00:

Yes, you know, that stadium's incredible, it's a great atmosphere. Coach Johnny's doing a good job. Love to see how more and more kids from Key West, talent-wise, are going on playing the next level. It's just it's awesome to see. Shout out to uh Andrew Freeman as as the AD too. I know Andrew, Andrew works pretty hard getting all you know, all the sports, not just football, but all of all of the student athletes, um, not just exposure, but get some on the right path, whether it's playing sports to the next level or getting to school and doing something else. Um it's great to see.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, and another QS boy coming home and and give giving back. I had him on an episode. He talked to me about all the fall sports, gave me an idea what was going on with fall sports, and we're gonna come back and do winter sports and spring sports. So that was a lot of fun to talk to him. When you're out there watching the boys play, do you tell your son about how good you were? You tell him any stories about the glory days.

SPEAKER_00:

You know, you know what's funny is uh well my my mom, shout out to shout out to to mama G. You know, she just random, hey, I dropped something off at your house, and you know, it's a big old Home Depot tote, and what's in it, all my old jerseys and baseball pictures and stuff. So now they're sitting, now they're sitting in the shed. But you know, I you know, my son, I tell my son all the time, you know, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I play football, I play baseball, and see, you know, to some kids down here, it it means a lot, you know. I to my for my son to grow up in Key West and play sports, I don't care if he goes to the big leagues by any means. Just wanted to have fun with it. You know, I always tell them my my best friends are the people I played sports with, right? So to me, that's that's what it's about. Have fun and and make a friend along the way.

SPEAKER_02:

What's it like to be in the same company with the guys who coached you?

SPEAKER_00:

I think it's I think it's a a pretty cool for full circle moment, truthfully. You know, until you're an adult and you have your own kids and you got your own house and you got all these responsibilities, you don't understand that man, this man is giving his all for us, you know. So to me, it's just a full circle, cool, cool thing. I always say I learned from the best. So, I mean, my dad coached me my whole life till I got to high school, and then I was blessed to have guys like Miguel, Coach Joey, Coach Freddie, Coach Fraga, Crystal Dez, you know, uh Juanito Menendez. I mean, all these, all these guys. Uh to me, it's just full circle. And it, you know, these these guys like watch me grow up, right? So that's why I think it's cool seeing some of these young kids, you know, Cade Moltes.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, showtime. Yeah, that's what I call him showtime.

SPEAKER_00:

A kid like Cade Moltes, who I remember when he was at baseball camp. Yeah, he was at baseball camp, he was eight, and I said, Yeah, no, dude, you're gonna go play with the 12-year-olds. Hey, you're going over there, you know, Roman Garcia, my cousin Cruz Holmes, um, Augie Dabbler, like these kids. It's cool to see these kids grow up and then get to high school and and do their thing. I think it's it's just awesome. Makes it special.

SPEAKER_02:

It is, it is really good stuff. Who were who was your coach in football?

SPEAKER_00:

I had Jerry Hughes.

SPEAKER_02:

Okay.

SPEAKER_00:

I had Jerry Hughes, and I love Coach Hughes. I had oh you had Coach Hughes, Coach Paul Davis, Coach James coached one year for us, Coach Valero, Paul Valero. Just good group, good group of coaches, smart coaches. It was fun. I love playing football. Love football.

SPEAKER_02:

Is there any chance that we're gonna have an adult football league?

SPEAKER_00:

You know, honestly, the insurance policy on that probably through the roof there.

SPEAKER_02:

So we better stop keep it at kickball.

SPEAKER_00:

Keep it at kickball, keep it at kickball. That's funny.

SPEAKER_02:

You know, I call this show the conks. Uh I just recently burned off a new a new show. It's all under the Bring Joy podcast. So let's talk about some conk connections. You know, we mentioned a few already, but um, one of the the common questions when somebody meets somebody from Key West, they want to know, oh, you're a multi-generation conch, and who's your mama and daddy? So talk to me about your family tree.

SPEAKER_00:

Family tree, um, I mean it starts with starts with Papa Bookie, you know, for me. When I just he just passed uh about six months ago, and um, you know, for us, it was like watching a lion finally say, I'm you know, I'm done. He did incredible things in this in this community for a long time. He set the tone for us all, you know. Yeah he he he ran the school district for 30 something years.

SPEAKER_02:

There yeah, 30 37 years, maybe even closer to 40.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, you know, 40 years in the school district, and then what happens, all his kids get into it too. And then, you know, my my cousin Ralph's side, you know, I don't think there's a bad athlete on that side, you know, and then obviously Didi, Didi is a as the tax collector for years, and now the mayor. Big big family wouldn't have it any other way. Uh, cousins, siblings, nieces, nephews, the whole kid. I wouldn't wouldn't have it any other way.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, and I love them all. You know, you got y'all, y'all, y'all come in thick. And uh, and and everybody, everybody joke.

SPEAKER_00:

Is that a fad joke? I'm just kidding. Love it.

SPEAKER_02:

But yeah, no, the Henrique's clan, that's they come in thick, and when when you when they love you, they love you. And you know, you got an army behind you. And Miss Judy, Miss Judy, Miss Ann.

SPEAKER_00:

Grandma Judy, Grandma Ann, I mean, two people, two people. They, you know, they give you the shirt off, they give you their shirt off your back, and they come in your house and they feed you to get you get you something to drink, and I can guarantee, you know, you leave with a a full belly and a full heart. There's two good ones right there.

SPEAKER_02:

That's good stuff. And now you start your own family.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes, yes. I got an amazing wife. I married so good. I told my wife the other day I said, I married so good. I did, I I'm proud of myself for my decision.

SPEAKER_02:

You did good. You did real good.

SPEAKER_00:

Amazing wife, amazing family. The Averts are fantastic. That's the chief right there. And then I got I got the two biggest blessings in the world, uh, my son Grayson and my daughter Cameron.

SPEAKER_02:

And how special is it that that you and Alexis are able to stay here in Key West and raise your family with with your parents here and have all that support right here. How cool is that?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, that's you can't put a price on that. Someone says Key West is too expensive, you know, that's that's where you know you can't. No amount of money in the world can can make you run away from what you got. When you you're my in-laws around the corner, my parents are three minutes away, my sister's here, aunts, uncles, everybody. You can't beat it.

SPEAKER_02:

You gotta love it. And when you're not out there playing kickball, what do you what do you guys do for for a good time? How do you enjoy Key West?

SPEAKER_00:

Try to get on the boat for sure when the weather's right. Um, you know, my son, my son and I have uh been playing trying to play some golf. Son's a big my son likes playing golf. I said, dude, you know, that's something I wish I played golf at a younger age. So then by the time you're 25, you're not really struggling.

SPEAKER_02:

Right.

SPEAKER_00:

Play some golf, but like to hit the beach, movies on Tuesdays, movies on Tuesdays, it's half off, just so everybody knows. Half off on Tuesdays.

SPEAKER_02:

Kickball and and movies on Tuesday.

SPEAKER_00:

Kickball and a movie on Tuesday.

SPEAKER_02:

And a taco.

SPEAKER_00:

I love it. I love it.

SPEAKER_02:

Hey, so you mentioned a lot of your family. You got some characters on both on on all sides. Who do you think out of all your family, who do you think will be a good guest on the on this podcast?

SPEAKER_00:

Honestly, that's probably the easiest question I gotta answer, and that is Uncle Joe. Uncle Joe, the Fuk, the Fuk man for sure. That that right there, that's that might be the best episode you're gonna have.

SPEAKER_02:

I know. I don't know if people can handle that or not. You put a good word in for me, though.

SPEAKER_00:

They've had 50 years of trying to of getting to handle it, okay? Big man just turned 50 this past year. He'd be a good one.

SPEAKER_02:

Can you imagine? Hey, I gotta do that.

SPEAKER_00:

You know? Yo, for sure. I was trying to get him to be the commentator for the the kickball league. So we're working on we're working on doing something like that.

SPEAKER_02:

Hey, I'd like to do that with him.

SPEAKER_00:

There you go. Even that's perfect. That is perfect.

SPEAKER_02:

Both of us on the mic, man. That's that's really good. Anything we didn't talk about that you that you want to talk about?

SPEAKER_00:

No, we're good. You're the best. I just like talking to you.

SPEAKER_02:

I know if it feels like we should just keep on going. But we gotta end with a big finish here, right? What brings you joy?

SPEAKER_00:

What brings me joy? That's a good question. That's a great question. I can tell you the answer to that question has changed. Once you have kids, it changes obviously everything. But I would say what brings me joy, probably the most joy, is seeing my kids enjoy themselves, enjoy their life, see my kids enjoy their family. When my kids go to my grandma Judy's house and and sit there, have fun, swim in the pool, or they go out on the boat with their grandparents. We just went to the Miami-Florida game, and seeing my son at the game, I told him, I said, he's the you're the catalyst, dude. The reason the Canes won is because of you. So it was uh to me that that's what it is. And to be here with them, too, you know. Key West is a special place, it's paradise to everybody, but you know, again, when your family's here and your kids are here and everybody is that's the best thing.

SPEAKER_02:

That's good stuff. You're a good man, Michael Henriquez.

SPEAKER_00:

I appreciate that. Thank you. I I've I've been very fortunate to have good men in my life, good role models. My dad, uh, you know, when you got a dad like that, it's uh you got an example how to of how to go about your business. And um chills. Yeah, for real.

SPEAKER_02:

That's good stuff. I appreciate you being on. I'm gonna come out and watch that kickball game. I don't know if I'm gonna think, you know, I want to keep my championship status like it is, but I'm gonna come out.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, you know, luckily, I know the guy who runs the league, so I'll make sure I finesse the celebrity kick card when you get out there for sure.

SPEAKER_02:

All right, Michael, thanks for joining me, man. I really appreciate it.

SPEAKER_00:

I appreciate it, Miss Joy. Thank you for having me. God bless you. You are uh you're the reason Key West is special, people like you. So thank you.

SPEAKER_02:

Let's keep it going. Go conks.

SPEAKER_00:

All right, go conks, baby.

SPEAKER_02:

I'm Joy Newish, and I appreciate you tuning into my podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, drop a review, share, and subscribe because there's a lot of good stuff on tap. You can find more joyful content on YouTube, the socials, or check my website at joynoolish.com. Now go surround yourself with the things that bring joy to your world. Until next time, much love.

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Joy Nulisch

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