Boston honor roll students play first-ever kickball game at Fenway Park

Honor roll students from schools in Dorchester, Roxbury and Charlestown played the first-ever kickball game at Fenway Park.

Roughly 60 seventh and eighth graders from the districts of Massachusetts state Reps. Christopher Worrell and Dan Ryan competed against each other Tuesday and toured the beloved ballpark.

Ahead of the game, the state representatives traded some friendly banter over who would pay for the pizza party afterward.

Worrell proposed the kickball game over lunch to Ryan, who has represented the Fenway-Kenmore district since new lines were drawn two years ago.

Fifteen students from each team played the game while the others toured the grounds. The students' families were also invited to watch the game.

Wanyne Soto German, a seventh grade student at Roxbury Prep Dorchester Campus, said it felt good to be celebrated for his hard work.

"I feel great, fired up and ready to play," German said.

Ykyttra Dixon, a parent in attendance at the event, said it's important to celebrate the achievements. Having grown up in Boston, Dixon said she went to public schools and recalled having pizza parties but had not experienced celebration this way.

"To be honored in such a way for having high achievements definitely means a lot to our kids and to the parents. I'm a proud parent," she said.

“It’s a historic ballpark that I think every kid should enjoy both, either going to a Red Sox game or just enjoying the historic nature of the building,” Ryan told WBUR.

When the game was over, the teams headed over to Game On!, a pub with games on Lansdowne Street, for a pizza party.

Worrell said the event is one way to help “dispel narratives” that students from Dorchester and Charlestown don't get along well.

"This is a great way of bringing our kids together, bringing the next generation together to go play a game of kickball," Worrell said.

Both representatives said they hope to turn the game into a tradition that can give students from their districts something fun to look forward to each year.

"I'm just having a great time seeing and honoring our students that worked so hard throughout the year," Worrell said.