Latest news with #Jimmie
2 days ago
- Sport
In Liberia's version of baseball, there are no bats and no men
MONROVIA, Liberia -- It was a perfect pitch. The ball sped straight across home plate, where it was met with an equally powerful kick. Perryline Jimmie sprinted toward first base after her kick as her teammates erupted in cheers on the sidelines. Jimmie, 23, is a professional player of kickball, a close cousin of baseball that is beloved by women in Liberia and played all over the country from schoolyards to public squares and dirt fields. Since its introduction in the 1960s, it has become the nation's second-most popular sport after soccer. Kickball in Liberia has the rules of baseball but there are no bats, and players kick a soccer ball instead of the larger, lightweight ball used for the game in other places. There also are no male players. 'In Liberia, (kickball) is our tradition,' said Jimmie, who noted many girls start playing kickball from an early age. 'This is why you see women playing kickball in Liberia.' In 1964, Peace Corps volunteer Cherry Jackson noticed that, unlike boys, the students at the all-girls school where she taught in Monrovia, the capital, didn't play any sports, according to Emmanuel Whea, president of Liberia's National Kickball League. Jackson, an American, tried to teach the girls baseball but quickly realized they were much better at hitting the ball with their feet. That was the start of what became a custom for girls in the country of about 5.6 million people. 'When you're a girl growing up in Liberia, you will play kickball,' Whea said. Kickball is played in other parts of the world, including in the United States, where it is a common elementary school game for girls and boys. But only in Liberia is there a women-only professional league. The National Kickball League was created in 1994 to bring people together as Liberia was reeling from a civil war. The league was set up "to bring the ladies together and use them (as part of) the reconciliation process of Liberia," Whea said. 'We had just left the civil war, and everybody had just scattered ... So kickball was one of those sports used to bring Liberians together so they could have the time to hear the peace messages.' Whea has big plans for the league, including expanding it to men and introducing the game to other African countries. However, his mission has been complicated by a lack of resources, especially in a region where women's sports often are underfunded. Saydah A. Yarbah, a 29-year-old mother of two, admits it is hard to make ends meet on her athlete's salary despite playing kickball for 10 years. Her earnings are 'not even near' what male athletes earn, she said. In Liberia, many sports, including soccer, are male-dominated. Despite kickball being a sport played by women, the league is led by men, from the coaches to the referees and league officials. The league encourages women but they really don't want to be coaches, Whea said. "Their husbands might have a problem with them working full-time (and) for some, their relationship will not allow it,' he said Yarbah plans to change that narrative by becoming a coach when she retires, allowing her to share her passion for the sport with others, including her two sons, she said. 'They are not going to play kickball for now,' she said. 'But probably in the future, they are going to introduce kickball to men.' For the moment, kickball remains a women's game. Men sometimes come during their practice, Yarbah said, but they do not stand a chance. "They don't know the techniques of the game,' she said. 'So we always win.'
San Francisco Chronicle
2 days ago
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
In Liberia's version of baseball, there are no bats and no men
MONROVIA, Liberia (AP) — It was a perfect pitch. The ball sped straight across home plate, where it was met with an equally powerful kick. Perryline Jimmie sprinted toward first base after her kick as her teammates erupted in cheers on the sidelines. Jimmie, 23, is a professional player of kickball, a close cousin of baseball that is beloved by women in Liberia and played all over the country from schoolyards to public squares and dirt fields. Since its introduction in the 1960s, it has become the nation's second-most popular sport after soccer. Kickball in Liberia has the rules of baseball but there are no bats, and players kick a soccer ball instead of the larger, lightweight ball used for the game in other places. There also are no men. 'In Liberia, (kickball) is our tradition,' said Jimmie, who noted many girls start playing kickball from an early age. 'This is why you see women playing kickball in Liberia.' How kickball came to Liberia In 1964, Peace Corps volunteer Cherry Jackson noticed that, unlike boys, the students at the all-girls school where she taught in Monrovia, the capital, didn't play any sports, according to Emmanuel Whea, president of Liberia's National Kickball League. Jackson, an American, tried to teach the girls baseball but quickly realized they were much better at hitting the ball with their feet. That was the start of what became a custom for girls in the country of about 5.6 million people. 'When you're a girl growing up in Liberia, you will play kickball,' Whea said. Kickball is played in other parts of the world, including in the United States, where it is a common elementary school game for girls and boys. But only in Liberia is there a women-only professional league. A league for women and peace The National Kickball League was created in 1994 to bring people together as Liberia was reeling from a civil war. The league was set up "to bring the ladies together and use them (as part of) the reconciliation process of Liberia," Whea said. 'We had just left the civil war, and everybody had just scattered ... So kickball was one of those sports used to bring Liberians together so they could have the time to hear the peace messages.' Whea has big plans for the league, including expanding it to men and introducing the game to other African countries. However, his mission has been complicated by a lack of resources, especially in a region where women's sports often are underfunded. Saydah A. Yarbah, a 29-year-old mother of two, admits it is hard to make ends meet on her athlete's salary despite playing kickball for 10 years. Her earnings are 'not even near' what male athletes earn, she said. An all-women sport headed by men In Liberia, many sports, including soccer, are male-dominated. Despite kickball being a sport played by women, the league is led by men from the coaches to the referees and league officials. The league encourages women but they really don't want to be coaches, Whea said. "Their husbands might have a problem with them working full time (and) for some, their relationship will not allow it,' he said Yarbah plans to change that narrative by becoming a coach when she retires, allowing her to share her passion for the sport with others, including her two sons, she said. 'They are not going to play kickball for now,' she said. 'But probably in the future, they are going to introduce kickball to men.' For the moment, kickball remains a women's game. Men sometimes come during their practice, Yarbah said, but they do not stand a chance. "They don't know the techniques of the game,' she said. 'So we always win.' ___
Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
In Liberia's version of baseball, there are no bats and no men
MONROVIA, Liberia (AP) — It was a perfect pitch. The ball sped straight across home plate, where it was met with an equally powerful kick. Perryline Jimmie sprinted toward first base after her kick as her teammates erupted in cheers on the sidelines. Jimmie, 23, is a professional player of kickball, a close cousin of baseball that is beloved by women in Liberia and played all over the country from schoolyards to public squares and dirt fields. Since its introduction in the 1960s, it has become the nation's second-most popular sport after soccer. Kickball in Liberia has the rules of baseball but there are no bats, and players kick a soccer ball instead of the larger, lightweight ball used for the game in other places. There also are no men. 'In Liberia, (kickball) is our tradition,' said Jimmie, who noted many girls start playing kickball from an early age. 'This is why you see women playing kickball in Liberia.' How kickball came to Liberia In 1964, Peace Corps volunteer Cherry Jackson noticed that, unlike boys, the students at the all-girls school where she taught in Monrovia, the capital, didn't play any sports, according to Emmanuel Whea, president of Liberia's National Kickball League. Jackson, an American, tried to teach the girls baseball but quickly realized they were much better at hitting the ball with their feet. That was the start of what became a custom for girls in the country of about 5.6 million people. 'When you're a girl growing up in Liberia, you will play kickball,' Whea said. Kickball is played in other parts of the world, including in the United States, where it is a common elementary school game for girls and boys. But only in Liberia is there a women-only professional league. A league for women and peace The National Kickball League was created in 1994 to bring people together as Liberia was reeling from a civil war. The league was set up 'to bring the ladies together and use them (as part of) the reconciliation process of Liberia,' Whea said. 'We had just left the civil war, and everybody had just scattered … So kickball was one of those sports used to bring Liberians together so they could have the time to hear the peace messages.' Whea has big plans for the league, including expanding it to men and introducing the game to other African countries. However, his mission has been complicated by a lack of resources, especially in a region where women's sports often are underfunded. Saydah A. Yarbah, a 29-year-old mother of two, admits it is hard to make ends meet on her athlete's salary despite playing kickball for 10 years. Her earnings are 'not even near' what male athletes earn, she said. An all-women sport headed by men In Liberia, many sports, including soccer, are male-dominated. Despite kickball being a sport played by women, the league is led by men from the coaches to the referees and league officials. The league encourages women but they really don't want to be coaches, Whea said. 'Their husbands might have a problem with them working full time (and) for some, their relationship will not allow it,' he said Yarbah plans to change that narrative by becoming a coach when she retires, allowing her to share her passion for the sport with others, including her two sons, she said. 'They are not going to play kickball for now,' she said. 'But probably in the future, they are going to introduce kickball to men.' For the moment, kickball remains a women's game. Men sometimes come during their practice, Yarbah said, but they do not stand a chance. 'They don't know the techniques of the game,' she said. 'So we always win.' ___ For more on Africa and development: The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find the AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
Hamilton Spectator
2 days ago
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
In Liberia's version of baseball, there are no bats and no men
MONROVIA, Liberia (AP) — It was a perfect pitch. The ball sped straight across home plate, where it was met with an equally powerful kick. Perryline Jimmie sprinted toward first base after her kick as her teammates erupted in cheers on the sidelines. Jimmie, 23, is a professional player of kickball, a close cousin of baseball that is beloved by women in Liberia and played all over the country from schoolyards to public squares and dirt fields. Since its introduction in the 1960s, it has become the nation's second-most popular sport after soccer. Kickball in Liberia has the rules of baseball but there are no bats, and players kick a soccer ball instead of the larger, lightweight ball used for the game in other places. There also are no men. 'In Liberia, (kickball) is our tradition,' said Jimmie, who noted many girls start playing kickball from an early age. 'This is why you see women playing kickball in Liberia.' How kickball came to Liberia In 1964, Peace Corps volunteer Cherry Jackson noticed that, unlike boys, the students at the all-girls school where she taught in Monrovia, the capital, didn't play any sports, according to Emmanuel Whea, president of Liberia's National Kickball League. Jackson, an American, tried to teach the girls baseball but quickly realized they were much better at hitting the ball with their feet. That was the start of what became a custom for girls in the country of about 5.6 million people. 'When you're a girl growing up in Liberia, you will play kickball,' Whea said. Kickball is played in other parts of the world, including in the United States, where it is a common elementary school game for girls and boys. But only in Liberia is there a women-only professional league. A league for women and peace The National Kickball League was created in 1994 to bring people together as Liberia was reeling from a civil war . The league was set up 'to bring the ladies together and use them (as part of) the reconciliation process of Liberia,' Whea said. 'We had just left the civil war, and everybody had just scattered ... So kickball was one of those sports used to bring Liberians together so they could have the time to hear the peace messages.' Whea has big plans for the league, including expanding it to men and introducing the game to other African countries. However, his mission has been complicated by a lack of resources, especially in a region where women's sports often are underfunded. Saydah A. Yarbah, a 29-year-old mother of two, admits it is hard to make ends meet on her athlete's salary despite playing kickball for 10 years. Her earnings are 'not even near' what male athletes earn, she said. An all-women sport headed by men In Liberia, many sports, including soccer, are male-dominated. Despite kickball being a sport played by women, the league is led by men from the coaches to the referees and league officials. The league encourages women but they really don't want to be coaches, Whea said. 'Their husbands might have a problem with them working full time (and) for some, their relationship will not allow it,' he said Yarbah plans to change that narrative by becoming a coach when she retires, allowing her to share her passion for the sport with others, including her two sons, she said. 'They are not going to play kickball for now,' she said. 'But probably in the future, they are going to introduce kickball to men.' For the moment, kickball remains a women's game. Men sometimes come during their practice, Yarbah said, but they do not stand a chance. 'They don't know the techniques of the game,' she said. 'So we always win.' ___ For more on Africa and development: The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find the AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at . Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Forbes
10-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
That Vibe Code You Just Shipped? How Today's AI Speed Creates Tomorrow's Sinkhole
Jimmie founded JLEE with the mission to "Enhance life for all through innovative, disruptive technologies." Learn more at Although it may sound like something out of a '70s self-help book, the term 'vibe coding' was just coined earlier this year, and since then, the idea has been spreading fast. It refers to people with little or no programming experience using AI tools like Replit, Cursor, ChatGPT, Claude or GitHub Copilot to build real software and complete AI SaaS Platforms, just by describing what they want using natural language in a conversational tone. Imagine you're a nontechnical founder with a great idea for a product. Once upon a time—say, a year ago—you'd have to find a developer, figure out a budget, maybe even offshore some work to build a prototype. Now you can just tell an AI, 'I want a website that does X, Y and Z,' and voila—there's your working code and usable, sellable product. For early-stage validation, this can be a game-changer. But as cool as it sounds, vibe coding comes with real risks. And if you don't know where those risks are hiding, you could end up in a world of trouble. Where Vibe Coding Works—And Doesn't I've seen firsthand how powerful vibe coding can be for prototyping. If you're still trying to figure out your ideal customer profile or whether your product idea actually has legs to build traction, using AI to come up with a fast minimum sellable prototype can be very effective. You get something tangible into users' hands early and can make informed decisions without sinking tens of thousands of dollars into dev work. But that doesn't mean you should trust AI from start to finish, especially if you're working in areas that deal with sensitive data, or if you're in a regulated industry like healthcare or finance. Here's why: Large language models weren't trained on clean, secure, regulatory-compliant code. They were trained on code that's already out there on the internet. Some of it is good, but a lot of it is sloppy, outdated or full of vulnerabilities. On top of that, by definition, most people using vibe coding don't fully understand the code that's being generated. It's like building a house based on blueprints gathered from all over the internet, and you're not an architect. This dramatically increases the risk of security and privacy breaches as well as regulatory and compliance violations. We're already seeing this. Startups that grew fast using vibe coding are starting to appear in the headlines for the wrong reasons: hacked APIs, exposed user data, major privacy issues. Asking AI to identify and fix security, privacy, and architectural issues is like asking a 10-year-old to drive 70 MPH on the freeway when their only driving experience is GTA and Asphalt Unite. Don't Code On Autopilot So, what's the better approach? Think of vibe coding like lane keeping assist: It helps, but you still have to keep your hands on the wheel. That means involving a human expert—someone who knows how to check architecture, security and scalability—instead of relying 100% on anything AI-generated for a real, user-facing product. In the end, if you want a production-quality product, you still need a human in the driver's seat. People assume AI-generated code is good to go because it 'works.' But functioning and being secure and able to scale are two very different things. Every piece of software should go through proper review and testing, especially for things like input validation, authentication and how data is stored or transferred. If your product touches anything sensitive, such as financial data, intellectual property or trade secrets, you have to be extra careful. AI tools often send data back to third-party servers, which means you might be exposing private or proprietary info without even knowing it. There's a reason we don't have 'vibe medicine' or 'vibe finance.' You wouldn't go to ChatGPT for a court defense (at least not yet). The same logic applies to software that handles real people's data or money. Doing It Right How can you leverage the benefits of vibe coding in a smart way? First, by all means, use it for what it's best at: building early prototypes. If you're not sure your idea will work, vibe coding is a great way to get to a proof of concept. Test your assumptions. Show it to users. But don't scale from there without help. Second, loop in technical advisors early. If you can't read the code, find someone who can. There are even services from Amazon (AWS), Google (GCP) and Microsoft that help you vet your architecture. AWS, for example, has startup programs that include free credits and partner assessments to flag security or scaling problems. Third, you can use automated tools like OWASP ZAP, Snyk or SonarQube to scan the AI-generated code for known vulnerabilities. These tools aren't perfect, but they'll increase your odds of catching obvious problems before users (or hackers) do. Create your own CI/CD pipelines to consistently scan your code. Vibe coding is here, it's easy and it's definitely useful. But it's not a free pass to skip over everything that makes software trustworthy, secure and scalable. Right now, AI is great at saving time but not at making decisions about privacy, ethics or architecture. Think of vibe coding as a driver assist feature, not a driverless autopilot. You still need to know where you're going, and you need some experienced human input along the way. Otherwise, you probably won't end up where you want to go—if you don't crash first. Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?
