From the park to graduation parties, to Clark Street Beach around summertime, there are a lot of people playing spikeball due to the rising popularity of the game. 

In 1989, toy maker Jeff Knurek invented Spikeball, originally named roundnet, and it was sold by a Japanese toy company but was not gaining enough popularity, so they pulled the game, according to Recreation Insider. More than a decade later, in 2008, Chicago native Chris Ruder created the company SpikeBall, which sells Spikeball kits that include the balls and mini trampoline-like nets. 

The company gained recognition due to their appearances on “Shark Tank,” “The Today Show” and other TV shows, according to their website. The game has also become popular on college campuses, leading to the creation of SpikeBall’s college league. Now, there are more than 125 college club teams with tournaments leagues in 9 different divisions, the SpikeBall website states. 

With this momentum, many LHS students have also become active players of the sport. 

Spikeball is typically played with two players versus another two players, but it can be played one versus one. It can also be played indoors or outdoors. The goal of the game is to gain 21 points by keeping the ball in the air. It is described as a combination of four square and volleyball since it allows players to hit the ball three times before spiking it back down onto the net while keeping it from dropping. 

Partners Tyler Brne and Marc Michelotti, who are both juniors, emphasized the advantage of having a good partner, since the game is about keeping the ball off the ground and onto the net. “The more important part is to know where your partner is going to be at certain times,” asserted Michelotti. 

Senior Dylan Drumke is another student who is an avid Spikeball player, and similar to Brne and Michelotti, claims that he plays the game a lot: “In the summer, I play a stupid amount of [Spikeball}. It is an everyday type thing.”

Every player interviewed agreed with Drumke’s remarks about playing almost every day. Sophomore Andrew Sorenson emphasized over email why he plays so often: “I’ll play with whoever wants to since it’s not very hard to find three other people. I usually play in the soccer fields at Dymond or somebody’s front yard.” 

Another popular option for players are Spikeball-sponsored events or tournaments with friends. National SpikeBall tournaments have been televised on ESPN twice. The LHS club Cats Against Hunger hosted a tournament this past fall to raise money for their club.

Brne and Michelotti and Drumke and his partner, senior James Schmidt, have played in tournaments against Libertyville friends but plan to join a larger competition this summer. There are multiple Chicago-area tournaments during the summer due to the Spikeball company being based in Chicago. The SpikeBall company itself is hosting a tournament on Aug. 15, at Cricket Hill park in Chicago. Many other planned tournaments have been canceled due to the current coronavirus pandemic. 

Many LHS players were first introduced to spikeball from playing it during Highland or Oak Grove physical education (P.E.) classes. The game is typically played during students’ choice days or a couple days throughout the year for both schools. 

“The great thing about spikeball is you can modify this game in so many different ways. You can play with different size/weight balls…All the rules can be modified for the level of those playing,” Oak Grove P.E. teacher Mrs. Julie Savage explained via email on one of the reasons it is included in their curriculum.  

Savage also emphasized that a good way to learn how to play or pick up on advanced skills is to go onto the SpikeBall website, which features instructional videos. 

Sophomore Andrew Sorenson advised that people in their free time should “find a couple of your friends and just play.”