"G" is for 'Gaga Ball' . . .

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,

Let me now go to the field,

and glean ears of corn after him

In whose sight I shall find grace.

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter."

Ruth 2:2  KJV
 

'Gaga Ball' game at Quaker Haven Camp

"G" is for 'Gaga Ball,' yep, 'Gaga Ball!' And no, I'm not making this up!

 

I first heard of and saw 'Gaga Ball' when I was at up at camp last June . . . Quaker Haven Camp, in Northeastern Indiana - and that's what allows me to post this in my Quaker Alphabet blog . . . the Quaker connection!

 

It was new and 'the thing to do at camp!' Seriously, the campers, and therefore the counselors, spent hours upon hours in and around the gaga pit! The boys got up extra early and went straight down to play, along with a few of the girls. A counselor or two went down with them, it's down by the lake. Now the problem was trying to get them out of the gaga pit and to meals, to chapel, to devotions, to bed . . . you get the picture . . . they didn't want to quit!

 

'Gaga Ball' was also extremely popular during the 'Adventure Camp' session, incoming 4th & 5th graders, for 'Cabin Challenge' time and 'Free Time.' At one point I think we had 100% of the camp down at the gaga pit and most of the campers were inside trying to play! The campers just couldn't get enough of it! Go figure!

 

So, what is Gaga Ball? OK, I looked it up so that I could get it straight.



It's a serious
game! The
girl in front
(grey t-shirt)
was from my
cabin.

Ga-ga, or 'touch-touch' is a variant of dodgeball, that makes sense to me. It is sometimes called 'Israeli dodge-ball,' 'Octo-Ball' and 'Panda Ball.' The game involves dodging and/or striking a ball - I think the campers were using a soccer ball, running and jumping. The object is to hit the others, with the ball, below the knees while avoiding being hit! The game can be played by individuals, teams or one-on-one matches.

 

The game is played in a large octagon or hexagon pit. The players all gather up against the inside wall of the pit and the game begins with someone throwing the gaga ball up into the air, and when it bounces the players say "ga" for each of the first three bounces. After the third bounce, the ball is in play and the game begins!

 

Players 'hit' the ball at each other inside the pit. A player cannot hit the ball twice in a row, unless it bounces off a wall or another player. Sometimes the campers would hit the ball against the wall, I think hoping that they'd have a better angle to try and hit one of the other campers with it. When a player has been hit, he/she leaves the game . . . climbs or steps over the wall!

 

Here are the rules I found, online:

A player can hit the ball with their hands, but picking up the ball and throwing it at a player is not allowed. Also scooping is not allowed. In some games, only open hand hits are allowed to prevent striking injury to small children and also allowing better control of the ball to keep it low and prevent head shots.
If the ball touches a player anywhere on or below the knee (in some versions, below the ankle or waist), that player is eliminated from the game.
If a player pops the ball up into the air it can be hit down to keep it in the game or let it go.
The player cannot kick the ball. (As this is touching the ball below the knee.)
Wall jumping is not allowed (holding onto the wall while jumping).
If a player hits the ball out of the arena and hits another person the person who touches it last is out.
No double tapping. A player is allowed to hit it against the wall to keep it in play but no more than 3 times.
A player must step out of the pit to show that they're out.

I enjoyed watching the campers and some of the counselors, play 'Gaga Ball' up at camp last summer, from outside the pit - not something that I can physically due - due to nerve damage in my left leg and a back injury.

Competitive, you betcha!
 



A good game of 'Gaga Ball'
And this was a small group of campers!