Middle schoolers in Mr. Dossick’s P.E. class have begun a new unit: Kin-ball. Created in Quebec, Canada, in 1986, Kin-ball is most distinctive not only for the big size of the ball used (it’s 48 inches tall!), but also for the competitive format: games are played among 3 teams, rather than the more traditional one-vs.-one, two-team style. Teams of 4 work together to catch the served ball, balance it, and then serve it to the next team. The game is played throughout the entire gym, allowing students to move and strategize about where to hit the ball. Kin-ball is great for our middle schoolers because it puts emphasis on cooperation, coordination and balance, and teamwork.

 

“I chose to play this game because of the team aspect,” says Mr. Dossick. “The game is the ultimate team sport and you can’t succeed at the game trying to play by yourself.” This sport was also selected because “it is different from the sports and games these students grew up playing. I wanted to expand their horizons and show them that different sports exist outside of the United States.”

 

Because of the newness of the sport, students were excited to try this game and exclaimed throughout their first lesson, “This game is awesome!” MORE PHOTOS