When did you stop playing outside? For many, the fun still lasts. This summer, The Press walks from park to park to introduce you to the sports that are most popular there. No need to compete in the Olympic Games to gather athletes. Because sport is also spikeball.
Names : spikeball, roundnet, bouncing ball or volley ball
Origin : Invented in 1989 by American toy designer Jeff Knurek, spikeball was popularized in 2008. Mainly played in the United States, the sport has spread to Canada and Europe, where several competitions have taken place.
Rules : The rules of spikeball are similar to those of volleyball. After the serve, each team is allowed three contacts with the ball (receiving, passing, and attacking) to bounce it on the net. Play takes place 360 degrees around the net, with no court boundaries. The rally ends when a team cannot return the ball to the net within three touches.
Number of players: Two teams of two players
PHOTO CHARLES WILLIAM PELLETIER, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
At Poly-Aréna Park in Brossard, 12 spikeball games are played simultaneously on Tuesday evenings. This is the weekly gathering of the Rive-Sud Roundnet League, which has about 1,000 people. “The more people you have, the more fun it is!” says founder Alexandre Lamarre.
PHOTO CHARLES WILLIAM PELLETIER, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
The 12 fields allow players of different calibers to play the game. “On the last field, I have players who started playing this summer. On the first field, I have people who are the best in Canada,” explains Alexandre Lamarre.
PHOTO CHARLES WILLIAM PELLETIER, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
On a Tuesday evening in July, the day of our visit, about twenty athletes braved the rain, rather than the usual fifty players. Music is still there. “It makes things not boring!” says player Sylvain Lepage.
PHOTO CHARLES WILLIAM PELLETIER, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
A rotation system allows teams to change pitches depending on their performance. “You have a challenge to improve yourself […] You play with people of your level, but in the long term, you see your progression,” says Jonathan Boulet, who has been part of the league for three years.
PHOTO CHARLES WILLIAM PELLETIER, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
Audrey Mallette is in her first season in the league, but started playing spikeball five years ago in university. For the former soccer player, spikeball has the advantage of being a non-contact sport. “It’s easy to play and it’s accessible to everyone,” she says.
PHOTO CHARLES WILLIAM PELLETIER, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
Several players in the Rive-Sud Roundnet League are former athletes. Powerful serves, dives to the ground and sprints to catch the ball are evidence of this.
PHOTO CHARLES WILLIAM PELLETIER, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
“When you join a league, you don’t have to worry about how to make your team,” says Jonathan Boulet. Players can show up solo and find teammates on the spot. Tuesday games not only provide consistent play, but also a chance to get together for a drink at the end of the night. “It’s a friendly sport, it’s really friendly,” says Chloé Langlois-Pelletier, who has been playing for a year.