Malakai Bradley, 12, of Tyler, plays Knocker Ball, a rentable soccer game played in large inflatable globes, during a youth group event at Rose Heights Church in Tyler Feb. 27, 2016. The game is rented through local business Rent-a-Rita in Tyler, Texas. (Sarah A. Miller/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

Wiggling himself into a large transparent ball that covered most of his body, Braden Farr, a 12-year-old participant in the Student Ministry at Rose Heights Church, was very excited to play a sport he’d only seen on YouTube.

“It was really hard standing at first, but once you get used to it, it was pretty easy,” Farr said.

The sport is knockerball. 

Participants wear inflatable spheres and use interior handles to brace themselves to roll, flip and crash into others without putting stress on the body.

Farr got a chance to play soccer while inside of a knockerball and enjoyed that he and other players could make contact during the game without sustaining injuries.

“It’s really fun,” he said. “I like how it’s an impact sport.”

Ivory Peavy, owner of a mobile entertainment company called Rent-A-Rita, said he, too, first learned about knockerball from YouTube.

After more research, Peavy thought it would be a great idea to purchase knockerball equipment and offer East Texans the opportunity to play soccer while inside the  large spheres.

“It’s an all around group activity,” Peavy said. “Everybody’s enthused about it. It’s like playing football, but you’re in this protective ball that absorbs all the shock of being hit.”

Peavy said the sport can be played by all ages and has been well received by a variety of groups in East Texas.

He added that there are really no rules while playing soccer inside of a knockerball, and said the sport works best played in a field or gymnasium where there is a lot of space. He said participants will also find the sport can be energy depleting, and many small breaks are encouraged over the course of a game.

While Peavy said the game is a lot fun, he also said many groups have taken to the sport, because of it’s ability to unite teams and strengthen communication.

“(It’s) basically to help people with team building activities,” he said.

The team building aspect is part of what attracted Jeremy Laux, student ministry pastor at Rose Heights Church, to bring the sport to the church for a night of fun for children and teens in the student ministry.

“(It’s good) to have a healthy place for them to hang out and have fun and just get to know one another a little better,” Laux said. “It was a blast. I’m definitely happy we did this.” 

Twitter: @TMT_Augusta

 

CONTACT RENT-A-RITA 

For information, contact business owner Ivory Peavy at 903-508-8260