Wicketball Events/News
2014 Wicketball Photos
2014 Results Link
7/12/14 From the Topeka Capital-Journal:
WICKETBALL MAKES SUNFLOWER GAMES DEBUT — While recovering from shoulder surgery about 14 years ago, Lenexa native Bob Zoller was looking for a simple activity to play with his children.
All he needed was some croquet wickets and a soccer ball, and the sport of wicketball was born.
“I found some old wickets back behind the barn that my father-in-law put there,” Zoller said. “I just stuck them in the ground. My kids were little, so I said, ‘Hey, go kick some (soccer) balls around and try to get them through these wickets. Then we started to get some friends together, playing games and making rules. It really became fun and challenging and very competitive.”
Wicketball, which debuted in the Sunflower State Games on Saturday at Lake Shawnee, is now being played in about 28 states and eight different countries, Zoller said.
The sport combines soccer skills, the layout of golf and the strategies of croquet. The basic objective is to kick a soccer ball through a steel wicket in as few kicks as possible from different distances. Each match usually consists of eight wickets.
“I call wicketball the most versatile sport in the world,” said Zoller, who served as the commissioner of the SSG wicketball event. “You can play it on the sand, lawns, pastures, wood. We play it in the snow in the winter. It’s one of the few games you can play in the winter.”
It also appeals to a variety of people, including soccer players.
“It’s a good skill games,” Zoller said. “My daughter’s high school coach brings his whole team out to play. It’s good for team bonding.”
Zoller said about 30 people took part in the event.
“It’s not bad for the first year,” he said. “I’m happy with it.”
2014 Results Link
7/12/14 From the Topeka Capital-Journal:
WICKETBALL MAKES SUNFLOWER GAMES DEBUT — While recovering from shoulder surgery about 14 years ago, Lenexa native Bob Zoller was looking for a simple activity to play with his children.
All he needed was some croquet wickets and a soccer ball, and the sport of wicketball was born.
“I found some old wickets back behind the barn that my father-in-law put there,” Zoller said. “I just stuck them in the ground. My kids were little, so I said, ‘Hey, go kick some (soccer) balls around and try to get them through these wickets. Then we started to get some friends together, playing games and making rules. It really became fun and challenging and very competitive.”
Wicketball, which debuted in the Sunflower State Games on Saturday at Lake Shawnee, is now being played in about 28 states and eight different countries, Zoller said.
The sport combines soccer skills, the layout of golf and the strategies of croquet. The basic objective is to kick a soccer ball through a steel wicket in as few kicks as possible from different distances. Each match usually consists of eight wickets.
“I call wicketball the most versatile sport in the world,” said Zoller, who served as the commissioner of the SSG wicketball event. “You can play it on the sand, lawns, pastures, wood. We play it in the snow in the winter. It’s one of the few games you can play in the winter.”
It also appeals to a variety of people, including soccer players.
“It’s a good skill games,” Zoller said. “My daughter’s high school coach brings his whole team out to play. It’s good for team bonding.”
Zoller said about 30 people took part in the event.
“It’s not bad for the first year,” he said. “I’m happy with it.”
Youth in the Outdoors Day, Topeka, KS
Saturday, June 7, 2014, 9:00-2:00
Saturday, June 7, 2014, 9:00-2:00
Get Outdoors Lenexa, Black Hoof Park, Lenexa, KS
Saturday, June 14, 2014, 9:00-12:00
Saturday, June 14, 2014, 9:00-12:00
Get Outdoors Lenexa
Thank you to our 2014 sponsors
Academy Sports + Outdoors
Fulk Chiropractic
K-Love Radio
Mainstreet Credit Union
Maximized Living Health Center
Wicketball
Thank you to our 2014 sponsors
Academy Sports + Outdoors
Fulk Chiropractic
K-Love Radio
Mainstreet Credit Union
Maximized Living Health Center
Wicketball
RECORD ATTENDANCE AT KANSAS SAMPLER FESTIVAL
Perfect weather brought record-setting attendance to the 25th annual Kansas Sampler Festival held May 3-4 in Wamego. Just over 11,700 people attended the state's largest outdoor travel show.
A Kansas Sampler Foundation project, the festival is designed to provide the public a sample of what there is to see, do, hear, taste, buy, and learn in Kansas.
The host city of Wamego, led by Julie Roller, Michelle Crisler, Bunny McCloud, and Betsy Riblett, provided all the organization and volunteers. Wamego, population 4,485, is the smallest city to have hosted the festival. Pratt, Ottawa, Independence, Newton, Garden City, Concordia, Leavenworth, and Liberal have also hosted since the festival left the Penner Farm near Inman in 1998.
The 282 exhibits were spread out over the 12-acre Wamego City Park and a nearby ballfield. With a children's train roping through the park the tulips, redbud trees, a pond, the 1879 Dutch Mill, and the historical complex provided a picturesque backdrop to the huge white tents and free-standing displays. Long lines were constant in the exhibit tents, the food concessions, and the Kansas wine and beer sampling tent.
Exhibits ranged from communities promoting day trip opportunities to entrepreneurs selling their Kansas products. Photographers displayed their work and gave workshops to standing-room only crowds. Packgoats, a replica Longren airplane, and living historical encampments were found among demonstrations of horseshoes, Wicketball, and Kubb, a Swedish lawn game.
Foundation director Marci Penner said, "I have no doubt that the 11,728 who attended have a new measure of knowledge and pride about Kansas. This weekend was a really tremendous celebration of our Sunflower State."
The festival rotates around the state on a two-year basis so will be held in Wamego again next year on May 2-3. For more information go to www.kansassamplerfestival.com.
Perfect weather brought record-setting attendance to the 25th annual Kansas Sampler Festival held May 3-4 in Wamego. Just over 11,700 people attended the state's largest outdoor travel show.
A Kansas Sampler Foundation project, the festival is designed to provide the public a sample of what there is to see, do, hear, taste, buy, and learn in Kansas.
The host city of Wamego, led by Julie Roller, Michelle Crisler, Bunny McCloud, and Betsy Riblett, provided all the organization and volunteers. Wamego, population 4,485, is the smallest city to have hosted the festival. Pratt, Ottawa, Independence, Newton, Garden City, Concordia, Leavenworth, and Liberal have also hosted since the festival left the Penner Farm near Inman in 1998.
The 282 exhibits were spread out over the 12-acre Wamego City Park and a nearby ballfield. With a children's train roping through the park the tulips, redbud trees, a pond, the 1879 Dutch Mill, and the historical complex provided a picturesque backdrop to the huge white tents and free-standing displays. Long lines were constant in the exhibit tents, the food concessions, and the Kansas wine and beer sampling tent.
Exhibits ranged from communities promoting day trip opportunities to entrepreneurs selling their Kansas products. Photographers displayed their work and gave workshops to standing-room only crowds. Packgoats, a replica Longren airplane, and living historical encampments were found among demonstrations of horseshoes, Wicketball, and Kubb, a Swedish lawn game.
Foundation director Marci Penner said, "I have no doubt that the 11,728 who attended have a new measure of knowledge and pride about Kansas. This weekend was a really tremendous celebration of our Sunflower State."
The festival rotates around the state on a two-year basis so will be held in Wamego again next year on May 2-3. For more information go to www.kansassamplerfestival.com.
Top Twelve for 2010
Filed Under (Tops for 2010) by Bernie DeKoven on 03-11-2010
This year, we have twelve games that have made it to the top of our 2010 list. Many of them are marketed especially for children, and yet have proven to be at least as much fun for adults. The rest are marketed for adults, and, oddly enough, depending on the kids, can prove at least as much fun for them as well. (click on the name of the game to see our review)
Wicketball
If you can kick a ball, you can play it. If you can roll a ball, throw a ball, bounce a ball, you can play it. You can play it in the sand. You can play it in the snow. You can play it in the dirt. You can play it like golf, you can play it like croquet, you can play it like both games simultaneously. You can play it with kids, you can play it with seniors, you can play it with kids and seniors and anybody who wants to play. You can create your own course. You can make it very hard. You can make it just easy enough to make you want to keep playing. You can play it seriously, you can play it for fun.
Filed Under (Tops for 2010) by Bernie DeKoven on 03-11-2010
This year, we have twelve games that have made it to the top of our 2010 list. Many of them are marketed especially for children, and yet have proven to be at least as much fun for adults. The rest are marketed for adults, and, oddly enough, depending on the kids, can prove at least as much fun for them as well. (click on the name of the game to see our review)
Wicketball
If you can kick a ball, you can play it. If you can roll a ball, throw a ball, bounce a ball, you can play it. You can play it in the sand. You can play it in the snow. You can play it in the dirt. You can play it like golf, you can play it like croquet, you can play it like both games simultaneously. You can play it with kids, you can play it with seniors, you can play it with kids and seniors and anybody who wants to play. You can create your own course. You can make it very hard. You can make it just easy enough to make you want to keep playing. You can play it seriously, you can play it for fun.
“Just have fun. It’s Wicketball. It's all Good.
”Filed Under (Dexterity, Family Games, Keeper, Senior-Worthy, Tops for 2010) by Bernie DeKoven on 10-05-2010
If you can kick a ball, you can play it. If you can roll a ball, throw a ball, bounce a ball, you can play it. You can play it in the sand. You can play it in the snow. You can play it in the dirt. You can play it like golf, you can play it like croquet, you can play it like both games simultaneously. You can play it with kids, you can play it with seniors, you can play it with kids and seniors and anybody who wants to play. You can create your own course. You can make it very hard. You can make it just easy enough to make you want to keep playing. You can play it seriously, you can play it for fun.
It’s Wicketball.
It’s not something to be taken lightly, this Wicketball game. Just ask the postman who delivered our set. 65 pounds! Designer/publisher Bob Zoller explains that each wicket weighs 6.5 pounds. And you get eight of them. And two soccer balls. And then there are the flags clips and flags, and the DVD and the rules and the list of 64 more ways you can play Wicketball.
See, these wickets are solid metal. They’re designed to be banged into the ground with a sledgehammer, to resist seriously kicked soccer balls, to last pretty much forever.
The thing about Wicketball is that it can be played anyway that’s fun for you. They’re an invitation to creativity as much as they are to fun. You want to bowl the balls instead of kicking them, sure, why not? You want to kick the balls backwards, play on your hands and knees, play at night, play with your eyes closed? You want to make the course cover a few acres? You want to play in the snow or sand? You want to play with kids, with the whole family, with seniors, with the whole community? You want to play it like golf or croquet or more like soccer?
Just like Bob Zoller says: “Just have fun. It’s Wicketball. It’s all good.” It’s Major Fun!
Comments: One Response to ““Just have fun. It’s Wicketball. It’s all good.””
”Filed Under (Dexterity, Family Games, Keeper, Senior-Worthy, Tops for 2010) by Bernie DeKoven on 10-05-2010
If you can kick a ball, you can play it. If you can roll a ball, throw a ball, bounce a ball, you can play it. You can play it in the sand. You can play it in the snow. You can play it in the dirt. You can play it like golf, you can play it like croquet, you can play it like both games simultaneously. You can play it with kids, you can play it with seniors, you can play it with kids and seniors and anybody who wants to play. You can create your own course. You can make it very hard. You can make it just easy enough to make you want to keep playing. You can play it seriously, you can play it for fun.
It’s Wicketball.
It’s not something to be taken lightly, this Wicketball game. Just ask the postman who delivered our set. 65 pounds! Designer/publisher Bob Zoller explains that each wicket weighs 6.5 pounds. And you get eight of them. And two soccer balls. And then there are the flags clips and flags, and the DVD and the rules and the list of 64 more ways you can play Wicketball.
See, these wickets are solid metal. They’re designed to be banged into the ground with a sledgehammer, to resist seriously kicked soccer balls, to last pretty much forever.
The thing about Wicketball is that it can be played anyway that’s fun for you. They’re an invitation to creativity as much as they are to fun. You want to bowl the balls instead of kicking them, sure, why not? You want to kick the balls backwards, play on your hands and knees, play at night, play with your eyes closed? You want to make the course cover a few acres? You want to play in the snow or sand? You want to play with kids, with the whole family, with seniors, with the whole community? You want to play it like golf or croquet or more like soccer?
Just like Bob Zoller says: “Just have fun. It’s Wicketball. It’s all good.” It’s Major Fun!
Comments: One Response to ““Just have fun. It’s Wicketball. It’s all good.””
- Dean Welsh on 10 May 2010 at 1:58 pm #
I have played this game and met Bob. Both are GREAT! I have a set. It is easy to set up and a BLAST to play!
Go at your own pace. Play as teams. My 7 year old daughter’s soccer skills went up a bunch after her 30 minutes of fun banging a ball around our home. Great game that will last FOREVER!!! Thanks Bob!