Count me in as a Fistball fan!

I came away from watching Eric Kindler and his U.S. team competing against Guarani, Brazil in a “friendly” on Friday (7/1) evening with a genuine appreciation respect and facination for the game of fistball.

I have never witnessed a more unique “atmosphere” to watch a sporting event than I did Friday evening at the H.O.N. Campground’s located near Jackson, Wisconsin. From the grassy parking area adjacent of cabins and I limped my way on a trail that took me over a bridge with fast moving stream flowing underneath and then up to the competition area.

It wasn’t some fancy arena – just a large, flat grassy area large enough for a couple of fistball fields. There are no bleachers and spectators bring their own lawn chairs. Naturally, being the fistball newbie that I am, I didn’t bring a lawn chair with me. I noticed a group of plastic chairs lined up very near the side of the playing field. I plunked my big butt into one of the chairs and than got thinking that the chairs might be part of a “player’s bench” location. I asked a player about 30 minutes prior the start of the match if it was OK for me to sit there. “Sure, no problem, enjoy,” he said. Following the national anthems from both countries and player introductions I fully expected to lose my seat to a player or coach. It didn’t happen. I then realized I was the only person in the crowd that didn’t come equipped with a lawn chair. I was waiting for the crowd to look my way and yell ROOKIE!

So what is fistball? Well, you combine elements of basketball, tennis and volleyball, with a playing field roughly the size of an Olympic swimming pool? A staggering majority of Americans have never heard of it. Like basketball, each side has five players. From volleyball come best-of-five sets and a net or "line" about six feet off the ground over which the ball must travel; games end when one team scores 11 points. Then there is the tennis influence as each point starts with an overhand serve struck with the fist. Receiving players are allowed three, one-armed hits to clear the net although the ball can bounce once before each hit.

The one thought I drove back to Whitewater with Friday night was the athletes it takes to play the game with special attention to quickness, fast thinking, and being able to be ambidextrous with a ball coming at you at 40 mph or more. I was amazed.

Back to UW-Whitewater kicker Eric Kindler who has a chance of catching Jeff Schebler’s all-time, NCAA record of 75 career field goals. He enters his senior season needing 21 field goals to catch Schebler. (FYI: Kindler and Schebler share UWW’s single season field goal record at 21).

When thinking about Eric’s athleticism since he’s just a kicker… Eric served as the starting quarterback, punter, and place kicker for his Germantown High School football team

Back to my first look at fistball watching the “friendly” on Friday night with the United States taking on Brazil.

It sort of reminded me of the polo match scene in the Julia Roberts’ movie Pretty Women. It was just a very relaxing atmosphere for both the humans and the several dogs checking out the crowd. The actually competition was quick paced and exciting. It was way cool!

I am an official Fistball convert!!