Going Gaga

First off, gaga  ball has absolutely nothing to do with Lady Gaga. Instead, “GaGa” actually translates from Hebrew as “touch-touch.” To some it is known as Israeli Dodgeball, Octo-Ball or Panda Ball (don’t know where that one came from). And, according to none other than Wikipedia, it is commonly believed that the game was brought to U.S. Jewish summer camps by Israeli camp counselors.

At its essence, gaga ball is a fast-paced sport played in an octagonal pit. Often described as a kinder, gentler version of dodge ball, the game is played with a soft foam ball and combines the skills of dodging, striking, running and jumping, while trying to hit opponents with a ball below the knees. Players need to keep moving to avoid getting hit by the ball.

In a site called weareteachers.com comes this advice: “Visit a school playground or local park these days, and there’s a good chance you’ll find gaga ball pits. (They were even featured on an episode of Bob’s Burgers!)” The site even quotes “educators like Deb B.,” who says gaga ball is a recess game-changer because “the games are so fast, the kids get out in groups of three, four or five rather than one, and then as soon as it’s over, BOOM! it starts again.”

As for the opportunity for team dealers, the equipment consists of the aforementioned soft ball – actually, more than one ball is needed in case one gets lost over the fence or pops – and the mandatory gaga ball pit

Sounds like a new category that should show up at the buying group shows this fall!

Planting The Cornhole Seed

Everyone thinks cornhole is a bar or backyard game that involves drinking, trash talking and socializing. Well, that it is, but again, millions of people are playing it and recreation programs, summer camps, bars and even schools have to be buying the kits somewhere. Now it is mostly online or from mass merchandisers, but why not from their local team dealer? In case you live in a cave or don’t get out much, here’s a quick explanation:

Full cornhole is a lawn game in which players or teams take turns throwing fabric bean bags at an inclined board with a hole in its far end. The goal is to score points by either landing a bag on the board (one point) or putting a bag through the hole (three points).

And the sport is not new. According to Wikipedia, the game was first described in an 1883 patent for “Parlor Quoits.” And in September 1974, Popular Mechanics published an article about a similar game called “bean-bag bull’s-eye.” The game spread in the late 1970s and early 1980s, perhaps due to the Popular Mechanics article.

Now there is something called the American Cornhole Organization (ACO), established in 2005 that claims to be the “governing body for the sport of cornhole.” There is also the American Cornhole League (ACL), which promotes and develops cornhole as a sport on every level. One more: The American Cornhole Association (ACA) is an organization whose sole mission is to help cornhole players play.

And, yes, ESPN (whose name includes “Entertainment” as well as “Sports”) carries tournaments from the American Cornhole League. What more reason do team dealers need to carry cornhole?