Whirleyball and Ouch!

Last night, we were invited with a group of friends to play Whirleyball. This game is a riot and we had a lot of fun. It's basically the rules of basketball, but using a whiffle ball while riding in a bumper car. The games are 15 minutes and move really quickly. See the short YouTube video below to get an idea of how the game looks.


We were invited by some friends to add to the team. You have to have 10 people to play for an hour and a half, which ends up being about four 15-minute games. We also had three extra people so we could sub in and out. The bumper cars make for a jarring game, so I was happy to sit out for one of the games.

I have to say, the best part of the game last night was the group we were with. The group was made up of a couple that we're friends with and their grown sons and daughters-in-law and a couple of random other friends. Most of them had played several times, were athletic to begin with, and were very good at the game. Me -- not so much! But these great folks made sure that I played as much as anyone. They didn't hog the ball or get too aggressive or so competetive that it took the fun out of it. They just added to the fun by really enjoying it and including everyone.

It's such a far cry from the one other time I played. I got bored because the two competetive guys on the team just hogged the ball and got really angry if anyone missed the ball or did something they thought was "wrong" along the way.

The only down side to playing Whirleyball is the painful after effects. I'm sore today and expect it to last until tomorrow. Between getting hit too many times to count and trying to reach in wierd ways for the ball, it uses muscles you didn't know existed.

Thanks, Lo, for the invitation!