By Jack Stewart
A recent phenomenon has swept across the Williamsville East gym classes: Tchoukball. The sport was created by Hermann Brandt in 1971 to promote safety; however, it gained newfound popularity in the gymnasium of Williamsville East High School. Students like Jack Landreth have cited their “love of the game” as a motivator for their tchoukball performances, and it’s clear that this sport will remain as one of the most beloved by East students.
Tchoukball is a ball sport played by two seven person teams where the objective is to score more points than the opposing squad. The ends of the court feature a crease with a rebounder net, with players scoring by throwing the ball into the net and it bouncing off and hitting the floor. Similarly to handball, players can only hold the ball for three seconds or take three steps before needing to pass or take a shot, making tchoukball a fast paced and collaborative sport. As Senior phenom William Ludwig puts it, “Everyone’s into the games, even in the rec games. Everyone’s dialed in and trying to win, no matter which side of the gym you’re on. Physicality be damned.” Defenders are tasked with catching the ball off the rebounder nets. However they are not allowed to play traditional defense. Players are not allowed to intercept or defend passes—they instead have to strategically position themselves in order to catch the ball off the net.
Students have gained a competitive drive through tchoukball, with many developing acrobatic and creative moves. Players are encouraged to throw alley-oops and find creative shot angles to score, which has made the game exciting in all gym periods. With the newfound success of the sport, the UNICEF at Williamsville East is hosting a tchoukball fundraiser to help raise money for vulnerable children across the world. Interested students will pay an entry fee to join a tchoukball team and then attempt to compete for the championship. All collected funds will be donated to UNICEF and the tournament will take place in late February or March.
Tchoukball has become a fascination among Williamsville East gym classes and the UNICEF fundraiser is the perfect opportunity to play the sport more while supporting an humane cause.