Spike Club Spotlight
Many School Without Walls students have turned to recreational clubs as a way to socialize as the world returns to fully in-person activities. Wes Greene (11) decided that now would be the perfect time to create a Walls community around the game by starting the School Without Walls Spikeball Club. The club is held on the GW quad on Tuesday mornings, and is a great way for students to get some fun and physical activity in before the school day starts.
Spikeball was originally created in 1989. The game did well in the early 90’s, but faded from popularity until 2007 when the company was revitalized by CEO Jeff Ruder who refreshed the game while adhering to the same concept. The rules resemble volleyball—players, often in teams of two, work together to hit the ball to the other team. The difference is that in Spikeball, the ball is hit down onto a circular net, as opposed to over a raised net.
Spikeball hit it big in 2015, 7 years after the company began selling equipment, when it aired on the famous television show Shark Tank. The sharks loved the product, and granted Spikeball the funding it needed to grow into an iconic brand. The simple rules and light, portable equipment have made the game appealing to a wide audience—including School Without Walls students.
Spikeball is a ton of fun, and part of that fun is the challenge. “I think it’s really competitive but it’s also not easy at first. Once you really get it, it becomes really fun. It takes some practice,” said founder Wes Greene. Wes began playing over the summer, and it grew on him so much that he chose to begin the club.
The creation of the Walls Spikeball club was in part motivated by the Latin Spikeball club, a parallel club at Washington Latin Public Charter School. Wes hopes to create friendly competition between the clubs, and possibly even create city-wide Spikeball tournaments. “I want to have a connection and a community of Spikeball tournaments across the DMV,” he said. “I think we need a bit more time with the club here, and make sure the clubs at other schools are making their way up, and after that we can start a city-wide tournament for sure.”
Wes is also looking to the Spikeball company for funding. If the club is able to kickstart a more widespread network of competition in the area, Spikeball may be willing to directly help fund the growth of DC Spikeball clubs.
Spikeball is the perfect opportunity to get moving to start the day. A little fresh air and exercise can go a long way towards starting your day off right. The club has a super fun, inviting environment, with a range of skill levels—everyone from beginners to experts are welcome. Players should arrive at the GW quad on Tuesdays any time after 8 and can play until school begins. See you there!
