This month for RecMan we bring you Ninesquare in the Air. This is an awesome game that has potential of getting lots of people involved in competition all at once. It is also a game that allows students who aren’t extremely athletic to still compete and have fun. I played this game myself while at the 2010 Youth Specialties Conference, and it was a huge hit. It’s a simple game that follows the same pattern as the classic game foursquare, but with an aerial twist.

Preparation: Set up a ninesquare court in the air. Use some kind of pipes to create an airborne court.

Supplies: You will need a pipe structure and some kind of ball.

Participation: Begin with one player in each square. Any other players should stand outside the ninth square so that one can enter the game after each elimination.

Start: The “king” (the player in the center square) serves the ball from the center square to any other square by hitting the ball up and out of the center square. This is how each round begins.

Finish: Play for a certain amount of time or until every player has had a certain number of turns to enter the game.

Rules: Players must return the ball to any other square. If a player fails to return the ball to another player’s square, that player is out.

A double hit also results in elimination.

During game play, players are not allowed to touch the game structure. Doing so also results in elimination.

When a player is eliminated, he/she leaves the square and goes to the end of the line. The other players advance to fill the open square, with one new player joining the game. This process repeats after each elimination.

This game is even better caught than taught, and so I recommend you go to this website to see videos that show just how fun Ninesquare in the Air can be! You can also purchase supplies there if you don’t want to build your own.

Signed,

Your friendly neighborhood REC MAN