I’m all about doing youth ministry in creative ways, finding new ways to engage in the spiritual formation of young people today, and not just resorting back to the old games and message model of youth ministry from the “old” days.
But sometimes, you just want to hit a middle school kid with a dodgeball.
One of my favorite games that my friend Andrew Zirschky taught me is called Scatterball. It’s essentially like dodgeball, except no one ever gets out. You all stand in the middle, yell “SCATTERBALL!” and throw the ball into the air. Kids get 2 steps with the ball, and you try and hit people like in dodgeball. But once you’re hit, you simply sit down and remain in play. You can’t move, but you can still grab the ball if it comes to you, or if it’s thrown to you by someone, and hit other people. For another description with a variation, click here.
But whether you’re playing scatterball or dodgeball, you need good dodgeball balls. The best dodgeball balls for youth group games I’ve ever run across are the Rhino Skin Dodgeball balls. These are hands down, the best balls to use for dodgeball, scatterball, or basically any other game at youth group involving a soft foam ball.
Rhino Skin Dodgeball balls don’t sting when you get hit with them, which obviously makes them a favorite of youth leaders (especially when you get a little bit too competitive in the game and hit that high schooler just a little bit too hard). Or, if you’re like me, and you get a little excited and accidentally hit a kid in the face, the Rhino Skin Dodgeball ball won’t hurt as much as others. The other nice thing to know is that the Rhino Skin Dodgeball balls are the official balls used by several dodgeball leagues.
They are a little bit pricey, but I’ve had our set at the church for over a year, and they still look brand new. So, these will definitely last. Surely your youth ministry will survive without some Rhino Skin Dodgeball balls (or will it…?), but I’d recommend picking up a set.
