MOUNT GREENWOOD — Students at Mount Greenwood Elementary School will be playing a new game in gym class this spring.
Tchoukball was developed in the 1970s by Swiss biologist and comes to the neighborhood school at 10841 S. Homan Ave. thanks to the gym teacher commonly known as "Mr. K."
Paul Kobialko has worked at the school for the past four years. He learned about Tchoukball at a physical education conference he attended last year in suburban St. Charles.
"It's totally different than any other game we play," said Kobialko, a resident of the South Loop.
Pronounced "shook" ball, the game can be played indoors or outdoors. It prohibits physical contact, as Tchoukball inventors designed the game to keep players from getting hurt, Kobialko said.
Instead, the fast-moving game relies on positioning and catching the ball. Seven players are generally assigned to each team. The object is to throw a ball at a framed net that produces a trampoline-type effect. If the ball bounces off the net and hits the ground without being caught, the team who threw the ball receives a point.
The only way to play defense is to catch the ball before it lands in the field of play. Defenders are not allowed to intercept passes or guard players on the other team. And teams can score by using the net on either side of the field of play.
The other gym teachers at the conference "were just saying their students love it. If you really like maximum participation, this activity shines for that," said Kobialko, comparing the game to racquetball as it requires players to react quickly.
To successfully bring Tchoukball to the school of 1,100 students, Kobialko estimated he needed enough balls and nets so that three games could be played at the same time. He plans to play most games outside at nearby McKiernan Park, 10714 S. Sawyer Ave. in Mount Greenwood.
But Kobialko said his annual budget for supplies is just $250. So he launched an online fundraiser to pay for the modest materials needed for the new game. He was hoping to raise $2,093 by the spring.
He finished the necessary paperwork just ahead of winter break, and the fundraiser was quietly posted online. Kobialko figured it wouldn't get much traction until he returned to school after the holiday. He planned to promote the game as well as his effort to fund it then.
Instead, online effort was fully funded in just 16 days, as the gym teacher's request was found online and quickly spread among school parents via social media. An outpouring of support followed.
"I am humbled by it," Kobialko said. "It makes me want to be the best teacher I can for every kid that walks through the door."
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