Girl Scouts 'Going GaGa'

Lori Hammelman
Posted 8/24/17

A new fast-paced game, GaGa Ball, is increasing in popularity or as some might say, people are going “gaga” over it. Thanks to some local Girl Scouts, students at Kings School and St. Paul can play GaGa Ball too.

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Girl Scouts 'Going GaGa'

Posted

ROCHELLE — A new fast-paced game, GaGa Ball, is increasing in popularity or as some might say, people are going “gaga” over it. Thanks to some local Girl Scouts, students at Kings School and St. Paul can play GaGa Ball too.

Cadette members of the Girl Scout Troop 3223 came up with the idea to construct the octagon enclosure, a.k.a. “GaGa Ball Pit,” after playing the game while at a Girl Scout camp in Stillman Valley.

GaGa is a version of dodgeball, played with a soft foam or lightweight bouncy ball in an octagon enclosure. The rules of GaGa state the ball must touch the ground two times before it is considered in play. The object of the game is to hit opponents at or below the knees to eliminate them. The last one left in the pit is the winner.

Great idea

“The girls came up with the idea…they played GaGa Ball at Camp McCormick,” said troop leader Karin Podolski. “They needed to complete a sustainable project in order to earn their Silver Award, which is the highest award that a Girl Scout Cadette can achieve.”

The girls wrote the grant application from the Rochelle Area Community Foundation and received $1,500 for supplies to build the ball pits at St. Paul School and Kings School. Out of the cadettes in the troop, one girl attends St. Paul School and three attend Kings School.

Podolski said that although the girls did most of the pit assembly, several individuals and businesses helped along the way including Macklin, who donated the screenings for the foundation; Valley Land Trucking delivered the screenings at no charge; Groundworks Landscaping excavated the site at St. Paul at no charge; Queens Trucking donated the use of their Skid Steer machine to excavate at Kings; Ted Varvil did the excavation work at Kings.

The money received from RACF was used to purchase the supplies. Also assisting in the process was Kings resident Clay Fraley who volunteered to prepare the lumber and assisted in the assembly process.

Fun for years to come

“The grants committee was impressed with the fact that the girls were involved in the grant application process with their leader and that they would be involved in the planning and building of these play areas for the benefit of many area children now and in the future,” said RACF Executive Director Kim Montgomery. “We were pleased to be able to provide some funding for this project, which aligns nicely with our Health and Wellness focus area. Now we are waiting to see the gaga pits in action!”

Troop 3223 co-leader, Kerri Villa-Nantz, expressed gratitude to Podolski for her leadership in the project.

“Our girls have done some pretty amazing things since kindergarten due to Karin’s fabulous leadership,” Villa-Nantz said. “As I only helped with a few pieces of this project, and although we had many helpers, I think Clay Fraley needs a super shout out…he personally spent hours on this project. I have spoken with him and he really enjoyed helping the girls.”

Podolski said the girls wanted to provide a fun activity for the schools and the community. The GaGa pits will also provide another activity for physical education classes as well as during recess.

“I am so proud of these girls! The teamwork and determination it took to get this completed is more than what can be expected from many girls this age, but these girls took on the project expecting success,” Villa-Nantz said. “They continue to amaze me.”

Podolski echoed Villa-Nantz’s pride in the Girl Scout troop.

“I am so proud of these girls — not for just completing this project, but for taking the initiative to identify a way to improve their community and increase physical activity,” Podolski said.