Introducing: Sabakiball

Ever heard of Sabaikiball? Most people are unfamiliar with the game that has a bit of basketball, soccer, lacrosse and hockey rolled into one, but over the weekend the game invaded Tempe High School.

The Ball Game Method termed Sabakiball was invented by Michael Cerpok in August 2008.

While working with a group of children attending a sports camp that he had offered at his martial arts studio, Cerpok came to the realization that while many young people enjoy playing sports, most sports include a great deal of “down” time.

This includes time that players spend waiting for the play to come to them, time players spend waiting for an “out-of-bounds” ball to be brought back into play, and time spent standing still while one or two players dominate the play.

Being a career martial artist and former Youth All-Star ice hockey player, Cerpok began looking for a way to combine speed, timing, balance, and endurance with constant mental awareness. He also wanted to create a sport where no one player could dominate the game…no matter how skilled they may be.