Bouncing fun in bubble soccer
A member of the green team, left, smashes into her opponent during a match of bubble soccer Wednesday at the Bombardier Learjet Indoor Practice Facility. Competitors compete in a soccer match while surrounded by a large, inflatable “bubble.”
Bumping competition took place Wednesday night at Wichita State.
Bubble soccer is a game in which students are enclosed in a large, inflatable “bubble” to fight for a soccer ball in order to score for their team.
The competition was hosted by Campus Recreation, and was part of its series of intramural sports each semester.
“Canoe battleship happened about a month or two ago, and then we have this [event], and those are our two big fun intramural events for the first semester,” Campus Recreation intern Ethan Pearson said.
Several Greek organizations competed in bubble soccer Wednesday. No matter their athletic abilities, students said they were excited to run around in an inflatable ball just before finals week.
“None at all,” Tri-Delta sorority member Piper Reid said of her athletic abilities. “I’m kind of nervous because of that.
“I’m excited also because this my first intramural game with Tri Delta. I mean, I hope we win. I also hope we don’t get injured.”
Some participants have some real athletic experience, and whether it be from soccer or not, they had the confidence that their team would win the tournament.
“I played tennis competitively for five years before college,” Delta Upsilon fraternity member Matthew Hopper said. “I expect us to win because many Delta Upsilon brothers are very talented in soccer.”
Meanwhile, other students were there simply to watch.
“I’m most excited to see a new sport and to see my friend play,” spectator Isidro Nieto said. “I’ve been looking forward to it.”
Although he said he was excited to be there, Nieto said the tournament wasn’t very well advertised.
“I actually didn’t know about this until very recently, like right before the game, basically, because of my other friends,” he said.
WSU’s first bubble soccer competition was last April, and Campus Reaction plans to keep it going. It’s become popular among students because of the different formats from other typical intramural, such as flag football or volleyball.
It also gives them the opportunity to hit somebody in a safe way.
“You just go out have fun, run into each other, and try to score a few points,” Pearson said.
Nick Beach served as a reporter for The Sunflower. Beach served as a sports reporter and columnist, as well as a movie critic. Beach is from the coastal...
