In the winter of 2024, on the snow covered basketball court of Emerson Park, a new sport emerged. During their winter running intramural (IM), members of the Class of 2027 decided to create a new sport and pastime.
In its simplest form, Dash and Drive Ball (DD Ball), is a two team game on a basketball court in which players can run with the ball but must stop after a two-handed touch. Points are scored in the same form as basketball, but the game is always played on a snow covered court. Because the rules allow for aggressiveness, the snow allows for the roughhousing to be safer and adds another aspect to the game.
The game started out as a fun way to get a little exercise, but as the winter progressed, it turned into a set league. Teams, rules, and referees were instated, and participation increased. As the snow stopped falling, and spring sports began, the 2024–25 league came to a close. Coming into the next winter season, the players are hoping to begin playing again.
The DD Ball rule book and league was created by Lucas Bailey ’27 and Ben Hart ’27. This season, they are creating a group of team captains and recruiting part-time and full-time players, consisting of freshmen, sophomores, and juniors.
Bailey, the league manager, reflected, "We are trying to grow the player base as much as possible.” They hope to have a wide variety of players so that they have full teams for each game. They want to expand their player base through social media as well, posting highlights and edits. They would also like to bring in members who may not play but can be broadcasters, social media helpers, or refs. This year they will also have captains, will set teams with a draft, and will have set rules for waivers and player numbers. The managers hope to have these captains dedicated to a tournament throughout the winter season, with a winner crowned at the end. In the event of little snow, rules against roughhousing will be increased, and the game will continue to be played.
The creation of DD Ball attests to the creativity and values of the sport. As Hart expressed, “The creation of the sport was a great exercise in working around the conditions—how could we modify basketball for when the court was covered in snow?” He hopes that teams can create plays and strategies that connect to the creative base of the game.
Despite the sport starting off as a silly game, real values were created, and the values reflect those of CA. Bailey stated, “we want to foster feelings of competitiveness and sportsmanship in members of the community.” DD Ball is a low-stakes fun time but carries important values and is evolving into a pastime that is played like a real sport.