Bubble Soccer Comes to Homecoming

Students enjoyed playing this unique sport during Homecoming Week.
Photo By Rebecca Hinkle

The week of Homecoming gives students, faculty, and alumni a wide-range of activities they can participate in while they also enjoy the festive atmosphere the week. Several events and activities gave people the chance to enjoy Homecoming week at Concord University. One such activity that was available during the week of Homecoming was Bubble Soccer. The game of Bubble Soccer took place in the Student Center in the Ballroom.

    Bubble Soccer is a cross between soccer and zorbing. The players are in a large, plastic bubble that looks like an orb. Players legs are free which allow them more access to run around and kick the ball. The hands of the players are inside the bubble and have straps around their bodies to help balance the orb. Bubble Soccer has become more popular with people and is quickly spreading across the world.

    The objective of the game is to knock each other down while trying to score against your opponent. The game begins with a round of dodgeball. When the whistle blows, players kick a ball to try and score against their opponents. The game encourages a more defensive style of play and is definitely a more active sport. If a player falls, the orb allows them to roll around so they can get back up on their feet fairly quickly. Bubble Soccer allows players to be competitive and silly. 

    Legacy United was the company that brought the Bubble Soccer game to Concord University. Legacy United is an entertainment company that does novelty events on the side. They do several different events for college entertainment. Some events Legacy United has available are paint-less paintball, soccer darts, and bears to build. 

    Cameron Dodgson, a worker for Legacy United, said Bubble Soccer is quickly gaining popularity among sports-active people. “People enjoy the contact of Bubble Soccer. It is the newest contact sport sweeping the nation. It has grown three-times this past year, and it just a fun, safe way for students to let out a little aggression while having fun,” said Dodgson.

    Bubble Soccer is a growing sport. The National Association of Bubble Soccer (NABS) encourages everyone to play the game. The NABS website provides information on how to rent the equipment, find an authorized provider, and how to even start a Bubble Soccer league in your local area. The website includes a list of active cities that have leagues to join. Along with information, there are photos from the active cities that show people playing the game. 

    People who are interested in learning more about the sport, or perhaps just want to see if it is the right sport for them, can watch videos of games. NABS has several videos that people can watch. In the videos, people will see what looks like a soccer game with people running around in giant orbs. People will bounce off of each other, and will occasionally fall to the ground, but they are able to get up again. Viewers of the videos can clearly hear the laughter of the players and see how much they are enjoying the game. 

    Concord student Andrew Fraley had seen Bubble Soccer on Facebook and had always wanted to try it, and said others could enjoy the game. “I hope people will come out and will want to be active and not just sit in their room and do nothing,” says Fraley.

    During the week of Homecoming, many more activities were available to people. Other events were the Lip-Sync Battle, Picnic, and the Homecoming parade. At the end of the week on Saturday, October 15 was the Homecoming Football Game. Everyone was welcomed to attend.