January 25, 2024 | SPORTS | By Olivia Xerras
January was filled with much excitement for students who decided to partake in Half Blocks. For some, Half Blocks are an opportunity to work, play, and get active, both indoors and outdoors. For my Half Block class, “When The Work is Fun: Creativity and Innovation at Mattel,” we did all of the above with economics professor, Dan Johnson and Associate Professor of music, Ryan Bañagale in Los Angeles. The class included a syllabus filled with little leisure and a whole lot of fun.
The course was primarily spent on-site at Mattel, where we learned about the toy development process, from ideation to the shelving, while gaining exposure to every developmental department at Mattel. However, course professors Johnson and Bañagale also wanted us to appreciate and explore what L.A. had to offer: they integrated many field trip opportunities across the long weekend, spanning from activities at the beach, museum visits, to exploring downtown Hollywood; the class truly received an immersive L.A. experience.
On Saturday, Jan. 13, the class was transported to Venice Beach where everyone had the option to walk a short three-mile length of the Venice Beach boardwalk. The class separated into five groups, which split up to seek out activities and fun along the way. The iconic skatepark, ample volleyball nets, running races, bikers and Muscle Beach were spotted along the path, which brought much excitement to my group of five.
What piqued the interest of the group, however, wasn’t any of the options listed; instead, this seemingly strange game that combined ping pong and volleyball caught our eyes as we strolled along the boardwalk.
What is this game, you may ask? Coined “Teqball,” originating in Hungary in 2012, the game has expanded across the globe and has managed to secure footing in the Venice Beach landscape.
Within the group, Isabella Wagenvoord ‘25 had the opportunity to play for the first time, saying, “It’s funny and slightly chaotic. It’s something that I imagine a lot of people haven’t experienced, but it’s surprisingly approachable, since it combines two popular sports in an intuitive way.”
The rules were described by a Teqball representative who was assigned to the free play center. The point of the game is to use any part of the body except the hands in singles or doubles to move a soccer or volleyball across to the other side. Every player or team is allowed to return the ball with a maximum of three touches. If played in teams, the teammates must pass the ball at least once to each other. Although we played with our hands, the monitor seemed unaffected and more amused that we were having so much fun.
Tobin Spiller ‘26, another player of the game adds, “Music was bumping, the sun was shining and the vibes were amazing… It was honestly a blast and I thoroughly enjoyed the unique sport.”
Spiller continues, “The team at Teqball brought us in with their enticing music and interesting product, and we stayed because the sport was actually very fun and exciting — overall a great time.”
Although Teqball might be a game that will stay on the beach, Zoraiz Zafar ‘24 tied the Half-Block to this unique game perfectly: “Seeing a hybrid version of table tennis and volleyball while enrolled in the Mattel course was very reminiscent of a core concept we learned a lot about: innovation.”
Not only did this innovative Half Block at Mattel bring some eye-opening career and learning experiences, but also a new phenomenon to think about in the sports world moving forward.
