Scouts build gaga ball pit in Richford

Girl Scouts, Kaitlyn Babcock and Joslyn Wright, of Richford Girl Scout Troop 40276, earned their Silver Award by planning and building a gaga ball pit in Richford’s Rawley Park on Route 38, the weekend of Nov. 3-4, with the help of family and friends.   

Kaitlyn and Joslyn spent the summer raising funds through coin-toss games at various town events and by asking for donations from local businesses to make the Richford gaga ball pit a reality.

Never heard of gaga ball? Gaga ball is basically a gentler version of dodge ball. Instead of being played in a gym, it is played in a special octagon-shaped pit. A gaga ball is like a kickball and the object of the game is for players to try to hit the others below the knee with the ball, causing them to be “out”, which requires them to leave the pit. The last man standing is the winner of the game.

Why is it named gaga ball? The game originated in Israel, where the word “ga” means hit. At the start of each gaga ball game, all the players are inside the walls of the pit, someone will throw the ball in the air and when as it bounces, the players are supposed to shout “ga” for the first two bounces, and for the third bounce they yell “ball” after which the ball is in play and the game has begun.

If you’ve never tried it, you just may want to gather some friends or family, head down to the park, and give it a try.