My Hopes for the Game Cornerball©

1. To teach the game while children are most receptive to learning.

2. To make the game second nature to the children, so that when they become preteens they are proud of their accomplishments.

3. So that girls and boys enter middle school on equal terms in sports. Neither will have to fear embarrassment, by tripping or missing a basket, in front of new friends or the opposite sex.

4. As they become older, they can use their expertise to teach younger children the game. Guiding younger children will make them more responsible teens.

5. Hopefully they will become so good in sports, they will earn sport scholarships to the college of their choice.

Hello, my name is Ruth Mellberg. I am a retired nurse; who has worked with pregnant teens, unwanted babies, abused and battered elderly people, teens, children and infants, high-risk pregnancies, high-risk infants, healthy newborns and well children. For 32 years I have been concerned with the care of others and what caused the situations of their lives.

Cornerball© was invented because I have found children have boundless energy and enthusiasm. If taught young, they can learn anything. They learn early to be proud of their accomplishments. They want to share their accomplishments with others. They lead each other by showing each other.

I have raised 2 daughters, while married and divorced. I have lived in 6 states of the United States, and it has never stopped to amaze me how few safe, no-contact sports there are for 5-10 year olds to play.

One of my daughters had spinal problems and could not play contact sports. She went into swimming and life guarding. My other daughter had a seizure disorder. She excelled in dancing and Tae Kwon do, where she wore full safety gear. None of these activities lead to scholarships. I, myself, have not been active in any sports. All the children I have seen playing basketball seem to gather under the net and just throw the ball up and wait for it to come down. Seems like a waste of time to me.

Flying in a plane, one day, pictures of a court and rules for a game popped in my head. I wrote them down on a napkin. Over the last 3 years, the game Cornerball© came into being.

It is a form of basketball with a different court layout, lower net, and smaller ball. The children learn it in phases at a slower pace and receive points easier. The net raises and the ball increases in size as they progress in age and height. They have exercises to do; to give them the skills needed to make points for their team. They learn new terms, good sportsmanship, and good conduct. 2 children can easily find 2 other children at the park or on a playground to play a game. One family with 2 children usually has friends with 2 children to play a game.

Older scouts and 4-H children can teach younger children for credit. Being responsible for younger children teaches teens there's more to life. It validates their existence's and gives them a reason to be proud of their accomplishments. Hearing younger children's fears makes them realize theirs aren't so bad. Being looked-up-to by young children slows down their taking on bad habits. It's a win-win situation.

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