Submitted by sean on Sun, 03/01/2009 - 23:43

Chris Glasser was awarded the Men's Four Square World Championship title on Feb 28, 2009. This is the first time in the five year history of the world champs that the men's title has come home to the Boston area. Chris, currently from Somerville, MA, yet clearly holding some affiliation with Louisville, is pictured here with his towering golden trophy.

Gallery
2009 Champs
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Submitted by lindsay Sainlar (not verified) on Mon, 03/02/2009 - 11:57

is this real? this is amazing. LOUISVILLE what!!!!!!!

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Submitted by Denis Towers (not verified) on Fri, 06/12/2009 - 01:28

The game is played everywhere here. Most schools have now set up courts - painted for the young folks.
My 13 yr old son plays a mean game
He is calling me right now for "the Big Game" ... so you'll have to excuse me.
The real big game here used to be the Wall game.
We use tennis balls nearly all the time here. And a high bouncer
He's going off crook that i go out to play.

I am now nearly 59.
I have only been playing four-square since 2 months post my second last heart operation - at 56.
So far, I have cleaned up all comers, even those in their 20's: so if you'd like to send some better opposition from the States, we'd sure like to see some.
But remember, much time we just play 2 square [2 people to 20 points], AND we use a tennis ball.

I never really played this game before.
I played alot of Wall downball back before the mid-80's.
We developed a State league here.
I was also lucky enough to remain undefeated in doubles back then.

Must go they are calling me for "The Big Game"

- Denis Towers
[Melbourne, Australia - the sports Mecca of the World]

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Submitted by Denis Towers (not verified) on Sun, 06/14/2009 - 08:32

Now I have some more time, I'll put a bit more 'pen to papaer' on the topic.
Whether it was the wall reverse/rebound handball game back in the '60's (more or less 'four square' off the wall) or whether the more modern fad - "four square", both of these games, in their separate time zones, have been by far the most popular pick-up games in many countries - at least, that we have been able to ascertain. I have been a physical educator; so we did just a little research - not enough to make an authoritative statement.
In most places in Australia, for both these games, the tennis ball has been the prime tool of the game. I noticed, however, that back in the 1970's, in Western Australia, many used a volleyball for the wall game. My son tells me that at many Victorian high schools now, they use a 'high bouncer', which is much the same size as a tennis ball, but without the covering, and the ball has a slight 'pump' in its bounce.
In most high schools and primary schools here, courts have been formally painted onto the ground. I would think mostly, the dimensions of each square are of side lengths of about 7 feet - maybe 8 feet in some schools. Using a tennis ball, I would figure that 7 feet is probably quite a fair court size. I understand you Americans use larger sizes because of using larger balls - ball-size being quite a definitive factor ;)

The South Australians like to claim they have some formal competition somewhere, though I can't remember where.
Back in the 80's, when the great popular game was the wall game, we, in Melbourne, established the Victorian Downball-Veeball Association, and ran formal State titles every year and some local titles during the year. Our first singles title holder was Jason Goodwin. Dr Lloyd Gunatilake and myself were the first doubles title holders - in fact, we never lost a game or even dropped a set during the entirety, remaining undefeated.

Recently, I picked up this four square game with my young son when I was about 56 - months after a heart operation.
We play a pretty mean game. So if you'd like to send some American boys over here, we promise to 'clean them up'!LOL
Do you think they'd be willing to pay $1000's for a trip to Australia where they are just as likely to get cleaned up???!

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Submitted by Denis Towers (not verified) on Sun, 06/21/2009 - 11:07

I've had more time to think about this claim you're making re your holding of "World Championships". It is just not real to announce a world champion where almost no one outside USA even knew you were running such, nor, really, that You just happen to run World Championships.
I think the best you can do is put up open advertising [as we did for our state championships here in Victoria, Australia, in the 1980's] ... put up multi-media advertising in each country that might be interested in entering [you'll need to do research], invite them to play-off their own national champion representatives, and invite the national reps over and provide billeting for them. Obviously, they'll have to pay their own ways over, if you'll host them properly there.
In the meantime, you'll run your own national championships [You can't just run 'World championships' with almost only American nationals in them]. You just run your own 'American Open' there.
Each year a different country gets to host the World Championships, and you'll have to play to their variant of the game.
Here, we mainly use tennis balls, and squares about 7' X 7'.
We also play two square for the play offs between 2 players.
Very fair that way.

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Submitted by Hernando Herrera (not verified) on Fri, 06/26/2009 - 09:15

Wahoowa! The University of Virginia toasts one of her graduates... well done! Charles Mullikin would be proud too! # 716, CLAS '89

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Submitted by Denis Towers (not verified) on Mon, 06/29/2009 - 13:14

It's certainly the same four-square downball game all right, Guys, that you play - also played here in Australia: I've seen your rules and also watched a number of matches over there in the US on youtube.
It's certainly the same game, but the tennis ball moves much faster; so the squares are smaller than yours.

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Submitted by Denis Towers (not verified) on Mon, 06/29/2009 - 13:18

What you need to organize now are proper, genuine, international tournaments. I've thrown the gauntlet down, and suggested a workable format. The ball is now in your court.

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Submitted by badass (not verified) on Thu, 08/27/2009 - 20:06

we play 4 square ....... street style all with our own crews and shit goes down on the courts