Starting this year, a resurgence of classic backyard games has swept the nation, with teenagers across the United States reviving recreational pastimes such as frisbee, wiffle
ball, cornhole, spikeball, and especially hacky sack. The recent comeback of these sports has reached student life at Princeton High School as well, with students all across
campus participating. With little equipment necessary and a spontaneous nature, these backyard games are bringing students together, encouraging them to unplug and stay
active throughout the day.

### Hacky Sack

The origins of hacky sack can typically be traced back to
1972 at a local festival in Oregon, where co-inventors Mike
Marshall and John Stalberger met. Marshall introduced
his friend to a hobby learned from his time with Native
Americans, kicking a bean bag back and forth for hours on
end. Entranced by this rudimentary but engaging hobby,
they birthed their company Hacky Sack.

Starting in the Northeast just after spring break, many
high schoolers were introduced to the new sport. Spreading
like a wildfire through social media, schools have even
started forming hacky-sack teams that range from the
varsity level to exclusively freshman. PHS has decided to
join in on the fun too.

Most recently, PHS varsity sacks has been participating
in a state wide hacky sack tournament featuring a $4,000
prize for first place. Each submission consists of a video,
showcasing one round of hacky sack, with the public
voting for the winner. Members of PHS’s own varsity sack
team have been putting up flyers to promote participation
in voting. Winning both the rounds of 64 and 32, this
strategy seems to be working. The future success of our
varsity sack team rides on both the skills they can bring to
the table and the school spirit we can back them up with.

These sacks are technically called foot bags, with Hacky
Sack being just a brand name. But nevertheless, retailers
of all kinds are scrambling to keep up with the demand.
Co-owner Joanne Farrugia at Princeton’s local toy shop
Jazams emphasizes this point.

“We brought in several hundred and then sold out pretty
quickly, and then brought in more, sold out pretty quickly”
said Farrugia. “Now we have another huge order coming
in. So, hopefully that will last a little while.”

With this craze infecting the hallways of PHS, students
have been finding every chance to play. Many see this
revival being a good thing for the students, with one being
Marion Walsh ’29.

“I think it benefits society because people are together,
having fun, [getting] physical exercise, [and] forming
friendships and bonds over such a beautiful game,” said
Walsh. “It’s just a part of my life now, and I wouldn’t have
it any other way.”

The hold that hacky sack has on this generation can
be attributed to its sociable and simple nature. Constant
overlap in action forces communication, making hacky
sack a great way to build connections. Along with this,
all that is needed is a sack smaller than the size of your
palm, allowing games to take place anywhere, anytime.

### Frisbee

Another backyard game that is popular in the
United States today is frisbee. Although activities
similar to frisbee can be dated back to the 8th century
B.C., the sport was mainstreamed in the United
States after the inventor Fred Morrison created a
plastic disc inspired by flying saucers. Since then,
frisbee has grown into a sport played in at least 70
countries around the world.

Frisbee encompasses many different playstyles,
ranging from ultimate frisbee to disc golf. Ultimate
Frisbee is played in a similar way to American football,
except that instead of a football, players throw a disc
around. In recent years, many competitive Ultimate
leagues have been established across the United
States for all ages. Disc Golf is usually perceived as
a more casual way to play frisbee, usually found in
parks or on beaches.

Since many frisbee games can be played either
competitively or casually, the sport impacts all kinds
of PHS students, one of them being PHS Frisbee
Club Captain Julian Grossman ’28.

“[If you’re] on the same team, it’s a very good
bonding experience,” said Grossman. “[You] get
[to] exercise and be with friends.”

Grossman has been the captain of the club since
the start of the 2025 school year and his love for
frisbee stems from its uniqueness. Many students
specifically choose frisbee over other sports because
they value the sport for the people that they can
bond with and get to know while playing.

### Spikeball

Ever since its appearance on Shark Tank in 2015, Spikeball
has taken the world by storm. The company has managed
to sell over five million nets since then and the sport has
become a staple part of recreational backyard or beach
hangouts.

Similar to how wiffle ball is modeled off of baseball,
Spikeball is a hybrid of volleyball and four square. Two
teams of two players take turns bouncing a ball back and
forth off of an ankle high circular net. Each team gets up
to three touches — similar to volleyball — to pass the ball
and spike it back onto the net. If a team misses the net, hits
the rim, or uses too many touches, a point is awarded to
the opposing team.

This backyard game has intrigued PHS students so much
that they have decided to form a club. Run by Romy Johnson
’26 along with other PHS students, the club provides an
environment for students to enjoy Spikeball while meeting
new people in the process.

“I think it’s just a fun activity for me to do with my
friends. It doesn’t require you to be super athletic, and it’s
not like you’re getting tired because you’re just standing
there, but it’s still fun and engaging,” said Johnson.

There are other factors that also may influence the
appeal to Spikeball. Many people enjoy the connections
that they are able to make with friends while playing while
others view the game as a break from studying or work.

Spikeball’s appeal may also come from its convenience.
The entire setup fits inside a drawstring bag, which allows
people to play it in various environments. But what
makes Spikeball stand out from other backyard games?

“Spikeball is a bit more interactive, it’s a bit more
intense, getting the ball onto the net, running for it
sometimes, there’s [these] fun moments that come out
of it,” said Ethan Tang ’29. “Something like catch [is] just
boring. There’s not a lot of stuff that happens.”

photo: Katherine Chen

Left to right: Moksh Rajpal ’28, Nikola Tholens ’28, Bruno Giacoppo ’28, and Lucius Rufo ’28 play hacky sack by the flagpole.

Backyard games make a comeback

While skeptics claim that the success given by the home 
field advantage is nothing but a sports cliché, many athletes 
see it as a catalyst for improved performance, with scientific 
studies like those performed by the National Institute 
of Health (NIH) backing up this phenomenon. For both 
athletes and fans, understanding the home field advantage 
reveals how sports results can be shaped by the energy 
of spectators and the increased confidence attributed to 
being in a familiar space, either through impacting players 
mentally, physically, or not at all. By observing how players 
perform differently in varying atmospheres, teams may 
better understand why some athletes may — or may not 
— prefer playing on their home turf.

According to a study by the NIH, playing in an unfamiliar 
space often makes players feel disoriented. This is most 
likely attributed to the theory of “social facilitation,” where 
individuals find difficulty in adjusting to new environments 
due to a lack of familiarity and recognition with the space. 
Familiar faces, textures, locations, and sounds are all stimuli 
that can create a sense of ease and comfort within a player’s 
mind, providing them with the necessary means to perform 
their best.

“At home, because we know the space better, … I have 
better ... spatial awareness,” said volleyball player Lily Cao 
’28. “When we play against Notre Dame, they have really 
low ceilings in the gym ... It’s a lot bigger of a space so [we] 
just [have] to be aware of the low ceilings.”

In addition to giving opposing players an extra burden by 
forcing them to adjust to a new environment, this advantage 
can also be beneficial to the home team because they have 
more fans in the bleachers. Occasionally, when the home 
team has a large student section, it can distract the other 
team, giving the home team a slight edge in a close game.

When facing players whose performance may be affected 
by their emotions, it can be advantageous to play them 
at home to gain a competitive edge. A study conducted 
by the National Library of Medicine shows that shifts in 
momentum can have a measurable impact on scoring 
potential as a psychological factor that affects behavior 
and mindset in games. Momentum occurring during 
sports games often leads to significant performance 
variation that can result in positive net points differences 
for specific teams. 

However, this does not always provide a clear advantage 
for the home team. With a strong team that can stay 
positive mentally while facing adversity, the players can 
still perform successfully.

“People are generally going to encourage each other … 
so I think if anything, we see more positive help there than 
negative,” said Track and Field Coach Jennifer Smolyn.

Sometimes, the home crowd can be the sole determinant 
between a loss and a win. Having bleachers full of fans 
cheering them on pushes athletes to work their hardest 
and creates an energetic environment that players can 
use to motivate themselves.

“Having people in the bleachers definitely gets [us] more 
hyped and having [fans] definitely brings the energy,” said 
Cao. “More support from the crowd can give players the 
momentum they need to perform better.”

However, in some cases, the crowd can negatively impact 
players’ performance by increasing pressure. Players with 
less experience may feel anxious when their friends, peers, 
and family watch them from the stands. Hence, even 
though these fans are trying to cheer the players on, they 
can sometimes have the opposite effect if a player has a 
fear of being judged or criticized for their performance.

While the home field advantage often provides 
experienced players with a sense of familiarity and a boost 
in morale, it can also negatively impact less experienced 
players due to the discomfort brought by large crowds 
and audiences. However, regardless of a player’s position, 
level, or experience, athletes may strive to play their best 
and strengthen their mentality through participating in 
countless games and tournaments. The roar of the crowd 
can have a huge impact on the outcome of a game, and 
continues to be a timeless aspect of professional sports 
that we see today.

Photo: Jasur Agzamov

PHS students cheer on girls ice hockey player Julia  Ruzich ’26 at a game against Newark East Side. Top, left to right: Leah Borenstein ’26, Ronin Scott ’26, Quinn Gallagher ’26; Bottom, left to right: Amanda Strapp, Gracie DePrince ’26, Marisa Consoli ’26, Olivia DeLuca ’26, Sofia DiGioacchino ’26.

Meilan Hagt's Work