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The sky’s no limit for new city team
By GUY D’ASTOLFO
The first season of the Skyball League is over, and the Youngstown team is No. 1.
The Youngstown Ballers won the championship in a game that was broadcast Sunday morning on television stations in a half-dozen markets.
Skyball is the new sport created by Brian Kessler of Boardman that utilizes the high-bouncing helium-filled ball he invented.
The season began a couple of months ago with four teams, including the Tampa Dragons, the Austin Starz and the Los Angeles 405s, which lost to Youngstown in the title game by a score of 44-33. Kessler coached the 405s.
The eight members of the Ballers split a $40,000 purse. Team member Nick Dean of Girard scored 17 points in the title game and was chosen most valuable player, which netted him an additional $5,000. Other local players on the Ballers are Danny Aldish of Struthers and Jason Martin of Youngstown.
Kessler said the success of the Skyball League’s inaugural season exceeded his expectations, with the show (which aired on Fox Youngstown) growing to a million viewers per episode.
“We really only expected close to 250,000 weekly viewers and would have been thrilled if 350,000 people tuned in,” he said.
For season 2, the sport — which is similar to basketball but with a smaller ball and targets instead of a hoop — will be tweaked.
“We know we are derivative of other sports,” said Kessler, “but we hope to continue to enhance our game so it stands out as its own identity.”
Kessler, who self-funded the first season, plans to add more teams next season and also redraft the current teams.
He’s also looking to land a broadcasting deal.
In the long term, Kessler plans to introduce recreational Skyball leagues in communities.
Season one admittedly was a learn-as-you-go affair for Kessler.
“We had no idea of who would make great teams,” said Kessler. “We could talk for hours about what variables we looked for in choosing our teams, but one thing we found out is what we thought would make up a great team was different than what actually worked. For example, we thought basketball players would really shine, plus Tampa had practiced a lot together and we thought they really had the game down. In the end, these variables played a part but were not the magic formula. ... The teams we all believed were the best got blown away.”
League MVP Dean is the shortest player in the league at 5-foot-7. At age 19, he’s also the youngest. But he describes himself as “the most competitive person you’ll ever meet.”
He is a 2010 graduate of Girard High School, where he played football, basketball and baseball and ran track. Dean said each of those sports gave him skills that are needed in Skyball.
The endurance level he acquired from being a year-round athlete also served him well.
“You can get gassed really quick playing Skyball,” he said.
The Youngstown State University nursing major works at St. Elizabeth Health Center.