Heave It like Hoover: No Prohibition Against Playing the Former Prez's Favorite Sport

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HERBERT HOOVER HAS gone down in history as the president associated with the Great Depression, not the great physique. But back when he lived at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, he was bent on keeping in shape. His workout of choice: A game invented for him by White House physician Admiral Joel T. Boone, soon dubbed "Hooverball."

The objective was simple: Chuck a medicine ball over a volleyball net as quickly as possible, and hope your opponents can't catch it and throw it back to you. "It required less skill than tennis, was faster and more vigorous, and therefore gave more exercise in a short time," Hoover wrote in his memoirs.

Although it never managed to catch on with the masses, the sport lives on in Hoover's hometown of West Branch, Iowa — and Baltimore's Patterson Park.

"We get to throw around heavy things. What's not to like?" says Greg Ealick, 45. He's part of the Charm City crew, which formed nine years ago after one of them heard a report on NPR about nationals in Iowa. Without understanding the specifics, they decided to train to compete the next year and proceeded to practice on a sandy court (rather than friendlier grass) with 8- and 12-pound hard rubber balls (instead of the standard soft 4- or 6-pounders).

"You couldn't type for days afterward because we'd jam all of our fingers," recalls George Cerny, 37.

But they made it to West Branch, where the locals warmly welcomed their fellow Hooverball enthusiasts, taught them how not to injure themselves and then beat them in every match. The Baltimoreans didn't take defeat too hard, and they've kept playing and returning to Iowa each August.

What started as a bit of a joke has become a beloved hobby. "It's a weird, fun thing to do," explains Ron Zucker, 44. "I'm an old fat guy, and it's a great workout. I'm not going to motivate otherwise."

Indeed, Hooverball is an effective exercise regimen. Four pounds may not sound heavy, but when you have to fling it 30 feet in the air or grab it as it hurtles toward you, it suddenly seems much heftier. "Weight lifting is the best thing to prepare," says Kristin Richards, 27. "I still struggle to get the ball over the net."

Her boyfriend, Steve Mell, 26, learned she wasn't kidding during his debut game. "I thought it was going to be easy until I caught it for the first time. It knocked the wind out of me," he says.

Playfulness adds to the calorie burn — Cerny tends to pirouette as he releases the ball to give it extra spin, catches are often accompanied by dives and somersaults, and you'd better prepare for soreness if you get into a "slam." That's when two players stare each other down and have a toss-off. "You're trying to wear the other guy down. You throw it right at each other," explains organizer Earl Millett, 34.

Shawn Petersen, 36, who's known for his signature spike — like in volleyball, but it has to travel to the back half of the court — describes Hooverball as all the exercise he needs. "It's a game you can play once a week and feel like you're getting a full-body workout," says Petersen, who got something else while perfecting his game: his wife, Shelly. (Their wedding cake was shaped like a Hooverball.)

No matter how much they love the sport, they haven't found affection for it in D.C. Millett's attempts to get a game going on the White House's South Lawn (where Hoover played virtually every day at 7 a.m.) or the National Mall have been rebuffed by authorities. They're probably jealous they don't have a sport named after them.

OUT TO THE BALL GAME
Anyone's welcome to join the gang in Patterson Park. Just sign up for the listserv by e-mailing Baltimorehooverball-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. And Ron Zucker (Ron@motherzucker.com) is looking to start a D.C.-area game if enough people are interested.

Photos by Kevin Dietsch for Express