Sport of the Month London Frescoball

What is frescoball?

Frescoball/Frescobol is a popular beach sport, similar to beach tennis, which was founded on the beaches of Copacabana in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It has very much an artistic sport, similar to rhythmic gymnastics, skating and synchronised swimming, usually played as singles or doubles. Players work together to keep the ball in the air for as long as possible and are judged on artistic merit by a referee. The game is played in 3-minute intervals and team that accumulates the most ball exchanges is declared the winner. Points are also allocated for flare and flamboyance, skill and the power, speed and degree of difficulty of the returns.

Frescoball has developed into one of the most frequently played beach games in Latin America, Caribbean, Australia, USA and even in the UK, in particular London.

Frescoball is governed by The Federation of Frescobol Gaucho (FEGAFRE) in Brazil, with official championships held in Brazil and USA.

Benefits of frescobol

Frescoball is a truly aerobic sport providing a significant number of benefits, including improvements in physical condition, flexibility, reflexes, movement around the court and mental strength. Players burn up to 820 calories per hour, which is high given that the average runner will burn around 1000 calories in the same period.

Frescoball makes great use of the urban surroundings and can be played in various locations where the ground is flat, including on the beach, in parks, sport halls and indoor sand arenas.

How do I start frescoball in London?

For a basic introduction to frescoball and to take part in practice and games in London, you can join the Superflex Frescoball Club. Beginners are very welcome.

Racket sports including tennis and badminton provide a good foundation for starting frescoball, as they teach you ball and wrist control, good agility and hand and eye coordination. There are a number of different frescoball styles which players may use including freestyle, radical and specialist.

Future plans for frescoball in the UK

Stephen Griffith from the London Frescoball Project would like to secure funding for a large enough indoor sand court where Frescoball and beach tennis can be played all year round. One of the future dreams of all the UK Frescoball players is to build a team strong enough to travel to Brazil to compete in the Frescobol championships.

Further information?

Visit www.frescobol.vai.la (Brazilian language) or email Stephen at frescobol.uk@googlemail.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/frescobol4uk

Photos:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/frescobol

Frescoball in action:

http://www.youtube.com/user/Tennis0boundaries
http://www.youtube.com/user/Tennis0boundaries#play/all/favorites-all/2/axLU0bz-U_0