CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – When kids are elementary age, a lot of them look forward to gym class and sports like basketball or volleyball. At Barksdale Elementary, they look forward to “canball.”
Canball was invented at Barksdale by PE teacher Sandra Davis in the mid-1970s. The rules are simple: there are two teams of the same size that sit on both sidelines of the court. Every player on both teams has a designated number. One of the PE coaches will show a number, and the players with that number will race to pick up a basketball from the top of a large can. Each player gets two shots and can shoot from up close for 10 points or from farther out for 20, or what the PE staff calls a “double.” The player who gets the ball back to the can first also gets 1 point.
“We play it with every grade, K through 5th,” said former Barksdale PE teacher Mary Fisher. “We adjusted the goals so it was something everyone can do, and watching them improve as they got older, it was amazing to watch the progression. Even though it was just a game, their self-esteem raised a level that might sound silly, but I saw it, and it meant the world to those kids.”
There’s a lot more to this game than meets the eye, however. Whenever a student makes a double, it’s tracked on a leaderboard, which is kept track of throughout the school year. On the last day of school, the canball championship is played, with all of the leading double scorers from the year. It’s a big deal to those kids, and a lot of parents come to watch. It’s such a big deal that former “Voice of the Govs” Greg Walker announced the championship in 2009.
Continuing the tradition
When Fisher retired in 2010, PE coach and current Clarksville High basketball assistant coach Mike Head continued the tradition. He’s joined on his staff by Jackson Izatt and Gavin Hams, who were former pitchers at Rossview High and Clarksville High, respectively, and are now both coaching at their alma maters.
“When I got here, I knew nothing about the game,” said Head. “Immediately, I saw how much the kids enjoyed it and wanted to keep playing it. It’s something special that kids are always asking when we’re going to play.”
Canball has lasted generations, with some kids parents and even grandparents having played the same game they are now. It’s a game that to Fisher has a lifetime effect.
“My favorite memories are seeing former students that ask, ‘Do you remember when we played canball?” said Fisher. “They say canball was their favorite Barksdale memory, which makes an old teacher feel pretty good. It was a simple game, but the repercussions of it lasted a lifetime with these little kids.”
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