Local presenter showcases "Z ball" to Pickens County trustees, seeks school pilot

Scott Arbina, a community presenter, introduced Z ball to the Pickens County School District Board of Trustees on Oct. 27, describing it as a new, non-contact ball sport that he has piloted in physical education classes at Daniel High School and demonstrated at Clemson.

"The game is called Z ball," Arbina told the board, adding that the ball fits in players' hands and the sport uses a three-foot 'safety zone' to limit contact. He said equipment costs are low — "just the ball right there, which is about $12 on Amazon" — and that the sport can be taught quickly: "it takes about 10 minutes to teach you." Arbina said he hopes to run PE demonstrations in January and organize a field day or intramurals by May, with a longer-term goal of interscholastic club play among the county's four high schools.

The presentation included video highlights from a Nettles Park scrimmage and demonstrations with Daniel High School students. Arbina said the sport started as girls-only but grew to include boys after positive reception in school demos; he described the goalie as remaining on the scoring team to encourage more balanced, team-oriented outcomes.

Board members and others asked clarifying questions about prior demonstrations and student reaction. Arbina said a local television station had covered the activity and that he would invite trustees to a future indoor exhibition. No formal board action was requested or taken at the meeting.

Arbina was joined in his description by references to Daniel High School PE teacher Ms. Dover and to demonstrations at Clemson. He emphasized safety and accessibility as selling points for schools considering the sport.