Wallyball royalty held a free clinic at the Mountlake Terrace Recreation Pavilion on Monday night, and racquetball courts will never be the same.

Hannah Cassius, daughter of George Cassius, one of the inventors of Wallyball, with her fiancé and fellow coach, Reid Backstrom, introduced new players to the sport with the Mountlake Terrace Recreation and Parks department.

Eight people, ranging from teens to adults, attended the clinic to learn more about the sport, which is similar to beach volleyball but much faster-paced.

“It feels like a pinball machine when you’re in [the court],” Backstrom said.

Part of what makes the sport so fast is that you can play off the wall with bank shots. But if the ball hits the back wall, it’s out of bounds.

Cassius explained that playing the ball off the wall will change the spin and the velocity, adding to the game’s pace. She added that although Wallyballs are rubber — ideal for added bounce and speed — one can still play the game with a common volleyball.

Recreation Supervisor Danielle Ladd explained that Wallyball is not new to Mountlake Terrace. The Recreation Pavilion has had a regular weekly group of about 15 players, some in their 70s, for years.

“[Cassius] was wearing her Wallyball merch, which was awesome,” Ladd said. “They thought they were meeting a movie star.”

Wallyball was created in Illinois in 1971, expanded to California in 1979, and eventually went worldwide, with a player base of over 15,0000,000 in over 85,300 facilities. The American Wallyball Association was formed as the official governing body in 1989.

Cassius said, “We hope to expand to new groups as younger generations catch on.”

To learn more about Wallyball, including the rules and equipment needed, click here.

To find times and dates for Wallyball games at the Mountlake Terrace Recreation Pavilion, click here.

— Photos and story by Rick Sinnett