The University of Miami is the first university in the nation to host Budgetball, a new sport developed in response to the economic crises.
The purpose of the game is to provide students with a fun way to experience debt management and learn saving and spending strategies.
Budgetball is a variation of Ultimate Frisbee combined with tactical budget planning.
Recent UM graduate Steven Siegal is in charge of the event on behalf of the Office of the President. He started working on this project in August 2008 and is now seeking volunteers.
“I really want people to get excited about this. It’s going to be a huge event,” Siegal said.
The budgetball tournament is scheduled to take place Saturday, April 18, on the intramural fields outside the Wellness Center. There will be food and prizes for everyone who attends.
During the week leading up to the event, there will be activities and giveaways in the Breezeway and at the Rock. There will also be a screening of the documentary I.O.U.S.A., which is the economic equivalent to the environment’s An Inconvenient Truth. This movie is going to be shown on the Green but a date has not been set yet.
On Feb. 18, Siegal led an information session about being on the planning committee for Budgetball. He explained the details of the event and the potential time commitment to the students who attended.
According to Siegal, UM is not funding the event and all the funds are coming from the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, the National Academy of Public Administration and sponsorships.
“I can’t wait to get started. We get to be the ones that show everyone else how it’s done,” said Amy Wilson, a sophomore.
In Fall 2009, Budgetball is expected to be played on many other college campuses, such as Harvard University and the University of Washington. UM is the only university able to make the event possible in the spring.
Students interested in helping out or being in charge of a committee should contact Steven Siegal at s.siegal@umiami.edu