Our Story
I’m Steve Creelman, creator of Palmball. My sport traces its roots back to my UMass days. One Cape Cod summer, while at Nauset Beach, we forgot our Kadima Paddles. Growing restless with nothing to do, I found some beach rocks that were pretty big and flat, and used those rocks as paddles. It turned out to be incredibly fun. I took a bunch of rocks home and created courts, and started scoring with my friends. "Prehistoric Paddle" (PHP) had arrived!
We pitched Prehistoric Paddle to the Athletic Director at UMass, and he gave us the green light to teach PHP as a P.E. class. We were beyond excited. Our sport was now legit!
Over time, the courts, scoring, and strategy evolved. In 2005, The Squam Crew introduced "Bump-Set-Spike," revolutionizing our game forever. Now PHP played more like Beach Volleyball.
For years, an ever-changing core group of players got together weekly to play. Each season culminated with our PHP Invitational Tournament. Watch a couple of points, and you'll see why this sport is legitimate and competitive.
We love Prehistoric Paddle, but don't try it at home! These are big rocks, and the risk factor is real. Rocks will fly, and it's just not safe. So, I've kept our game local with a tight crew who respect the rock and prioritize safety.
All that changed during Covid Summer of 2020. In my garage, I took my young daughters' Rock Paddles, traced them, and created exact replica paddles made out of wood. Replacing rocks with wood paddles made it decidedly safer and much easier. My girls LOVED it!
Then, when I played with my high-level "PHP crew," the action was truly unbelievable. All summer, every time we played, people everywhere stopped and watched, asking, "What is that game? Where can I get it?" The crowd reaction was utterly mind-blowing.
Palmball creator Steve Creelman builds the original PalmPaddles in his garage.
Now my game wasn't dangerous anymore, and wood paddles can be mass-produced. Slowly, I realized that I simply have to drop everything and try to take my game to the people!
I was introduced to Ben Sturner, CEO of Leverage Sports Agency. He loved it, and three weeks later, we were hosting our first Palmball Tournament with world-class athletes showcasing incredible skill.
The following year, Ben introduced Olympic gold medal-winning volleyball star Phil Dalhausser to Palmball.
It didn’t take long for Phil to recognize the strong connection between volleyball and Palmball.
The skills you develop while playing Palmball translate seamlessly to volleyball, enhancing coordination, reflexes, and strategy.
Phil quickly became an integral part of the Palmball team, helping to showcase its potential and appeal to athletes everywhere.
