Twenty Years of Gola
As Overlake prepares for its 50th anniversary, this year marks an anniversary of another Owl tradition.
2017 marks the 20th anniversary of GOLA, the game held in Overlake’s Dean Palmer Field House. Created by longtime faculty, Bob Bristol, the game was invented to make use of every inch in the Field House at a time when gym space was limited.
There was only one gymnasium on campus back then, and, at times, three P.E. classes utilized the space. One class was always relegated to the upstairs, and that’s where Bristol got his brainchild. “The rules were based on the facilities,” says Bristol, “The height of the ball had to be at a lower level because the upstairs of the gym didn’t have a wall or netting. If it went over about three and a half feet, it would end up on the floor below.”
Taking advantage of an unused wrestling mat, GOLA combines many sports including volleyball and soccer.
Through the years, the game has changed, and Bristol believes that’s what keeps the game fresh to our Overlake students. “Everyone here has done it. I’ve seen the innovations come in. The young kids may play on their knees whereas the high school kids play on their feet,” says Bristol.
He recalls that the game's title, Gola, came from a Norwegian exchange student, and whenever he scored in soccer he’d yell ‘GOLA!’
Tying into the school’s upcoming 50th anniversary, Bristol says he’s working on a Gola tournament where a world champion will be crowned. We’ve included some Gola trivia and click the image below to see a diagram Bristol created of our Gola court.
Now get to practice!
Gola Trivia
- First world Champions, 1998: Justin Knox and Ethan Glynn, both class of 1998
- The Meehan: Gola move where a player plays the ball through his legs. Named after Paul Meehan, former PE teacher.
- The Schneble: Serve using the back of the hand to slice it to a corner. Named after John Schneble, another former PE teacher.
- Gola Masters: Justin Knox ’98, Sage Tweedie-Yates ’99, Alex Pickerell ‘01