About

What is Street Racket?

This new, innovative movement and activity concept from Switzerland is available anytime and anywhere to anyone. In a very short period of time, this multi-award-winning concept is played, enjoyed and promoted in more than 30 countries already. Within only two years of existence Street Racket had a big impact for active schools, communities and people in general around the world, mainly in central Europe (where Street Racket is based). Alone, in pairs or in groups, indoors and outdoors and at all playing levels. It is practically free of charge and requires no infrastructure, except a solid ground (even gravel, short gras and hardened sand/beach works just fine). And above all it's very versatile with over 300 games and variations - just draw your own court and play!

New forms are invented by us or our partners or even the players themselves all the time, we want people to engage and also become creative. The basic rules (no volley, no downplay) should be followed by all and by new forms of playing as this is essential to the concept of successful sports and education development. And all the other positive aspects we include in the concept will be promoted much more effectively by sticking to the characteristic rules!"

How it started:

Marcel Straub and his family who wanted to take a break in 2015 and decided to use this special time to do voluntary work. Based on their backround they agree to support "Sport Aid Dominica" by introducing table tennis to the beautiful island of Dominica in the Caribbean. 

Arriving with 13 suitcases of donated material and three little kids they realize very soon that there are almost no table tennis tables in this country. To save the trip, Marcel started to draw the outline of those missing tables directly onto the ground with some chalk. This idea needed some adjustments in the months after but still, worked just fine. The Dominican sports teachers started playing some kind of new racket sport on the floor.

Thats how the first form of Street Racket was invented and there was a lot of excitement from the very start - as the setting was so simple but yet effective. No one knew it as this time, but it was also the start of a life changing adventure for a family of six and many people in the process ... 

Back in Switzerland, the thought of being able to play racket sports with no infrastructure (the courts are drawn in a few seconds onto the ground) fascinated Rahel and Marcel and they developed the idea further until they found the perfect shape and systems of the courts, matching rules and the ideal equipment to put it all into action. Street Racket was born! 

It quickly grew bigger and bigger, it moved more and more people until the day arrived where it all became too big to handle. Next to the regular (well paid) jobs and the (amazing) family life the big question now was: “are we in it for real or do we quit this amazing idea because it's too risky to build a life on a dream"?

“Be courageous and follow your heart, live your dream and don't dream your life” is one the main principles of the Street Racket founders Rahel and Marcel. And so they quit their (beloved) jobs and are since then working full time for their own movement concept Street Racket!

Street Racket wants to promote healthy activities and well being, but it also wants to bring people together in sport and help build up integration as well as self esteem for all the players involved. Street Racket reaches out to all, no matter what age group or what playing level - and it can be enjoyed everywhere. There is so much potential to move all generations - especially since the simple but different rules make sure that everyone is even in the many game forms the concept has to offer ... find out for yourselves and rock the street with us!

Street Racket for Schools:

Street Racket, the new, innovative and very versatile Swiss movement game brings healthy, social and fun activities to every school – and far beyond. Street Racket transforms any surface into a sports- and playground where people come together!

Street Racket makes good use of the existing infrastructure, outdoors and indoors. The courts can easily be done by hand in a few seconds with some chalk, paint, spray or duct tape and they can vary in size to adapt to any given surface. D o you want more intensity or focus on accuracy? Would you rather play on the ground or against a wall? It’s your choice. Just draw your court and play!

Street Racket reaches out to all! We can move anyone, anytime and anywhere in a very safe and sustainable way. The many game forms can be enjoyed alone, in pairs or in groups at any age and any playing level. And it’s very easy to create exciting variations of the game or come up with entirely new forms! Once you’ve experienced the many positive aspects of Street Racket you can infect your friends, family and neighbors with the virus – and play together wherever you like. The simple but very effective rules are the key to long rallies and rhythmic sequences of play and action combined with ideal motorskill learning! Control and the mastery of some basic skills are the key (Street Racket is not made for hard hitters), which is also essential for any other kind of racket sport. That’s why Street Racket is the perfect instrument to engage girls WITH boys, the young WITH the elderlies and top players WITH beginners. We promote equal opportunity and gender equality and put the focus on cooperation before competition. By now we have developed more than 200 ways of playing Street Racket along the basic rules, and many more will follow.

While engaging in Street Racket, players will benefit in many ways. The improvement of health and motor skills as well as increasing overall movement competence and body perception. The experience of feelings of success, motivation and belonging. The positive emotions of creating your own game and then trying it out with others or turning your schoolyard or backyard into your own place of action all by yourself. Street Racket is so much more than “just” another racket and ball game….

Street Racket is very successfully fighting some of the biggest health and social issues of our time. INACTIVITY, OBESITY, DIABETES, MYOPIA, SOCIAL ISOLATION and ACCIDENTS (through the decrease of balance and coordination due to inactivity and lack of training options). By doing so Street Racket can also reduce the enormous expenses caused by these problems on a potentially very large scale …. As a squad member of the departement for education and sport for the city of Zurich, cofounder Marcel Straub was in charge of the centre for competence in physical education for 10 years, thereby promoting sustainable (school) sports. He was responsible for the physical education programs of all 115 schools and created quality instruments for active schools with his motivated team. Among other things, centre for competence in PE supported the approximately 1,400 sports teaching teachers in their day-to-day work and created professional teaching materials for practical implementation (such as the renown “box for competence” in physical education).

No structures to set up or to build, no special materials, no logistics, no maintenance. Just draw and play! The rules are simple, no special infrastructure is needed, and you only require a racket and a ball, as well as chalk (or paint, tape, sports markers) to make the courts. We are also happy to advise you on a sustainable, movement friendly room or open space design at your school, such as permanent courts (with street paint or special spray) or even for versatile, interdisciplinary projects around the topic of Street Racket with some exciting daily or weekly modules. Street Racket can be used in physical education, in the free time, within the class or for the whole school, for any kind of school events, for active breaks, for sports days or for extra school sport and lessons after class. Street Racket is also effective and innovative for learning through movement. Lessons in mathematics, language training and other subjects no longer take place sitting still, while motivation, focus and concentration decrease quickly, but in an active, social and healthy way. A child should not and does not want to be kept quiet for too long - with Street Racket those important short movement sequences are immediately possible.

Get your school curriculum here: