An innovative and revolutionized sport has been developed and a new modern athlete is in demand. It is a combination of soccer, handball, and basketball, and requires a blend of old and new tactics. It is the ability to improvise with your feet, hustle with your hands, and to move quickly across the field.
Enter Kronum, a fast paced, action packed, and unpredictable new sport. At first glance, the field may seem chaotic, but the rules are simple. The field is divided into several zones, which indicates the style of play and the number of points a team receives when scored. It is played by two teams and ten players from each team occupy the field at once. The game is divided into three phases of 20 minutes and during that time, the main goal is to score as many points as possible into the opposing team’s net.
Kronum was invented in the United States in 2008. The professional league is located in Philadelphia, Pa., and has begun to expand, especially here in West Chester. It takes elements from different sports and challenges athletes’ ability and endurance. “Join the Revolution” is the main philosophy of Kronum and their aim is to merge athletes from all different sports into one game.
This season there are six teams, roughly 90 professional players. The Kronum League has cut back on players this season in order to make the game more competitive. Anthony Barbera, a senior at West Chester University, became involved in Kronum three years ago. Barbera, an original player and Founding Father, was intrigued by the concept of the game and is currently a player for the Jet Sets.
“I play lacrosse for West Chester, but Kronum is much different. It challenges all of the skills that I have learned from playing other sports and combines them into one mega sport,” Barbera said.
Each kronum team consists of different players and positions: wedge backs, rangers, and crossers. The wedge backs, also known as goalies, are responsible for defending the goals when the opposing team has possession using their arms and hands only. The rangers are positioned in front of the wedge backs and must assist in defending or scoring throughout a game. They have the opportunity to score from three or four point zones of a particular goal throughout the game. The last position is the crossers, who may compare to a point guard in basketball. Their main focus is to gain possession of the ball, in order to give the ball to players on their own team who can score more easily.
Each position is crucial to the team, as any of the players have the chance to score or guard the other team from scoring. Possession of the ball may change quickly, so players must be able to adapt to offensive or defensive positions. As in rugby, physical contact is allowed, so players must be cautious of the position of the ball and players.
The field is designed with four different zones: cross zone, flex zone, goal zone, and the wedge zone. The point system is counted depending on which zone the shot was taken from, similar to basketball, but the goal is much different than any American sport. The goal, known as the chamber, is designed so that players have a wide range of scoring opportunities. On the chamber is a forward up arch, named the crown, which consists of crown rings. The crown rings are five open rings, which doubles the points if scored. Players may score points by throwing, kicking, or heading the ball into the goal.
Each phase of the game is full of adrenaline, speed, and physical contact. The media has shown great interest in Kronum and it has been seen on ESPN’s TV show SportsNation. Those involved in Kronum are eager to spread the word about the new sport. They are using social networks in order to tell about Kronum and to allow fans and players to interact and share experiences with one another.
Anyone interested in learning more about Kronum may visit Maples Sport Zone in Garden Valley, which is located ten to 15 minutes outside of West Chester. Kronum teams play there every Sunday between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Registration is still open to anyone interested in playing for a Kronum League and for more information visit Kronum.com.
Jennifer Mika is a fifth-year student majoring in English, minoring in journalism. She can be reached at JM653231@wcupa.edu.