Budgetball: A Fiscal Sport

Budgetball is a team-based sport designed to increase awareness of the budget deficit and reward strategic thinking and collaborative problem solving around the issues of fiscal responsibility and long-term debt management. Budgetball was designed by PETLab in collaboration with NYC design firm Area Code (now Zynga, New York) to raise the awareness of college students about the growing federal deficit. It turns the fairly abstract problems of the national debt into tangible and physical realities through fast-paced and competitive play punctuated by strategic decision-making. It’s been played at universities nationwide, culminating annually at a final tournament at the National Mall where college teams compete against congress and White House staffers. In the words of US Secretary General, Timothy Geithner: “…I support initiatives like Budgetball which seek to broaden public awareness of the need for responsible financial behavior in our private and public lives. A more fiscally and financially fit public is important to a healthier economy and more prosperous future.”