Getting dirty helps keep Rockford clean

Registration fees are $250 per team. Registration closes at 5 p.m. on July 31. All proceeds support KNIB’s recycling and education efforts that prevent litter and protect the environment.

Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful (KNIB) announces the annual Mud Volleyball Tournament sponsored by Martin Exteriors.

This fundraising event will be held at Riverside Park, 100 River Dr. in Roscoe, Ill. on Saturday, Aug. 5, and registration is still open. Play begins at 8 a.m. and continues until we have a champion. Teams must sign up at KNIB.org https://forms.donorsnap.com/form?id=d85b35e3-b062-4a00-a7d6-14ff36409a29.  Registration fees are $250 per team. Registration closes at 5 p.m. on July 31. All proceeds support KNIB’s recycling and education efforts that prevent litter and protect the environment.

What is Mud Volleyball?

Mud Volleyball is as messy as it sounds and has been making a splash in the Stateline since 1981.

For this sizzling summer spectacle, each of twenty-four outdoor volleyball courts is flooded to create a muddy playing surface.

Regular volleyball rules apply.  Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful has been organizing this signature sports event since 2021.

Preparation begins days and weeks before the competition begins, as a selected area of Riverside Park is churned and turned into an array of volleyball courts with dirt-bank berms.

For several days before the first serve, each court gets well-watered to build up a luscious layer of soft and squooshy genuine Roscoe mud.

Since footwear is required in the courts, experienced players come prepared with duct tape to secure shoes and socks from the suck and slurp of muck and mud.

And it is against the rules to load the ball with mud before serving.

Thanks to the Roscoe Fire Department for providing a fresh-water outdoor shower option that allows players to successfully remove excess encrustations.

This de-sliming station is conveniently placed near a dumpster for the handy disposal of shirts, shorts, shoes, or socks that no amount of soap can salvage.

Who can come?

This event is open to the public; advance team registration is required. Players and spectators come for fun and competition. Friends and families come for fresh air, fellowship, and sheer enjoyment, while coworkers take advantage of the opportunity to relax and play while helping a good cause.

It’s easy to tell the veterans at this event: they arrive early, establish a prime parking lot spot, and fix their shade structures before firing up the grill. Food and beverages are also available for purchase onsite.

Last year’s tourney hosted 178 teams of 8-10 people from the Rockford metropolitan area. But this event draws participants from beyond the Stateline.

Last year’s Mud Volleyball charity challenge welcomed teams from Chicago, Island Lake, Hoffman Estates, and Lena, Ill. as well as Clinton and Ft. Atkinson, Wis..

Volunteers are the lifeblood of Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful, and Mud Volleyball is no exception. Volunteers help prepare the grounds and clean up afterwards.

Those volunteering the day of the event help direct cars to parking areas, tally scores, sell merchandise, and keep the area litter-free. Volunteers can sign up online at KNIB.org https://signup.com/client/invitation2/secure/628706160061/false?popup=true#/invitation

Proceeds from Mud Volleyball benefit Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful (KNIB) in its mission to improve our environment through education, public awareness, and community involvement.

KNIB’s vision is similar: to be regionally recognized for environmental stewardship by recycling, litter prevention and beautification through education and action.