Ball Kids

THE 2023-2024 APPLICATION PERIOD IS NOW CLOSED

Ball KidsGreater Iowa is offering children ages 8 to 12 the opportunity to be an official GICU Ball Kid at an Iowa State Men’s Basketball game! Ball kids have the best seat in the house and will assist staff with game-day duties. Each participant will also receive two game tickets (for parent/guardian), an official Ball Kid t-shirt, and memories to last a lifetime!

To Qualify

  • Must be ages 8 to 12
  • Complete the Banzai Junior Financial Literacy Program (more details below)
  • Parents must complete the online application
  • Available only for home games

Please note: applying does not guarantee selection to participate in a game. If we have more applicants than games, the selection is completed on a first-come, first-served basis or chosen if qualifying terms are met and the individual is available on the proposed game date.

Ball Kid Responsibilities

  • The child must wear the shirt provided by GICU for the whole game 
  • The child must arrive early to prepare for Child’s duties 
  • The child must commit to working the entirety of the game

  • Responsibilities include sitting under the basket, helping wipe the floor, and other duties. The child must be able to carry out verbal instructions given by supervisors. The child will be in a fast-paced environment and will need to complete tasks quickly. 

  • Effectively work with others while not being disruptive

  • Both child and parent/guardian must abide by the participant Terms and Conditions


Banzai Junior Financial Literacy ProgramBanzai graphic

This is an online financial literacy program for kids that is a choose-you-own-adventure with a summer lemonade stand.

Program login instructions:

  1. Go to the Banzai page.
  2. Click on GET STARTED at the bottom of the page. Select your age and click CONTINUE. Parents should help with a username, email address, and password.
  3. Agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and then click on SIGN UP. This will bring you to the Course Selection screen; select BANZAI JR.
  4. The program has three parts:
    • Pretest – helps to find out how much you already know about managing money.
    • The Game – The main attraction! You’re gonna learn so much!
    • Posttest – See how much you’ve learned.

Users can log in and out of the program at any time. The program does not have to be completed all at one time; it automatically saves your progress. 

For the Ball Kids program, you'll need to note the completion code that will appear at the end of The Game. This 6-digit code will be part of the online application and must be filled in to qualify.

For questions about the GICU Ball Kids program, please email marketing@gicu.org.

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