Ball came to Slippery Rock in 1950 and wasted little time establishing himself as one of the top players in the region. He earned All Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Delaware team recognition in 1951 and 1953 as well as being selected as an All-America honoree in 1953.
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As a freshman he scored two goals on a team that went 9-0-1. He maintained his outstanding play as a sophomore by scoring five goals in six games to lead Slippery Rock to a 5-1 record. Ball battled through an ankle injury as a junior and still managed to score six goals in just four games for a squad that went 5-0-1. He saved his best offensive performance for his final season when he scored 15 goals to guide his team to another impressive 6-2 record. Throughout his four-year career, Slippery Rock tallied a remarkable 25-3-2 (.867) record.
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His success in college was an extension of his prep days when he was a standout at Mt. Lebanon High School with co-captain, and future Slippery Rock standout, Ken Stimmel. In fact, it was Stimmel who was the driving force behind Ball attending Slippery Rock as he urged his former high school teammate to join him in college following their high school careers.
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Following graduation, Ball served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1955-56 before entering the private workforce after being discharged. During his time with the Marine’s he was a member of the U.S. Armed Forces team that competed all over the world.
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Ball remained active in soccer even after his playing days at Slippery Rock ended. The majority of his post Slippery Rock career was spent competing for the Beadling, Pennsylvania team in the Keystone League where his success on the field continued.
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