Youtuber Ozzie For Kids defies the odds by using a drone to catch sky-high tennis ball
Catching a tennis ball that's falling from the sky at rapid speed is a reminder that anything is possible when you dream big!
Kids’ content creator Scott “Ozzie” Richmond (Australia), better known as Ozzie For Kids, caught a tennis ball dropped from a drone 204 m (669 ft 3.5 in) high – that’s twice the height of famous London clock tower Big Ben.
The 44-year-old dad-of-three makes educational and inspiring content for kids, and says attempting the highest catch of a tennis ball was a challenge that aligned perfectly with his content.
He told us: “The heart of everything Ozzie does is showing kids that big goals are possible when you’re brave enough to try. The tennis ball catch record felt like the perfect mix of fun, skill, and just a little bit of ‘that’s impossible’… which usually means it’s worth attempting.”
That ‘attempting the impossible’ attitude is evident in the way Ozzie’s record-breaking attempt came together. His original plan was to match the previous record of 143.11 m.
He said: “Once I realized I could beat the existing record, I thought, why not really go for it and show kids what happens when you commit fully?”
He then went on to break the previous Guinness World Records title by an outstanding 60 m.
Catching a ball from such a height requires a lot of skill. Ozzie explained: “The catch wasn’t just about reaction - it became about focus, precision, and adaptability.
“Preparation was all about repetition and confidence. We started with lower drops, learning how the ball behaved in the air and how wind could affect it. The biggest focus was keeping my eyes on the ball the entire time - no matter how far I had to run. That skill became absolutely crucial once we started pushing the height higher and higher.”
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Finding the precise location of where the ball would land came with several trials and tribulations. In one instance, Ozzie misjudged the location he needed to be in, tripped and tumbled on to the grass. In his attempt that broke the record, he had to cover nearly 100 m, never keeping his eye off the ball, requiring intense focus. Ozzie said his struggles serve as a “great reminder that failing is part of trying, and you just get back up and go again.”
This wasn’t Ozzie’s first record-breaking challenge. In June 2023, he earned the longest journey dribbling a football (soccer ball) record title with a distance of 337.37 km (209.63 mi) while also attempting to motivate and inspire children.
The view from 204 m up
After earning his second Guinness World Records title, Ozzie said: “For me, records aren’t about numbers and recognition - they’re about creating moments that inspire kids to be brave, curious, and persistent.
“I’d love people to know that this record wasn’t about getting my name in the record books - it was about being willing to try, even when things don’t go perfectly. Having my own kids there, along with Ozzie fans, made it incredibly meaningful. If this inspires even one child to look at a big goal and say, ‘I’ll give it a go’, then it’s a huge win.”
Ozzie’s determination, even when faced with failure, is inspiring to all.