Backyard ball. How did you play?

[HCCForever]

Also, my friends and I used to launch rockets, but then we found out how much more fun it was to launch the engines w/out them inside a rocket. We also shot arrows straight up into the air (target arrows of course). Before my dad finished clearing the lot, a couple of my friends and I would shoot arrows back and forth with us each standing on a bank at the ends of the lot. We'd use a walkie-talkie to tell when we were sending the arrow back over so we could lookout for it.

Reminds me of launching rockets. We bought and built the Estes rockets and launched them. Lost a few, especially the Sprite which was a featherweight. We never launched the engines without rockets, however.

 

[Waquoit]

I still remember that one time at night basketball I was so hot they started calling me "World". I couldn't miss so I really don't think it matters that I was the supervisor playing against 9th and 10th graders because there were only 9 kids left in the gym. Those shots didn't make themselves, y'know.

 

[ColchVEGAS]

Winter it was always pickup basketball. Could be 3 on 3 half court, 5 on 5 full court, or 21. All depends on how many were at the gym.

Summer it was the more of the same with some HR derby or if there were enough bodies some form of modified baseball.

 

[Edward Sargent]

Driveway ball all the way! Decided we were good enough to head down to Calf Pasture beach and along came Calvin Murphy

 

[TRest]

Haven’t read the whole thread, any mention of Kill the Guy with the Ball?

 

[Spaceman213J]

What was nice about playing basketball in my driveway was that my dad put up floodlights over our garage and den and we could play at night.

 

[JB75]

Haven’t read the whole thread, any mention of Kill the Guy with the Ball?

That’s what we used to call it here in hard hittin - “Kill the man” Never heard of cream the carrier- that’s a more original name tho. We used to do it all - my house was the center of the neighborhood for all the games -wiffle ball in the summer , basketball on the driveway 21/ rebound. We turned it into a game of “taps” where when someone shot, if you left your feet and the ball came off the rim , you could tap it in and the shooter would get set back two points-feet had to be off the ground tho. And of course, tackle football at the parks and schools -whenever it wud snow or rain. I would put two pairs of socks on and put Ziploc baggies on my feet and elastic bands around my ankles, which was supposed to protect my socks from getting wet- yeah OK. God amazing times. Sports all day and night - and then come inside and watch games all night. MJ, bird, magic , the bad boys. What a time. Sprinkle in some old school Nintendo (RBI baseball, tecmo bowl, double dribble) Can someone invent a Time Machine please? At least we have the memories. Can’t take that from us.

 

[DaddyChoc]

We called it Kill the Carrier.

Forgot to mention wall ball before school started, think it had another name as well that I can’t recall. Throw a tennis ball against the wall, if someone catches it they throw it against the wall again. If you try to catch it and miss, whoever picks it up gets to hurl it as hard as they can at you as you run to touch the wall.

I liked that game, you could only grab it with one hand tho

 

[DaddyChoc]

Winter it was always pickup basketball. Could be 3 on 3 half court, 5 on 5 full court, or 21. All depends on how many were at the gym.

Summer it was the more of the same with some HR derby or if there were enough bodies some form of modified baseball.

2 on 2 as well… and best out of 10 Free Throws, I was normally 6 outta 10

 

[DaddyChoc]

Rumble Fumble… or Cremation, tackle football with each player taking a chance to run to the end zone with everyone able to tackle them

 

[StllH8L8ner]

I liked that game, you could only grab it with one hand tho

Yup…catch it with two hands and you have to drop it and run!

 

[cwh20]

We called it, “Kill the guy with the ball” as at least one poster mentioned. Another name I learned that hardly anyone said is “kicker”. It seems everyone grew up saying Kickball that I’ve asked. In elementary school in Bristol there was always a kicker game going before school began. You just had to show up for it.

Not surprisingly many of us had the same kinds of neighborhoods playing the same games during all the different seasons. One I didn’t see mentioned was fastball tennis ball if it was just you and a friend. The HS had a strike zone painted on the brick wall. Hit it on the running track for a HR. Into the hill for a double etc. trying to throw a tennis ball hard at 22+ makes it seem crazy. How did we not throw our arms out?

 

[HCCForever]

Not surprisingly many of us had the same kinds of neighborhoods playing the same games during all the different seasons. One I didn’t see mentioned was fastball tennis ball if it was just you and a friend. The HS had a strike zone painted on the brick wall. Hit it on the running track for a HR. Into the hill for a double etc. trying to throw a tennis ball hard at 22+ makes it seem crazy. How did we not throw our arms out?

We played this in our schoolyard. We had the strike zone painted on a cement wall and we had certain landmarks in the schoolyard for single, double, etc. I agree that throwing a tennis ball hard is not great for the arm but I don't recall any injuries in doing this.

 

[Deepster]

We had this stupid game where you threw a tennis ball against a brick wall. You had to throw it above a chalk line. If the ball bounced twice, the person nearest it had to go stand face first against the wall and the guy who threw it got one throw to try and hit them as hard as they could. LOL

 

[husky429]

We had this stupid game where you threw a tennis ball against a brick wall. You had to throw it above a chalk line. If the ball bounced twice, the person nearest it had to go stand face first against the wall and the guy who threw it got one throw to try and hit them as hard as they could. LOL

Burn ball! I still play that with kids at work sometimes.

 

[Jaydumo20]

I clean out items from my parents’ basement/garage each time I go visit and found this beauty. Couldn’t bring myself to throw it out so now it’s in my garage.

View attachment 109105

Nice weight distribution there! Looks familar

 

[Husky68]

Played after school at Blessed Sacrament outside baskets. Were on fire escapes and had to wait until the nuns let the grade school kids out. One out of bounds was the brick wall of the school. Usually bunch of crappy players but every once in a while high school kids would show up. Usually half court, winner takes out, play to 11 and win by 2, call your own fouls (if you dare). Sometimes they would let us up on the top floor where had indoor basketball court, if wanted to shoot from much more than foul line had to shoot line drive or hit metal girders.
Amazing how much basketball I played and never got very good.
Talk about funny, when was in army in 1971 when at Benning after Nam and hanging out before got back into UConn to finish, when went around and if saw basketball game would stop off and play. Started to play and didn't understand what was going on as I missed a shot, opponent got rebound and put it back in. I asked was that a mistake, don't you have to bring it back to the foul line before you can shoot. Answer was no. You can imagine how rough the rebounding got in those games.

 

[Kolumbo]

The Big 4: tackle football, baseball, basketball, kickball

fireworks were always fun until someone thought it was a good idea to hold a roman candle like lightsaber

 

[Richmondhsky]

Had a 20 by 20 asphalt court in the back yard. Best memories were playing against my cousin who was all state out South Windsor. No blood no foul
Second was 5 on 5 full court against college aged alums from our high school Every night all summer long.
Lastly, our high school team played in a men’s league populated with ex college players. Howie Dickeman ‘broke my nose with elbow after rebound. John Thompson Jeff Carr. We were prepared for virtually every high school team in CT after two years.

 

[Vowelguy]

Driveway basketball, street hockey, wiffle ball, kickball, and capture the flag if enough kids

 

[DaddyChoc]

Night Gym in the Hood back in the early 80's... 6pm-9pm at the neighborhood elementary schools, we got next as our 5 walked in the gym

 

[dennismenace]

Baseball pickup as young kid. Three on a side Pitcher, left centerfielder (only righthanded batters) and first baseman. If there was eight we added either a shortstop or another outfielder if there was a big hitter. No balls or strikes; only swings and misses or foul balls. Start in the morning.
Lunch. Continue after lunch until dinner. Or
go swimming in the afternoon and then renew baseball after dinner until dark. Played in a vacant lot which had weeds which were up to our waists by the end of the season.

The fun of playing without adults around and being with your friends all day.

Bill Monboquette Red Sox pitcher said he did not approve of Little League saying "ask them the last time they got a hundred hits in a day."

 

[dennismenace]

Had a 20 by 20 asphalt court in the back yard. Best memories were playing against my cousin who was all state out South Windsor. No blood no foul
Second was 5 on 5 full court against college aged alums from our high school Every night all summer long.
Lastly, our high school team played in a men’s league populated with ex college players. Howie Dickeman ‘broke my nose with elbow after rebound. John Thompson Jeff Carr. We were prepared for virtually every high school team in CT after two years.

LOL. Memories!

 

[mauconnfan]

Had a 20 by 20 asphalt court in the back yard. Best memories were playing against my cousin who was all state out South Windsor. No blood no foul
Second was 5 on 5 full court against college aged alums from our high school Every night all summer long.
Lastly, our high school team played in a men’s league populated with ex college players. Howie Dickeman ‘broke my nose with elbow after rebound. John Thompson Jeff Carr. We were prepared for virtually every high school team in CT after two years.

Was your cousin Tom Roy? Good ol days I was a little younger but my brother played for a Meriden team that traveled and played against Holowaty and many other exHuskies early 70s. I waited for HS on easier games against Bruce K and Corny. Like you while 15-16 I was playing with the 19-22 year olds as well. Fun times

 

[Chin Diesel]

We had a couple of things going on.

Basketball was the easiest. Neighbor next to is had a paved 20'x20' court they had made for their kids but they were older and we could use it whenever we wanted. When it snowed, we shoveled it. They always had a massive Mastiff/St Bernard mix and if the ball made it to the dog, wiping off large amounts of drool was required.
Played one on one or two on two. Only added a "3 point line" in the mid 1980's.
My back yard was the baseball/football field. Neighbors on other side of property had some hedges which made a natural fence. Two trees were second base and third base. Mostly played with tennis ball and whiffle ball bats taped with electric tape.
Tennis was played on the street with cracks in the road being the net line and an agreed upon height for shots being high enough or too low.
Hockey was played on a couple of nearby ponds.