Does anyone remember playing…
Does anyone remember playing Spud or War (same game) with a spaldeen? You needed a group of kids, the larger the better. “It” bounced the ball on the street really hard so it would go high straight up in the air and called another player’s name at the same time, saying I declare war on ______ using either a kid’s name or a country name. Then that person had to catch it while everyone else scattered. As soon as he caught it he yelled out Spud and everyone froze. Then the catcher could take 3 steps (as big as he possibly could) and fired the ball at the nearest kid trying to hit him. The kid that was hit was then “it,” if missed the same player was it again. This was a coed game, and we played it for hours on end. The best place to play was in the courtyards between buildings, there were lots of alleys and corners to run through. I grew up in East Flatbush in the 60s & 70s–Bedford and Ave D. Went to Farragut Park for the sprinklers, Farragut Pool until they put Pathmark there, and Brighton Beach by subway and Riis Park by the Green Line bus! Any memories out there?