Streetplay Discussions
well this is *odd* – I grew…
well this is *odd* – I grew up in western NY – Buffalo and Clarence – the two counties bordering Amherst and played seven up all the time, the *russian version* throwing the ball against the wall for seven times, the next six it had to bounce, after that I am fuzzy – well you know what I mean, but remember spinning around to catch it and the under the leg. Maybe it is regional! Now that I am “way old” I am looking for hand clapping games for my *offsprung* and wouldn’t it be delightful to find regional ones!
The United States Handball…
Hi players! My name is Sonia…
Hi players! My name is Sonia Gonzalez. I shot footage this past summer of the World Series 2000 games for a documentary I’m doing on stickball. Wanted to give you an upate: i am presently editing together a trailer or a “teaser”, a shorter version of the entire documentary for fundraising to finish editing. I’ve submitted it to Spike Lee’s company and to HBO Documentary. I hope to have a finished one-hour documentary by the spring. Please contact me at for future screenings. Thank you for all your wonderful stories and for the incredible legacy of stickball. blessings, Sonia
Someone earlier mentioned…
Someone earlier mentioned Three Steps To Germany. Back in BKLYN (sunset park/bay ridge),the “little” kids had to play that across the street sidewalk to sidewalk. The “big” kids got tho play “Six Steps To Germany” which was played from sewer to sewer.” Only the new kids had to jump as we “experts” could walk directly to our carvings in the tar. For some reason, we only played this game in the evening. Strange!
The rich man, poor man,…
The rich man, poor man, beggar man, theif… jump rope song that I remember goes… Gypsie, gypsie Rosa Lee Tell me what my husband gonna be Is it rich man, poor man, beggar man, theif doctor, lawyer, indian cheif. And you continued chanting the “occupations” until you missed and that is what your husband was going to be.
I am interested in games…
I am interested in games that we can paint on the black top of our schools playground. I have enjoyed reading some of the memories of playgrounds of the past. I,too, remember the big slides (which in western Pennsylvania we just called slides!) and the names on the steps. I remember underducks and being dropped to the ground from the high side of the see-saw!! Our kids today don’t seemto know how to play like we did. They just want to run, knock each other down, and wrestle. I would like to share some of the games that we used to enjoy. Right now we only have 4-square blocks and basketball hoops (and they are’t up every day!!) Can anybody help? Email me at Thanks
hello, if any one knows…
Bigdaddy, where did you…
Bigdaddy, where did you play this game exactly? We played that game for hours on end. Funny how all the games mentioned here ran in cycles, a week of this one and then a week of another , folloewed by a week of yet another one. This site makes me happy and sad at the same time. Happy because I remember al these games, and sad because our children will never experience the childhood that we had. Anthony