Have you noticed you do not see kids playing outside these days as in years past? The courts, fields and yards are mostly vacant these days.
I do not know about you, but when I was young and the weather permitted, we were always playing outside.
Neighborhood kids would play basketball, whiffle ball or football, usually depending on what season it was for college and pro sports.
But we just do not see youngsters outside as much as we used to.
If we drive by a basketball court at a playground, it is usually empty of activity. When I was growing up and there was a rim and backboard, there was always someone playing pickup games. If not 3-on-3 or full-court 5-on-5, there was a game of HORSE or 21 going on.
Kids would play for hours. On weekends, large groups of 25 to 30 would play on the asphalt court at Nolan Grade School. This sometimes included older guys. The winning team would get to stay up and play again. The losers had to sit, and with that many players waiting to get on the court, it might be a long while before they got a chance to participate again.
I had a goal beside my house on the old, narrow dirt driveway. It did not matter if it was dry and dusty or, if it rained, a little muddy. But I was out there shooting baskets. If I had a quarter for every time I took a shot on that old backboard and goal, I would certainly be rich. Sometimes friends would be there for a few games of 3-on-3.
At Nolan, where I grew up, baseball or softball was always a big deal. We played at the grade school field or sometimes in a wide spot near the old post office. Once again, we were out there for hours.
Or we might just play a game of whiffle ball in someone’s backyard. Or better yet, a game of home run derby. Talk about fun — those are some of the best memories of growing up.
If we did not have a whiffle ball, we got an old rag and used black electrical tape to make a ball. Ingenuity at its best.
If it was football season, there was always a game going on. Sometimes it was two-handed touch and other times it was tackle. (Many parents did not want us playing tackle with no pads or protection, but we did anyway.)
Before sports came into our lives, we played with neighborhood kids. Games like hide-and-seek, tag and more.
We would get sweaty and dirty and play until dark — until our moms called us in to take a bath and get ready for bed. We might have a little TV time before bedtime.
Then, if we were blessed enough to have a bicycle, my friends and I would ride up and down the “backway” at Nolan. Once again, those were some of the best times of our lives, even if we did not realize it at the time.
Unfortunately, we just do not observe kids out playing in this day and age. It cannot be healthy to stay indoors all the time. But many would rather sit and play video games inside than go out and play. Or perhaps they are watching movies and television shows on one of the hundreds of channels available these days. (We had three local channels and one black-and-white TV.)
The reduction of outdoor activities for children in today’s society has to be harmful not only to their physical health but also to their mental health. Kids do not make friends like they used to. We made friendships that lasted for years, and in many cases, they still do.
Those were the good old days. I surely miss those times and have so many wonderful memories of growing up and playing games and sports with friends and schoolmates all those years ago.
I am sure many of you have the same fond memories.
Until next time.(Kyle Lovern is a longtime journalist in the Tug Valley. He is now a retired freelance writer and columnist for the Mountain Citizen.)