Oh, God, this topic is bringing back horrible memories.
I live in S Wales, any outdoor sport comes with lashing of rain and sodden earth. I loathed hockey, because the bloody ball would get caught on divots and never go where you directed it. I still shudder, when I catch a whiff of the right combination of mud and trampled grass.
A teacher in my primary school took us to a field - not a proper grass covered field, mind you, but one full of a sort of cinder material - dished out hockey sticks and a ball, but gave us no instructions on how to play the game. 'Twas a wonder no one emerged with a black eye.
I also loathed netball. All those rules about where you as a particular player were and weren't allowed to move on a court.
The only game I had any time for, mostly because we played it indoors, was dodgeball. This was in a state school. An all girls school, with an intake from 13 onwards. I don't know how other schools played it, but ours fashioned an impromptu court out of gym benches, with a bench divider in the middle. The class was split between the courts, and our gym teacher chucked in a ball into each court and left us to get on with it. We're talking about a period back in the dawn of time, but I seem to remember that there were nominated players given the job of hitting the opposing team in their court. They occupied the bench in the middle and were fed the ball, when the opposing team missed. Those who got hit were out. After a while our teacher stopped our fun, by banning headshots and insisting we hit below hip height.
I seem to remember the more tactically astute waited until their team had both balls and then double-teamed their prey. I'm actually a bit hazy on the rules, but I think that is because our teacher would change things up to keep us on our toes.
As I said a long time ago, so I don't know whether kids play the same sort of game today. Obsessions with health and safety makes me think maybe not.
I live in S Wales, any outdoor sport comes with lashing of rain and sodden earth. I loathed hockey, because the bloody ball would get caught on divots and never go where you directed it. I still shudder, when I catch a whiff of the right combination of mud and trampled grass.
A teacher in my primary school took us to a field - not a proper grass covered field, mind you, but one full of a sort of cinder material - dished out hockey sticks and a ball, but gave us no instructions on how to play the game. 'Twas a wonder no one emerged with a black eye.
I also loathed netball. All those rules about where you as a particular player were and weren't allowed to move on a court.
The only game I had any time for, mostly because we played it indoors, was dodgeball. This was in a state school. An all girls school, with an intake from 13 onwards. I don't know how other schools played it, but ours fashioned an impromptu court out of gym benches, with a bench divider in the middle. The class was split between the courts, and our gym teacher chucked in a ball into each court and left us to get on with it. We're talking about a period back in the dawn of time, but I seem to remember that there were nominated players given the job of hitting the opposing team in their court. They occupied the bench in the middle and were fed the ball, when the opposing team missed. Those who got hit were out. After a while our teacher stopped our fun, by banning headshots and insisting we hit below hip height.
I seem to remember the more tactically astute waited until their team had both balls and then double-teamed their prey. I'm actually a bit hazy on the rules, but I think that is because our teacher would change things up to keep us on our toes.
As I said a long time ago, so I don't know whether kids play the same sort of game today. Obsessions with health and safety makes me think maybe not.