Jim, Thoroughly enjoyed your ‘Over the Line’ article. Brought back many memories, from growing up in the same era, about how we ‘improvised’ to play the sports when we didn’t have the field or equipment usually needed. Never played, or even heard of ‘over the line.’ But, we played ‘stick ball,’ and ‘cork ball,’ and ‘half ball (half of a pink pimple ball); and usually, the street was our field. WOW, it was a good time to grow up. Thanks again for taking over for Rip. Bill
Change is not always progress or improvement. High tech cars are not always an improvement.
Adult organized sports are not an improvement over kids' own organization of same sports. Spontaneity and creativity has been removed. Look at sanitized playgrounds where fear of lawsuits and liability has caused removal of slides, merry go rounds and jungle gyms.
Thanks for this Jim. Pretty much the way my brother and I grew up in Southern California in the mid-1950s. I will also add that none of us in the neighborhood who were average players resented those with athletic abilities far exceeding ours. We cheered them on and wanted to be on their "side" when teams were chosen.
I played OTL as an adult for several years, in tournaments. We had a team of 3. We started in the open division, as we aged to the Century (all players over 30, and ages had to add to 100) and finally the Canardly Division, everyone over 40 - Canardly do it any more.
Over the Line becomes Over the Hill at some point. But it is fun when you are a kid. In Bakersfield you had to do it early in the day or just before nightfall. Otherwise you roasted.
You brought back some great memories. I had forgotten how many times we would recruit our friends for a game of over the line or a pick up game of basketball using the driveway for the court and the basket mounted above the garage. Those were the days!
Yes, we were all kids living in different places doing essentially the same things. It is worthwhile to remember our roots. And how much fun we had.
Stick ball sounds urban. OTL was strictly a suburban brand of ball.
It is also where I learned that winning was more fun than losing. Especially if you were playing against your own brother.
Jim, Thoroughly enjoyed your ‘Over the Line’ article. Brought back many memories, from growing up in the same era, about how we ‘improvised’ to play the sports when we didn’t have the field or equipment usually needed. Never played, or even heard of ‘over the line.’ But, we played ‘stick ball,’ and ‘cork ball,’ and ‘half ball (half of a pink pimple ball); and usually, the street was our field. WOW, it was a good time to grow up. Thanks again for taking over for Rip. Bill
Change is not always progress or improvement. High tech cars are not always an improvement.
Adult organized sports are not an improvement over kids' own organization of same sports. Spontaneity and creativity has been removed. Look at sanitized playgrounds where fear of lawsuits and liability has caused removal of slides, merry go rounds and jungle gyms.
Bring back the "free-range" childhood.
PDM
Thanks for this Jim. Pretty much the way my brother and I grew up in Southern California in the mid-1950s. I will also add that none of us in the neighborhood who were average players resented those with athletic abilities far exceeding ours. We cheered them on and wanted to be on their "side" when teams were chosen.
I played OTL as an adult for several years, in tournaments. We had a team of 3. We started in the open division, as we aged to the Century (all players over 30, and ages had to add to 100) and finally the Canardly Division, everyone over 40 - Canardly do it any more.
Over the Line becomes Over the Hill at some point. But it is fun when you are a kid. In Bakersfield you had to do it early in the day or just before nightfall. Otherwise you roasted.
You brought back some great memories. I had forgotten how many times we would recruit our friends for a game of over the line or a pick up game of basketball using the driveway for the court and the basket mounted above the garage. Those were the days!