How is Cherokee stickball played. What equipment is used in Cherokee stickball. What are the rules of Cherokee stickball. How does scoring work in Cherokee stickball. What is the significance of Cherokee stickball in Native American culture. How does Cherokee stickball differ from lacrosse. Why is Cherokee stickball called “The Little Brother of War”.
The Cultural Significance of Cherokee Stickball
Cherokee stickball, also known as “The Little Brother of War,” is far more than a mere sport to the Cherokee people. This ancient game has deep roots in Native American culture, serving as a vital component of Cherokee heritage and tradition. But what makes this game so significant?
Historically, stickball played a crucial role in Cherokee society, functioning as a method for settling tribal disputes and preventing full-scale warfare. By channeling conflicts into a controlled, competitive environment, the Cherokee were able to resolve disagreements without resorting to bloodshed. This diplomatic function highlights the game’s importance beyond its athletic aspects.
Today, while its role has evolved, stickball remains an integral part of Cherokee culture. Regular games are played throughout the Cherokee Nation, including in Western North Carolina, where members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians continue to participate in this time-honored tradition. These events not only serve as a form of entertainment but also as a means of cultural preservation and community bonding.
The Basics of Cherokee Stickball: Rules and Gameplay
Understanding the rules of Cherokee stickball can be challenging, as they often vary between different Native American tribes and even from game to game within the same community. However, some fundamental aspects of the game remain consistent.
Field Setup and Team Composition
Cherokee stickball is played on a field with two goal posts set at opposite ends. Two teams face off against each other, with team sizes varying considerably. According to Patrick Hill, a player for the Big Cove team, the number of players can range from 9 to 22 on each side. The exact team size is determined by the “drivers” (referees) before the game begins, ensuring that both teams have an equal number of players.
Scoring and Winning
The objective of the game is straightforward: the first team to score 12 points wins. However, the method of scoring can vary and is agreed upon by the drivers before the game starts. Some common scoring methods include:
- Running past the goal with the ball
- Throwing the ball past the goal
- Circling the goal post while carrying the ball
Interestingly, after a team scores 11 points, they have the option to put down their sticks and play with their hands for the final point.
Ball Handling and Tackling
Players use sticks to scoop up the ball from the ground, as it’s illegal to catch a tossed ball or pick it up with hands. Once the ball is lifted above the knees, players can typically transfer it to their hands, though the exact rules for this are determined by the drivers before each game.
Tackling is a significant part of the game, with players allowed to tackle opponents at any time. Each player is assigned a member of the opposing team to guard, adding an element of strategy to the physical gameplay.
Stickball Equipment: Tools of the Trade
The equipment used in Cherokee stickball is both simple and deeply rooted in tradition. What are the essential items needed to play this ancient sport?
Stickball Sticks
Each player carries either one or two sticks, depending on the rules set for that particular game. These sticks are typically crafted from hickory wood, chosen for its strength and durability. The business end of the stick features a scoop made from leather or sinew webbing, designed to catch and carry the ball.
The Stickball
The ball used in Cherokee stickball is approximately 3 inches in diameter and is made from leather and sinew. Each team brings their own balls to a tournament, although the ball used in a specific game is usually supplied by a team that isn’t currently playing.
Minimal Protective Gear
Unlike modern sports, Cherokee stickball players do not wear protective padding or even shirts. This lack of protective equipment underscores the game’s reputation as a test of toughness and bravery, earning it the moniker “The Little Brother of War.”
The Role of Drivers in Cherokee Stickball
Drivers play a crucial role in Cherokee stickball, serving as both referees and rule-setters. But what exactly are their responsibilities, and how do they influence the game?
Each team brings their own drivers to a game. Before play begins, these drivers collaborate to establish the specific rules that will govern the match. This process of negotiation and agreement ensures that both teams are on the same page regarding how the game will be played.
During the game, drivers are responsible for:
- Enforcing the agreed-upon rules
- Calling “dead balls” when the ball goes out of bounds or is illegally touched
- Determining who gets to toss the ball back into play after a dead ball
- Ensuring fairness, including adjusting team sizes if a player is injured and must leave the game
The drivers’ authority to set and enforce rules contributes to the dynamic nature of Cherokee stickball, as it allows for variations in gameplay from one match to another.
Cherokee Stickball vs. Lacrosse: Understanding the Differences
While lacrosse originated from stickball, the two sports have evolved into distinct games with significant differences. How do these two stick-and-ball sports compare?
Equipment and Protection
The most noticeable difference lies in the equipment used. Lacrosse players wear extensive protective gear, including helmets, gloves, and body padding. In contrast, Cherokee stickball players compete shirtless and without any protective equipment, emphasizing the game’s traditional roots and physical toughness.
Stick Design
Lacrosse sticks have a more standardized design with a plastic or synthetic head. Cherokee stickball sticks are typically handcrafted from hickory with a leather or sinew scoop, reflecting the game’s cultural heritage.
Rules and Gameplay
Lacrosse has standardized rules that remain consistent across games and leagues. Cherokee stickball rules can vary significantly from game to game, with drivers negotiating the specific rules before each match. This flexibility allows for a more dynamic and unpredictable gameplay experience.
Scoring
In lacrosse, points are scored by throwing the ball into the opponent’s goal. Cherokee stickball scoring methods can vary, including running with the ball past the goal or circling the goal post, depending on the rules set for each game.
The Ever-Changing Nature of Cherokee Stickball
One of the most intriguing aspects of Cherokee stickball is its constantly evolving nature. Unlike many modern sports with fixed rules, stickball embraces change and adaptation. But why is this flexibility so important to the game?
Patrick Hill, an experienced stickball player, emphasizes that each game is unique. “It is always a different game when you play it. It is never the same,” he says. This variability keeps players on their toes, requiring them to adapt their strategies and skills for each match.
The ever-changing nature of the game presents both challenges and opportunities for players:
- Continuous Learning: Players must constantly adapt and learn new techniques to stay competitive.
- Strategic Flexibility: Teams need to be prepared for various rule sets and gameplay styles.
- Unpredictability: The changing rules add an element of excitement and unpredictability to each match.
- Cultural Preservation: The flexibility allows the game to evolve while maintaining its cultural significance.
This adaptability ensures that Cherokee stickball remains a living, breathing tradition rather than a static relic of the past. It challenges players to keep learning and growing, making each game a unique experience.
The Physical and Mental Challenges of Cherokee Stickball
Cherokee stickball is renowned for its intense physical demands and mental challenges. What makes this sport so grueling, and how do players prepare for its rigors?
Physical Demands
The lack of protective equipment in Cherokee stickball means players are exposed to the full impact of tackles and collisions. This physical intensity requires players to be in peak condition, with a focus on:
- Strength and endurance to withstand the game’s physical toll
- Agility and speed to evade tackles and score points
- Hand-eye coordination for skillful stick handling
Mental Toughness
Beyond physical prowess, Cherokee stickball demands significant mental fortitude. Players must:
- Adapt quickly to changing rules and gameplay dynamics
- Maintain focus and strategic thinking under physical stress
- Demonstrate bravery and resilience in the face of potential injury
The combination of physical and mental challenges in Cherokee stickball not only tests players’ athletic abilities but also their character and determination. This holistic challenge contributes to the game’s cultural significance, serving as a proving ground for Cherokee warriors of the past and athletes of the present.
Preserving Tradition: The Future of Cherokee Stickball
As Cherokee stickball continues to be played in the 21st century, questions arise about its future and the efforts to preserve this important cultural tradition. How are Cherokee communities ensuring the survival and relevance of this ancient sport?
Cultural Education
Many Cherokee communities are incorporating stickball into cultural education programs, teaching young people about the game’s history, significance, and rules. This helps ensure that knowledge of the sport is passed down to future generations.
Regular Tournaments and Exhibitions
Organizing regular stickball tournaments and exhibition matches keeps the tradition alive and provides opportunities for community engagement. These events often coincide with other cultural celebrations, reinforcing the game’s importance in Cherokee heritage.
Adapting to Modern Times
While maintaining its core traditions, Cherokee stickball has also adapted to modern realities. For example, some communities have introduced women’s stickball teams, broadening participation and ensuring the game’s relevance in contemporary Cherokee society.
Documentation and Research
Efforts are being made to document the various rules, techniques, and cultural significance of stickball. This research helps preserve the knowledge of the game for future generations and provides valuable insights into Cherokee history and culture.
By balancing tradition with adaptation, Cherokee communities are working to ensure that stickball remains a vibrant and meaningful part of their cultural heritage for years to come. The game’s ability to evolve while maintaining its core values and significance is a testament to its enduring importance in Cherokee culture.
The Spiritual and Ceremonial Aspects of Cherokee Stickball
Beyond its role as a sport and conflict resolution tool, Cherokee stickball holds deep spiritual and ceremonial significance. How does this ancient game connect to Cherokee spirituality and traditional practices?
Pre-Game Rituals
Before a stickball game, players often participate in traditional rituals and ceremonies. These may include:
- Purification ceremonies, such as going to water (a Cherokee cleansing ritual)
- Prayers and invocations to spirits for strength and protection
- The use of traditional medicines to enhance performance and prevent injury
Spiritual Significance
In Cherokee belief, stickball is more than just a physical contest. It is seen as a spiritual battle that can influence the natural world. The outcome of a game might be interpreted as a sign or omen, potentially affecting decisions about hunting, planting, or other important community activities.
Connection to Nature
The materials used in stickball equipment – such as hickory for the sticks and leather for the ball – connect the game to the natural world. This reinforces the Cherokee belief in the interconnectedness of all living things and the importance of respecting nature.
Community Healing
Stickball games often serve as a form of community healing and unity. By bringing people together in a shared experience, the game helps strengthen social bonds and reinforce cultural identity.
These spiritual and ceremonial aspects of Cherokee stickball highlight its importance beyond mere sport or entertainment. They demonstrate how deeply the game is woven into the fabric of Cherokee culture and spirituality, serving as a living link to ancestral traditions and beliefs.
Stickball: How the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Play the Game Known as The Little Brother of War
Stickball has always been much more than a game to the Cherokee people. Though once this ancient sport served a judicial or diplomatic function by settling tribal disputes before they led to war, today it’s a living cultural tradition. Stickball games are regularly played across the Cherokee Nation. Here in Western North Carolina, there are many opportunities throughout the summer and fall to watch teams made up of members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians play the game.
Before you get the opportunity to watch stickball played live in Cherokee, you may want to understand the rules of the game. The thing is, if you look online, you’ll find that there are many different versions of stickball rules posted. For example, Choctaw stickball rules are different from those followed by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
More than that, according to Patrick Hill, a player for the Big Cove team, local rules can vary slightly from game to game. “It is always a different game when you play it. It is never the same,” he says. Because the rules can vary from game to game, even experienced players have to keep learning and practicing new styles of play. “We could practice one way but it is not necessarily going to be played that way. You’ve got to figure out ways to prepare for each game.” As a player, Patrick enjoys the fact that the game is always changing. When asked what his favorite part of stickball is he says, “learning how to play. I’m always going to be able to keep learning something new out there.”
Though the sport of Lacrosse came from stickball, there many big differences between the two games. For one, Cherokee stickball players do not wear any sort of padding or protective equipment. They don’t even wear shirts. Stickball is not a game for the faint of heart. We talked to Patrick recently to understand how the game is played today in Cherokee, North Carolina.
The Basics
Cherokee stickball, also called Indian Ball, is played on a field with two goal posts set on either end. Two opposing teams line up against each other in a game. Whichever team scores 12 points first wins. There are no time-outs allowed.
The “drivers” are the referees of the game, and each team brings their own drivers. drivers work together to determine and set the rules of play before the first ball is tossed up. They watch closely to make sure that the game is being played according to the rules they agreed upon.
Equipment
Each player carries one or two sticks. The sticks are typically made of hickory and one end features a scoop made of leather or sinew webbing. (The drivers will determine whether one or two sticks will be used by players in a game.)
The ball, which is about 3” in diameter, is made of leather and sinew. Each stickball team brings their own balls to a tournament, though typically the ball used in a game will be supplied by a team that is not currently playing in that game.
Team Size
Team sizes vary from game to game. Twelve is an average number for a stickball team, but Patrick has seen anywhere between nine and 22 men on each side. The drivers agree to the number of players on each team, and ensure that both sides have an equal number of men.
If a player is injured and must leave the game, the driver of the opposing team then picks one of their team members to step out of the game to keep the sides even.
Scoring
Exactly how points are scored is determined at the start of the game by the drivers. Some teams were taught to run past the goal with the ball to score, others to throw it past the goal, whereas others circle the goal post with the ball to score, and there may be other variations. Before a game begins, the drivers agree upon which scoring method both teams will follow.
Tackling
Players can (and do) tackle at any time. Each player is assigned a member of the opposing team to guard.
Handling the Ball
Once the ball is tossed up into play, players scramble to scoop it up off the ground with their sticks. It is illegal to catch a tossed ball or to pick it up off the ground with your hands. Typically, once a player has used the stick to lift the ball above their knees they can then transfer the ball to their hands. (The drivers agree at the start of the game on how and when the ball can be picked up.) The player with the ball then runs for the goal while trying to avoid being tackled and losing the ball to their opponents.
If the ball is illegally caught or otherwise touched, or if it goes out of bounds, it is called a “dead ball.” Once a dead ball has been called, the drivers determine which person is allowed to toss the ball back into play.
After a team scores 11 points, that team has the option of putting down their sticks and playing with their hands until the end of the game.
Passing On The Stickball Tradition
Like many stickball players in Cherokee, Patrick was first introduced to the game in childhood. He was ten years old when he first started playing with a team at the Indian Fair. He has played off and on throughout his life since then with the team in Big Cove. Recently he has noticed a surge in interest in the game, especially from children.“We’ve gotten the kids involved…as young as three that come and run around.”
Patrick has greatly enjoyed learning and teaching stickball over the course of his life. He says that being a player has been “life changing at times” but that passing it along to the younger generations is what keeps bringing him back to the field. “Keeping it alive and respecting it is really what’s keeping me out there.” In fact, over the last five or six years, Patrick has noticed that many of the kids in Big Cove are more eager to play stickball than football, or soccer, or any other sport. “We’ve got the football coaches calling us and asking for kids… They are really into this sport.”
With no protective padding to wear, stickball can be an especially intense game for players of all ages. Patrick says that mental preparation before the game is necessary, but that each team knows exactly what they are getting into. “It’s called the medicine game and little brother of war. Each team has their own ways to prepare… When we go out there we are not afraid.”
Stickball Facts for Kids
Stickball is a street game related to baseball, usually formed as a pick-up game played in large cities in the Northeastern United States, especially New York City and Philadelphia. The equipment consists of a broom handle and a rubber ball, typically a spaldeen, pensy pinky, high bouncer or tennis ball. The rules come from baseball and are modified to fit the situation. For example, a manhole cover may be used as a base, or buildings for foul lines. The game is a variation of stick and ball games dating back to at least the 1750s. This game was widely popular among youths growing up from the 20th century until the 1980s.
Variants
Kids playing stickball in Havana, 1999
There are three styles of stickball with various methods of pitching.
- In fast pitch, the batter has a wall or fence as a back stop. A rectangle is drawn on the artificial backstop in order to create a strike zone. The rectangle is chalked. If the batter does not swing and any part of the ball has chalk on it when it bounces back to the pitcher, the result is a called strike. If there is no chalk on the ball, the result is a ball. This type of play is most commonly seen in schoolyards throughout South Philadelphia, North Philadelphia, Staten Island, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Long Island. It is played to a lesser extent in Queens and Jersey City, New Jersey. In some variants, an additional dot is drawn on the backstop approximately two feet away from the main strike zone to create a further, somewhat random, location where a pitch will be considered a strike.
- In slow pitch, the pitcher stands 40 to 50 ft (12 to 15 m) from the batter, and the ball is hit after one bounce.
- In fungo, the batter tosses the ball into the air and hits it on the way down or after one or more bounces.
The batter is out if the ball is caught on the fly; there are other ways to be out, depending on local rules. If the ball lands on a roof, porch or breaks a window far away, it is usually ruled a home run. Hits are decided by how far the ball travels. In some versions of stickball there is no running, but in most leagues, such as the New York Emperors Stickball League, the batter must run the bases just like in baseball.
When the game is played in more confined environments such as across a road (where the batter is positioned at a strike zone drawn on a building and the pitcher delivers from across the street), there is usually no running. Singles, doubles, triples, and home runs are determined by the level at which the ball hits the building across the street, with a ball hit onto a roof top being a home run. Ground balls caught after one bounce are generally ruled as an out, as well as pop ups caught in the air.
Boston variations of stickball usually replace a broomstick with a cut hockey stick, allowing a little more ‘pop’ on the ball if hit correctly. Also, when playing slow pitch, the ball is not necessarily bounced while pitched. A ‘loaded wiffle bat’, consisting of a Wiffle bat sawed-off and filled with wet newspaper or superballs then wrapped in heavy-duty tape to hold it together, is also popular in the North Shore suburbs. “Monkey ball” is also usually allowed in slow pitch, allowing fielders to throw the ball at baserunners, eliminating the need to tag a base to get a runner out. “Pitchers poison” is a variant that allows fielders to throw the ball to the pitcher standing on the mound instead of throwing it to a first basemen.
Burby (also known as fast-pitch stickball) is a game believed to have its roots in Toronto in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Spun off from baseball and closely related to the American game of stickball, the name burby may be derived from the fact that it is a sport born out of the suburbs. Burby is typically played with a wooden bat and tennis balls.}
Many Native American cultures in what is now the eastern United States played a stickball-like game that is the ancestor of modern-day lacrosse, using hickory sticks and a ball made of deer hair or hide.
Stick Ball Games | The Birthplace of Hockey
- Early Irish Hurley Players
Early Irish Hurley
Considering the many ball and stick-ball games represented in the present day Olympics, one has to wonder how they all originated. They were all derived from the same basic ancient game known as CAMP. The book “Traditional Games of England” tells of a game played in the streets of towns and villages as early as 1066 at the time of William the Conqueror and the Norman Invasions.The game was played first by kicking a rock, and later a ball, and was symbolic of the townspeople kicking out the unwanted Norman soldiers from their streets. Neighbors, likewise not wanting the Normans around, would kick the object back to where it came from. The action gave rise to the first street game and eventually was refined to Soccer, Rugby, Football and Association (meaning those who agreed to be interested in playing) . With the introduction of sticks, the game was altered and became the forerunner of all the common stick-ball games including, rounders, baseball, tennis, shinty, bandy, hurley, ground hockey and cricket. Camp, in its infant form thus became the parent of hurley and the grandparent of Ice Hurley and Ice Hockey.
Dutch Ice Game – Kolf
Dutch Ice Game – Kolf
The Dutch play a game on ice using a small ball and clubs, called Kolf, not to be confused with Ice Hockey.
Illustration of early Kings College Winter
King’s College – Winter 1803
The ancient, delightful, and exciting game of Hurley can be played on open fields in its native Ireland all year round. Back in 1800, boys at King’s College School in Windsor, likewise enjoyed playing the popular field game, but only in those seasons that Canadian weather allowed. From November until April, the frozen rough fields of Nova Scotia were often deep with snow and not favorable to such field games. However, during those winter months, the attention of the King’s students was commonly turned to skating on the ice of the ponds situated around the college. Their favorite being Long Pond on the College Grounds. It was therefore a natural transition for them to adapt the field game to the ice and develop a new winter game of Ice Hurley.
“Sliotar” or Hurley Ball
Hurley Ball – “Sliotar”
The ball used in Hurley, known as a ‘sliotar’, looks much like a baseball, except that it is cork lined and the stitching is directed toward the outside as the edges of the leather pieces are folded outward rather than inward as on a baseball. The Hurley ball bounced on a hard surface which made it unsuitable for an ice game.
Early style Wooden Puck
Wooden Puck
Therefore, it was soon replaced with a flat wooden disc cut from a small tree trunk. The disc would lie flat on the ice, slide easily and was not so likely to bounce about. Since the object was to keep the ball on the ice at all times, the wooden disc worked out well as a substitute for the ball. Since the hitting or striking of the ball in the game of Hurley is referred to as ‘a puck’, or ‘pucking the ball’, it was natural for the new wooden disc to be called a “puck”. The wooden puck was easy to make and so was readily available as opposed to the more complicated hand-made Hurley ball.
Cricket Match on Moulsey Hurst,
by Richard Wilson (1714 – 1782)
Cricket Match
The King’s College boys played other games as well as Hurley. Rounders, a game played with bat, ball and bases was popular, as was Cricket. These games had their effect on the development of the new ice game. As time went by, the Ice Hurley took on a character of its own, so that while it still resembled Hurley as played on a field, it came to be quite distinctive, mainly because of the influence of skates and the ice surface on the way the game played out. It continued to be called Hurley for several decades and then gradually took on the name of Ice Hockey. For at least two decades it was known by both names, Ice Hurley and Ice Hockey. Then gradually the name of Hurley was left to describe the original field game, and the ice game came to be called Ice Hockey, or, more simply ‘Hockey’.
Played outdoors on frozen ponds, the game gradually became more popular as the years passed. It came to fill hours of daytime pleasure for boys all over the province. Ice Hurley and Ice Hockey were not at all popular with skatists who wanted the ice to themselves.
Skatists on the Dartmouth Lakes – 1800s
Skatists on Dartmouth Lakes – 1880s
Skating was immensely popular in Nova Scotia with the ice of ponds and rinks litterly covered with thousands of people perfecting the art of skating and cutting figures on the ice. Gradually adults took up the game and it took on a position of great importance in the culture of the entire province.
- Halifax Skating Carnival
Halifax Skating Carnival
By the time the game reached the west coast in 1890, skating rinks began to be built about the country. Halifax and Montreal had led the way with the first covered indoor rinks in Canada in 1862. Windsor was not far behind, with the construction of its first covered rink in 1870. The first Ice Hockey games to be played indoors were in Montreal, on March 3, 1875. Halifax skatists succeeded in keeping hockeyists out of the skating rinks until 1883.
What are the origins of the game called Stick Ball?
We are producing a television programme in the U.K. covering the subject of ‘Traditional team sports played throughout the world’. We are interested in filming a documentary about the traditional sport ‘Stickball’ and would like to speak to someone involved in the organisation of this sport. Could you possibly let me know someone I could contact?
The programme will not just focus on the sport, but also on the origins of such a sport, and the culture surrounding the sport. We are trying to highlight the importance of sport to different regions in each country, and how it is still very important to each and every culture.Many thanks for your help.
–Submitted by Stuart M.
Answer:
Hi Stuart,
Anejodi, or “Stickball” is usually referred to in modern times as LaCrosse, since it is very similar to the European game of the same name, which actually evolved from the rules of the indigenous stickball games. It’s played most by Canadian Iroquois bands such as the Mohawk Akwesasne and the Caughnawauga bands. The Mohawk Six Nations Reserve is located in Ontario, Canada, across the border from New York. Stickball is also played by the Choctaw, the Cherokee in both Oklahoma and North Carolina, and many other tribes.
Early descriptions of lacrosse, from missionaries such as French Jesuits in Huron country in the 1630s and English explorers, such as Jonathan Carver in the mid-eighteenth century Great Lakes area, are not detailed and often conflicting. They inform us mostly about team size, equipment used, the duration of games and length of playing fields but tell us almost nothing about stickhandling, game strategy, or the rules of play.
The oldest surviving sticks date only from the first quarter of the nineteenth century, and the first detailed reports on Indian lacrosse are even later. However, several Indian tribes say they have been playing this game for thousands of years.
George Beers provided good information on Mohawk playing techniques in his Lacrosse (1869), while James Mooney in the American Anthropologist (1890) described in detail the “[Eastern] Cherokee Ball-Play,” including its legendary basis, elaborate rituals, and the rules and manner of play.
Almost exclusively a male team sport, it is distinguished from the others, such as field hockey or shinny, by the use of a netted racquet with which to pick the ball off the ground, throw, catch and convey it into or past a goal to score a point. The cardinal rule in all varieties of lacrosse was that the ball, with few exceptions, must not be touched with the hands.
There are three basic varieties of stickball games, based on the equipment and the type of goal used, and the stick handling techniques: the Southeastern, Great Lakes, and Iroquoian. Among southeastern tribes (Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, Seminole, Yuchi and others), a double-stick version of the game is still practiced. A two-and-a half foot stick is held in each hand, and the soft, small deerskin ball is retrieved and cupped between them.
Great Lakes players (Ojibwe, Menominee, Potawatomi, Sauk, Fox, Miami, Winnebago, Santee Dakota and others) used a single three-foot stick. It terminated in a round, closed pocket about three to four inches in diameter, scarcely larger than the ball, which was usually made of wood, charred and scraped to shape.
The northeastern stick, found among Iroquoian and New England tribes, is the progenitor of all present-day sticks, both in box as well as field lacrosse. The longest of the three, (usually more than three feet), it was characterized by its shaft ending in a sort of crook and a large, flat triangular surface of webbing extending as much as two-thirds the length of the stick.Where the outermost string meets the shaft, it forms the pocket of the stick.
Lacrosse was given its name by early French settlers, using the generic term for any game played with a curved stick (crosse) and a ball. Native terminology, however, tends to describe more the technique (ie. Onondaga DEHUNTSHIGWA’ES, “men hit a rounded object”) or, especially in the southeast, to underscore the game’s aspects of war surrogacy (“little brother of war”). There is no evidence of non-Indians taking up the game until the mid-nineteenth century, when English-speaking Montrealers adopted the Mohawk the-hon-tsi-kwaks-eks, or the Creator’s game, they were familiar with from the Caughnawauga and Akwesasne, attempted to “civilize” the sport with a new set of rules and organize into amateur clubs.
Once the game quickly grew in popularity in Canada, it began to be exported throughout the Commonwealth, as non-native teams traveled to Europe for exhibition matches against Iroquois players. Ironically, because the Indians had to charge money in order to travel, they were excluded as “professionals” from international competition for more than a century. Only with the formation of the Iroquois Nationals in the 1980s did they successfully break this barrier and become eligible to compete in World Games.
Apart from its recreational function, lacrosse traditionally played a more serious role in Indian culture. Its origins are rooted in legend, and the game continues to be used for curative purposes and surrounded with ceremony. Game equipment and players are still ritually prepared by medicine men, and team selection and victory are often considered supernaturally controlled. In the past, lacrosse also served to vent aggression, and territorial disputes between tribes were sometimes settled with a game, although not always amicably.
A Creek versus Choctaw game around 1790 to determine rights over a beaver pond broke out into a violent battle when the Creeks were declared winners. Still, while the majority of the games ended peaceably, much of the ceremonialism surrounding their preparations and the rituals required of the players were identical to those practiced before departing on the warpath.
A number of factors led to the demise of lacrosse in many areas by the late nineteenth century. Wagering on games had always been integral to an Indian community’s involvement, but when betting and violence saw an increase as traditional Indian culture was eroding, it sparked opposition to lacrosse from government officials and missionaries. The games were felt to interfere with church attendance and the wagering to have an impoverishing effect on the Indians. When Oklahoma Choctaw began to attach lead weights to their sticks around 1900 to use them as skull-crackers, the game was outright banned.
Meanwhile, the spread of non-native lacrosse from the Montreal area eventually led to its position today worldwide as one of the fastest growing sports (more than half a million players), controlled by official regulations and played with manufactured rather than hand-made equipment—the aluminum shafted stick with its plastic head, for example. While the Great Lakes traditional game died out by 1950, the Iroquois and southeastern tribes continue to play their own forms of lacrosse. Ironically, the field lacrosse game of non-native women today most closely resembles the Indian game of the past, retaining the wooden stick, lacking the protective gear and demarcated sidelines of the men’s game, and tending towards mass attack rather than field positions and offsides.
There is also a street game played in urban inner-cities called stickball, that is a spinoff of baseball. They have an organized stickball league.
RELATED LINKS ON THIS SITE:
Evolution of Native American Stickball into the modern game of LaCrosse
This is a historical timeline of the evolution of the native american stickball game into the modern game of LaCrosse.
A-ne-jo-di, or Stickball, is a very rough game played by many Indian tribes
A-ne-jo-di, or Stickball, is a very rough game played by not only the Cherokee, but many other Southeastern Woodland tribes including the Muscogee (Creek), Seminole, and others.
The Cherokee Stomp Dance
The traditional religious dance of the Cherokee is the Stomp Dance. Part of the day’s activities includes the playing of a traditional stickball game.
EXTERNAL LINKS:
International Federation of Women’s Lacrosse Associations (IFWLA)
IFWLA was formed in 1972 to promote and develop the game of women’s lacrosse throughout the world. Inaugural members were Australia, England, Scotland, Wales and the United States. The number of member countries has doubled as lacrosse has spread. New member countries are from Asia and Europe and interest is now spreading into South America.
Canadian LaCrosse Association
The Canadian Lacrosse Association is recognized as the governing body responsible for all aspects of Canada’s National Summer Sport.
US LaCrosse Official Site
National teams, museum of LaCrosse, rules of the game, extensive links.
NDN Sports
A website devoted to native americans in sports.
Choctaw Stickball
A Choctaw description of the kabocca game we call stickball.
Historical descriptions of the stickball game
The sport of lacrosse is derived from a Haudenosaunee game of great antiquity called, in Oneida, Ga-lahs. This ancient tradition has been brought back into the daily lives of Oneidas. Today the men’s team, the Silverhawks, competes against other Haudenosaunee teams in the Iroquois Lacrosse Association.The Oneida Nation also sponsors a lacrosse stick-making class taught by Russell George.
Native American Sports Council
The NASC conducts community based multi-sport programs which encourage healthful community participation and provide assistance to Native American Olympic hopefuls.
North American Indigenous Games
The NAIG is a celebration of sport and culture for North American Indigenous peoples from across Turtle Island (North America).
The Mayan Ball Game was the first team sport in human history.
The Mayan ball game has been played in Central America for over 3000 years. It is the basis for all other “ball and goal” team games, similar to shinny, lacrosse, and other football, basketball, soccer type team ball games. To learn more about the game, go to this site where you can download a free plug-in and play a version of the game. Although this site is slow loading, it’s really worth the wait.
Definition and synonyms of stickball in the English dictionary
STICKBALL – Definition and synonyms of stickball in the English dictionary
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Brooklyn, when I was growing up, was awesome. It was stoopball and stickball – a lot of kids… the baby boom generation were all in the area. It was just a really great place.
Jerry Doyle
PRONUNCIATION OF STICKBALL
GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF STICKBALL
Stickball is a noun.
A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.
WHAT DOES STICKBALL MEAN IN ENGLISH?
Stickball
Stickball is a street game related to baseball, usually formed as a pick-up game played in large cities in the Northeastern United States, especially New York City and Philadelphia. The equipment consists of a broom handle and a rubber ball, typically a spaldeen, pensy pinky, high bouncer or tennis ball. The rules come from baseball and are modified to fit the situation, for example, a manhole cover may be used as a base, or buildings for foul lines. The game is a variation of stick and ball games dating back to at least the 1750s. This game was widely popular among youths growing up from the 20th century until the 1980s.
Definition of stickball in the English dictionary
The definition of stickball in the dictionary is a team game based on baseball, which is played in the streets using a rubber ball and the handle of a sweeping brush.
WORDS THAT RHYME WITH STICKBALL
ˌaɪbɔːltəˈaɪbɔːl
Synonyms and antonyms of stickball in the English dictionary of synonyms
Translation of «stickball» into 25 languages
TRANSLATION OF STICKBALL
Find out the translation of stickball to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of stickball from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «stickball» in English.
Translator English –
Chinese
stickball
1,325 millions of speakers
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Spanish
stickball
570 millions of speakers
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Hindi
stickball
380 millions of speakers
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Arabic
نوع من البيسبول
280 millions of speakers
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Russian
stickball
278 millions of speakers
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Portuguese
stickball
270 millions of speakers
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Bengali
স্টিকবল
260 millions of speakers
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French
sorte de base-ball
220 millions of speakers
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Malay
Stickball
190 millions of speakers
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German
Stickball
180 millions of speakers
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Japanese
stickball
130 millions of speakers
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Korean
stickball
85 millions of speakers
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Javanese
Tongkat
85 millions of speakers
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Vietnamese
stickball
80 millions of speakers
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Tamil
ஸ்டிக்பால்
75 millions of speakers
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Marathi
स्टिकबॉल
75 millions of speakers
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Turkish
Stickball
70 millions of speakers
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Italian
stickball
65 millions of speakers
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Polish
stickball
50 millions of speakers
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Ukrainian
stickball
40 millions of speakers
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Romanian
stickball
30 millions of speakers
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Greek
stickball
15 millions of speakers
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Afrikaans
stickball
14 millions of speakers
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Swedish
stickball
10 millions of speakers
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Norwegian
stickball
5 millions of speakers
Trends of use of stickball
TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «STICKBALL»
The term «stickball» is regularly used and occupies the 84.859 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «stickball» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of stickball
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «stickball».
FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «STICKBALL» OVER TIME
The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «stickball» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «stickball» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.
Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about stickball
4 QUOTES WITH «STICKBALL»
Famous quotes and sentences with the word stickball.
We hung out on the streets, played stickball, and did all of the things that other kids did.
Brooklyn, when I was growing up, was awesome. It was stoopball and stickball – a lot of kids… the baby boom generation were all in the area. It was just a really great place.
Toddlers need to get off the soccer field and onto the playground. Children need to get out of the gym and into neighborhood stickball games. We need to give kids room to create their own rules, set their own terms, and move their bodies in their own ways.
Why the fairy tale of Willie Mays making a brilliant World Series catch, and then dashing off to play stickball in the street with his teenage pals. That’s baseball. So is the husky voice of a doomed Lou Gehrig saying, ‘I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of this earth.’
10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO
«STICKBALL»
Discover the use of stickball in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to stickball and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
Stickball and Egg Creams: A Bronx Boy’s Memoir
Now in his mid-seventies, Racond chronicles his life from childhood to adolescence. Written with humor and heart, “Stickball and Egg Creams” provides a glimpse into this special time in America.
2
The Choctaw: Stickball Players of the South
This series explores and supports standards under “The History of Students’ Own State or Religion,” and “The History of the United States,” as required by the National Center for History in the Schools; and “Culture and Cultural Diversity,” …
Rachel A. Koestler-Grack, 2003
3
Causal Learning : Psychology, Philosophy, and Computation: …
Children were introduced to the stickball machine described in the section on
inferring the existence of unobserved causes. Children were told the following: “
Some stickballs are special. Special stickballs almost always make other
stickballs …
Alison Gopnik Professor of Psychology University of California at Berkeley, Laura Schulz Professor of Psychology Center for Advanced Study in Behavioral Sciences, 2007
4
Stickball on 88th Street: Poems
Stickball employs an original form, neither free verse nor traditionally formal, but rather lexical. Instead of meter and syllable counts, the book uses individual words as its units of measure.
5
They Do Not Play Stickball in Milwaukee
On the trail of a missing nephew, novelist Dylan Klein and retired NYPD detective Johnny MacClough discover a chilled trail layered in blood and intrigue
Reed Farrel Coleman, 1997
6
A Whole New Ball Game: An Interpretation of American Sports
“3 For my present purposes, the most intriguing examples of pre- modern sports
are not the “meteorological play-forms” but the stickball game of the Southeastern
tribes and the Jicarilla Apache “relay race.” Stickball was the most widely …
7
The Great Ball Game of the Birds and Animals
When Bear and Terrapin tell two small furry animals that they cannot compete in the important stickball game between the animals and the birds, the two are welcomed by the birds, who find a way for them to fly.
8
The Limits of Idealism: When Good Intentions Go Bad
Chapter. 3. Messianic. Stickball. THE. STICKBALL. MENTALITY. If morality is not
what we believe it to be, then what is it, and how is this related to idealism? The
answers to these questions are surprisingly complex. Perhaps the best way to …
9
Seabury Place: A Bronx Memoir
Combine a broomstick, a pink “spauldeen” (a high-bounce rubber ball made by
the Spalding company), and a minimum of five players on each side and you
have the basic elements of a New York City institution, the Stickball game. In the
late …
10
Stickball, Streetcars, and Saturday Matinees: Illustrated …
Recounts the author’s experiences growing up in Bayonne, N.J. during the Depression, and discusses amusements such as listening to the radio, visiting the corner store, and playing street games
10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «STICKBALL»
Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term stickball is used in the context of the following news items.
Crown Heights stickball game unites NYPD cops and kids
The “First Annual Block Party Style Stickball/Fitness Community Engagement” in Crown Heights, co-sponsored by the NYPD and the Daily News, drew New … «New York Daily News, Jul 15»
Keetoowah Cherokees host three-team youth stickball tournament …
The Nighthawk Juniors team placed first in the United Keetoowah Band Youth Stickball tournament at the UKB tribal complex grounds Saturday, July 18. «Tahlequah Daily Press, Jul 15»
Keetoowah Cherokees Host Three Team Youth Stickball Tournament
Three teams participated in a double-elimination stickball tournament, the Warriors, UKB Summer Youth Camp players; NDN Outlaws, Cherokee Nation of … «Native Times, Jul 15»
Stickball championships underway
Rain or shine, the action continues this week in the 66th annual World Series of Stickball which is being held this week in conjunction with the Choctaw Indian … «Philadelphia Neshoba Democrat, Jul 15»
World Series of Stickball starts this Thursday
Stickball is a traditional game for the Choctaw Indians which dates back for centuries. Instead of wars, disputes between communities were settled by stickball … «Philadelphia Neshoba Democrat, Jul 15»
Batter up! Old Little League teammates reunite for stickball
Jon Hopkins fires a pitch in the early innings of the Legends of Riverdale stickball game at Spuyten Duyvil Playground in Riverdale, Saturday June 13, 2015. «The Riverdale Press, Jun 15»
Keats siblings lead Beaver Dam to 8-3 win in stickball
Beaver Dam’s J’Haven Smith reaches out to tackle Warriors’ Quincy Farmer Thursday during the stickball competition at Choctaw Central High School during the … «Meridian Star, Jun 15»
Senior Stickball League Brings Retirees Back To Boyhood
Every few seconds, a yellow rubber ball is launched up into the air, and the men laugh and joke as they call out for it. This is the Palm Beach Senior Stickball … «WUWF, May 15»
Stickball on Sunday to help fight hunger in Troy
TROY — Old-time N.Y. Stickball, which will benefit Joseph’s House and Shelter and local food pantries, will take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at Little Italy … «Albany Times Union, Apr 15»
Stickball demonstration Thursday on UCSO lawn
Members of TRIBAL, Murray State College’s Native American student organization, will be hosting a stickball demonstration from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Thursday on the … «Daily Ardmoreite, Apr 15»
REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Stickball [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/stickball>. Aug 2021 ».
Answers About Stickball and Snowfall in the Spring
Q. There’s a street in the Bronx called Stickball Boulevard on maps. Is that real or just a nickname?
A. It’s for real. It runs parallel to White Plains Road, between Lafayette and Randall Avenues in the southeast Bronx. In the 1980s, an event designated the Stickball World Series was held in the borough. Members of Councilman Rafael Castaneira Colon’s district around Clason Point asked him to sponsor the renaming of part of Newman Avenue, starting at Lafayette Avenue, in honor of the event and the game.
After declining in popularity, stickball had a revival in the 1980s in East Harlem and the Bronx, where games were played without a pitcher, and with a juiced-up ball. (The sport’s original equipment: one unscrewed push-broom handle, one Spalding red rubber ball or wound-up ball of friction tape, several manhole covers and rear fenders for bases, fire escapes for bleachers, sparse traffic and no cops.) The enthusiastic revivalists in the Bronx formed the New York Emperors Stickball League. There were nine teams last season.
“I played it and my friends played it,” Mr. Colon said at the time of the renaming, “and it kept us away from crime and drugs.”
In September 2000, when The New York Times ran an article on the league, its president was Steve Mercado, who had always wanted to play for the Yankees when he was growing up in the Bronx, but became a firefighter instead. A poem he wrote in 2001, about how stickball had brought him and his father closer together, and how he hoped it would do the same for his sons, is on the league’s Web site. He came back after Labor Day weekend that year with plans to organize a children’s league, said Richard Marrero, the Emperors’ current president.
On Sept. 11, 2001, Firefighter Mercado, 38, and 11 other men from Engine 40, Ladder 35 in Manhattan were killed in the south tower of the World Trade Center. The next year, New York Emperors Stickball for Kids, a league for children up to age 14, was dedicated in his honor; the annual Memorial Day Stickball Tournament was renamed the Mercado Memorial Day Stickball Tournament; and Adolfo Carrión, the Bronx borough president at the time, said Stickball Boulevard would also be known as Steve Mercado Way.
Spring Surprises
Q. With all the debate about global warming, could you tell me the latest in the season that snow fell in New York City? My guess is that it was 1816, the “year without a summer.”
A. Wrong. A trace of snow was recorded in Central Park on May 9, 1977, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The previous record was a trace of snow on May 4, 1946.
The latest in a season that enough snow fell to be measured was April 25, 1875, when three inches were recorded, according to the federal agency’s data for weather extremes in Central Park since 1869.
The year 1816 was notorious for extremely cold temperatures that resulted from the eruption of Mount Tambora the year before on the island of Sumbawa, now part of Indonesia. Debris from the explosion blanketed the skies over the Northern Hemisphere. On June 6, 1816, there was a snowstorm in upstate New York that hit Albany, but it did not make it as far south as New York City.
Here are some other Central Park records from the federal agency. The earliest trace of snow in a season was Oct. 10, in 1925 and again in 1979. The lowest total snowfall in a season was 2.8 inches in 1972-73; the highest was 75.6 inches in 1995-96. The greatest snowfall in a single storm was 26.9 inches on Feb. 11-12, 2006. The lowest temperature recorded in Central Park was minus-15 degrees Fahrenheit on Feb. 9, 1934. The highest was 106 degrees on July 9, 1936.
In the 143 years of record-keeping, the city’s three warmest years, on average, were 1990, 1991 and 1998.
MICHAEL POLLAK
Remembering a stickball showdown in 1950s Brooklyn
The other day I gave a Zoom talk on my book, “The War of the Itchy Balls and Other Tales from Brooklyn,” and in the Q&A, soon the chatter turned to stickball. Stickball is the epitome of the “necessity is the mother of invention” game. No one was too poor to be able to cobble together the minimalist requirements needed.
It is a game that sticks with you. There are a bunch of codgers in Palm Beach County who have a stickball league! Most are Brooklynites.
I only needed to see stickball once and I was hooked that day when an eighth grader about the size of an NFL guard swung and hit this pinkie (a.k.a. pink rubber ball, also known as a “Spauldeen”) in a high arc. It flew over the schoolyard fence, over the street, and landed on the roof of the five-story apartment house facing “left field.”
Transfixed by that feat, thus began my obsession with stickball — an obsession so long-lasting that many years later, I took my boys back to the schoolyard for one last game. Those results later.
Read about native Brooklynites’ Florida stickball league, the Wycliffe Stiffs, in “Brooklyn Natives and Their Stickball League in Florida.”
Stickball was an anybody sport. Needed were a broom handle, a piece of chalk, and a Spauldeen, making the cost next to nothing. That was particularly true when the broom handle came from a broom that somehow “just disappeared” one day from the garage, the chalk disappearing from a classroom, and the ball itself costing a quarter. If you really wanted to go whole hog, electrical tape was wound around the bat handle — but that was it.
One drew a batter’s box on the wall and/or a plate on the ground. In a two-boy game, there was a pitcher and batter. In a three-boy game, add an outfielder. And much like baseball, it was a mental duel between batter and pitcher.
Most games were won with a Wee Willie Keeler “hit ’em where they ain’t” strategy, and others with a mammoth homer foretold immediately by the thwack produced by the ball compressing as it hit the bat dead-center. Unlike a baseball, a Spauldeen compressed when hit and it literally flew off the bat.
–>
Stickball could be organized with teams, but in my neighborhood, it was mano a mano, all for individual bragging rights. And that’s what it came down to one fateful, late fall evening.
I can see my opponent, but I can’t remember his name. We had met over the summer, played some stickball, and quickly got into a rivalry that was to be settled back in Brooklyn at the schoolyard.
On that evening, we walked down the street to the side entrance of PS 217. The fence, of course, was locked, followed also by, of course, the fence being cut. The shape of that cut was a giant beehive — and continually patching it became foolish, so the custodian just stopped.
Watch the Eagle’s video about Brooklyn Stickball Old Timers Day, titled “50 Years of Stickball in Brooklyn.”
We used the yard facing us because with the building there, balls hit over the fence were retrievable. Hit one over the fence in the adjacent yard, and it ended up in the middle of four-lane Coney Island Avenue, shortly to be hit by a passing car and knocked halfway to Coney Island. Even at only a quarter a pop that became expensive.
Facing the fence was the red brick wall on the north side of the school. Just above where the batter’s box would be drawn were heavy-duty iron grates over the first-floor windows. Thus, there was no chance of getting a “gimme” call on a ball that was high. It hit the grate and ricocheted away, cutting down on a lot of arguments.
Thus the game began, not at high noon in the O.K. Corral, but at about 5 p.m. when few, if any, kids would be in the yard. He was a flame-thrower. I was a junk pitcher — sneaky fast when needed, augmented by a really good curveball. A Spauldeen could turn someone with strong fingers into the Clem Labine of the neighborhood. You could put such spin on it that it curved about sixteen feet — well, not quite, but you get the idea.
My foe was the Yankees’ power hitter, Mickey Mantle. I was the Dodgers’ scrabble ball hitter, Pee Wee Reese.
First inning, I didn’t come close to catching up to his fastball. He, in turn, looked like a corkscrew trying to hit my curveball. So it went for three or four of the first “regulation” seven innings. Why seven? No idea. Then lightning struck. I hung a curve and he smacked it. 1-0.
Inning after inning progressed toward the fateful 7th. In the 7th, I came to bat and sure enough patched together a few scratch hits to tie it up.
Read about Coney Island’s first annual Brooklyn Stickball Challenge, which took place in 2016.
The 7th came and went. So did the 8th and the 9th. They were followed by the 10th, 11th, and 12th. It was fall. The sun was setting, and it was getting chilly. It was also getting hard to see, creating a batter’s nightmare. But the trash talking became more and more intense — and even if we had to play by the light of the green, Art Deco-looking streetlights, this was not going to end in a tie.
By the way, there’s a reason why good baseball coaches don’t let kids throw curveballs until well into their teens. To throw a curveball, the wrist is snapped to rotate the ball. This also rotates the forearm, which twists the bicep, which is attached to the shoulder.
Suffice it to say that by inning thirteen, my right forearm felt like hot lead was flowing through it, and also felt like it weighed more than my entire body. I went to the fastball but even if it was getting dark, it wasn’t fast enough.
Then one of those things happens which causes a belief that God really does love you.
In the top of the 13th, he hit another one. He was working his mouth pretty good; all seemed lost. The cement turned into mud and I sank into it. I could barely hold the bat much less swing it. But swing it I did and on the first pitch, I blooped one over his head.
Man on first — actually, imaginary man on imaginary first. Then I whiffed twice. Need I go on? Surely, I must, even though this is the stuff of sappy movies.
Down to my last out, and only able to see the ball because it was new and still very pink, I leaned into a fastball and “Holy stickball, Batman!” I hit it.
Thwack!
The ball didn’t rise to great heights and disappear onto the roof; rather it flew like a bullet shot from a rifle. A rising line drive, it barely cleared the fence and bounced off the roof of a parked car.
I won and carry that triumph over Mantle in my heart (or ego) to this day.
And my boys? Years later, we played in the other yard. I wound up and threw my oldest, maybe ten, a high, hard one, or the kind of high, hard ones fathers throw to their 10-year-old sons, and he hit it. Hit it but good. Another rising line drive, it cleared the fence and bounced into Coney Island Avenue. It was before automobile air conditioning was common, so everyone drove with the windows down.
The ball? It hit the street and bounced — right through the driver’s side window space and onto the front seat of a passing Oldsmobile. Lost forever — unlike the memory.
Columnist and author Bill Gralnick was born and raised in Brooklyn. His latest book, titled “The War of the Itchy Balls and Other Tales from Brooklyn,” offers more memories. His writings can be found at https://www.williamgralnickauthor.com/.
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90,000 How to choose the right golf club?
Today we are going to talk about how to choose the right remanufactured hockey stick and what is a remanufactured hockey stick?
A refurbished hockey stick is a stick that was broken in the tube, hook, or had any minor defects (heel, toe separation) and was restored in a professional hockey workshop, it depends on the workshop how well the repair is done, the restoration is done by hand by 70% , therefore, a lot depends on the master and on his skill and understanding of working with composite materials.The market for low-quality services is overcrowded, people often do not know how to work correctly with composites and how important it is to comply with all technical standards when working with them.
How to choose the right golf club after repair and what are the differences between a refurbished club and a non-refurbished one?
Let’s immediately discard the “myth” that the repair of the pipe of the club is more reliable than the repair of the hook, here, as mentioned above, it all depends on the master and on who is more comfortable with which repairs to play.
1.Hook repair by contact pressing.
-Global hook repair (when the whole hook is made), these repairs include: hook break into 2 parts, long delamination, diagonal fractures. After this repair, the hook becomes stiffer, thicker by 2-3 mm, the weight increases by 40-50 grams (if others promise less, just cock before and after), which creates an imbalance, so for those who play at a high level, this repair will deliver discomfort due to the low information content of the hook and the loss of club balance.
Summary: a hockey stick with this repair is suitable for novice players.
Video instruction “Repair of the hook of a hockey stick RS”
-Local repair of the hook (repair of a part of the hook), these repairs include: repair of the toe, repair of the heel, repair of the part of the hockey stick where the hook goes into the shaft, small chips and cracks … After this repair, the hook becomes stiffer only at the place of repair (when playing it is difficult to feel that the hook has become stiffer), the thickness increases by 1-2 mm, only at the place of repair (experienced craftsmen make it so that the transition from the repair part of the hook to the whole is not noticeable , which allows you to preserve the geometry and, as a result, a comfortable game), the weight increases by 10-30 grams, which does not greatly affect the balance of the stick.
Summary: a stick with this repair will suit all players, without exception.
Video instruction “Repair of the hook of a hockey stick RS”
2. Repair of the RS vacuum hook (the hook is repaired using the vacuum infusion method).
A distinctive feature of this repair: the repair is carried out using professional equipment, highly qualified specialists, the resin undergoes mandatory degassing before infusion (all air bubbles are removed from the mixture), and the vacuum infusion process itself removes all excess resin and air.This is what makes it possible to achieve maximum strength with the use of a smaller amount of binder and reinforcing material, and this allows to reduce the weight of the repair (the balance of the stick is not lost) and thickness (the hook does not lose information content). With a global hook repair, the club will add 25-30 grams, with a local repair 5-15 grams.
Summary: a stick with this repair will suit all players, without exception.
Video instruction “Hockey stick repair RS vacuum”
3.Repair of the pipe RS
The repair is carried out by completely filling the carbon insert in the shaft of the stick. This is the most widespread, simple and not technologically advanced method of club pipe repair from which the era of composite golf club repair began. Repair at the very bottom of the pipe, in this case, the balance of the stick changes significantly, while the pipe almost completely retains its flexibility, this option is more suitable for defenders (who do less dribbling), the weight increases by 35-40 grams, flex by 3-5.Repair at the very top of the pipe, the club does not lose deflection, the club’s balance changes minimally, the weight increases by 35-40 grams, the flex increases by 3-5.
Repair of the pipe in the center, below and above the center of the pipe, the flex increases significantly by 7-10, the weight increases by 35-40 grams. Under loads, the stick usually breaks below or above the place of repair, since all the energy under loads goes exactly to these places (the place of repair is completely blocked for deflection, you can safely give a lifetime warranty for such repairs, because it does not bend, and therefore does not break ).
Summary: a hockey stick with this repair is suitable for novice players.
Video instruction “Repair of the pipe of the hockey stick RS”
4. Repair of the RS PRO pipe (performed by blow molding)
A distinctive feature of this repair: the repair is carried out using professional equipment, highly qualified specialists. The stick adds 12-20 grams in weight, so the balance during repairs anywhere in the pipe changes minimally, the flex increases by 2-3, the stick retains its deflection properties (bends at the place of repair).The club after this repair does not practically differ from the new club in sensations.
Summary: a stick with this repair will suit all players, without exception.
Video instruction “Repair of the pipe of a hockey stick RS PRO”
You can always ask for advice, to our expert https://vk.com/mikeice or call 8 (495) 203 05 45.
Thank you for your attention!
Choose the right golf clubs and use the services of professional workshops, because we are improving for you!
TN VED code 9506310000.Hockey sticks, kits. Commodity nomenclature of foreign economic activity of the EAEU
TN VED position
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OKPD position 2
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Customs Fees – IMPORT
Base rate of customs duty | 10% resol.54 |
Excise | Is not a subject to a tax |
VAT | Technical aids for the disabled Stock and equipment…. (VAT): Resolution 1042 of September 30, 2015 of the Government of the Russian Federation 0% – 36. Special technical aids for training disabled people and for their employment, which can only be used for the prevention of disability or rehabilitation of disabled people 0% – 40.Special exercise and sports equipment for disabled people, which can only be used for the prevention of disability or rehabilitation of disabled people 20% – Other |
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Stick Care
In previous articles, we analyzed what clubs are, what parameters they have and how they differ.We also found out which hook bend options are the most popular and how to navigate between them. Well, today I would like to talk about the care of the club, its correct use and what to do if the club still breaks.
Today, leading manufacturers are extremely scrupulous about the creation of clubs. A lot of research and testing has been done to ensure that the modern hockey stick meets all the required standards of modern hockey and is, at the same time, as strong as possible.But, unfortunately, no one is insured against club breakage on the first day of use.
So how do you make your stick last as long as possible?
First, use it correctly. Yes, I’m talking specifically about the technique of using the club. In my experience, golf clubs are most likely to break or crack due to improper application of force. In other words, if the stick receives a load on the shaft or on its feather that is not intended for a specific technical action, then there is a great chance of breakage.Here, of course, technique plays an important role, the ability to cushion the blow on the club with a puck or an opponent’s stick with a movement of the hands. But you can break a stick not only on ice. For example, I broke my club, which I played for a long time, when I just tested the flex once again, but with a bag on my shoulder. The stick failed to cope with the +20 kg load and immediately broke. But even this actually
does not really matter.
At the moment, there is a special technology for repairing golf clubs, in which almost any broken golf club can be restored.At the same time, it will not lose much in functionality and flexibility. By and large, it doesn’t matter where the putter broke. In the feather or in the center of the shaft, almost any breakage can now be repaired. In recent years, such a repair technology has received a strong impetus, thanks to the release of new materials to the masses, and if before the club added at least 500 grams after repair, now you will hardly notice the difference. Many of my friends play with refurbished clubs and
are not shy about it, because the functionality is almost completely preserved.
Hockey Tape
In addition to proper use, it is necessary to wrap the nib with special hockey tape . This will allow the puck to slide less on the feather and improve the sensitivity and durability of the hook. It is advisable to rewind the tape as often as possible, for example, every 2-3 workouts, or after every game. Mainly pay attention to belt wear at the bottom of the hook where it contacts the ice. The tape, or as it is also called “teip”, can be wound in completely different ways.Some from heel to toe, some from toe to heel, some in something special. Everyone chooses a convenient winding for himself – the main thing is to experiment. There is also special stick wax , it provides better puck handling and prevents ice from sticking to the stick.
If you have two or more golf clubs, it is a good idea to purchase a special golf club cover.
The cover for the club is worn on the shoulder, thereby freeing your hands. This will be especially useful if you are going to fly by plane, or travel by train with your own uniform.In it, the clubs will not get dirty and scratched during transportation, and in general it is convenient to carry one cover rather than several clubs.
Here are a few general guidelines to help you care for your companions.
- Use the golf club correctly and for its intended purpose.
- Timely rewind it.
- In case of breakage or cracks, take it for repair without hesitation.
- Purchase a cover for convenience.
Hope you found this article helpful, see you soon!
Choosing the right hockey stick
We answer the question, how can you find the optimal hockey stick and enjoy the game to the fullest?
HOW TO CHOOSE A STICK IS A QUESTION THAT RISES FOR ANY BEGINNING HOCKEY PLAYER
The main tool of any hockey player is the stick.Effectiveness on the court, speed of learning and the ability to reach your potential during training or a match are directly dependent on the right club choice. With the right stick, you can easily make crisp passes, accurate throws and hits, and stick ownership will be a pleasure every minute of your workout.
Choosing a hockey stick is a demanding process that requires basic knowledge to find the right model. We will try to answer the question, how can you find the optimal club and enjoy the game to the fullest?
Grab
The choice of a club begins with the first question: under what grip should an athlete choose a club? For the right choice, you need to determine the grip at which it is convenient for you to hold the club.
There are two types of grip: when the leading hand is left and, accordingly, right. In this case, the models of clubs differ in the bend of the hook to the left or right side. To determine what kind of grip your child or you have, you need to take the club with both hands and rest the hook on the floor. If your left hand is lower than your right hand, then your grip is left. If the right hand is lower than the left, then the grip is right. Try changing different grip options and see which one feels more comfortable. For athletes who are just starting to play hockey, manufacturers produce clubs with a universal straight hook.This option is equally suitable for both left and right hands.
Player Height / Stick Length
The most common parameter during rebounds is the player’s height to club length. During the selection, you should not neglect this parameter, as it directly affects the comfort during the game, the accuracy of the strikes and the dexterity of the control.
Using the table below, you can easily determine the required length.
Often, for a more comfortable game, adult players with small stature and mass choose teenage sticks and vice versa, if a teenager has an impressive height, he should pay attention to a stick for adult hockey players.
For the correct length of the club for your height, grasp the club with both hands and try to rest the hook on the floor, creating an imitation of the game. It is worth remembering that any skates increase the player’s height by several centimeters, this should be taken into account in the selection process. You can stand on tiptoes to simulate ice skating. In this way, you will immediately determine how comfortable the length of the club is for you.
Three main options for choosing a club:
- Handle distance to eyebrow line – this length provides more power on impact
- Distance between chin and nose.The optimal choice for advanced athletes. This length will balance the behavior of the club on the field, and will give you the opportunity to get used to the control and understanding of your playing style.
- Distance not above the chin line. This height is suitable for strikers, providing effective pinpoint work and quick throws from the wrist
We advise you to remember that changing the length of the stick directly affects the stiffness. The shorter the stick, the more rigid it becomes and vice versa.Almost all modern manufacturers of hockey equipment indicate information on how the change in stiffness depends on the change in length.
Stick stiffness
Another parameter by which it is worth choosing a club is the stiffness or springiness of the club. For the correct selection, a special gradation has been developed on a scale of 65 to 120. Teenagers with high growth and developed physical strength should choose harder clubs. The optimal solution for children will be a stiffness indicator of 65-75 units.
This parameter affects the comfort during precise throws and passes. A stiffer stick requires more force to bend to bend for a good hockey shot.
Below we have given the correspondence between the parameter and the stiffness of the club.
It should be noted that the hardness value is not indicated on the sticks made of wood. Also, when the handle is shortened on its own, the stick becomes stiffer and less responsive for lighter weight players.
Design
Hockey sticks are of two types. The split structure is made of two parts: the handle and the connecting hook. This type of club is gradually moving away from professional athletes. But at the same time, it remains a more budgetary and maintainable option. Modern one-piece non-collapsible clubs are made using numerous technologies. Such technologies are aimed at improving all kinds of club performance.
Materials
Deflection point
An important parameter in choosing a club is the deflection point. It directly affects the style and character of the game.
The clubs are divided into advantages such as:
- Click comfort
- Ease of throwing with hands
- Utility Sticks
We have prepared a table according to which it is worth choosing a deflection point depending on your game.
Hook shape
The final but equally important characteristic of the club is the choice of the hook shape. This parameter is often chosen from the personal preferences of the athlete and what properties he wants to put in first place. This parameter characterizes several different properties: the angle between the hook and the base, the curvature of the plane, the length and shape of the toe.
- Angle between hook plane and base.The parameter is indicated by a number from 4.5 (larger angle) to 7 (smaller angle). The larger the angle, the closer you can move the washer to the body. The lower the angle, this allows you to move the puck further away from you.
- Hook tip shape. The toe comes in two shapes: square and round. The square toe allows for increased comfort at the boards and is suitable for defenders. The round toe will be comfortable for attackers who prefer to perform various feints.
- Long and short hook.The short one increases the bounce rate of the puck when shooting and also improves puck control when dribbling. Medium is a versatile option that combines control and strength. The long hook increases the power of the throw and makes it easier to pick up the puck while passing.
- Hook bending depth. The deep kink allows for excellent face control. The universal version has a medium depth for optimal control of the washer, both back and forth. Shallowest depth provides maximum backside control.
- Open and closed hook plane. The open plane allows for easier puck lift and pass accuracy. The plane with the closed side opposite, is distinguished by the accuracy of the shots and better control of the puck during dribbling.
Summing up , we recommend trying out several different lengths, shapes and other characteristics of clubs. This approach will help you determine your favorite style, your position, and how comfortable the club feels while playing.You should not get hung up on a certain manufacturer and characteristics, only with experience and understanding of the game, you can identify the best option for yourself.
Youth Ice Hockey World Championship
A year ago, Russia and Canada played in the World Youth Championship final. A year later, only the “maple leaves” reached the final. Their meeting with Russia took place in the semifinals and ended with the defeat of Igor Larionov’s team with a crushing score of 0: 5.
The main foreign ice hockey observers focused on the problems with the stick that the goalkeeper of the Russian youth team Yaroslav Askarov had.The 18-year-old has lost a stick twice, leading to the Canadians’ second and fourth goals.
Fetisov said that he did not understand why Laronov headed the youth team
The largest Canadian sports portal TSN noted in its report on the game that Askarov made 30 saves during the game and “tried his best to take control of high-class opponents”. At the same time, the publication notes what the loss of the stick by the goalkeeper led to.
In the first period: “The Canadians took full advantage of this.After a pass from Jacob Pelletier, McMichael found himself in front of a partially empty net and Canada took a 2-0 lead. ”
In the second period: “Problems with club control continued to bother Askarov. He lost it again to the Canadians and they made the score 4-0 when Schneider plugged into the partially empty net. Ryan Suzuki and Dawson Mercer scored 4:09 assists. ”
Former Buffalo and Philadelphia goalkeeper Martin Biron gave a dry analysis of what happened.
Askarov (Russian goalie) takes a player stick after losing his. NEVER, EVER, EVER take a player’s stick if you lose your goalie stick. It’s more important to have all players with full equipment to handle the puck and defend. Goalies can handle no stick situation for a while. https://t.co/BYn10SYkkb
– Martin Biron (@ martybiron43) January 4, 2021
“Askarov took a player’s stick after he lost his. Never pick up a field hockey stick if you have lost yours.It is much more important that the players have clubs to defend themselves. In this case, goalkeepers can cope without a stick. I just asked my 16-year-old son what he would do in such a situation, and he also said that he would take the stick from a defender. It looks like I’m a failed father, ”Biron tweeted.
***
ESPN expert Chris Peters noted that this was the first time he saw this: “I’ve seen a lot of Askarov’s games, but I don’t remember him throwing his club back so often.Either there is something wrong with the physics, or something in the head. In any case, it is discouraging. ”
***
There were also pranksters who turned the episodes with the loss of the club into a meme. An English-language account Klyushka Askarov even appeared on Twitter.
Yaroslav hasn’t dropped me in almost 25 minutes, I feel so loved ?
– Yaroslav Askarov’s Stick (@AskarovsStick) January 5, 2021
One of the jokes in the account: “Yaroslav hasn’t left me for almost 25 minutes. I feel so loved ”
***
pic.twitter.com/OwcDDGBldN
– Yaroslav Askarov’s Stick (@AskarovsStick) January 5, 2021
Another joke – a popular meme: “I, Askarov, someone else’s stick”
***
Yaroslav Askarov with his stick every other minute pic.twitter.com/ik9uapRy2y
– Net Front Nylander (@ nylander4hart) January 5, 2021
Publication from another account: Yaroslav Askarov and his club every minute
***
EMPTY NETTER! @Dylan_Cozens nets his 8th goal of the tournament and makes it 5-0 for @HC_WJC over @russiahockey #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/geeViYiQK9
– IIHF (@IIHFHockey) January 5, 2021
The fifth puck flew into an empty net. At least here Askarov was out of business.
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Two Sticks Tournament | Pirogovo resort
Golf club “Pirogovo” invites you to take part in the exciting tournament “Two clubs”!
Tournament format:
Stroke Play Net, Doubles Scramble, 18 Holes, 1/4 Total Play HCP
The game is played with two sticks, exchange of sticks is prohibited.
Max Gaming HCP for Men: 28
Max Gaming HCP for Women: 36
Maximum playable HCP for junior boys: 28
Maximum playable HCP for junior girls: 36
Men play with the Blue Tees
Women play with Red Tees
Juniors boys play with White Tees
Juniors girls playing with Red Tees
Main nominations:
1,2,3 command place
Juniors
1 team place
Special nominations:
Nearest Shot – Men – Hole 3
Nearest Shot – Women – Hole 7
Farthest Putt – Overall – Hole 8
Straightest Drive – Overall – Hole 9
The most polite team
Tournament program:
nine.00 – Opening of the training field
9.30 – Beginning of registration, breakfast.
10.30 – Official opening ceremony of the tournament, announcement of the rules, group photo.
11.00 – Simultaneous start from all holes.
12.30 – 13.30 – Group training for the guests of the tournament, led by golf professionals.
16.30 – Dinner starts at the Club House.
17.15 – Awarding ceremony.
17.45 – Continuation of dinner and entertainment program.
Participation fee:
Price for golfers guests: 12,500
Junior price: 6500
Member price: 8000
Price (golf clinic, evening program and dinner) for event guests: 6000
Price (golf clinic and dinner) for children: 3000
Tournament partners:
Golf club “Gelendzhik Golf Resort” – an 18-hole championship golf course, with a club house, a golf academy, a closed club village.
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The Golf Profi Group of Companies is a direct supply of specialized equipment, clothing, footwear and accessories from the world’s leading golf brands.
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Immigrant Invest Law Firm is a licensed agent of state investment programs for obtaining a residence permit, permanent residence and citizenship by investment in Europe, the Caribbean and Vanuatu.
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WALL STREET ENGLISH IS THE LARGEST INTERNATIONAL CHAIN OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE SCHOOLS.
Yamaguchi is an expert in massage and fitness equipment. The company occupies a leading position in the world. Yamaguchi equipment is the embodiment of the latest developments in the health, fitness and massage industries. Combined with bold design, each product is a masterpiece. The company’s products are sold through its own retail network from Vladivostok to Kaliningrad.
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SAVOY WELLNESS is a place where innovative technology meets premium service. An individual exercise program is calculated using the most modern medical equipment. The halls are equipped with equipment that has no analogues in the capital.
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GUTA CLINICS
Expert-grade medicine for the whole family.
Multidisciplinary clinic in the center of Moscow.
High level of diagnostics and treatment using the latest equipment.
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We will also delight you with a delicious wine tasting from our partner Mistral Alco – one of the largest importers of the Russian alcohol market, which continues to gain momentum. For several years in a row, the company deservedly ranks first in terms of imports of still and sparkling wines to Russia.
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Eight peaks – natural mineral water of the Caucasus.
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