Of course, this brand of double-trouble dodgeball (which we called "Socco") came with warnings and only 5th and 6th graders were permitted to play due to the...competitive nature. I'm betting it's long been banned.

Not really, I played all over. I was just very nimble with very fast reflexes (I wasn't always the lard butt I now am).

One of my fonder childhood moments of glory was in 9th grade P.E. where it got down to me vs. about six people on the other side and I lasted a very long time with them unable to hit me. Seriously, I was in a Matrix "bullet-time" groove.

Plus, I enjoy pain to a certain degree so taking an occasional ball to the face didn't bother me much (hello quote page).

We had to do Square Dancing for PE in 7th or 8th grade. We turned it into a contact sport. I think the Rip N Snort call got banned. If you went fast enough the last couple in the chain couldn't hold on and usually someone would end up slamming into the milk bin.

We also played the very un pc named smear the queer which was kinda like dodgeball as I recall.

Cool, I would have loved to play that variation:)

Not me; I got hit a lot because I never tried to dodge the ball...I tried to catch them(even if I was already holding one) and if I could send it right back at the person who threw it(I always aimed for the feet with the goal of knocking the other kid over).

I generally didn't try to catch the ball because I threw like a girl and wasn't likely to have much success there. It was more fun to just try and be last standing on my team. Though if I could get a ball to hold and deflect other balls that might be done.

But in addition to that, I'd love to have a spot where pickup games of badminton and pickleball are possible.

I hated dodgeball.

Tether ball and handball rocked. Remember the home version of tether ball played with rackets? A little thing would pop out of the top of the poll when the ball made it all the way around.

One of my friends had an actual tether ball set up on their lawn, cemented in. That was awesome.

We used to play a game on the handball court where you had to jump over the ball. You had to call the jump before you threw the ball though. A variation on that was your partner threw the ball. If the ball touched you, or you missed, you were out.

Tether ball sucked. There was never a consensus on rules (fist vs. open hand, multiple hits, pushes, etc.) and it, more than even basketball, favored the tall. Which I was not.

Out of curiosity, did anybody play a version of 4-square that was played entirely with the feet? My fifth grade teacher claimed to have invented it but it isn't like we'd know.

It was great at improving ball juggling skills for soccer.

Nope, the only time feet got involved in 4-square was when someone was pissed off and booted the ball across the yard.