It's Time for Recess

[Betty]

I love badmitton. It was finally a sport that I was naturally good at and beat pretty much everyone else in girl's gym playing. That's saying something as I hated P.E. - probably because I was chubby and usually didn't play very well...

In College I even took a badmitton class - which about half way through I managed to somehow trip and break my ankle. That ended by badmitton days.

I recently bought a summer fun pack of lawn toys and badmitton was included. The f-ing net is so complicated to put up I read and re-read the directions a few times, tried it this way and that, went inside for a drink and never got any farther.

Someday I'll play again - makes me want to go give that damn net another try.

[BarTopDancer]

Do we need a LoT picnic somewhere with racquetball courts (to play handball, of course)?

[Alex]

Yes, there is an episode of Twilight Zone where all the old people go out and play kick the can.

In fact, the episode is titled "Kick the Can"

[cirquelover]

Thank you Alex!

[Alex]

Imagine a ping pong table blown up to tennis court size so that you can play standing on the table. Now play your giant ping pong using slightly enlarged paddles and a wiffleball. Essentially it is what you'd end up with if you bred table tennis with regular tennis.

The nature of the ball allows for wicked spin but its lightness prevents it from moving super fast through the air.

Start here for more information. It was invented in Washington so may have been over-represented in Washington school PE programs. But it was one of my favorites.

[Moonliner]

Originally Posted by Alex

Imagine a ping pong table blown up to tennis court size so that you can play standing on the table. Now play your giant ping pong using slightly enlarged paddles and a wiffleball. Essentially it is what you'd end up with if you bred table tennis with regular tennis.

The nature of the ball allows for wicked spin but its lightness prevents it from moving super fast through the air.

Start here for more information. It was invented in Washington so may have been over-represented in Washington school PE programs. But it was one of my favorites.

A pickleball court is much smaller than a tennis court.

[Alex]

Yes, by official rules. But in giving a sense of the game I wasn't worried about exact dimensions.

We usually played on tennis courts in high school because we usually played outdoors and those were the courts that existed. With my college roommate we usually played on proper courts since the University of Washington had permanent indoor pickleball courts set up in the Intramural Activities building.

When pressed though we'd also play on volleyball courts, which are also larger than pickelball with the net removed if it couldn't be lowered (and an honor system for calling when the ball would have hit the net).

[Alex]

Oh, when we did play on tennis courts it we played inside the singles width and within the service boxes, which made it approximately the same size as a pickleball court (a bit wider and a bit shorter). The no-volley zone was either honor system or marked with cones.

[Disneyphile]

I so need some recess time. Sign me up.

[Betty]

Steal the Bacon - and we did it with erasers.