February 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 53

Old Games from Left Field
Across the country, adults are taking
a trip down memory lane by unwinding with games they remember from
childhood or decades past. Dodgeball, pickleball, wiffleball, kickball
and others have all made a comeback
with adult players.
Kickball and wiffleball adult
leagues have especially gained popularity across the country in the last
decade. Last year, the Des Moines,
Iowa, Department of Park and Recreation's wiffleball league had 14 teams
of six people, which was double the
participation of the year before, reports Marketing Supervisor Jennifer
Fletcher. " I think it's cool to see these
sports that we enjoyed as kids on the
playground during recess are making
a comeback, " Fletcher notes.
At the Naval Air Station in Virginia
Beach, tug-of-war and dodgeball have
been offered for three years, Morris says,
and have drawn many younger sailors.
Another new organized game hails
from backyard picnics and tailgates:
beanbag tossing, called " Baggo " or
" Cornhole, " in which two teams toss
beanbags toward a tilted board with
a hole at one end, trying to sink their

Pickleball, a court sport that combines
elements of tennis, ping pong, badminton
and wiffleball, has exploded among adult
recreation enthusiasts in recent years.

Chuck Roderique/USAPA

and basketball at the naval air station,
staff also organized abbreviated games
of 45 minutes or shorter that were
held during lunch. " We try to accommodate them as best we can, " Morris
says. A shorter time frame " lets the active-duty member participate in a sport
and get back to work or class in plenty
of time, " he continues. In addition, the
base began offering smaller team sizes
- such as four-on-four volleyball - to
help draw more players.
The shortened time frame has increased participation, Morris notes.
Last year, only one team signed up for
outdoor volleyball, but this year, with
the abbreviated lunchtime schedule, six
or seven teams have already signed up.

beanbag into the hole. Such leisure
games attract participants who may
not have time for more dedicated, serious league play and practice.

Across the country,
adults are taking a trip
down memory lane by
unwinding with games
they remember from
childhood.
These low-pressure recreational
leagues also draw members of the
community who lack the athletic prowess for the more competitive basketball, volleyball or tennis
leagues. Additional participants and
leagues raise more revenue for recreation departments - often with little
cost for equipment. As a bonus, most
of these games don't require custom
spaces: Kickball can take place at any
baseball field or open field, and Baggo can take place at any park.

" We are finding it is a way to reach
out to new participants and...those
who might not otherwise participate
in sport, " says John Stutzman, recreation supervisor for Bloomington
Parks and Recreation in Minnesota,
which is planning a Baggo league.
For many of these recreation
leagues - such as kickball - the
social aspect is just as important as
winning, and going out together for
some post-game beers is considered
good sportsmanship.
" The bottom line is that people are
looking for alternatives to be outside
with their friends or for a night out, "
Stutzman says. " Maybe it isn't the
team environment or a traditional
sport, but they're looking for those
alternate, unique things to do. "
Creative Twists:
Inner-Tube Water Polo
This trend involves putting a unique,
fun twist on a more serious athletic
sport. The level of athleticism required for water polo may be too intense for many, but when you add an
inner tube, the game becomes playful.

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February 2014 - Parks & Recreation

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