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The traditional games of New York City are one of the notable aspects of New York City's culture; many of them were brought over by the diverse mix of immigrants that settled in New York City, particularly from Europe.[1] Many of these games used street furniture and other features of New York City's high urban density and were therefore also played in other cities of the United States. Most of these games have declined or disappeared in the modern era.[2][3][4]
Traditional games historically played a significant role in street life in New York City. During the 1900s, efforts were made to push children away from the dangers of street traffic and towards playing on newly built playgrounds, with the objective of avoiding certain unwanted behaviors (such as spreading glass so that cars couldn't drive on the streets). Another hope was to improve immigrant assimilation, which was considered important during a large wave of immigration to the United States.[5] There were also concerns of children being liable to become criminals or mingle too much with adults.[6] "Play streets" were also implemented, closing off certain streets to allow children to safely play in them.[7][8]
Double Dutch is a game in which two long jump ropes turning in opposite directions are jumped by one or more players jumping simultaneously. There is a lack of consensus regarding the early history of double Dutch. The sport's immediate origins are a matter of debate, with some believing it was brought by Dutch settlers and others claiming it emerged later in the early 1900s. Nonetheless, it is widely acknowledged that the sport reached its modern form in predominantly black urban areas of New York, such as Harlem in the 1950s.[9] On street corners, groups of girls congregated to display new tricks and repurposed clotheslines as ropes. While it had long been a popular street activity for African American girls in New York City,[10] the modern sport of Double Dutch originated in the early 1970s with NYPD officers Ulysses Williams and David Walker, who formalized the rules for competition. The first official competition was held in 1974. Competitions in Double Dutch range from block parties to the world level. During the spring of 2009, Double Dutch became a varsity sport in New York City public high schools.[11]
In the early 1980s, Double Dutch was strongly associated with New York hip hop culture.[12] It has also been recognized as an element of the genre by notable MCs such as KRS-One.[citation needed]Baseball has historically been one of the most popular sports in New York City, and so several street variations of it appeared over time.[1]
Punchball is a sport spawned by and similar to baseball, but without a pitcher, catcher, or bat.[18][19]
The "batter" essentially plays "fungo" without a bat, bouncing or tossing up the ball and then using a volleyball-type approach to put the ball (usually a spaldeen[20] or pensie pinkie) in play, punching the ball with his fist.[21][22][23] Base stealing and bunting are not allowed.
Popular in New York, especially among poor Jewish children who could not afford bats or baseballs, historian and baseball enthusiast Stephen Jay Gould referred to it as "the canonical recess game",[24] and in The Boys of Summer baseball writer Roger Kahn described how when he grew up it was a boys game, as the girls played "slapball".[25] Punchball's popularity derived partially from the fact that it carried less risk of losing the ball or breaking windows than a standard game of baseball.[26]
Baseball Hall of Famers Nick Hoffman,[27] Sandy Koufax,[28][29] and Yogi Berra[30] played it growing up, as did sports team owner Jerry Reinsdorf,[31] Senator Bernie Sanders,[32] and former US Secretary of State and general Colin Powell.[33][34] Major league outfielder Rocky Colavito, when asked if he played punchball, answered "Play it? Man, that was my game. I liked to play that more than anything else ... anything. We used to play for money, too."[35] It was also a pastime of football announcer Al Michaels, who often played with former Chicago Bears quarterback Sid Luckman.Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
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