Saturday a close friend reminded me of the toys we used to be able to buy for a dime. I have written in the past about the little balsa wood airplanes that cost that amount. But she recalled the paddle ball, a piece of wood with a rubber ball attached with an elastic cord to a staple in the middle of the paddle. Not very sturdy, but it did only cost ten cents!
In theory you bounced the ball out and back with the paddle, either overhand or underhand as the two children in the picture illustrate. In practice, however, I most often bonked myself or my sibling with the ball. This was not my favorite way to enjoy myself, but I always forgot that consequence whenever I bought a new one. Because, as you can easily guess, the previous one was either broken or confiscated.
Childhood seemed to provide numerous opportunities to be bonked on the head or face. Tether ball seemed to always leave me not only a loser (I really was too short to have a chance) but also bumped. Dodge ball’s sole purpose, of course, was to hit another child with a ball. A kickball, ineptly fielded, could hit my nose too. Where were all the overly solicitous safety concerns anyway?
I thought I had left all the chances to hit myself in the face behind me when I became an adult. But modern gyms have several pieces of equipment to repeat the experience. Perhaps naming one of them “slam balls” should be a clue. These can rebound off the wall right back at me if I am not careful. And weighted medicine balls can be hazardous too. Perhaps a full face guard should be the next addition to my home gym!
I used to love that toy. I won’t even lie, are used to hit my sister in the face with the ball. Good times
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I hear you. That is why they were confiscated.
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We had something similat here, but I cannot recall what it was called. I do remember that I soon got tired of it though.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Good thing it was cheap.
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When I was growing up I loved the 10 Cent Store. I can still remember the aisle with the peculiar toys. One was a tube with goop inside; you’d put a glob on a short straw that came with it and blow different colorful shapes. (I just looked it up and it was called Super Elastic Bubble Plastic, apparently very toxic! )
Every year at Christmas my mom would give us 5 kids some money so we could buy presents for each other and off we would go to the 10 Cent Store where many cheap and amazing purchases could be made. Good memories! 🙂
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I think the kids now go to the dollar store!
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Inflation! 🙂
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Perfect. I hadn’t realized that, but you are spot on.
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I remember that stuff so well. In fact I could even recall the smell after you mentioned it.
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I haven’t thought of paddle palls in many years. My memory is that the ball was attached to a thin piece of stretchy rubber material, which frequently snapped. I think they were cheaply built, but they also didn’t cost much. It reminds me of the old saying, “You get what you pay for.”
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I think only a staple held the thing in place.
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The ball used to hit my wrists more often than the paddle (we called it the bat, but I can’t recall what the whole shebang was called back then). But I never was good at hitting anything with a bat – tethered or not.
I bought a swing-ball after I retired with thoughts of getting some exercise in the garden, but the grandchildren have it now.
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I was similarly hopeless at hitting balls even in softball.
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I never could do paddle ball, although I kept trying. I was terrified of dodge ball. Our male gym teacher actually divided the teams into boys and girls, so the boys pummeled the girls with balls. Is it any surprise I’m not a ‘go to the gym’ person?
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That’s appalling. We only played girls against girls and boys against boys.
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Yes, it was awful. It must have been either “how to make sure girls know their role” or “how to give boys confidence.” That’s my take.
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Or one sadistic teacher.
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Hahaha!
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I think I more than likely ended up hitting myself in the eye with the ball…
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I think I remember many more black eyes too when I was a kid.
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I’m another who could never get the hang of anything like that. More irritating than enjoyable.
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Especially when aimed at me!
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I was useless at paddle ball! I’m really enjoying reading your ‘childhood games memoirs’ – so many of them are things I used to do too. All pre-computers of course…..
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I am glad to remember with you. I wonder if anyone was any good at that paddleball.
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We had versions of those too here in Australia Elizabeth. I wasn’t that coordinated in any ball sports either until high school. Then ladies net ball became a sport I enjoyed becoming captain. 😀
Blessings,
Jennifer
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I don’t know that game. Is it like volleyball?
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No, it’s women’s basketball 😀 but called Netball because there is a net attached to the bottom of goal ring 😀
Men’s basketball doesn’t have the net.
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Aha!
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I have not set foot in a gym for years, Elizabeth, but I was also a girl that frequently got hit in the face with balls. I think its because I wore glasses and couldn’t see that well without them. I never wore them when I did sport in case they got broken.
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I didn’t realize I needed glasses long after I did. Maybe that is why I got bonked in the face.
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