NEIGHBORHOOD SPORTS and GAMES

       There were a couple of basketball hoops in our neighborhood. The Allens next door had one above their garage, and on the other side the Smiths had a small court out back with a regulation height standard. We would most often play HORSE or “Twenty-one.” I’m sure games on both courts contributed to our Wasatch Wildcats winning the 5^th Grade Championship.

        Our backyard was set up for a variety of games. Volleyball, badminton, croquet, ping pong, tether ball, a swing set with pullup bars, and it also served as an imaginary big time football field.

        When we played in Phil Swenson’s backyard, our dads (Max Rogers, Ab Swensen and Wilford Smith) would watch from the patio balcony and critique our football skills. Em Smith was the best at rushing, Phil Swensen was the best running back, and I was pretty darn good at catching passes over my shoulder.

Willow Tree Line Backer

    Ash Avenue in Provo was the football capital of the world for young boys dreaming of BYU Cougar stardom. No touch- or flag football for us. That was sissy stuff. It was tackle or nothing! Between birthdays and Christmas we had all collected a variety of pads, jerseys, and helmets. Once suited up we felt we were invincible. Nothing felt better than hitting and smacking each other at full tilt. The sound of helmets and pads cracking was music to our ears.

    My helmet was a beauty to look at, white with a block Y insignia on the sides and a blue stripe from front to back. Unfortunately it was a toy, not really made for protection. But to me it was the real thing.

    There were three back yards big enough for imaginary stadiums and ours was one of them. We practiced hard, knocking each other around, and even challenged other neighborhoods, sometimes charging admission. There was an obstacle, however, a large willow tree in the end zone at one end of our backyard. 

     During an intense knockdown, drag out game I was the running back. Fourth down and a few short yards for the winning touchdown. With head down, ball tucked securely, and legs pumping, nothing was going to stop me from scoring, except the immovable object, the willow tree linebacker. I was "in the zone" and didn't even see it. Another bump on the head, and a splitting headache. It was obvious my equipment needed to be upgraded!

Francis in upgraded football equipment

Other Neighborhood Games

       One of our favorite made up games was “Annie-I-Over.” Each team would start out with an equal number of players. They would flip a coin to see who went first. The winner could choose either the front yard or the back yard to start. We’d yell “Annie-I-Over”

and throw a tennis ball over the roof to the kids on the other side. If your team could catch the ball before it hit the ground you would attack by running around the house. Anyone you could hit with the ball before they made it safely to the other side was now on your team. In the end the team with the most players was the winner.

         “Kick the Can” was our favorite night game. We could have played all night, but our parents would eventually drag us home kicking and screaming.

Marbles

        At Wasatch School playing marbles was a big deal, an early introduction to gambling I suppose.

“Pots” was my favorite. It was like golf in a way. Taking turns each player would shoot his best marble into a series of holes in the ground. The last hole contained the “jackpot,” a collection of ten or twelve marbles anteed up by the players. Winner take all! The first to shoot his taw into the final hole took home the jackpot. “Snudgees,” in other words thrusting the marble forward with your hand, was a gross violation of the rules. Sometimes the game became so intense that we had to assign a referee to keep fights from breaking out!