I recently came across some medicine balls at work. I remembered medicine balls from being a kid and I recalled them as being huge things. These modern ones were not too big but really heavy and squashy and apparently called splat balls.
Not being sporty whatsoever at school as a kid I have no memory at all of actually doing anything with medicine balls. I just knew they existed like most sports equipment. Seen but not experienced as I did everything I could keep a low profile in PE.
One thing I couldn't avoid was football at school. It was mandatory to join in the beautiful game. Like now some kids are obsessed with it and some, like me, detested it. One of the many reasons for my dislike of what was once called soccer was the ball. They were caseballs.
Now if I recollect correctly a caseball was basically a cowhide stitched into a sphere. Air may or may not have been injected. It could have been a solid ball of leather as far as I was concerned. It certainly felt like it. Caseballs were like rocks with laces. They weighed a ton and absolutely killed when you kicked them. Not even my George Best Stylo Matchmakers could soften the blow.
Even worse was heading them. You may as well have nutted the school gates!
Yes, caseballs were the bane of my life. Give me a nice soft beachball any day or one of those cheapo plastic inflated jobs you got in toy shops. Why couldn't we have had those?
Were you a caseball casualty like me readers or an absolute whizz on the pitch?
Wasn't remotely interested in football at school, still not now. We were basically left unsupervised for most of it at secondary school, so I just didn't bother. Nobody seemed to mind!
ReplyDeleteOur teachers were always on our case (balls!)
ReplyDeleteI wasn't interested in sport at all.
ReplyDeleteIn later years, games lessons involved my mates and I going on supposed cross country runs, which were actually runs to my friends house, near the school, where we'd drink tea and watch pre school TV, such as Hickory House, with Humphrey Cushion.
I couldn't stand cross country Mush. We had to have showers afterward which always meant argee bargee. Your running had a great destination. Never heard of Humphrey Cushion! Great name!
DeleteMish!
ReplyDeleteI had to play rugby at school, which left me cold, bruised and muddy. So cross country running was a later and easier option- especially as if you got in quickly, you could go home form school earlier. As for medicine balls, great heavy things you were supposed to throw and catch- although I have the impression nobody knew what to do with them...
ReplyDeleteRugby or Cross Country! Oh my God. What a choice! Thank God we don't have to do stuff like that anymore Andy!
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