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Backyardigans: Summer Games gallery

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• President Benjamin Harrison Home
• Key Learning Community

VIDEO

"Old school."

The term is bandied about with a flagrant lack of reverence for the past.

It seems like any societal totem that had a fleeting connection to pop culture in the latter part of the 20th century can claim the moniker.

Nice Chuck Taylors.

So old school.

Is that Lil Wayne? Nah, Chuck D.

So, so old school.

Well, we're so, so tired of it.

So this summer, when Indy.com thought of backyard games to test and recommend, we put aside horseshoes and lawn darts and cornhole, and decided to return to a more civilized era, a more genteel time, to enjoy a few truly classic sports.

More than a century ago, each of these three backyard games was already a force in America, but each seems to have waned in the popular consciousness. We tried 'em. We love 'em. Let's reclaim their former glory. Go to a BBQ, grab a beer and get to competing, the old school way.

Croquet

The history: Croquet was invented in England in the 1800s and introduced to America -- particularly, New York high society -- in the 1870s. But just decades later, the game was on the downslide, having developed an unsavory reputation all too often associated with gambling, drinking and philandering.

Croquet regained its popularity in the early 20th century with the support of the famous Algonquin Round Table, and continued its rise on through and after World War I, before evolving into a popular backyard game nationwide.

The game: Croquet can be played by individuals or teams. The object is to use your mallet to knock a ball through each of six hoops (also called wickets) in the ground, in a specific direction and order, and then to hit the center peg, all before your opponent does.

Then you attempt to do the six hoops in reverse, again before your opponent does. If you strike another player's ball with your own, you place your ball against the other player's and knock it wherever you like.

The coordinated competitor's view: My croquet whites were different from the norm: a fuzzy headband and wristbands, brilliant breakaway pants, a glowing golf shirt, and pristine Starbury hi-tops. They felt good on me, too, like I had a little of Mr. Marbury's famous attitude -- and I would need it coming into the annual Wicket World of Croquet event as a rookie.

I wanted to roquet their stuffy old world, to wield that mallet with destructive force and send those balls flying on the lawn of the Benjamin Harrison Home. Sadly, it didn't happen that way. I found a groove early, but was let down shockingly by my partner, who was crippled by her incredibly unsuitable footwear. I had told her earlier, with menace, that I would accept no less than victory. We came in last. I blame her.

The klutz's take: I was vaguely terrified the night before I had to play croquet. I had my whites in line -- even shoes -- and I had seen croquet played in a movie at one point in my life ("Alice in Wonderland"). You know why I was scared? My croquet partner.

Marshall is a good foot taller than me, and he can be quite vicious. I knew that if I lost, I would never live it down, and I might get a croquet mallet to the head. Despite my massive preparation (again, "Alice"), my performance was a disaster. Poor hand-eye coordination, a grassy playing area and rules that were as confusing to me as a map of Byzantium made for a crummy game on my end. But it was a fun disaster, with lots of wicket-smacking and ball-whacking. "The Heathers" may have gone down hardcore, but croquet is a pleasant way to spend a sunny summer morning.

Where we played: The Benjamin Harrison Home's Annual Wicket World of Croquet Tournament ($100 entry fee included lunch). The tournament is held each year in June.

Backyarding it: Buy a set at Wal-Mart (Regent brand is $13.94) or Target (an Eddie Bauer set is $49.99), or get a kid's-size set at Mass Ave. Toys (a Toy Marketing kit is $40).

Bocce

The history: There are those who believe bocce can be traced back as far as 5,000 B.C., when the ancient Egyptians played a game that required participants to toss shiny rocks at a target. But while an unbroken lineage is not certain, a similar game was documented in Greece about 4,000 years later, and from there it spread throughout the Roman Empire. Similar to croquet, bocce was at one point in the 16th century condemned by the church as a form of gambling, but the game endured and found its way to America in the 1780s.

The game: Bocce is typically played on a long, rectangular pitch, which is sometimes soft, encouraging lofty throws, and sometimes hard, allowing players to roll their balls.

To start, a player from one team throws a small, white target ball -- the pallino -- onto the pitch. Then the teams try to land their balls as close as possible to the pallino.

When all the balls are thrown, scoring begins. The closest ball indicates which team can win points that round. If the second-closest ball is also theirs, they win two points. And so on.

Games can either be a race to a pre-set number, such as 15 or 21, or the winner can be decided by who got the most points in a set number of minutes.

The coordinated competitor's view: I was expecting -- and in some ways hoping -- to run into a herd of Don Corleones when we visited the Italian Heritage Society of Indiana Bocce League. I wanted guys in gray cardigans and white shoes, with wispy mustaches and hoarse voices, hurling balls and holding their hands high in animation at every great roll. Si, perfecto!

Instead, we were greeted by a group that varies wildly across all the major demographics. I'm used to backyard bocce, played on grass, with balls hucked high, but we played on courts of packed clay with wooden borders. And despite my sorry performance, we actually won, thanks to some beginner's brilliance by my team mate.

The klutz's take: I have been to Italy, so I am a natural at bocce. I knew that would be the case, and so it was. The good thing about bocce is that the rules are easily absorbed by someone who drinks lots of red wine and anisette. You don't have to run around. Heck, you don't even have to have good aim. Plus, where else can you start a game by asking you if can grab someone's balls?

Where we played: When we played with the folks of the Italian Heritage Society, we hit the bocce courts of Lacy Park between Greer and McCarty streets. For more information, visit www.italianheritage.org

Backyarding it: A Sportcraft Heritage Bocce Set is $48.76 at Wal-Mart, an Eddie Bauer set is $49.99 at Target, and sets are $17.99 to $95.99 at Dick's Sporting Goods.

Badminton

The history: Although there are reports of similar games stretching back 1,000 years throughout Asia, badminton likely derived from an English children's game named Battledore and Shuttlecock, which British Army officers brought to India in the 1700s. At the time, the object was to keep the ball in the air. A net was added, and competitive badminton was born in 1873 at the Badminton House in Gloucestershire, England. Badminton came to the United States soon after, and became an Olympic sport in 1992.

The game: Badminton requires skills similar to tennis, including hand-eye coordination and high levels of fitness. In formal terms, a match generally consists of three games, with 15 points (sometimes 21) required to win a game.

A point begins when a player uses his racket to hit the shuttlecock -- a projectile often made of cork with feathers attached -- over the net into the service area. The serve must be underhand. A rally can then begin. The object is to hit shots that the opposition will be unable to return. The shuttlecock cannot bounce.

The coordinated competitor's view: "A natural." Bob Clay, who helps run the Indianapolis Badminton Club (which I'm going to assume -- whether it's true or not -- makes him the pre-eminent judge of badminton ability in town), called me "a natural." But as I looked around at the teams on other courts, populated almost entirely by nimble Asian athletes frantically bashing shuttlecocks left and right, I realized I have no place in the history of this sport.

I'm happy to report, however, that badminton may be an incredibly difficult competitive sport, but it is also an enjoyable game to play with friends. And getting the hang of it is not as difficult as it looks. Even my team mate was able to send a feathery white blur into the sky, ready to fall to earth like the shimmering sparks of a smashed baseball field light.

The klutz's take: I'd batted about the idea of playing badminton. Once the game gets going, it's excellent exercise. Someone short (like me) can stay low to the ground and move quickly. Someone tall (like Marshall) can cover an entire court with his or her arms. When you're chasing after a shuttlecock, you forget how much distance you've covered until you're kind of sweaty. And that's exactly what most of us need: exercise that doesn't seem like exercise.

Where we played: Other than somebody's yard, you only have two badminton options if you're in Indiana. You can drive to Spencer, or you can head to the Key Learning Community on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 to 9 p.m. for the Indianapolis Badminton Club's play times. The first night is free; each night after is $2. Contact Indy Parks and Recreation for details, www.indygov.org/indyparks

Backyarding it: Check out Dick's Sporting Goods' sets, which start at $15.99. Target.com has a set for $29.99 and Wal-mart's Gamecraft Badminton Set is $18.88.

- By Konrad Marshall and Jenny Elig

Live the dream: Indiana contests

There are those of us who only dream of walking in the high-tops of Indiana Fever forward Tamika Catchings; diving in the Speedo of Hoosier Thomas Finchum; or vaulting in the leotard of local gymnast Samantha Peszek.

Then there are those of us who would just like to afford a flight to watch these and other great athletes perform at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing through August 24.

Instead, we'll sit at home glued to the screen, and wonder what it would be like to take part.

While we envy such physical prowess, there are a few Indiana contests you could actually win.

• Organizers of this summer's Martin County Fair in Southwest Indiana staged a "text messaging" contest. The winner took home a new cell phone. The fair also offered a "Sexy Tractor Picture" contest.

• Purdue's annual Rube Goldberg Machine Contest challenges students to design a machine that uses complex processes to complete a simple task. This year's creation had to assemble a hamburger consisting of no less than one precooked meat patty, two vegetables and two condiments, sandwiched between two bun halves. Past winners have appeared on "Late Show With David Letterman."

• A number of Indiana college campuses host "Rock, Paper, Scissors" tournaments. The USA Rock, Paper, Scissors League recently held its National Contest in Las Vegas. Julie "Bulldog" Crossley of Anderson fought hard for the $50,000 national prize and a trip to Beijing before losing in the final round to Sean "Wicked Fingers" Sears of Massachusetts.

• And if you have a heart like a lion, or look the least bit like a Munchkin, you're in luck. This year's "Wizard of Oz" Festival in Chesterton includes lion and Munchkin look-alike contests. If you're not up for that, then plan on watching "Oz Idol" at the Sept. 12-14 festival.

Why no 'biggest choke' medal?

More than 60 percent of teens and twentysomethings surveyed by Gaia Online said they plan to watch the Olympics. Respondents also weighed in on new medal categories and hottest athletes.

• 35 percent said the most under-rated Olympic event is table tennis, followed closely by archery.

• More than half said the Olympics would be more interesting if medals were awarded for "biggest choke," "best wipe-out" or "hottest athlete."

• The top two events respondents would most likely add to the competition would be "Rock, Paper, Scissors" and "Ultimate Frisbee."

• The most date-able athlete? Guys voted for balance beam's best, Shawn Johnson; girls voted for Time magazine's "Pool Shark" Michael Phelps.

Just for sport

• The first Olympics were held in 776 B.C. in Olympia, Greece. Athletes participated in the nude.

• There are 28 sports at the 2008 games in Beijing; 302 gold medals will be awarded.

• The delegation from Afghanistan includes two to six athletes; South Korea, by contrast, sent 200 to 230.

• For a sport to become an Olympic event, it must be practiced by men in 75 countries and women in 40 countries.

• Olympic athletes will produce as much at 2 million pounds of dirty laundry. An average family would take 264 years to dirty that much laundry.

- By T.J. Banes