The way I see it the greatest toy ever invented is the ball. All ages can enjoy playing with a ball, babies start out with small, squishy ones they can hold in their tiny hands, roll sometimes, even bite and older folks hit the little white ball off the tee.
The first toy and the last toy some may play with.
There are so many games for you to enjoy with a ball — baseball, volleyball, basketball, soccer, tennis, lacrosse, bowling, billiards, cricket, polo, golf, street hockey, to name a few. The tennis ball has multiple uses beyond the game of tennis, often favoured by our four- legged friends, our faithful companion the dog, for a game of catch.
Once on a back-pack camping trip the only toy the boys brought were tennis balls and they played a variety of catch games. Plus throwing the tennis ball against a tree aiming for a certain branch gave you multiple points, distance throwing, and juggling. They were light, easy to pack and provided a great deal of enjoyment.
Like people the ball comes in many shapes and sizes — small, medium, large — and then there is the football. Balls connect us, are unbiased and forgiving. They can also be used in our healing, soft rubber balls to strengthen our grips, exercise balls for balance.
“Play ball” can garner up a whole image of a baseball stadium, a warm summer day, blue skies, young children chewing gum, kicking dirt, waiting for their moment to run, hit, catch, out-strategize the other team for the glorious win of the day. Then there are the other stadiums like the one in Toronto I love to visit where millions of dollars are invested in playing baseball. How lucky those men are to get to play a game with a ball and make a great living at it. I hope the thrill is still there for them whether in the stadium or on the court, as it was when they were children.
Fans champion these teams, identify with them as “their team,” part of their community whether in their place of residence or not. “I am a Blue Jays fan,” no a “Mariners fan.” Playing with a ball on a team we can learn about cooperation, roles, compromise, working together, skill development, enhance physical strength and enjoy camaraderie of our mates.
Balls are universally appealing. Children may not speak the same language but bring a group together and throw a soccer ball down and a game will begin. Balls roll, the children move, the game is on. Having fun, moving, cheering, using their foot skills, coordination, and joy. No matter where we go in the world we are likely to see children and adults playing with balls. This summer the lake shore will be busy with colourful beach balls used like volleyballs and soccer balls, easily inflated to bring plenty of play time.
In the early days before Columbus brought rubber back to Europe and the Spaniards started making rubber balls, not the inflatable but the solid ones, balls could be made from animal skins and stuffed with various materials. Sometimes I have seen children stuffing socks in order to make a ball for a game. As a mom of busy boys we had a basket of balls of every shape and size at our house for easy entertainment and to get the lads outside, and moving.
Balls go back in history to the time of Homer, to the Egyptians having some form of ball play displayed on their monuments, and to the ancient Greeks who had games of catch and an early form of the game of football.
Playing catch has become one of my oldest son’s favourite ways to visit with his friends. He started playing catch with a good friend when they were in high school and now they always get out the ball and gloves when they see each other. When I visited him last year in Toronto we played catch in the park. I found through this simple act of throwing a ball, catching, stretching, conversation flowed easily or we enjoyed the quiet of the moments together.
May you find some time to enjoy the spheres in your world.
Michele Blais is a realtor in Vernon, B.C. and a longtime columnist with The Morning Star, writing on a wide variety of topics, and appearing every other Sunday.
