Life appeared straightforward and carefree before the countless technological advances, such as computers, tablets, and cellphones. Youngsters frequently passed their afternoons outside, riding bikes and using their imaginations unrestrainedly. Even the most simple game or toy could keep you entertained for hours. Some of the fondest memories were created with our friends on the playground as the street lights signaled it was time to head home. These 10 diversions and pastimes from childhood that evolved into competitive (and occasionally professional) sports.
1. Board Games
Go, also known as weiqi in Chinese or baduk in Korean, is thought to be the world’s oldest board game, having its roots in China some 4,000 years ago. Together with playing the lute, writing calligraphy, and painting, the game was one of the “Four Accomplishments” that a gentleman was expected to accomplish in ancient China. Go is a two-player board game that uses black and white stones on a hardwood board with grids. Players alternate placing stones on the board on intersecting lines with the objective of encircling their opponent’s stones. The player using the black stones goes first.
The total number of points obtained for seizing your opponent’s stones less the total number of stones conceded by your opponent determines the final scores. The winner is the one with the most points. The Japanese Go Association, the European Go Federation, the International Go Federation, and the American Go Federation are only a few associations and federations for professional players. For individuals who wish to learn how to play, there are a number of competitive tournaments hosted all around the world in addition to an online version of the game called AlphaGo.
2. Marbles
Ancient Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and even certain Native American tribes performed games similar to marbles, albeit these were often played with stones, pieces of clay, or nuts. From the early 1920s, there have been competitive marble competitions. For instance, the National Marbles Tournament, which was established in Wildwood, New Jersey, in 1922, gives kids between the ages of 7 and 14 the chance to play in a four-day competition that offers college scholarships. Every year, the competition is held at Ringer Stadium off the seaside boardwalk a week following Father’s Day.Additionally, The British and World Marbles Championship formally began in 1932 and is held every year on Good Friday at the Greyhound Pub in Tinsley Green, Sussex
3. Nerf Gun Battles
In addition to working as a system engineer for NASA on the Galileo mission to Jupiter, the Mars Observer Project, and the Cassini mission to Saturn, Lonnie Johnson was a research engineer for the U.S. Air Force. Moreover, he is the designer of the Super Soaker and the Nerf soft foam dart guns. Nerf guns offered a thrilling war-themed choice for play that was safe enough to be done indoors and without the concern of physical harm thanks to its foam construction. But, Jared Guynes of Dallas, Texas, made the decision to go all out in these blaster fights in 2016.
Guynes created Jared’s Epic Blaster Battle, and the first battle took place on March 12, 2016, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with 2,289 participants. It also earned Guynes a world record for the largest toy pistol fight. The event made $14,000 in profit from ticket sales which Guynes donated to tornado relief efforts.Aside from the battle at the Dallas Cowboys’ stadium, Guynes has now taken his event on the road and is hosting other blaster battles at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, and the Atlanta Falcons Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.[7]
