The Official Compendium Of Inner City Street Games

“....Street Games" is a 100% winner with me since I played most of them in old Bayonne. Stickball rated right behind Post Office on my priority list, with Street Hockey and Association (Street Football) close behind. ....I can still recall the wild fun and sheer excitement I had with all these games. Thanks for the trip back to 'time of my life' on Lexington & Fourth.....it's a Marvelous Book. .............Cliff Wirth ,..Chicago Sun Times

Prior to the advent of video games and “virtual reality” the youth of cities such as New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, etc., relied on their creativity, “reality” and the inner city environment to produce a complement of games that were unique and specific to the inner city life. The rules and the names of these inner city street games could vary from city to city, (such as Ring-a-leevio vs. Ringolevio) but in concept they remained broadly consistent. This compendium is dedicated to all those who, as youngsters, lived and played in city neighborhoods and the surrounding suburbs and participated in the wide array of inner city street games. Some of the games were seasonal; some were more ritual and yet others were more activities or traditional fun pastimes and were played at any time of the year. Not all were played actually in the street. “Stoops”, sidewalks, curbs and sides of buildings, alley ways, school gymnasiums, vacant lots, building hallways and city parks were also required settings for some of the games. For many of the games a key requirement was the “spaldeen” (or “pinky”) described in greater detail in the book. Additionally there were many other creative “props” and equipment, and unlike the virtual reality of today’s hi-tech pastimes, the inner city street games were actual, real world and three dimensional happenings which required active participation and varied skills and agility. Volume one of this compendium describes the inner city games in terms of their setting, rules, objectives, props, and seasonality and in some instances alternative names are provided.

Dr. Paul A. Rivera and Letty, his wife, were born around the end of World War II in New York City. They attended Sts. Peter & Paul grammar school, Paul attended Cardinal Hayes High School and Manhattan College where he received a degree in electrical engineering. He subsequently completed his MBA and doctoral degree in Finance from Pace University. He married his childhood sweetheart, Letty, who also enjoyed the inner city street games and attended Sts Peter & Paul, Cathedral High and the College of Mt. St. Vincent. Dr. Rivera manages a consulting practice and is a professor at local universities.. He was formerly Director of Benefits for American Brands, Inc. and for the prior 25 years worked with the Xerox Corporation and GTE International, Inc. . He has authored other business publications but in this book Paul & Letty describe with fondness the simple and creative rules of play that they enjoyed as youngsters. Paul recalls his earlier years living in the Bronx as being encompassed by three major endeavors, i.e. 1) school 2) working in his father’s grocery store on weekends (where many of the “props” for the games were bought by the neighborhood kids) and 3) playing the wonderful games described herein.