As a black woman growing up in New York City in the late 90s and early 2000s, double dutch has always been near and dear to my heart.
In the summer, the sunny streets of the Bronx were filled with young people hanging out in their neighborhoods, with time to kill and limited means. We would fashion an XL double-dutch rope out of landline telephone wire and spend hours taking turns, inviting anyone who happened to pass by—usually neighborhood aunts, including my Aunt Thelma, who would join us for a round or two on her way home from work.
Now I’m an aunt and I feel called to jump again.
Many people like me have turned to our favorite childhood activities to reconnect with our inner child — and perhaps to cope with the fact that adulthood is nothing like we imagined it would be.
In Los Angeles, there are groups you can join to play the games you loved as a kid and connect with like-minded people (and maybe rekindle some physical skills that have been dormant since high school gym class). Here are six organizations you can join for “adult recess”-type activities.
Relive your high school glory days with WeHo Dodgeball
What brings to mind physical education and school gyms more than dodgeball? This game is a nightmare for many nerds across the country. In case you’ve erased it from your memory, the game is exactly what it sounds like: a mad dash to dodge a rubber ball thrown at you by a member of the opposing team. If you get hit, you’re out, and the game continues until only one person is left standing.
For adults with a taste for nostalgia, WeHo Dodgeball offers league games on Tuesday and Thursday nights at the West Hollywood Aquatic and Recreation Center, followed by a party at the nearby Gym Bar WeHo. The league uses soft, “no-sting” rubber balls and welcomes everyone “from prom queens to drag queens” who might be looking for something different in WeHo’s social scene.
The co-ed league has begun accepting new people into its rotating membership base. Registration is $80 for a 12-week series.
Master the rhythm of two strings with the 40 Plus Double Dutch Club in Inglewood
Double Dutch Club for 40+ is a national organization created for older women who enjoy jumping rope. The group, whose oldest member is 90, takes the age limit seriously. “You have to be 40 (and up),” said Pamela Brown, 63. “We tell (younger people) to go back to 40.”
The Inglewood chapter (or “subclub” as they call it) meets for 90 minutes on Saturdays, starting at 9 a.m., at Rogers Park, followed by parties. Since the first meeting, when only a handful of people showed up, weekly attendance has grown to more than 50 people. “It’s been fun,” said Brown, who described it as “a brotherhood, a camaraderie.” “I may have knee pads, but I’m here.”
The group is known for hopscotch, hula hooping, line dancing, jumping rope and patty cake dancing, among other activities. Melinda Jackson, 50, is the group’s unofficial choreographer for line dancing.
“We started out as women who came together because of a shared passion for Double Dutching,” she says. “But once we got together, we discovered we had so much more in common than that. And it’s allowed us to socialize and support each other through the ups and downs of life. We’re mothers, grandmothers, but we can see each other as individuals when we’re here.”
Find your next kickball favorite with Zog Sports
A near-death experience led Robert Herzog to begin ZogSportsa social sports community that serves thousands of players each year in the United States
On September 11, 2001, Herzog started his day an unusually late hour, making him five minutes late to his job at Marsh & McLennan on the 96th floor of the World Trade Center in New York City. He got off the subway just in time to see the first tower hit by a terrorist attack.
Three months later, as he reflected on his life and tried to chart a path forward, he decided to create a well-organized sports league that could help people connect outside of the office, to “build community and help people heal,” said Jody Zellman, ZogSports’ chief of staff. “Today, we help thousands of athletes across the country build community and connection through the sports they love.”
Today, more than 1,000 teams play annually in six regions across the United States, and there are 37 programs in Los Angeles. Coed kickball games are on the program for late October, with games taking place in Hollywood, West Hollywood and Venice. Other activities include volleyball, basketball, soccer, softball, bowling, flag football and pickleball, which has been have a resurgence lately.
Herzog, who met his wife at a co-ed softball game before founding his company, credits the organization with “so much romance off the field,” according to the website. Prices for eight regular-season games plus playoffs range from $95 for an individual to $625 for a team of up to seven.
Become a team player with Club Waka
Soccer in Glendale. Bowling in Torrance. Volleyball in Santa Monica. Kickball in Venice, Hollywood, Pasadena and Long Beach. Here are some of the offerings and areas served by Waka Cluba national organization that provides social sports to players of all levels.
Players meet weekly for eight weeks to play games that last from 45 minutes to an hour. Newcomers can sign up individually, in small groups to be integrated into a larger group, or as a full team. After the game, there is an after-party at a local bar.
Entry fees vary and include weekly games (plus playoffs), a team jersey and promotions at the sponsor bar.
You don’t need to be a member of the LGBTQ+ community to join a team at Sports out loudan organization dedicated to creating inclusive spaces for members and allies of the queer community.
“Our players are extremely diverse and focused on the queer+ community, but inclusive of everyone, including our straight allies,” said founder Will Hackner. “Our policy since day one has been that everyone is welcome.”
Founded in 2007 (originally as the Varsity Gay League) with a capture-the-flag game at Pan Pacific Park, OutLoud is now the largest LGBTQ+ recreational sports organization in the country with over 70,000 registered players. There are leagues in Los Angeles and Long Beach.
Each eight-week season features regular season and playoff games for sports such as beach and indoor volleyball, bowling, dodgeball, flag football, kickball, tennis, pickleball and soccer. Prices range from $20 for bowling to $72 for beach volleyball.
“We want everyone to understand that age, size, gender, shape or the skills you have should not be a barrier to participating in sports,” Hackner said. “Many adults, both gay and straight, harbor fears and anxieties that come from toxic locker room culture. not “This space. It’s about playing, getting silly and trying something new, with or without success. This space is meant for everyone to have fun.”