In Tetherball, fun is just a swing away!
Tetherball brings schoolyard and summer camp fun right into the backyard. It is fun for children and novices, but provides a competitive challenge for older players as well. A portable tetherball system easily rolls to any space on the lawn or driveway, and because it does not require a cement base, it is quick and easy to setup. With your own tetherball system, you can hold a tournament, form a league or just get a fun workout right in your own backyard.
Facts
Tetherball has long been enjoyed on schoolyards, playgrounds and summer camps across the country, evoking fond memories for the many who have played it. There are various "facts" about the game and its history, but because of thetherball's recreational nature, few are formally documented. We are proud to share some of the more popular tidbits from the sport's history:
- Some maintain that tetherball originated with the horrible activities of the Tartars in the 9th century.They would string up the decapitated head of the enemy to a primitive pole and smack it around. That's HORRIBLE...so let's move on to the next one.
- Tetherball was likely developed after 1895, the year volleyball was invented. Since then, the game has become a favorite in backyards, schoolyards, and summer camps.
- Swingball, an alternate version of American tetherball, is popular in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. In this game, players strike a smaller, softer ball with racquets.
- Tetherball continues to remain an informal sport. Leagues are extremely rare, and professional tetherball organizations do not exist (until Lifetime creates one!)
- On May 20, 2007, a group of San Diegans tried to change that, with the first-ever San Diego Tetherball Tournament. Nearly 80 participants competed on three courts, and two were named co-champions.
- Though it lacks professional recognition, tetherball is commonly referenced in popular culture: the game appeared in episodes of The Simpsons and South Park and was a major part of the 2004 comedic film Napolean Dynamite.
Sources: Wikipedia.com, NationMaster.com
Rules
Traditionally, the rules of the game have varied from player to player. There are limited resources available online, but with the introduction of the Lifetime Tetherball system, we present a new set of standardized rules.
Set-up: In the most basic form of tetherball, a ball similar to a volleyball is tied to a 10-foot vertical pole by a slender rope.Two players, each confined to one half of the court surrounding the pole, try to hit the ball repeatedly in one direction so that the rope wraps completely around the pole.
Players: Tetherball requires only two players - one on each side of the court.
Court: The standard tetherball court consists of a 12-foot radius circle with the tetherball system placed in the center of the circle. The circle is divided into two equal halves with a line separating the two halves. Each player will play in one half of the circle. A player is not to cross the center line at any point during the game as this will result in an off-sides penalty (see penalties). If a player steps out of the circle during play, no penalty is assessed.
Games and Matches: A game is won when one player has wrapped the rope as far as it can go in his/her own direction.The outcome of each game is powerfully influenced by which player serves, as explained below. For this reason, a match consist of several games, with the players taking turns at serving. The players can choose how many games must be won to win the match, but the margin of victory must be at least two games; otherwise, the player who serves the first game will be at a disadvantage. Lifetime recommends a five-game match.
Penalties: All violations, intentional or unintentional, result in immediate stoppage of the game.When one player commits any of these violations, the ball is stopped and returned to the place it was wrapped when the violation occurred.Both the number of wraps and their height should be re-created. The other player gets to serve, then either player can hit the ball from that point on.If a player commits three unintentional violations, in any combination, the opponent wins the game.
- Stepping off-sides. If a player steps across the center line at any time during the game, the game is stopped.
- Touching the rope. If a player touches the rope, intentional or unintentional, the game is stopped.
- Carrying or throwing. When hitting a ball back against the direction from which it comes, the ball should bounce off the hands immediately with no lingering contact. When hitting a ball that as passed the opponent and continuing it on its way, the ball still cannot be carried or thrown.
- Double hitting. A player can hit the ball only once per rotation around the pole, except if the ball hits the pole between hits.
- Grabbing the pole. A player cannot grab the pole. The penalty is immediate loss of game.
If both players commit a violation at the same time, then they perform a "pole drop". Both players place one hand on the ball, holding it three feet out from the pole, directly above the line dividing the forward ends of their two sides. They release the ball simultaneously. Once the ball hits the pole, either player can hit it, and play continues normally.
Wikipedia.com, Toteth.com
All that fresh air and sunshine can work up a mighty appetite!
Camp meals are one of the most memorable aspects of a camping adventure. If you enjoy camping and outdoor cooking, Lifetime offers some great equipment and helpful hints to make outdoor cooking a satisfying and enjoyable experience. As with any activity, especially one that takes you away from the convenience of home, careful preparation is the key. The following are some helpful hints and tips to ensure that your camp kitchen is a success.
Outdoor Camp Kitchen Cooking Station
An efficient cooking space is essential to an enjoyable camping experience! The Lifetime Camp Table provides that space. And because it’s portable, it’s easy to pack and store along with your camping equipment. The camp table is designed with a wire rack to accommodate a propane stove, an attached side table for food preparation, hooks for hanging your utensils, and last, but not least, that all-important paper towel holder. There’s a place for everything, so you can keep everything in its place. If it is not possible to set up your camp kitchen beneath some kind of bowery, I suggest erecting a canopy over your cooking station. This will provide shade on a hot day as well as some protection for your equipment on a rainy day.
Outdoor Camp Kitchen Cleaning Station
- Lifetime 4ft. utility table
- Two small plastic tubs
- Dish soap
- Dish drainer
- Dishcloth, dish towels
In addition to a cooking area, you will need a clean-up area. This is the area where you will set up your dishwashing station. The Lifetime 4ft. folding utility table is a great table for this purpose because it’s small, lightweight, and easy to clean. All you need is a couple of small plastic tubs—one for the soapy water and one for the rinse water. You may wish to bring along a small dish drainer as well to let your wet dishes air dry while you go do something more fun, like hiking or swimming!
Make A Permanent Grocery List
Make a list of the dry ingredients and a list of refrigerated ingredients on the front and back of a large index card. Keep this list in a safe place to use as an inventory check list prior to embarking on all your subsequent camping adventures. I suggest keeping it in your dry food storage chest, as well as laminating it or covering the card with strips of scotch tape to protect it. Now you will have a Permanent Grocery List so you won’t have to re-plan one every time you go camping.
Dry Food Storage:
Keeping a dry food storage chest always packed and ready to go will mean one less thing to worry about when the urge to head for the hills grabs you. Of course you can always purchase special treats or snacks for each camping trip, but with this basic food storage pre-packed, you will have the peace of mind knowing that you at least have the basics you need to eat well while you’re camping. Some suggestions are cereal, crackers, pasta, canned goods such as tomato sauce, olives, vegetables, canned meats, cocoa, and cookies. Remember to pack your cooking oil, salt, pepper, and other seasonings. Pack all your dry ingredients into a large storage chest. Make sure to label this chest so you can easily locate it in your garage, shed, or closet the next time you want to go camping. You may only have to pack this chest once every camping season. If you run out of anything, be sure to replace it before the next camping trip!
Cooler Foods:
With your dry foods already packed in storage, the cold foods are all you really need to worry about packing on the day of departure. For subsequent camping trips, your Permanent Grocery List will have already been written (and stored in a safe place where you can find it), so the menu planning has already been done. All you’ll need to do on subsequent trips is to make that trip to the grocery store. And don’t forget the ice!
Handy Tips:
For the sake of economic thriftiness as well as a space-saving technique, try to use recipes that share common ingredients but which can be prepared in a variety of ways (like restaurants do). For example, ingredients such as pasta, hamburger, tomatoes, onions, olives, cheese, & tomato sauce can be used for hamburgers, Sloppy Joes, omelets, goulash, spaghetti, taco salad, and sandwiches simply by adding one or two additional ingredients (such as eggs or corn chips, or cold cuts).
You should be able to get by with one large chest for all your dry ingredients, but you will most likely need a couple of coolers for your cold foods, especially if you plan to take a gallon of milk along. Remember, half of your cooler space will have to be used for ice. Some people break open the ice bag and fill up the cooler with loose ice chunks in an effort to squeeze more into the cooler. Others prefer to keep the ice intact inside the plastic bag to eliminate the very real possibility of getting water from the melted ice into food packages. Beware of eggs in cardboard cartons! Once the cardboard gets wet, it will fall apart. Use a Styrofoam carton or relocate your eggs into a sealed plastic container.