Need to work on hitting or the field is too wet? Play a Game of Stickball

One game I love to play with children is a game of stickball played on asphalt.  I implement the game for three reasons.  Primarily, I like to play when the fields are too wet to play on and would like the children to get swings.  Secondly, I like to have the ball players work on their hand-eye coordination in trying to hit a smaller ball with a thinner bat.  Lastly, the children love it!  It brings out their competitive juices.

Stickball is a street game related to baseball, usually formed as a pick-up game, in large cities in the Northeastern United States (especially New York City and Jersey City). The equipment consists of a broom handle and a rubber ball.  I like to use racquet balls.  There are no gloves used.  There are three outs per inning and a game is 6 innings in length.  The rules come from baseball and are modified to fit the situation, i.e., use chalk on asphalt to mark the bases or use buildings for foul lines. This game was widely popular among Irish, Italian, Jewish, and Puerto Rican youths growing up from the 1920s to the 1980s in Boston, Philadelphia, New York City and Northern New Jersey.

There are several forms of stickball but in the game I like to play, the batter bounces the ball in front of them at the plate and attempts to hit the ball.  Each batter gets only one swing.  If you swing through without hitting the ball, you're out.  Any ball that is hit foul is considered an out.  Any ball that does not get hit beyond a certain line (usually 25 feet from home plate) is considered an out.  There are no overthrow rules.  That said, runners can keep running until the defensive players, playing without gloves, stop the runners from running the bases. 

Balls hit off of cars or buildings or other structures that are in fair territory are considered in play.  Balls hit either over a fence line or beyond a certain distance (if no fence exists) is considered a homerun.  In some leagues, if the ball lands on a roof, porch or breaks a window far away it is usually ruled a home run.

Coach's Point:
I love this game because it keeps the players interested and having fun.  In parallel, the players are tested in the skills to hit a small ball with a thin bat.  It is harder than you think it is if you have never played before.  It can be frustrating.  But, I have never encountered a child that has not loved the game.