Athletics

Athletics were very important in Rochdale Village when we lived there.

Especially for the boys, it allowed us to compete against each other in friendly games, everything from baseball to softball to bowling.

And I can attest to the fact that it was lots and lots of fun!

I was in the Rochdale Village Athletic League from its earliest days in 1964, through its end in 1972. I was even in it when I didn't live in Rochdale anymore!

I think I played regular baseball first, then moved onto softball, where the competition, if anyone remembers, was pretty incredible.

I played for a variety of my friends' fathers, and I played for my dad, too. We won one or two softball championships during those years.

Below is a photo of Arnie Epstein. I played with him and his father, Julie, was my coach for several years.

I also bowled. The bowling league, first at United Rec (with the immortal Curt, telling us to "tern on the 'chines, yoo ken begin bowling) and then at Cardinal Lanes, was also extremely competitive.

Beyond the RVAL, there were many other sports, including Pop Warner football, which was also very, very popular, and roller hockey, which I believe was played in one of the playgrounds in Section 4, as was basketball, which was played "in your face" in that section.

I played just about everything in the RVAL, and I wasn't very good, but I loved to play.

I looked foward to those games every week, and every game was like the World Series to me.

One artifact I still have from those days is this video, which has been on YouTube for several years and has received nearly 1,500 hits.

It shows a different time in my life and our lives, and it is really a great time capsule for those years in both the RVAL and Rochdale in general.

For some reason, I can't embed a YouTube video on this blog, so if you are interested, simply paste this address in your browser to see the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuSm3ZS45Ks.

And sorry, girls, the RVAL's span was before Title 9. Girls at the time were not permitted in the RVAL as players, although many women worked in the background to get this thing going.

I remember one girl who would hang around our games. I can't remember her name, but she so wanted to play softball, but she couldn't because those were the rules at the time.

It was so sad, and I really felt for her.

And who could forget Mr. RVAL himself, Jack Kanner?

He took the game very seriously as an umpire and organizer, and I will never forget his scowl or his growl.

We played baseball and softball on first the dirt fields which soon gave way to I.S. 72, and later in the fabled gravel pit, where every ground ball was an adventure.

And those post-season RVAL award breakfasts--we had Ed Kranepool, Ron Swoboda and other Mets attend, and even though I was and still am an ardent Yankees fan, I was really impressed in meeting these athletes.

Anybody else have any fond memories of the RVAL or any other athletics in those days?

If you do, you can share them here and at the Reunion on Oct. 5, where you can see many of your old teammates again.

Don't hesitate; send in your check today!