Fall is the perfect time for a pickup game. The weather is cool, but not too cold. The leaves are changing. It’s a time for family and friends to come together. Christopher Paruch is a former football player, as well as an experienced finance and real estate agent. He says that when you get together with your loved ones, you should play a pickup game.
What is a Pickup Game?
A pickup game is an informal, often spontaneous, sports game. Basketball, volleyball, baseball, and football can easily be played as pickup games.
These sometimes have simplified rules and a makeshift field. A basketball game, for example, could include a court, or simply a basketball hoop hung in the driveway. A baseball game may have makeshift bases made from household materials.
Christopher Paruch says the best part of a football pickup game is that little equipment is needed. All you really need is a football, and enough space to play. Goal lines can be set and marked with household items or landmarks, and are usually not the regulation 100 yards long.
1. Fun For the Family
Christopher Paruch has always loved football. Some of his fondest memories are of playing football with his friends as a child. In the past, kids were often left to their own devices. They played many pickup games without parental involvement.
Today, family pick-up games are more common. This is a great way to have fun as a family. It can be difficult to find activities both parents and kids enjoy, but nearly everyone enjoys a pickup game.
2. Easy Exercise
These days, everyone could use more exercise. A pickup game is the perfect way to get everyone out of the house and moving around, according to Christopher Paruch.
Depending on the age range of the players, you can make the game very gentle or intense. If you have younger or older players, everyone can take it slow. Remember, having fun is the goal here. Winning is secondary.
If it’s a group of older children and or adults, you can have a more traditional game. Running for a touch down can really get your heart pumping.
3. Bonding and Memories
A simple pickup game can easily become a treasured memory. Kids and adults alike can bond through the
experience. It can build trust and teamwork, because it requires working as a team.
It also gets everyone away from screens. Christopher Paruch notes that many times families spend time together on their devices. Everyone is in their own digital world. A pickup game gets everyone engaged and interacting with each other.
4. Choose Flag, Touch, or Tackle
Many people think of tackling when they think of football, but it is not a requirement for pick up games. You can play flag football with store-bought flags or items from home. Scarves, rags, and scraps of material will all do the trick.
Christopher Paruch says touch football is another gentle option. Two-hand touch means if you touch someone with both hands, they consider themselves tackled. If you have a rough and rowdy crew, tackle football can provide a release valve for tension and energy.
