Pickup games offer many useful life lessons

Here's a little article by Bob Brandts, from the Amherst Bulletin, May 27, 2005, called "Pickup games offer many useful life lessons." And here's a sample of why I thought you'd want to read the whole thing:

"...I was thinking back on all the little lessons I learned while playing pick-up games – of baseball, basketball, kickball, wiffleball, tag, 4-square, etc. – with all of my brothers, sisters and friends throughout my childhood years. I remember my appetite for pick-up games being insatiable when I was younger (some would claim that little has changed with me), which meant that I was always on the look-out for the “next game” of whatever sport happened to be in season. Looking back now, I firmly believe that all of those informal pick-up games helped to shape me as a person and instilled in me many “life skills” that I still use to this day."

and

"To be honest, we all strived to score the most runs, goals, or whatever while we were playing the game, but the real attraction was that we were having fun and that was all that seemed to matter. The result of the game was quickly forgotten within minutes of its conclusion. The focus turned to talking about the game – nice plays, good moves, etc. – and casting our eyes to the next game, which would inevitably have different rules, different teams, and different things to talk about. As long as it was fun, nobody cared about who won or lost the game."