Boot Camp Exercise Day Proves You're Never Too Old for Recess
BY RICHARD GUZMAN
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES - The other weekend in Downtown Los Angeles, I had dreams of recapturing my glory days as part of the Fair Avenue Elementary School 1984 dodgeball dream team. It was the year when, as fourth graders, we beat the much bigger and heavily favored sixth graders in the inter-grade tournament.
I was one of the stars of that game, using my cat-like reflexes to avoid the incoming sixth-grade assault and my deceptive look-away throw to blindside unsuspecting targets.
So when I saw the chance to play some dodgeball again as part of an Extreme Boot Camp exercise program, I jumped at the opportunity to relive that glorious game.
But I didn’t even get to dodge one ball.
Thanks to my twisted ankle and sore ego after a very competitive game of tag (yes, tag. Stop laughing) that preceded the dodgeball tournament, I realized that for some of us, it may be better to live with the memories of our glory days.
The Weekend Recess for Grown-Ups is organized by Extreme Boot Camp Downtown LA, which when not bringing adults together to play kids’ games, conducts outdoor military-style exercise programs. On Saturday mornings, a handful of trainers and anywhere from five to about 15 participants meet at the Toberman Recreation Center, at 1725 Toberman St., just west of the 110 Freeway, for two hours of “recess.” Everyone gets some exercise by playing games like tag, handball, dodgeball and kickball.
“We wanted to take it back to the old school, when we were kids,” said Lerone McElrath, a trainer with Extreme Boot Camp who organized the Recess. “We use it as a tool, just another outlet, another chance to get some exercise. And it’s very effective because it becomes competitive. People run and jump and do a lot of things they normally wouldn’t be doing. It’s almost like tricking them into exercising.”
Participants don’t have to be part of the Boot Camp program; all it takes is a $5 entry fee per session and a nostalgic desire to play some old school games. Many of the people who show up are hooked.
“These games were the best part of P.E.,” said Milauna Jemai, a 32-year-old Studio City resident who regularly attends the Recess. “It makes exercise fun and makes it seem like you’re just having a good time.”
There were three games scheduled for the Saturday I attended: handball, tag and the one we were all really there for - dodgeball.
I was very happy with the selection, since handball was also one of my best games in elementary school. My “waterfalls” and “babies,” the styles of hitting the ball I specialized in, were almost unbeatable.
Tag was a different story. I wasn’t good at it, primarily because I’ve never had much speed. But I wasn’t too bad either, since I used psychological moves, like faking an injury so people would get close and then tagging them.
But right away, there was a twist.
The version of handball we were playing required some mind moves as well. We each picked a number - I was 10 - and as each person hit the ball, we had to call out a number and that person would then have to smack the ball. But if that person was already out, or if no one had the number you called, then you were out.
Yeah, we didn’t get it either, so right away, a group of 30-somethings started sounding like a bunch of 11-year-olds as we tried to learn the game.
“Can we call the same number all the time?”
“Can we hit it as hard as we want?”
“What if we don’t get to it in time?”
“Can we block people?”
“Are there babies?”
“How about waterfalls?”
I asked the last two.
When the game finally started, I strategically positioned myself close to the center, so that no matter who called my number, I would be near the ball. After about four hits, someone, I’m still not sure who, called out “10!” as they hit the ball. I dashed to it, caught it on a perfect angle and hit it hard and with confidence as I called out the number of the player who would surely be out next. “Twelve!” I yelled as I watched the ball bounce off the ground, to the wall, and then over most everyone’s head.
No one could get it, it was a perfect hit. It was like the Fair Avenue Elementary glory days all over again. Richard rules!
There was just one problem. No one ran after the ball because I hadn’t been paying attention and didn’t realize there was no number 12. So just like that, four hits into it, I was out.
“That’s fine,” I thought to myself, “I’ll shine at dodgeball.”
But tag took me out.
After handball we moved on to tag. It was fun at first, but in the chaos of about a dozen adults running around chasing each other, as we all tried to reach the “safe zone,” whoever was it (I had no idea who) tagged me from behind. When I tried to squirm away from the tag, my ankle gave out. That was it. I was done.
“I’m going to take some pictures now,” I told the trainers, since I couldn’t run and I was too embarrassed to admit I hurt myself. I mean, seriously, when was the last time a grown man got injured playing tag?
The worst part wasn’t just dealing with the pain (I limped for the entire weekend), but watching everyone else have so much fun playing dodgeball later on. Even some guys that were at the center to play basketball came over to join in the dodgeball fun while I watched from the sidelines.
Although I failed miserably at recapturing my youth, it was still a lot of fun playing those old games, and I may go back, and with luck I’ll make the next dodgeball tournament. But I realize it won’t be as glorious as the Great Fair Avenue Upset of ‘84, so maybe I’ll need to re-think my expectations: The Great Guzman Comeback of ‘08. Yeah, I like the sound of that.
Weekend Recess for Grown-Ups will be held Nov. 15 and 22 and Dec. 5, 12 and 19 from 10 a.m.-noon. Extreme Boot Camp Downtown LA is at (213) 610-3233 or extremebootcamp.com.
Contact Richard Guzman at .