A Derby for All Ages: Soap Box Derby

"My car is built for speed," said Jordan, basking in his soap box derby victory that is sending him to Akron, Ohio for the 69th All-American Soap Box Derby National Championships. Jordan's success marks the first day that he has ever raced.

That is the beauty of the soap box derby. It is open to all kids, boys and girls ages 8-17 regardless of previous racing experience. And anything can happen.

The premise is simple. Everyone races a car of the same class and weight. There are three classes of cars: Stock, Super Stock and Masters. Two cars are placed side-by-side on a ramp at the top of an inclined road. 'Ready, set, go!' and the lever is pulled releasing the cars down the hill. Gravity does the rest.



The first one past the finish line wins that race. The cars switch lanes and go again. The trick is to be as aerodynamic as possible. The drivers get low in the cockpit and steer with their hands. 'Pumping' or bouncing up and down is not only not permitted, but it also slows the car down. Streamlining is the key to success.

Soap Box derby has been around for decades in the United States and the love of the sport is often passed down from generation to generation. "My grandfather helped me build my car," Austin announced proudly. Austin is a soap box rally champion and will also be going to the Akron championships.

To learn more about Soap Box Derby please visit All-American Soap Box Derby

A Googly is Thrown in Brooklyn: Cricket

"Cricket is a really big sport," Fiez told us during our visit with youth cricketeers in Brooklyn, NY. He's not kidding. After soccer (or football as the rest of the world knows it), cricket is the most popular sport on the globe.

You might not have heard of it, but cricket is played even here in the United States. In fact, the teams here are quite unique in that the kids that play are from a wide variety of backgrounds. "What I love about cricket," explained Hakeem,"is the comraderie that we have with each other. It is the fact that we can get along even though we are from diverse backgrounds - Pakistanis, Indians, Bengalis, West Indians, Trinidadians, Ghanese, Jamaicans - but the cricket is what keeps us together."


Cricket has been around for centuries, having started in Europe as early as 1646. It has similarities to baseball. For example, a leather ball is thrown at a batter by a 'bowler' on the opposing team and runs are scored when after the ball is hit into play and the batter runs between two sets of wickets. Unlike baseball, however, the batter stays up until they get out and there are two batters up at a time. Also, the field of play is a large oval with the batters at the center allowing a batter to hit the ball anywhere in a 360 degree radius.

Cricket matches are much longer than baseball games. In fact, at the highest level of international competition, a cricket match can go for five days! (Yes, they do stop for sleep, meals and other necessary breaks.)

To learn more about the game of cricket click here

To learn more about cricket in New York click here

For see pictures from the cricket shoot click here

It's Not Just a Game, It's a Tradition: Stickball

"My family taught me how to play stickball," said Cy, a young stickball competitor from Pennsylvania. She added, "Hitting is the hardest part, it takes hand-eye coordination." Having played stickball from the age of three, Cy demonstrated her mastery of this difficult skill by thwacking a rubber ball right down the heart of Stickball Boulevard. "I guess my longest hit went past the stop sign," shrugging at the street corner a couple hundred feet away.



The Everybody's Got Game crew caught up Cy and her friends at the Annual Memorial Day Stickball Tournament in the Bronx, NY. Stickball teams from around the United States and Puerto Rico gather together every year to play one another and celebrate the weekend.

"It's supposed to be fun, that's why we play," said Coree, heading to the school yard for a raucous round of stickball with his friends. Stickball has a long history in New York City and continues be passed down from generation to generation. Thanks to their enthusiasm, stickball not only continues in New York City but it is finding followers around the nation.



The necessary equipment and location are very simple. You need a stick, a rubber ball (such as a Sky-Bounce or Spaldeen) and somewhere to play. In New York, designated streets or asphalt yards are often the field of play with obstacles like trees and fences adding challenges for the competitors. Most forms of stickball don't involve a pitcher. The batter bounces the ball and swings. A hit ball must travel a certain distance or it is called a 'chop ball' and the batter is out. If the batter swings and misses they are out. Like baseball, stickball games will usually go nine innings with the winning team being the one having scored the most runs.

To see photos from the tournament click here

For additional information check out Stickball.com

New York Kids Seen Riding Giraffes!

Giraffes? Giraffes! No, these fearless kids weren't working as Giraffa camelopardalis jockeys. Rather, they were perched several feet in the air atop curious one-wheeled vehicles known as unicycles, demonstrating their mastery of balance and a youthful defiance of gravity.

Meeting twice a month at the The New York Unicycle Club, kids from all over New York City meet at Grant's Tomb to share their enthusiasm for one-wheeled travel with other kids and adults. Open to novices and experts alike, the Everybody's Got Game crew found a group of kids who loved unicycling with their friends, learning new tricks, playing games and trying a wide variety of unicycles. Did you know just how many types of unicycles there are? The giraffe is a very tall unicycle, but there are also kangaroo unicycles, trial unicycles, geared unicycles, the ultimate wheel and the impossible wheel. They all have a few things in common. They require balance and they are fun - once you learn to ride them.

"My favorite thing about unicycling," said James, "is having fun ... and trying not to fall." James has been riding for a number of years and is very good, but still has to fall occasionally in order to learn new tricks. "You have to have patience," he added, "That's all a part of practice."

Exactly. All of the kids our crew met at the New York Unicycle Club were masters of the three P's: PRACTICE, PERSISTENCE and PERSEVERANCE. The payoff? "Being able to do something tons of people can't. That's one of my favorite things," said Emmy.

The kids at the New York Unicycle Club found their game! Go find yours!

Photo Gallery from New York Unicycle Shoot

Turning 'I Think I Can' Into 'I Know I Can'

Everybody’s Got Game is a half-hour national television program for kids 8-11 that encourages active participation in recreational activities and creates an awareness of the sports world that is often overlooked. The show is an energetic and diverse blend of sporting activities and behind-the-scenes information. It is designed to combat inactivity and the shocking rise of childhood obesity.

Hosted by Muggsy Bogues, a 14-year veteran & the shortest player in NBA history, every episode features a unique, positive theme to motivate ALL kids. Shot on location around America, our audience will get the chance to experience unusual sports, learn exciting sports sciences facts, get to peek inside the world professional sports jobs and be reminded that sports are about having fun with their friends!