There were many other games played including cricket. Cricket was played with a black colored mini size rubber ball where we used the palm of our hand as a bat to hit the ball. There was not much fun though playing cricket as most of the time we would end up fetching the ball accept the batsman who would have all the fun hiting the ball all around the ground and by the time you get a chance to bat the bell would ring.
Hittie Kittie was the game that I loved playing the most as every one would get an equal chance of participation being a team game. It was generally played during our Physical Education period or during a free period, though none of the above two games were allowed to play.
Hittie Kittie was just played for fun during free time, we would enjoy our heart out and would return back to our benches after the bell ring, but today when I sit back and remember those moments I realize what an amazing game that was.
Hittie Kittie is a very physical game, it may cause injuries and requires physical strength to sustain in the game. At the end of the game we would end up with small injuries and bruises, torn pockets, scratched nail marks, stiff back and thighs etc.
It's a game of real team work and strength where one weak link can make you lose the game. You can't win unless you play as a team. It's a game where you got to make your position strong and also support other team mates in case they are in trouble. Most Important thing is that, you got to 'HOLD ON' as a team.
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE GAME
A real Wall
A person who stand as a Wall
5 or more than 5 players on each side. (between 5 to 8 players on each side are ideal, having more han 8 or less than 5 players makes the game difficult.)
A person as a refree (wall person also acts as a refree)
HOW ITS PLAYED
Two teams will toss a coin to decide wether to jump first or to form a bridge. After the decision one team forms a human bridge perpendicular to the plain of the wall bending down at 90 degrees back to back(like coaches of train) holding each others waist tightly for support and keeping their heads down alternately to left and right position. Person standing as a wall would protect the first person in the bridge from the real wall and may also act as a refree. The other team would line themselves at a distance of few yards from the bridge as a run up. The jumping team would then one by one would run towards the bridge shouting 'Hittie-Kittie coming' and jump onto it. Each person after jumping would hold onto his position without falling of the bridge till all have finished jumping.
During this process the bridge team would try to prevent themselves from breaking while the jumpers would try to hang on to the bridge without falling down or touching any part of the body to the ground, this would be monitored by the refree or an external observer. After the last jumper has jumped and as the bridge and jumping team hold on without breaking or falling, the counting would begin from one to ten i.e. like Hittie-Kittie 1, Hittie-Kittie 2...and so on. If some one falls off the bridge or the bridge breaks, that team will lose a point to the other team. If both of them hold on till the 1 to 10 count the bridge team would earn a point and it would be there turn to have a jump. Each team would get equal number of chances to jump. The team who collects more points are winners.
Kids playing Hittie Kittie in our school
Picture courtesy Mahesh Gupta and Sir C.J. High School Alumni
TRICKS AND TACTICS
The real test in this game is of the bridge team because they have to carry the load of jumpers on their back for long time.The player at the start of the bridge has less load on his back as compared to others, as to maximum one jumper is able to reach that distance. Sometimes one player in the bridge could have two or three players on his back, which can be difficult to withstand. Generally this load is on the players from the middle to the end of the bridge therefore those players have to be physically strong.
The jumping team will have all the fun. Each player while jumping will try to create a big landing impact so as to break the bridge with the impact. The jumpers can directly jump on to the bridge or can take support of the last player in the bridge with their hands landing first and then taking a leap forward, this allows them to cover more distance on the bridge. The best jumpers of the team must go first so that they can land themselves furthur on the bridge. If the first jumper is not able to make his jump properly and gets stuck in the middle of the bridge, the rest of the jumper will not be left with any space to jump onto or they might have to jump over him which is difficult. Due to this the jumper colud go to ground at the impact of the jump itself because of lack of space to hold on. This situation is also difficult for the bridge team as it creates the possibility of one player carring the load of many (in case all the jumpers hang on) which could result into breaking of the bridge.
Thus the game of HITTIE KITTIE is a test of ones strength and tolerance and above all a great team game to enjoy and have lots of fun and funny moments.
hittie kittie is aslo played now
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