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Edited by Azizi Powell
This is Part I of a three part pancocojams series on the Jamaican children's game "Dandy Shandy".
Part I showcases a video of this game. Part I also presents information about "Dandy Shandy" from selected online articles.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2023/11/jamaican-childrens-game-dandy-shandy_26.html for Part II of this pancocojams series. That post presents a compilation of selected online comments about the Jamaican children's game "Dandy Shandy".
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2023/11/jamaican-childrens-game-dandy-shandy_60.html for Part III of that pancocojams series. That post presents what I believe are the probable reasons why the game "Dandy Shandy" got its name.
The content of this post is presented for cultural and recreational purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are featured in the video that is embedded in this post. Thanks to the publisher of this video and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
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This is part of an ongoing pancocojams series on Jamaican children's play. Click the tag below for other pancocojams post is this series.
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ONLINE INFORMATION ABOUT THE JAMAICAN CHILDREN'S GAME "DANDY SHANDY" (article excerpts & one complete reprint)
These examples are given in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only.
EXCERPT #1
From https://jamaicans.com/childrengames/ Children Games Played In Jamaica by Xavier Murphy, 2003
"The games played by children in Jamaica is a mix of some old-fashioned games with some unique innovations that make them Jamaican. The names of some may be different but they are similar to games played around the world. Some of the most popular games played by children in Jamaica are: “Brown girl in the ring”, “Dandy Shandy”, “What can you do, Puncienella likkle fella?”, “Simon says”, “stucky freezy, “stucky ketchy”, “mother may I”, “1 and 20”, “sitings”, and “Capture de base”. Below is a description of some of these children games.
Dandy Shandy
This is a ball game consisting of 3 players (and maybe 4 if
possible to be more exciting). This game must be played outdoors in a big/wide
open area, preferably on a grass field. For the experts, a bare ground will do.
There are 2 pitchers, each standing on either end and the 3rd player is standing in the middle.
A ball is used for pitching/throwing at speeds up to 120 miles per hour at the player standing in the middle. The “ball” is usually a stuffed 1-pint juice box, stuffed fully with newspaper and the four corners are rounded off.
Dandy Shandy is a very exciting game as the ball is thrown at speeds up to 90 miles per hour by the pitchers towards the 3rd player standing in the middle. This player must do all kinds of gymnastic style airborn jumps and leaps to prevent the ball from hitting her. Also, ducking and side jumping the missile. The game gets extremely exciting as the player in the middle does these acrobatic jumps! You’ll usually hear the onlookers shouting out SALAD! as the player in the middle leaps off her feet, legs splayed and skirt flowering up over her waist.
Dandy Shandy is considered a girls game but boys will often play ~ which makes the game a must see.
(Dandy Shandy is the same as dodge ball only difference is
we made our ball out of a oj or milk box stuffed with paper(some of the paper
you had to wet it so it would stuff properly)real good for flinging, can you
tell I was responsible fi meking de ball.)
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EXCERPT #2
From https://old.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20070206/life/life1.html Down memory lane with games children play; published:February 6, 2007 by Keisha Shakespeare-Blackmore, Staff Reporter
“There was a time when children played games that were more
physical and helped to develop their social skills. Today, children often play
games that are less challenging, both physically and socially.
Today's games require no more than a computer monitor and hand-held gadgets, these include the popular Nintendo, all of which are early preparation for life as a couch potato. As such, combined with other factors such as poor dieting, more children are becoming overweight and obese. In fact, this kind of play is usually accompanied by eating non-stop, and more frequently junk food.
In rural Jamaica, many children are not as privileged to have these hi-tech games and they make do with the little they have. As the famous Jamaica saying goes, "Tun yu han' mek fashion". The games played by children in these areas reflect this saying. Some of the more popular ones are dandy shandy, jox, gig, a variety of ring games, hop-scotch, bat up and catch, Chinese skip, and 'stuckie'. Also, children were more in tune with nature though sometimes the boys were a little more mischievous.
Boys tend to be very rough. They climb trees, make little
trucks out of used juice boxes, play marbles, and 'taw' or 'spawns' (throwing
rocks trying to hit the opponent's playing piece to get points). One of their
favourite activities is catching lizards with grass straws or with loops made
from the slender veins of the coconut bough. Then armed with the lizards, they
chase girls and this activity becomes very useful exercise.
[…]
Dandy Shandy
Dandy shandy is an exciting ball game requiring at least three players. There are two pitchers each standing at opposite ends of the third player (in the middle). In most rural parishes, parents could not afford a ball so some the children made their own. They would stuff a used drink box with lots of paper. The game is usually played by girls but boys would sometimes play, mostly as pitchers. Some of the ruder boys might slip a stone or two in the box, especially if the one in the middle is hard to get out.
The game is all about speed and all kinds of gymnastic moves. The pitchers try to throw the ball at 'lightning' speed, attempting to take out the runner. The runner, on the other hand, tries to dodge the ball by all means. Runners must jump, leap, or duck to avoid being hit. The game gets extremely exciting as the player in the middle does acrobatic jumps! If the ball goes between the legs you will hear the onlookers shouting 'Salad'! If it's a female player in the middle, as she leaps off her feet, legs splayed, her skirt might 'ride up' past her waist. If the ball misses, you get one point but if you get a 'cock up' (leaping off the ground with both legs spread apart in the air), you get 10 points instantly. But if the ball tips (slightly touches you), you are out (if you're playing 'tips' that is). At the start of the game, some groups decide 'tips' is not an out.”…
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EXCERPT #3
From https://pripsjamaica.com/blogs/six-jamaican-summer-games
SIX JAMAICAN SUMMER GAMES Prips- Your Guide To Jamaica
"Despite the heat, most of us want to have some fun in the
sun. Outside offers much more excitement than the indoor activities admired by
today’s technologically addicted youth. Back in the day, parents had to
threaten children to stay inside. Now they have to chase young people outside.
For those who don’t have a clue about how to enjoy the outdoors, we offer a throwback to some Jamaican games we used to play:
[…]
4. Dandi Shandi. Also called “sightings” this was a very
popular game for all Jamaicans. Although not as popular today, it is still
played at family gatherings or school events. It involves the use of a juice
box stuffed with whatever is nearby that is thrown at the persons in the middle
who is expected to avoid the juice box. If you get hit, you’re out!"
COMPLETE REPRINT [Except for bibliography]
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dandy_shandy
"Dandy shandy is a game played mainly by children, mostly girls in the Caribbean island of Jamaica. It is believed that children invented the game. It is not certain as to when the game was invented but it can be tracked back to as far as the 1950s.
Rules
It is played with a minimum of three players. Two players
stand about fifty feet apart facing each other and are considered the throwers.
They are partners working together against the third player who is the dodger.
The third player (dodger), runs back and forth in between the two throwers,
whose job is to try to hit the dodger with a ball. The goal of the dodger is to
dodge as many throws while running back and forth between the two throwers. The
strategy is to stay as far as possible from the thrower that has the ball. For
every attempt that the dodger dodges successfully they receive a point. A
Thrower may strategically throw the ball to the opposite thrower in a manner
where the ball is easy to catch and is of no threat to the dodger in an attempt
to set up a play for the opposite thrower to get a good chance of hitting the
dodger.
The game requires a great degree of athletic ability, some
throwers can throw the ball as fast as 70 to 80 MPH. They have to be accurate
throwers with control so that if they do miss a potential dodger the opposite
thrower is able to catch the ball and make a throw in stride. Good dodgers are
usually even more athletic, they run between throwers with their eyes on the
ball jumping, leaping and even diving out of the way of an incoming throw. The
ball is usually home made from a small paper carton stuffed with newspaper.[1]"
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This concludes Part I of this three part pancocojams series on "Dandy Shandy".
Visitor comments are welcome.
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