Every neighborhood has one.

I was fortunate enough to live in an area where we had three of them.

What am I talking about? It is “the yard” of course. The place where we all gathered to play football, baseball or basketball.

It was nothing more than an empty lot of course, but to us it was Tiger Stadium in Detroit or Lambau Field in Green Bay.

We spent hours playing in these yards. There were dozens of pick-up games each week, especially baseball. It if was nice out, we were all outside playing on one of those three yards.

Even if it was raining or snowing, we would still manage to get a few innings or quarters in before we had enough.

I do not see as many of those vacant lots as I used to. I feel bad for kids because they have no idea what fun you can have in a lot full of grass.

Our games were not limited to sports. Back in those days you could play Army without someone saying it was too violent.

The lots had plenty of great places to hide and surprise the enemy as they approached with their forces.

But mostly we played sports. On the lot two houses down from me it was baseball and football, with an occasional game of war. It was big enough where we really did not have to worry too much about breaking a window, but as I recall we did foul a ball through one.

The field one block over was pretty much reserved for football, both in the fall and in the winter.

We played in the daytime or at night. Most of the night games were during the winter when there was a full moon that lit up the field.

If you were lucky enough to have moon boots, which I did, you were enjoying being one of the top players on your team because they allowed you to be faster than kids wearing regular snow boots because they were so light.

One block the other way was a basketball hoop on a slap of cement.

I am not sure who the court belonged to. It just always was there.

I would spend hours a day perfecting my jump shot, my bank shot and winning imaginary games at the last second.

I cannot count the number or championships I won on that court.

When we were fortunate enough to have enough players, games of 3-on-3 or more were the order of the day.

I feel sorry for today’s kids, who sit in the house playing video basketball and football games.

None of those games will actually help you improve your skills as a player. You need to get out and play on an actual field or court.

Find your own “lot” and get your friends together for some competition.

You will not regret it because you will have hours of fun and you will make some friendships that last a lifetime.