What It’s Like to Compete in Stickball America’s Oldest Sport, aka ‘The Little Brother of War’

BODIES ARE BANGING at some level of the world. It’s a sultry Sunday evening in Philadelphia, Mississippi and roughly 50 men are scrimmaging at a stickball be conscious and it’s clearer why the Choctaw other folks call the sport the Diminutive Brother of Battle. As players poke for a loose ball with a level of contact that would invent a rugby participant blush, a younger man stands off to the side, thumping on a hand-crafted picket drum with a pulsating cadence.

“The drum is the heartbeat of the folk,” says Jimmie Vaughn, Jr., the coach of the Pearl River stickball team that is k-tuning its preparations for the greatest event of the year. Vaughn insists that his players, the defending champions of the World Series of Stickball, are deliberately taking it easy on one one more so no one gets injured comely earlier than the mammoth annual event, nevertheless that is now not correct now evident. In July 2024, after five consecutive losses in the championship game, Pearl River prevailed to derive a year’s charge of bragging rights and a ceremonial maple, hickory and deer-skin drum that is the Stanley Cup of stickball. The sport is played in Native communities stretching from Tennessee to Oklahoma to Florida, nevertheless the dominant teams are nearly repeatedly from Mississippi.

Stickball—no relation to the baseball variant played on city streets—is the oldest team sport in The United States. The oldest known written story of the sport, which is famous as ishtaboli in the Choctaw language, used to be penned in the 1720s by a Jesuit missionary—that come the sport is more than a century older than baseball and predates the Declaration of Independence. Abet then, stickball used to be a diplomatic alternative to conflict—a ability for warriors in tribal communities to unravel disputes in an aggressive nevertheless non-deadly formula.

The sport remains brutally straightforward and athletic. Groups with 30 players on a side attempt to attain by hitting a mammoth picket submit with a miniature leather-primarily based fully ball. There must now not any pads, no time-outs, no space plays, and a entire lot SportsCenter-quality hits. All people carries two netted hickory sticks that resemble miniature lacrosse sticks. Stickball played at this level requires the nonstop cardio of soccer, the technical skills of lacrosse, and the open-arena tackling of soccer.

Vaughn has the squad scrimmaging with a drill in which the offensive players salvage five makes an attempt to attain in opposition to the defense, and whichever side prevails gets to witness their teammates bound sprints or conclude pushups. The tempo of the be conscious is unrelenting. The vibe on the world is straight away physical and metaphysical—the fellows are, at the least, grinding out an intensely physical effort whereas maintaining a sacred cultural custom alive. “If we didn’t personal stickball, we’d be nothing,” Vaughn says, explaining how the sport used to be played by his father and grandfather and how he’s teaching his grandkids to play. “The sport matters and so conclude the folk you play it with.”

The neighborhood that bonds the players, who vary in age from younger other folks by technique of guys of their 50s, is impossible to overstate. Reach more than half the team is family—brothers, cousins, fathers, uncles—and the leisure are neighbors who’ve been internet page visitors and teammates since childhood. Many of the fellows are completed athletes who personal had success playing non-native sports delight in basketball and soccer, nevertheless they stamp that maintaining the sport that their other folks invented alive has further that come. And none of them take the shared trip—a physical smackdown with the folk that matter most to them—as a right.

“My favourite factor about stickball are the practices,” says Casey Bigpond, who has played the sport for most of his existence. “That’s the place we hang out with our family and childhood internet page visitors. I’ve been playing nearly 30 years and these forms of players I’ve played with and in opposition to your entire time. We’ve watched one one more develop up. It’s beautiful.”

Right here, of their very enjoy phrases, Pearl River players and coaches focus on about their delight in for the sport, the competition, and the ways in which it strengthens their bonds to one one more and their neighborhood.

Meet the team.

Robert Garcia, Jr., 41

“Me and my cousins started playing about 35 years ago. We didn’t even personal stickball sticks. We’d apt salvage two tree limbs and place a rubber band or a string on the tip and dispute it delight in scissors to take hang of the ball. In the raze we bought on a adolescence team and the coach made our sticks.

It used to be intimidating in the initiating, because of I saw other folks bigger than me hitting one one more and coming after me. But I take into account getting hit the first time and thinking, used to be that it? I apt bought help up and knew I will be able to even conclude this.

Whenever you’ve bought the ball, you’re at anybody’s mercy because of they are searching for to hit you so tough that you simply originate now not neglect. I’ve taken a style of mammoth hits. I’ve broken my collarbone and separated my shoulder. We have got had about a non-tribal other folks play and as well they originate now not closing long. Stickball is famous because the Diminutive Brother of Battle for a motive.

I was told a really long time ago that Peal River would never derive. But we received it in 2016 and again in 2024. I are searching for to derive one more and retire. I in actual fact personal about a internet page visitors who bought injure and can look how they miss the sport. I’m gonna attempt to lumber unless I will now not play no more.”

Kahlon “Jak” Logan, 32

“I’ve been playing since I was four. Me and my cousin—I was raised by my uncle on the reservation—repeatedly had a pole. We’d salvage our sticks and apt throw balls at it.

I play every location, help and forth at some level of the sport. The sport is posthaste. We originate now not place on pads, nothing more than sports tape and a mouthpiece. So it’s delight in a combination of soccer and rugby—that you simply might perchance even kind out any map that that you simply’ll be also salvage the man on the ground. It’s so physical. On a scale of 1 to 10, it’s potentially a 10.

I played college soccer—I was a huge receiver. But most comely athletes come help to stickball to exclaim the tribe. It be a ability to prove yourself to your loved ones, traditions, the neighborhood. The sport lets in Native American citizens to drag one one more help in and insist that we soundless personal respect for one one more, even after every part that we now had been by technique of.

Winning a championship brings a style of bragging rights. Most teams had been practicing four days every week since March or April. So whereas you derive that championship at the least that you simply might perchance even simply had been by technique of in the hot sun, or now not it’s a diversified feeling because of it represents your neighborhood.

There’s so powerful custom. Stickball feeble to be appeared at as a conflict between two tribes and communities. But at present time, or now not it’s modernized so or now not it’s neighborhood versus neighborhood with out all of the blood. Properly, you soundless personal blood, nevertheless now not all of the killing.”

Shaun Jimmie, 39

“I’m a corporal and dogs officer with the police division right here. I’ve been with the division 16 years now. I bought my first pair of sticks when I was three or four. I bought serious when I was eight or 9, when we had been allowed to inaugurate playing in a league.

I played on the shooter side when I was younger. But in the event you salvage a diminutive bit bit older, you unhurried down quite. And so now I play in the defense side. It’s more aggressive and also you’ve bought to personal some roughly map to now not let the opposite team gain.

I snatch weights four or five instances every week. Since I’m in law enforcement, or now not it’s my nature. I gotta build fit for the job and it makes it more straightforward out on the world.”

Kanyon Jimmie, 30

“I started off as a shooter, a scorer. When I bought to the lads’s division, I started playing the heart location. And never too long ago I’ve been playing defense because of we’ve bought so many comely shooters. I belief them.

Last year I was MVP in the championship. I bought the ball plenty. I decide to be in contact, block for my teammates. I in actual fact originate now not conclude a style of tackling because of they’ve changed the foundations to invent the sport safer. They took away body slamming and can simply soundless throw anyone who gets in a strive in opposition to out of the event. So I apt grabbed their sticks, grabbed their fingers, apt saved the opposing team from getting the ball. The unusual rules mean you’ve bought to be more professional.

When I was increasing up, the Pearl River men’s team wasn’t successful championships. We completed in 2d location five years in a row. We apt in the end place it collectively closing year.

Now we personal our enjoy language. I do know the phrases nevertheless I’m now not a fluent speaker. I delight in stickball plenty because of I in actual fact feel nearer to my tribe and my custom when I play.”

I grew up playing soccer, too—I was a working help. Till currently, I was a soccer coach at the excessive college, Choctaw Central. So I would snatch weights with the team. I didn’t coach closing year and had more time to take hang of weights and bound around with the younger other folks.

I delight in hitting, I delight in getting hit. I decide to derive, I decide to lose. I delight in being a team participant and having brothers going to conflict.”

Gage Lewis, 20

“I take into account throwing stickballs with my father in the yard when I was five. I started playing competitively when I was 12. I started off as shooter, nevertheless in my first year in adults I moved to defense. I delight in hitting other folks.

I delight in playing with so many family on the team. It helps our chemistry on the world. All of us became shut collectively—or now not it’s delight in a brotherhood out right here.

To scoop up the ball on the bound, that’s traumatic. The sport takes a style of be conscious. I furthermore work on conditioning year-spherical. I are searching for to be ready to play.

The ambiance for the championship, or now not it’s phenomenal. It’s delight in a mammoth college soccer game. For the period of the finals, all of the drummers come collectively apt to drum for that game. It be quite loud and gets you overestimated.”

John Wahwasuck, 54

“I’m now not from right here. I moved right here from Oklahoma in ’88. When I first moved right here, I thought it used to be roughly goofy. I was delight in, it doesn’t invent any sense to me. But once anyone handed me a pair of sticks, I was zigzag. It’s the roughest sport I’ve ever played.

I in actual fact revel in the camaraderie. I’ve been with this team since 2000. We play for the pride of our neighborhood and guys come collectively as a team delight in a family.

For the period of be conscious, it gets heated. Now we personal fights at be conscious. But when we bound on the world, we’re in the same color, same grime. All people has one one more’s help.

I originate now not play anymore. I retired. But when I did play, I played the heart location. I was quite comely at it. I’ve had 9 knee surgeries. Every knee surgical draw used to be thanks to this game. I had a total shoulder alternative. Broke each ankles, heaps of toes, heaps of fingers, broke my nose 9 instances. Abet in the older days, that you simply might perchance even salvage away with a ways more. I stopped after I had my surgical draw in 2019. Now I coach the centers for the lads’s team.

These other folks are proud. I’m a diversified tribe. But now every person tells me I’m an adopted Choctaw. I in actual fact feel that map.

Last year the fellows had been hungry. Our primitive head coach, he handed away. And we wanted to derive for him. That brought a style of alternative folks collectively. Worship I said, it’s a family. We can even now not salvage alongside with one one more when we’re practicing. But after we hit that arena, or now not it’s team spirit.”

Casey Bigpond, 41

I was a gradual bloomer with stickball. I didn’t inaugurate unless I was 13. My fogeys had been around church more. But as I bought older, my stepdad, he used to be a stickball participant. And after they asked him to be a coach, I went to be conscious each day.

When we play, we’re carrying on the lineage of our ancestors. I in actual fact feel it as a accountability to build to the subsequent technology. I in actual fact personal younger other folks of my enjoy, so I’ve taught them to play stickball. I furthermore coach a adolescence team.

Last year we in the end received the championship, so we now had been in six championships in a row. But had been years the place every person wasn’t on the same page. Last year every person had the same mindset and embraced their roles. No longer every person’s gonna be the celebrity; or now not it shall be fundamental to settle for whatever feature that you simply might perchance even simply personal and withhold playing. That helped us derive the championship.”

Jorgan Vaughn, 19

“I’ve been playing my entire existence: I started when I was 9. My first memory is hitting anyone. Now I play defense in the lads’s division. It’s indubitably sooner and as a defender or now not it shall be fundamental to me more aggressive about hitting other folks. The skill level is higher, too.

The hardest factor referring to the sport for me is failing—you understand, making a mistake in a mammoth 2d. I indubitably in actual fact feel stress obtainable. And my dad is the coach. So there’s more stress there.

The ambiance of the mammoth event is crazy. The entire tribe comes out to witness you play. It feels delight in your entire neighborhood is unhurried you. They snatch you up every time you invent a mistake.”

Jimmy Vaughn Jr., 51

“I’ve coached these forms of guys once they had been younger other folks. I’ve bought three sons obtainable that I taught easy methods to play. For the few years earlier than we received the championship, it used to be more delight in every person wanted a shot at being MVP. I’ve told them, ‘Whenever you don’t belief one one more, we’re now not going to derive.’ Last year used to be diversified. Our guys had been hungry. We had been stronger and no more inclined to getting frustrated at one one more. I delight in every part about stickball—the eagerness, the harsh work, the team, the opponents. We’ll focus on smack earlier than and for the period of video games, nevertheless afterward we’re internet page visitors.”

This memoir looks in the September 2025 disclose of Men’s Health.