I’ve always considered middle school to have been a low point in my so far short life. Sandwiched between the ignorant carefree days of elementary school and the dynamic adventures of high school, middle school was a bland time. However, one thing I fondly remember from my days at Kennedy Junior High were my friend group’s four square endeavors.

Our four square game was a Kennedy Junior High recess time staple. Played everyday after lunch, no matter the season or weather, the intense smacking of balls was a well-deserved break from the stresses of middle school. However, to truly understand the nature of our games, you need to understand my friend group. Consisting of mostly overly competitive boys, we sought every opportunity to belittle, roast, and destroy one another. Those four quadrants created by the parking lines on the asphalt were the perfect arena. On the surface, four square is a simple game of athleticism and technique, but with us it was different.

The battleground was largely psychological. We would try to “tilt” each other by mocking mishits and bad plays. We tore each other down verbally, hoping it would produce some mental edge. It taught me mental fortitude. When you are “King” on the grid and everyone wants your spot, you can’t focus on what they are saying. You block it all out. You channel the mamba mentality and dish out unreturnable serves.

Another aspect of the game that is commonly overlooked is the social aspect. Under-the-table schemes led to certain players working temporarily together. While waiting in line, we made deals with those in front to mutually target the King. As King we swooned other players in the grid to help preserve the status quo. Without a commonly agreed upon set of rules, the only way you could get the vote in your favor was by winning over the rest of the group. Common strategies included directing everyone’s pent-up, mid-puberty aggression on a certain person or promising to help someone on their geometry homework.

The four square court is also where I learned to argue. No place honed my rhetorical abilities better than that parking lot. When a controversial call was made, say when the ball was slightly on the line, I debated desperately for the side that would benefit me the most. Pleading with my peers to vote with me taught me how to harness the pathos, ethos, and logos in my arguments. 

Lastly, four square taught me how to forgive. At the end of the day, four square was four square. Squabbles we had on the asphalt soon dissolved as we entered the classroom. Each day was a new start because we learned to move on. In 6th grade, I remember a feud between two players that lasted months and ended in a couple thrown fists. However by 8th grade, our game was closer than ever. Acts of treachery in four square were laughed off. We all learned to move on and to move past grudges. That’s why today, all I can remember were the good times we had spiking that red rubber ball over each other’s heads.