Play ball! The first team sport

Summary

Forever Ago® Episode Summary: "Play Ball! The First Team Sport"

Podcast Information:

• Title: Forever Ago
• Host/Author: American Public Media
• Description: Brains On presents Forever Ago®, a history show for the whole family! Every episode explores the surprising and fascinating history of things we think are ordinary but aren’t—like ice cream flavors, video games, baths, and more. The show makes learning about the past fun while teaching listeners to think critically about history.
• Episode: Play Ball! The First Team Sport
• Release Date: May 28, 2025

---

Introduction

In the "Play Ball! The First Team Sport" episode of Forever Ago®, hosts Joy Dolo and Zenia delve into the origins of team sports, uncovering the historical roots and cultural significance of the earliest organized games. Accompanied by their whimsical armadillo co-host, Agostina, the trio engages listeners with a blend of humor, historical facts, and interactive segments.

---

The Genesis of Team Sports

Early Competitions: Running and Wrestling

The episode opens with a discussion about the earliest forms of human competition. Joy Dolo poses a listener question: “Who invented sports and what did they look like when they were invented?” Clara from Pennsylvania and Eddie from Colorado share their curiosities about the origins of sports.

Joy Dolo [06:27]: "Historians think the first sport or game that humans competed in was probably running or wrestling."

Zenia concurs, emphasizing the simplicity and accessibility of these activities, which required no equipment, making them ideal for early societies.

Introducing the Mesoamerican Ball Game

Transitioning from individual sports, the conversation shifts to the first team sport—the Mesoamerican ball game. Agostina, the armadillo, provides an in-depth explanation of this ancient game, tracing its origins to the region now known as Mexico.

Agostina [07:22]: "As you know, we Armadillos are famous for our love of archaeology, obviously. And in my studies, I've learned that many archaeologists think the first team sport came from the same place as me. The land that today is known as Mexico."

Zenia adds context by outlining the geographic spread of Mesoamerica, encompassing parts of modern-day Mexico, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Belize.

---

Archaeological Insights and Discoveries

Unearthing the Ancient Ball Courts

The hosts delve into the archaeological evidence supporting the existence of the Mesoamerican ball game. Agostina discusses the discovery of ancient ball courts, with the oldest identified site dating back to 1650 BC in southern Mexico.

Agostina [09:22]: "The very oldest Mesoamerican court that we found so far was built in southern Mexico in 1650 BC."

Zenia highlights the size and structure of these courts, comparing them to modern sports venues, which helps listeners visualize the scale and communal nature of these games.

Zenia [09:30]: "That's about 100ft shorter than a football field and much more narrow."

Reconstruction of Game Rules

Without written records, archaeologists rely on physical evidence and artistic depictions to reconstruct the game's rules. Agostina explains how the game's equipment, such as rubber balls made from the Castilla elastica tree, and the design of the courts inform our understanding of how the game was played.

Agustina [12:26]: "Plus, remember how I mentioned the balls the game was played with? Well, archaeologists actually found some of those ancient balls during an archaeological dig and analyzed them in a lab."

Joy expresses curiosity about the methodology of archaeological research, leading to an explanation of how artifacts like sculptures, pottery, and even remnants of the natural environment provide clues about historical practices.

Agustina [12:05]: "To figure out the rules of the game, archaeologists have studied the ball courts themselves. They've read descriptions that other people eventually wrote of the games. And they've even looked at ancient artwork that shows the ball games being played."

---

Cultural Significance and Social Impact

Community and Rituals

The Mesoamerican ball game wasn't merely a pastime; it held deep religious and social significance. Agostina emphasizes how these games were integral to ceremonies and sometimes served as a means to resolve conflicts between communities.

Agostina [21:52]: "And the ball game was really important to them. Archaeologists know the game was played as part of religious ceremonies and sometimes to settle arguments with other groups."

Zenia adds that, much like modern sports, there were varying levels of participation—from casual play on neighborhood courts to serious competition that garnered public attention.

Zenia [19:02]: "Just like sports today, people played at all different levels."

Spread Across Empires

The episode explores how the ball game spread across vast regions, played by powerful Central American empires such as the Olmecs, Mayas, and Aztecs. This dissemination highlights the game's adaptability and enduring appeal across different cultures and epochs.

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Impact of Colonization and Modern Revival

Suppression by Spanish Conquistadors

The arrival of the Spanish in the 1500s marked a turning point for the Mesoamerican ball game. Agustina recounts how the conquistadors banned indigenous sports in an attempt to suppress native cultures.

Agustina [22:15]: "The Spanish banned all types of sports and games that were played by the Aztecs. But the Aztecs kept playing games in secret because it was a huge part of their identity and culture."

Despite these efforts, the game persisted clandestinely, serving as a beacon of cultural resilience among the descendants of the original players.

Revival and Contemporary Practice

Post-independence, Mexico saw the open resurgence of the ball game. Zenia shares a personal anecdote about witnessing a modern version of the game in Merida, Yucatan.

Zenia [22:55]: "I was in Merida, which is in the Yucatan peninsula. That's in Mexico. And they would hit a big, heavy rubber ball with their hips, and they pass each other, and then they try to hit it up into a goal."

Agustina highlights variations like Pelota Mixteca, emphasizing how the game has evolved while maintaining its core elements. She introduces Michael Hernandez, a contemporary player, who discusses the adaptations in equipment, such as the specialized gloves used to protect players’ hands.

Agustina [24:08]: "But the gloves today have leveled up like baseball gloves. They're made of leather, but instead of being shaped like a basket to catch the ball, they look more like a small pillow with a strap you put your hand into."

This section underscores the game's lasting legacy and its continued role in cultural identity and familial traditions.

---

Interactive Segment: First Things First

Mid-episode, Joy and Zenia engage listeners with an interactive trivia segment, "First Things First," challenging each other to chronologically order historical objects: marbles, snow globes, and ball pits.

Joy Dolo [13:00]: "Today, things are all round. Snow globes, ball pits, and marbles. What do you think? Zenia, which came first, second, and most recently in history."

Zenia initially guesses that marbles are the oldest, followed by snow globes, and then ball pits, which Joy confirms are correct. This segment not only adds an engaging break but also reinforces the episode's theme of historical progression.

---

Conclusion and Credits

The episode wraps up by recapping the significance of the Mesoamerican ball game as the first team sport, highlighting its deep-rooted cultural importance and enduring legacy.

Joy Dolo [25:46]: "It's actually a collection of similar games that have been played across parts of north and Central America and the Caribbean for over 3,000 years."

Credits are then given to the creative team behind the episode, acknowledging writers, producers, editors, and other contributors who made the episode possible.

---

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Joy Dolo [06:27]: "Historians think the first sport or game that humans competed in was probably running or wrestling."
• Agustina [07:22]: "As you know, we Armadillos are famous for our love of archaeology, obviously. And in my studies, I've learned that many archaeologists think the first team sport came from the same place as me. The land that today is known as Mexico."
• Agustina [09:22]: "The very oldest Mesoamerican court that we found so far was built in southern Mexico in 1650 BC."
• Agustina [12:26]: "Plus, remember how I mentioned the balls the game was played with? Well, archaeologists actually found some of those ancient balls during an archaeological dig and analyzed them in a lab."
• Agustina [21:52]: "And the ball game was really important to them. Archaeologists know the game was played as part of religious ceremonies and sometimes to settle arguments with other groups."
• Agustina [24:08]: "But the gloves today have leveled up like baseball gloves. They're made of leather, but instead of being shaped like a basket to catch the ball, they look more like a small pillow with a strap you put your hand into."

---

Final Thoughts

"Play Ball! The First Team Sport" offers a captivating exploration of the origins of team sports, blending historical research with engaging storytelling. By uncovering the legacy of the Mesoamerican ball game, Forever Ago® not only educates listeners about ancient civilizations but also illustrates the enduring human love for organized competition and community.

Listeners new and old will find this episode both informative and entertaining, shedding light on how modern sports trace their lineage back thousands of years to games that were much more than just recreation—they were vital cultural practices that shaped societies.

Transcript

[Jim]

Do you want to spend another summer stuck at home?

[Joy Dolo]

Hey, Jim.

[Zenia]

How's your back?

[Agustina]

Oh, you know.

[Agostina]

I hear ya.

[Jim]

Leave the small talk behind because Disney and Pixar invite you on an out of this world adventure.

[Agostina]

Engaging hyperspeed.

[Zenia]

This is awesome.

[Jim]

On June 20th.

[Agostina]

Welcome to the communiverse.

[Zenia]

Prepare to be conquered. But I just got here.

[Agostina]

Follow me.

[Zenia]

What is this, please? These are the lava tunnels.

[Agostina]

I am not fireproof.

[Jim]

Disney Pixar's elio in theaters June 20th. Tickets available now. Rated PG. Parental guidance suggested.

[Joy Dolo]

Hi, all you wonderful people listening. This is Joy Dolo. As you no doubt know, I'm not afraid to get silly. Like, really silly. Like, keep an elephant in my closet, make a couch out of gum, collect ancient toilets. Silly, silly, silly. But today, I've got something very un silly to talk about. In fact, it's quite serious. Forever Ago is a public media show. And public media is threatened like never before. That's why I'm asking you to donate. Like you, you. The you that's hearing this and thinking, is she talking to me? Yes, you're the you. I mean, I need you to go to forever go.org donate literally give any amount. $6.79, $102 and 3 nickels. $10,000 and no change because honestly, that's an amazing enough gift right there. But just give something to help us get through this difficult moment. I know Forever Go fans are caring, and I know there are a lot of you. If you and everyone else listening ch $10, we'd be all set. But we need you now. Foreverago.org donate again. Please go to foreverago.org donate that way I can stop being so serious and get back to my silly side. I've got underwater submarine sandwich shops to run, mayonnaise haters, club meetings to lead. So chip in now and a very sincere thank you. Sports balls. Get your sports balls. One for $2, two for $5, or five for $20?

[Zenia]

Hey, Joy. Are you having a yard sale?

[Joy Dolo]

Oh, hey, Xenia. Yeah, I cleaned out the sports wing of my closet last weekend.

[Zenia]

Wait, your closet is big enough to have wings?

[Joy Dolo]

My closet has room for things you can't even imagine. Anyway, fancy a quick game? I've got a basketball, four softballs, six hockey pucks, definitely a few bowling balls, a football.

[Zenia]

Joy, that is definitely not a football.

[Joy Dolo]

Oh, sure it is. Go long. Dolo fakes left, hops right, she twirls center, does a split, she aims, and.

[Zenia]

The ball is alive.

[Joy Dolo]

Holy field hockey. That's not a football.

[Zenia]

Wait, Joy. That's a nine banded armadillo. Look at its pointy ears and that long, rubbery tail and the nine stripes. They're an animal native to Mexico.

[Joy Dolo]

But what was it doing in the sports wing of my closet?

[Zenia]

It probably thought it was a good place to burrow.

[Joy Dolo]

Oh, sorry to wake you, little buddy. I'll just put her down in the grass.

[Zenia]

Okay, here's an actual football. Go long, Joy.

[Joy Dolo]

Welcome to Forever Ago from APM Studios. I'm Joy Dolo. I'm here today with my co host, Zenia from San Diego, California. Hi, Zenia.

[Zenia]

Hi, Joy.

[Joy Dolo]

Oh, and this nine banded armadillo that had been napping in the sports section of my closet for a mystery amount of time.

[Zenia]

Forever Ago is a nonprofit public radio.

[Joy Dolo]

Program, which means we rely on support from you, our listeners, to keep the show going.

[Zenia]

There's lots of ways you can support the show.

[Joy Dolo]

You can donate, buy our merch, or become a Smarty Pass subscriber. Head to foreverago.org to show your support and thank you. Phew. So good to get my closet cleaned out. It was getting out of control in there. Way too many sport balls for all my sporty needs. Zenia, do you play sports?

[Zenia]

Yeah, I play soccer.

[Joy Dolo]

Oh, okay. How long have you been playing soccer.

[Zenia]

For like, four years.

[Joy Dolo]

Nice. What position do you play?

[Zenia]

I like to play a winger. So that's the outside midfielder.

[Joy Dolo]

Oh, cool.

[Zenia]

So we do a lot of running. We can score and we can defend as well.

[Joy Dolo]

Yeah, defend the team. Okay, so if you could be an Olympic athlete in any sport, which would you pick?

[Zenia]

Okay, I think I would choose the steeplechase from track and field or swimming.

[Joy Dolo]

The steeplechase. Can you imagine? I'm an alien and I have no idea what that is. Could you describe it for me?

[Zenia]

Yeah. Okay, so it's like, I don't really know how many laps it is, but it's around the track and there's big hurdles, and then there's one hurdle where there's water. So you jump over and then you splash in the water and then you keep running. So I don't know, I've just always thought that was fun.

[Joy Dolo]

Yeah, that looks fun. Running and water. Like, count me in.

[Zenia]

Yeah.

[Joy Dolo]

I can't believe how many different sports there are. Zinnia, how many can you name?

[Zenia]

Soccer, baseball, tennis, football, swimming, ice skating, curling, track and field, rugby. Oh, my goodness. I think that's all I have right now.

[Joy Dolo]

Oh, man, I wish I knew more. I think you took all of mine. Cricket. Cricket's a game.

[Zenia]

Oh, yeah.

[Joy Dolo]

Did you say you said swimming.

[Zenia]

Yeah.

[Joy Dolo]

Well, you said football. Yeah, there's lots of sports. Long story short, there's lots of sports.

[Zenia]

I can't name them all.

[Joy Dolo]

Oh, skiing. Skiing.

[Zenia]

Yeah, skiing.

[Joy Dolo]

Skiing is a sport.

[Zenia]

I wonder what the first sport was.

[Joy Dolo]

Seems like our Armadillo friend wants to know too. We've actually gotten some listener questions about this.

[Zenia]

Hi, my name is Clara and I live in Pennsylvania. My question is, who invented sports and what did they look like when they were invented? Hi, my name is Eddie. I live in Colorado.

[Joy Dolo]

My question is, why were sports created such great questions. Thanks to Clara and Eddie for sending them in. Historians think the first sport or game that humans competed in was probably running or wrestling.

[Zenia]

Makes sense. You don't need any equipment to do those. But what about the first team sport?

[Joy Dolo]

It really feels like the armadillo is trying to tell us something. Come here, you little friend. Get over here. Ugh.

[Agostina]

Finalmente. That's Spanish for finally. Y me llamo Agustina.

[Joy Dolo]

Whoa, whoa.

[Zenia]

You can talk.

[Agostina]

Are fresh grubs the most delicioso food in the world? Yeah, I can talk.

[Zenia]

So, Agostina, the Armadillo. Do you know what the first team sport was?

[Agostina]

I've got a pretty good guess. As you know, we Armadillos are famous for our love of archaeology, obviously. And in my studies, I've learned that many archaeologists think the first team sport came from the same place as me. The land that today is known as Mexico.

[Zenia]

Wait, I bet you're talking about a sport called the Mesoamerican ball game. I've heard of this.

[Agostina]

Claro que si. That's Spanish for of course. The Mesoamerican ball game has been played in Mexico, AKA my home country, for thousands of years. I can tell you all about it.

[Joy Dolo]

Please, I must know everything about this historically important game with a very generic sounding name.

[Agostina]

Well, there's a reason for the name. It's because historians actually came up with it to describe a whole, whole bunch of games. Even though they say Mesoamerican ball game, they're actually talking about several related games that were played on similar style courts with similar rules. These games started around the same time in roughly the same part of the world, Mesoamerica.

[Zenia]

This is a region that includes parts of modern day Mexico, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Belise.

[Agostina]

Exacto. And in these different places, the games they played probably had different names and slightly different rules. But because they looked similar, people thought they were all the same game. Just like how people think all Armadillos are the same, but hello, hola. We're actually 20 different species.

[Joy Dolo]

Oh, I get it. It's like if thousands of years from now, archaeologists came here and discovered tennis courts, pickleball courts, and ping pong tables.

[Zenia]

They might call them the North American paddle game.

[Joy Dolo]

In all three sports, people hit balls with paddles or rackets. So someone might think they're all basically the same game.

[Agostina]

Exactly. The very oldest Mesoamerican court that we found so far was built in southern Mexico in 1650 BC.

[Joy Dolo]

That's almost 3700 years ago. A group of people called the Mocaia lived there.

[Zenia]

Mocaia means corn people in their native language because they were farmers.

[Agostina]

See, thousands of years ago, the area where the Mokaia lived was covered in dense rainforest. It was a warm, wet place. And archaeologists think that this climate helps the Mokaia grow crops because plants love warm, wet weather.

[Joy Dolo]

Oh, and another fun fact about the Mocaia people. Archaeologists think they may have been the first people to consume chocolate.

[Agostina]

Muy bien, amigas. Like I mentioned, the area where the Mocao lived is also where the very first ball court was discovered, in a place called Paso de la Amada. Picture this. Paso de la Amada is a few miles away from the Pacific Ocean. The ball court discovered there was 260ft long and 26ft wide.

[Joy Dolo]

That's about 100ft shorter than a football.

[Zenia]

Field and much more narrow.

[Agostina]

Along the sides were two mounds or hills with benches built into them.

[Zenia]

Like a stadium.

[Agostina]

Right. Archaeologists think that the game was usually played with two teams of about five players. They would hit a hard ball back and forth. In some games, the goal was to keep it from hitting the ground, and in others, they might have tried to launch it through a small hoop mounted high in the air. In some versions, players only hit the ball with their hands, and in others, it was no hands allowed. Just like soccer, except instead of kicking the ball, players would usually hit it with their hips. Sometimes they would wear padded belts made of leather, cloth or wood to help protect them. But not always.

[Joy Dolo]

Ouch.

[Agostina]

Wouldn't have been a problem for me. Did you know armadillo means little armored one in Spanish? These hips are hardy.

[Joy Dolo]

Wait, how do archaeologists know all of this? Did they find some sort of ancient rule book?

[Agostina]

Not quite. Remember, this was a really long time ago. Lots of history wasn't written down. So the archaeologists who study this had to be like detectives.

[Zenia]

Oh, yeah. Archaeologists figure out what life was like for people in the past by using anything that those people left behind.

[Joy Dolo]

So they can look for clues in all kinds of things, everyday objects. They find art like paintings and pottery, even the natural world state.

[Agostina]

To figure out the rules of the game, archaeologists have studied the ball courts themselves. They've read descriptions that other people eventually wrote of the games. And they've even looked at ancient artwork that shows the ball games being played.

[Zenia]

Oh yeah, I've seen little clay figurines of ball players from thousands of years ago.

[Joy Dolo]

Kind of like ancient bobbleheads.

[Agostina]

Plus, remember how I mentioned the balls the game was played with? Well, archaeologists actually found some of those ancient balls during an archaeological dig and analyzed them in a lab. It turns out they're made from the castilla elastica tree.

[Joy Dolo]

Hold on. This calls for my handy dandy tree ID app. Castilla elastica. Castilla elastica. Of course, the rubber tree. It grows in Mesoamerica, and ancient people there used to use its sticky SAP to make rubber.

[Zenia]

So the ball game is played with rubber balls.

[Joy Dolo]

It would make sense for a game played with rubber balls to have started in a place with lots of rubber trees. Dolo shoots. Dolo scores. I love the game of discovery. And you know what other game I love? First things first. This is the game where we try to put three different things from history in order in honor of my great sports ball sale. Today's things are all round. Snow globes, ball pits, and marbles. What do you think? Zinnia, which came first, second, and most recently in history.

[Zenia]

Um, what's a ball pit?

[Joy Dolo]

Like, you know those big. Those like plastic colored balls that are like in a big pit kind of thing.

[Zenia]

Oh, okay, Those.

[Joy Dolo]

Yeah, when you jump in them and they all kind of go all over the place. Yeah, that's.

[Zenia]

Yeah, I think maybe. No, we got marbles first. Cause I think those are kind of just like round, like glass balls kind of. And then snow globes, because I don't know, that's like glass. And then you put something inside of them and there's like fake snow and then ball pits. Cause the balls are like plastic, I think.

[Joy Dolo]

Yes, yes, that makes sense. So these are like material based kind of things. Like we have glass first, then we make marbles, and then we expand the marble and put snow globe stuff inside of it and then we are onto plastic. So that's further. I think that's a great guess. So we have marbles and then snow globes and then ball pits.

[Zenia]

Yeah.

[Joy Dolo]

Awesome. I think that's great. We'll hear the answers at the end of the episode right after the credits.

[Zenia]

So stick around.

[Joy Dolo]

Hey, Forever. Go friends. We love hearing from our listeners. We're working on an episode all about school uniforms and we want to hear from you. Do you think kids should wear uniforms to school? Why or why not? If you could design a school uniform for everyone in your school to wear every day, what would it look like? Zenia, what do you think? What kind of uniform would you design?

[Zenia]

Um, yeah, I don't think kids should wear uniforms at school. I don't like uniforms and I wear them and they're like ugly. They have ugly colors. It's khaki and green, so I don't like it. And then I think if I were to design a school uniform, I think it would be like blue, like pants and then like a school shirt. Cause I don't. I think I kind of want just like a loose uniform.

[Joy Dolo]

Did you think it's blue pants and like a blue shirt or is the shirt a different color?

[Zenia]

I think the shirt would maybe be a different color, but like a nice color. But I don't know what color.

[Joy Dolo]

But a nice color.

[Zenia]

Yeah, because I just don't want it to be khaki and green because those are like, I don't know. I don't like those.

[Joy Dolo]

Those are fun.

[Zenia]

No.

[Joy Dolo]

Listeners, let us know what you think about school uniforms. Record yourself sharing your opinion on school uniforms or describing your dream design and send it to [e-mail] contact. Can't wait to hear from you.

[Agostina]

Thanks and keep listening.

[Joy Dolo]

Brains on Universe is a family of podcasts for kids and their adults. Since you're a fan of Forever a goal, you'll love the other shows in our universe. Come on, let's explore. It's alien exercise hour.

[Agostina]

Hi yah hoo ha. While I stretch my snoodles and bounce on my trampolini, I'll listen to a new podcast.

[Joy Dolo]

I'm going to try Brains on the best science podcast ever.

[Zenia]

It's starting.

[Joy Dolo]

Yay. Hello and welcome to Pop Planet. The only show that gets you up close and personal with space. I'm your host, star Eden Zorp.

[Agostina]

Come back here.

[Joy Dolo]

Podcast Must listen to Brains on now. Listen to Brains on wherever you get your podcasts.

[Jim]

Do you want to spend another summer stuck at home?

[Zenia]

Hey Jim, how's your back?

[Joy Dolo]

Oh, you know.

[Agostina]

I hear ya.

[Jim]

Leave the small talk behind because Disney and Pixar invite you on an out of this world adventure.

[Agostina]

Engaging hyperspeed.

[Zenia]

This is awesome.

[Jim]

On June 20th.

[Agostina]

Welcome to the communiverse.

[Zenia]

Prepare to be conquered. I just got here.

[Agostina]

Follow me.

[Zenia]

What is this? Please These are the lava tunnels.

[Agostina]

I am not fireproof.

[Jim]

Disney Pixar's elio in theaters June 20th. Tickets available now. Rated PGA. Parental guidance suggested.

[Joy Dolo]

You're listening to Forever Ago. I'm Joy.

[Zenia]

I'm Zenya.

[Joy Dolo]

Hi.

[Agostina]

Josoy Agustina.

[Joy Dolo]

The Armadillo Agostina's been telling us all about the Mesoamerican ball game, which many historians believe was the first team sport.

[Zenia]

Before the break, we learned that this game is at least 3,700 years old. Artifacts like sculptures and pottery have helped archaeologists better understand how it was played.

[Joy Dolo]

Many historians believe the Mesoamerican ball game started in southern Mexico. That's where the oldest ball court ever discovered is.

[Zenia]

Plus, the game was played with rubber balls, and this area is home to rubber treats.

[Joy Dolo]

But no matter where the game started, we know for sure that back then it was hugely popular with people from all walks of life.

[Agostina]

That's right. I actually did an interview with someone about this because as we all know, armadillos are famous for our love of informational interviews, Obviously. I talked to Marika Stahl. She's an archaeologist and an expert on the Mesoamerican ball game.

[F]

So just like today with our modern sports, right, There are people who take it very seriously, invest a lot of time and money into it, a lot of training. Maybe they don't go on to being professional. Maybe they do. But if you're a professional athlete, right, people worship you. You're paid a lot of money, you're.

[Zenia]

A celebrity, like Steph Curry or Trinity Rodman.

[F]

But then there's the other side of it, where people play on the black top. Right? They play basketball on the black top. And it's just for fun.

[Joy Dolo]

Okay, this makes sense. So just like sports today, people played at all different levels.

[Agostina]

Correcto. And no matter what, people loved to watch. Here's Marika again.

[F]

So it was, you know, about bringing the community together. We find these clay models of ball courts and ball and ball games, and there are people watching. There's vendors selling food. They also show dancers and musicians. So these ball games were also just big events.

[Zenia]

So cool.

[Agostina]

Bockworts have been found all the way north into Arizona and east across the sea into the Caribbean. In other words, it spread more than a million square miles.

[Joy Dolo]

Do we know how it spread?

[Agostina]

Archaeologists aren't exactly sure. Back then, people couldn't just take a video of themselves playing and upload it to Lick Tock.

[Zenia]

Lick Tock.

[Agostina]

Sorry, I just needed to eat a grub. Delicioso. Okay, that's my last one. Anyway, I meant to say TikTok, the people who were playing this game were moving around, especially to trade goods during this time.

[Joy Dolo]

Also, if the ball game is actually older than we think, it could have spread because people were nomadic back then, which means they moved around a lot.

[Agostina]

Verdad True. We know versions of the game were played by three of the most powerful empires in Central America. First the Olmec, then the Mayas, and finally the Aztecs.

[Zenia]

These were each advanced, highly organized civilizations with beautiful ceramics and sculptures, large cities, and complex religious practices.

[Agostina]

And the ball game was really important to them. Archaeologists know the game was played as part of religious ceremonies and sometimes to settle arguments with other groups.

[Zenia]

The Aztecs were in power when the Spanish arrived in the 1500s.

[Agostina]

That's right. The Spanish colonized, which means they took over the Aztecs land, and they tried.

[Zenia]

To force them to give up their language and tradition.

[Joy Dolo]

Did that affect the ball game?

[Agostina]

It did. The Spanish banned all types of sports and games that were played by the Aztecs. But the Aztecs kept playing games in secret because it was a huge part of their identity and culture. Then, after 300 years of being ruled by the Spanish, Mexico won its independence in 1810.

[Joy Dolo]

Right. And by that time, the native civilizations were almost wiped out by disease and violence.

[Zenia]

But the descendants of the ballplayers kept the sport alive. And when Mexico got its independence, they could start playing openly again. I actually saw a version of the game being played once.

[Joy Dolo]

Oh, that's so cool. Where did you see it?

[Zenia]

I was in Merida, which is in the Yucatan peninsula. That's in Mexico. And they would hit a big, heavy rubber ball with their hips, and they. They pass each other, and then they try to hit it up into a goal. It's like a hoop like this, really high up. And then at the end, they lit the ball on fire and kept playing with it like that. It was really cool.

[Joy Dolo]

That sounds painful.

[Zenia]

Yeah.

[Joy Dolo]

So they hit the ball with their hips into a hoop, and then after they did that, they set it on fire and kept hitting the ball with their hips.

[Zenia]

Yeah, they passed the ball around after, and like, we got to feel how heavy it was. It was really heavy.

[Joy Dolo]

Oh, that's so neat.

[Agostina]

People play different versions all over the world, like pelota mixteca. That's a version where players can use their hands to hit the ball. I talked with a player from California named Michael Hernandez about it. He told me that about 100 years ago, players started wearing a glove on one hand made out of something sort of unusual.

[Agustina]

And it began just as old Huarache, an old. What do you call them here? Sandal. So the sandal was just old, taken apart, and they just wrapped it right here just so that their hand wouldn't hurt as much.

[Agostina]

But the gloves today have leveled up like baseball gloves. They're made of leather, but instead of being shaped like a basket to catch the ball, they look more like a small pillow with a strap you put your hand into. And get this. The outside is covered in shiny silver nail heads, which help propel the ball when you hit it. Michael showed me his son's glove, which is a beautiful Azul Celeste or sky blue.

[Joy Dolo]

Wait, Michael's son plays too? I love a family that sports together.

[Agostina]

I know Michael's son is nine and he's part of a long line of pelota players.

[Agustina]

My grandfather played, his grandfather played, his father played. So it's just something that's always been, you know, handed down generation after generation. It's something that's been handed down to us. It's part of our. Of our bloodline, like, it's part of our culture. It's part of our inheritance.

[Zenia]

That's so cool, truly.

[Agostina]

If you want to see videos of the game being played, we put a link to Pelota Mixteca, Fresno's Instagram page in the show notes.

[Joy Dolo]

Amazing. Hey, I actually think I've got some old sandals in the shoeing of my closet. What do you say we try and get a game going?

[Zenia]

You're on.

[Agostina]

Vamos. Let's go.

[Zenia]

The Mesoamerican ball game may be the oldest team sport in the world.

[Joy Dolo]

It's actually a collection of similar games that have been played across parts of north and Central America and the Caribbean for over 3,000 years.

[Zenia]

And it's still being played in many different parts of the region today.

[Joy Dolo]

This episode was written by Nico Gonzalez Whistler. It was produced by Ruby Guthrie. It was edited by Shayla Farzon. Fact checking by Anna Goldfield. Engineering help from Alex Simpson and Deborah Reeves, with sound design by Rachel Breese. Original theme music by Mark Sanchez. We had additional production help from the rest of the brains on Universe Team. Molly Bloom, Rosie Dupont, Lauren Humpert, Joshua.

[Zenia]

Ray, Mark Sanchez, Sandon Totten, Charlotte Traver.

[Joy Dolo]

Anna Wegel and Aron Wolda Selassie. Beth Pearlman is our executive producer, and the executives in charge of APM Studios are Chandra Kavati and Joanne Griffith. Special thanks to Natalie Garcia. Okay, Zenia, are you ready to hear the answers for First Things First?

[Zenia]

You bet.

[Joy Dolo]

You betcha. All right, so as a reminder, we're putting these three ball shaped things in order to. And you said marbles, snow globes, and then ball pits, right?

[Zenia]

Yeah, I did.

[Joy Dolo]

All right, well, let's see the answers. Let's see what they go. Oh, my gosh. You got it right.

[Zenia]

I did.

[Joy Dolo]

You did. You were right.

[Zenia]

I never get them right.

[Joy Dolo]

Today's a special day.

[Zenia]

Yay.

[Joy Dolo]

Marble, like games have been played for thousands of years. Small clay marbles have been found in ancient Egyptian tombs, and there's evidence they were popular in ancient Greece and Rome too. The earliest book on marbles was published in 1815 in England. This book listed marbles as being made of china, clay, glass, or even real marble at the time. Glass marbles, which are most popular today, became common starting in the mid-1800s. So you're absolutely right. With the glass technique strategy, like going at it. It's interesting that they were used to be made of clay, though.

[Zenia]

Yeah. I feel like that was like. It's just like, different.

[Joy Dolo]

Yeah.

[Zenia]

Than what I'm used to.

[Joy Dolo]

Yeah. So next up is snow globes, and those were invented in 1878. So the first documented appearance of snow globes was at an exposition in Paris in 1878. They were billed as paperweights with a man holding an umbrella. And when you flip the. The ball, it looks like he's in a fake snowstorm.

[Zenia]

Oh, wow.

[Joy Dolo]

Yeah. The first official patent for a snow globe was given to an inventor who was actually trying to improve a tool that would focus light during surgery. Whoa. But his snow globes were so successful that he started a snow globe company, and it's still in business today. When did they start doing Christmas ones, like, with the snow and stuff? That's all I think of when I think of snow globes, you know?

[Agostina]

Yeah.

[Zenia]

Snowman, snow, Christmas trees. Yeah, yeah, that's a snow globe with.

[Joy Dolo]

Like a little polar bear in the middle. And last but certainly not least is ball pits. And that was invented in 1971. So the international furniture store IKEA likely had the first ever ball pit. Have you been to IKEA before?

[Zenia]

Yeah, I feel like I have. I think so.

[Agostina]

Yeah.

[Joy Dolo]

That furniture store.

[Zenia]

Yeah.

[Joy Dolo]

It opened at the children's play area in their store in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1971. The designers were inspired when they opened a box that contained a new type of protective packing material. Small plastic balls, kind of like styrofoam packing peanuts. And they imagined what it would be like to swim around in there. And voila, the ball pit was born.

[Zenia]

They had a play area.

[Joy Dolo]

Yeah. Yeah. So the IKEA must have an area for folks to go play around in. I mean, I guess it's also for adults because adults can go sit on furniture. So everyone's playing.

[Zenia]

That's cool.

[Joy Dolo]

I would love to jump into a pit of those pallets. Yeah. Those seem so squishy and fun.

[Zenia]

Yeah.

[Joy Dolo]

Was there anything in these last three that surprised you?

[Zenia]

Probably the second one with the snow globe that he was trying to invent a tool or improve a tool that they used for surgery for the light. And then he ended up making a.

[Joy Dolo]

Snow globe that was so wild. Right? Yeah. And who. You know, there's always these, like, happy accidents that happen sometime when you're trying to do something and then you actually invent something else.

[Zenia]

Yeah.

[Joy Dolo]

So, yeah, I'm gonna start inventing something. I'm gonna start my peanut packing. Ballpeck. We'll be back next week with an episode all about the famous dancer and entertainer Josephine Baker.

[Zenia]

Thanks for listening.

[Jim]

Do you want to spend another summer stuck at home?

[Joy Dolo]

Hey, Jim.

[Zenia]

How's your back?

[Agustina]

Oh, you know.

[Agostina]

I hear you leave the small talk.

[Jim]

Behind because Disney and Pixar invite you on an out of this world adventure.

[Agostina]

Engaging hyperspeed.

[Zenia]

This is awesome.

[Jim]

On June 20th.

[Agostina]

Welcome to the communiverse.

[Zenia]

Prepare to be conquered. I just got here.

[Agostina]

Follow me.

[Zenia]

What is this place? These are are the lava tunnels.

[Agostina]

I am not fireproof.

[Jim]

Disney Pixar's Elliot in theaters June 20th. Tickets available now. Rating PG. Parental guidance suggested.