Jay Simpson: Plenty of things for youth to do around town
Jun. 30—When I was growing up in Champaign, times were different. Things were more structured for youth, so depending on which day it was, there was always something fun to do, and on days there wasn't, we made our own.
The first place we used to hang out at was the pool. It didn't matter if it was Crystal Lake or Sholem . My friends and I would figure out which pool we wanted to hangout at , invite a few girls, and the next thing you know, we've got ourselves a good time with good vibes. We probably only had $20 combined, but we made it work.
Another fun spot we spent many hours at growing up is Skateland. Every weekend, that was the go-to spot up until I got into high school. Every Saturday night, 7 to 11 p.m., Skateland was the place to be for teens and preteens. The music was always up to date, and we went so much that we created real relationships with owners Bob and Rico. I miss everything about it, from the really good thin-crust pizza, the Italian ice and the couples skate. That was always the main goal for all of my friends and me, that no matter what, we had to find someone to do the couples skate with. Let me just say, that was a time, and I have some pretty hilarious memories.
We also enjoyed hanging out at the Savoy 16 theater, and then we would walk to Dairy Queen for ice cream cones, and if we had enough, we'd split chicken tenders or a burger.
Those were the days where friends looked out for each other . My friends and I knew what loyalty was at a young age, and we practiced it daily. The cool part about it is that we are all still friends, with children who are all around the same age. It's going to be so joyful watching them grow up close . It'll be like watching ourselves all over again.
Last but not least, one of my favorite places of all time to hangout would have to be the Friday night light football games at Centennial Field. We got to witness players like Mikel Leshoure, Mike Locksley Jr., Josh Butts, Brandon Ward, Tyler Finkbiner and other great talents. That was always good to see those guys put on a show, but what really made it the place to be was that you got to see everybody from every Unit 4 middle school and both high schools because they shared a field. Not only that, high school football games are pretty long, so it also gave a sense of independence getting to stay out past curfew and made us feel more mature. We probably didn't act like it, but we felt like it .
These are the spots we had to hangout at as kids. People always complain about there not being anything to do for our youth, but I can name about 10 different activities they could be doing. The problem is they don't want to, and nobody is making them or holding them accountable. If you hear your child complaining about having nothing to do, take them to the places we went to growing up. They will likely enjoy it more than they thought they would.
