The Game of Marbles is not Lost in Belize  

From the schoolyard to the playground and even your own backyard; the game of marbles can be played at any time and place. In this week’s episode of Kolcha Tuesday, we’ll be taking you back to your childhood as we explore a game that is a Belizean classic. Today, we visited some school children to learn if the game was still being played amongst Belizean kids. Here’s News Five’s Britney Gordon with that story.

 

Britney Gordon, Reporting

A few decades ago, growing up in Belize meant hanging from trees, rolling tires down the street and flying kites. In the age of technology, many people believe these days of simple pleasures are over, but that’s not entirely true. While the game may not be as popular as it once was, there are still a few kids spinning marbles in the schoolyard. We spoke with community activist, Shane Williams, who has made it his mission to not let the game die out in Belize.

 

Shane Williams, Community Activist

“Growing up marble was a different world. You see this little park here, triangle park? Whenever the triangle angles for marble draw, this transforms into a whole different world. No matter wed happen outside ah this park, everything focus pan di competition.”

 

 

The game of marbles is played by drawing a shape, usually a triangle or circle, and positioning the marbles along the perimeter and inside to be knocked out of the shape. The goal is to be the player with the last marble standing, as well as collect as many of your opponent’s marbles as possible. Williams told us that the number one rule of the game is not to purchase marbles. According to him, they had to be earned by winning games. A student at Grace Primary School explained this process to us.

 

 

Deon Williams, std 3 student, GPS

“So you got the line. You got the triangle. Everybody wa shoot from back ah guts. The angle you deh, You play from the angle. All the marble ina the angle.”

 

Shane Williams showed us some of the different kinds of marbles children can win during games.

 

Shane Williams

“You have ney one ya, neya da di lee common one. Ney one da di lee cheapy one. Yo use nenya as bait, you set ney ina di angles and stuff. And then yo have the miami, well we call ney miami because nenya da di states thing when we di grow up. So yo have ney lee fancy one. You have the big dubs and then you have some kwiyan. Kwiyan da like bearing from veh9cle. If you lucky enough you can get a nice kwiyan and dende mek the best thaw. That da wat you use fi knock out the marbkle and kill the other opponents. And you have smallI. I noh have no smalli but poerple like smalli cuz ney hard fi hit. Dende da di small lee marble. So when you use that as your thaw ih hard fi somebody ketch you and out yo.”

 

He said that among communities, there is typically one player known for being the best in the group. While we visited Grace Primary School, a few boys battled to prove who deserved that title among them. We asked a few of them what it is they loved about the game.

 

Deon Williams

“Ihn oh have to be a team. You could go against your friends, your cousin, your family but this da di point. Marble da just wa game weh you feel like you badda dan anybofdy. Yu could fight with anybody. Marble da just wa friendly game.”

 

One student told us that while he used to live abroad, he would purchase marbles, but since coming to Belize, he enjoys trading them with his friends.

 

 

Lauriel Monroy, std 3 student, GPS

“Other countries like Spain they have other kinds of marbles. I born there. I but lotta marble from there. Then I come da Belize, then I like play with my friends from Lake I. Then I win special marble like that.”

 

 

 

 

Two students explained that it is the joy of playing with friends that draws them to the game.

 

Std 3 student, GPS

“Only reason I start play marble da cause of my older breda Alwin he used to play and he used to collect marble he have bumblebee and all ah den deh. He da dih only reason I start to play this game.

 

Britney Gordon

“Wha’s the most fun part of this game?”

 

Student

“Da wa friendly game. You have your friends ney, you could go against anybody you want. Along as ney know how fi play.”

 

Std 3 student, GPS

“The reason I like marble because da my village I have lotta friend ney and we use to have lotta marble. Soi I tell my ma please give me money fi go buy marble… We buy big dubs and ney thing. So we mek a lee triangle and we start to play.”

 

 

 

To keep the game alive, Williams hosts an annual marble contest in Belize. He saw a need for a community event that would bring children together after the COVID pandemic, and recalling how much he enjoyed spinning marbles with his friends growing up, he thought it would be the perfect game.

 

Shane Williams

“So I started the marble contest with community kids and then some from far around start coming and It’s been three years now. I want to introduce it into the summer camp that I usually have this year. And just hopefully that people start playing it in the schools and get some, just a little experience we had as children. I just want to get a little of that so that they could socialize. Meet people from different neighborhoods and stuff like that. That da di main t6hing. Socialization.”

 

Even though the game is no longer at the height of its popularity, it is evidently still alive in Belize and will continue to have a place among children if there is someone to teach them.

 

Shane Williams

“Marble allowed us to meet new. Life long friends and build some stories we will never forget.”

 

Britney Gordon for News Five.