Words by Megan Mandrachio

In the streets of New York City, where the daily grind can often dampen the spirit of spontaneity, a collective of local creatives are rewriting the rules. Enter No Routine, a group organizing recess from the relentlessly busy city life by re-discovering the joy of play, one laid-back meet-up at a time. Unlike traditional sports leagues from the city, there are no tryouts, rigid rules, or uniforms. Instead, No Routine simply asks participants to show up and get involved. The founding trio is made up of G, Malcolm, and Smiley. Today they’re bringing No Routine’s summer camp feel to Little Flower Playground, an inner-city park nestled in the Lower East Side, for dodgeball and Frisbee.

A large cardboard cut out of Lobo, their cartoon fox mascot – designed by visual artist Freddy Carrasco – sits against the chained fence, along with water, bags of ice, and backpacks. The energy rises as faces trickle in for the session, cracking open hard seltzers, and welcoming newcomers with a hug, oftentimes friends of friends. “I’ve seen athletic clubs, run clubs and climbing clubs that can be intense and alienating to people who aren’t fully into the sport. This is a great outlet to just bring people together.” Malcolm shares.

Stepping onto the open field, predictability is left behind. The space is taken up by unassuming athletes in jorts, graphic tees, eclectic jewelry, and running shoes. Malcolm divides the group, sending them to opposite ends of the field by hollering one and two, mixing the regulars and newcomers. A colorful line-up of balls ready to be dodged split the space in half. Players fixate on the row of ammunition, strangers-turned-teammates strategize their gameplay. “Ready?” Silence falls over the field. “Set…go!” A blur of multi-colored dots slice through the air, whooshing towards open targets. A crowd has gathered as the balls fly, adding to the noise with a chorus of oohs and ahhs.

G defines No Routine as “nostalgic, open-hearted and playful”, and that’s felt on the field today as the game reaches a crescendo. The tension mounts as players are sidelined. They root for their teammates, and it's the perfect opportunity to learn everyone’s name. Kayla is caught in a four-versus-one. She's the one. “She knows her strengths”, someone theorizes. She holds her own each time amongst the attacks of foam ball. “We should get a trophy” someone suggests. 

As people break off for sips of beer and free throws, a grill appears. “Not all heroes wear capes,” someone yells as Amer, another familiar face at No Routine, makes his way across the field with our lunch: skewers of tikka masala chicken with pineapple, grilled broccolini, and a side salad. He’s a familiar face, joining today’s event as a chef rather than a player. We sprawl ourselves across the grass and enjoy a plate of Amer’s cooking while people toss around frisbees and others hang out in the shade. 

No Routine is an accessible and unpretentious space for letting loose and having fun. Reflected in their name, the collective is built around a call for less structure, and in doing so has created a laid back, yet vibrant community. Today, I’ve been transported to elementary school gym class. It’s a welcome reminder to embrace the childlike joy of play. “When life throws you a frisbee,” G tells me, “catch it, and throw it to your friends”.

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