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Post by cfoott on Jul 12, 2016 13:19:26 GMT -6
This is the first year we are holding our own team camp. In the past we would go out to camps that were put on by a college coach and mix it up with a couple of other teams. Since the new law put in by California legislation, we cannot have contact until July 25. By this time college coaches are busy with their own teams and this has since killed the team camps out here in California. So we are driving our boys out to a local college for a few days to work on our own. Besides practice, what are some activities you have done that have promoted team bonding. The expectation is that being out there on our own will help the process of bonding. But introducing some activities to help it along couldn't hurt. Some ideas I have are:
- Goal setting session where the boys would write down individual pieces of index cards to be hung up in their lockers. An also work together to set team goals - A team discussion about what football means to them and what role it has played in their lives. - Team hike since we are so close to the woods. - Going to the beach since we are so close to it as well.
Anything you have done in the past that you'd like to share would be greatly appreciated. Thanks fellas.
Foott
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Post by Wingtman on Jul 12, 2016 13:28:38 GMT -6
The National Guard does an awesome (and free) team building thing. Get in contact with your local office.
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Post by bluboy on Jul 12, 2016 13:40:49 GMT -6
Marine Corps also does a great leadership/team building activity. We've done it for the last four years and our kids love it. It's not easy.
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Post by cfoott on Jul 12, 2016 13:50:29 GMT -6
Thanks for the input men. Bluboy, would you be willing to share some of the drills they put you through? I've seen some of the information online and it looks like all day events for the most part. We're looking to use some team building exercises before or after practice.
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Post by carookie on Jul 12, 2016 13:51:47 GMT -6
Senior skit night has always been a big one for us, it gives the kids something to look forward to and lets them rib the coaches and each other.
Most of the ones I've done have been in beach cities, so a beach run has always been good (plus you tell them that it will attract the eyes of the ladies at the beach).
I've done the goal setting, and why you play football thing, its okay but I dont think its necessary.
Of course, there is the single greatest team bonding, character building/revealing activity (which you already listed) football practice.
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Post by wingtol on Jul 12, 2016 19:09:20 GMT -6
I second the skit night, we did ours the last night of camp as a tradition. Divide them up mixing classes and tell them nothing they say with in reason will be held against them by the coaches. You think kids don't listen to you until they get up and imitate you....
Beach or pool is good espically if the water is cool to help get the legs back.
We never got real serious with the forced bonding type stuff. When we went it was during our official start week so we were doing two a days at overnight camp. They bonded enough being stuck in cabins with each other for a week. We wanted them to rest and take it easy in between practices. After you factor in showering, lunch, film they were done and needed some down time before the second session.
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Post by lochness on Jul 12, 2016 20:02:11 GMT -6
We've done just about everything under the sun. Sometimes just having a touch football tourney for 25 mins or playing kickball / whiffle ball is the simplest and most effective team building activity. They just let loose, have fun with each other and (amazingly) compete hard. Good stuff.
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Post by hunhdisciple on Jul 12, 2016 23:04:45 GMT -6
We do the skit night/roast, and it's great for us because our kids don't really have the guts to do something hardcover at us. But, we always tell them that we get to get them back, which is great.
I don't think forced bonding is the answer, because it's not natural and willing. All those trust exercises and goal setting and "four strands of rope" stuff is fine, but if it's forced I'm never sure how good it actually is.
We would divide teams up every day and have competition things every practice, and the losers had some sort of punishment. Kids bond pretty quickly, of it means they don't have to do extra running.
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Post by cfoott on Jul 13, 2016 11:14:09 GMT -6
Force bonding was never the idea. More like putting the players into situations that will challenge them mentally and physically. I like the military training idea. Any ideas for those types of activities?
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Post by carookie on Jul 13, 2016 11:43:07 GMT -6
I would like to add that room assignments can do a lot for bonding as well, and if you are smart about it eliminate potential headaches.
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Post by dytmook on Jul 13, 2016 12:28:29 GMT -6
We watched Rocky IV
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Post by wingtol on Jul 13, 2016 13:16:25 GMT -6
Force bonding was never the idea. More like putting the players into situations that will challenge them mentally and physically. I like the military training idea. Any ideas for those types of activities? How much on the field stuff are you going to be doing? Full pads I assume? You don't want to burn them out physically or mentally if your doing like two a days at a camp.
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Post by cfoott on Jul 13, 2016 21:23:21 GMT -6
Force bonding was never the idea. More like putting the players into situations that will challenge them mentally and physically. I like the military training idea. Any ideas for those types of activities? How much on the field stuff are you going to be doing? Full pads I assume? You don't want to burn them out physically or mentally if your doing like two a days at a camp. Two practices. Shells only. I think we do want to burn them out mentally and physically. Camp is the time to push them to their absolute limits. I'd like to put them in positions where they have to rely on one another to make it through to the end.
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Post by wingtol on Jul 14, 2016 10:37:55 GMT -6
How much on the field stuff are you going to be doing? Full pads I assume? You don't want to burn them out physically or mentally if your doing like two a days at a camp. Two practices. Shells only. I think we do want to burn them out mentally and physically. Camp is the time to push them to their absolute limits. I'd like to put them in positions where they have to rely on one another to make it through to the end. Ours camp might be at a different time, when we went it was the first week of official practice so we were full go getting ready for week one so we may have been looking for a different outcome. Two a days at overnight camp sleeping in cabins takes enough of a toll on them we didn't want them burned out and it effecting the practice since that's what we were there for. If your goals are different from your camp then go for it.
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Post by coopdog02 on Jan 17, 2017 8:12:21 GMT -6
We host our own camp right at the high school. Allows us to get in the equivalent of a two-a-day practice and plenty of time for bonding and team building. I agree with others who mentioned a skit show or lip sync. It has become a tradition that our kids love, it is judged by the coaches and we give our critiques just like on American Idol. We created a crazy trophy (made from about 5 old trophies) that the kids gave a name to and it has become a BIG deal for them to win. We have our captains draft teams the first day of camp and the 2 teams compete in EVERYTHING throughout the camp. Every night we have some sort of competition from trivia, to tug-of-war, ultimate frisbee, this year we even played our girls volleyball team (they smoked us but it didn't seem so bad as they went on to play in the State Championship game). I agree that forced bonding and cheesy teambuilding activities don't work, the kids see through them. They want to have fun and little things get them to know each other better and bond. We even leave time for video games and you wouldn't believe how competitive Mario Kart can get! Sometimes the best part of camp is just sitting back as a coach and watching the personalities of the kids come out. Teaches us way more than we can pickup in the hallways or practice field!
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Post by fshamrock on Jan 17, 2017 10:51:52 GMT -6
Then you are good to go If a film can end the cold war I'm sure it can probably help bond together a high school football team
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