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Post by oldballcoach2 on Mar 20, 2019 12:21:07 GMT -6
If any of you would share any activities you use to build chemistry between your players, I would appreciate it. Also, are there activities you use to build relationships between your players and the community? Thanks and I look forward to reading your responses.
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Post by coachwoodall on Mar 22, 2019 8:51:46 GMT -6
Any kind of activity can build chemistry, what are you kids into? What can they do together? Go bowling, paint balling, have a Madden tourney, 3-3 basketball tourney, water balloon fights, youth football camps, the options are endless. I wouldn't go overboard, find a way to use your facilities and get them doing something together.
So far as getting them into the community, find out what needs you have in the community: yard clean up for the elderly, Habitat for Humanity, Miracle League, Special Olympics, Boys and Girls Club, Scouts, again there are probably more things that could be done than you'll be able to help with. Contact local civic organizations or churches in your community and see what type of help they need. Depending on the size of your community, there may even be local government institutions that know of people or groups that need help.
We do work on a regular basis in a local soup kitchen and have an annual yard clean up/maintenance day at the end of spring ball. We also take kids to be reading buddies at the elementary schools.
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Post by fantom on Mar 22, 2019 9:05:33 GMT -6
I was thinking of taking them to Gettysburg College, waking them up at 3 AM, running them to the cemetery, and giving a speech.
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Post by 60zgo on Mar 22, 2019 9:35:14 GMT -6
I was thinking of taking them to Gettysburg College, waking them up at 3 AM, running them to the cemetery, and giving a speech. Don't forget lots of up downs, three a day practices, and little to no water...
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Post by fantom on Mar 22, 2019 9:40:05 GMT -6
I was thinking of taking them to Gettysburg College, waking them up at 3 AM, running them to the cemetery, and giving a speech. Don't forget lots of up downs, three a day practices, and little to no water... Now you're describing my playing experience.
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Post by coachwoodall on Mar 22, 2019 10:30:09 GMT -6
There are no more John Waynes
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Post by Coach Bennett on Mar 23, 2019 17:23:13 GMT -6
Do you have any experiential ed organizations in your area like a ropes course?
Team building activities are great but it's the debriefing of them that is critical. While some initiatives/activities are solely for ice breakers or "doing stuff together," typically some sort of processing of an experience is good for framing the experience.
Here's one...you take about a 100 feet of rope and tie intermittent knots of various kinds about every 8 feet. One player grabs a section of the rope in between each knot. Then, tell them they need to untie all of the knots without letting go.
Whether they are successful or not, debrief the experience. Who was the first to come up with an idea of how to complete the initiative? Was the teammate listened to? Did someone else step in and take over? Were you content to follow instructions or did you have input? Was there a natural leader? If so, why? If not, why not? If you were going to work with the same group and take on another initiative, what would you do differently?
Next initiative...give groups of four two sets of newspapers and a foot of masking tape. The challenge is to build the tallest free standing newspaper tower using the materials provided. It's timed and each group is competing against the other. When it's over, debrief.
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Post by coachd5085 on Mar 24, 2019 7:49:17 GMT -6
I was thinking of taking them to Gettysburg College, waking them up at 3 AM, running them to the cemetery, and giving a speech. Also having them choreograph a rollicking stadium entrance would help.
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Post by jlenwood on Mar 24, 2019 8:27:51 GMT -6
Tough Mudder.
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Post by Coach Vint on Mar 24, 2019 20:42:44 GMT -6
Anything your players do together outside of football is team building. We also have position group dinners at the position coaches houses. You don’t have to do formal activities to build chemistry, but you can. We spent an hour one evening doing laser tag last season. That was a good one. We also had a pool/pizza party. That was also good. It is also good to have them to the house to eat and just relax.
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Post by MICoach on Mar 26, 2019 9:32:42 GMT -6
Our coaches and varsity players helped build a habitat for humanity house - boosters provided lunch and the kids spent a full day working on it. It was a pretty awesome team builder in the beginning of the summer.
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