“Sports participation surpasses reading, discussing, and role playing environments

because it’s ‘experienced,’ and sport provides spontaneity – situations are unplanned,

unforeseen, and unique. Responses are based on application of concepts, and accountability

becomes real, mirroring the agency in real life.”

-Tod and Hodge

ANDREA (ON-DREE -UH) LEDUC

SPRING 2011

Character Education through Team Activities

Human Knot

Stand in a circle shoulder to shoulderCross your arms out in front of youHold 2 other hands

Not 2 from the same person Not the people next to you

Without releasing hands, untangle yourselves until all arms are uncrossed

Human Knot (Pretzel)

Leadership

Communication

Teamwork

Honesty

Breaking Barriers

Character Building – Social Skills:making a connection

Building one’s character isn’t only for the benefit of the individual, but for the individual to bring forth their good for the whole community, and this is where social skills play a role

Character and social skills are not dependent on each other but they compliment each other Ex: communication, honesty

The Unit

7 days of basketball,

5 of which began

with team building

activities

Philosophy

Create 1st list

2nd list Reflection

Group Juggle

Team Building Activities

2 TRUTHS – 1 LIE HELIUM STICK

Team Building Activities

HUMAN KNOT

Team Building Activities

TRUST WALK

Team Building Activities

+ CARDIO KNOCK-OUT

The Skills: Dribbling

3-MAN / 5 MAN WEAVE

A FLAT BASKETBALL?!

The Skills: Passing

1 V 1 3 V 3

The Skills: Defense

AROUND THE WORLD 2-BOUNCE

The Skills: Shooting

SHOWCASE 80+ KIDS

American Heart Association

JUDGES DUNK CONTEST

Hoops for Heart

Reflections

Sportsmanship, effort, respect, teamwork, encouraging others, responsibility, reliability,

trust

Wasn’t about basketball

Finding the value in athletics

Motor Development/Perception

7 components-

Hand-eye coordination

General coordination

Laterality

Balance

Tactile touch

Body Image

Language

All of these aid us in performing the tasks that we find most simple in our daily lives

Walking, running, tying our shoes, bringing food to our mouth, sitting up, avoiding running into objects or tripping, copying words from the board, wearing clothes that will keep us warm/not overheat us, handshake

Directional Awareness is a basic component of learning how to read

Self-Concept/ Recreational ActivitySmall studies have been done on athletes attitudes about themselves –

They have higher perceived movement competence but the study rejects the notion that playing sports gives one a better global self-concept

Harter and Pike subdivided perceived competence into Cognitive Social Physical (movement) General Self-Worth

Our global self-concept is based on competence in areas that have personal meaning

The North American society places high value on movement competence

When we aren’t as successful with something we tend to stop doing it

Research!

Axiology – philosophical study of value 3 dimensions: Intrinsic (individual uniqueness) Extrinsic ( comparison

good/better/best) Systemic (fairness) “If a person can achieve greater value in one

dimension and maintain balance, then the value gained may transfer to the other dimensions.

“…possibilities exist for developing character through steady improvement in all 3 value dimensions and by maintaining balance, individuals and society can gain greater richness”

Great Debate

*54 percent of male football players, 49 percent of male basketball players, and 18 percent of females in all sports approve of trash-talking.

*34 percent of all the boys and 12 percent of all the girls approve of a coach trying to pump up the team by swearing at officials to get himself or herself thrown out of a game.

*Two-fifths of the boys and one-fourth of the girls see nothing wrong with using a stolen playbook sent by an anonymous supporter before a big game.

*30 percent of all boys and 20 percent of girl softball players think it's okay for a softball pitcher to deliberately throw at a batter who homered the last time up.

Don’t Assume Character is Being Built

Traditionally assumed that playing competitive sports would naturally build one’s character

This assumption is where everything goes awry - it leaves out the important component to the building of character: freedom of choice

Sports offer athletes and teams the opportunity to build their character through the choices they make

A conscious, determined, intentional effort and focus to shape one’s character through participation in competitive sports is something everyone works toward making happen.

Make a Difference

Place A High Emphasis on Character

Place High Expectations For Behavior

Set A Good Example Make Good Sportsmanship A

‘Must’ Hold Kids Accountable View Sports With A Holistic

Approach

If “winning” and

“character” are ever

at odds with each

other, character must

come out on top

Sources

•http://www.goodcharacter.com/Sports.html : Character and Sports with Dr. Mike•http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/ethics-everyone/201006/how-can-character-be-built-through-sports

: Ethics for Everyone•http://www.weplay.com/sports-parents/performance/101-Building-Character-Through-Sports

: Helping Team Moms Help Teams•http://thesportdigest.com/archive/article/developing-character-through-sportathletic-participation

: Developing Character through Sport/Athletic Participation

• Gallahue, David, and John Ozmun. Understanding Motor Development. sixth. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2006. Print.

•Brit Johnson. Movement and Brain Development for the Classroom Teacher, Spring 2009

A Special Thanks…

…to my cooperating teachers in Springport Elementary and Middle School for letting me share their classroom and teaching me their tricks of the

trade, to all of the professors I’ve had along the way for their high expectations and the knowledge they’ve given me, to my field supervisor for making

the trips to observe me and make sure I was staying on track, and the “biggest-warmest-most sincere-thanks-you-could-ever-give-to-anyone –

thanks” to my parents for making all of this possible and supporting me in everything I do.