APIVEO

Changing the World Through Youth Sports

always play 4 each other

APIVEO™ LESSON SEVEN

By

Bucket-Ceremony

The Bucket Ceremony

The Development and Permanence of “The Team”  

This is one of my favorite lessons and one that your team will remember long after your season ends. In youth sports it’s critical to teach kids that as part of a team, they are playing for each other by contributing their unique talents. The Bucket Ceremony shows the players that they have created something new, special and everlasting and that they have dedicated themselves to each other when they formed a team.

A player’s value to the team is not measured in playing time or any other performance statistic. The value of a player is based solely on his or her personal commitment to his or her teammates. Therefore the player’s value is as unique and personal as his or her own fingerprint.

The Bucket Ceremony is simple to do. The only supplies needed are a bucket, clear plastic cups and a few large bottles of water (about 6 ounces per player and coach). [Read more…] about APIVEO™ LESSON SEVEN

APIVEO™ LESSON SIX

By

SportsmanshipAction leadership.

The influence of your deeds. How can your actions help people?

Building on the previous lesson regarding words, this lesson’s goal is to teach kids that deeds or actions have a great impact. This lesson will reinforce the idea that “actions speak louder than words,” and remind the players that when combined with positive words, our deeds show accountability and build trust. In addition, we will tie in the previous lesson regarding words. Please note that this lesson closes with homework. [Read more…] about APIVEO™ LESSON SIX

APIVEO™ LESSON FIVE

By

Verbal LeadershipExhibiting Verbal leadership.

The influence of your words – How can your words help or hurt people?

In this lesson the goal is to teach kids that words have a great impact. Communication is essential to all human interaction. The most common means of communicating is through the use of words, which can be spoken as well as in writing such as letters, emails and texting. A word is like a spark; it can start a raging and destructive fire just as easily as it can start a furnace that warms a home. In this lesson we will teach the kids that once their words are shared, they can’t take them back. This is true for bad or hurtful words as well as good or helpful words. To share this lesson, you will need a small tube of toothpaste, a paper plate and napkins*. [Read more…] about APIVEO™ LESSON FIVE

APIVEO™ LESSON FOUR

By

Listening is the starting point of leadership.

In this lesson our goal is to teach the kids that leadership starts with listening. Being a leader requires that you know something about the people you are leading. Most conversations between kids aren’t really conversations at all. Often, a child is simply waiting for his or her turn to talk rather than listening to what is being said. Listening is a skill that needs to be learned and practiced or the child will grow up waiting for their turn to talk. [Read more…] about APIVEO™ LESSON FOUR

Good Friends Make Great Teammates

By

When you are coaching youth sports, it is important to allow time at every practice for the kids to talk to each other. It will build friendships and respect that will last a lifetime. Youth sports offer kids a lot of opportunities. One of the greatest is to make new friends.

[Read more…] about Good Friends Make Great Teammates

Cure the “Warm Body Syndrome”

By

I recently had a conversation with a friend and fellow coach. I asked him if he was coaching this season, and he said, “I thought about it, but when I coached last year, I was just a warm body standing in the outfield”. My heart broke.

Many volunteer youth coaches of kids in grades K-6 succumb to the “warm body syndrome.” This occurs when an individual graciously, but often reluctantly, agrees to coach because there are not enough coaches to form teams for all of the kids that signed up (including his or her own kid). [Read more…] about Cure the “Warm Body Syndrome”