At TOA After School & Holiday Program, we believe our duty of care extends beyond simply caring for children. We have strong standards and principles that motivate our direction and decisions, which is reflected in the character and atmosphere of all we do. So by default, these principles are naturally woven into all of our daily activities, games and challenges. Such things as honesty, integrity, respect for yourself and others, respect for your leaders, playing to win, having a great attitude and so much more. Our intention is to do our part in raising and training children with internal strength and character that will help them to rise above adversity, take the knocks and deal positively with the bruises of real life.
Dodgeball is by far one of the most popular team games we play. Every Thursday we pack the sports hall with kids who are bubbling with intense enthusiasm, determination and competitive tenacity! The atmosphere is electric to say the least! Parents who choose to risk picking up their kids early on a Thursday are usually faced with the barrage of disappointed and sometimes tears. Children will endeavour to cleverly convince their parent that they should go away and return after Dodgeball has finished! Although we don’t encourage this type of behaviour in children, it is amusing to watch the kids embark in such parent, child deliberations!
Dodgeball is a team sport in which players on two teams throw balls and try to hit opponents, while avoiding being hit themselves. The objective of each team is to eliminate all members of the opposing team by hitting them with thrown balls, catching a ball thrown by an opponent, or inducing an opponent to commit a violation, such as stepping outside the court. It’s a fast, intense and exciting game to play where attack and defence abilities are learned and tested.
10 things about dodgeball that can help to grow strong, healthy character in kids:
Good Sportsmanship: Good sportsmanship is one of the life lessons that children can learn from sports. Dodgeball can help your children understand and value good sportsmanship while making sure they have a safe and fun sports experience.
Play by the Rules: Great sportsmen and women (boys and girls) want to win because they followed the rules and played the best game they could. While playing dodgeball at TOA, we actively encourage the kids to practice Honesty and Integrity. So, if they get hit but no one saw it, go to the bench anyway. Doing the right thing without anyone knowing exhibits a trustworthy character.
Eyes on the Prize: Teams are made aware of the prizes before they start playing. Everytime a team has accumulated two wins, they go to the prize box where the team will receive their winning treat! Sometimes during the game kids can get a bit distracted, discouraged or lose motivation, at which time the referee will remind the kids to “Think of the Prize” play to win and do your best! This teaches kids to quickly refocus!
Confidence & Courage: Often the fear of getting hit or the intimidation of the hard throwers can deter children from even wanting to try! We never make kids play dodgeball if they really don’t want to, however we always encourage kids to lean towards the attitude of “let's give it a go”! After watching the game for a few rounds, we often observe seemingly shy or timid children make the bold decision to get in and play, and they always end up loving it! They realise that the courage in them is always stronger than the intimidation around them! Week by week we see their confidence and self belief grow in leaps and bounds!
Respect the Boundaries: When it’s game time, it’s game on! The court boundaries are specific and clear. We all know what the expectations are and the consequences of breaking the boundary rules. For example kids are taught that if their foot is over the line when they throw, it counts as a Dead ball. This trains the children to focus while learning to be accurate in their actions!
Follow Instructions: This also ties into how we teach the kids to respect their leaders. We have 5 variations of the game so they catch on very quickly. If kids aren’t listening while the instructions are being given out they might miss something important which could cost them the game! And the kids know that the instructions will not be repeated! This reinforces one of our “5 Rules of Awesomeness” which is to STOP, LOOK and LISTEN when a leader is talking! The kids learn both respect and the importance of following instruction!
Respect the referees decisions: The referee is charged with making difficult decisions about plays in the game. Good sportsmanship requires that you accept the refs call, even if you disagree with it. Kids are reminded that it's only one call in a long game - and to get back into play and focus on the game. We don’t allow children to talk back or negotiate. To reinforce this we let the children know that any arguing or complaining to the ref will result in them AND another team member being sent to the bench (out)! This teaches children the character of respect and self control!
Win well, lose well: We all love the feeling of winning, but not so much that feeling of losing! Kids are taught to keep a great attitude through both of these situations. Don’t make excuses for losing, and don’t rub it in to the other team if you win! Instead celebrate your victory and accept any loss as a lesson! This teaches kids to persevere and keep going for the win with a great, positive attitude!
Work as a Team: Teams are mixed ages and genders, and kids learn to quickly adapt to work with their team members. In Dodgeball, moving as one unit and working together is a major key to victory. Kids are taught how to dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge while working together for the common goal. Kids quickly learn that working together with a plan makes it hard for the opposition to penetrate their defences and resist their attacks!
Control your feelings: Due to the fast, competitive and intense nature of Dodgeball, we sometimes see an array of emotions and feelings pop up during a game! For example, taking a shot to the head can often be disappointing, and end up in tears or even anger! Kids are taught to take a hard knock but then quickly refocus to get back into the game. Aggression towards another person carries a consequence of them and another team member leaving the court for the rest of the round. This teaches kids that uncontrolled aggressive behaviour towards others can be damaging to the other person and that it won't be tolerated while at TOA. When there is a skirmish between kids we take them aside and train forgiveness not revenge. This helps against bad attitudes, hurt and damaged relationships. We encourage kids to exercise self control and endurance which in turn builds resilience!
Our staff will often get on the court too and play the game with the kids. This is a great opportunity for us to display and role model the characteristics mentioned above. Parents are always welcome to stay and watch the game unfold too.
To Find out more about TOA or get your kids enrolled visit www.toanelson.nz or find us on facebook at TOA Nelson!