In formulating this program, it is best to begin with a definition of the soul. Soul, in religion and philosophy, is the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being, that which confers individuality and humanity, often considered to be synonymous with the mind or the self. In theology, the soul is further defined as that part of the individual which partakes of divinity and often is considered to survive the death of the body. Merriam-Webster dictionary further explains the soul as a person's total self, an active or essential part, a moving spirit: a leader, the moral and emotional nature of human beings, the quality that arouses emotion and sentiment, and a spiritual or moral force. That is the clearest definition of soul, but what does that mean for members of the Triple Play Program aged six to eighteen years?
To fully demonstrate a comprehensive health and wellness initiative, an eight-week program design has been created to help students develop healthy relationships through social activities by teaching team building and leadership skills on the field and off. Guiding youth through activities ranging from strengthening interpersonal skills, conflict resolution, positive behavior, and good character better prepare them for their lives today and for their futures.
The program is broken down into age-specific groups: ages 6-9, ages 10-12, ages 13-15, and ages 16-18. Weekly content is designed to use intellectual stimulation as well as physical activity to help members to learn about these specific concepts and for them to implement these concepts in a social setting. The first 2 weeks will focus on interpersonal skills, the 2nd 2 weeks focus is on conflict resolution, the 3rd 2 weeks the focus is positive behavior, and the last 2 weeks on having good character. At the end of the session, youth will possess a better understanding of how the soul effects them individually and how it affects them as part of humanity.
INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
One of the most valuable skills to teach youth is the ability to listen and to be heard. Not only is this being respectful, but it can be the difference between success and failure. Most situations in life will require us to be leaders and followers and to work together to achieve a common outcome. Working on interpersonal skills is a lifelong endeavor and is necessary for a strong, healthy, and cohesive society.
Ages 6-9
Week 1: The Interview requires splitting the class into pairs and have one interview the other, then switch. Have students choose a celebrity they admire and know well. Have the interviewer ask 4 or 5 questions of the pretend celebrity. Complete all interviews first. Then after
Week 2: Blindfold navigate is a trust building activity. Split the room into pairs. The activity requires one youth from the pair to be blindfolded while the other acts as a guide. Blindfold one partner from each pair. Set up an obstacle course around the area such as chairs, tables, etc. The youth who are blindfolded are required to concentrate and find out their partner’s voice and listen to the instructions to safely navigate the course. After one is done being blindfolded they will switch and guide the other. This exercise teaches them to rely on someone else to help them and to listen carefully for instructions.
Ages 10-12
Week 1: Draw a twin requires a pen and paper and a partner. One person will draw something without showing their partner. Once they are done, they keep it hidden and give instructions to their partner to make the same drawing, only by giving clues. For example, if they have drawn a face, they can say things like ‘draw a big circle, then draw two more circles’ and so on. Once done, the partners will then compare the drawings. Participants must be listening to make the most accurate drawing. Reminding youth that active listening is important to completing the activity.
Week 2: Trust the leader is an exercise where the group is divided into two teams, with a leader for each. Have the teams line up behind their leaders, one hand on the shoulder of the teammate in front of them. Set up cones for each team. Leaders must take their teams from one side of the room to the other, navigating the cones. This means the leader must pay close attention to the team, and offer directions to people at the right time to avoid hitting a cone. Make it a race to see which team can finish first. Then switch leaders and repeat. Try to make everyone a leader one time.
Ages 13-15
Week 1: The back-to-back drawing exercise improves communication among team members, which can help build unity and confidence in others. Divide the members of the team into groups of two. Instruct the pairs to sit back-to-back on the floor and provide one team member with a blank note pad and the other with a picture of a shape. The team member with the picture of the shape must describe it to the member with the note pad, who will draw the picture based on the instructions. This is an eye-opening exercise that can identify problems in communication that may make unity and trust difficult.
Week 2: Mute organizing is an exercise where the participants cannot talk to each other but still need to communicate to achieve their goal. Announce to all the teens to make a line by their birth date. Once the players have lined up, ask them their birthdays. Another way to do this exercise is with the height, birthday month or shoe size. Youth are instructed they cannot hold up the fingers. But do not prohibit them from using or making up their sign language or
Week 1: Two truths and a lie is a group activity where the members write down two truths about themselves as well as a lie and then each one will share their answers with the group. After each person has shared their 2 truths and a lie, the audience members will decide on three questions to help identify the lie from the truth. After the person answers the questions, the audience will decide which statement is the lie. Everyone participates as either the audience or the person who tells 2 truths and a lie. This exercise is a way for youth to work as a team and listen to
information being presented and to assimilate the information to achieve a goal.
Week 2: Pass the can is a team building exercise to learn to work around constraints and obstacles. All that is needed is a large can and an object to place inside, such as a rock, fake jewelry, small plastic toy, or toy car. Begin by telling a story about how the object has great value or importance. The goal is to pass the can around the circle without dropping it. However, before doing so, place a limitation on each player such as:
You cannot use your hands.
You must pass the can with your legs or feet. You must close your eyes as if you are blind. You must pass the can using your elbows.
If anyone in the group drops the can, passing it starts over again. CONFLICT RESOLUTION
Problem solving is an important skill to master at any age. Not resolving conflicts in both our personal lives and our lives outside our homes leads to issues that have negative side effects. Problems occur all around us and many people react with spontaneous emotion. Instead, effective use of problem solving skills can lead to rational thinking, a component of any
successful endeavor. Ages 6-9
Week 3: Rock, paper, scissors (ro sham bo) is a simple game to teach this age group about conflict resolution. Players pair up and say "ro sham bo" or "rock paper scissor" together with their hands in a fist. On "bo" or "paper", players pick one of three things to show with their hand:
Rock which is demonstrated by a fist.
Scissors with two fingers spread out to represent scissors. Paper by holding out a palm down, flat hand.
player picks scissors and the other paper, the player who showed scissors succeeds. Scissors cuts paper. If a player shows paper while the other shows rock, the player who picked paper succeeds. Paper covers rock.
Once game is taught, ask players to name the many different games and situations in which this game can be used to solve minor disputes, such as is the ball in or out or who arrived first in line.
Week 4: All tangled up is an activity to develop verbal communication, cooperation, strategic thinking and problem-solving skills. Everyone divides into groups of up to twelve and form a tight circle. The players take one hand and grab the hand of anyone in the group except the people standing next to them. The players take their other hand and grab the hand of anyone in the group except the people standing next to them and the person they are already holding hands with. The challenge is to get untangled without letting go of each other’s hands. Emphasize that getting untangled requires a lot of communication and cooperation.
Ages 10-12
Week 3: Make a fist listening exercise is done as a group. Each person chooses a partner. Ask for one person to make a fist. Tell the other person to open the fist of the other person. What usually happens is that the person making the fist will resist the attempt to unclasp the fist, even though no instruction was given to resist. If there is resistance, ask the person why s/he is resisting. Then indicate that you didn't provide that instruction, and that often we assume things that are not intended. Remedies can also be discussed such as how active listening would have prevented the misunderstanding.
Week 4: Familiarity is an essential part of feeling safe in any environment. When
discussing conflicts or other potentially polarizing subjects, it’s important to feel comfortable with the people around you. This activity is to help members to become more familiar with one another. Ask the group to stand in the middle of the room. Make enough space for everyone to stand in a circle, but do not form one, yet. Begin the activity by saying your name and a fact about yourself that’s important to you. Then make a “link” by placing your hand on your hip and sticking out your elbow. Then, someone from the class will link arms with you, someone who also identifies with the stated fact. S/he will repeat that fact and add another one, making another “link” with his/her opposite arm. Repeat this process until everyone in the group has joined the chain. If someone names a fact that nobody else shares, ask him or her to name a different fact. (Once a student has joined the chain, they may not change places. Only students outside of the chain may form a new link. Finding
Week 3: A dog with a bone exercise will have participants write down, on a paper bone and in canine terms, a conflict involving them and that is unresolved. Participants then place their bone in a dog bowl. Each participant draws a bone randomly and everyone gives canine suggestions of ways to resolve the issue. This is a powerful way of depersonalizing internal group conflicts and providing outside opportunities for resolution.
Week 4: A quick and easy brainstorming for consensus activity is great to teach youth how to reach a common goal. This activity places an object in front of the them and have them brainstorm how many things they can do with that object. Once they’ve brainstormed all the uses for the object, they each present their case about the best use of the object. Afterward, take a vote to see who how many people agree to the object’s best use. Have those youth that have changed their minds join the other team and continue to convince their friends why the other place is better. Eventually, everyone will have one use for the object proving
brainstorming a consensus helps to resolve conflicts. Ages 16-18
Week 3: 4-Word-Build is a conflict resolution exercise to elicit a shared understanding, or a shared vision of an idea or concept. It also identifies that we usually do not have such a shared vision, but that we can create one. The exercise can also provide an insight into the ways in which decisions are made within any given team or group, and as such is an excellent teamwork exercise. Choose a word, idea or concept that you want the group to explore. Give each person in the group a sheet of paper and a pen. Ask each person to write down 4 words that come up for them when they think of the word or concept being explored. They should not consult with others, just write down their own ideas. Next, ask the members of the group to form pairs. If there is an odd number of people, a group of 3 can also be formed. In the pairs, there will now be 2 people with 8 words between them which represent, for them, the word being explored, in this case 'conflict'. Ask them to agree on 4 words to keep from their 8 original words, and therefore they will also have to eliminate 4 words. So now the pair have 'their' 4 words for the word or concept being explored. (In the case of a group of 3 they will have reduced their original 12 words down to 4). Next ask each pair to join with another pair and do the same thing, eventually getting to 4 words for the whole group. A common cause of communication breakdown in groups or organizations can be a range of different interpretations of a basic idea or concept. There can be many assumptions that there is a shared view when in fact there is not.
Week 4: In the arm wrestle exercise, you must never say the words “arm wrestle.” Have everyone find a partner. Ask partners to “assume this position.” Demonstrate with a
volunteer, and hand link position with both of your elbows on the table. This is a very easy exercise. There are two things to know,
you get a point if the back of your partner’s hand touches the table
Each ‘point’ is worth one M&M. You will have only 10 seconds to get as many M&Ms as you can. GO. After the exercise ask questions to find out how some teams got a lot of points. What did they do, flip flop their hands backward and forward or repeatedly tap one players hand on the table and agree to share the points. For teams that got very few points, try to tease out the assumptions they made that limited their success, such as:
We’ve seen this game before We know how this game is played We assumed no communication
We assumed we had to keep our hands together We didn’t trust each other
We assumed the rules were set
At the end of the experience, discuss how difficult it is to dismantle assumptions and develop a collaborative approach when people assume that more for one person means less for the other.
POSITIVE BEHAVIOR
The line between positive and negative behavior is not the same for everyone. Our value systems stemming from our families and cultural backgrounds as well as our own life experiences, will determine what we believe to be positive behavior. Our feelings about ourselves and life in general will also color our perceptions. When youth feel positive about themselves, they are better able to understand and accept their own behavior and the behavior of those around them.
Ages 6-9
Week 5: One activity that help youth to think and behave more positively is by creating a wall of love. All that is needed is paper, colored markers, tape, and a poster board. Have youth cut out hearts, write on these cutouts positive things they love or do for themselves or the world. There is no limit to the amount of hearts they make. As the facilitator, keep youth focused on the positive aspects of behavior. Tape them all to a group decorated poster board to remind themselves and others of positive behavior.
Week 6: Self-control is an important behavior to master when teaching youth to exhibit positive behavior. This exercise requires enough bottles of bubbles to blow for each member. Start out by explaining how self-control is a positive behavior to learn especially in stressful situations and give a few age appropriate examples. There’s the obvious benefit of “calming down”, but it also actually makes people physically more capable to access their willpower and make better
Week 5: This simple activity is designed to help youth recognize small acts of kindness can make huge impacts. Have youth design kindness coupons by making up their acts of kindness and writing them on the coupons. After everyone is finished, have them trade their coupon with another member with the promise that they will fulfill whatever the coupon says. The coupon receiver can redeem the act of kindness at any time. Make a board and update when the act of kindness is completed and have members describe their experience with this exercise. Make sure members understand that whatever they have written on their kindness coupons they are willing to do for the person they give the coupon.
Week 6: Giving a compliment is an activity to understand the importance of appreciating something about another person and to make another person feel good about him/herself. When you give someone a compliment, you are saying something nice that makes him feel good. You can compliment someone about the way he/she looks, or has done well, something nice they have done for someone, something they own, or something about one of their qualities. Then divide the group into groups of four. One person should:
• Look at any of the other three people, and use his or her name. • Choose something that is appropriate to compliment.
• Using a sincere tone of voice, give the compliment (e.g., “I really like your shoes” or “You gave a great answer to the teacher’s question.”)
The person who has been complimented should say, “Thank you,” and the person giving the compliment should respond, “You’re welcome.” The person who has been complimented then chooses another person to compliment. Continue the activity until everyone has given and received a compliment. When this activity is completed, ask the children to talk about the best compliment that they ever received. Why did they choose that compliment?
Ages 13-15
Week 5: Controlling your voice volume is a very important skill for getting along with other people. It means making your voice softer or louder, depending on the situation you are in. There are three basic voice volumes: soft, normal, and loud. Each is appropriate for different
Soft Normal Loud Studying at the library
Cheering at a basketball game Shopping in a store
Playing outdoors Playing indoors
When someone is taking a nap When someone is on the phone When you are on the phone On the school bus
Talking in the lunchroom Watching a movie
Choose two of the situations above and tell why you would use a soft, normal, or loud voice. Ages 16-18
Week 5: Body posture can tell a lot about the way you feel in a certain situation. Standing straight might mean you feel confident or want to show respect to the other person; it could also mean you are upset or nervous. If you are slouching, your posture might tell the other person that you really don’t care about what he is saying. It could also mean that you are feeling very comfortable with the person or situation, and that’s why you are sitting or standing in a relaxed position. Posture can give different messages depending on where you are. For example, slouching in your seat during class would be a sign that you were not interested or serious about your work. Slouching while you are watching TV or reading a book might just mean you are relaxed. The body posture activity has the group take turns deciding what someone’s posture should be in the following situations. When they give an answer, ask them to demonstrate that posture, and tell why they think it’s important to stand or sit that way. Ask them to think of additional examples.
• Listening to your teacher • Doing your homework • Reading
• Watching TV
• Waiting in the lunchroom line • In the principal’s office
GOOD CHARACTER
The concept of character can imply a variety of attributes including the existence or lack of virtues such as empathy, courage, fortitude, honesty, and loyalty, or of good behaviors or habits. Moral character primarily refers to the assemblage of qualities that distinguish one individual from another—although on a cultural level, the set of moral behaviors to which a social group adheres can be said to unite and define it culturally as distinct from others. Ages 6-9
Week 7: Being a good sport when you’re playing a game is important. It’s also important to be a good sport when things don’t go exactly the way you want, or expect, them to. Suppose you don’t get chosen for a team, or you get the worst looking piece of cake on the plate, or you get hit with a ball by accident. If you can accept that things like that happen from time to time, you’ll be considered a good sport. It’s okay to be upset if things don’t go your way, but it’s best to save your hurt or anger for a time when it’s safe and appropriate to express those feelings, probably to someone who cares about you and will understand. In the meantime, it will help you get along with others if you can accept what happens and be pleasant about it. Have the group volunteer to tell about circumstances when something they wanted to happen didn’t go according to plan. How did they react? Did things go more smoothly when they were good sports? Have group explain why being a good sport is better.
Week 8: Sometimes children are shy and don’t say what they want or need. But sticking up for yourself can be an important step toward getting it. There are many reasons why some children don’t stick up for themselves. They may feel embarrassed about calling attention to themselves. They may feel that if they stick up for themselves, other children will get angry or even pick on them. Some children may not feel that their needs or feelings are very important. But everyone is important. Everyone deserves to be heard. Everyone deserves to try to get what they need to be happy. Ask the group how the kids in the following situations could stick up for themselves: • The other children never ask Marcia to join their games at recess, and she really wants to play. • Reed’s teacher never calls on him, even when his hand is in the air first.
• Dana wants to sit at the lunch table with her friend Grace. Caitlin, who is bossy, has told Dana to go sit somewhere else.
• Callie feels that her mother only pays attention to her baby sister.
• Jose is new at school, and no one ever talks to him or makes him feel welcome.
Ages 10-12
Week 7: A bully is a child who uses cruel behavior to make another child feel bad. Bullying may happen often, and it usually continues over time. It can include taunting, name-calling, threats, stealing, and fighting. Bullies may seem like they’re stronger and more in control than other kids, but they are unsure of themselves. They act mean to get attention and power. It can be very hard to deal with bullies because they know how to make people afraid. Sometimes, they get other children to join in their bullying. To avoid being bullied, try your hardest to stay away from bullies. You can also be assertive and say something like, “I’m ignoring you. I don’t like being bullied.” You can walk away and tell an adult that you are being bullied. Your friends may help you, but bullies can be very frightening and other children may not want to get involved. Ask children to talk about incidents of bullying they have seen at school. They may choose to talk about things that have happened to them, or they may feel more comfortable talking about incidents that have happened to others. Here are some sample questions to start the discussion. At this age, youth understand what bullying is and can brainstorm ways to choose good character in bullying situations.
• What happened?
• Why do you think you (or the child) were chosen as the victim? • How did you (or the other child) react?
• What could you (or the other child) have done differently? • What would you do (or suggest doing) if this happens again?
Week 8: True or false activity to teach youth the importance of truthfulness. Have youth make two signs which say “True” and “False” out of index cards and popsicle sticks. Have youth explain what the words mean. Divide the group into 2 groups and have one write statements that are true and the other group write false statements. Put the statements in a hat and have each member draw one at a time. Each member will reveal their statement and the group will vote whether it’s true or false. Tally up the results and discuss whether statements were all true, false or half and half. Encouraging youth to know when to ask questions, and remember to use our minds when we hear things, as an important step for investigating what is truth from fiction.
Ages 13-15
Week 7: The encouragement gameis a potential life changing game. It works best for groups that know each other reasonably well. This activity is designed to teach youth team building through possessing positive character traits. Have group sit in a circle and give everyone a piece of paper and pen. Each person should write their name at the top of the piece of paper, then pass it to the person on their left. Each person then writes one or two (or more) positive
reaction seeing the positive comments about themselves. Depending on the make-up of the group, one option is to have people read out their own list.
Week 8: Who am I is an activity teaching youth about good character traits. On post-it notes write down various positive character traits such as empathy, courage, fortitude, honesty, loyalty, gratitude, trustworthiness, etc. Stick one to each person's back without letting them see who it is. Once everyone has a sticker, each person has tries and identify what character trait is on their back by asking Yes or No questions of each other. For example:
Is this trait about caring for others? Is this trait about being brave? Is this trait about being honest?
Everyone must continue asking questions until they guess their positive character trait. Ages 16-18
Week 7: Disappearing chairs is a great team building activity to educate youth on the importance of helping each other and being part of a team. These traits are important for building good character. Begin with choosing four participants moving the chairs so that all are touching and facing out in opposite directions in a square. Participants then sit sideways in the chair, facing out in four different directions. With the four participants seated, you ask them to lay back into the lap of their teammate. Then you remove one of the chairs. This requires the person to be supported by their teammates. After a moment or two, remove a second chair. Remove a third chair. Then remove the last chair, so that all participants are supporting each other. You can count, and challenge the teammates to remain as they are, supporting each other without chairs, for at least 30 seconds or more. The key is for them to experience the feeling, and then follow up the initial example by allowing every member of the team to have the same experience. After the exercise, debrief the group by asking similar questions.
Who lasted the longest? Why?
How is this a great lesson on leadership or teamwork and displaying a good character? How does it relate to achieving a positive character?
How did you feel about this person? How did we handle it as a group? How should we have handled it?
Discuss with youth the best ways to exhibit good character in situations like these. This concludes the 8-week program design teaching youth about strengthening interpersonal skills, conflict resolution, positive behavior, and good character through various activities inspiring them to think and act in a positive manner. At all stages in life and especially in children, building self-esteem, self-worth, and positive outlooks is necessary for building a strong society. These youths are our future and deserve every opportunity to pursue happiness and well-being through fun, satisfying, and uplifting activities to enhance their lives personally and as positive members of society.
