Printable PDF file of Meeting Plans & Ideas for Spectator Sports
OBJECTIVES
This month’s activities should:
- Introduce Scouts to sports they may not know.
- Teach Scouts about the sport they are going to watch.
- Show Scouts how to stay safe in crowds.
- Reinforce first aid skills useful in public settings.
- Teach Scouts what to do when they get lost.
- Teach Scouts about fundraising.
LEADERSHIP PLANNING
As a leadership team, you may want to discuss the following items when choosing spectator sports as your program feature during your planning meetings.
- Which sport are we going to see?
- Where are we going to go?
- Who will get the tickets?
- How much will the trip cost?
- If someone gets separated from the group at the event, where will we meet?
- Who has cell phones?
- What uniform (if any) will we wear?
- What special travel and housing arrangements should we make?
- How can we incorporate Scout skills and advancement into the trip?
- To meet our needs, what should we change in the sample meeting plans?
PREOPENING IDEAS
Preopening Ideas on Troop Program Resources
- As Scouts arrive, Show Internet videos of the teams or sports they’re going to watch.
- Invite someone who plays the sport you’ll be watching (ideally a member of your unit) to display their equipment and discuss how it keeps them safe and helps them play better.
- As Scouts arrive, invite them to join in a discussion group about the teams you’ll be seeing and the sport they’ll be playing.
- As Scouts arrive, show vintage Internet videos of the sporting event they’re going to watch. Have a junior leader lead a discussion about how the sport has changed and how it has remained the same.
OPENING IDEAS
Opening Ideas on Troop Program Resources
GROUP INSTRUCTION IDEAS
Rules of the Game
- Have an introductory discussion about the sports event you are going to see.
- Discuss which teams are playing, each team’s standings in the rankings, and key players to watch.
Fundraising
- Discuss what costs will be incurred for the event you are going to see. Include the following areas: tickets, transportation, lodging, and food. Make sure all participants understand how much the event will cost.
Venue/Crowd Control
- Discuss the importance of the buddy system.
- Discuss what issues can arise from large crowds.
- Counting off is an easy way to know if everyone in your group is present. Discuss how that will be done.
- Identify meeting locations and how to contact each other if you become separated.
What to Do When Things Go Wrong
- Discuss as a group what dangers to look for in large crowds and how to deal with them.
- Talk about what you would do in these cases: a suspicious or unattended package, severe weather, power outage, fire in a trash can.
SKILLS INSTRUCTION IDEAS
Rules of the Game
Review the basic rules of the sport including:
— How each team scores
— Who referees the game
— What the penalties are
— Hand signals and what they mean.
Discuss the strategies of the sport, including:
— The role of coaches
— Which plays they choose and why
— How to plan a defense
Discuss the evolution of the sport, including:
— How equipment has changed
— The direction current players are taking the game
— What the sport will look like in 20 years
Fundraising
- Plan an easy fundraising activity such as participating in a council popcorn and camp-card sale.
- Discuss who you will sell to and how to do it safely.
- Identify the products and how to turn in the money.
- Plan a complex fundraising activity such as a Christmas tree sale, yard work parties, garage sale, etc.
- Divide the activity into several tasks and make assignments.
- Discuss the procedures and how the money is going to be divided.
- Events that require extraordinary costs will require extraordinary fundraising, which may mean multiple fundraising events plus personal efforts. Discuss each person’s individual talents and how those can best be used to achieve the financial goal. Make a plan to help each member succeed.
Venue/Crowd Control
- Discuss the buddy system, and emphasize why you should never be left alone.
- Discuss what you should do if you are separated from your group or buddy.
- Discuss watching out for others and issues that can arise from large crowds.
- Talk about how older Scouts can watch out for younger ones.
- Discuss how you would keep your group together in case of a venue evacuation.
- Discuss where you would meet if the location you have chosen were no longer available.
- Discuss venues in other cities and how plans would need to change if transportation arrangements fell through.
What to Do When Things Go Wrong
- Discuss what basic first aid skills might be needed when attending a sporting event and what first aid supplies you might take with you.
- Discuss where to get help at the venue.
- Discuss what you would do if someone had a heart attack.
- Practice CPR skills.
- Imagine a major disaster (extreme weather, earthquake, terrorism) happening at the venue you are visiting. List what could happen and discuss what you would do for each situation.
BREAKOUT GROUP IDEAS
Getting Ready for the Main Event
- Assign each patrol member a number to be used during roll calls at the event.
- Update the event roster with cellphone numbers.
- Menu Planning (if applicable)
- Duty Roster Planning (if applicable)
- Patrols discuss what special items they will need for the main event.
Preparation for the meeting’s game or challenge
GAME AND CHALLENGE IDEAS
Library of Games and Challenges on Troop Program Resources