Volleyball Cheer Challenge - Outcome C (10-30)-1

Organize students into teams and instruct them to come up with a team name and a cheer. The team cheer must be used before each game and perhaps during the game. After each game the students must give some form of positive cheer for the opponents (such as "hip-hip-hurray") before the players shake hands. Students should include a cheer for the officials if there are any. The team must also agree on some sort of verbal encouragement following each play. Adding chants such as "1, 2, 3, Team" after each play helps to keep the team motivated.

Communication is key in the game of volleyball. Students should include some individual types of communication during play. Ask the students to brainstorm various forms of communication they have heard from other volleyball players, and to come up with ideas that could be helpful for their team.

A discussion before the game may include some of the following ideas:

• A player may call "mine" or "I've got it" if they are taking the ball.
• A player may turn toward another player and call their name to let them know they should take the ball, or call "take it", or "go!"
• A player may encourage a teammate by calling "over" so the other player knows it has to go over because it is the third hit on your side.
• Players can comment on good serves or hits, or good calls. Practice appropriate language and encouragement.

Include a discussion about acceptable communication with officials.

Students must implement good communication skills while playing in the tournament. Goofy prizes for the best cheer or most encouraging player or most talkative player can be given out after each game or at the end of the tournament.

Apply this type of encouragement and communication to different games. Ask students to play a portion of the game in silence. Then ask them to play the game with lots of positive cheering.

How did you feel playing in silence? How did positive communication affect your game? How does negative communication affect your game?

These are clues that you have reached the outcomes ...

Students communicate well during games. They discuss the benefits of communication at the end of class.

Students discuss how this type of communication can enhance their involvement in activity throughout their lives.

Students have communicated thoughts and feelings in an appropriate and respectful manner throughout the tournament.

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