APIVEO

Changing the World Through Youth Sports

Lessons

APIVEO™ LESSON SEVEN

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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

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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

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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

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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

APIVEO™ LESSON THREE

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What is a leader? Who is a leader?

In this lesson our goal is to teach the kids that they are all leaders. As early as pre-school kids know there’s something special about being “the line leader.” It’s exciting to have the class follow them. However, it’s not the number of people following that makes one a leader; it’s the actions that result from the choices made. If a child makes a decision and acts on it, he/she has led themselves even if no follows. Therefore, every child on your team is a leader that influences his/her own behavior as well as those around them. In subsequent lessons, we will discuss how to lead but at this point we simply want them to believe that they are leaders. [Read more…] about APIVEO™ LESSON THREE

APIVEO™ LESSON TWO

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How do we use our talents and gifts to Always Play 4 Each Other?

This lesson is at the core of APIVEO. The goal is to demonstrate that “Always Playing 4 Each Other” is an intentional effort in that we use our gifts to help others achieve something. “Always Play 4 Each Other” is not the same as simply letting others go first and putting you second. Instead, your purpose is specifically to benefit someone else and that takes effort regardless of where you may end up. The following dialog will demonstrate this concept in a fun and engaging way. [Read more…] about APIVEO™ LESSON TWO