World of Play
To act in a manner such that one has fun
To engage in activities to express ourselves
Self-motivated, carried on for intrinsic purposes
Appears most frequently in free-time activities
Has profound developmental and health benefits
What is Play?
Contagious Energy
Easing the passage of other players
Personal Contribution made to the play experience
What is Enthusiasm?
Emphasize teamwork and empower players
(Rule suggestions, Help with equipment, Demonstration, Safety)
Emphasize involvement and participation
(Challenge players and modify games to involve all)
What is building community?
Influences leadership style and techniques
Some considerations:
Group size, Age, Gender, Special needs, accommodations, Experience, Reason for participation, Expectations from group, Familiarity with one another, Medical history
Who is The Player (Group Composition)?
Player, Game, Setting, Situation, Leader
(Think Chemistry)
What are the Elements of the Play Experience?
Physical safety (Knowing that you are not likely to hurt your body)
Psychological or emotional safety (Feeling that you are not likely to hurt your heart and soul)
Play is a state of being in which a person feels safe enough to open up, relax, and take things lightly. Your safety consciousness allows for freedom
What are the types of Safety?
Preparation - Goals and Objectives
Enhance effective leadership, Provide structure, Define responsibilities as a leader, Encourage participant involvement, Help demonstrate outcomes
What is Phase 1 of Direct Leadership?
Consider the following:
What is the surrounding emotional and activity environment the players are immersed in?
What is happening before and after your game session?
Is your game session required? Or self-chosen?
What is the Situation?
Play with/without equipment, inside/outside, board/guessing games, SELF DIRECTED, LEADER-DIRECTED/FACILITATED, in the rain/snow, sports, with food
What are Forms of Play?
Cheering, Singing, Getting close together, Moving energetically, Telling a good/bad joke
What encourages "group enthusiasm"?
A course of action leader intends to follow, “What do I want to have happen?”, “What do the players want?”, Short or long term, Broad, general intentions, Common _____, Skill and knowledge development, Interpersonal skills, Democratic living skills, Fun, Health
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Effective _____
Steps to reaching a goal, Practical, identifiable steps with specific actions
SMART - Specific, Measurable, Assignable/Achievable, Realistic, Timely
Hint: ________ and ________
With Phase 1
What are Goals and Objectives?
How large is the venue?
What shape is it?
Is it a hard or soft surface? grass?
Do you have full access to the venue? Will there be other groups using it? Doing
what?
What is the access transition time from inside to
outside?
Manipulate the environment to influence positively: Use color, Lighting, Noise, music, Smell, Equipment/arranging space
What is The Setting?
What are the Values of Play?
Use your creativity to: Anticipate potential hazards in a particular play situation, Come up with solutions without changing the game too much
Empower the group
Be aware what’s safe now may not always be safe at other times
We can’t eliminate all risks but can minimize them
What are ways to keep your players feeling safe?
PRIMING THE GROUP
Recruiting
Getting participant attention
Dividing group
Fun, experiential, and related to activity
Where leaders make an impression
What is Phase 2 of Direct Leadership?
Know your games and experiment with them
Consider the following:
What level of energy do they require? Or create?
What is the level of challenge?
Competitive or Cooperative?
What is the level of expressiveness required?
What is The Game?
Enthusiasm and Safety
What are the Fundamentals of Play Leadership
Conceptual (See the big picture, Critical thinking, Problem solving, Decision making)
Interpersonal skills (Communication, Understanding of group dynamics, Trust building, Conflict resolution)
Technical skills (Plan, Implement, Evaluate)
What are Leadership Skill Categories?
DELIVERY
Introducing an activity -
Leader introduction, Activity name, Identify goal of the activity, Tell a story
DDADA
Describe
*KISS – Keep it short and simple
*KIP – Keep it positive
Demonstrate
Ask for questions
Do it
Adapt it
What is Phase 3 of Direct Leadership?
Set it up for success, but keep taking steadily calculated risks
Overplan with flexibility
Find a way to get everyone involved and active
Remember that developing into and being a good leader is a process! YOU got this!
Who is The Leader (YOU)?