Team Building at Teen Ranch

©Breakey, D. 2015. Team Building.

Last week I talked about applying the Genius Hour concept to my hockey team. This past weekend I got the chance to put it to the test. I designated 20 minutes of my practice for "Gryphon Time". During this time players got to decide what they needed to practice and were given the freedom and support to focus on that. Coaches went around assisting players, giving them instruction and observing their collaboration. Each player had set individual goals for the season and they are rarely given time to work on these individual things. Applying the concept of Genius Hour into my practice was a great way to get the girls excited to learn about something they felt was important.

By now, if you've been keeping up with my blog, you know I am exploring how team building impacts the success of a hockey team. This past weekend I used my own team as research! The team travelled to Teen Ranch where they stayed as a team in a beautiful cottage, rode horses, did team building activities and spent time establishing what they wanted for the upcoming season. If you've never heard of Teen Ranch check them out because this place is amazing! The property is beautiful and big enough to host several teams. There is a hockey rink on site and there are plenty of fun activities to choose from.

Getting away from the hustle and bustle of home was a great way for the girls to focus solely on the team. We had a campfire one night and even did a fun relay race where half the girls were blindfolded and the other half had to lead them by only using verbal cues. They had to tape a hockey stick, lace a skate and find a hidden hockey puck! They had to learn to use clear communication and trust their teammates. It was a great team building activity and without a doubt the girls came away feeling closer and more united. I noticed a difference in our next practice as the energy seemed higher and the intensity was better. I attribute this to the team building weekend. My team is ready to tackle this upcoming season!

Before our first season game the girls have one more team building day to complete. On Sunday they will travel to McMaster University where they will spent a day at Altitude. This is a day spent completing trust activities. The girls will climb a rock wall, complete a high ropes and low ropes course, make their way up the " Alpine Tower" (a 52 foot climbing tower) and spend the day getting through challenges as a team. I bet that our next practice after we complete Altitude will be even better. Stay tuned!

©Breakey, D. 2015. Horseback Riding.

©Breakey. D. 2015. Relay Race. 

Genius In More Ways Than One!

Pixabay. 2015. Lightbulb [online image]. Retrieved from
 https://pixabay.com/en/light-bulb-lighting-electric-341059/

We've been learning all about Genius Hour in the classroom. After researching the concept and starting my very own Genius Hour project, I really get the idea. I understand why this would be so engaging for students and how exciting it feels to learn about something you're passionate about. It got me thinking - could I apply this to other learning environments? I believe the answer is YES!

I'm always trying to relate what I'm learning back to the hockey team I coach. I work with 15, 16 and 17 year-old athletes who dedicate six nights a week to our team. It's my job as their head coach to develop their physical skill and mental understanding of the game. I do all of the facilitating of this learning and create my practice plans well in advance. What if I gave my players Genius Hour time? 

If players had the ice time and access to coaching staff to work on skills that they felt are important maybe we could increase their development even more! Players could get 20 minutes of ice every week to decide what they want to learn. As coaches, we could provide guidance, critique and even structure if they so wished. Would this create more buy-in from my players? Would they feel more engaged in something they prioritized as important? These are questions I can answer by testing it out and that is exactly what I'm going to do! Stay tuned. 

My Genius Idea

If you've been following my blog you'll have read about Genius Hour. Just to recap, Genius Hour gives students a designated amount of time each week to work on a  project of their choosing. This gives them a chance to incorporate their personal interests, develop a question and conduct research which they will present in a format of their choosing. Luckily, we are putting this Genius Hour to the test in my Digital Learners class. 

I bet you're dying to know what my Genius Hour question is. I've chosen explore one of my passions - hockey! I'm asking: How does strategic and detailed team building initiatives impact the success and cohesion of a hockey team?  The goal is to explore a variety of team building strategies and see which ones seem to be most effective. I'll examine proven successful hockey teams and a few unsuccessful teams and contrast their team building strategies. This project can help me right now with coaching the Guelph Jr Gryphons Midget A hockey team. We emphasis team building as a key component to our season. I am going to use my team, and their experience, while they are at a team building retreat weekend and then draw ideas and research on what works best for them. 

The contrast between successful teams and unsuccessful teams in professional hockey will help demonstrate which team building strategies work best. I will also examine the strategies suggested by Hockey Canada. I am very excited to get started on my project and I love that I was able to pick something I am passionate about to study. I can only imagine how excited younger students must feel! Stay tuned for updates on my Genius Hour project!