Tag Archives: Teambuilding

by | March 7, 2013 · 3:30 pm

PPI – Middle East conquers Stop Motion Photography!

LDP participants hard at work creating their own Stop Motion photography movies

LDP participants hard at work creating their own Stop Motion movies

PeacePlayers – Middle East promotes social change through sport, but ups its game through creative activities that emphasize team building as well. The boys Leadership Development Program (LDP) team was given the opportunity to participate in a Stop Motion Photography workshop. Stop Motion is a technique in which individual pictures are manipulated to create the illusion of movement. To kick off the event, Mickey, the workshop leader, showed a video of his own that he created using this technique, and then got the boys started on creating their own.

After the initial presentation, the participants were split into groups, and they jumped right in, picking out props and discussing different ideas for what kind of movie they wanted to create.

The group learning listening and learning from Mickey, the workshop leader

The group listening and learning from Mickey, the workshop leader

Each group consisted of three people, with the roles of photographer, actor and director divided amongst them. LDP participant Laith commented, “I had so much fun creating these movies with the other members of the LDP team, and it was really cool to be able to do a different type of activity with the PeacePlayers group.”

It was incredible to see how well the boys worked together as a result of the infinite number of hours they have spent with each other playing basketball, learning about Arbinger curriculum and developing unbreakable bonds.  Over the past several years these boys have not only been able to work together seamlessly but also have grown to develop life long friendships despite where they are from or what religion they practice.

LDP participants having a blast while in the process of making their movies!

LDP participants having a blast making movies!

Each group listened to each other’s ideas and joined them together to make entertaining and creative videos using a technique they had only just learned about moments before.  This is one of many examples that demonstrates the success these kids have come to expect as long time members of PeacePlayers.

 

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by | November 8, 2012 · 2:35 pm

Welcome, Waterloo!

PPI-SA staff members pose with a group of Waterloo students on their new court.

PPI-SA added a new member to its family last week with a court launch at Waterloo Primary School in the community of Waterloo, South Africa. Situated in a landscape of rolling hills north of Durban, Waterloo represents a brand new area for the PPI-SA programme, which currently works in the south, west, and center of Durban.

The court launch was an event celebrated by the entire school. The launch kicked off with a school-wide assembly that featured singing, dancing, and other showcases of talent from Waterloo students and staff, followed by speakers representing PPI-SA, Waterloo Primary, and Sibaya Casino, whose generous financial contributions made the partnership between PPI-SA and Waterloo possible.

Waterloo students eagerly await the ribbon-cutting ceremony for their new basketball court.

Following the assembly, it was time to hit the new court for some hoops. 45 grade 6 students were selected to participate in the inaugural basketball session at the school, while others eagerly gazed out classroom windows to catch a glimpse of the action. For many of the students, it was their first experience with the game.

After some exciting dribble relay races, students took part in team-building activities such as “Magic Hat”, a game where teams must communicate with each other to find the most efficient way to transport their teammates across an imaginary river. Then it was back to basketball for an energy-filled game of “Scramble”, where students got to test-out their newly acquired dribbling, shooting, and passing skills. To wrap up the events on the court, local gym Virgin Active provided a trainer to lead the participants in a group exercise session made up of a variety of dance moves set to some of South Africa’s favorite house beats.

PPI-SA’s newest players take part in a dribble relay at the Waterloo court launch

Though basketball and life skills programming has reached an end-of-the-year break for most schools, PPI-SA will continue holding training sessions in Waterloo throughout the month of November. When the new school year starts in January, Waterloo will be prepared to enter both a boys and girls team into the primary school league where the teams will have the opportunity to travel and host teams from other communities that PPI-SA serves.

PPI-SA is grateful to all who made contributions and sacrifices to make this new partnership possible, and wishes the best of luck to the new Waterloo teams!

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by | March 22, 2011 · 1:58 pm

PPI – South Africa’s Teambuilding Retreat in Shongweni

What an amazing weekend for all of us coaches and staff to head out to “the bush” and bond over rock climbing, cliff diving, and raft building in the Shongweni Reserve.  Our staff was split into five different groups, which separated the staff from the coaches and the coaches by different areas, in the hope that relationships would be strengthened over our three-day adventure. Overwhelmingly, our coaches conquered their fears of water and heights to fulfill the mission of the weekend, to experience “something extreme.” When asked what would they like to accomplish this weekend, one of our veteran primary school coaches from the township Lamontville responded, “I want to do and complete something extreme. To test myself to my limits and overcome any fears.”

Coach Sphe scales the sheer rocks as he conquers his fear of heights.

Not knowing what was in store, our coaches participated in arduous tasks, including surfacing 30m, sheer rock and diving eight meters down to unknown waters.  Some of our coaches, who donned life jackets despite knowing little of themotions to stay afloat, jumped safely into the open arms of those who could bring them to the nearest landmass. People were literally scared stiff, disbelieving their ability to leap the many meters into the cold waters.  Sphe, who successfully jumped 5 meters, said, “I can’t believe I was able to finally conquer my fear of heights.  I was so scared, though with the support of my teammates and counselor, I finally think I’ve overcome my fear of heights. I feel incredible!”

Our weekend also included time to review our life skills curriculum and HR plan. HR and Operations Manager Ryan Douwie (who is expecting to be a father any day now!) enthusiastically discussed his dream to become a pilot during our Professional Development Program (PDP) sessions on goal setting. The highlight of the weekend, though I might be a bit biased, was the PPI-SA team’s talent show, during which timid coaches shined through brilliant voices and dances moves.

Some staff members look out on the beautiful sunset along the Shongweni dam, after an extremely tiring day of raft building and canoeing.

The weekend allowed many of our coaches to show their true selves and to conquer any fears they might have had prior to Shongweni.  Our team of 35 coaches and staff provided a safe and nurturing atmosphere, which allowed our coaches to feel safe, to be themselves and to grow to overcome any obstacle in their way.  The overall goal was to have fun while teambuilding and strengthening the relationships between all those involved in PPI-SA. And we firmly believe we accomplished this goal this past weekend. Thank you to the Shongweni staff  for their hourly support and AusAID for funding this retreat.  Our time spent in the bush will never be forgotten!

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by | February 25, 2011 · 2:25 pm

PeacePlayers International – Cyprus’ Day of Sports for Agios Antonios!

This past week PPI-CY provided 160 children from the Agios Antonios Schools in Limassol with a day of fun and learning about different sports. The Agios Antonios 4th and 18th Elementary Schools are part of the “Zone for Educational Priority” or ZEP program that PPI-CY has been working with over the last year. The kids at the Agios Antonios Schools come from the city of Limassol, and many of the families are multicultural and disadvantaged.

Climbing through the gymnastics pit.

This summer, the schools came to PPI-CY  with a problem. The children of the Agios Antonios 4th and 18th schools never have a chance to interact. While the 4th school is mostly Greek-Cypriot, the 18th school is much more multicultural, with Roma children and children of mixed backgrounds. After leaving elementary school, the children go on to attend the same high school, but, because they have never met, many conflicts occur.

Two participants get dressed to demonstrate Tae Kwon Do.

So PPI – CY began organizing two large field trips where the children of the schools can come together for some positive interaction. The first was this past week, when the entire 5th and 6th grades of the school met at a giant sports center just outside the city. Once there, they were broken into groups with children from both schools, and walked to different sport stations for a 30 minute interactive preview of that particular sport.

PPI – CY got several sports federations to volunteer their mornings to entertain the kids. The sports included volleyball, squash, judo, Tae Kwon Do, weightlifting, and there was even a PeacePlayers station, where the kids played teamwork games like the human knot and follow the leader. It was a great event for all the kids and we look forward to seeing them again soon!

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by | January 10, 2011 · 3:58 pm

Razoo.com’s on a Roll

Reed Lipman is just one of the young leaders currently working to support PeacePlayers International.

The other week, you read here about Reed Lipman and the Lipman Family, who traveled to Israel for Reed’s Bar Mitzvah and stopped in on PPI – ME’s program activity while they were there. Last week, over on the Sixth Man, we spotlighted Daniel Shane, who’s also working on behalf of PPI – ME for his Bar Mitzvah, and whose work was featured in the Canadian Jewish News.

One other boy is currently working on behalf of PPI – ME, Zac Emanuel. We plan to introduce him to you shortly, but first, we wanted to take a minute to point you towards the hub of all of PPI’s grassroots fundraising activity right now, Razoo.com. Razoo lets you set up a simple, fun webpage to support your favorite nonprofits, including PeacePlayers International, giving you the tools to recruit your friends and family as fellow activists.

Right now, both Zac and Reed are working through Razoo to take their Bar Mitzvah projects to the next level, but the site is a great tool for any community fundraiser, be it a Bar Mitzvah project, a 3-on-3 tournament, a bar night, or more.

So if you’re interested in taking action to support PPI, check out what Razoo has to offer. Ready to get started? Download PPI’s “Host Your Own Event” kit or contact Brian Cognato at bcognato@peaceplayersintl.org to get the ball rolling!

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by | May 5, 2010 · 1:23 pm

The Leadership Development Programme Graduation

This past weekend, another group of young people became official PeacePlayers International – Northern Ireland LDP graduates. The group, who hail from the Ardoyne and Shankill Roads (Ardoyne Road is an almost entirely Catholic area; Shankill Road, Protestant) came together at the YMCA Greenhill to finish their Open College Network Level 2 course in the Reconciliation and Peace Peer (RAPP) initiative. From taking part in a discussion with the Police Service Northern Ireland to racing down a zip line as a team, spirits were high all weekend long.

In the video below, the group discusses their talk with the police before breaking into an exercise about communication and roles within a group.

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by | April 28, 2010 · 1:36 pm

It’s Spring….the Season for PeacePlayers International-Northern Ireland’s Community Centre League!

This past week, PPI-NI got into the swing of things with our Community Centre League (CCL). With seven centre’s on board, the ten-week curriculum gives kids a well-rounded dose of basketball, teambuilding, and community relations.

Amidst all the action we got a chance to hear from two participants, Lauren and Justin, to tell us what the CCL was all about. We will catch up with these two once more during the final week of the CCL to see what they got out of their PeacePlayers’ experience.

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by | April 13, 2010 · 2:31 pm

PeacePlayers International – South Africa Bonds through the Spirit of Adventure

Two PPI - SA coaches taking in "The Spirit of Adventure"

This weekend, the entire PPI – SA staff of coaches and managers bonded over a two-day, one-night excursion at Spirit of Adventure, a reserve about 45 minutes outside of Durban.  The first morning, after a long and super-productive night of life skills and HIV/AIDS information sessions, the entire PPI-SA staff woke at 7am to chow on some evaporated milk, bran flakes, and egg-laiden french toast.  An hour later, coaches stepped outside their comfort zones and repelled (absailed) down a 100m dam wall, and jumped 15m off a bridge into the dam’s refreshing waters.

Coaches work together to cross a rope-bridge, sharpening their teamwork and togetherness to bring back to Durban.

Throughout the weekend, our entire group was split into four groups of about ten coaches and managers, allowing our managers and directors to forge stronger and deeper relationships with coaches from Umlazi to Chatsworth.  Said long-time PPI-SA coach Alan Masikati, “After hearing other coaches’ aspirations from our various areas, I think the coaches gained a new perspective on their own lives, looked deep within themselves and realized their potential is more than what they thought before.  This weekend was a life-orientation and I think -  I know – we as coaches benefited from the experience.”

Our staff climbed walls, military-crawled through claustrophobic tunnels, and built rafts with just logs and rope.  We utilized our teammates’ strengths and relied upon one another to catch our slipped footing.  Crawling through a 1-foot-by-1-foot tunnel, I thought for sure I was stuck for life, trapped in a nightmarish, claustrophobic sandy hole, until four outstretched hands plunged to meet my air-grasping hands and hauled me back to safety. I felt extremely vulnerable and helpless, yet learned to let my guard down and to trust and depend on my teammates.

Coaches returned with a new-found understanding of each other and themselves.

Zophila Mthembu, the Area Coordinator for Molweni, says his time spent at Spirit of Adventure was extremely beneficial.  “I learned a lot of things about our coaches, their life outside of PPI.  This changed me because I assumed a life different than what was the truth behind them.  In the end, we have lots in common, most specifically, we want to help the community. Without the trip to [Spirit of Adventure], I would not have known these things.”

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by | March 23, 2010 · 2:33 pm

March Madness Hits Durban!

The pressure's just as great on the free throw lines of Durban.

While most of the basketball world spent the weekend watching Murray State, Wake Forest, and Michigan State hit last minute game-winning shots, or picking their jaws up off the floor after seeing Northern Iowa knock off Kansas and Cornell look like one of the best teams in the nation, PPI – SA equaled the NCAA-fueled excitement in several areas of Durban with its own brand of  hoops “madness” – basketball extravaganzas.

A winning "Magic Hat" strategy.

Basketball extravaganzas serve PPI – SA much the same way March Madness does the NCAA.  Our program includes two basketball training sessions and one life skills session each week, but it is the extravaganzas that motivate our participants to work hard in both basketball and life skills practices.  The basketball extravaganzas generally bring together four separate primary schools and kick off with a shared life skills event.  These often include team-building challenges, where the schools compete in activities that encourage teamwork and the winning team then explains its stragy.  This past week, we challenged teams with “Magic Hat,” a game where teams must figure out how to get all of their members across the basketball court, with the restrictions that each person can only cross once and whoever’s crossing person must be wearing the “magic hat.”

Shaking hands before the tip-off. PPI - SA's MVPs are chosen for their sportsmanship and teamwork, not just performance.

After the life skills challenge, boys’ and girls’ team compete in round-robin play to determine the top two boys’ and girls’ teams.  The final matches pit these teams against each other to determine the day’s champion.  At the end of the matches, PPI – SA awards players and teams that display the best sportsmanship and teamwork.  With extravaganzas generally having 10+ games each, and with extravaganzas in six of our areas, PPI – SA nearly matched the 64 NCAA games this weekend.  Our highlights won’t be on SportsCenter or the topic of corporate water-cooler conversation, but our kids are just as excited and ready to become better basketball players and life skills ambassadors!

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by | March 16, 2010 · 12:36 pm

Leadership Development Program (LDP) Extravaganza

A PPI - SA coach gets the crowd organized before the launch of this year's LDP Extravaganza!

In stride with PPI-SA tradition, our program successfully held our annual Leadership Development Program (LDP) Extravaganza last weekend, blazing through a sizzling day of heat and humidity. The day began with presentation of the life skills goals from each of PPI – SA’s eight LDP teams, each presentation artistically presented on original banners, complete with objectives to encourage friends and family to make positive life choices, like gettnig tested for HIV/AIDS or creating a safe and welcoming environment within high school teams.

Looking for a rest from the Durban heat.

After each team presented, the day transitioned into teambuilding games, including the raucous “Shipwreck” – where every knocked out participant boisterously sings and dances to the tune: “I am a pirate, I am a pirate.” After Shipwrecked, the players  began the day’s schedule of fast-paced 5-on-5 games. The level of talent shined through beautiful assists, hustle team defense, and high arching 3-point shots. At intermission, two-ball and 3-point competitions ensued between representatives of each team; the girls added suspense with a three-person, hard-fought draw in the 3-point contest, while a boy-girl duo from Umlazi shot their way to victory for the two ball crown.

Getting into some of the cheers and dances that went on throughout the day.

Throughout the day, team cheers, flags, and dances spread like wild fire. Across courts, Molweni girls cheer-challenged the Umlazi team while their respective boys’ teams competed against one another. Acts of respect and teamwork were repeatedly seen, as hands were quickly extended to support fallen teammates and opponents alike, and each game finished with ceremonial high fives. Players from distant areas met for the first time, yet forged lasting relationships, already excited to see one another throughout the year at various LDP events, games, and extravaganzas. The day was a fantastic kick-start to PPI-SA’s LDP program this year, and, as the year progresses, the teams will strive to follow through on their objectives and hold themselves accountable to all of their goals.

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