Team-Building Exercises for Kid's Sports

Kids get to know each other and their coaches during team-building activities, which can also help them learn new sports skills at the same time. The We Coach Kids website says, "Team building isn't just the idea that all the kids get along, but that each player has a sense of how he or she fits in ... Help your players feel that they are lucky to be on the team, and more importantly, that the team is lucky to have them."

  1. I'll Be Your Guide

    • Divide the team into pairs. Set up an obstacle course on the playing field or in a gym (plastic pylons work well to do this safely). Blindfold one kid in each pair, and have their partners give them specific directions to get through the obstacle course, such as, "Take three steps forward" or, "Turn left." Have the pair trade off roles. This activity helps kids both communicate and listen to directions.

    Trading Cards

    • Give each player a blank card cut from white card stock to 2 1/2 by 3 1/2 inches. Have them write their team name at the top of each card with markers or crayons. Under that, have them draw or glue on a picture of themselves (such as small school portraits) and fill in a few facts they want the team to know about them, such as goals scored, "never missed a practice" or "brings the best post-game snacks." Players exchange their finished cards with their teammates.

    Pizza Party

    • Get the players together after the last practice before the season's first game to eat pizza and enjoy being part of the team. Buy cheese pizzas and have a variety of toppings available so kids can create their own combinations. Consider renting a movie to watch together that has your team's sport as its theme. If the team is younger than teenagers, include parents in the party.

    Create Your Own Cheer

    • Let the kids work together to come up with a cheer for themselves and the other team that they will yell after each game. Make sure they keep it positive, and encourage them to create a cheer that is uniquely theirs. For example, team of 10-year-old soccer girls ends each game with, "Some girls play with Barbie dolls; we'd rather kick our soccer balls."

    Parents vs. Kids Game

    • Invite parents to stick around for one practice session to play on a team against their kids' team. Parents are often surprised by how easily their children can beat them once they have been playing together for a while, which also boosts team spirit and confidence for the kids.