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INTRODUCTION WHAT ARE THEY? New ways of “playing” our favorite ball games with a gentle twist, resulting in lots of healthy action and exercise, and a big dose of fun and friendship (like how sand lot games and practice used to/can be). Competition is eliminated (we really don’t have to compete in order to excel or to have fun), and the games have been modified, emphasizing: 1. Participation – everyone “plays” (all abilities), no bench warming, no cuts, equal opportunities in all aspects of the games, lifetime involvement, coed, intergenerational, drop-in; 2. Success – user-friendly ‘tools’ (‘softer’ balls, etc.), no outs, no errors, growth in self-image; 3. Action – smaller teams, re-structured game rules ensuring more healthy exercise for everyone; 4. Safety – absolutely no getting hurt or over stressing the body; 5. Fun – not serious, joyous, lots of laughter, compliments abound; 6. Re-creation – diversion, inspiring, spiritually refreshing, freeing, enriching, meditative; 7. Friendship – all one team (no adversaries), loving, giving, egos aside, cooperation; 8. Challenge/skill development – teams grouped by skill level, lots of exciting play opportunities, skill exercises; 9. Diversity – play all positions, ambidexterity encouraged, many sports; 10. Player driven – flexible rules, non-spectator, limited coaching, non-performance; 11. In the moment – “each play is the game”, no score keeping; 12. No competition – no winning/losing, no expectations, no pressure/anxiety, no elitism, etc.
IN OTHER WORDS, THE COOPERATIVE VERSIONS OF THESE FAMILIAR BALL GAMES HAVE MANY SIMILARITIES TO THE GAMES WE HAVE GROWN TO KNOW, EXCEPT THEY HAVE BEEN MODIFIED TO EMPHAZIZE ELEMENTS 1 - 11 ABOVE AND THE USUAL OVERRIDING OBJECTIVE OF WINNING AND LOSING HAS BEEN COMPLETELY ELIMINATED FROM THE GAMES.
FACT: 70% of the kids who compete in organized group sports drop out by high school. COOPERATIVE SPORTS are intended to provide an alternative so that, always, EVERYONE “PLAYS” the GAMES and for all of our lives. COOPERATIVE ‘SOFT’BALL AND KICKBALL
(Non-competitive User Friendly Sports for Everyone)Here are examples of two COOPERATIVE SPORTS (‘SOFT’BALL and KICKBALL) that can be played by everyone. Please take note of how they embrace the 12 Key Elements of “TRUE PLAY” and compare them to the traditional games, where the emphasis, so often, is on limiting action (getting everyone out if possible), specialization (play one position), sacrificing your body for the glory of winning (coaching/peer pressure), fear/anxiety (don’t make an error or strikeout and “lose” the game), seriousness (the outcome is the most important thing), exclusion (as children grow, mostly the biggest and the best make the team), etc.
Please note how the new versions are intended to increase action and exercise, add challenge and diversity irrespective of skill level, promote success for and participation by all (grow athletic self-esteem), increase health and safety, foster a sense of giving, promote friendship and cooperation, and add a big dose of pure fun, exhilaration, and laughter for everyone involved. The games are intended for adults as well as for children and to facilitate family (intergenerational) play.
COOPERATIVE ‘SOFT’BALL
A smaller triangular field is used with just 2 bases and a home plate (decreasing the field size and the number of players increases the activity level for all). The 12 players, 6 in the field and 6 at bat, are considered to be one team (there is no adversary). Everyone hits and plays a different position each inning. The ball is really ‘soft’. Hitters may use a racquet if they want. Each hitter gets 3-5 good hits (no strikeouts), running the bases on the last hit. The fielders make a simulated play (called an ‘s-play’) on each hit. (The rules can be modified by consent of the players involved.)
There are no errors (with the exception of hurting another or being hurt). The runner stops (called a ‘hold’) as in the traditional game (there are no outs), and proceeds on the last hit of the next hitter (runners advance on caught fly balls). There is no keeping track of the score, as everyone runs all of the bases, providing a plethora of play opportunities for both the runners and fielders.
A fielder who just misses catching the ball is complimented on a ‘good touch’. A hitter who aims the ball so that a fielder can be challenged to make a nice try is complimented on “giving” a “challenging” play (called a ‘gc-play’). Compliments abound – there is lots of action – no one makes a mistake (remember, this is “play”, not “work”) – there are no expectations imposed by others and no screaming spectators rooting for one side or the other.
The object of the game is not to win, but to help us forget about everything else, and have a great time. It is not about being serious but instead just having FUN and LAUGHING! And remember, this is an “in the moment” game (“EACH PLAY IS THE GAME”), designed to help divert us from the stresses of life and nurture and refresh our spirits.
COOPERATIVE KICKBALL
This old favorite is played in vary much the same way as COOPERATIVE ‘SOFT’BALL. The ball is smaller and softer than a standard kickball. In the preferred version, there is no hitting the runner with the ball. (If this rule is waived, care should be taken to do so gently and always below the waist.) As in COOPERATIVE ‘SOFT’BALL, the number of kicks allowed each kicker before running the bases will depend on how much time you have to play, how many players there are, etc.
The pitcher takes into consideration the ability level of the kicker, delivering nice smooth (not bouncy) pitches at a comfortable pace. The kickers are encouraged to kick both right and left footed. This is also a good game to encourage the fielders to learn to throw the ball both right and left handed. (Developing ambidextrous skills is an important aspect of both games.)
In both games, although runners are required to run in straight lines between the bases (this cuts down on accidental collisions with fielders), balls that are hit/kicked slightly outside the foul lines, where a fielder at least has a chance to make a play, are considered “good”, and are “played” just as balls hit/kicked inside the baselines.
For more specifics on ‘soft’ball and kickball and examples of how other traditional ball games can be turned into COOPERATIVE SPORTS, please go to the next section –
EXAMPLES
An aside - HOW I ENVISION PLAYING SPORTS When I think about playing a ball game, I think about the challenge for example, of making a leaping catch (baseball/football), or returning a hard hit shot at the baseline (tennis), or a making a left handed slam dunk (basketball). I think of being outside, feeling the wind in my face, watching the clouds float by overhead and being with my friends, laughing, and getting a good workout. I want lots of exciting action, and if it is a group game, I want to play every position. I absolutely refuse to sit on the bench while others play. I do not want to get hurt or hurt someonelse. I want to play with balls that are easy to handle and are not to hard. I want to play on surfaces that are easy on my body. I want to play ambidextrously. Sometimes I want to just play gently, slowly, and gracefully. I don’t want any mental stress – winning the point, making a critical error, etc. The words winning and error, for example, are the creations of someonelse’s mind. Ball games can be everything I want, and actually a lot more, without keeping score, winning, errors, etc. I don’t need to feel superior to you. I just want to have fun with you. Instead of viewing the game as having an outcome (the score – winning), I want to view it as a process, in the moment. To me, EACH PLAY is the GAME. This concept may be difficult to accept at first. It is contrary to everything we have been taught. The concept that the earth was a sphere, and not flat, took a while to settle in. Open your mind to the possibility that there is another way to play. When I play, since I am no longer concerned with scoring and winning, but instead focused on the challenge associated with each play, I will intentionally try and provide my teammate(s) with challenging opportunities, knowing full well that they are going to do the same for me. I have nothing to lose! I might chose to play in two forms. Sometimes helping those less skilled than myself – it is nice slowing the game down at times. At other times, I might choose to play with those of a similar skill level for the challenge/workout involved. I really don’t want a bunch of fans around yelling obscenities at the other team or some coach telling me what to do. I don’t want adversaries. Friends will do just fine. Would you like to give it a try – COOPERATIVE BALL GAMES? A COOPERATIVE PLAYPARK VISION I would like someplace to go on a regular basis where other like-minded children and adults could play COOPERATIVE SPORTS. I can envision a beautiful, multi-acre park, with a small wind and solar powered carousel, a kiosk explaining the philosophy and structure of the cooperative games, and a harmonium installation (easy to play, naturally harmonizing, permanently situated, musical instruments); Set in among the shade of some deciduous trees are several picnic tables (suitable for dominoes as well), a children’s play set, four “moonball” goals (see the next section for an explanation) arranged in a circle at different heights, two half sized volleyball nets (4-5 ft. high), two outdoor ping pong tables (no nets), two horseshoe setups, and around the parks periphery, in amongst the trees, a 9 hole Frisbee/bat and ball golf course; In a fairly large, well drained, open grassy area, two fenced in grass tennis like courts (no nets), two 3 base ‘soft’ball/kickball fields (using two sides of the court fencing as backstops), and two small rectangular fields for soccer and football (using the other sides of the court fencing as backstops – one mounted with a rebound board - suitable for dodge-ball, alone hitting and throwing practice, etc.); A small storage/maintenance shed for game equipment, etc., and a recycling station for park users with information about how recycling saves earth creatures homes, and; A large artistic sculpture surrounding all of the above entitled, “Life on Earth – cause and effect – the last 100 million years”. Would you like to share in some way in the creation of this vision? If so, please contact me at dickbozung@.cooperativesports.org. Gandhi – “The true practice of life is to find the better side of human nature and enter into hearts.”OTHER SUGGESTED NAMES:
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