WEBELOS

Athlete 

National Capital Area Council

An athlete is one who keeps his body physically fit, strong, graceful and agile - a desire of practically every boy.  Tell your Webelos Scouts about the athlete and what it takes to become one.  Impress them with the fact that the body is a priceless gift and only a few minutes of exercise each day are required to keep it physically fit.

By adequate exercise, getting the proper food each day and taking care of himself, a boy can become an athlete.  The activities for this badge can help the Webelos Scout measure up to the standards of strength, agility, endurance, and coordination necessary for good active Scouting activities in later life.

Many Webelos leaders use this badge to introduce a new Webelos Scout to the program.  This begins their Webelos year with an appealing badge to inspire them onward.  By laying out a permanent accurately measured 50 yard dash and 600 yard run near your meeting place, you can easily test your new Webelos Scouts in less than half an hour.  Use a stopwatch when timing these sprint and distance runs.

Make up a permanent Fitness Progress Chart and retest the boys at different times throughout the year and chart their progress.  They will be interested in bettering their records. 

The boys can make their own physical fitness equipment.  A barbell can be made using a 3 foot dowel or broomstick with 3/4" pipe caps on the ends.  The latter are then embedded in 46 oz. cans filled with cement.  Allow cement to set overnight.  Dumbbells can be made similarly by using foot long dowels and No. 2 size cans filled with cement and placed on the ends of dowels.  Plastic quart containers filled with sand may be used instead of the cans.  A broomstick suspended at both ends in a garage, basement, or backyard makes an excellent chinning bar.  A deflated bicycle inner tube makes a good exerciser.

Den Activities

·           Make your own physical fitness equipment (see above)

·           Watch a high school track meet.

·           Have a Physical Education instructor talk to your den concerning fitness.

·           Invite a professional weight lifter to talk to your den and demonstrate.

·           Attend a gymnastics exhibition or meet.

·           Plan a physical fitness demonstration for pack meeting.

Barbell Slide

Materials:  2 small 1" styrene balls, 1/2 of a black pipe cleaner, black paint, white paint, paint marker, or vinyl stick-on letters

Directions: Paint the two balls black.  Cut the pipe cleaner into 2 equal pieces.  Push the pieces into the ball about 1/4" apart.  Pull the pieces apart slightly, curving them outward.  With the white paint put the lbs. on the two balls.  You can use 5 lbs., the Pack number, or some outrageous amount of weight.

Games

La Plama (Bolivia) -- The Indians of Bolivia used a bone, but you can use a stick for this game.  Set the stick up on end in a hole in the ground.  Draw a straight line away from the stick.  Measure out a distance of 3' along the line and from the stick.  Drive in a peg.  Repeat until 6 pegs are in the ground along the line and spaced 3' apart.  You will need a supply of tennis balls.  The boys take turns trying to hit the stick from the first peg.  Those who do hit it move on to the next peg.  Those who do not stay at one peg until they hit the stick.  The first boy to complete the six throws from the 6 pegs wins the game.

Crossing the Rice Fields (China)  -- Players line up in teams of two, forming two or more columns as in relay formation.  On the word "rice" the first team in each column forms a wheelbarrow and races across the rice fields to the river (two parallel ropes stretched out on the floor crossed by two 2 x 4's - one for each team).  At the edge of the river, the players break up and walk across the "bridge" being careful not to fall in the river.  On the other bank they turn around and come back across the bridge and then reform their wheelbarrow reversing positions and "roll" home again.  The first team to get all of the pairs across the river and back again wins.

Activity Ideas

Agility Exercises -- Perform these exercises within the designated time limits.  Rest two minutes between each set of exercises.

Set 1. (8 minutes)

1.        Fish Flops: Lie flat on your stomach, arms and legs extended and off the ground.  Rock back and forth. (2 min.)

2.        Grass Drill: Run in place.  Drop to ground and bounce up again. (2 min.)

3.        Quick Foot-Knee Touch: Drop quickly to one knee and bounce up again.  Alternate knees. (2 min.)

4.        Root Drill: You need a partner for this one.  Square off on all fours, locking right shoulder to right shoulder.  Try to rock your opponent back off his feet. (2 min.)

Rest Two Minutes

Set 2. (6 minutes)

1.        Crab Mirror: Two players on all fours.  One moves at random to the left, right, back or forward and the other mirrors his moves.  Switch leaders and repeat. (2 min.)

2.        Bear Hug Take-Down: Two players, one standing behind the other. Player in rear grasps other player around arms and chest and tries to pull him down.  Reverse positions and repeat. (3 min.)

3.        Sit-ups: Lie on back, feet together, hands clasped behind head. Raise up and touch elbows to knees.  Do as many as possible. (1 min.)

Rest Two Minutes

Flexibility Exercises

·         Fingers:  Extend arms to the side, palms down.  Quickly flex fingers by alternating between fist and open-hand position. (30 sec.)

·         Palms:  Extend arms to the front, palms down, wrists locked.  Turn palms inward and outward in quick, short movements. (30 sec.)

·         Wrists:  Same position as palms (above).  Rotate wrists clockwise, then counter-clockwise.(30 sec.)

·         Forearm Twist:  Arms extended sideward and parallel to ground.  Flex at elbow bringing tips of fingers to shoulders.  Return to starting position.  Perform both palms up and palms down. (1 min.).

Shoulder Stretches:  3-part exercise. (a) Rotate one arm over your head and down slowly.  Repeat with other arm. (b) Shrug your shoulders slowly in complete circle starting the movement by moving up and back. (c) lock your hands behind head and pull back slowly from shoulders. (2 min.)

Scout Wetspers
(provided by Dave Lyons)

Softly falls the rain today

As our campsite floats away

Silently each Scout should ask

Did I bring my SCUBA mask?

Have I tied my tent flaps down?

Learned to swim, so I won't drown?

Have I done and will I try

Everything to keep me dry??

Courtesy Sam Houston Area Council Pow Wow 2000