Webelos

 Sportsman
Circle 10 Council

One of the primary purposes of Cub Scouting is to encourage and live good sportsmanship and pride in growing strong mind and body.  If the boys in your den learn all the skills and rules involved in every sport this month, but don’t get an inkling of what good sportsmanship means, then you and the den have wasted their time!  Good sportsmanship means the least skilled get the same instruction and encouragement as the best athlete. It means that the better athletes learn to tolerate the awkward boy, but also to help him.  It means that all boys can win and lose with grace.  Discuss good sportsmanship with the boys in your den.  Agree on the importance of learning good sportsmanship.  Set a good example.

The leader’s example will help to achieve these goals.  Put stress on the fun of the game, not on winning. During intra-competition, choose the teams so that ability is equally divided.  If boys choose teammates, there is a good chance that of the best players will wind up on one team. Encourage the less skillful players.  Discourage others from belittling them.

Sports in the Webelos den should be fun for all.  Boys are naturally drawn to activities and Sportsman give them opportunities to participate in both team and individual sports.  This gives an opportunity to introduce the various sports connected with the Sports Belt Loop and Pin Requirements found in the Cub Scout Academics and Sports Program Guide.  This is also a great activity badge for field trips – to real fields, writing organized professional teams, who often send back great letters or promotional materials that are fun mail the Cub Scouts.

Getting a guest referee or umpire can be great fun. Regulation signals can be made and shown for the sport. One unique way is to mix the referee signals of the different sports and see if the boys can tell from which sport each signal belongs.

One good inside sport that does not take up much room is Marbles.  The playing area can be marked off with white chalk, which will not leave a permanent mark on the carpet. However, check in an inconspicuous spot to make sure. Masking tape can also be used to mark off a playing area. The boys might find an adult relative who played when he or she was young, to bring a dimension of tradition they might not know they had.  Perhaps the boys can make a bag for carrying the marbles to and from the den meeting. This could help pass off a Craftsman requirement.

Sports are high on the list of favorites of Webelos Scout-age boys.  Most members of the den will show real interest in this badge.  Chances are the boys spend much of their leisure time in organized sports and loosely organized neighborhood games.  Some of them probably already know enough about the rules, scoring techniques for several sports and can pass these requirements immediately.

Possible Den Activities

Invite a referee or umpire to talk with the den about signals

Dads and sons attend a high school or college sports event

Hike around a golf course

Visit a bowling alley and bowl a few frames - or challenge another Webelos den

Invite a team member to talk with the boys about sportsmanship and fair play

Have each boy list the sports in which he participated during the past year

Decide on a demonstration for the pack meeting

Practice archery, using a bale of hay behind paper targets

If you save cardboard Frozen Juice Cans you can play Tiddly-Croquet

You need two sizes of frozen juice cans to make a Tiddly-Croquet game.  Cut wickets of various lengths from the largest cans. Shoot the lids from the small cans through the wickets.  Place one upside down on a smooth surface.  Press hard on one edge with a “shooter” lid from a large can.

Potato Golf
Circle 10 Council

Draw circles on the floor.  From a distance of six feet, player putts a potato with a cane or stick with a curved handle.  Score is recorded according to number in circles. No score is made if the potato stops on a line.  Each boy gets ten tries.

Soccer Ten Kicks
Circle 10 Council

Divide den into two teams. Each tries to kick the ball between teammates ten consecutive times while the opponents try to intercept and start their own sequence of ten kicks.  As he kicks the ball, each player calls out the appropriate number (1, 2, 3, etc.)  Hand may not be used. The team making ten consecutive kicks without interception wins.