Improv Notebook » Applied Improv, Theater Games » Having a ball with your team. Any team.
Having a ball with your team. Any team.
It was all I could do to keep up with the counting how many hits. The circle of players cracked and reformed from second to second as ball fired back and fourth. By the end we were all soaked with sweat and satisfied with a game well played.
“Playing ball” in the BATS Improv community has been raised to an art form by some, a religion worthy of debate by others, and the cause of eye-rolling by others. I fall somewhere between the first two.
Ball is a simple game with a several variations of rules, but the basics to the game are as follows:
- You keep the ball in the air, counting the number hits out loud in unison
- You can not hit the ball twice in a row yourself
- You can use any body part (hands, feet, head) to hit the ball
I play and teach ball all the time to brand new students, corporate clients, and experienced improvisers. Each game is different, and like many improv games, the secrets of teamwork, ensemble, and improv lie within if you want to look for them.
This particular match was no different. The game itself is simple and is quickly mastered by most people. This group of avid ball players quickly fell into several rounds in a row where the group moved with incredible flow. When the ball flew far outside the circle the whole group reacted together to compensate, and then back to form the circle, without a word.
Flow is the mental state of operation in which the person is fully immersed in what he or she is doing by a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and success in the process of the activity. Wikipedia
This same teamwork and “group flow” is a key ingredient for good improv groups and good organizational teams – with common goals, good communication, and opportunities to bond. Having a sense of play carries over and makes it easier for the group to deal with change in business, mission work, departments, customers or partners.
Try a game of ball, or any other game, with one of the groups or teams in your life. It only takes a few minutes – if you can stop yourselfs. Post a comment and let me know what happens.
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About: Richard: Rich helps individuals and teams explore change and increase their performance in communication, collaboration and creativity. Rich continues learning, performing, and teaching improv with BATS Improv, improvImpact, Stanford University Graduate School of Business, Secret Improv Society, Big City Improv. Rich lives with his two dogs in San Francisco. |
Written by Richard Cox
Rich helps individuals and teams explore change and increase their performance in communication, collaboration and creativity. Rich continues learning, performing, and teaching improv with BATS Improv, improvImpact, Stanford University Graduate School of Business, Secret Improv Society, Big City Improv. Rich lives with his two dogs in San Francisco.
Filed under: Applied Improv, Theater Games · Tags: ball, flow, group flow, team, teamwork
2 Responses to "Having a ball with your team. Any team."
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Here is another idea for a good communication game:
I use loads of story games to break the ice, create familiarity, develop camaraderie, and shift a group from formality to comfort. My intension is to engage people in an activity involving imagination in order to create an groups where all the individuals listen, inquire, and participate.
The simplest of story games is often called, “One Word Story”, or “Word at a Time Story”. It is what the name implies – a story that is told one word at a time. It is easy to learn how to play the game and it requires people to share control.
Have every person find one partner. I often encourage people to partner with someone that he/she has not met before – or doesn’t spend lots of time with. With your partner – tell a story – one – word – at – a – time. I give no more instruction to begin. I encourage people to try it.
Since we learn from mistakes – I prefer not to over teach or do a lot of ‘front loading’.
As people begin to tell the story – laughter spreads around the room. Faces smile and bodies relax a little.
After about a minute I ask people to stop. I then ask a couple questions like, “How did that feel?” or “What was that like?” and then I ask: “What problems emerge when two brains try to create a new story together”. With each response I give suggestions of things to try… for example people say things like – “I had an idea and the story didn’t go the way I wanted.” I then suggest that you try to ‘let go of what you want’ – and support the story – allow it to go in the direction it is going. A comment like, “We had long, run-on sentences” and I suggest that you try adding punctuation. “If the sentence is over – say period (or full stop) and you still get to add a word.” After surfacing some of the challenges people have experienced – and making some suggestions I then ask people to find a new partner and try again.
After each round, I ask about the problems that emerge and the experience people are having. Depending on the purpose of the workshop or meeting – my debrief questions and recommendations vary. Each comment (or problem) leads to a possible solution and encouragement to try it again.
Try it with your group before a meeting and post your comments!
I am one such avid ball-player and I believe a lot about how a person improvises can be gleaned from how they play ball. Bold players who jump at the ball whether it’s “theirs” or not, safe players who sit back and wait to see if someone else has it first and then swoop in to save it at the last minute, generous players who are making sure everyone else has gotten the ball, or more timid players who hardly ever get their hands on the ball.
Playing ball is an important part of my practices with my high school improv teams – and I find it holds a surprising amount of application in improv and elsewhere. On my teams it’s become something of a ritual – practice doesn’t quite feel like it’s begun unless we’ve had a healthy dose of ball. We can tell when our energy is off if we can’t get above ten, and we know how to focus in, get on the same page, and watch the numbers start climbing. it’s a great barometer! Plus, i’m always delighted when I ask a new group why we play ball, and listen to them talk about all the lessons in the game – about teamwork, stepping up, a common goal, playfulness, fun, simplicity, collective consciousness, etc.
Ball is one of those games that I stand by and could play for hours. Anyone up for a game?