Get the Adults Organized
First, identify an adult to serve as the team coach, e.g., the teachers quorum adviser in LDS units. Also, make sure you have at LEAST one assistant coach. You will need him. Ideally, plan for three adults, thus one coach and two assistants. That will help you ensure a 2-deep adult leadership at all meetings. For now, we'll skip the committee. While you should have one, don't wait for one to function before you get your team going. You can live without one.
Organize the Youth Leadership
You need to have a captain and program managers. There are five programs, so that's a total leadership of six youth. If you don't have six, then just group the programs together.
Make Program Manager Assignments
There are five fields of emphasis (Program Managers for High Adventure, Advancement, Service, Personal Development, and Special Programs and Events). In LDS units, you can link these to the Duty to God program so you cover both programs in one. Sit down with each youth and explain their duties.
Conduct Interest Survey
Conduct a survey of the members of the team. Use something like this: Venturing Activity Interest Survey. Fill it out that first meeting. Get it done and figure out what the youth want to do.
Alternatively, you can pick a calendar in 30 minutes. Sit the boys down at the team meeting and ask them to each name three things that they want to do. Let them know that they'll be doing this for 3 months. They will be trained and will then compete against each other or other teams. Give them ideas, e.g., music/bands, volleyball, video games/computers, basketball, outdoors, guns, etc. Once everyone chooses three items, have each kid rank their 3 top choices. Give 5 points to #1, 3 points to #2 and 1 point to #1 choice. Once you've done that, score them all and the top four are chosen. You have your four quarters set up.
Conduct Annual Program Planning Clinic
Generally done as an overnight retreat. The clinic covers (i) duties of officers, (ii) leadership skills, and (iii) preparation of yearly program plan (annual calendar). Each quarter uses one of the choices made in the prior step, and includes activities in each field of emphasis. Populate the quarters by planning a tournament event at the end of each quarter, e..g, a basketball tournament, a volleyball tournament, a triathlon, a "battle of the bands" concert, and a Halo tournament. Remember, you likely only have about three days each month to train the kids. That means you have 9 weeks to train a basketball team how to play the sport and play as a team. You will have your weeks full in no time. Don't forget to schedule a service project and a special event. If doing basketball, you could host a special olympics type game for the disabled as the service, while attending a local college basketball game. Don't sell your team short.
Decide on Team Uniform
You have the field uniform (the scout uniform with orange tabs) for your formal events. But for the weekly events, you can design your own. Have the kids design their own logo and then put it on the shirt. Consider including numbers on the front and back so it's useful for the sporting events too. Consider following the numbering requirements for basketball, as they will work with any sport. Then...insist that the kids wear their shirt. They designed it. They will wear it. You won't have ANY problems with this. Cost? $5-$7 per shirt if you do it yourself.
Hold Team Leaders Meetings
Meet regularly (at least monthly) to develop detailed plans for next 3 months' program. Revise the annual calendar as needed and redistribute to all Varsity scouts and their families. At succeeding team leader meetings extend the plan so that there is always 2-3 months' detail calendar ahead. Make sure the team is operating effectively.
Get Program Managers Started on their Activity Plans
Fill out the top part of Varsity Scout Team Activity Planning Worksheet for each activity on the calendar for the next 3 months and give these to each program managers. Each week, insist that the program managers present the status of the events in their program. Don't let them fail.
Get Program Advisers for the Program!
This step is CRUCIAL. Go out and find an expert in the field that you are training on each quarter. Doing volleyball? Find someone locally who has played competitively in the sport. Why? They know their stuff and they LOVE it. They bring enthusiasm to the team. Also, the team will sense that they are an expert, and they will WANT to learn. Meanwhile, the coaches can sit back and just advise the youth leaders. This is the KEY to a successful team. Don't do it yourself. Get someone good - and think outside the box. The expert doesn't have to be a member of the sponsoring church/organization. But find the right person.
Conduct Team Meetings
Use Team Meeting Plan worksheet (VSG, 120-122, A-3) to plan and conduct the Team Meeting (monthly or more often). Have Program Managers report on plans for coming activities and have team members evaluate completed activities. Report on advancement progress.
First, identify an adult to serve as the team coach, e.g., the teachers quorum adviser in LDS units. Also, make sure you have at LEAST one assistant coach. You will need him. Ideally, plan for three adults, thus one coach and two assistants. That will help you ensure a 2-deep adult leadership at all meetings. For now, we'll skip the committee. While you should have one, don't wait for one to function before you get your team going. You can live without one.
Organize the Youth Leadership
You need to have a captain and program managers. There are five programs, so that's a total leadership of six youth. If you don't have six, then just group the programs together.
Make Program Manager Assignments
There are five fields of emphasis (Program Managers for High Adventure, Advancement, Service, Personal Development, and Special Programs and Events). In LDS units, you can link these to the Duty to God program so you cover both programs in one. Sit down with each youth and explain their duties.
Conduct Interest Survey
Conduct a survey of the members of the team. Use something like this: Venturing Activity Interest Survey. Fill it out that first meeting. Get it done and figure out what the youth want to do.
Alternatively, you can pick a calendar in 30 minutes. Sit the boys down at the team meeting and ask them to each name three things that they want to do. Let them know that they'll be doing this for 3 months. They will be trained and will then compete against each other or other teams. Give them ideas, e.g., music/bands, volleyball, video games/computers, basketball, outdoors, guns, etc. Once everyone chooses three items, have each kid rank their 3 top choices. Give 5 points to #1, 3 points to #2 and 1 point to #1 choice. Once you've done that, score them all and the top four are chosen. You have your four quarters set up.
Conduct Annual Program Planning Clinic
Generally done as an overnight retreat. The clinic covers (i) duties of officers, (ii) leadership skills, and (iii) preparation of yearly program plan (annual calendar). Each quarter uses one of the choices made in the prior step, and includes activities in each field of emphasis. Populate the quarters by planning a tournament event at the end of each quarter, e..g, a basketball tournament, a volleyball tournament, a triathlon, a "battle of the bands" concert, and a Halo tournament. Remember, you likely only have about three days each month to train the kids. That means you have 9 weeks to train a basketball team how to play the sport and play as a team. You will have your weeks full in no time. Don't forget to schedule a service project and a special event. If doing basketball, you could host a special olympics type game for the disabled as the service, while attending a local college basketball game. Don't sell your team short.
Decide on Team Uniform
You have the field uniform (the scout uniform with orange tabs) for your formal events. But for the weekly events, you can design your own. Have the kids design their own logo and then put it on the shirt. Consider including numbers on the front and back so it's useful for the sporting events too. Consider following the numbering requirements for basketball, as they will work with any sport. Then...insist that the kids wear their shirt. They designed it. They will wear it. You won't have ANY problems with this. Cost? $5-$7 per shirt if you do it yourself.
Hold Team Leaders Meetings
Meet regularly (at least monthly) to develop detailed plans for next 3 months' program. Revise the annual calendar as needed and redistribute to all Varsity scouts and their families. At succeeding team leader meetings extend the plan so that there is always 2-3 months' detail calendar ahead. Make sure the team is operating effectively.
Get Program Managers Started on their Activity Plans
Fill out the top part of Varsity Scout Team Activity Planning Worksheet for each activity on the calendar for the next 3 months and give these to each program managers. Each week, insist that the program managers present the status of the events in their program. Don't let them fail.
Get Program Advisers for the Program!
This step is CRUCIAL. Go out and find an expert in the field that you are training on each quarter. Doing volleyball? Find someone locally who has played competitively in the sport. Why? They know their stuff and they LOVE it. They bring enthusiasm to the team. Also, the team will sense that they are an expert, and they will WANT to learn. Meanwhile, the coaches can sit back and just advise the youth leaders. This is the KEY to a successful team. Don't do it yourself. Get someone good - and think outside the box. The expert doesn't have to be a member of the sponsoring church/organization. But find the right person.
Conduct Team Meetings
Use Team Meeting Plan worksheet (VSG, 120-122, A-3) to plan and conduct the Team Meeting (monthly or more often). Have Program Managers report on plans for coming activities and have team members evaluate completed activities. Report on advancement progress.
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