Stake sports are a long tradition within the church. There are a variety of different sports that the church plays and teams tend to be set up according to the ward you attend. Stake sports can be offered for adults and for the youth. These programs give the participants a chance to interact in a fun positive environment. The sports program can include softball, baseball, and basketball.
Youth sports usually take place on Saturday mornings, although they may take place on a weekday depending on the area in which you live. The practices may be separate or they may be part of the activities on weeknights. A coach is usually called to work with the youth on developing their skills and strategy.
As a youth leader it is important to invite all the youth that can play on your team to come to the practices. At the same time it is equally important to respect each person’s choice to play or not to play. Some youth are extremely uncomfortable playing sports, and forcing them can cause negative feelings towards the church.
Adult sports can be conducted in a few ways. If there are enough interested participants you can have a tournament type schedule where each ward plays each other and eventually have playoffs and a winning ward. If there are not you can also have the option of a set night for pick up games of each of the sports in season. This night could be weekly or twice a month, and should be separate for the men and the women.
No matter who is playing, it is important to stress good sportsmanship. As with any sporting event it is easy for emotions to become overheated. You do not want to have fights either verbal or physical happen as a result of a stake activity. You should set strict guidelines regarding the sports and enforce them. If this proves to be too much of a problem you may want to discontinue the sports completely.
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