If you have children struggling with sportsmanship this very simple active group game is a good way to engage children to think about being a team player. Good job ball was developed because I was struggling with a group of boys being so difficult during group games no one wanted to play with them.

Supplies

1 playground ball

How to play Good Job Ball

Have children make two lines have the first person in each line step to the center of the playing area.  Explain that this game is about sportsmanship. Discuss the importance of being a good winner and a good loser.  Just because “Johnny” beat you, does not mean that he is better than you, it simply means that he out played you today. Being a good sport is a part of being a respectful and responsible person.

Ask the children to make examples of good sportsmanship?

Kids will likely say, “saying good job”, “Good game” etc.

Explain that in this game two people will play a game of bounce catch.  Player one will bounce the ball to player two. If player 2 catches they pass it back to player one.  They walk to the center shake hands and say good game.

Then the next two go.  That’s it.  It’s just a reminder to be a good sport.  Sometimes we need to go back to basics 

As I mentioned this game started out as a lesson in sportsmanship.  Every time the kids began to forget the rules of sportsmanship we played Good Job Ball.

Eventually the kids took the game and put different spins on the game, for example: how many bounces can you get?  How high can you bounce it? How far can you bounce it?

But even after they tweaked the game to make it more fun, the turn would end with a handshake and a “good game”