Does your son love sports–playing or watching them? There are opportunities to do both in the 2015 Cub Scout program!
Three ranks include attending a sporting event with your den or family. The requirements are:
Tiger Adventure: Games Tigers Play 4 – Find out how being active is part of being healthy. While at a sporting event, ask a player or coach why he or she thinks it is important to be active.
Wolf Elective Adventures: Paws of Skill 6 – Visit a sporting event with your family or your den. Look for ways the team works together. Share your visit with your den.
Webelos/AOL Elective Adventure: Aware and Care 7c – Attend a disabilities event such as a Special Olympics competition, an adaptive sports event, a performance with sign language interpretation, or an activity with service dogs. Tell your den what you thought about the experience.
Even though all of these involve attending a sporting event, they have different “desired outcomes” for the boys. Tigers are learning about personal fitness and being healthy. Wolves are learning about teamwork. Webelos are learning to understand differences and challenges. They are also learning to be compassionate.
Tips for Planning your Outing
For Tigers and Wolves, local high school sporting events are a great option. Both of my sons' dens picked a basketball game to attend. We chose to go to a Friday night game since the boys could sleep in on Saturday morning.
I called the high school to tell them what we were doing, and the athletics director said our Cub Scouts could get in free if they were in uniform. The admission fee to most high school sports events is low, but each family did save a little money.
To fulfill the Webelos/AOL requirement, you'll need to do a little research to find an adaptive sports event. Here are a few of the websites that list events:
- SportsAbilities
- Disabled Sports USA
- Team USA's list of U.S. Paralympic Sport Clubs
- Wheelchair Sports Federation (The list starts with 2009, so click “See by Year” to see the current events)
If you can't find an event on these sites, try an internet search for “adaptive sports in _________.” Fill in the blank with your city or state.
I love how having our Cub Scouts attend a sporting event can help them learn so much! Which sporting event will your son attend?
Yours in Scouting,
Sherry
P.S. If these tips for attending a sporting event were helpful to you, sign up below for more ideas!
