Opening Ceremony and Sportsmanship Pledge
Students organize and take part in the opening of a 3v3 basketball tournament: a team parade, team introductions with a chant, a sportsmanship pledge and the first game day. It teaches sports event protocol and good sportsmanship.
How to play
- Teams of 5 line up at the gym entrance in their pinnies; one student emcees and another runs the music on the speaker (2 min).
- Parade: each team walks a lap of the court to the music and waves to the rest, who clap from center court (3 min).
- Introductions: each team gets 30 seconds for its chant and choreographed greeting (3 min).
- Pledge: one captain and one referee read the pledge cards the class wrote in the previous lesson; everyone raises a hand at the end (1 min).
- First game day: 4-minute half-court 3v3 games that start and end with a handshake or fist bump with opponents and referee. Play two rounds against different teams; the team sitting out referees (10 min).
- Wrap-up: each team says out loud one act of sportsmanship they saw from their opponent (1 min).
Rules
- Walk in the parade; no running or pushing.
- Greeting required before and after every game.
- Both players and referees take the pledge.
- In games, contact is a personal foul; the ball goes out on the sideline, no free throws.
Variations
Easier
Parade and pledge led by the teacher with a ready-made text.
Standard
Parade, chant, class-written pledge and first game day.
Harder
Each team also designs a banner and the emcee calls the games on a microphone.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: leads the parade or emcees; in games, their baskets count double.
- Autism or noise sensitivity: moderate volume, a heads-up before each round of applause and a no-contact greeting option.
- Advanced players: on the first game day they may only score after receiving a pass.
Learning goals
- Organize the opening protocol of a sports event.
- Commit publicly to fair play.
- Show respect to opponents and referees before and after play.
Equipment for a class of 25
- basketballs: 5
- pinnies: 25
- portable speaker: 1
- music: 1
- cards: 2
Teacher tip
Rehearse the order of events with the emcee before class so it doesn't drag. Team chants must respect opponents: check them before the ceremony.
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