This was such a great and energizing experience to have, of the three I'm doing this month. The athletes were very attentive and helpful (even helped pack and unpack the drums!), and we all had fun as we went through a drumming ice-breaker and a couple of basic rhythms together. A memory I'll take with me is the smiles on our faces, as we got into some fun grooves.
This experience also gave me a chance to try a structured debriefing of the drumming with a test group. The debriefing questions focused on applying the experience to team work, hockey, and life. It was nice to process the experience with a willing group in a very team-oriented setting. I also got some great feedback at the end (using a quick pencil survey). It gave me much to ponder over
The question on the survey about the utility of the debriefing questions were telling. A good number of participants thought they were only somewhat useful, and that they would rather be playing than talking! (perhaps a difference between aural/oral learners and kinesthetic learners?) Perhaps one-shot circles like this are more about having fun and de-stressing, rather than reflecting? Depending on the group, more or less structured debriefing activities may be appropriate. I will definitely document the survey responses for this project, because they were interesting and helpful.
I was definitely feeling good after this experience....thanks to the BSU Women's Hockey assistant coach for taking a chance on a different team-building activity, and thanks to the athletes for being such good sports!
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