What do you need
- Newspaper or long strip of paper: classified ads work very well
- A marker to write on the paper.
- Soccer themed decorations
Preparation
Create a miniature soccer field in the center of the room.
- Cut some newspaper into 11 long strips 3 or 4 inches wide (small print ads work best. Cut from a double sheet of newspaper to get the longest strips possible).
- You can usually use wide duct tape to replace the paper strips, but be sure to check it first to make sure it won’t damage your carpet or floor tiles.
- In the center of each strip of paper or tape, label the yard lines. You should have a strip for each of the following:
— GOAL —
— 10 —
— twenty —
— 30 —
— 40 —
— fifty —
— 40 —
— 30 —
— twenty —
— 10 —
— GOAL —
- Lay the paper strips on the floor to create a miniature soccer field as shown above.
create a soccer ball
- Cut a brown paper bag or a piece of brown cardboard into the shape of a soccer ball. Use a marker to draw the laces in the shape of the soccer ball to make it look more like a soccer ball.
- You can also use a small soccer ball that is easily found at a toy store. They are usually the size of a large orange.
To do
bible test
- Choose a quiz of at least 50 questions. They can be questions from recent Bible lessons or simply Bible Trivia.
- Divide the youth into two different teams and seat them on opposite sides of the soccer field.
- Flip a coin to see which team goes first
- Start at the 50 yard
- Each “Game” consists of asking a young man on the team a question for him to answer. You may want to limit each youth on the team to answering only one question to ensure that all youth participate.
- A correct answer advances the team 10 yards. An incorrect answer causes the team to lose 5 yards. If the student is not sure of the answer, he can “pass” to another player on the team who has not yet answered a question. One pass per question is allowed.
- The winner is the first team to reach the opponent’s end zone (a touchdown). If the game takes too long, the team closest to the end zone wins.
- For added fun, decorate the room with soccer logos and dress up as a referee with a whistle.
CHANGES
Instead of a quiz, you could use the following ideas:
- football charades
Put a bunch of soccer-related words on folded strips of paper and place them in a container. Divide into two teams. One player from the team takes a slip of paper from the bowl, looks at it, and then must represent the word for his team. If the team hasn’t guessed the word in one minute, the opposing team can make a guess and try to steal the ball. When a farce is correctly guessed, the team advances 5 yards. There is an attached list of Super Bowl/Football related words you can use for charades.
You can also play charades using the names of various soccer teams.
- forbidden word
Divide into two teams and every time someone from the opposing team says the word football, the ball moves forward for your team.
Football terms (for charades)
AFL, Announcer, Arm Guard, Arm Pad, Artificial Turf, Assistant Coach, Artificial Turf, Audible, Back, Backfield, Ball Boy, Ball Carrier, Bench, Blitz, Block, Bomb, Bowling, Runs, Center , cheerleader, chest protector, cleats, cutout, clock, clothesline, coach, coin toss, completion, conference, cornerback, countout, cup, dead ball, defenseman, defensive back, defensive end, defensive midfielder, defensive holding, defensive line , defensive lineman, defensive tackle, game delay, dime, double team, down, draft, draw, drive, drop kick, elbow pad, eleven, eligible receiver, end, end zone, extra point, face shield, face mask , fair catch, false, false start, field fan, field goal, playing field, field position, first down, first down, flag, wing, football, football helmet, football player, soccer jersey, formation, pass towards forward, foul, four point stance, free kick, free safety, freeze, fullback, grope, goal line, goalpost, gridiron, grounding, guard, ave maria, halftime, halfback, hando ff, hang time, hash marks, head coach, Heisman trophy, walk, hip pad, hold, home field advantage, huddle, I formation, illegal move, incomplete pass, instant replay, intentional penalty, interception, interference , jersey, kick, kick return, kicker, kickoff, knee pad, laces, lateral pass, lineman, linesman, line of scrimmage, linebacker, lineman, live ball, lob, fumble, man-to-man coverage, mascot, center guard, midfield, NFL, nickelback, nose guard, nose tackle, offsides, offseason, offense, offensive backfield, offensive grip, offensive line, officials, offside, short kick, wide receiver , overtime, pass, defender pass, pass interference, pass pattern, pass protection, pass game, penalty, personal foul, pick, pigskin, buildup, gun formation, place kick, position kicker, game, game clock, book playbook, playoffs, point spread, possession, postseason, preseason, punt, punt return, punter, fourth, quarterback, quarterback sneak, receiver, receiving, red flag, red shirt, ref, regular season , return, reverse, roll, rookie, roster, roughing the kicker, roughing the pass, running back, running game, running into the kicker, rush, rushing, sack, safety, scoring, screen, screen pass, scrimmage, line of scrimmage, season, set, shotgun, shoulder pad, sideline, snap, special teams, finisher, spiral, match winger, spot, stadium, stance, starter, steal, stiff arm, straight arm, strong security , substitution, sup er bowl, sweep, t-formation, tackle, tail back, kneel, TD, team, thigh pad, three-point conversion, three-point stance, tie, tight end, timeout, too many men on field, touchback , touchdown, trap, trick, turnover, umpire, uniforms, unnecessary roughness, unsportsmanlike conduct, studs, wide receiver, wing back, wishbone, formation, wristband, yard line, yellow flag
TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL
DISCUSSION
- How much do you know about soccer? Who is the football expert?
- Do you have to know everything about the game to enjoy the football game?
- Are there people who don’t really care about the soccer goal and get caught up in the excitement of the event? Why?
- Do you need to know everything about the team players to enjoy the game?
- What is it about the Super Bowl that gets people excited?
- Are you excited for God like you are for the Super Bowl? Why or why not?
MAKE IT SPIRITUAL
- Team – Ephesians 6:10-18 – In football terms, Paul, the team coach, gives his team a pep talk before the game, reminding them to put on their gear: the truth hips, the shoulder pads of justice, the preparation tacos. , the facemask of faith, the helmet of salvation, and playing by the rules of the Playbook.” They then team up to seek the perseverance and strength to achieve victory over their opponent.
- Hobbyists: Some people are into the game and others are just watching. Some wear the uniform, simply to be seen by others, but not on the field. They are looking, but not doing. (James 1:22; Matthew 23:1-25)
- Rules – We must compete according to the rules so as not to be disqualified for the prize (2 Timothy 2:5; 1 John 2:3-4; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 1 Corinthians 10:23)
- Goals – Philippians 3:14 – Pursue towards the Goal to win the prize for which God has called me from heaven.
- Perseverance – James 1:2-4 – You will face many trials and when you persevere through these trials you will emerge victorious. (Ephesians 6:13; Hebrews 10:36)
- Encourage – We must encourage each other. (I Thessalonians 5:11; Hebrews 10:23-25; Hebrews 12:1-2)
- The clock is ticking – are you ready? Get the most out of your time. (Ephesians 5:15-16; Colossians 4:5-6; 1 Corinthians 9:26-27; 1 Peter 3:15; 2 Timothy 4:2)
MAKE IT PRACTICAL
- In what way is the church (or this group) similar to a football team?
(We are united as a team, we have a goal (the great commission), we work together to achieve a goal, there is opposition, sometimes unexpected things happen, sometimes we fail in our tasks, sometimes we gain ground, while other times we lose ground, we have a coach (God), sometimes we have to defend ourselves against the opposition, time is short, there are people watching us (spectators), not everyone plays fair, there are penalties for mistakes, we must wear protective gear (armor of God), we have different positions in the team, there are people who are playing and there are people on the sidelines, we need a game plan, etc.)
MAKE IT PERSONAL
- Are you part of the team (A Christian?) Why or why not?
- If so, what is your position (role) in the team?
- Are you on the sidelines or playing the game?
- Are you a team player?
- Are you focused on the goal?
- What can you start to do to help the team outperform the opposition more effectively and achieve the goals ahead of you?
HOLY SCRIPTURE
1 Corinthians 1:25-27
“Everyone who competes in the games undergoes strict training. They do it to get a crown that won’t last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. So I don’t run like someone who runs aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer who punches the air. No, I hit my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”