| Janet and I decided play a little tennis recently to get a | | | | no feelings of victory or defeat, competitiveness, |
| cardio workout. The last time we played was almost | | | | superiority or inferiority, just a warm feeling of |
| 30 years ago when we first met, so we knew the | | | | cooperation. |
| fundamentals but were, to say the least, a bit rusty! At | | | | This feeling of cooperation intrigued me, to the point of |
| 56 and 66 respectively, Janet and I aren't exactly | | | | checking cooperative games out on the internet, |
| Serena Williams and Roger Federer! | | | | (Learning for life, and Cooperative games (dot) com), |
| So we went to our local Wal-Mart, bought a couple of | | | | and I learned that "Cooperative games emphasize |
| inexpensive racquets, some balls and a tennis bag, and | | | | participation, challenge, and fun rather than defeating |
| off we went to the community tennis court to test our | | | | someone. Cooperative games emphasize play rather |
| mettle. We began by volleying back and forth awhile, | | | | than competition. Cooperative games are not new." |
| we still could hit the ball pretty good, and then we | | | | "Teamwork, fair play and nature is (the) theme. These |
| began to play a game. But we just couldn't get | | | | are educational games for children of all ages, the |
| ourselves to play the regular way. Whenever we hit a | | | | entire family or school... outdoor playthings... also |
| smash that the other person couldn't return, we felt | | | | emphasize cooperation instead of competition and are |
| bad instead of triumphant. Trying to make the other | | | | fun for large gatherings." "We feel that playing a game |
| person miss the ball seemed completely foreign to us | | | | cooperatively brings out the best in every player. Our |
| now, not like when we were younger, so we ended up | | | | games contain one simple concept - all players' work |
| counting points against each other when we didn't hit | | | | together to attain a mutually desirable goal. Strategies, |
| the ball so that the other person had a chance to | | | | resources and decisions are shared. The challenge |
| return it! This doesn't mean that we hit the ball easy; | | | | and enjoyment is in the teamwork. Think of the |
| we hit it hard and fast, but we tried to put it where the | | | | important message this is giving to children." |
| other person had a chance to hit it back. | | | | Cooperative games are a variation on the more |
| Well; this complicated the scoring no end, so we | | | | familiar competitive games. These games encourage |
| decided not to keep score at all and only keep the ball | | | | teamwork, creative thinking, problem solving, and helps |
| volleying back and forth as many times as we could. It | | | | players realize that everyone can win. |
| was a cooperative thing rather than a competitive | | | | They are full of surprises and challenges, but most of |
| thing, and we found interesting contrasts coming up | | | | all; they are fun! The basic 'rules' are: Everyone plays |
| regarding the feelings we had those many years ago | | | | i.e. no one is excluded, and the games are structured |
| when we competed vigorously, compared to what we | | | | so that everyone can join in. No one gets hurt. |
| were feeling now. Trying to hit the ball so that the | | | | Everyone has fun, and everyone wins. If a game |
| other can return it has a completely different feel | | | | (makes) it difficult or impossible for players to meet |
| about it rather than trying to make the other person | | | | those criteria then it needs to be modified." |
| miss. | | | | I also discovered that there are wonderful children's |
| When the "game" was over, we were smiling broadly | | | | board games that are cooperative, and I wouldn't be |
| and felt closer than ever, because for an hour or so, | | | | surprised if there weren't video games as well. Just a |
| we were helping each other again, which we have | | | | thought during this Christmas gift-giving season. |
| become used to doing for many years. There were | | | | |