This week, I led a team-building session for the San Bruno 10U softball tournament team focused on leadership and confidence. I love teaching through play and interactive activities, and this session was full of both. At the end, I asked the players to share their highlights and these two leadership games stood out as team favorites.

Leadership Game #1 – This or That

Decision-making and trusting yourself are essential parts of leadership. We played “This or That” to practice making choices that honor our own values and preferences.

To play, I had the players line up in a single file line facing me. I gave them two options and assigned each one to a different side of the yard. For example, the first choice was simple: vanilla or chocolate. Most of the team sprinted to the vanilla side, while a few chose chocolate. After each round, I called them back to the middle and presented new options. Sometimes the team’s choices were unanimous; other times, they were split. The goal wasn’t to pick the “right” answer, it was to make a choice that felt true to them.

After several rounds, we debriefed to connect the activity to leadership by discussing questions like:

• How did it feel to make a choice?
• Were some choices harder than others?
• If it was hard, what helped you decide?

One round that stood out was when I asked the group to choose between dogs or cats. Everyone chose dogs except for one player, who confidently stood alone on the cat side and said with a smile, “I like cats.”

I used that moment to highlight an important leadership lesson:

“Team, remember when everyone chose dogs except one person? How did that feel?”

“Lonely!” our cat fan replied.

“You’re right,” I said. “Sometimes standing by what you believe or what’s best for you can feel lonely or hard. That’s leadership.”

Leadership Game #2 – Boom Chicka Boom Boom

“Boom Chicka Boom Boom” is a fun, high-energy dancing game that I used to play with my college teammates before games. The team stands in a circle, and one person starts as the leader. The leader begins the chant, “Boom chicka boom boom, boom boom”, while clapping to the rhythm, and the rest of the team joins in.

The leader then adds a dance move to the beat, and everyone follows. With each new verse, the leader introduces a different move, so while everyone’s doing something a little unique, the group stays in rhythm together.

My favorite part of playing this game with the 10U softball team was seeing the first brave player step up to lead, and then watching more and more teammates gain the confidence to take a turn.

The leadership lesson is everyone has their own style and way of leading. The dance only works when everyone participates and supports each other. Just like on a team, each player brings something different, and every role is important for the group’s success.

I have to mention, I also played for the San Bruno Storm back in 2000! I even brought my old jersey to show the team, and I think they found it equally cool and funny. It was fun to see the 10U players smiling, dancing, and learning about leadership and confidence. I hope these lessons, and the memories we created together, stay with them for years to come. Just as they have for me.