Siamese football
Siamese football
Activity suitable to develop awareness of solidarity and empathy.
Number of people to be involved
2 teams of 6 participants
Space and Technical requirements
(materials)
Football pitch (or a space big enough and something to mark the goalposts).
Football ball
Something to tie the legs together (Rope, cellotape, fabric).
Fabric or something to blindfold half the participants
Session Objectives
(expected learning outcomes)
- To foster solidarity and motivation to work for justice
- To develop skills of observation and coordination
- To promote empathy and solidarity
The session step by step (with timing and responsibilities)
TIME
DESCRIPTION
15 minutes
We ask participant to stand in couples, to look in the same direction and tied the legs that are closer together.
As a warming up ask the participants to practice walking, running, jumping together. You could also use directions (jump, touch the floor, step forward, step back) and after they have done a few series ask them to do the contrary of your directions. If you say “jump”, they “touch the floor”; if you say “step forward”, they “step back” and so on.
15 minutes
Make 2 teams and start the match.
15 minutes
Blindfold one person in each couple.
Play again.
30 minutes
Debriefing
• How are you feeling?
• What did happen?
Evaluate both parts of the exercise, if possible separately.
• How was the experience of being tied/blindfolded?
• What strategy did you use?
• Did you consider your partner´s needs? How?
• Can you think of how or when in life you act similarly (taken care of or not
of people with difficulties)?
• How can you act from now on?
REPORT
(Synthesis of emerging key issues, most important outputs, results of the
session – that will be included in the report)
The warming up activity is key to avoid injuries and for people to adapt. The second part of the activity (the blindfolded part) is optional and can also be done in another session.