COUNTDOWN: Top 14 Team-Builders for 2014 (#13)

If you are looking for a great, face-paced team-builder geared towards students learning each others names, look no further than Team-Builder #13 of the Top 14 Team-Builders for 2014. Here you go:

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WARP SPEED

Supplies Needed:

2 or more Tennis Balls

Time Needed:

Approximately 15 minutes

How to Play:

1. Ask your group to form a circle. You will also form part of the circle with the tennis balls within easy reach.
2. Explain: "I'm going to start by tossing this ball to someone else in the circle and saying their name. If you receive it, say your name, then the name of someone else in the circle not immediately on either side of you and toss it to them. That person will say their name and then the name of another person who has not yet received it and again not immediately on either side of him or her and toss it to them. Throwing continues until the last person tosses the ball back to me. Remember who you tossed to because we will try to recreate the pattern in the next phase. Any questions?"
3. Toss the ball to someone across from you. The cycle continues until the ball comes back to you. Repeat one more time so that everyone is clear who they toss the ball to and from whom they receive it. The ball must follow the same pattern both times.
4. Explain: "We are now going to see how quickly we can send this one ball from start to finish through the system.
5. Time their first attempt. Applaud their attempt, whatever it is (one second per participant or longer is quite normal). And prompt them with "you can do better." Allow for planning, additional attempts and more planning.
6. At some point the group will ask you how fast this can be done or how fast you've seen it done or what the ultimate goal is. Answer for most groups of 20 people or less = less than one second.
7. Continue until the group attains the elusive "warp speed" or ceases to be actively engaged in trying to reach it. Process the activity.
8. You can also try throwing multiple balls simultaneously or try it in reverse order.

Here is a video of a group playing Warp Speed: