New Olympic Sports!

 Every Olympic year, I present the students with the challenge of inventing a new sport that combines two real sports from either the Summer or Winter Games. The creativity always amazes me, as the students are challenged to come up with visual aids, rules, scoring systems, and even uniforms! Paragraphs are organized by Introduction, Details, and Conclusions, with an emphasis on painting a picture in the readers' mind of what this new sport would look like. My older students were challenged to get creative with hooks and intentional fragments. Enjoy these samples from across the grades!

Hit Soccer, by Eleanor (2nd grade)

        I have created a hard new sport for the next Olympic games. It is called "Hit Soccer." This challenging sport combines golf and soccer, and will make you happy to watch.

        Let me explain how to play. One player kicks the golf ball with his feet. The other player hits the soccer ball with the golf club. Winners are first to get the golf ball in the hole, and the soccer ball in the net.

        The uniforms are t-shirts with the number on the front, and a hat. It's play on the largest field, and there's a referee, people cheering, and points.

        In conclusion, my new sport is the hardest new game!

Volleyskating, by Maya (4th grade)

        I have created a fabulous new sport for the next Olympic games. It is called "Volleyskating." This amazing new sport combines volleyball and figure skating, and will be very exciting to watch.

        The Winter Sport of Volleyskating will have the same aspects of a volleyball game. Teams get one point if they make a serve, and they get three hits on a side. The game is to 25 points, but you get two extra points in a serve if you do a figure skating trick! The players would need all their gear (including butt cushions), of course. However, to look stylish, they would wear a cute customized outfit that the players would choose for themselves. The team colors have to be light blue, white, and light purple.

        With all the stylish outfits and the cool moves, my sport is to be considered awesome!

Ice-Tennis

By Roselyn (4th grade)

You love the speed of ice hockey, but your friend likes the finesse of tennis. You and your friend are going outside to have fun, but you only have time for one sport to do. I have a solution! It is called “Ice-Tennis.”  Now  both of you can have fun.

Let me tell you how to play. Both teams hold a tennis racket while wearing hockey or tennis uniforms. Players try to hit a tennis ball into a hockey net and they can use the racket to block the shots if they are a goalie. The goalie uniforms are just ordinary uniforms, but athletes have to wear a tu-tu on top of their  pants. If a player scores in the hockey net, then it’s two points. if the shot misses the net but players passed it the whole way, that's worth one point.

To choose the outfit that the team would wear during the game, the head coaches would have to arm wrestle, and whoever wins will get to choose either hockey uniforms or tennis uniforms. The winners will get $2,000 and second place will get $100. IF athletes fall then they will get a penalty of 10 minutes where they will have to sit out of the game.

A tennis racket instead of a hockey stick? A tu-tu for the goalie? The best tennis player wearing a hockey uniform? Well…this game is far more interesting then you thought? Wouldn’t you love to see this sport in the next Olympics?

The Amazing Sport of CURCKEY                                   

by Aletheia (5th grade)

Fighting. Stones. Defense. Tutus! Welcome to the world of Curckey, a mix of curling and hockey! 

Here’s how to play. Hockey sticks are used instead of brooms to curl the stone into the goal, however there are little fibers lining the edges of the sticks, and there will be 5 curling stones out on the ice. When the game starts, the winning team of rock-paper-scissors gets to go first. To start, you curl the stones, and aim for the hockey goal. Sounds simple, right? Nope. Instead of being able to curl in peace, as you’re releasing the stone, people from the other team can push you and break your concentration. To stop your opponents from doing that, though, your teammates can defend the other team by either a: actually grabbing onto your opponents and making sure they don’t go anywhere near the person who’s curling the stone, or b: forming a little circle around you and defending your opponents inside out. When you score a goal, you gain 1 point.

The uniforms, unlike the aggressive sport that the players that are wearing them play, are very cutesy and sparkly! It is mandatory to wear both your team’s hockey uniform and your favorite color tutu on top! The game will finish after 45 minutes of gameplay, absolutely no overtime, and if there’s a tie? FIGHT!!! The rules for the fighting are that you take off your tutus and throw them at each other; however, get ready players to do a lot of laundry because before the fight, players line their tutus with their team’s color paint. Now, if you didn’t know, tutus are quite hard to throw at people, so the rules are that the first team to have all of their players stained with paint, loses, as fighting while throwing tutus is quite difficult. (The fight does not count as overtime.)

Paint splatters everywhere! Tackling players! Fun for everyone! Just imagine all the joy Curckey could create!

        Skatesurfing, by Grayson (6th grade)

        Hello, and welcome to Skatesurfing! This sport is a combination of skateboarding and surfing. Now, let's get to the rules.

        

        First, you start off by putting your surfboard right in front of you, then paddling out into the ocean. When you catch a wave, the height of the wave measured in feet is added to your score, but however long it takes you to stand up on the board in seconds is subtracted from your score. Then, when your wave reaches the skate park, you jump off the surfboard and onto the skateboard.

    

        When you get on the skateboard, you start going through the skate park. there are ramps, rails, curbs, and more! Also for each trick you do, you get more points. When you get to the end of the skate park, the amount of time you took, rounded to the nearest minute, is multiplied by three, then subtracted from your final score.

        Also, there are so many tricks! Kick flips, rail grinds, rock-and-roll! Plus you get points for all of them! For example, a kick flip is ten points, a rail grind is five points per second, a rock-and-roll would be 25 points! 

        Would you try my sport? I know I would!

Feel free to comment if you would try any of these sports! I know some are a few too life-threatening for this teacher!! But I sure love the creativity.

Persuasive Writing: Olympic Fever!

For three weeks, my classes loved discussing the Olympics and all of the amazing performances, stunts, successes, and tragedies they witnessed.  This inspired a very fun writing assignment.

The students were to brainstorm what it would be like to combine TWO Olympic sports into one amazing, outrageous new game.  Both the Beginning and the Advanced classes had to think of the following ideas:

~ A clever name
~ How the two sports would be combined
~ Rules/scoring

The "Awesome Authors and Artists" had to take it a step further.  They were to turn their ideas into a persuasive letter to the Olympic Board of Commissioners.  They needed to "sell" their sport and describe its benefits so clearly that... who knows??  Maybe we would see it in the next 2-4 years!

Enjoy these fantastic samples!

To the Board of Commissioners,

     To begin, after witnessing the recent 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia,
I was stunned and shocked to watch the breathtaking events. People all over the
world look forward to seeing such talented athletes. These games bring
excitement to all and build suspense as everyone representing their country
wants to bring home gold.

     The main purpose of this letter is to ask you to include a new game in the
2018 Olympic Games. Without further adieu I present you "Foot-Boarding."Two
of the most popular games at both the Winter Olympics and Summer Olympics
co-ed! Incorporating these two events would lead to great success.
 
     This I how I envision this unique sport. It will have similar rules to a game of
football, but with an interesting twist. Eleven players compete against each other
within an expanse of snow with yellow and blue sidelines. If the ball is thrown or
carried to the end zone it would equal six points, just like in football. Additional
points will be added to their score; if they perform a flip or double corkscrew,
while scoring a point. For example, if the quarterback snowboards with the ball
and does a 360 degrees turn while scoring, he would earn ten points. Three
points will be deducted if the throw is missed. Their uniforms will be an essential
part of their attire. The players will wear snowboarding goggles and helmets
with the matching colors of their team. Their snowboarding outfits would have
numbers and names on them to represent their country.
 
     Commissioners, imagine the fascinating and spectacular scene! Co-ed
football combined with snowboarding! Extravagant jumps and flips in the middle
of a football game would WOW spectators. This new, popular event would
make the the crowd bigger than ever! This would lead to millions of tickets
bought. The number of seats in the stadium would have to be expanded times
100 to accommodate the number of people. People all over the world will
fight for all the judging and refereeing jobs needed. This could lead to greater
revenues being given back to the host cities, a snow field, uniforms, tickets,
airplanes, and hotels will be bursting with so many people.
 
     I know you will consider "Foot-Boarding" to be one of the potentially
greatest sports of the 2018 Games. A versatile mind will establish this new and
original game and a huge crowd. This sport will accomplish everything.
Sincerely,
Emma (6th grade)


Dear Olympic Board of Commissioners,

     I love watching the Olympics with my family in the summer and winter, and I think you do amazing work at your job.

     Now imagine: Tennis on ice!  I have invented a sport with that exact exciting combination.  I call it Tennis Skating!

     Let me explain how I see this new sport.  It will be ten points for a triple toe serve, and one point for a regular serve, like tennis.  Judges use regular tennis rules, and give extra points for figure skating tricks.  Athletes have to wear a tennis skirt and shirt, but they have to be sparkled or point are taken off!

     Every two years this sport could be played!  All athletes from all countries could participate, and that means more medals and more pride.  There would be special equipment and uniforms.  Popular sports lead to more spectators, which leads to more ticket sales, which leads to more money!!

     I remember when I was a child and loved to see new sports.  I hope other children will have my amazing experience.  Bring Tennis Skating to the Olympic Games, and make dreams come true!

                                        Sincerely, Ashley (3rd grade)

     The name of my NEW sport is BobSwim.  It combines bobsledding and swimming.

     There is only one person in the sled.  The rules are you have to flip three times to score 20 points.  Then go as fast as you can into the water!  Don't worry, the bobsled will float.  If you want to know how many points people have, look at the scoreboard.  The bobsleds have a bobcat on the sled, and wavy water lines.  The event is held at the beach, in Santa Cruz.  It's only for boys.

     My NEW sport is super awesome cool!

By Colin (2nd grade)

Would YOU watch any of these sports on TV?  Or would you try out for Team USA?  Feel free to leave a comment and let us know!

Persuasive eassys: A new Olympic Sport!

I love the Olympics!  Many "warm-up" early morning moments were spent chatting about the big events of the night before.  The students were enthusiastic about the World's Greatest Competition, and this inspired our next assignment.

Writing a persuasive essay can be difficult and perceived as boring, but we made it fun.  Our job was to write a job to the Olympic Board of Commissioners, attempting to persuade them to adapt an incredible new sport in the next Olympic games: one that WE created based on a combination of two sports.  The students brainstormed brilliantly and had a lot of fun making this new sport seam real and plausible!

My Juniors class focused on three paragraphs: an Intro, a Body explaining in detail what the sport was all about, and a nice conclusion.

Emily (4th grade) had a very creative idea.....

     To The Olympic Board of Commissioners:

     I really enjoy watching the Olympics every four years on T.V.  I am writing to you in hopes that you will consider adding a new event in the 2016 Summer Olympics.  It is called the "Swim Vault."  It is an awesome combination that will include subjective and objective scoring.

     Let me explain how I see this new sport.  You pole vault over a bar, and flip and turn in the air into a swimming pool.  Instead of a soft mat, you go into a long swimming pool.  After landing, you swi all four strokes one time, and you're done!  The vaulting and diving will be judged with subjective points, like a normal diving competition.  The entire event will be timed by a maximum of twelve minutes.  If you don't go over the pole the first time, you get two more tries.  If you miss all of them, you get disqualified.  If you miss the pole and try again, the time you try again will be counted, too.

     I really do hope you will consider "Swim Vault" to become one of the best sports in the 2016 games.

         Sincerely,
         Emily

The Senior group was challenged a bit more.  Our outlines looked like this:
Paragraph One: Compliment, be positive, make it a great introduction
Paragraph Two: Briefly introduce the sport
Paragraph Three/Four: Describe the sport in great detail, including
-rules
-how to get points
-how many on a team
-equipment
-etc.
Paragraph Four/Five: Describe the benefits of adding this sport, including
-money to be made!
-allowing more athletes to participate
-inspiring kids
-sponsorships
-more jobs
etc.
Conclusion paragraph: Include a power sentence that will seal the deal!

Deven (7th grade) wrote a brilliant piece.  This crazy sport just might work, he is so persuasive!

TennisPolo

Dear Olympic Board of Commissioners,

     Let me deeply congratulate all of you for organizing one of the greatest sporting events in the world.  The Olympics provide great opportunities for athletes and a wide variety of sports for those seeking a chance to take their sport to a new level.

     I am writing to you in reference to adding a new phenomenal and breath-taking event to the 2016 Summer Olympic Games.  In my opinion, combining the sports of water polo and tennis would be an excellent blend.  I have decided to call it, “TennisPolo.”  We all know that these two sports have been highly enjoyed and anticipated by fans all over the world.  A combination of two of the most popular sports of the Olympics could prove to be an excellent idea and attract a lot of attention.

     Basically, TennisPolo incorporates most of the rules of water polo with a few exceptions.  Athletes will play in a deep pool with a goal on each side.  With seven players on each team, including the goalie, athletes must attempt to hit a tennis ball into their goal.  Obviously, they will wear a swimsuit, a cap, and ear protectors, the same equipment as any normal water polo player.  However, athletes will need goggles to have the ability to swim underwater. 

     Now, here is the part where tennis is brought in.  First of all, players will not use their hands, but rather tennis raquets.  Plus, there will be a net in the middle of the pool, just like a tennis court.  When athletes attempt to serve, there is a chance that the ball will be intercepted by the net, therefore giving the other team a point.  Players are also permitted to swim under the net, allowing them to have a better chance at making a goal.  Lastly, this is not a co-ed sport, but there can be both men’s and women’s teams.

     Commissioners, think of the benefits!  Think of the opportunities!  Think of all the money!  It’s a dream come true.  Ignoring this sport would be a grave mistake, and I’m here to tell you why.  TennisPolo will bring great opportunities to all water polo and tennis players around the world.  And, of course, a new sport can lead to great job opportunities.  Imagine the President thanking you for reducing the unemployment rate!  As we all know, excellent players such as Michael Phelps or roger Federer inspire young lads around the world to participate in the Olympics.  A new sport will do just that.  Plus, don’t you agree that a fabulous sport such as TennisPolo will require new equipment, which helps companies sponsor themselves.  And this leads to….

     MONEY!  As TennisPolo is an extremely unique and breath-taking sport, people around the world will flock to the host city in hopes of watching a brand new sport!  Declining TennisPolo is like not accepting a sack of money being given to you.  The profits and revenues can lead to new and greater sports!  The host city will love you for adding a new sport.  Why?  Well, Olympic tourists are bound to stay at hotels, eat at restaurants, and visit exciting spots within the city.  Think carefully… there are a lot of benefits!

     Trust me, TennisPolo will end up to be one of the greatest sports in the 2016 Summer Olympic Games.  TennisPolo can add to the variety of excellent sports already included in the greatest sporting event of the world.

                                                                        Sincerely,

                                                                        Deven

Look For These New Sports in Future Olympics!

I had "Persuasive Essay" on the agenda for this semester, but was looking for a creative and fun way to tie the assignment into real life for my students. I absolutely love the Olympics, and thought it would be fun for the children to write persuasive letters to the Olympic Board of Commissioners. The students' assignment was to create a new Olympic sport, possibly by blending two already in existence, and write a five paragraph letter attempting to convince the Board that they just HAD to bring this new sport to the next Olympic games! We studied my sample and figured out the five paragraphs should go something like this:
Paragraph 1: A complimentary, welcoming couple of sentences. (As my students put it, "Tell them how great they are!")
Paragraph 2: A brief introduction to the new sport
Paragraph 3: A more detailed description of the sport, including rules, location, and how to earn points
Paragraph 4: A paragraph explaining why the board should adopt this new sport.
Paragraph 5: A conclusion, wrapping it all up and possibly complimenting them once more.

One Mom told me she was worried... now that I have taught persuasive thinking and writing, she is afraid her daughter will use it at home when she wants something!

Here is Maggie's (5th grade). She was extremely creative, and admittedly, unrealistic! But, she still sells this idea very, very well! I love her ideas and I love her picture, too. And check out her first paragraph. She is definitely complimentary!!

To The Olympic Board of Commissioners,

You must be very smart and organized to set up such a big event like the Olympics. It must be such an honor to work for the Olympics! I enjoyed the 2010 Olympics so much. I'll bet the athletes love you.

I have something important to ask you. Maybe, possibly, you will consider adding a new sport to the 2014 Olympics. Picture this: moon craters everywhere, snow brought by the ten thousands, spaceships galore! Then, let's give this picture a name: Moon Skiing!

Moon Skiing is exactly like slalom skiing except it is on the moon! The skiers will wear astronaut suits, and skis of course. The organizers will bring LOTS of snow to one of the moon's craters, and then the skiers will ski in the crater. As a grand finale, if a skier can jump over the American flag, they will earn one hundred points! They earn this many because five racers will race at a time, and there is only one American flag. Of course, the fact that the American flag is about six miles away from the crater will create a level of difficulty worthy of so many points. It would be hosted by Cape Kennedy on the Space Coast. (If snow is needed, fake snow will be provided.)

The benefits of this sport are numerous. The Olympics will gain even more popularity. Who wouldn't want to watch skiing on the moon? It would be amazingly new: the first Olympic sport on the moon! It would earn lots of money. Many people dream of going to the moon.

I hope you will consider this sport to be entered in the 2014 Olympics. Everyone will love this sport.

Sincerely,
Maggie



Here is Abby's (5th grade). I love everything about Abby's, from the name she chose for her sport, to her convincing fourth paragraph. She sold me the moment I read her rough draft!

To The Olympic Board of Commissioners,

I have wanted to write a letter to the important people who manage the Olympics ever since I watched Bode Miller in his first Winter Olympics.

I have a brilliant new event that I hope you will consider adding to the 2014 Olympic Games. I would like you to call it, "Flying Bobsled," also known as "Jumping Bob." While brainstorming, I tried to combine two winter sports into one. "Flying Bobsled" is a combination of two man bobsledding and ski jumping. I chose these two events because they seem very interesting and fun.

This sport will start out like the two man bobsledding on a track, and the two men will start running as fast as they can with the sled. Then they will get in the sled (just like the bobsledding event), and after a certain distance, they will use radar to see how fast they are going. After a few yards, the track will propel the bobsled gracefully into the air. The team will be judged on how fast they were going, and how far they jumped.

Commissioners, put your brilliant minds to work! Imagine athletes coming together for this sport! But do not forget your benefits. The tickets would probably be sold out after only a week or two! Also, more jobs would be created for building the tracks and sleds. Countries everywhere would want to compete, and everyone would want to watch! Imagine the benefits!

I do hope that maybe, possibly, you will consider adding the event "Jumping Bob" to the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. Just remember: First impressions are not always what they look like.

Sincerely,
Abby



Here is India's (5th grade). I love the name of her sport! What I like best about India's is that I can see the event taking place in my mind, which means she describes it very clearly and with great detail. I could actually see this one becoming an event one day!

Dear Olympic Board of Commissioners,

For the last few weeks, I have been oohing and aahing over this year's 2010 Olympic Games. I've been so impressed by all of this week's amazing athletes and their eye catching talents. All of these exotic sports have been so very fun to watch. Once again, I have been blown away by all these amazing sporting events, and I am honored in sharing my new ideas with you.

I have recently been pondering some new ideas for the future 2012 Olympic Games. Out of all these ideas, one has stood out: GYMTRACKSTICS. Gymtrackstics is a high pressure sport, combining BOTH track and gymnastics. This spectacular sport will stand out in front of many others! It will gain a lot of popularity.

Now, I will explain how this remarkable sport really works. First of all, it uses the speed and skill of track, AND the flexibility and talent of gymnastics. In this sport, eight athletes will compete at the same time on a track. Each of them are going for the gold! This sport is very different from normal track, because the competitors are not just expected to run across the finish line. They have to run as fast as they can while doing a series of flips, 360's, and cartwheels. This sport's judging will not be based just on speed and creative moves, but costumes and themes as well. To compete, you have to wear a vibrant outfit with a theme as well as perform to music that goes with your routine as you move around the track. Therefore, creativity is the key!

Board members, THINK! Think of all the tourism the 2012 Olympic Games will gain! People will drool over this sport! They will scream with excitement, and they will never take their eyes off the television! This sport will attract billions. People just like me and you!

I hope this sport will interest you, and I hope you will take it into consideration. Thank you so much, and I hope you enjoy the rest of the year!

Thanks,
India