Czech champions
You’ll need
- Chairs
- Tables
- A smooth floor
- A puck or ball
- Unihoc or hockey sticks
Before you begin
- Put a chair or table at either end of the playing area to act as the goal posts.
Get ready to play
- Everyone should split into two teams.
- Each team should line up on opposite sides of the playing area.
- The person leading the game should give each player a number. They should start numbering the lines from opposite ends so players with the same number aren’t opposite each other.
For example, if the teams had six players, player one would stand opposite player six, and player two opposite player five.
- The person leading the game should give each team a unihoc or hockey stick.
- The person leading the game should put the puck or ball in the centre of the room between the two teams.
How to play
- The person leading the game should call out one of the numbers. The players with that number should take their team’s stick and run to the ball.
- Each player should greet each other in Czech. Then, they should tap the ground and the other player’s stick one after the other, three times.
‘Ahoj’ (pronounced a-hoy) is the informal way to say both ‘hello’ and ‘bye’ in Czech. ‘Dobrý den’ (dob-re den) is formal for ‘hello.’
- Each player should use their stick to try and shoot the ball into their goal.
The goals are the chair or table at their end of the playing area. Each team’s goal is the one nearest the player with the number one.
- After one of the players has scored, the players should return to the centre, shake hands and say goodbye in Czech. Then, they should put the puck and their sticks back where they were and return to their line.
“Ahoj” (pronounce a-hoy) is the informal way to say both ‘hello’ and ‘bye’ in Czech. “Na shledanou” (nas-kle-da-no) is formal for ‘goodbye.’
- Everyone should keep playing until all players have had a go.
You may want to make a note of which numbers have already been called.
- The team that scores the most goals is the winner.
Reflection
This game has taught everyone about another culture and its favourite sport. Find out if anyone can name any other national sports of other countries. See if anyone has visited the Czech Republic before or knows someone from there. Can anyone say ‘hello’ or ‘goodbye’ in any other languages?
The game has got everyone active with a similar version of the Olympic sport ice hockey. What other sports from the Winter Olympics can the group name?
Safety
All activities must be safely managed. You must complete a thorough risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Always get approval for the activity, and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.
- Active games
The game area should be free of hazards. Explain the rules of the game clearly and have a clear way to communicate that the game must stop when needed. Take a look at our guidance on running active games safely.
Change the size of your goal to make it easier or harder to score goals – narrow chairs will be more challenging than wide tables.
The game could be played sitting down or standing on one spot. Players can take turns to sit or stand in the centre and try to score in their goal.
The game could also be played in pairs.
All Scout activities should be inclusive and accessible.
Many cold countries enjoy other Winter Olympic sports, as well as ice hockey. See if you can play some others with the group, or if it’s possible to visit a dry ski-slope or ice rink. Sports like curling and skating can help towards the Skater Activity Badge. Look out for Paralympic Winter Sports that you can try as well, like para ice hockey.
See if anyone in the group knows anything extra about the Czech Republic or Winter Olympic Sports that they would like to share.