This quick, inclusive, and easy-to-explain off-the-bike game gets teams moving and laughing together. Knee tag is a great activity for the start of the season, as student-athletes get to know one another. It’s also perfect for a warm up for a ride, for days that trails are closed, or for any time when you need to get student-athletes and coaches smiling!
Where: Open space
Objective: I can have fun, I can laugh with my teammates
Setup: A defined boundary within an open space (use cones, helmets, gloves – anything you have on hand to mark a boundary!)
How to play: This is an “everybody’s it” tag game, but in order to “tag” someone, you have to tap their knee. If a student-athlete gets tagged, they immediately go down to one knee and extend a hand. They re-enter the game after a teammate gives them a “five” with their hand. Student-athletes are immune from getting tagged whenever they are standing still with their hands covering their knees. Student-athletes may only have hands on knees for five seconds, then they have to move. Student-athletes may not move or run with hands on their knees.
Options or progressions: Instead of getting a high-five when tagged, do an exercise. Have the coach pause the game, and provide a time period when no one can “cover” their knees for a few minutes – whoever has the most fun, wins!
Reflection: What would you do differently next time? How can you work together in this game?
For more NICA On-the-Bike Games, check out our collection at The Trailhead, or visit our NICA coach resources by logging into Pit Zone, then clicking the “Courses, Resources, & Benefits” button on your dashboard. Once you’ve reached the NICA Education Center, find the COACH RESOURCE CENTER and search for GAMES.
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