Page: 1 of 8 Change History 4-8-2011 Lesson Plan First Developed 1
Page: 2 of 8 1. DESCRIPTION This lesson plan was developed in response to requests from members who had attended the 2011 AYSO Section Leadership Conferences and saw the Oz Principle Training sessions conducted there (Oz Workshop). These SLC attendees gave glowing reviews of those sessions and were asking how they can use the materials they were provided at the conferences and apply what they ve learned at the local level. This lesson will introduce the attendees to the AYSO Key Results and confirm their role in achieving them, both at the local level and above. Then it summarizes the concepts represented by the Partners in Leadership Results Pyramid. Then the instructor will engage the attendees (breaking into small groups if necessary) in (i) identifying what they feel to be current organizational beliefs; (ii) deciding which of those beliefs are consistent with the Key Results and which must be changed or replaced; and (iii) identifying the kinds of experiences at the Region, Area, Section and National level they believe will create those beliefs that will, in turn, help achieve the Key Results. 2. GOALS To review and reinforce the main principles put forward in the Oz Workshop To learn the AYSO Key Results To engage the attendees in the process of engineering the cultural changes that will be necessary to achieve the Key Results To provide each attendee with some positive direction To provide the attendees with a sense of ownership for the success of their AYSO program and of the organization in general. 3. PREREQUISITES Though not a requirement, it is highly recommended that the Golden Circle Lesson precede this lesson (either at this same time or within one week or so prior) as its content and message are useful in setting the right tone for this lesson. It is highly recommended that the Instructor attended the Oz Workshop or is familiar with the Oz Principle Training through the Oz Principle books. Check with the Area or Section staff to see if these resources might be 2
Page: 3 of 8 available. There is no prerequisite for the attendees, other than a positive commitment to AYSO and enriching children s lives through the game of soccer. 4. STUDENT MATERIALS None 5. INSTRUCTOR EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS If needed, sound reinforcement sufficient so that the facilitator can be clearly heard throughout the room. 1or more easels with chart paper and fat, felt-tipped markers OR a larger white board with markers A yellow legal pad or other lined paper for each group and pencils. 6. ATTACHMENTS Unsolicited testimonial letter from a parent 3
Page: 4 of 8 LESSON PLAN CAUTION TO INSTRUCTORS: Partners in Leadership has asked that AYSO help protect the ideas and proprietary information they have spent years developing and perfecting. And AYSO has agreed. So, here is a list of Do s and Don ts with respect to using the Oz Principle content: Things you can do: Discuss with others what was learned in the 3-hour keynote presentation at the SLCs. Share thoughts about The Results Pyramid and the Steps to Accountability Charts from the training and let those they work with understand how each fits into the AYSO organization and the Key Results AYSO wants to achieve. Buy the book and discuss what you read Things you can t do: Photocopy any of the material (handouts or from the book) Distribute any materials (which would required photocopying) Scanning materials into a computer and using it to do this training Bringing a group of people into a room and attempting to imitate the Oz Principle Training with the materials I. INTRODUCTION A. Introduce self. B. Introduce topic 1. Review the experience you had attending the Oz Workshop at the 2011 SLC and describe the impact on you of all the information presented there. a. If the Golden Circle lesson had preceded this one, connect the message about the Why proposition for AYSO. This lesson will expand more on the What and How parts of the equation. 2. Using the Results Pyramid poster handout to illustrate, explain the steps in the Results Pyramid. Talk about how Experiences create Beliefs (both good and bad) and how people take (or don t take) Actions based on those beliefs. Those actions (or inactions) create Results (both good and bad). The objective for all of us in AYSO is to create or improve the experiences of our players and their families, or of our members who receive support from the NSTC, such that they are all made to highly value their AYSO experience. 4
Page: 5 of 8 II. BODY When this happens, those players and families and volunteers will be much more likely to decide to continue their involvement with AYSO and will tell others of the benefits of the AYSO experience. 3. List the three AYSO Key Results on chart paper and post them in the room. a. Deliver a youth soccer program that is highly rated by the players. b. Deliver a youth soccer program that is highly rated by the parents and family members (many of whom are also our AYSO volunteers) c. Provide service and support from the NSTC that is highly rated by the members. d. Secure buy-in from all present that those are the kinds of results everyone should focus on and that they can be achieved by them. 4. Explain that this will be a working session. If need be, the attendees will work in small groups and report back their findings and decisions to everyone. The objective is to emerge from this session with some really good actions that can be easily implemented and measured; and each of them focused on one or more of the Key Results. A. Relate to the group an instance (it could be from soccer, it could be from movies or literature or from real life) where a certain experience created either a positive or a negative belief in people. a. Example: The War of the Worlds radio broadcast caused mass panic among those who missed the introduction and believed aliens had landed. b. We make decisions about who to vote for based on 10 second sound bites from the nightly news. B. Ask the audience to provide a common belief about AYSO where they are. It could be about the local program, the Area, the Section, or National and the National office. Then ask what experiences contribute to creating that belief. C. Small group work session 1- Break the attendees into small groups of no more than 10 people each. Their task in this session is to identify additional current beliefs they have about AYSO or beliefs others in their community have about AYSO (both Good and Bad). Each group should select a scribe to record its efforts and designate someone to report back to the full group. Let s see who can come up with the most. [ALLOW 10 MINUTES FOR THIS. KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE CLOCK] 5
Page: 6 of 8 D. If using small groups, after 10 minutes, refocus everyone s attention on the front of the room and call on one group to report its findings. On one flip chart, write down the beliefs, paraphrasing if necessary. When that group finishes ask another group if they have any different beliefs to report. Continue until you ve heard from each group. Ask everyone if there is an important belief that ought to be included on the list. E. Now engage the group as a whole in a discussion about the beliefs that have been posted, and guide them to determine those that are consistent with the key results and those that are not. For those that need to be changed or deleted, ask for new or revised belief statements that would be consistent with the key results. Where there is consensus, add them to the list and cross out those that are rejected. F. Small group work session 2 In the next part of the process the groups will decide everything that must be done to create the experience(s) that will cause the belief we want. Have the groups select one of the defined beliefs from the list. Each group should have a different belief. EXAMPLE: AYSO volunteer coaches are knowledgeable. A knowledgeable coach is one who conveys knowledge of the game, uses age-appropriate training activities and succeeds in helping players and the team improve over time. To create this kind of experience, one action might be to offer one or more additional coach training opportunities so more coaches have a chance to get training. But it may be that the Region has no certified Coach Instructor, so the first action may be to arrange with the Area to provide the instructor while a second action is to identify and develop a local AYSO coach instructor. G. If necessary, break the attendees back into their original small groups. (If it is quick and easy to do, you can also form new groups). The task in this session is to identify specific actions they can undertake in their local program that will create or reinforce the desired beliefs. As before, each group should select a scribe to record its efforts and designate someone to report back to the full group at the end. Let s see who can come up with the most. [ALLOW 10 MINUTES FOR THIS. KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE CLOCK] H. If using small groups, after 10 minutes, refocus everyone s attention on the front of the room and call on one group to report its findings. On one flip chart, write down the actions, paraphrasing if necessary. Where not immediately obvious, ask which belief is being addressed and how the action will reinforce or bring about the desired belief. Then move on to the next group and repeat this process. Continue until you reach the designated time. Ask everyone if there is 6
Page: 7 of 8 an important action that ought to be included on the list. Add any that are expressed. III. CONCLUSION A. Remind the group they just achieved Alignment a key element of the Oz Principle training. They know and have embraced the Key Results of the organization. They ve identified the beliefs and some of the actions needed to achieve those results. Everyone knows where they are going and all are focused on achieving the same things. In periodic review sessions in the future they will gather again to evaluate their successes and to formulate adjustments if need be. B. Tell the group you want to share with them a testimonial recently forwarded from a Regional Commissioner in the Mid-West. Read the attachment to them. At the end, explain that you are convinced how that player and parent would rate their AYSO Experience. Thanks to the actions of the members who did not discourage the player from signing up, of the coach who gladly accepted her onto a team that had already jelled and was comfortable together, of the referees who found a way to let her play with an I.V. - all of these actions contributed to this mother s belief that AYSO would provide the positive environment that would influence her daughter s recovery. C. Through the work we did today, we have developed a common focus on AYSO, our role in it, and a shared accountability for similar results that will continue to make AYSO great. Thank them for their time and attention. INSTRUCTOR FOLLOW UP This training effort is being implemented throughout AYSO. AYSO is keenly interested in the results of these sessions as many of the ideas may be applicable in other Regions, Areas and Sections across the country. Please provide your Area Director and/or Section Director with lists of the beliefs captured in this session and a summary description of the actions decided upon by the group and seek input from them on implementation. If any of the beliefs or actions are National in scope or involve National Programs, please forward them to the Special Programs Department at the AYSO National Office for review. 7
Page: 8 of 8 ATTACHMENTS Following is a true testimonial sent to a Regional Board from the parent of a young girl who chose to start playing soccer at U-12 in an AYSO Region in the middle of the country. Dear Board Members, Thanks, you should know how much AYSO means to our daughter. Last Spring she looked at me with a spark in her eye and said "I want to play soccer. She had never played any organized sports before. I asked around and AYSO generously let her join Todd s team for the spring. The main point of this story is that in 2008 she had a seizure at a birthday party that paralyzed her down her right side and she was hospitalized for a week or so. Through medication we seemed to be bringing her back to normal. Then a couple months later, she lost the vision in her left eye, lost a lot of large muscle ability and sensation from the chest down. She was diagnosed at that time with A-D-E-M which is a rare autoimmune disease that attacks the mapping from the brain. They told us it would take 2 years for her brain to map back to normal, and it was possible she would have future events of a similar nature. Well, she did have another event again this April (the Dr let her out of the hospital to play soccer with her IV taped up on arm, I think that was a first for coach Tim!) It amazes me through all of this how strong and hard working she is and I can see improvement every time I watch her play. The reason I wanted to share this with you is that the Positive environment in AYSO, the acceptance of the kids on the teams by their teammates, the good quality coaching and genuine caring for the kids has been such a huge influence on Mel's recovery and to see her focused on fitness and teamwork - this is more and all that we could have hoped for! I thank you personally for your leadership in the program and simply wanted to share that our gratitude is beyond just on the soccer field! 8