It takes communication, speed, misdirection, teamwork, quick hands, cooperation, and more.  It’s a classic game that has been a round for a while, but it always stresses cooperation and total team effort.  I love to use this game, along with others, in order to watch those who don’t usually get along with others so they may win/succeed as a group.

The goal of the game is to simply capture the opposing team’s flag and bring it back to your base without getting caught.  There are 2 equal sides in size for both teams. All players are wearing flag belts.  There isn’t a time limit, and you can play it over and over again with several rounds.  This game does involve a lot of moving around and running.

A playing area that is about 50’ by 50’ is ideal, and you could easily use a basketball court.  Adjust the size depending on the amount of people playing and age group.  However, 8 person teams are enough for playing the game in a gym.  A line across the center is painted to divide the teams. Paint and cones will be used to mark off the corners for the two jails and flag spots.  Three hula hoops are randomly placed on each side.   You can use the “safe zones” or not depending on age and ability.

On the signal, each team can rush across the center line attempting to capture the other team’s flag.  To be successful, a player has to carry the opponent’s flag back to his own side without getting his flag pulled.  A player who at anytime is on the opposing team’s side and has his flag belt pulled must go to that team’s jail.  A jailed player can be freed if a teammate makes it into the prison (without getting his flag pulled), takes the prisoner by the hand and walks him back across the center line.

The hula hoops represent “safety zones” where players can stop-off and not be tagged.  Only one player can be in a safety circle at any given time.

Here’s a simple illustration of what a court/playing area would look like.  I don’t allow players defending their flag stand in the area around where their flag is located.

We come to this point at least once in our lives.  Where we have done all that we can possibly do or think of, expended our energy, lost sleep, not able to make the decisions, have said all the words you can possibly say, and so much more.  The situations we wish we could act on behalf of someone else, we aren’t exactly understood, we don’t have it exactly “our way”, or we feel like anything we say or do can’t even start to fill a sudden void.

It could be from losing someone close, losing your keys, running out of gas in the middle of nowhere with no phone signal, experiencing an earthquake, falling, a government is making what you view as poor choices, someone won’t “change” their ways no matter what, watching an accident happen, and so much more.  Have I hit a point you can relate to yet?

We eventually come to a point where we either give up or continue.  There is always HOPE.  It’s in our core to Hope.

Most recently we all have been watching the chaos and mess unfold in Ukraine and Russia.  Basically, the people are split on who they want to be under.  Ukrainians want to vote on deciding such things, however there’s not a solid government yet to do so under.  That’s like Texas voting to secede as a separate country or be apart of Mexico.  Most Ukrainians want to be a separate country and move toward Europe to cut the ties of Soviet/Communistic power from the past.  They’re tired of being manipulated and having absolutely no say in things while some rich mafia leaders use their position, power, and money to control things politically.

Most of us don’t really know how to relate, because Americans have never had something of that magnitude in our lives for many years. 

I’ve been certainly paying close attention, because I’ve been there while on the World Race in 2011.  My bio picture is of me outside Yalta, Crimea, Ukraine overlooking the Black Sea.  While there, I could tell how much Russian presence was still affecting the area.  It’s a vacation hot spot for Russians, there are Russian flags all over the peninsula, I saw a museum showing off Russian military vehicles, and a statue of Lenin in Yalta. 

Since I have connections and friends still there, I do at times feel helpless.  Then, I realize the best thing to do in my situation is to hope for the best, pray, encourage those there, stop letting myself focus on the negative, and stop worrying.  Worry is fed by fear.