Overview of EnTeam Games

EnTeam creates and facilitates cooperative games that encourage players to work together. These games are used as tools that increase academic achievement and improve behavior in students in classroom settings. EnTeam Games also encourage diversity, inclusivity, and equality. All EnTeam Games are multifaceted and can be used in many settings – academic classrooms, after-school programs, sport team building, educators professional development workshops, and more!

EnTeam Games are based on a win-win scoring system in which students win together — or lose together — depending on whether they improve their score in a series of rounds. Each game is measured by how well players cooperate and work together to achieve their goal. Players are not competing against each other, but instead compete against impersonal opponents such as time, fear, and prejudice. 

EnTeam offers games for various objectives and settings, as explained below.

SPORT
GAMES

EnTeam created different variations to traditional sports such as volleyball, tennis or kickball. Instead of competing against each other, all players from different teams work together and compete against time, frustration, and fear. These games are great to play when players are introduced to the win-win mindset and for building communication skills among players. 

Learn about EnTeam’s Win-Win Concept

SOCIAL
EMOTIONAL
LEARNING

EnTeam Games give players a voice, the opportunity to work with others, and a goal to achieve together. Games can be created for any objective or discussion – team bonding, conflict resolution, racial injustice, bullying etc. EnTeam Games promote a positive and kind environment for youth to work collaboratively.

Case study on improved student behavior

ACADEMIC
GAMES

EnTeam educational games improve academic success in math, writing, science and other subjects.  EnTeam Games are cooperative learning structures in which educators can use their academic content.  The result is that students help each other learn.  Academic EnTeam Games align with classroom curriculum to improve skill development. 

EnTeam facilitators collaborate with teachers to adapt games that align with learning objectives that teachers set.  EnTeam facilitators also co-lead Professional Development workshops that demonstrate how teachers use these games!

EnTeam Professional Development Workshops

To see teachers’ assessment of EnTeam Games in secondary-school STEM classrooms, you can see a 2017 dissertation here.

ONLINE
GAMES

During the 2020 pandemic, EnTeam adapted and created cooperative games for students and educators to play online. Online games are ideal for teaching online classes, virtual Professional Development workshops, or Bridge-building leagues that engage students from diverse communities and in different geographical locations.

Register to Our Game Portal to Access Online Games

DESIGN NEW
GAMES

Steps for making collaborative sports and games

You are not limited to existing EnTeam Sports and Games.  Games are human inventions.  Kids make up new games naturally.  Adults can too.

If you want to make your own collaborative games that keep score of improvements in cooperation, you can take the steps we use at EnTeam Organization:

  1. Start with a learning objective.
  2. Identify a performance goal that is objectively measurable.  An ideal goal is one that can be achieved by working together.
  3. Find a cooperative opportunity – a process that enables players to accomplish more by working together than by working independently or working against each other.  This will become the body of the game.
  4. Identify an impersonal opponent (such as time or distance or other impediment) that players must overcome to succeed together.
  5. Arrange the measurement into a scoring process.
  6. Define simple rules for keeping the people engaged in reaching the goal.
  7. Test the game and refine it.

Collaborative games are learning tools that encourage players to reflect and play again.  Repetition aids learning.  Keep the game short so players have time to play repeatedly.  When players have the opportunity to gather data from a game, reflect on the experience, and develop strategies for improving their performance, they become stronger collaborators.

As you design the game, consider the motivation of the players. Why will they play?  They might play because it is fun.  They should also increase productivity and respect among the players.

You can see examples on the EnTeam Game Portal