Sports Merit Badge Workshop 2024

Presented by the Penn State All-Sports Museum, in cooperation with the Department of Kinesiology, the Lettermen’s Club, and Alpha Phi Omega Service Fraternity

The Penn State All-Sports Museum will be hosting its inaugural Merit Badge University program on March 16, 2024. We will be offering a full morning workshop session that will allow Scouts who complete the prerequisite requirements to earn SPORTS merit badge. In the afternoon our museum will be open for informative conversations with Scouts who are interested in finding out more about future opportunities to earn COLLECTIONS merit badge.

The activities used to fulfill the requirements for the Sports merit badge may NOT be used to help fulfill requirements for other merit badges – in this case, the activities used for requirements 4 and 5 cannot also be used for Personal Fitness or Athletics.

Requirements to be discussed during the merit badge session:

• 1(a) and (b): hazards while playing sports; first aid for common sport-related injuries/illnesses
• 2(a), (b), and (c): The importance of the physical exam, maintaining good health habits, and maintaining a healthy diet
• 3(a), (b), (c), and (d): The importance of warm up / cool down and weight training; the difference between amateur and professional athletes; good sportsmanship and team leadership

PREREQUISITES: Scouts wishing to complete the badge on March 16th should come with the following prerequisites completed, and be prepared to present, discuss, and demonstrate as appropriate:

• 4(a) Establish a personal training program suited to the sports in which you participated for Requirement #5. Create a chart and use it to track your training, practice and development over the season (or over at least 4 months); present and discuss your chart with your counselor.
• 4(b) Bring a VIDEO (cell phone video is acceptable) to present your demonstration of proper technique for each of your two chosen sports.
• 4(c) Discuss with your counselor how your participation in the sports you chose has affected you mentally and physically.
• 5. Bring proof that you have taken part for one season (or four months) as a competitive individual or as a member of an organized team in TWO of the following sports:
  • baseball, basketball, bowling, cross-country, field hockey, football, golf gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, table tennis, tennis, track and field, volleyball, water polo, wrestling,
  • Other sports may be approved to satisfy this requirement – please email in advance with questions – however only recognized sports that are authorized by Scouts BSA will be accepted. Scouts BSA specifically mentions the following activities that are NOT authorized:
    • Motorized vehicles (car or motorcycle racing)
    • Tree climbing (lumberjack games)
    • Celtic Games events (caber toss, boulder throw, etc.)
    • Freestyle (aerobatic) events (downhill, halfpipe) on skis, snowboard, bicycle, skateboard
    • Any form of combat games or activities where participants strike at each other (boxing, martial arts, paintball, AirSoft, etc.)
  • For each of your chosen and approved sports, present and discuss the following information with your counselor:
    • (a) The rules and etiquette
    • (b) All the equipment needed, including all protective equipment and appropriate clothing; be able to explain why it is needed.
    • (c) Diagrams of the playing areas

EVENT INFORMATION:

Before any scout can attend the SPORTS merit badge session, they must submit registration, Activity Consent form, and the registration fee. Walk-up registration will be available ONLY if we have not reached maximum capacity.

SUPERVISION:

Penn State’s official policy for programs involving minors on-campus requires that a minimum of 2 adult chaperones from the attending organization must be present at all times, regardless of the number of minors present, and appropriate ratios of adults to minors must be maintained as outlined below:

• Standards for non-residential camps and programs are:
  • One adult chaperone for every ten participants ages 9 to 14
  • One adult chaperone for every twelve participants ages 15 to 17
• All individuals who interact with, supervise, chaperone or otherwise oversee minors must be in compliance with relevant background clearance requirements for interacting with children in Pennsylvania.
• If a Unit is unable to provide Adult leadership coverage for one of their Scouts attending, please contact us to see if other BSA registered adults attending would be willing to provide coverage under the Provisional Scouter guidelines

ATTIRE: Scouts should wear their Class-A uniform.

WHAT TO BRING: Water Bottle, Completed BSA Activity Consent Form (unless uploaded through online registration)

CHECK-IN:

7:45-8:15am – Use the Mount Nittany Club entrance on Curtin Road at the southeast corner of Beaver Stadium (to the left of Gate A)

EVENT SCHEDULE:

• 8:15-8:30am – Welcome and Introductions
• 8:30-9:30am - Session 1: Hazards and First Aid
• 9:40-10:40am - Session 2: Healthy Decisions; Sportsmanship and Leadership
• 10:50-11:50am - Session 3: Prerequisite review
• 11:50-12:00pm - Thanks, Patch Distribution, & Dismissal

COST: $6.00 per Scout.  Payments can be made via credit card through the online registration. Cash or Check payments can be mailed into the JVC Office or can also be accepted at the event.

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Monday, March 11th

PLEASE NOTE: there are NO lunch options available at or around the stadium.

The Penn State All-Sports Museum will be open until 4:00pm; all Scouts, leaders, and parents are invited to visit. Scouts interested in a future session for Collections merit badge can put their names on an interest list with our museum staff in our main lobby.