College athletes are dedicated to their sports. In addition to all of the typical challenges students face, they have spent countless hours fine-tuning their skills for the chance to keep playing beyond high school. Whether you’re a scholarship athlete, walk-on, or intramural player, you have a great amount of skill and dedication, and you know the importance of teamwork.
During middle school and high school, it’s possible to play with some of the same kids for eight to ten years. College athletes play together for two to four years at best. If you want to have the best chance of success, you have to build teamwork and comradery quickly. Here are some of the best team-building activity ideas for Montreat, Brevard, UNC Asheville, AB-Tech, and Mars Hill University athletes.
Five Team-Building Activities for College Teams in Western North Carolina
1) Go Hiking
Hiking can be the ultimate adventure for a sports team that needs to bond. Our area provides you with options for either a simple, short picnic hike or a multi-day backcountry backpacking trek. It is impossible to narrow down all the hiking options, but just a few your team will enjoy include:
Easier:
- Craggy Gardens
- Mount Mitchell (from the Mount Mitchell parking lot)
- Max Patch
- Chimney Rock
Moderate:
- Linville Falls
- Table Rock
- Crabtree Falls
- Rainbow and Turtleback Falls
Hard:
- Mount Mitchell from Black Mountain
- Linville Gorge
- Art Loeb Trail
- So much more
The thrill of adventure can really bring your team together and give you a story to tell for the ages.
2) Go Whitewater Rafting
Fighting to stay afloat against the roar of the river is exactly what your team needs to bond together quickly. In fact, you’ll have to work together to make it down the river in one piece. Whitewater rafting options are typically found a little farther west towards Bryson City and Murphy, so it might be best to make a retreat out of it.
If your team can conquer North Carolina whitewater, you’ll be ready to conquer your conference.
3) Do Trivia Night
How much do your teammates know about anything and everything? Trivia nights are the way to find out. This provides a different type of competition for you and your teammates, and if you win, you might want to go again and again.
4) Play Laser Tag
If you haven’t played modern laser tag, you may be surprised at how much the game has changed. This isn’t your mother’s or father’s laser tag. At Black Mountain Adventure Zone, we do it in a style that is far more like a video game than you may imagine.
New LaserWar taggers and sensor-equipped head straps are among our tools. No bulky vests or uncomfortable equipment are required to be worn. The activities of each player are transmitted to them via sound effects and vibrations.
We usually play in groups of up to four players per team, and if there are more people in your group, we’ll form additional teams and rapidly switch them to ensure that everyone gets enough playing time. You’ll be shocked at how much of a workout modern laser tag provides. It is like playing a video game and getting a sweat in all at the same time!
5) Play GellyBall
GellyBall is a sort of like paintball and airsoft, except the ammo is 90% water and doesn’t hurt. It feels like getting flicked with a rubber band. However, GellyBall blasters are incredibly accurate up to sixty feet and easy to use. Whether your teammates have years of experience with shooting games or have never touched a paintball gun, anyone can be an expert in no time.
We find that people often come to Black Mountain Adventure Zone to play laser tag but make the switch to GellyBall, and they don’t want to stop! Nothing bonds a sports team together quite like firing painless Gellyballs at one another.
Black Mountain Adventure Zone
If you want to play laser tag or GellyBall with your college teammates, Black Mountain Adventure Zone is just a few minutes away from Montreat, Warren Wilson, UNCA, and Mars Hill University. You’re welcome to walk in on the weekend and give it a shot or book a private party for your team any time of the week.
We can also come to you with an indoor or outdoor setup! Our sister company is based in Sylva, near Western Carolina University, serving all of western North Carolina with tactical laser tag and Gellyball. Reach out to Elite Action Gaming for more information about how e can take laser tag and GellyBal to you.