There’s power in knowing you can be really, really loud if you need to be.  This exercise offers a chance to practice really going for diaphragm-powered volume in a group.   For those who are apprehensive about yelling, practicing yelling as part of a group often feels like a safer place to start.

Requirements:

A location where it’s okay to make a lot of noise.  About five minutes with debrief.

 

Instructions:

Have participants line up in two rows a few yards apart, facing each other in their ready stance.  You can assign each team a short, easy-to-yell word (we sometimes use “hot” and “pot”), or else ask someone from each side their favorite color.  When each team has a word, let them know that they’ll be yelling this word as loud as they can, from their bellies, on your signal, one team at a time.

Get a light competitive vibe going about which team is louder.  Give each team plenty of opportunity to practice.

 

Debrief:

Thank everyone for giving it a go.  Ask if anyone found the exercise easy.  Ask if anyone found it difficult.  Acknowledge that loud yelling does not come easily to everybody; we all have different experiences with raised voices and what they mean.  But we do want everyone to practice doing it, so that we know we have it as a tool if we need it.  And we’ll have lots more opportunity to practice, as we yell with every strike!