The nomadic people of the M’Hamid El Ghizlane area of Morocco play a game called Akseltag, which bears many similarities to field hockey. Traditionally, there are seven people per team. The teams are identified by whether they are wearing a white or colored Sahrawi dress. The ball is made of camel hide, and the sticks are handmade. This game is foundational for bringing communities together in celebration. After a game, festivities are held to celebrate a fair game and promote the culture of the people.

When introducing this game to the students, include a definition for the term nomad, and discuss why some people are nomadic. These people live primarily in the Sahara desert, so they need housing that keeps them cool during the day and warm during the night. It also needed to be transported quickly based on changing weather conditions.

Genna, another traditional field hockey game from Ethiopia, has two fascinating origin stories, one way more violent than the other. The first story involves shepherds spontaneously playing a game of hitting a ball with their shepherd sticks in celebration of the birth of Christ. Genna comes from Ethiopia, which has a rich tradition of Christianity throughout its history. The other origin story is much more violent. According to legend, the Three Wise Men were leaving the birth of Jesus when they encountered a stranger who denied the birth of the Messiah. In anger, they severed off the stranger’s head and began to hit it with their walking sticks, making a game out of it. This version probably is not school appropriate, so maybe leaving some of those details out of the explanation would be a good idea. Still, I will leave it up to you. Personally, when I introduce the story, I combine the stories together to include the Three Wise Men. Still, they play with local shepherds, who use their sticks to play this field hockey-like game. The name Genna probably comes from the holiday Gena, which is their Christmas celebration on January 7th.

Materials: 

·      A large play area (a gym works best, but can be played outside)

·      Rubber disc dots

·      Many appropriately sized hockey sticks

·      At least one tennis ball per student. Small dodgeballs also work well.

Minimum Amount of Players Needed: While the Akseltag can be played with as few as four players, traditional games call for at least seven versus seven. The mini-games of Genna can be played with four as well.

Age: Lower and Upper Elementary