Bonus

Some easy, minimal ingredient appetizers you can have your patients prepare for the big game are:

Nachos - chips, shredded cheese, optional toppings: olives, salsa, sour cream, bacon

French Onion Dip -Lipton onion soup mix, sour cream,

DIY Pizza Bagels - mini bagels, shredded mozzarella, pizza sauce, optional pepperoni 

Ice cream sundaes - ice cream, chocolate syrup, whipped cream, cherry and optional toppings: sprinkles, walnuts, candy

Trailmix: mixed nuts, m&ms, raisins, sunflower seeds

Equipment needed: laundry basket and soft medium sized football

Instructions:

Have patient sit or stand and toss soft football into basket

Upgrade:

Have patient stand on balance pad

Unsupported sitting

Increase height or distance of basket

Variations:

Use multiple baskets and label with different points. Time patient to see how many points he/she can make in allotted time frame.

Set up spots on floor and instruct patient to ambulate to each spot and toss football from different locations. 

Equipment needed: small soft football

Hand Exercises:

Hand squeeze - squeeze ball into palm of hands

Palm press with digits extended - press football onto table or other hard surface

Palm press bilateral -place football  between hands and press inward

Scissor squeeze - place football between digits and squeeze

Pinch strength -  Pinch soft football between the tips of your fingers and your thumb 

Thumb flex - place football in palm and  bend your thumb across your palm so it touches the base of your small finger. press thumb down and squeeze

Promote cognitive skills and problem solving by asking football related questions and having your patient answer.

Use multiple choice style questions to avoid frustration due to word finding difficulties.

If patient answers incorrectly, have them perform 10 sets of an exercise (bicep curls, chest press, LAQ's, marching etc)

Squats

Ambulation around obstacles

Football/ball toss

Trunk rotation

Forward, lateral and backwards lunges

Stepping balance

Side stepping

Kicks

Forward line step drill

Equipment needed: medium sized football or ball, line (theraband or string) or goal

Instruct patient to kick or "punt" ball over line or into goal

Can be completed in sitting or standing

Make sure you are in a large open area with no breakables in site ;)