Most people probably don't associate sports trivia with work, but maybe that's the problem with today's office environment. The average person spends 81,396 hours working over their lifetime. How many of those hours will be filled with fun and camaraderie?
According to Gallup surveys, 60% of employees are emotionally detached at work, and 18% are downright miserable. Don't think a couple of rounds of sports trivia questions can change this? Think again!
Why sports trivia is perfect for the office
Believe it or not, sports trivia can offer your office many noteworthy benefits. For instance:
- It's Fun: All work and no play can make the office boring, but sports trivia games can inject some excitement, lift spirits, and raise morale
- It Brings People Together: Although sports rivalries are a thing, sports can actually bring people together through shared experiences and group pride
- It Offers a Mental Break: Sports trivia can break up the monotony of day-to-day activities, letting your employees take much-needed brain breaks
- It Promotes Learning: Sports are an important part of history and afford the opportunity to learn about civil rights, women's history, and international relations
Sports trivia games can be so much more than just lists of facts and figures. They have the power to enrich your team and promote a funner and more positive work culture.
36 sports trivia questions for your next office competition
When it comes to sports trivia, there's so much ground you can cover. Use these 36 questions (and correct answers) to kick off your next "battle royale":
The Olympics 🏅
These questions will test your employees' knowledge of the world's most famous and celebrated series of sports events:
- Which country has the second most gold medals in the Summer Olympics? (What was then known as the Soviet Union)
- What are three of the most watched events at the Summer Olympics? (Track and field, swimming, and gymnastics)
- In which sport is a "triple jump" performed? (Track and field)
- To date, how many countries have hosted the Summer Olympic Games? (20)
- Where does the Olympic torch relay start and end? (It starts in Olympia, Greece, and ends at the current Olympic stadium)
- How many rings are on the Olympic symbol? (Five)
These essential Olympics trivia questions are perfect for the office because they cover a wide range of topics, from individual events to geographic history.
American football 🏈
American football is the most-watched sport in the United States, so it only makes sense to use it as a trivia question category. These six questions will get you started:
- Who is the Super Bowl trophy named after? (Vince Lombardi)
- What is the only team that plays their home games in New York? (Buffalo Bills)
- What player has the NFL recognized as the all-time leading receiver? (Jerry Rice)
- Which teams in the NFL have purple uniforms? (Baltimore Ravens and Minnesota Vikings)
- What Sheb Wooly song was the 1970s Minnesota Vikings defense named after? ("The Purple People Eater")
- Which two players were all-stars in both the NFL and the MLB? (Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders)
From the first game of the NFL in 1920 to the latest Super Bowl triumph, this quintessential American sport is chock full of historic moments that have become a part of the country's history.
Baseball ⚾
MLB games have some rich history behind them. The following questions will give your employees a chance to learn all about it:
- When — and between which two teams — was the first Major League Baseball game played? (May 4, 1871, between the Cleveland Forest Cities and the Fort Wayne Kekiongas)
- What city is home to the oldest MLB team park? (Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts)
- What country produces more major league players than any other? (The Dominican Republic)
- Who was the first baseball player to hit four home runs in a single game? (Bobby Lowe)
- Who is the record holder for stealing the most consecutive bases without getting caught? (Vince Coleman)
- What unusual milestone in MLB history have Elmer Valo, Ron Fairly, Don Mincher, and Diego Segui all achieved? (Each played for three teams that were in their first year in a new city)
Who knew there was more to baseball trivia than just asking about how many World Series wins the New York Yankees have?
Basketball 🏀
The important questions in basketball aren't always about the Los Angeles Lakers' longest winning streak or who has won the most NBA championships. Here are some queries that get into the nitty-gritty details of the history of hoops:
- What is the only team to defeat the Boston Celtics at home during the 1985–1986 season? (Portland Trail Blazers)
- Who was the first African-American NBA player to sign a contract? (Nathaniel "Sweetwater" Clifton)
- What was the lowest-seeded team to ever win an NBA championship? (1994–1995 Houston Rockets at the number-six seed)
- What college or university currently has the most WNBA first-round picks? (The University of Connecticut)
- What NBA team holds the record for the most Finals appearances with no titles? (Phoenix Suns)
- What is the only ABA team to move to the NBA and win a championship? (San Antonio Spurs)
With these questions, your employees can learn about civil rights, women's history, and the origins of some of their favorite sports franchises.
Soccer (football) ⚽
The FIFA World Cup holds the title of the most-watched sporting event in the world. These questions will quiz your employees on its history and that of other world leagues:
- Which country won the first FIFA World Cup in 1930? (Uruguay)
- What Brazilian soccer player was known as the "King of Football?" (Edson Arantes do Nascimento, or “Pelé”)
- How many substitutions can soccer teams make in a FIFA match? (Teams have three opportunities to make five total substitutions)
- Which club holds the record for the most UEFA Champions League titles? (Real Madrid)
- To date, who is the youngest player to ever play in a Women's World Cup game? (Casey Phair at 16 years and 26 days old)
- What was the original name of the European Golden Shoe Award? ("Soulier d'Or")
After answering these questions, you'll have a team full of soccer (history) champs!
Hockey 🏑
Did you know the NHL is more than 100 years old? Many of your employees probably don't. Here are a few questions about how the league has evolved throughout the years for them to mull over:
- What team holds the record for the most Stanley Cups? (Montreal Canadiens)
- Who is known for having the NHL record for the most career hat tricks? (Wayne Gretzky)
- What team has the second most consecutive Stanley Cup wins? (New York Islanders)
- What type of injury ended Bobby Orr's career in 1978? (Knee injury)
- What teams make up the Original Six? (Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, and Montreal Canadiens)
- What father and son duo were the first in NHL history to score 50 goals each in a single season? (Bobby and Brett Hull)
These questions will give your team the chance to learn about hockey's most exciting characters and their amazing feats over the decades.
Tips for incorporating sports trivia in your office environment
The following best practices can help ensure that your sports trivia games are a hit in your office:
- Ask questions from a variety of sporting categories to give everyone a chance to answer
- Create a detailed set of rules to ensure fairness, including setting boundaries around whether participants can look up answers online
- Encourage healthy competition between departments or teams and use prizes and incentives to motivate them to go head-to-head
- Incorporate some sports-related virtual games like Confetti's NFL Jeoparty, which features a live expert host to really get things cooking
These tips can help you take your sports trivia games from a fun, one-off office event to an integral part of your company culture.
Build a culture of camaraderie with Confetti
Nothing brings people together quite like sports — even if they're arguing over who's the best team. If you're ready to inject some fun into your virtual office environment, the Confetti team can help.
Our Sports & Fitness category includes a variety of sports-related team-building activities, so you can be sure that there's something for everyone. From sports cookie decorating to a virtual field day to Sports Jeoparty, we'll make sure your team has an experience they won't soon forget.
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