Net and Court Games - Week 1

Early Stage 1

Equipment

Marker cones or ladder
Relay batons
8 volleyballs or similar

Download the Net and Court Games - Week 1 activity card to support teaching before and during the sport session.

FMS focus: Sprint run

Learning intention

Students are developing proficiency in the sprint run.

Success criteria.

Lands on ball of the foot.
Non-support knee bends at least 90 degrees during the recovery phase.
High knee lift (thigh almost parallel to the ground).
Head and trunk stable, eyes focused forward.
Elbows bent at 90 degrees. 6. Arms drive forward and back in opposition to the legs.

Explicit teaching of the sprint run

About the skill

The sprint run is a locomotor skill characterised by a brief period where both feet are simultaneously off the ground (called the flight phase). The ability to perform a sprint run is fundamental to many games, sports and everyday activities. Examples include sprinting in athletics, a fast break in soccer or hockey, running to bases in softball and tee-ball or even just running for a bus, which can be performed better with a proficient running technique. A proficient running technique can improve speed and endurance, which in turn may also enhance health-related fitness by improving cardiorespiratory endurance.

View 'The Get Skilled Get Active - Sprint run video' to support the explicit teaching of the sprint run.

Model the skill:

Model the sprint run to students while explaining the movements needed to effectively sprint.

Say to the students:

- Lift your knees high.
- Bring your heel close to your bottom.
- Look ahead.
- Make your feet follow an imaginary line.
- Don’t let your heels touch the ground.
- Land on the balls of your feet.
- Bend your elbows and swing your arms.
- Run tall.
- Bring your heels up to your bottom.

Guided practice with immediate teacher feedback:

Students use a hoop or skipping rope to create a personal space.

They run on the spot in this space.

They practise swinging bent arms, lifting legs up high and pretending to run up a hill.

Play “Simon says.” Ask students to run while focusing on specific body parts or movements. For example, ask students to run: taking small steps (a low knee lift); taking normal steps (a high knee lift), with and without an arm swing; with head moving from side to side; and with head held still and eyes focused ahead.

Skill development games

Choosing teams

In a sport education approach, affiliation is promoted by students being a member of the same team over a period of time. It is intended that students remain in these teams for the duration of each sport program for the skill development and the modified small-sided games, so that they can develop and learn together.

Place students in equal teams, 4 teams is optimal, at the beginning of the skill development session. Strategies for forming groups can be found in the Game-based learning in sport and physical activity e-learning course.
To further promote affiliation students can decide on a team name.

FMS focus activity - Ladder relay

Skill focus: Sprint run

Equipment: Ladder or marker cones, relay baton or similar

How to play: Players race each other in a relay, by placing one foot in each section, to introduce running with various stride lengths.

In teams, players divide and stand opposite one another.
Players race to the other side, placing one foot in each section.
Continue until all members have completed the relay.

2 square bounce - Playing for Life Activity Card

FMS consolidation activity - 2 square bounce

Skill focus: Catch

Equipment: One volleyball or similar per pair, court surface that allows the ball to bounce and 6 markers per court

How to play: A court is divided into 2 with a player in each half. The server serves the ball into the receiver’s half – the receiver tries to catch the ball after one bounce.

The ball must cross the line above waist height.
Play continues until one player cannot return the ball after one bounce, or the ball is thrown out of court, or the receiver drops the ball.
The serve alternates between players.
Play to a specified number of points, (e.g. 5) or a set time limit (e.g. 3 minutes).

Modified small-sided games

It's game time!

Teams play each other in the game outlined below.

No go

Equipment: Tennis balls, targets, marker cones.

How to play: Players are divided into 2 teams separated by a ‘no‑go’ barrier. The ball is thrown across the barrier. The opposing team must catch the ball and send it back.

Set up the playing area as shown.
The ‘barrier’ between the 2 teams is the no-go area.
Divide the players into 2 teams.
The ball is thrown across the barrier above waist height.
The opposing team must catch the ball on the full or after one bounce and send it back.
Players must catch and throw in one movement.