Tee Ball gala day
Equipment
Suitable indoor or outdoor playing area
Bats
Balls
Batting tee
Base markers—these should be flat strips or discs
Marker cones
Download the Tee Ball - Gala day activity card to support teaching before and during the sport session.
Tee Ball gala day
Organisation
In the week prior to the gala day, organise students into teams.
Students may be given time to create signs to support their team at the gala day.
Select a student from each team to be the team captain for the gala day.
Set-up Tee Ball games as a circuit for teams to rotate around.
Games for the gala day include:
Run the circle
Long Ball
Tee Ball
Tee Ball games
Run the Circle
Cooperative passing. Players form a circle with 2 balls. The balls are thrown from player to player. The aim is for one ball to catch up to the other. An easy version starts with hand to hand passing. (Play with 6 or more.)
Equipment: Marker cones, balls
How to play
Use a suitable indoor or outdoor playing area.
Use 2 balls for each circle of 6–8 players – separate the balls by several players.
Pass the balls around the circle, trying to overtake the ball in front.
Call ‘change’ to change the direction.
Players should be spaced to suit the pass being used.
Modifying Run the Circle using TREE
Teaching style
Because players don’t run with the ball, the activity accommodates a wide range of ability levels.
Highlight good examples of throwing and catching. Ask the group why they think the pair has been chosen as role models.
A player with less advanced coordination and motor skills can be included by having another player standing close and sending a short throw or simply passing the ball.
Rules
Vary the pass – an easy version starts with the players close to one another and passing the ball, hand to hand. Use different levels, e.g. knees, shoulder or above the head.
Catch, do something and throw – e.g. bounce, around the body, through the legs.
Beat the ball – the coach calls a player ahead of receiving the ball. The nominated player passes the ball and runs the circle trying to beat the ball. The size of the circle may need adjusting.
From a sit – throw or roll.
Equipment
Use different balls – vary size, shape and hardness.
Use different number of balls, eg. 1 or 3.
Environment
Bigger or smaller circles.
Long Ball
Players hit the ball, off a tee, as far as possible. Fielders retrieve and return the ball.
Equipment: Marker cones to establish batting line and designated hitting area, hitting tees, bats and balls.
How to play
Mark out a batting line with a batting tee.
Mark out designated areas for the ball to be hit to: marked lines, cones, fence, etc.
Commence hitting.
Fielders catch or stop the ball and throw back to home.
Safety
Ensure adequate space for the number of players.
Modifying Long Ball using TREE
Teaching style
No standing around – multiple batters can hit on a teacher's signal.
Encourage fielders to develop teamwork.
Fielders should move towards the ball, not wait for the ball to come to them.
Batters should look and decide the best place to hit the ball depending on where fielders are positioned.
Use player role models to emphasise an effective side-on batting stance, good ball placement and effective fielding.
Rules
Provide targets at different distances, with different values.
Equipment
Include a variety of bats e.g. different sized tee-ball bats, plastic bats, paddle bats.
Use larger, slower balls to reduce speed of the game or smaller, faster balls to speed it up.
Introduce softball gloves if available.
Environment
Increase or decrease the playing area. Increasing the size gives fielders a bigger area to cover, decreasing will reduce scoring options.
Tee Ball
A modified game that develops striking, catching, fielding and throwing skills as a lead up to baseball or softball.
Equipment: Suitable indoor or outdoor playing area, tee-ball bat and ball or alternatives (see Equipment), batting tee, base markers—these should be flat strips or discs
How to play
Divide into teams of 6–9 players.
Allow one ‘good’ hit for each batter, i.e. hit between the angle of home, first and third base. • One fielder is allowed inside the bases.
If a fielder in possession of the ball touches the base a batter is moving to then the batter is ‘out’.
No ‘tagging’ of players.
Players on a base can move to the next base when a ‘good’ hit is made.
The ‘3 out, all out’ rule does not apply. Each team bats for 5 minutes, then swap over.
Umpire calls each batter to the home plate and calls ‘play ball’ and raises a hand to start play.
Safety
Bats must be dropped and not thrown.
Umpire to remove tee after batter has hit the ball.
Backstop must not stand too close to the batter.
Waiting batters remain in ‘safety zone’ to the rear of the batter.
Modifying Tee Ball using TREE
Teaching style
Encourage fielders to develop teamwork and think about which base to throw the ball to.
Fielders should move towards the ball, not wait for the ball to come to them.
Batters should look and decide the best place to hit the ball depending on the positions of fielders.
Rules
Assistance to batters can be provided by:
- Wheelchair players having someone help push them around the bases
- A support person shadows or guides them around the bases
- A ‘runner’ who runs the bases after the ball has been hit.
Create a zone in the ‘in field’ (in front of batting tee). Fielders are not allowed into this area and must wait until the ball stops or passes through the zone. This will allow more time for players to reach first base.
Equipment
Include a variety of bats e.g. different sized tee-ball bats, plastic bats, paddle bats.
Use larger, slower balls to reduce speed of the game or smaller, faster balls to speed it up.
Introduce softball gloves if available.
Environment
A second set of bases can be set up inside the diamond to allow players with less mobility to achieve success.
Increase or decrease the playing area. Increasing the size gives fielders a bigger area to cover, decreasing will reduce scoring options
Tee Ball awards
Teachers may choose to award students with certificates for their involvement in the Tee Ball unit.
Certificates available for download include:
Reflection
2 stars and a wish
Ask students - what are 2 things you feel you did well today?
What are you going to try and improve on next week?
Students can answer reflection questions as a whole class, small group or in pairs.
