Week 1 - T-Ball

Skill focus: Hitting

Session equipment:

markers or cones
bats
foam balls/tennis balls (or similar)
hitting tees

Download T-Ball - Week 1 activity card to support teaching before and during the sport session.

Fast start - Ready, set, go

Equipment: 8 markers to set up playing area.

How to play:

Students scatter in the playing area. On the teacher’s signal, they start running around in the space. Students are given the following instructions to respond to:
- Red –freeze on the spot
- Yellow – leap around the area
- Green – run around the area.

CHANGE IT!

Increase the complexity of the three movements. For example, jumping jacks, high plank, and balance on one leg.
Decrease the complexity of the three movements, (eg. balance on one leg, clap hands, do arm circles).

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.
Once the teams are determined you can add the team and student names to the T - Ball draw template.

Activity 1 - French Baseball

Equipment: Marker cones to establish batting line, fielder free zone and fielding zone, baseball bat and foam safety ball

How to play: A ball is thrown to a catcher. The thrower runs to take the place of the catcher and the catcher in turn runs to join players at the thrower’s line.

Create a fielder free zone in front of the batter.
The batter stands with feet together and holds the bat in front of the legs.
Fielders throw the ball underarm and the batter hits in any direction.
The batter is out if the ball is caught on the full or they are hit on the legs.
Ensure more mobile players pass the ball to a less mobile player so everyone has a “touch” of the ball over the course of the game.
Ensure players adjust the speed of the pitch so less mobile players can hit the ball

Adapted from French Cricket - Playing for Life Activity Card

Activity 2 - Long ball

Equipment: Marker cones to establish batting line and designated hitting area, hitting tee’s, bats and balls.

How to play: Hit a ball as far as possible to a designated area.

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 retrieve the balls.

Activity 3 - Continuous tennis

Equipment: Playing area with net or alternative (such as a marked ‘no-go’ area or a bench), one bat per player, tennis ball or similar for each group, markers or tape.

How to play: Players in small groups hit a ball over an obstacle and run to the back of the line making way for the next player to receive a ball and hit it.

Start with underarm hits.
After the first ball is hit, the player moves to the right and then to the back of the line.

Continuous Tennis - Playing for life activity card

Safety:

Provide sufficient space between groups.
A clear strategy to control player/space movements is important. Hitting players peel off to the right and team-mates stand behind a marker, e.g. tape on the ground.
The next player waits until the hitter has moved to the right before stepping up.

Activity 4 - Target tee

Equipment: Hitting tee’s, safety whiffle balls, target (i.e. cones, specific target zones, fence).

How to play: Batter hits a ball off a hitting tee to a specific target area.

Depending on team sizes, place enough hitting tee’s along a straight line, every player should have their own tee.
If possible, provide each player with around 10 whiffle balls.
Place a chosen target approximately 15-20m from the hitting tee.
Allow players to hit all balls and provide coaching where necessary.

Modified small-sided games

It's time for competition!

Teams compete against each other in the game outlined below. You can use the T - Ball draw. as a guide to organise the competition, across the 4 sessions try to ensure each team has a fair number of games.

Allocate 3 points for a win, 2 points for a drawer and 1 point for a loss for each game played. Record results and points in the School sport program results spreadsheet.

Remember, to give students an update of the leader board each week.

Hit 4 and go

Equipment: A suitable indoor or outdoor playing area as shown, range of bats, racquets and balls (sponge balls, softballs or tennis balls), marker cones (for running and playing area), batting tee(s)

How to play: A batter hits 4 consecutive balls into the field and then runs between marker cones as many times as possible. When the fielders have returned all 4 balls they call out “STOP!” (6 or more per group).

2 teams - batters and fielders.

Batter

Hits 4 balls, one after the other, into the playing space.
The balls to be hit off tees.
When the last ball is hit, the batter runs between the marker cones as many times as possible.

Fielders