Week 4 - T-Ball
Skill focus: Base running and moving
Session equipment:
Markers or cones
Bats, foam / tennis balls (or similar)
Hitting tees
Targets (bins, stumps, buckets)
Buckets
Bases
Download T-Ball - Week 4 activity card to support teaching before and during the sport session.
Fast start - Run on the spot
Equipment: 8 markers (to set out playing area).
How to play:
Students move around in the playing area until the teacher signals an action. The action is performed vigorously for 15 seconds. Actions can include:
fast jogging, high knees, heel flicks, swinging arms, jumping, jumping jacks, skipping on the spot, clapping hands, crazy dancing, burpees, push ups.
CHANGE IT!
Vary the size of the playing area.
Increase the amount of time allowed to perform an action.
Skill development games
Activity 1 - Get the ball
Equipment: Marker cones to set up a field with lanes, various types of balls (baseballs, foam, tennis etc) or small bean bags.
How to play: Players run to opposing team’s area and steal a ball, the first team to get a total of 5 balls wins.
Set up a field approximately 15-20m in length with enough lanes to accommodate for the number of players per team.
Split the players up into teams of two. Each team should have one player at either end of the field.
Allocate players on opposite sides of a playing area with 3 balls.
Players run to the other side and steal one ball at a time.
The winner is the first player to increase their total to 5.
Activity 2 - Target throw and run
Equipment: 1 batting tee per group, 1 bat per group, 1 tennis ball (or similar low-impact ball) per group, target.
How to play: One person hits a ball at a target and then runs to a base and back before fielders place the ball on the batting tee. (Play with 5 or more.)
Players hit the ball off a batting tee at a defined target.
The fielders collect and throw the ball to team-mates and attempt to place it on the tee before the batter returns.
If fielders beat the batter, the batter becomes a fielder and the fielder the new batter – ensure all fielders have a turn.
Activity 3 - Base to base relay
Equipment: Base plates or cones
How to play: Two teams have a “relay race” against each other around all of the bases.
Set up a baseball diamond with base plates spaced at correct distances apart.
Divide players into two teams.
Place an equal number on each base.
A runner from home runs to 1st base who tags their fellow team member who then repeats the process until the final team member reaches home plate.
Activity 4 - Underarm return relay
Equipment: Markers to identify starting line, midway line and turning point, tennis balls.
How to play: Players run to a point, return and on the way back pick up a ball and throw it underarm to the teammate next in line. This pattern continues. (Play with 4 or more).
Mark a starting line and a midway line, and place a distant marker to run around (turning point).
Form teams of 4 - 6 players.
Place the ball on the midway line.
Player 1 runs around the turning point and back towards the team, picking up the ball on the midway line.
The ball is thrown underarm (or overarm) to player 2, player 1 joins the end of the team.
Player 2 runs to the midway line, deposits the ball and continues to the turning point, then runs back, picks up the ball and throws it underarm to player 3.
Continue until player 1 is again at the head of the line.
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.
Chook chase
Equipment: Base plates, hitting tee, bat, tennis balls (or similar) and container to store balls.
How to play: A player from a batting team hits a number of baseballs in foul territory, the batter then tries to run around all the bases while the fielding team retrieves all the balls to a container at home plate.
Set up a standard baseball diamond.
Fielding team sits in designated area in foul territory while each hitter in turn hits given number of balls (at least as many as number on fielding team).
As soon as hitter hits last ball, the player starts to run around bases while fielding team retrieves balls and returns them to a container at home plate.
No throwing permitted – fielders must pick up the ball and run it back to the container.
Continue process until all hitters have had a turn at bat.
Scoring
Hitter gets one point for every base reached prior to last ball going in bucket.
Reflection
TAG
Ask students to form pairs with a student from their team.
Inform students they are going to give feedback to their partner using 'TAG'.
Tell your partner something they did well in today's session.
Ask your partner the questions:
Where is the best place to field?
Where is the best place to hit the ball?
Give your partner some feedback on a skill or tactic they could focus on during next weeks session.
