Week 1 - Softball
Skill focus: Catching and throwing
Session equipment:
Markers or cones
Tags
Softcore balls (or similar)
Softball gloves
Bases
Targets
Buckets
Download Softball - Week 1 activity card to support teaching before and during the sport session.
Fast start - Capture
Equipment: 8 markers (to set out playing area), 4 sets of 8 braids or similar (4 different colours).
How to play:
Four students are designated taggers who each wear a different coloured braid. The rest of the students are 'free'.
The taggers chase the students who are free and attempt to tag them.
When a free student is tagged they then put on a braid of the same colour worn by the student who has tagged them and become a tagger.
The aim is to tag the most students and create the biggest team.
CHANGE IT!
Vary the size of the playing area.
Use equipment while moving around the playing area (eg bouncing a ball)
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 Softball draw template.
Activity 1 - Pairs passing
Equipment: 1 Softcore ball (or similar) per pair, 1 glove per player
How to play: Players form pairs. On your signal, players throw to each other for 30 seconds. At the end of 30 seconds, the player with the ball moves to form a new pair. Throwing starts again.
Pairs distribute themselves and wait for the signal ‘go’.
Pairs throw the ball to one another overarm at their own rate for 30 seconds.
At the end of 30 seconds the player without the ball moves to find another player with a ball. The activity is repeated.
Activity 2 - Hit the target
Equipment: Softcore balls (or similar), targets
How to play: Targets are set up away from a throwing line. Players score points by throwing a ball at the targets. (Play in groups of 3 or 4, or as individuals.)
Players throw a ball to hit or land in targets.
Each player has a set number of throws (e.g. 2).
Play is stopped to re-position targets that have been knocked over.
Activity 3 - Long throw
Equipment: 1 softcore ball (or similar) per pair, 1 glove per player
How to play: The ball is thrown between two players. If the ball reaches the catcher on the full, both the catcher and the thrower step back. If it is dropped, both take a step forward. Use a softball glove to catch.
Players catch the ball using a softball glove.
Distribute one ball per pair.
Use 2 markers to establish a ‘gate’ that the ball has to pass through.
Players are equidistant from a marker.
Activity 4 - Keep the ball up
Equipment: 1 softcore ball (or similar) per group, 1 glove per player
How to play: A group of players try to keep a ball off the ground by throwing it to each other. Players throw flyballs to one another, and catch them using gloves (Play in groups of 3 or more.)
Players throw flyballs to one another, and catch them using gloves.
Allow enough space between groups to throw and catch fly balls.
Modified small-sided games
It's time for competition!
Teams compete against each other in the game outlined below. You can use the Softball 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.
Beat the bucket
Equipment: 3 softcore balls, 4 markers to define a playing diamond, bucket in the middle of the diamond (or use a hoop), gloves
How to play: A base-runner hits 3 balls into the field and then attempts to run around 4 markers before fielders place all 3 balls in a bucket and call ’STOP!’.
Runners
Throws 3 balls to either the out-field or in-field.
Runs to first base as soon as the third ball is thrown and continues to the next base until a fielder calls ‘STOP!’
The new runner starts at home base.
Fielders
Gather balls and throw them to one of the fielders on the bases.
Base-fielders run the ball to bucket in the centre of the diamond.
When all 3 balls have been returned to the bucket, a fielder calls ‘STOP!’
Players field the ball using gloves.
Scoring
Each home run = one point.
Points are totalled for the team.
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.
