EPHE 437 - Net Games

Throughout the I can start a point assignment, it connected well with my first goal because we learnt how to structure a game with adaptation in the play practice play modal. I wanted to improve my understanding of the scientific and knowledge principles underlying net games (in this example, Tennis) and develop my ability to teach them to students. I learnt in this assignment the importance of intentional progression. In my original game, they incorporated a bunch of different elements. For example, it started with a serving game, and then the practice was more rally and then the end game was monarch. After thinking more about progression and what the actual purpose of the game was, I realized I needed to start with the goal, which is starting at a point, then figure out what I wanted students to learn, which was the trophy serve. That filled in the practice section, and then for the game and progression, I started with a game that had lots of serves and few rallies and then the progression was taking the serving element we practiced and applying it in a more game-like setting. This lesson was much more purposeful than my original idea because of the way I focused on the purpose of the lesson while keeping in mind the progressions and play practice play modal.

Through doing my reflection, I noticed that I was not focusing on returning to home base. This connects with my second goal, where I wanted to expand on my personal learning so that I could better instruct students. I did not realize while I was playing that my return to base needed work; however, through the recording and review, I recognized that in all 3 sports, I tended to drift towards the net, and then when someone responded with a long shot, I wouldn't have the time to respond. This jogged my memory for when I started playing volleyball, my coach used to tell us the same thing about deciding where to hit the ball in the court and how to respond afterwards. Similar to racket sports, the goal was to hit the ball either long or short, depending on the opponent's position and how long we needed to recover. Making this personal connection helped me instinctively link time and recovery, as I hadn't recognized the importance of the concept in racket sports until the reflection.

Throughout the I can rally assignment in pickleball, it connected strongly to my first goal of better understanding the scientific and discipline knowledge behind net games and being able to teach those ideas, not just play them. In this task I had to think about how to design a Play–Practice–Play sequence where the whole purpose was building consistent rallies and smart shot choices, instead of just smashing winners. I learnt that if the goal is rallying, then everything in the lesson has to support that: the adaptations, the progressions, and the technical cues. At first my game ideas mixed drives, dinks, and winning shots without a clear focus. After working through the assignment, I restructured it so the opening game exaggerated long, cooperative rallies, the practice focused on cues like impact point, grip, and hitting zone to keep the ball in play, and the final game slowly added more pressure while still rewarding sustained rallies. This made the lesson feel much more intentional, because students would experience why control and positioning matter before worrying about power. Overall, the I can rally assignment helped me see how tactical ideas like time and space link directly to the way I design tasks and explain cues to learners. 

The I can play net badminton assignment built on the same goals but shifted my focus to the specific tactical and biomechanical demands of playing at the net. I wanted to understand how concepts like time, space, and force show up in net play, and then design a Play–Practice–Play lesson that would help students actually feel those ideas. In my first version, the activities did not clearly target net skills; they mixed in too many lifts and smashes. After reflecting, I redesigned the sequence so the initial game exaggerated tight net exchanges, forcing quick reactions and early contact. The practice then broke down key biomechanical cues such as split step, chassé step, lunge, impact point in front of the body, and racquet-face control. The final game asked players to apply those cues in more open rallies while still rewarding winning points at the net. I learnt that by starting with the tactical purpose (dominating the net) and then layering in the technical pieces, the lesson became much more purposeful and easier to explain. This assignment helped me see how I can use modified games and simple cues to teach students not just how to hit a net shot, but why controlling the net changes the whole rally.