TGfU Category: Striking/Fielding Games
Locations: gymnasium, outdoor space (e.g., field, tarmac)
Game/Sport Connections
Striking/Fielding games are activities in which players score points by striking an object and move to designated playing areas or prevent opponents from scoring by retrieving an object and returning it to stop the play. By playing these games, participants develop skills and tactics to play other striking/fielding games or games that require the application of similar skills, concepts, and strategies (e.g., baseball, cricket, rounders, softball).
Activity Overview
Participants learn about and practise sending an object toward a target using a striking implement. Participants learn about and practise fielding an object to prevent scoring.
Key Movement Skills, Concepts, and Strategies
Throughout the activity, consider highlighting the following skills, concepts, and strategies to help participants strike and field an object. Note that this list is not exhaustive and further learning opportunities may arise during the task.
Movement Skills and Concepts
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Manipulation skills and effort awareness: applying an appropriate force to strike an object in a specific direction and to a specific location (e.g., batting an object with a strong force if the target is far away, batting with less force if the target is close).
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Locomotion: moving in different directions to successfully catch the object (e.g., running and switching directions to move quickly to field the object).
Movement Strategies
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Application of skill: understanding the skills that need to be applied to be proficient in the game (e.g., batting the object with the appropriate force to get it into the target).
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Performance: demonstrating skills and techniques to be successful in the game (e.g., as a fielder, positioning the body into a ready position to be able to receive an incoming object).
Considerations
- Incorporate some or all of the variations listed in the “Variations” section while planning the activity. This will help to best meet the diverse backgrounds, identities, needs, and interests of participants and maximize the fun, inclusion, participation, and success of everyone.
- To elevate participant voice and choice, periodically pause the activity and share the variations with participants. Ask them to determine how they would like to change the activity to maximize the fun, inclusion, meaningful participation, and success for everyone. Encourage participants to add any variations of their own.
Equipment
- 1 hula hoop per group
- 1 tee or large pylon per group
- 2 – 3 implements for striking per group (e.g., paddles, flat-sided bats, larger face racquets)
- 2 – 3 objects to send per group (e.g., beanbags, sponges, soft-skinned balls, beach balls, foam tennis balls, oversized balls)
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Several cones or pylons per group to mark boundaries
Safety
- Inspect the equipment and activity area to identify and remove hazards. Check that the activity surface provides sufficient traction.
- Establish the boundaries for the designated playing area at a safe distance from walls and obstacles. Share the boundaries with participants.
- Review the safety rules and activity instructions with participants prior to the activity.
- Instruct participants to be aware of their surroundings, including the locations of other participants during play.
How to Play
- Divide participants into small groups (e.g., 3 – 4).
- Groups set up an activity area by placing a tee or large pylon on one side of their activity area and a hula hoop in front of the tee or pylon at a distance determined by the group. Groups may move the hula hoop closer or farther away from the tee or large pylon at any point during play.
- Groups use cones or pylons to mark the boundaries of their playing area.
- Groups divide up, with 1 participant at-bat and the other participants in the field, taking up their position around their hula hoop to retrieve the objects.
- The batter chooses an object to send and an implement to strike their object off the tee or pylon toward their hula hoop. Batters may switch their choice of object and/or implement for striking at any point during play.
- If the object lands inside the hoop, the batter receives a point. If the object does not go into the hoop, the batter tries to move to the hula hoop and back to their tee or pylon before the fielders retrieve the object and place it in their hula hoop. If they retrieve the object and place it in their hula hoop before the batter makes it back to the tee or pylon, the fielders each receive a point. Groups can choose the option of the batter moving only to the hula hoop to earn a point. The batter tries to accumulate as many points as possible by landing the object in the hoop while fielders work to accumulate points by returning the object to the hoop as quickly as possible. Groups may also choose to change or eliminate a scoring system.
- After the batter has had 3 chances at-bat, another group member takes a turn. The previous batter becomes a fielder.
- After a period of play, provide participants with some or all of the variations. Ask them to decide how they might change the game to enhance their fun, challenge, and success. Encourage participants to add any variations of their own.
- Consider having groups share their variations and select another variation to try with their group.
Video: Visual Depiction of the Activity Instructions
Pause for Learning
Throughout the activity, ask open-ended questions to help participants refine their movement skills, strategies, and tactical solutions. Examples include:
- As a batter, what body parts do you use and how do you move them to increase your chances of scoring when batting the object?
- As a batter, how do you control where the object is going when using different implements for striking?
- As a fielder, where and how would you position yourself to be successful at catching or fielding the object?
- As fielders, how can you work together to earn more points?
- Which games or sports have you played or know about that use similar rules and strategies to the ones used in this game?
Variations
- Use a larger target (e.g., tape, skipping rope).
- Use a hand to hit the object when batting.
