Serving an Imaginary Tennis Ball in the “Favorite Sport Routine”

Many teachers have the challenge of providing brief fitness breaks in their classroom. Others may not have a gym in which to conduct physical education classes.

You can use the following activity in either situation. It requires no equipment, no special clothing, and very little space. It also gives your students the feeling of having participated in a variety of actual sports.

Conduct this activity at the front of the classroom or anywhere you have some empty floor space. You can move a few chairs aside if you need more room.

How to Conduct
In this activity, you will simulate key movements in a number of your students' favourite sports.  The equipment is imaginary, as are the actual sport situations.       

Repeat the movements for each sport three times, then march on the spot for a transition activity before moving to the next sport.

Here are some examples of key movements you can use:

• Basketball: Dribble the ball with the left, then crossover and dribble with the right, then take a jump shot.
• Badminton: Serve the shuttle, lunge forward to drop it, then smash the return.
• Baseball: Throw the pitch, then become the batter and swing and hit.
• Bowling: Take three steps then bowl the ball.
• Canoeing: Paddle with the left arm up, paddle with the right arm up.
• Curling: Throw the rock, then sweep it into the house.
• Football: Receive the hike, take three steps back, then throw the ball.
• Frisbee: Toss the frisbee, then jump up to catch the return.
• Hockey: Push a leg backwards as in skating. Skate around someone to the left, then to the right. Then take a slapshot.
• One hundred meter dash: Put the hands down to the knees to simulate a block start, then on your gun, run fast on the spot for a few seconds.
• Rollerblading: Exaggerate the arm action while pushing with the legs.
• Swimming: Front crawl, then breaststroke, then backstroke.
• Skipping: Pretend you're a boxer in the gym. Skip normally, then jump to the left and right, then double time.
• Snowboarding: Face sideways, steer to the left, steer to the right, take a jump.
• Soccer, Dribble left around a defender, then to the right, then kick the ball, then head it in.
• Tennis: Serve the ball, then forehand groundstroke the ball, then backhand the ball.
• Volleyball: Dig the ball, then pass the ball, then jump up and spike the ball.

Reference: Carol Scaini, Fun Classroom Fitness Routines, Ages 10-14, Human Kinetics, 2008.
Human Kinetics.com

Screenshot photo provided by Human Kinetics, from Fun Classroom Fitness Routines.

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