Space Jam Basketball Game

Basketball: Space Jam Game Improves Dribbling Skills

Lane Schurr 7 Brynn Mathieu

Your students will love playing Space Jam — at the same time, they'll be developing their basketball skills and fitness level. In Space Jam, students are forced to dribble with their head up and shoot under game-like pressure.

Equipment
To play the game, you'll need six to 10 basketballs, six to 10 scooter boards, one basketball goal and a whistle.

Set-Up
Divide your class into equal teams and provide every team but one with a basketball.

Teams that have a basketball line up at the far end of gymnasium in straight lines (relay style). The players on the other team are the Monstars. Each of these players takes a scooter board and reports to center-court.

Procedure
On your signal, the first player in each line attempts to dribble the length of the floor and get a shot off before the Monstars on scooter boards tag them. Obviously, this forces them to keep their head up in order to avoid the Monstars.

If a Monstar tags a dribbler before a shot is attempted she immediately returns to her team and gives the ball to the next person in line.

The game continues for a specified time period, with the team scoring the most baskets winning the game. Teams then rotate so everyone gets a turn on the scooter boards.

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Variations

Traveling and double dribble count the same as a tag—causing the player to return the ball to his line without taking a shot.
You could have a graduated scoring system. For example, a shot that hits the net scores one point, one that hits the rim gets two points and a shot through the hoop counts for three points.

References
Lane Schurr and Brynn Mathieu were elementary/middle school physical educators in the Forrestville Valley School District, in Forreston, Illinois.