Ball Control: Feet

Fitness Focus: Wide Stance, Fast Feet on the Floor (Stutter Step)

Say to students:

• It’s wonderful to see that so many of you are ready to move to get stronger.
• In our warm up we are going to try to move all around the activity space while marching. 
• We will also try to move faster by using a move I’ll call fast feet on the floor. 
• These are skills that will help you with your footwork.
• Having good coordination with our feet can help to be able to move the ball well with the feet.
• Stand up so that we can try these skills all together!

Procedure:

1. Review/work through proper form for High Knee Marching: Stand strong/tall through your head and torso, Lift the knees up to waist height, while alternating with a medium hard foot placement on the floor, try to keep a rhythm together.
2. Teach/work through proper form for Wide Stance, Fast Feet on the Floor: Stand with feet more than shoulder width apart, toes and heels in line with each other, heels slightly lifted, knees bent, move the feet rapidly from one foot to the other (stuttering).

Warm Up: March, Meet, and Move with Fast Feet

This warm-up activity allows students to begin moving at a moderate pace, using the skill of high knee marching and challenges them to move at a faster pace and use fast/coordinated footwork. It prompts them to focus on working well with others to complete a task together.

Tell students that the warm up is called, March, Meet, and Move with Fast Feet.

• Explain that in the warm-up they will use their high knee marching skill to move safely throughout the activity area.
• Share that when you call aloud, meet and move with fast feet, they should stop marching and turn towards the person/s closest to them.
• Explain that they will then focus on doing the wide-stance-stutter-step/fast feet, together as quickly as they can, continuing until they hear you call out, move with your march.
• Share that after that cue, they will begin marching and moving around the general space again.
• Tell them this moving pattern will continue for one song.
• Remind them to be aware of their personal space while moving and use safe moving skills so they don’t bump/bang or slip/slide into others.
• Prompt them to work well with others they “meet up” with by cooperating and encouraging each other.

Procedure:

1. Start music to begin movement.
2. Intermittently call aloud, meet and move with fast feet. Move through activity space and encourage lots of movement.
3. Continue activity with intermittent cues for 3-5 minutes or one song.

Transition:

Ask students to place a flat palm over their heart and give a thumb’s up hand signal if they can feel the heart doing its job.

Skill Development: Instep Kick and Foot Trap

This skill development focuses on instruction and practice of kicking a ball with the dominant foot with a continuous moving approach and with a moving ball. It includes exploration of stopping a ball from moving on the ground by using a foot trap. The EPEC Classic TLP for instep kick is used for instruction and form corrections, with focus on steps 1 & 5 (Step 5 is mature form). The second grade GLO is to use a continuous running approach and kick a moving ball.

Prepare:

Say to students:

• Now let’s focus on improving our skills using our legs and feet with the ball so that you can participate well in lots of different games.
• In many games you will need to know how to kick a ball and stop it from moving while it is on the ground.
• Knowing these skills will help you feel more confident about joining in to move and play.
• We practiced these skills together last year. Let’s learn more about these skills and how we can practice and improve them.
• Remember, when we are practicing, we want to use safe equipment handling, responsibility with the balls, and want to work well with partners to have the best practice possible.

Instep Kick & Ball Trap

Explain/Demonstrate

• Ask half of the students to move safely to a space spot and stand on it.
• Then ask the other half to stand an arm’s length behind a student who is already on a spot to be their practice partner.
• Use the EPEC Classic Instep kick TLP to review and for form corrections.
• Review with students:
  • Where the instep is located on the foot (laces part of shoe).
  • How to use their non-dominant foot to take a big step beside the ball (cone), backswing with their dominant foot toward the bum, and swing their non-dominant arm and extending leg/foot to follow through to kick.
  • That their favorite foot is the one that will follow through and contact the ball.
  • Ball of foot trap to stop the ball from moving.

Practice: Ball to Wall – Stationary Ball

• Share that they will now get the chance to try their instep kick with a ball.
• Explain that it is easier to kick a ball that is still (stationary) from a standing still position, and they will be practicing it this way first.
• Demonstrate how they will try to instep kick their ball to the wall then run out to stop the ball from moving by using the foot trap on the ball. Then they may pick the ball up with their hands and re-set it for their partner to practice.
• Explain that they will continue taking turns and practicing, using your cue words to try to give the best kicks that they can.
• Position a ball in front of each student standing on a space spot.
• Ask first partners to show readiness.
• Call cue words aloud to coach them to use their best body form (e.g., ready, eyes on, favorite foot in front, big step beside, swing back to bum, arm action, point foot and follow through, run to trap, reset and switch places with your partner).
• Continue skill practice until each student has had 5-8 turns.

Practice: Ball to Wall – Run toward Ball

• Share with students that to get the ball to go farther and faster, they will try to run towards it before kicking.
• Direct them to move their space spot back approximately 10 feet from the ball and start in ready position on their space spot.
• Demonstrate how they should try to move smoothly when approaching the ball, place their big step beside the ball, and continue with their kick. (Emphasize continuous motion)
• Share that this skill takes a lot of practice to do well, so it may feel a bit tricky at first.
• Explain that the more they practice the more comfortable it will feel and look.
• Ask first partners to show readiness.
• Call cue words aloud to coach them to use their best body form (e.g., ready, eyes on, favorite foot in front, move/run smoothly, big step beside ball, swing back to bum, arm action, point foot and follow through, run to trap, reset and switch places with your partner).
• Continue skill practice until each student has had 5-8 turns.

Transition:

Ask students to low-five or pinky shake with their practice partner, return their ball to the designated spot, and sit down in their team position.

Purposeful PLAY: Fun Forest Adventure Tag: Leaping Hot Lava, Stopping Big Boulders

This tag game activity allows students the opportunity to continue to practice their dominant foot kick, foot trap, favorite foot balance, favorite foot leap and previously learned locomotor skills. It prompts them to use their creativity and imagination while they have fun interacting and cooperating with each other. It allows an opportunity for the teacher to assess the skill of instep kick.

Procedure:

1. Tell students that in this activity called Forest Adventure Tag: Leaping Hot Lava, Stopping Big Boulders they will be using a variety of locomotors, including leap, foot trap, and kick, and their favorite foot awareness to have fun, move around, and improve their skills.
2. Set up cones to cone off an area at the end of the activity space. Place one medium sized foam ball in this area. This will be the “show what you know” practice area for students to show the teacher their instep kick.
3. Share that they are going to pretend they are moving outside in a varied landscape. (e.g., out in a forest with tall trees, big boulders/rocks, erupting volcanos, mountains, etc.)
4. Explain to students that this will be a tag game. When the music is on, they should move around the activity space using all their locomotors and try not to get tagged.
5. Tell them there are areas of the activity space (forest) that are going to have “boulders,” “prickly pinecones,” or “hot lava” flowing through.
   • If they come to a hot lava lane (jump rope), they should try to leap over it without letting any part of their foot dip into it. (Review with them that when leaping, they should leap from their kicking foot to their non-kicking foot)
   • If they come to a ball (boulder) they should stop it by trying a balanced foot trap on top of it for twenty counts.
   • If they approach a smaller type of ball, they should try to kick it out of the way with their favorite kicking foot because it is a “prickly pinecone”.
6. Share that they should be using all their safe moving skills to move to all areas of the forest without bumping/banging into any other forest friends and without getting tagged.
7. Explain to students that they can keep themselves safe from getting tagged by hooking arms with another forest friend and balancing on their favorite foot for 20 counts.
8. Remind them that this will take cooperation, to balance together without causing each other to fall over. Demonstrate with a student.
9. Explain that if they do get tagged, they will safely move over to the kicking practice area to show you their instep kick. Students should raise their hand in a “high-five” sign once they are tagged and exiting the activity space. This will help ensure that the tagging students don’t try to re-tag a player. Explain that they should stand against the side wall in a line until it is their turn to show you their skill.
10. Ask quick recall questions:
    • What skills are we using? (Locomotors, leap, foot trap, kick, favorite foot awareness)
    • Which skill are we using to get us over the hot lava? (Leap)
    • Which foot are we focusing on when balancing with a friend? (Favorite foot)
    • What should you do if you approach a ball? (Stop the ball with a foot trap for 20 counts)
    • Where will you go if you get tagged?(Kicking practice area)
11. Start music to begin activity. (Upbeat sounds of nature music would be motivating)
12. Check student’s skill in the kick practice area and reteach as needed.

Transition:

Ask clean-up crew to pick up and organize all equipment. Ask all others to lock arms with someone and begin walking throughout the activity space.

Cool-Down: Walk Together, Work Together

Procedure:

1. Ask students to walk in pairs for this activity called, Walk Together, Work Together, interlocking one arm with each other, throughout the activity space for 30 counts.
2. Ask them to stop, turn to face each other and reach high to the sky, touching their fingers together at the top and hold for 20 counts. Ask them to place their feet apart and stretch low toward their toes for 20 counts.
3. Ask them to interlock arms again and march in place for 20 counts.
4. Ask students to sit down on the ground facing each other, place the bottoms of their feet to their partner’s and stretch toward their toes for 20 counts.
5. Ask students to take two deep breaths, then call aloud, thank you fitness friend, to their partner/classmate.

Transition:

Ask students to use safe moving skills to line up to leave. Ask clean- up crew to collect/organize equipment used.

When students are lined up, quiet, and showing body control:

Check for Understanding:

Call on 3-5 students to answer/demonstrate:

• What are some things we could do to help make our heart, beat faster, to help our heart become stronger?
• Which foot do we usually want to use to kick the ball?
• Which part of the foot is the instep?
• How did you show that you know how to work well with others during our PE time today?

PLAY at Home:

Find a ball at home that you could practice with. If a ball is not available, roll up some paper or a rag and put tape around it to make a practice ball. Try to practice your instep kick on your own. Practice running at the ball from different angles and distances and see if you can get it to go faster/farther/higher.

Celebratory Closure:

Call out in a celebratory voice: Next time we’ll continue trying to improve your ball control with your feet!

Repeat after me:

• Moving to-ge-ther. [repeat]  Moving together!
• Makes us be-tter! [repeat] Makes us better!