Time:
45 to 60 minutes
Equipment:
Spots, large and small soft balls, racquets, beanbags or Koosh balls, and small nets
1. Welcome/roll call (3 min.)
2. Warm-up
Run the lines (5 min.)
Everyone follows the leader along the lines of the court, changing forms of locomotion each time they reach a new line. Teach children the lines of the court while they:
- Take giant steps and baby steps
- Walk backward
- Stop and hop back and forth across the line
Do animal imitations:
- Hop like a bunny or kangaroo
- Walk on all fours like a bear
- Flap your arms like a bird
Slow stretches (3 min.)
Have the students stop at a spot along the line and do the following stretches while counting aloud:
- Hands reach for the sky and down to the toes
- Arm circles forward and backward
- Ready, set, stretch -- in a starter’s block position, first with the right leg extended, then the left
3. Motor skills
Beach ball passes (5 min.)
Form two or more single-file lines (instructors and parent-coaches can mix in) and use a large rubber ball or beach ball, passing it backward from player to player:
- Over the head
- Between the legs
- Alternating the pass from over-the-head to through-the-legs
Catching and throwing skills (5 min.)
Pair each child with a parent-coach and have them use a large ball to:
1. Roll the ball back and forth making the child move from side to side
2. Bounce the ball back and forth counting the bounces
3. Have the child toss the ball and catch it by himself or herself
Racquet introduction (3 min.)
Remind the children to hug their racquets and include references to a racquet’s parts during the lesson.
Racquet passes (5 min.)
Help the children get used to handling a racquet by having them first just pass it hand to hand, and then pass it:
- Around the body
- Around both legs
- Around one leg
Beanbag balance (5 min.)
Place the children in teams at the baseline balancing beanbags or Koosh balls on their racquets for the following game variations:
1. In relay fashion, have one child on each team walk to a parent-coach at the service line and return to the baseline before the next child goes
2. When they are successful, parent-coaches can move back and have the children walk farther
3. Each team can use one beanbag so the children must pass it to one another without using their hands
4. Racquet skills
Volleys (10-15 min.)
Have the children stand at a short net and show them how to touch their racquets to the coach’s hand in a high five. Then the child should use the same motion to "high five" the ball. The parent-coach stands close to the child and tosses a ball that the child can tap over the net. Count the repetitions aloud, rotate the children quickly and add targets to keep it fun. Have the children step back after several successful tries.
5. Final game/wrap-up/homework
Simon says (5 min.)
This is a great game to review the points of the day’s lesson and have the children use their imaginations. They should only obey orders preceded by "Simon says." Simon might ask them to:
- Put down their racquets then pick them up by a particular part, such as the throat or strings
- Give a pretend high five with the racquet
- Pass the racquet around their legs or waist
- Use the racquet as a guitar, spoon, canoe paddle or saw
Practice suggestion:
A great preparation for volleys is to have children bump a balloon and keep it in the air with a parent-coach or by themselves. Since outdoor conditions often make use of balloons difficult, this is a good homework assignment to give parents and children between lessons.
