Games, Contests, and Relays Final Thoughts:

This semester in the games, contests, and relays course I had an amazing experience! Not only did I have tons of fun but I also learned a bunch of new things that will be very beneficial for my future career path as an elementary school teacher. Over the semester I learned how to incorporate not only the understanding and skill level of games but also how to teach children respect, teamwork, and how to help others and the community within the games as well.

Throughout the course although presenting games in front of the class was a little intimidating at first, by the time the second presentation came around I felt way more comfortable. I think it was easier the second time because I got to know the rest of my classmates a little better. Making up lesson plans for each presentation was very beneficial for me. Planning lessons is something that being a teacher consists of; having the knowledge will help me succeed in the future.

The Social and Personal Responsibility Teaching Model was the first model we looked at. This teaching model is based on helping others, effort and participation, respect, self-direction, and taking things out into the community and everyday life. This model allows children from all different social backgrounds to do well and learn in a physical activity setting. The several different levels of this model permit children/students to excel and succeed in their everyday lives.

The Teaching Games for Understanding – Teaching a Tactical Perspective was the second model that we analyzed. This model is based on fundamental progression of skills to excel in different games and activities. The main focus of this model is looking at a variety of tactical problems for different types of games. These types of games are broken into four categories: Net/Wall games, Invasion/Territory games, Target games, and Fielding/Striking games. Each category can have a different of tactical problem, to solve these problems games can be made that move from simple to complex that specifically focus on the tactical problem.

The Social and Personal Responsibility Teaching model and The Teaching Games for Understanding model can definitely be integrated together. It would be very easy to integrate both models into one game. A simple example would be just encourage students to cheer for their other teammates while they are working with simple to complex tactical problem games.

I really did enjoy working with both of these models, and I can’t wait to apply these models to any teaching, coaching, or mentoring opportunity.

Striking/Fielding Tactical Problem #2

In a striking and fielding type game many tactical problems may arise. I will be focusing on a baseball or softball tactical problem of accurately catching and throwing a ball. The key to solving or improving this problem is to focus on different catching/throwing games and activities. Here are two games that I think are appropriate and useful for focusing on accurately catching and throwing a ball:



Tactical Problem: Accurately catching and throwing a ball

Game 1: JackPot - The object of this game is to throw and catch balls that are worth different amounts of points for each one. Setting up this game is simple, the only equipment needed is some sort of ball (e.g. a baseball or a tennis ball). The teacher or leader will be the first thrower with the rest of the kids spread out all over the field or gymnasium. The teacher will yell out an amount of points before he or she throws the ball underhanded into the air for the students to try and catch the ball. For example if the teacher yells "25 points", the player that catches the ball gets the "25 points" and becomes the new thrower. The first person to reach "500 points" wins. The thrower can also call "mystery ball" and if someone catches that ball the thrower will then award the catcher with an amount of points or with "bankrupt" which starts the catchers points back at zero. This game helps students develop and work on both their throwing and catching skills. A modification you would make is change the size of the ball, using some small and some big to change up the difficulty level.
In the diagram below realistically the students would be closer together and closer towards the thrower.

Game 2: Hot Potato - This game can be played with all sorts of objects (e.g., baseball, tennis ball, bean bag, etc.). Gather everyone standing into a circle except for the "caller". The "caller" closes his or hers eyes while the rest of the players throw and catch the ball or "hot potato". When the caller says "stop"whoever has the ball or "hot potato"steps out of the circle until the next game. The game is over when only one person is left. The sole remaining player becomes the "caller" for the next game. This game encourages the children to throw and catch the ball or "hot potato" as fast as they can while still being accurate. A modification you could add is incorporating more intensity and difficulty by allowing the students to throw anywhere in the circle instead of to their left or to their right. 

Invasion/Territory Tactical Problem #1

In any Invasion/Territory type game many tactical problems can arise. Although there are several, I will be focusing on a basketball tactical problem of maintaining control and possession of the basketball. The key to solving this tactical problem is to focus on different dribbling games and activities. Here are two games that I think are very appropriate and useful for focusing on dribbling while maintaining control and possession of the basketball:

Tactical Problem: Maintaining control/possession of the basketball

Game 1: Red Light, Green Light - Have all the players line up on a base line on the basketball court or somewhere on the gymnasium floor. Each player needs to have a basketball. Tell the players to begin dribbling when the teacher or leader calls "green light", they must dribble forward towards the other side of the court or gym. When the teacher or leader calls "red light" the players must come to a complete stop holding the ball tightly in their hands. After the students get the hang of the two commands you could add some modifications. If the teacher or leader calls "yellow light" the students must dribble to their right. If the teacher or leader calls "blue light" the students must dribble to their left.
This dribbling game emphasizes continuous control and possession of the ball while dribbling in all sorts of directions. The game also requires a high level of alertness.

Game 2: Bean Bag Dribble Relay - This game resembles a relay race, with one half of the group competing against the other half. Divide the students into two separate teams, one team will line up behind the basket on the base line and the other team will line up at centre court. Pile plenty of bean bags half way between the two teams. When the teacher or leader says "start", the first person from each team will dribble forward towards the bean bags, grab one bean bag and return to their team. Encourage the students to do this without stopping their dribble. When the students get back to their teams they will pass the basketball to the next person in line and drop their bean bag in their teams bucket. Play until no bean bags remain on the court. The team that has collected the most bean bags wins. A modification you could add is to make the playing area larger and add more obstacles throughout the court before the players reach the bean bags in the middle. An example of an obstacle could be to use pylons and get the students to dribble between the cones.

Game Performance Assessment Instrument (GPAI)

            The Game Performance Assessment Instrument (GPAI) is a multidimensional system designed to measure game performance behaviours that demonstrate tactical understanding, as well as the player’s ability to solve tactical problems by selecting and applying appropriate skills. The GPAI provides analyses of individual game performance components and/or overall performance.

             Depending on the game and game category, teacher, coaches, and leaders can select one or several of the elements of the game play to evaluate the performance of individuals in that game. There are two benefits of using GPAI to assess performance; it can be adapted to various sports and game activities and, it has the ability to not only measure on-the-ball skills, but also off-the-ball skills.

            For example in an invasion type game like soccer the teacher/coach could use a GPAI to assess the children or players with their on and off the ball skills. The teacher/coach can make up a tally sheet to keep track of what the players excel at and what the players need to work on to improve their overall skill development. The tally sheet could be broken up into 3 categories of criteria; decisions made criteria, skill execution criteria, and adjust criteria. Within the decisions made criteria the teacher/leader could assess the player’s decision-making skills by assessing whether each player is making a pass to an open player, using any one time passes, and even uses a target player. These are all subcategories that would allow the teacher or coach to see if the players were making smart and quick decisions when using on and off the ball skills for the game of soccer. Within the skill execution criteria the teacher/leader could assess the player’s skill execution by focusing on whether the players are able to pass, control, tackle, shield, and shoot the ball. These are all skills that are very useful to know and understand when playing the game of soccer. Within the adjust criteria the teacher/leader could assess whether the players are able to adjust by analyzing if the players move to open spaces, move out of spaces for other players to come into, support the ball carrier, and make overlapping runs.

            The teacher/leader will observe the players throughout the whole game or activity, observing only the performance related to the decision making, skill execution, and adjusting criteria. After the observing period the teacher/leader will tally a score from 1-4 on each criteria.

Levels of Performance:

4 = Very Effective Performance: almost always observable.

3 = Effective Performance: usually observable.

2 = Moderately Effective Performance: observable in more than half of the attempts.

1 = Weak Performance: observable in less than half of the attempts.

This game performance assessment will allow the teacher/leader to have a better understanding on what areas he or she may need to take some time and help solve the players or groups tactical problem by moving from simple to complex as they improve and understand. Once the teacher/leader has done activities to improve or solve the tactical problem of on and off the ball skills the leader can reassess using the same GPAI to see if the players/students have improved.

Example of the Game Performance Assessment Instrument tally sheet the teacher/leader could use:

Student/Player Name	Decision-making	Skill Execution	Adjusting	Comments
Tina	3	2.5	4	has trouble shooting
Tony	4	3	4	shielding is difficult
Jessy	1	2	3	overall needs a better understanding
Kellie	3	2	1	has great decision skills