Movement skills/concepts

Volleying a rebound ball, judging speed and direction of rebound, and using body parts.

Set-up

• Lightweight balls.
• Gymnasium or hall, or an outside area that has a wall.
• Children, each with a ball, spread out, facing the wall approximately 2 metres (two of a child’s giant steps) away from it.

Activity

Using a one-handed underarm action, can you …?

bounce the ball and volley it against the wall, when the ball returns from the wall, let it bounce and then catch itrepeat this sequence five times – bounce, volley, bounce, catch

• practise the sequence without catching the ball (i.e. bounce, volley, bounce, volley) as many times as you can without making a mistake (i.e. without letting it bounce twice in a row or hit the wall)
• practise striking the ball with either hand – so, if the ball comes to your right side, strike it with your right hand; if the ball rebounds on your left side, use your left hand
• repeat all of the above activities, but this time with the bump (two forearms) pattern

Can you see …?

• staying behind the line of the ball
• using quick feet to get into position
• striking with the palm of the hand
• extending legs and arms, and following through to the target

Variations

Work with a partner: Practise underhand striking to the wall, alternating the volley and bounce (i.e. your partner will volley the ball to the wall and, once the ball has bounced, the next volley is yours).