Movement skills/concepts
Rolling backwards, body and space awareness.
Set-up
Mats, slope, crash pads.
Activity 1: Rolling backwards over the shoulder
- Sit on a level mat with your knees bent. Raise your arms, with the palms of your hands up and your fingers pointing backwards over your shoulders. Hold this position, then rock back to balance on your shoulders, putting your hands on the floor to support yourself. Hold for 4
- Backward shoulder roll down a slope. Sitting on top of a slope, roll backwards with your knees bent and one arm out to the side. Rock backwards to bring one leg over your head between the side arm and head. Land on your knee and bring the other leg to
- Now try 2 from a squat position, bringing both legs to the side of one ear and arms straight along
- Repeat 2 and 3 on a ground-level mat. Practise rolling to one side, then to the
Activity 2: Rolling backwards
Try these on the slope first and then on a level mat.
- Start from the sitting position, pointing your hands back behind your shoulders with palms up. Tuck your chin to your chest. Push off with your toes, keep your body tucked and your back round, roll onto your back and push off hands to land on knees, then take a squat
- Repeat as above but start from a squat and progress to a straddle, then go to a standing position, finishing in the same way as you
Can you see …?
- slow, controlled action
- chin to chest
- tucked body
- round back
- folding and unfolding action
- pushing arms straight
You could ask …
Why do we need to put our chin on our chest?
What shape do you make with your back? Why is this important?
Variations
Backward roll on equipment: Try rolling on a crash pad or a box top.
Make up a sequence: Include a balance, a jump and a roll in the sequence.
COOL DOWN/ CLOSURE
Review Skill/Activity, stretching, and questions.
