Movement skills/concepts
Kicking a stationary ball for distance, ball control, balance, and relationships (with others and equipment).
Set-up
- Cones/markers, large round or oval balls, rope for kicking line.
- Starting from the kicking line, cones/markers are spaced at 3-meter intervals across a playground or field area and are numbered in sequence so that children can see their distance and score higher for further distances.
- Children work individually and in pairs, with one ball each.
Activity: Working by yourself, can you …?
- place your ball at the kicking line, step back about two giant steps, run in and kick the ball as far as you can – note which zone your ball landed in
- practice again and try to increase your distance
Working with a partner, let’s see …
- how far each of you can kick in five kicks; add up your scores – who can kick the furthest?
- if you can kick the ball to land on the full in each of three zones that your partner chooses for you – how many attempts does this take?
Can you see …?
- introducing step–hop on the non-kicking leg
- contacting under the center of the ball
You could ask …
Where do you contact the ball to lift it for maximum distance?
What adjustments do you need to make to your kicking action to land your ball in the three different zones selected by your partner?
Variations
Add targets: Include targets, (e.g. cones, bases, hoops) in each of the zones so children are aiming for accuracy and distance.
