Athletics Challenges

A Resource Pack for Teaching Athletics

Kevin Morgan

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2013
• ISBN:
  9781136757891
• Edition: 2
• Topic: Bildung
• Subtopic: Bildung Allgemein

Athletics Challenges is a practical resource file designed to ensure that all students have a positive learning experience in track and field athletics. It provides a wide range of activities and teaching approaches to enable teachers and coaches to promote a climate of inclusion, enjoyment and challenge for young people up to and beyond the age of sixteen.

Including straightforward guidance on how to use the resources effectively, Athletics Challenges is a compendium of ready-to-use, photocopiable activity sheets to use with your students in a wide range of athletics events. 'Athletics Challenges' activity sheets provide a wide-range of running, jumping and throwing activities designed to develop physical literacy, fundamental athletic techniques and personal and social skills. 'Peer Teaching' activities for a range of athletic events aim to help improve technical understanding and to enhance social and communication skills through peer teaching. 'Technical Guidance' resource sheets ensure students develop a good understanding of the principles and techniques of running, jumping and throwing through a series of progressive activities and related questions.

Athletics Challenges is a complete kit offering an invaluable source of support and ideas for all student and practising physical education teachers, heads of departments, and training and practising professional sports coaches who want to help learners achieve their full potential and lay the foundation for a healthy and physically active life style.

Section 1
Warm-ups

This section provides examples of specific warm-up activities and a range of dynamic mobility exercises for different track and field events. Firstly, the continuous warm-up phase at the beginning of the lesson is considered. The intention here is to provide alternatives to the traditional ‘jog around the track’, which is repetitive and can result in an ego-focused class climate where running ability is emphasised rather than effective warm-up principles. Alternative examples of activity-specific continuous warm-up activities are provided in the first part of this section.

Traditionally, static stretching has been used at the beginning of sessions, following the low-intensity continuous activity. However, this interrupts the natural flow of an optimum warm-up and does not prepare the students effectively for the dynamic movements that will follow. The second part of this section, therefore, gives examples of dynamic mobility exercises to follow the continuous low-intensity phase of the warm-up.

Continuous warm-up activities

The following activities are designed to get all students working continuously for about three to five minutes without thinking about how far they are actually running and without making direct comparisons with other members of the class. Remind the students that a warm-up is not a race. The first set of generic warm-up activities are for any athletic event, and the second set are examples of event-specific warm-ups.

Generic warm-up activities

• Jogging around the outside of a marked area (approx 30m x 30m square) in single-file formation in a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction, alternating the jog with sidestepping, cross-over steps, jogging backwards, heel flicks, forward skipping, backward skipping, arm swings in circles, or any other variations. Change direction.
• Jogging anywhere in a marked area (approx 30m x 30m square), alternating the jog with side-stepping, cross-over steps, jogging backwards, heel flicks, forward skipping, backward skipping, arm swings in circles, or any other variations.
• Follow a partner anywhere in a marked area (approx 30m x 30m square), alternating the jog with side-stepping, cross-over steps, jogging backwards, heel flicks, forward skipping, backward skipping, arm swings in circles, or any other variations. Change the leader.
• Jogging on a marked zig-zag course (as below) in a single-file formation, alternating the jog with side-stepping, cross-over steps, jogging backwards, heel flicks, forward skipping, backward skipping, arm swings in circles, or any other variations whenever a new cone is passed.
• In small groups (4–6), jogging around a running track in single-file formation, taking it in turns to run to the front and then slowing down to a jogging pace.
• In small groups (4–6), jogging around a running track whilst talking it in turns to choose a topic to talk about for one minute. Change the topic after each minute.

Event-specific warm-up activities

Sustained running

• In small groups (4–6), start by standing in single-file formation in a marked area (approx 10/15m x 10/15m). On the teacher’s command, jog out of the area in single-file and estimate 15 seconds to run anywhere and return into the area. Increase the time to 30 seconds, 45 seconds and 1 minute.

Sprints

• Following a continuous warm-up activity and dynamic mobility exercises, jog forwards and, on command, drop to touch the floor with two hands and sprint for three to five strides. Repeat several times on a straight running area.
• Following a continuous warm-up activity and dynamic mobility exercises, jog forwards and, on command, turn 180 degrees with a small jump, drop to touch the floor with two hands and sprint for three to five strides in the opposite direction. Repeat several times.
• Following a continuous warm-up activity and dynamic mobility exercises, jog slowly backwards and, on command, drop to touch the floor with two hands and sprint forwards for three to five strides. Repeat several times.

Relays

• In groups of four, jogging around a running track in single-file formation whilst continuously transferring a relay baton from the back of the group to the front. When the baton gets to the front of the group the front person drops to the back and starts the baton transfer process again.
• Follow a partner anywhere in a marked area (approx 30m x 30m square). On command, try to get away from your partner.

Hurdles

• Jogging over lines of dome cones (as shown below), stepping over them with your right and left legs leading to establish a preferred lead leg.

Long/triple jump

• Jogging anywhere in a marked area (approx 20/30m x 20/30m square) with numerous dome cones randomly placed within the area, stepping and jumping over the cones using different take-offs and landings including 1 foot to 2 feet, 2 to 1, 1 to other, 1 to the same (hopping) and 2 to 2. Jumps should not be too dynamic for this phase. Practise landing safely and controlled, and don’t look down at the cones.

High jump

• Jogging around a marked area (approx 30m x 30m square), jumping off a one-foot take-off to reaching for a target, or try to head an object (e.g. a suspended football) at various points around the area. Change direction and take-off foot to establish preferred take-off.

Shot

• In groups of three, jogging across a 15/20m area in a shuttle run formation performing drills such as heel flicks, high knees, cross-over and side-stepping whilst holding a weighted ball or large ball above your head, or performing shoulder-to-shoulder pushes, chest pushes or any other variations holding the ball. Hand the ball to the next person in the group.
• In groups of four to six, standing in zig-zag formation passing a weighted ball or large ball along the line using a push pass above head height and then jogging to the end of the line to receive the next pass.

Discus

• Jogging on a marked zig-zag course (as below) in a single-file formation, alternating the jog with side-stepping, cross-over steps, forward skipping, arm swings in circles, or any other variations linked to discus throwing whenever a new cone is passed.

Javelin

• In groups of three, jogging across a 20/30m area in a shuttle run formation whilst holding a small ball performing the following drills:
  • – high knees holding the ball resting on the shoulder of your preferred throwing arm, palm upwards, as in a javelin carry position
  • – cross-over steps holding the ball with your arm fully withdrawn, palm for up, as in the pre-delivery javelin throw position
  • – alternating between high knees with the ball on your shoulder and cross-over steps with your arm fully withdrawn

Throwing game

• Following a continuous warm-up activity and dynamic mobility exercises, two teams of students standing on lines 15/20m apart, with a basketball placed on the ground equidistant from both lines (as shown below). Both teams throw volleyballs/soccer balls at the basketball, attempting to hit it over their opponents’ line using one- or two-handed ‘pull’ throws from above the head only for javelin,‘push’ throws from the chest for shot or ‘sling’ throws from the side of the body for discus.

Dynamic mobility exercises

The following is a range of upper- and lower-body mobility exercises suitable for all athletic activities. Depending on the practical focus of the lesson, students complete all the exercises in a systematic routine working from head to feet, or choose the most specific exercises for the activity to follow. The teacher introduces the exercises at the beginning of the unit and, in accordance with a mastery authority structure (Ames, 1992), students take responsibility for their own exercise routines as the teaching unit progresses. Students perform the movements described below as smoothly as possible and progress from a small to large range of movement and a slow to fast speed.

Upper body

Neck mobility:

• Flexion/extension – Tuck your chin on your chest and then lift the chin upwards as far as possible. Perform 6–10 repetitions.
• Rotation – Turn your chin laterally towards your right shoulder and then towards your left shoulder. Perform 6–10 repetitions.
• Lateral flexion – Lower your right ear towards your right shoulder and then your left ear towards your left shoulder. Perform 6–10 repetitions.

Arm swings:

• Overhead – Swing both arms continuously to an overhead position and then forwards, downwards and backwards, or backwards, downwards and forwards. Perform 6–10 repetitions in each direction.
• Front cross-overs – Swing both arms out to your sides and then cross them in front of your chest. Perform 6–10 repetitions.
• Sprint arms – With your hands cupped, resting your thumb against your first finger and your arms bent to 90 degrees at the elbow, swing your arms forwards and backwards to the side of your body repeatedly. Stop the hand at shoulder height in front of your body and drive the elbow backwards until your upper arm is parallel to the ground. Perform 6–10 repetitions for each arm.

Shoulder girdle and trunk movements:

• Flexion/extension – Slump (protract) your shoulders by tucking your chin towards your chest, then pull your shoulders back (retract), raising your chin, lifting your chest and slightly arching your back. Perform 6–10 repetitions.
• Lateral flexion – With your arms at your sides, bend sideways at the waist to your right and then to the left. Perform 6–10 repetitions.
• Rotation – With hands in front of your chest and elbows out to the sides, twist at your waist to the right and then back to the left. Perform 6–10 repetitions.

Lower body

Hips:

• Circles – With feet shoulder width apart and hands on your hips, make circles with your hips in a clockwise direction and then repeat in an anti-clockwise direction. Perform 6–10 repetitions in each direction.

Upper legs:

• Heel flicks – Standing upright or leaning against a barrier or partner for support, lift your right heel repeatedly towards your seat, whilst supporting your body weight on your left leg. Repeat for the left leg. Perform 6–10 repetitions for each leg.
• Knee lifts – Standing upright or leaning against a barrier or partner for support, lift your right knee repeatedly towards your chest, whilst supporting your body weight on your left leg....