Warm-up #1
Keep Up

Organization:    - Equipment needed - 1 large sized, bouncy ball per court
                        - Teacher divides students into groups of  5 or 6
                        - Each group is placed on one squash court

Objective:  The object of this game is to try to keep the ball off of the ground.  The ball can bounce off of as many walls and the students must run to the ball and hit it upward, to prevent it from hitting the ground.  Students learn to read the ball and how it bounces off of the walls.

Progressions:
Begin with allowing the ball to bounce once
Then progress to no bounce
Ask the students to guess how long they can keep the ball up for

Cues to the students

Keep your head up
Be aware of other students
Keep your eyes on the ball
Use quick movements

Teaching Style: Inclusion

Extensions:

-decrease the size of the ball
-decrease the number of students in one court
-add in another ball

Warm-up # 2
Shadow Tag

Organization:    - Teacher divides students into partners
                        - 3 groups per squash court

Objective:  The object of this game is to lose your partner.  One person starts at the front, this person has to run around the court, trying to lose their partner who is running behind them.  Allows the students to gain a better understanding of the size of a squash court and the space available.

Progressions:
Start with a larger space such as a basketball court so that the students understand the game before putting them in a small space

Cues to the students:

Keep your eyes up
Use quick movements
Be aware of the other groups around you

Teaching Style: Command

Extensions:
-decrease the size of the playing area
-increase the number of groups on one court
 

Warm-up # 3
4 Wall Bounce

Organization:    - Equipment needed - 1 ball per group
                         - Teacher divides students into partners
                         - 3 group per squash court

Objective:  The object of this game is to touch all 4 walls while bouncing the ball off of the wall to you partner. One partner throws the ball against the wall and the other partner catches it.  They then run to the next wall.

Progressions:
Begin with bouncing the ball off of each wall only once
Then progress to bouncing the ball to your partner continuously

Cues to the students:

Keep your head up
Eyes on the ball
Be aware of other groups
Use controlled throws against the wall

Teaching Style:  Command Style

Extensions:

Make it so that the students must bounce the ball off of the ground and their partner has to catch it
Mix it up so that they have to go to different walls, rather than in a continuos circle
When students come to a corner, they have to bounce the ball off of both walls and catch it
 

Warm-up # 4
Ball Toss

Organization:    -Equipment needed - 20 balls
                        -Teachers divides the students into groups of  3
                        -1 squash ball per group to start, progress to 2 balls

Progressions:

Verbal instructions to the game “Ball Toss” and instructions to what to do when the ball is dropped
After 1 min of practice, get the group to guess how many times they could make complete passes in one minute.
Now add in a penalty for dropping the ball. E.g. push-up/sit-up
Ask them to make another guess to how many successful passes they could make in another minute.
Now have them walking around in a circle keeping the same distance between them, and with all the new rules, have them tested for another minute.  If this is too easy, add another squash ball

Cues to the students

Keep eyes on the ball at all times, look for the yellow dot
Keep the tosses in control and accurate
Keep the ball moving at all times
Beware of the teachers cue to change direction
Be quick, but under control

Teaching Style: Command Style

Extensions:
-increase /decrease the space between the group
-change the speed of the game, see how many passes in one min, ect
-get the group walking in a circle
-each time the ball is dropped the group has to do 5 push-ups or sit-ups
-add another ball

Warm-up  # 5
Fill in the Blank

Organization:     -Equipment needed- 20 balls
                        -Teachers divides the students into groups of 2 or 3
                        -2 squash ball per group

Progressions:

Verbal instructions to the game “Fill in the Blank”
The groups now walk through the warm-up for 30 seconds
Now add in additional rules which speed the game up
Change the game to only side stepping
After completing each cycle, the student has to take a different approach to the ball

Cues to the students

Pace yourself at the start
When you feel ready the leader changes the pace
Concentrate on your footwork
Keep your feet in motion
Beware of your peers approach to the ball

Teaching Style: Command Style

Extensions:
-increase the space between the two targets
-change the speed of the game,
-change the rules to the approach to the ball
 

Warm-up # 6
Split step pick up

Organization:    - Equipment needed - 2 balls
                        - Teachers has the students line up behind the “T”
                        - All jogging on the spot

Progressions:

Verbal instructions to the warm-up “Split Step” and instructions to what to do when the ball is dropped
After 1 min of slowly going through the steps,  pick up the pace

Cues to the students

Stay on you toes and slightly off balance
Try not to commit to one side until the ball is tossed
Always light on your feet
Stay low and focus on the “Split”

Teaching Style: Reciprocal Style
-switch who will be tossing the ball

 Extensions:
-increase the speed of the ball toss to either side of the court
-use fakes to really keep the student guessing and not anticipate too much
 

Warm-up # 7
Off the Wall

Organization:     -1 ball needed
                        - All students in one group  (5)
                        - Facing the corner of the court

Progressions:

Verbal instructions to the game “Off the Wall”
The groups now walk through the warm-up for 30 seconds with controlled tosses off the front wall
 

Cues to the students

Eyes on the ball at all times
Stay light on your toes
Try to judge when the ball is going to land and get there early

Teaching Style: Command Style

Extensions:

-now speed the game up by jogging, circling around each other
-change the game to only side stepping except just before catching the ball
-now instead of tossing the ball to the front wall, use the corner of the court and toss the ball from side wall to the front wall making it more difficult
-see how many times that you can make successful tosses and catches

Warm-up # 8
Knee Slap

Organization:    -Equipment needed: four bean bags per pair.
                        - Teacher divides class into pairs
                        - Each pair takes their own space in the gym, far enough away so that they do not collide with another pair

Objective: The object of this game is to slap the knees of your partner and prevent them from slapping your knees.

Cues to the students:

Stay low
Bend knees
Keep head up

Warm-up #9
Bean Bag Lunge Game

Organization:    -Teacher divides class into pairs
                        - Each pair takes their own space in the gym, in a badminton quadrant for example.

Objective: To improve quickness, agility and works on Lunging techniques.

Cues to students:
Stay low
Lunge to the corners
Keep head up
Listen carefully for audio cues.

Extensions:
Begin slowly and progress to quicker cues.

Teaching Styles:
Practice
Reciprocal

Warm-up #10
Group "KEEP UP"

Organization:     -Equipment needed: one ball per group, and a racquet for each student.
                         -Class is grouped into groups of five or six.
                         -Each group finds an open space.

Objective: To improve hand-eye coordination, to improve social skills, improved lunging skills.

Cues to students:
Stay aware
Listen for cues
Keep eye on the ball

Extensions:
Begin with keeping the ball in the air with hands, progress to raquets.
Make the circle larger to make it more difficult to get to the ball.

Teaching Styles:
Practice
Reciprocal
Guided DIscovery

Warm-up #11
In Court Shadow Game

Organization:     Equipment Needed: A racquet for each student
                        Class is grouped into groups of two or three
                        Two groups on each court.

Objective: To improve movement on the court, to learn how to stay out of each other's way, and a good way to learn how to avoid "lets".

Cues:
Follow the leader
Stay low
Concentrate on footwork.

Teaching Styles:
Guided discovery
Problem Solving
Reciprocal

Extensions:
Switch leaders
Begin slowly and progress to quicker movements.
Begin with hitting action without racquet and progress to racquet swinging without a ball.

Warm-up #12
Off the Wall

Organization:    -Students begin alone but then partner up.
                        -Equipment needed: Racquet, and a ball.

Objective: Improve anticipatory skills and straight drives.

Cues:
Keep eye on the ball.
Concentrate on proper execution.
Footwork
Grip
Position of racquet at contact point.

Extension:
Begin by throwing the ball at the wall, progress to racquet, progress to partners.
Vary force on the ball to vary the distance off the wall.

Teaching Styles:
Guided discovery
Practice