Warm-up/Introductory Activities:

 

 

1.   The Gauntlet

            This game can be played outside on the fields or it can be set up in the gym with the proper safety precautions put in place.  The equipment needed for this activity is small cones, or pieces of paper taped to the floor.  The teacher puts the pieces of paper in a random pattern on the gym floor within a given area of play.  The class is split up into two teams, with one team standing on the paper and the other team running through the gauntlet.  The players are trying to get to the other end of the gauntlet without getting touched by the players standing on the pieces of paper.  The players on the paper must keep one foot touching it when they are trying to tag the runners.  Each time a runner gets through the gauntlet their team gets a point.  As the students become better at this game it can be made more challenging by not letting the players on the pieces of paper move at all.
            This activity involves fitness blasts and is designed to warm up the student’s bodies and provide increased blood flow to the major muscle groups.  It will help to loosen their joints and allow for a greater range of motion through their golf swing.  

 

2.   Noodle Hockey

            This activity is more geared towards an indoor gym setting.  The equipment needed for this activity are hockey nets, pool noodles, and a small ball (whiffle ball or indoor hockey ball).  The gym is set up the same as you would for indoor floor hockey, with the same boundaries.  Some extra rules and safety precautions must be put in place to avoid students batting at each other with the pool noodles.  The rest of the rules are the same as for floor hockey, but the students have the extra challenge of using a pool noodle instead of a hockey stick.     

            This activity is intended to be a fun way for the students to warm up and increase their blood flow to the working muscles.  It involves fitness blasts and some endurance depending on the length of time that the students play for. 

 

3.   Shipwrecked

            This is an excellent endurance based warm-up activity.  It can be played inside or outside using the lines on the gym floor or field as the boundaries.  Students begin in a scatter formation and move according to the direction given. The following directions indicate which part of the ship the students should run to, taking into account the safety line so as not to be running straight into the gym wall. 

BOW-The front of the ship

STERN-The rear of the ship

STARBOARD-The right hand side of the ship

PORT-The left hand side of the ship

INSPECTION - Line up in a straight line facing the instructor without moving and salute

SHARKS - Students run to the center of the gym or playing area so that sharks can't get them

HIT THE DECK- Students drop down to a push-up position and perform push—ups

Once students get the hang of the directions, a few students can be pulled out of the mix and they put pinnies on

and go to the center of the playing area.  Now, each time a direction is called these students try to tag others

and if successful, they pass on their pinnie and the tagged student becomes the pirate while the other student returns to

the larger group.

 

4.   Bump

 

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            This activity can be played either inside or outside, however if it is to be played outside it should be modified to have the students standing up and just linking arms at the elbows or holding hands.  For this activity students get themselves into pairs, (a group of three will work as well if needed), and lay down on their stomachs next to each other covering the gym floor.  Two students are left standing up and one of them becomes the ‘it’ player and tries to tag the other student.  The student being chased can lie down next to one of the pairs on the ground to become safe and then the student on the other side must then get up and try to avoid being tagged. 

If student A was chasing student 1 and 1 lied down next to the pair of 2 and 3, student 3 would then have to get up and try to avoid being chased by student A.

If student A tags the student s/he is chasing then they simply reverse who is the ‘it’ student and continue the game. 

            After an amount of time when the game is stopped the students will be very warm.  Caution must be taken with the students sliding head first into a pair in order to avoid being tagged.  If you have a large class it may be better to split the gym up and have two games going at the same time to increase each student’s participation.  

            This activity is endurance based with fitness blasts.  It is important that the teacher be aware of the numbers of students so that they can maximize their movement time and get properly warmed up.    

 

5.   Relays

             These can be done in any number of ways.  The class should be split up into teams of  4-6 and the number of teams will depend on the number of students in the class.  The teams will line up at one end of the gym or field and will race to perform whatever tasks the teacher has set up.  Ideas could be; having the members of the team piggyback each other around a course, having to run to a designated line and back balancing a beanbag on your head, doing the crabwalk, having to set up bowling pins using only their feet, and almost anything else you can imagine.  The teacher will have to evaluate each of the activities before hand in order to take the proper safety precautions.

            This activity involves fitness blasts and may also help loosen up the joints and increase range of motion depending on the activities that the students take part in.  

             

6.   Chain Tag

            This activity can be played in the gym or out on the fields, but if playing outside a boundary line of where the students are allowed to run must be predetermined.  One student begins as being the ‘it’ player and the others simply try to run away from him/her.  If s/he tags another student they hold hands and try to tag other students with their free hands.  As each person is tagged they join the chain and it keeps growing until only one student is left. 

            This activity involves endurance as well as fitness blasts.  Precautions must be taken to make sure that the students are not whipping each other around on the chain, or trying to run through the chain and possibly getting choked.  By the end of this game the students will be warm and have increased blood flow ready for stretching.

 

7.   One Behind 

            This activity can be done either inside or outside, all you need is a stereo to play music.  The students spread

themselves out, making sure that they can all see the teacher.  The teacher leads the class in exercises, with the class staying

one exercise behind the teacher.  The teacher begins performing an exercise or stretch as the students stand at attention. 

When the teacher switches to a different exercise the students begin performing the exercise the teacher did previously, and

continue until the teacher switches to a new exercise.  Once the students have the hang of the game you can take turns who is

going to perform the next exercise.  Be creative and use the music for movement. 

            This activity has no limits other than your imagination.  If you have lots of space incorporate exercises that get the

students moving around more to make the warm up more aerobic, and then incorporate some flexibility exercises. 

 

8.   Poison Poison

This activity is best suited to an indoors setting so as not to have balls being lost on the fields.  Equipment needed will be 2 foam balls of one colour and 4-6 foam balls of a different colour.  The students spread themselves out around the gym and the teacher releases all the balls.  The 2 balls of one colour are the magic balls, and the 4-6 balls of the other colour are the poison balls.  Students throw the poison balls at each other trying to hit below the waist, and once hit must sit down and wait for someone to throw them the magic ball.  They must catch the magic ball, stand up, and then throw the ball to another student who has been hit and is sitting down.  Variation: when hit the students perform stretches or exercises until they are rescued.

This activity incorporates endurance as well as various strength aspects.  If played safely it provides the students with a fun challenge.  Depending on the number of students in a class the teacher may choose to use more or fewer balls.

 

9.   Stone, Bridge, Tree

            This activity can be played either indoors or outside on the fields.  Students work in groups of four and adopt the role of a runner, a stone (crouched down), a bridge (standing legs wide apart) and a tree (standing hands raised).  The runner jumps over the stone, crawls under the bridge, runs around the tree, and then crouches down to become a stone.  The player who was the first stone then gets up and crawls under the bridge, runs around the tree, jumps over the stone, and then becomes a bridge.  It looks similar to the game of leapfrog, and the students keep going until they reach the end line.  The students can be broken up into teams of 4 and can race each other to the end line. 

            This activity is great for body awareness.  You have to make your body form into different shapes and sizes while still focusing on the game. 

 

10.   Shower Ball

            This activity is best suited to an indoor setting so as not to have balls being dirtied or lost outdoors.  The students are split up into two teams each on one half of the gym with a dividing center line.  A number of foam balls (20-40) are placed in the middle of the gym and the students start from the back wall on the respecting halves.  The teacher calls out ‘shower ball’ and the students run to get the balls.  Each team tries to get rid of the foam balls by throwing them to the other side, not at each other.  Teams continue until the teacher blows the whistle or yells ‘freeze,’ and then no balls may be thrown.  The two teams count up the number of balls remaining on their side, and the team with the fewest balls wins.  Then the game can begin again.

            This activity is great for warming up the student’s arms before they play a game of golf.  It incorporates their whole bodies and provides them with a fun challenge.

11.   Partner Stretching

            This activity can be performed in the gym or on the field, however if it is being done outside students may want to bring a coat or towel to sit on.  Students should be warmed up before stretching by taking part in one of the above activities or another one of their choice.  The students will arrange themselves into pairs and number themselves one and two.  The one’s will lead first and the two’s will follow and then they will switch.  The pair should perform stretches that incorporate their entire bodies, but should be sure to pay particular attention to their necks, shoulders, arms, trunk, and hips. 

            The stretching is an important step not to be missed before playing a round of golf.  The teacher must make sure that s/he properly warms the students up before stretching so that they will receive the most benefits from it.  The stretching is an important step before the game to increase flexibility and make sure that all the joints are ready to be used through their full range of motion.   

 

12.   Group Stretching

            This activity can be done either indoors or outside.  The class forms a circle all facing each other and they either follow one leader through full body stretches or they each take a turn being leader as they move around the circle stretching.  This activity should only be done after the students have done a more aerobic based warm up and have increased their body temperatures.

            The stretching is an important part in making sure that the student’s bodies and joints are ready to be put through their full range of motion when playing a golf game.
 

 

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