Teaching concepts and content-specific pedagogy, Teaching Physical Education for Learning (pp.281-292). Boston: WCB McGraw Hill.

By  Rink, J. (1998).

Summary by Lisa Olding

Issue/focus:

            This article provides general skills that can be used by teachers in order to provide a more balanced and effective lesson.  The author focuses on game stages, which are similar to the stages of game play discussed in class, except that they begin at a lower level of development.  The four stages mentioned by the author are:

            Stage one

·            Concern with individual skills

·           Ability to control and object

Stage two

·           Using skills in combination with each other

·           Relating movement to others in cooperative ways

Stage three

·           Basic offensive and defensive strategies

Stage four

·            Modified games with changes in the rules, boundaries, number of players, etc. – specialized positions

·           The full game

At first the author seemed to be saying that students should not move from one stage to the next until they are fully competent at the skill.  It seemed that he was advocating a traditional teaching method.  He cleared this up later in the article by stating that “it is not possible to master a stage.  Minimal levels of competency must be obtained before a student can be successful … at a higher level” (p.286).  Rink also states that all levels of athletes should experience all stages of games with a focus on stages two and three. 

Reasoning:

            Rink believes that there is a “difference between the ability to execute a skill and the ability to use a skill in a game situation” (p.286).  For this reason, teachers must employ drills that will incorporate tactics and skills.  Rink believes that it is more meaningful for students to be actively playing a game and not simply stuck in boring drills.  In order to do this, “skill development as well as game tactics development should be integrated with game play at the appropriate level of complexity” for all age groups (p.292).      

Assumptions

1.         That a school will have the resources to provide these experiences.    

This is not necessarily true, as there may be limitations due to equipment or space.  Modified three-on-three volleyball, for instance, is not always feasible. 

2.         That teachers in schools right now have the knowledge and resources to teach tactics.

Let’s face it, some of those teachers are just putting in time until retirement and really don’t care if their students have a tactical understanding of soccer.

Conclusion

            This article gives good examples of ways to adapt games in order to fit them into the stages.  For instance, a simple fielding drill for stage one is scooping up a ball that is rolled to you from a short distance.  Rink is not stating that skill drills be abolished completely, but that there is a time and a place for them.  Without a moderate level of control students will be able to participate in the following stages of game play.

Significant Information

            “Skill development out of context for a long period of time followed by game playing for long periods of time is an inappropriate approach to teaching games and sports” (292).