Lead Up Skills for Tchoukball

Summary

These activities will allow students to learn and practice the skills necessary to have success in the game of tchoukball.

Materials

2 rebound frames (2 mini tramps set up on edge would work as well), 6 to 12 6" gator balls, polyspots to mark the "forbidden zone"

Intended Learning Outcomes

Students will demonstrate competency in using combinations of throwing and catching, teamwork, and applying positional strategies.

Instructional Procedures

• Place the rebound surfaces at each end of the court within a semi-circle line (9 meters from frame) that represents the "forbidden zone."
• Stress the importance of the tosser getting good eye contact before tossing or throwing the ball to another person. The responsibility for a completion lays with the thrower, not the catcher. Throws must be "catchable" based on the skill level of the receiver.
• Have students warm up by jogging around the perimeter of the gym or playing area next to their partner. They will toss the tchoukball back and forth with their partner. Stress eye contact and spatial awareness.
• Split the class into two groups, one group on each half of the gym or playing surface. Give each group of students one ball and ask them to jog in general space on their half of the gym while tossing the ball to each other. They don't have to jog in a circle, they can move wherever they want to and in any direction on their half of the floor. Make sure they are getting eye contact before tossing the ball to another person. After they have experienced success with one ball, introduce another. Add more balls as their skills improve.
• In the same two groups, have students get into two lines facing one of the frames. This drill resembles lay-up lines and rebound lines in basketball. One line will have the tchoukballs and one line will be catching the balls after they bounce off the frame. Have the first person in line throw the ball off the rebound surface and move to the end of the catching line. Have the first person in the catching line catch the ball, pass it to the next person in the shooting line and then move to the end of the shooting line. After some time has passed, switch shooting and catching lines so that students can practice throwing with their other hand (or from the other side).
• Using the same catching and throwing lines, students will use both rebound surfaces for this drill. Throwers, after throwing the ball on one frame, will run to the other side of the floor and line up in the catching line.(Catching and throwing lines are on opposite sides of the floor on each rebound surface so that students get practice from both sides.) Catchers will go to the throwing line on the same frame and same side of the floor.

Strategies for Diverse Learners

• Use a bigger ball
• Allow the ball to bounce once before being caught.
• Make the "forbidden zone" smaller.

Bibliography

Adapted from AAHPERD convention 2006; Tchoukball presentation