Physical Education Materials
Bring me back to the home page.Alternative Activities:
This is a list of activities that interest me enough to make them more known to the public. You may not find these games in a regular physical education class, but they are just as fun, age appropriate, and challenging as the more common sports like soccer, baseball, and basketball.
Pilates
According to Dictionary.com pilates are "a system of exercises that promote the strengthening of the body, often using specialized equipment". Pilates can be used to control breathing, as an alternate for physical therapy, to get in shape, to increase flexibility, to strengthen muscles or to improve mental well-being without adding muscle bulk.
This method of exercise was invented by a man called Joseph Pilates during World War I. Its is based upon martial arts, yoga, and steady breathing. Pilates can either be done by doing several floor exercises or using equipment that helps stretch your muscles as you work out.
The exercises are done in a number of different positions such as kneeling, sitting, and lying down to avoid putting strain on the heart and lungs. There is no lifting of weights involved in pilates, except optional usage of wrist/ankle weight bands. Each movement should be done slow, smooth, and under control to be sure that each movement is done correctly and with coordination.
MedicineNet.com- Origin, Benefits, General Information, Mat Exercises, and Techniques
PilatesInsight.com- Gives a list of all the equipment used in pilates and a short description of their history and what they are used for.
Pickle
Ball
Pickleball is a game that can be played in a gym or outside on any hard, flat surface. It Incorporates the skills and rules of other games such as tennis, badmitton, and ping pong. The equipment used are wooden paddles, a plastic ball the size of a baseball, and a net that is low to the ground. The set up of lines on the court resembles that of a ping pong table.
It was originally designed in 1965 outside Seattle, WA as an activity that families can play together at home. Today, people or playing the game in their yards, in YMCAs, camps, retirement communities, and correctional facialities, according to PickleballCentral.com.
It is a very easy game to follow and does not require a lot of space because the court is only 44x20 ft. In the average high school gym, about 4-6 Pickleball courts can be set up. For complete rules of the game you can go to the Pickleball website or just click here.
For more information on leagues, tournaments and more go to The Grand Pickleball Club. Also, for tips on better playing and improving your skills click here.
Ultimate
Frisbee
Bored of just throwing a frisbee back and forth? Too many people to play a simple game of catch with a frisbee? Want a more active game that includes running? These are the types of problems people run into when playing frisbee. Not many people know of the game Ultimate Frisbee though. It requires two teams, one frisbee, some running around, and a goal line.
The game was invented by Joel Silver in the early 1970s. The game was made as "a gag and an activity for their high school nights". It was originally called Frisbee Football. Today, you can find several leagues and professional Ultimate players just by simply searching on Google. The game has become very well known and is used in physical education classes as well. For a more indepth story of Ultimate click here.
There are regulation sizes of the playing feild, but if a group of people want to establish their own dimensions, the game can still be played efficiently. This is unlike games of tennis and badmitton, for example, inwhich the dimensions cannot be altered.
For ten simple rules to get started playing, put out by WhatIsUltimate.com, click here.
Team Handball
Team handball is a game that is normally played in a gymnasium, but may be played on any hard, flat surface that is 20x40m. It is a collaboration of basketball and soccer. And can be played at any age. It is an easy game to understand, but can easily be turned into a very competitive match.
There are Olympic teams that compete all over the world are presented in the summer sports. It is a popular event in the Special Olympics as well.
There are two teams consisting of 7 players and each team must have a goalkeeper at all times. It is a game of ball control and passing. Each person with the ball must dribble and take a maximum of three steps before then having to pass to their teammate to advance down the court. If a player stops moving for more than 3 seconds or takes more than 3 steps, posession is turned over to the opponent. At anytime when the ball is in play the opponent can steal the ball away on a pass, just as one would in basketball. If the ball is stolen by grabbing out of ones hands or any other violation occurs a free pass in given to the other team. If the violation is major, a penalty shot is awarded for the opponent from 7 meters away from the goal. To score, you must throw the ball into the goal from a certain set distance away from he goal. The team with the most point at the end of 30 min wins the game.
For more information on this sport, click here.
Click here for the official olympics rules, regulations, and guidelines to Team Handball.
This
page was designed and published by Caitlin Bernstein and is solely
responsible for its contents.
~ Last Updated: December 6, 2007
~ Last Updated: December 6, 2007