Twos

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Activity Overview

Participants learn about and practise working in a group to send and receive an object over a net to score the most number of points while staying within a designated area.

  • Senior (Ages 16-18)

Facility

  • Gymnasium

Materials and Equipment

  • 1 volleyball per group
  • 12 pylons per group

Safety

Inspect the activity area and eliminate potential hazards. Check that the activity surface provides safe traction. Set boundaries for the activity a safe distance from walls and obstacles. Provide a safe distance between activities.

Activity Information

Activity Set-up

  • Participants divide into groups of four. Within their groups, participants find a partner.
  • Each group sets up their activity area in the shape of a rectangle marked with 1 pylon in each corner. Use 4 pylons in a line to divide the activity area in half. Divide each side of the net into a front and back court using two pylons per side.
  • Participants set up with one pair on each side of the net and one partner within each zone.

Activity Instructions

  • Pairs volley the ball over the net and onto their opponents’ side of the court, trying to prevent their opponents from being able to return the ball before it hits the ground.
  • Each participant within a pair should hit the ball before it can be hit over the net. Participants should try to stay within their zones.
  • A group receives a point if they hit the ball to the other side and the other group is unable to return it, or if both players on the other group have not touched the ball.
  • Pairs keep track of their points and work together to gather the maximum number of points.
  • The leader ask open-ended questions to help participants refine their movement strategies and tactical solutions during the activity. Examples include: How do you decide where to send the ball in the opponent’s court to gain a point? What information can you communicate to your group member to help him/her be successful in this game? Describe how to move your body to be ready to return the ball.
Twos

Adaptations

To maximize the challenge and the fun, participants could identify their own ways to increase or decrease the challenge.

To decrease the challenge, participants could:

  • Allow 1 bounce before receiving the ball.
  • Catch the ball before sending it back to the other side of the net.
  • Choose the object they want to send (e.g., balloon, beach ball).

To increase the challenge, participants could:

  • Add a net.
  • Introduce an implement to send the ball over the net (e.g., tennis racquet, table tennis paddle)
  • Add a rule about the number of contacts each player has with the ball before returning it over the net.
  • Change the manipulation to kicking.
  • Play the game against a wall.

Pause for Learning

Throughout the activity, consider highlighting the following skills, concepts, and strategies to help participants send and receive a ball over a net to score the most number of points. Note that this list is not exhaustive, and further learning opportunities may arise during the task.

Movement Skills and Concepts

  • Manipulation skills and effort awareness: Applying a controlled force to send an object to another participant and over a net (e.g., adjusting the serving force to increase the height of the ball, allowing your group member more time to get into position)
  • Body awareness: Positioning yourself when sending/receiving a ball, and the position’s relationship to how your body is moving (e.g., knowing where your group member is positioned so that you can position yourself to cover the court)

Movement Strategies

  • Transferring and applying appropriate skills/concepts/strategies to be proficient at sending/receiving a ball to/from a group member and/or over a net (e.g., deciding when to use a volley or a forearm pass to send the ball over the net and into open space)

Living Skills

Interpersonal Skills

  • Communicating with other participants in the group to maintain control of the ball (e.g., telling your group member where you are located on the court and when you are ready to receive the ball)

Sport Connections

Contains aspects of:

Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines

For health benefits, children aged 5-11 and youth aged 12-17 years should accumulate at least 60 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity daily.

For health benefits, children aged 5-11 and youth aged 12-17 years should accumulate at least 60 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity daily.

This activity does not qualify as vigorous intensity.

Vigorous-intensity activities at least 3 days per week. This activity does not qualify as vigorous intensity.

This activity strengthens muscles and/or bones.

Activities that strengthen muscle and bone at least 3 days per week. This activity strengthens muscles and/or bones.

More daily physical activity provides greater health benefits.

More daily physical activity provides greater health benefits.