Conference Grant Recipient: Alicia Kudryk

Reverse Football

By Alicia Kudryk

Objective: The team who successfully gets all of their players in the end zone first wins. Players get into the end zone by throwing a football to a teammate in the end zone, who successfully catches the ball. The objective of this game has similar properties to benchball, however, provides further development of throwing to a moving target and being able coordinate passing patterns. This is a great game for large PE classes (40 or more).

Grade Level:  7 to 12.  For junior high, have the students throw the short length of the gym to develop their coordination and strength.  For high school, set up the long length of the gym. Adaptations of the centre line to shorten the throwing distance can be made for any grade if students are continually experiencing difficulty throwing into the end zone.

Equipment:

• 1 football for every 5 students participating (For example, 8 footballs for 40 participants).
• Indoor gymnasium with lines to identify end zone and centre line.
• Pinnies can help distinguish teams, however, not necessary.

Set up:

Junior High (Rotate layout for high school and advanced throwers.)

• Amount of players vary depending on class size, 35 or more ideal.

Rules:

• Put half of the footballs on each side to start. Blow whistle to commence game.
• Players must throw the ball from their half to target in the endzone. Adaptation can be made for specific player if necessary.
• If ball is caught by the target, the player who threw the ball must go over to the end zone. Players can not throw for team mates.
• Players are allowed to block thrown passes as long as the do not enter the other team’s end zone.
• After a ball is caught, it must be put down for the other team, players in the end zone can not throw the ball back to their team.
• The throw counts as a catch if it does not hit the floor, walls or roof before getting to the target.
• Balls caught after hitting or bouncing off of other players count as a successful catch.
• Players in the end zone must keep feet behind line, if feet are touching the line when the ball is caught that catch is unsuccessful.
• Team will all of their players in the end zone first, win the game.

Safety:

• Starting the game with footballs on each side reduces collisions at the centre line.
• All benches and other Physical Education equipment should be clear from play area, especially the end zone.
• A lesson on awareness and keeping heads up during play is mandatory.  Students are vulnerable to getting hit with the flying footballs and other people.
• Teaching kids how to use the phrase “heads up” goes nicely with this activity.

Learning Outcomes:

• Students develop, basic and advanced, throwing and catching techniques.
• Students develop spatial awareness.
• Students develop and understand roles that help contribute to team strategies.
• Students build coordination, strength and endurance.
• Student build understanding of varying abilities in sport.
• Student practice sportsmanship in a competitive game.
• And so much more.

**Thank you Scott Staples for teaching me this game.

Conference Grant Recipient: Timmery Welsh - Lights Out

LIGHTS OUT

By Timmery Welsh, with assistance from Jade Taylor and Trinity Bellerose

Objective: To avoid being tagged or hit with a ball; to be the last student standing. The theme is similar to a Zombie Apocalypse, where there are zombies who come out only in the dark, but there are also zombies who come out only in the light. The objective is not to be tagged by a zombie at any time.

Materials: Pinnies (two different colors), 2 dodgeballs, 4 large mats

Age level: Any age level, but most appropriately for grades 4-7 (who can handle activities in the dark)

Roles:

1. Daytime zombies (two students who are ‘it’ and ‘tag’ civilians during the day. In this case, these are the two students who are running around with the lights on, hitting the other students with a dodgeball). These two zombies need to have the same color of pinnie. During the NIGHT, these zombies can’t tag anyone BUT should be sneaking around in the hiding spots to surprise the civilians when daytime is back!
2. Nighttime zombies (two students who are ‘it’ and ‘tag’ civilians during the night. In this case, these are the two students who are running around with the lights off, tagging the other students with their hands). These two zombies need to have the same color of pinnie. During the DAY, these zombies can’t tag anyone BUT should be sneaking around in the hiding spots to surprise the civilians when nighttime is back!
3. Civilians (all other students)

Instructions:

1. Choose four people to be ‘it’. Two of them have one color of pinnie on (say red) and the other two have a different color on (say blue). Decide which zombies are the daytime zombies and which two are the nighttime zombies. Let’s say blue is lights-on/daytime and red is lights-off/nighttime.
2. In the four corners of the gymnasium there need to be mats up (have them standing up if possible and about 1-2 meters away from the corner). This is an area for the individuals who are ‘it’. No one can touch these mats during the game or they are automatically ‘out’.
3. Start with the lights on (the red zombies [people who are it in red pinnies]) are hiding behind a mat in the corner. When the teacher yells ‘RUN’, everyone needs to avoid being tagged by a zombie (in this situation, those individuals wearing blue). To be ‘tagged’, these zombies can only hit you with a dodgeball. They can’t ‘tag’ with their body parts or even with a ball-they can only throw the ball and hit you in order for you to get out.
4. The teacher then turns the lights off at any time*. As soon as the lights go off, the zombies who were alive in the light (blue in this case), hide behind any mat they choose. Then the other zombies (in this case, red) come out and tag students. They tag with their hands only (normal tag rules in this situation).
5. The teacher decides when to turn the lights back on, then off, on, etc. until all individuals are out!

MODIFICATIONS:

1-Instead of everyone sitting ‘out’ when they are tagged or hit with a ball, they become zombies too (the same color as the zombie that hit/tagged them)

2-Revival #1-when a student gets ‘out’ from either a dodgeball or from being tagged, they need to come to the side of the gym where the teacher is and do a physical activity of the teacher’s choice (jumping jacks, sit-ups, push-ups, wall-sits, etc.). They have to do a certain number of the exercise to be ‘revived’ and join back in the game.

3-Revival #2-At any time the teacher may choose to revive those who are out (if it’s taking too long), by yelling ‘Revival’.

4-Revival #3-Choose a student to be the medic, who can’t be tagged by a zombie, who can save the students who get tagged by a zombie. They can drag them to safety with a roller cart, or give them a high-five, or whatever you choose to revive them back to join the game

4-To make being the zombie more difficult, possibly have them drag an item, such as a hula hoop, so they can’t tag as easily

*When the lights go off, I ALWAYS leave 1-2 lights on somewhere in the gym (equipment room, storage room, door to the hallway, etc.) for safety precautions!

Health Champions Profile: Jodi Harding-Kuriger

Jodi Harding-Kuriger

Physical Education Teacher

HPEC Conference CoChair

Long-time HPECer

What led you to pursue your career? "Teaching chose me, more than I chose it. I was not 100% committed to teaching until I did my first practicum and then I KNEW I was on the right career path. Serving students and staff made me so happy!"

What motivates you to be healthy? "My kids and students... I want to be here for them for a long time and I want to be a healthy, happy version of myself."

Is there an individual that inspires you to be healthy? "I am constantly inspired by my HPEC/EAS family! They make me want to lead a balanced and healthy life!"

What health advice would you offer to a younger version of yourself? "Find activities that you love and can do through all stages of life."

What is your favourite quote?"If you are the smartest person in the room, you are in the wrong room." --- Keep moving, keep learning

Conference Grant Winner: Kathleen Zalasky - Sink the Ship Activity

Sink the Ship (Grades 2-6)

Equipment:

-Wooden skittles or bowling pins (8)

-scooters (4)

-dodge balls

-milk crates (2)

How to Set Up:

Divide the class into two teams. Make two large, opposing rectangular playing areas using the skittles or bowling pins as corners of the rectangles. Place two scooters beside each rectangle (two per team). Place half of the dodge balls in one rectangle and half in the other. Two milk crates can be placed randomly in the “open sea”.

Objective of the Game:

Be the first team to knock down all four of the opposing teams skittles to sink their ship.

Rules:

1. Each team will begin inside their respective rectangle.
2. Two players from each team will be chosen to drive the lifeboats (scooters). Only the players on the lifeboats may leave their playing area to retrieve the dodge balls and bring them to their teammates on the “ship”.
3. Players may not leave their rectangular playing area at any time without a lifeboat. If they step out of the area at any time, they must do 10 push-ups before returning to the game.
4. Players will throw dodge balls at the opposing team’s skittles in an attempt to knock all four of them down.
5. Once a skittle has been knocked down, it must stay down. There is no guarding of the skittles allowed.
6. The only way to revive a knocked-down skittle is by successfully throwing a dodgeball into one of the treasure chests (milk crate). The players on the lifeboat may NOT throw the dodge balls into the treasure chest.
7. The team whose four skittles are knocked down first must all complete 10 push-ups and the game will begin again.

Extensions:

1. Players can hit an opposing player with a dodge ball in order to get them out. The player who is hit would then have to complete 10 push-ups before returning to the game.

HPEC/GEOC Membership Grant Recipient Profile: Mitch Wainman

Hi Everyone!

My name is Mitch Wainman and I am the very lucky recipient of the HPEC/GEOEC membership grant for the 2017 conference.  I teach PE 9, PE 10, Outdoor Ed 9 and Wildlife 10 at J.A. Williams High School (JAWS) in Lac la Biche, Alberta. The majority of you do not know me however, many of you would have saw JAWS through various media outlets when the Fort McMurray wildfire evacuation was happening. JAWS gym was the spot for all of the evacuees to gather up donated items that came in from across Alberta!

                  This is my third full-time year of teaching; all years, including my practicum were at JAWS, and I have been teaching Physical Education throughout my career. I have found that high school students can be at the best of times, nearly impossible to motivate. I am sure I am not the only one who has figured this out. My response to this is to making sure my students have an appropriate warm up, before we go into our lesson for the class. One of my favourite games to play (and now the students look forward to it) is called Squirrel Tag.

                  Squirrel Tag is a game that I learned while going to the University of Maine that we would use for elementary age students, however I find it works really well with my grade 9 students. You only need a few sets of pinnies (jerseys) and each student needs two. I typically use half a basketball court or I mark out an area with pylons if we are outside, the area should be big enough so your students can move around, but not so large they can go and stand in a corner to avoid playing. They take each pinny and tuck it into their pockets or waistbands so they hang down like a tail.  Once everyone has two pinnies hanging out of their pockets, it is time to start. My main rule is you cannot run out of pinnies, so if you lose both, someone who has more than two has to give you one so you can continue playing, I find this forces our “non-participators” to make sure they always at least have one.

                  This game is great as it is an invasive game; you can also switch it up into teams, after the allotted time period, the team that has the most wins. Generally, I run it three times, at five minutes each, this is long enough to warm the students up and short enough that they do not become bored of the game.

Health Champion Profile: Sonia Sheehan

Health Champion Profile: Sonia Sheehan

Sonia Sheehan

Elementary Physical Education Teacher

FFCA - SWE Campus, Calgary

HPEC Past President 2014-2016

Healthy Active Background: "I stay active by running, swimming, biking, and playing sports with my two kids and husband. I was a former University level competitive swimmer, 8 time Member of the Canadian National Triathlon Team, 5 time marathon finisher, and 2 time Ironman Canada Finisher."

Is there a teacher in your past that has inspired you to be healthy? How? "One of my former Junior High School teachers, Mr. Jerry Banks from R.T. Alderman School in Calgary, challenged me to take my running pursuits to a new level. Mr. Banks was inspirational. His coaching and dedication to cross country running and track and field allowed me to realize the beginning of my running potential. Through Mr. Banks' dedication I was able to achieve success in my running. The positive experience I had in junior high school encouraged me to continue to pursue running throughout my schooling and into life in general. To this day I stay healthy and fit by training for Disney Half Marathons. Thank you Mr. Banks for your encouragement, positive influence and making a healthy difference in my life!

What led you to pursue your career? "Having a love of being active, learning about the human body, and sharing my knowledge with others lead me to pursue a degree in Kinesiology and Education. A strong desire to move each day and impact others created the ideal match with a career as a physical education teacher. When I arrive at school each Monday morning excited about what I will teach my students, I know being a physical education teacher was the right choice for me."

What motivates you to be healthy? "I am motivated to stay healthy and active so I can be a role model for my students and my own children. Being able to play beside them (and keep up) is important to me. If on a daily basis I am asking my students and children to make healthy choices, I want to be leading by example."

My favourite quote for life comes from one of my junior high school health classes on career planning. The words of Mr. Banks live true each day in my life. "You will never have to work a day in your life if you love what you do." When I head out the door each morning to teach elementary physical education at FFCA - SWE Campus I am reminded of these words. I feel fortunate to help guide today's youth on the path of being physically active and healthy for life."

Find the original post(s) here. #HealthChampions #EASHC

Nominate a Health Champion! Do you know an individual in the Alberta health, education, recreation, active living or research sectors? We’d love to highlight some messages and stories of health from these impactful disciplines. Everyone has a great story; help us share and inspire others.

Please send Nominee name(s) and email(s) to margaux@everactive.org.

Health Champions Profile: Megan Brain

Health Champion Profile: Megan Brain

Megan Brain

Physical Education Teacher

Blessed Oscar Romero High School, Edmonton Catholic

HPEC Regional Representative, Edmonton

Who Inspired Me? “My parents blessed me with the opportunity to be involved in sport at a young age, so my love for being active started at a young age. It was actually my sister who got me into running during university. We competed in a number of races, including our first half marathon together. From there, I was hooked! I surround myself with people who inspire me to stay fit and active each and every day including all of my strollercize friends, teammates, fellow PE educators, and of course the HPEC crew!”

What keeps me motivated to be healthy? “My occupation is a big factor... I want to be a good role model for my students, especially young females who are faced with so many challenges in today's society. My kids... I want my boys to grow up seeing their mom being active so that it just becomes a part of who they are. Being involved in sport and physical activity at a young age was so influential to me as a young person, I want my children to have the same opportunities that I had. My own health and wellness... I know what I am like when I am not active. It affects all of the other areas of my wellness. My social health, physical health, mental health, and even my spiritual health take a back seat when I am not active... so I know that in order for me to stay well, physical activity has to remain in the driver's seat.”

Find the original post(s) here. #HealthChampions #EASHC #FitFam#HealthyForLife

Nominate a Health Champion! Do you know an individual in the Alberta health, education, recreation, active living or research sectors? We’d love to highlight some messages and stories of health from these impactful disciplines. Everyone has a great story; help us share and inspire others.

Please send Nominee name(s) and email(s) to margaux@everactive.org.