< PreviousSoccer How to Play In addition to a good strong kick , you’ll want to master basic skills like dribbling , passing , trapping , and heading. Dribbling Dribbling is controlling the ball while running. Dribbling is all about touching the ball strong enough to carry it forward, but light enough so that it stays at your feet. Passing Keep your head down to make sure you kick the ball correctly. Plant your non-kicking foot next to the ball and kick the ball right in the center using the inside of your foot and follow through with your leg. Chest trap As the ball comes toward you, get in front of it. Keep your arms down, so the ball doesn’t accidentally hit your hands and cause a foul. When the ball hits your chest, arch your back, so your chest pops the ball upward. Goal! If you’re close to the goal you can shoot using the sweet spot of the inside of your foot, like a pass . www.newpathlearning.com © Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. 94-6925 Source: www.cdc.gov/bam/activity/cards.html; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Tennis What’s all the racket about racquets? Tennis is a fun activity that two people (a “singles” match) or four people on two separate teams (“doubles”) can play. Some of the key strokes you should learn are: serve, forehand, backhand, volley and smash. Equipment The Court A tennis court is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the center. The same court can be used to play both doubles and singles matches . Different surfaces can be used, each with its own characteristics which affect the playing style of the game. Fun Facts Scoring One point = 15 Two points = 30 Three points = 40 Usually, 4 points equals a win! serveforehand The net is 3 ft tall at the center. backhandvolley • If you’re buying a junior racquet, choose the longest one that you can comfortably use. If you weigh more than 85 pounds you should look for an adult racquet. • Look for a court at a school or park in your neighborhood. • Wear non-cotton socks to help you avoid blisters and sneakers with good ankle support. Don’t forget the tennis balls ! • Advanced players can serve a ball at more than 100 miles per hour , making it travel 80 feet across the court in less than one second! • The world’s first tennis tournament took place in Wimbledon, England in 1877. • In tennis, the word “love” means that your opponent has not scored any points. service line base line net singles sideline doubles sideline www.newpathlearning.com © Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. 94-6926 Source: www.cdc.gov/bam/activity/cards.html; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Tennis How to Play Holding the Racquet The racquet handle has eight sides — four are flat and four are angled. Take the racquet handle between your thumb and index finger of your dominant hand as if you were shaking hands. The knuckle on your index finger should be on the top right angle. Then, grip and make sure it feels comfortable. Separate your third and fourth fingers slightly. Serving Hold the ball with the thumb, index finger, and middle finger of your free hand. Extend the arm with the ball just in front of you and then raise it above your head. Toss the ball gently, so it goes a few inches higher than the full height of the racquet extended above your head. Keep your eye onthe ball. Bring the racquet around above your shoulder and hit the ball while it’s in the air. Try to use the same toss every time. Receiving & Returning the Ball Stand in the middle of the court and hold the racquet gently with both hands so you can run in either direction when the ball comes over the net. When the ball is hit to your forehand side (right if you’re right-handed), step toward the ball with your opposite leg and swing ! If the ball comes to your backhand side (left if you’re right-handed), go for the ball with your dominant arm in front of your chest and your other hand holding the racquet as well. Swing without moving your wrists. Racquet handle between thumb & index finger Hold the ball in your free hand Be ready to run in any direction! Forehand swingBackhand swing www.newpathlearning.com © Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. 94-6926 Source: www.cdc.gov/bam/activity/cards.html; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Volleyball Play Ball! Volleyball is fun to play because everybody gets involved! The game is unique because the same player isn’t allowed to hit the ball twice in a row, so everyone takes turns serving , passing , and setting the ball. A team can hit the ball up to three times before they get it over the net. The Court • If you’re playing outside, find a soft court made of sand or grass, and clean up any sharp objects that you see. Be sure to wear sunscreen and always drink plenty of water . • The net is stretched across the middle of the court and adjusts to different heights — 7 ½ feet for girls and 8 feet for guys . Equipment • Volleyballs are about 26 inches around and weigh around half a pound . • When you’re playing volleyball, you’re probably going to hit the ground a few times. Protect yourself with knee and elbow pads . • The bottoms of volleyball shoes are made of special rubber to keep you from slipping as you move around an inside court. Your shoes should also give you good ankle support and have lots of cushioning to protect your feet while you’re jumping. www.newpathlearning.com © Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. 94-6927 Source: www.cdc.gov/bam/activity/cards.html; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Fun Facts • Volleyball was invented by William G. Morgan in 1895. He blended ideas from basketball, baseball, tennis, and handball to create the game, which he originally called “mintonette.” • Volleyball became an Olympic sport at the Tokyo games in 1964. • Beach volleyball was added to the Olympics in 1993.Volleyball How to Play Serving the ball Stand at the back of the court and face the net. Hold the ball in the palm of your non-dominant hand and stretch out your arm at waist level. Lean forward and swing your dominant hand toward the bottom of the ball. Now, drop the ball and hit it with your fist or the bottom of your hitting hand. Follow through, pointing your hitting arm toward your target. Only the team that’s serving can score points! Passing the ball Move to the place where you think the ball will land and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees and put your arms straight out in front of you. Lock your hands together with your thumbs pointed forward. Watch the ball make contact with your arms and then push it forward with your forearms. Aim with your shoulders and straighten your legs, using the force from your legs to move the ball where you want it to go. Setting the ball Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, facing your target. Bend your knees and raise your hands above your head with your elbows bent. Put your hands together about six inches above and in front of your forehead, and make a diamond shape with your thumbs and pointer fingers. When the ball comes to you, use only your thumbs and the tops of your fingers to push the ball up in the direction you want it to go. Your palms should not touch the ball. Volleyball is all about physics! The force of the volleyball hitting your arms is the action , and the force of you hitting the ball is the reaction . If these forces were equal, you wouldn’t be able to move the ball off your arms. But since the force of you pushing the ball is stronger than the force of the ball pushing into you, you’re able to change the ball’s direction and pass it to your teammate. If the ball’s force ever became stronger than your own, it would knock you to the ground. action reaction www.newpathlearning.com © Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. 94-6927 Source: www.cdc.gov/bam/activity/cards.html; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Golf Hit the Links! Golf is played on a course with either 9 or 18 different holes—a complete game of golf is called a round. Fun Facts fairway green sand trap hole rough Equipment Safety • Before swinging, make sure that no one is standing too close—it’s a good rule of thumb to stand at least four club lengths away from the person swinging the club. Don’t play until the group in front of you is out of the way. If you do make a bad shot, yell “fore” to other golfers that could be harmed. • Stand still and stay quiet while others are in play. • Dress in comfortable, loose fitting shirts, pants, or shorts. • It’s a good idea to wear a hat and sunscreen. • And don’t forget your water bottle. • There are 336 dimples on a regulation golf ball. Dimpled golf balls can easily sail two hundred yards from the tee, while a smooth one (with no dimples) would only go about fifty yards! • On the moon, astronaut Alan Sheppard hit a golf ball that went 2,400 feet, nearly one-half mile! • In 1997, at the age of 21, Tiger Woods became the youngest player ever to win the Masters . It’s important to know the basics of the game and how to use and choose your clubs. You may want to take a few lessons from a pro at your local golf course, or rent an instructional video to learn more about the proper swing , grip and stance . To start out, all you really need are the 5, 6, or 7 irons, a driver and a putter. You’ll use a driver off of the tee for long distance shots, followed up by your irons, which give more control for shorter shots. And don’t forget your putter—the putter is used on the green . Next on your list should be golf balls and tees . Tees raise the ball off the ground so you can get your club under it better. www.newpathlearning.com © Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. 94-6928 Source: www.cdc.gov/bam/activity/cards.html; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Golf How To Play The Stance A perfect stance depends on several things – width of the stance, amount of knee flex, the angle of the feet and overall posture. A stance that is too narrow can make it difficult to keep your balance. A stance that is too wide, makes it difficult to shift your body weight during the swing, decreasing the power of your swing. The Clubs If your clubs are too long or too short, you’re likely to have problems. To find the right size clubs for you, try swinging with a few different lengths. A good rule of thumb is to choose clubs that are about as long as the distance from your belly button to the floor. The Swing The key to the swing is to keep your eyes on the ball. Focus on the ball and keep your head down and still when you swing. Your eyes should stay on the ball through your entire swing. Swing back as far as you can—getting your hands behind your head, and follow through as far as you can. You’ll feel your body turn and you’ll notice that while swinging back, your weight will shift to your right foot, and then to your left as you swing through the ball. Tee It Up If you’re a beginner, hit the ball off of a tee every time. Experiment with your irons once you’re in the fairway to get the ball onto the green. Just remember that the iron you choose depends on how far and high you need to hit the ball. Use a 3 iron for long shots to the hole—a 9 iron can be used for shorter shots. The Grip A good grip helps ensure power, accuracy and consistency in your golf game. Get a lesson on how to grip your clubs or watch instructional videos. left thumb on grip right thumb over the left www.newpathlearning.com © Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. 94-6928 Source: www.cdc.gov/bam/activity/cards.html; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Gymnastics Gymnastics is known as the sport of all sports. It is a great way to improve strength, flexibility, balance, and coordination for other types of physical activities. In gymnastics, there’s something for everyone! Boys participate in six events (floor, vault, parallel bars, high bar, still rings, and pommel horse). Play it Safe • Never attempt a trick you are not familiar with. Make sure you always have a trained spotter. • Always make sure the equipment is sturdy and has been set up properly. • Floors should be padded with mats that are secured under every piece of equipment. • Make sure there is enough distance between each piece of equipment before you start swinging! Collisions can cause you or others around you, to get hurt if you don’t watch out. • Clothing should not be too loose—it could get caught on the equipment and cause serious problems! • Long hair needs to be pulled back to prevent it from getting in your face causing loss of concentration or sight. • Gymnasts wear hand guards and use chalk to prevent their hands from slipping when working on the floor mats, rings, or bars. The hand guards help prevent blisters and make it easier to swing around on the bars. • Never eat food or chew gum while doing gymnastics — you could choke! Fun Facts • A standard balance beam is only 4 inches wide (that’s about the width of a loaf of bread), and almost four feet off of the ground. Girls participate in four events (floor, vault, uneven parallel bars, balance beam). • The first large-scale gymnastics competition was during the 1896 Olympics in Athens, Greece. • At the 1976 Olympics Nadia Comaneci made history by becoming the first gymnast to ever score a perfect 10 . www.newpathlearning.com © Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. 94-6929 Source: www.cdc.gov/bam/activity/cards.html; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Gymnastics How to Play - Basic Skills It doesn’t matter if you’re a boy or a girl—gymnastics has a few different categories to choose from so you can find your favorite. But, before you get started, you need to know (and master) the basics! The handstand is one of the basic skills of gymnastics. If you’re a beginner, it’s a good idea to practice against a wall until you get your balance and build up your strength and confidence. And it is always good to have a spotter — just in case you need some help along the way! Now that you’ve mastered the handstand—want to try something trickier? Practice these steps to conquer the cartwheel: • Stand in a ready position, your “favorite” leg in front, knees bent slightly. (To find out your favorite leg, stand up and take one step. The leg you step forward with first is usually your favorite.) • Raise both of your arms. • Reach forward with your right arm, putting your right hand on the floor or ground. • Shift your weight to your right arm and kick your left leg up (If you’re a lefty, reverse these directions). • Your left hand should follow very quickly—as it touches the ground, shift your weight to your left arm. Your right leg should be off of the ground. • Bring your left leg down, right hand up, right leg down, left hand up. Follow these tips to a perfect handstand: • Face the wall. • Get in a squatted position so that your knees are bent and your body is close to the ground. • Put your hands on the floor with the tips of your fingers facing the wall (your hands should not be any wider than shoulder width apart). • Bend your head down to the floor—keeping it between your arms. • Kick your legs up putting all your weight on your hands—keeping your upper body straight and tight. • Once your feet hit the wall, straighten out your legs. Practice against a wall with a spotter. Handstands are used in many routines. www.newpathlearning.com © Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. 94-6929 Source: www.cdc.gov/bam/activity/cards.html; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Swimming & Diving Jump In! Play it Safe Fun Facts Types of Swimming Strokes It’s simple — all you need is a swimsuit and a pool . A pair of goggles will allow you to see where you are going underwater without your eyes feeling itchy and irritated. They even make prescription goggles so you can see underwater if you wear glasses! Check out your neighborhood or a community center in your area for a pool you can use. If you swim outside be sure to use waterproof sunscreen! butterflybackstroke breaststrokefreestyle • Always swim and dive with someone else. • Know how to swim well before stepping on a diving board. • Protect your head! You need to know the water depth before you dive, and never ever dive into shallow water. • When you are on the board, enter the water straight on and make sure there’s nothing in your way before you leap. • Only try dives that are in your comfort zone. www.newpathlearning.com © Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. 94-6930 Source: www.cdc.gov/bam/activity/cards.html; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. • The first 4 Olympics (1896-1906) were not held in pools, but in open water , including the Mediterranean and the Seine river. • Platform diving became an Olympic event in 1904. Springboard diving made it in 1908. • Competetive divers hit the water at speeds of up to 34 miles per hour!Next >