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Game Sense
Developing Thinking Learners
Presented by: Andy Hair
Hair.andy.ju@edumail.vic.gov.au
@mrhairphysed
www.mrhairphysed.weebly.com
Live Twitter Feed:
#ahgamesense
'When are we going to play a game?'
This question is usually one of the first questions that
children ask at the start of any training session. And
while the time invested in drills pays off when a game is
started, there is more likely to be two elements missing
from the skills-drills-game cycle - game sense and fun.
The Game Sense Model
What is game sense? Teaching Games
for Understanding (TGfU)
The games sense approach categorises team games into
four areas:
 • invasion games e.g. soccer, touch, netball, AFL
 • target games e.g. golf, archery, bowls
 • court and net games e.g. volleyball, tennis, badminton
 • striking and fielding games e.g. cricket, softball.
Each category has sports that have similar concepts
When should we teach what sports?
Three options
1.
2.
3.
4.
Do we teach sports grouped by season?
Do we teach sports grouped by Game Sense Category?
Do we teach sports grouped by skills within?
Other options?
DISCUSS
COACHING GAME SENSE
GUIDELINES FOR DEVELOPING GAMES/TRAINING
1. Aim or theme (expected outcomes?)
2. Small-sided (2-6)
3. Replicate typical scenarios
4. Length – time for repetition
5. Main rules & area
6. Variations of game
7. Prepare questions
8. Block or Random/variable practice?
Slide from RAY BREED (HIGH PERFORMANCE COACH)
COACHING GAME SENSE
GUIDELINES FOR TEACHING THE GAME
1. (Explain purpose)
2. Brief explanation of rules/limitations
3. Let game ‘play’ & observe (evaluate)
4. Is it working? Modifications?
5. Vary pressure/difficulty
6. Ask individual questions during game
7. Teachable Moments
8. Freeze play – ‘walk through’ demo
9. Feedback on decisions
10.Turn FB into questions
8
Slide from RAY BREED (HIGH PERFORMANCE COACH)
Your chance- Groups of 3 or 4
In the next slides that you will see I want you to:
- Identify the Game Sense Concept that the game
represents
- Identify which strategies you can include when
teaching this sport
What GS strategies can be
taught/coached in this scenario?
What GS strategies can be
taught/coached in this scenario?
What GS strategies can be
taught/coached in this scenario?
What GS strategies can be
taught/coached in this scenario?
What GS strategies can be
taught/coached in this scenario?
What GS strategies can be
taught/coached in this scenario?
What is game sense? Teaching Games
for Understanding (TGfU)
 Places emphasis on the play aspect of sport. Let the
game run
 Students perform where decision-making, tactics,
problem-solving and skill development are developed
 Students start to make decision before the action has
taken place
 Students will develop conflict resolution skills and
further develop who they are as a student/sportsman
What is game sense? Teaching Games
for Understanding (TGfU)
Methods used in practical situations:
 Focus on what to do, not how to do
 Focus on examples of games and questions to use not
how to develop them
 Focus on questions to ask to generate understanding
 No focus on where the questions were generated from nor
how understanding was gained to ask them
What is game sense? Teaching Games
for Understanding (TGfU)
 Timeline of student learning
 Prep- Grade 2
 FMS, locomotor and non locomotor skills
 Grade 3-8
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Fundamentals of movement
Wide variety of sports
Concepts of sports- Speed, Distance
Fitness Concepts
 Senior School
 More Diverse and complex Physical Activities
DICUSSION BREAK
 Grab a small group of 3-4
 Discuss where YOU introduce game sense in your
curriculum
GUIDING QUESTIONS
1. What sports do you apply game sense to?
2. Do you group your sports by game sense categories
or by sport categories- stick, court, kicking etc?
3. How successful are your students?
4. How many concepts do they focus on in a class?
The model
Phase 1
Elementary Understanding of Games within a Category
Phase 2
Elementary Understanding of Games Across Categories
Phase 3
Advanced Understanding of a Game Within a Category
Phase 4
Advanced Understanding of Games Within and Across Categories
What is game sense? Teaching Games
for Understanding (TGfU)
 Games Sense Focus
 Small Sided Teams
 Modified Games
 Incorporation of tactical structures adapted to the class you
have
 Teacher designed modified activities moving from simple to
complex
 Assessable skill activities- Observations and concrete
 Modified games leads to full game play
 As the age group gets older the expectations become more
complex
 A complete PE program will see Grade 3 developing spacial
awareness whilst Year 10 may be using knowledge of ball
movement in cricket and setting a field to get a batter out or
knowing where a ball will end up in AFL while still 70 m away
What is game sense? Teaching Games
for Understanding (TGfU)
 PE Teachers who control all actions are
disadvantaging students
 Students should avoid learning skills in isolation
 Students must learn by playing games
 Teachers should stop games and explain positive and
negative situations to foster learning
 Skill improvement activities can be integrated into
Warm up and cool down time allocations
What is game sense? Teaching Games
for Understanding (TGfU)
 Games Sense does not occur in all sports and as a
result these lessons are very teacher directed skill
orientated learning lessons
 Track and Field, Swimming, Gymnastics are all examples
where Game Sense performs a very low priority.
However it still exists in students minds.
 E.g. An 800m runner needs to think tactically to out
perform their opponents monitoring their
endurance/speed levels until they strike!
What is game sense? Teaching Games
for Understanding (TGfU)
An example of a players thoughts in a softball game
 Decision making – “Where is the open space?”
 Risk taking – “Should I throw or hold the ball?”
 Problem solving – “How can I slide to evade my
opponent?”
 Thoughts about time and space properties – “Can I
score now?”
 Perception – “Where am I in relation to others?”
 Tactics and strategies - "Will I fake a throw?."
Basketball Sample Questioning
On the ball
 When did you pass the ball?
 When did you keep the ball?
 What strategies did you use
to keep the ball away from
your opponent?
 What did you do to make it
easier to pass the ball?
 What did you do to make it
easier to receive the ball?
Off the ball
 What strategies did you use
to make it harder for the ball
to be passed or received?
 What did you do to try to win
back the ball?
 What else could you have
done?
Variation
 How did having a time limit
affect the game?
3 App Uses in Game Sense
Coaches Eye
Ubersense
Tennis Australia
Rugby League Coaching Session
This link provides a 10 minute example of how you can
use Game Sense approaches in your class or team
Some Game Sense strategies
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Speed
Direction
Weather Factors
Distance
Height
Accuracy
Spatial Awareness
 Prediction
 Position of self within the
game
 Slant of the surface- golf
 Knowledge of opponent
Teaching Games for Understanding
in action (www.ausport.com.au)
 Below is an example of how to introduce a sport to beginners by
reducing the technical requirements of the game through the use
of the Teaching Games for Understanding inquiry approach.
 Session 1: volleyball modified game - rules
 Underarm throw over the net to begin
 Catch the ball above the head.
 Pass with a two handed overhead throw to a team member.
 Third pass must go over the net.
 Loss of point if the ball hits the ground on your side of the court,
ball goes over before third pass, third pass goes into net the net
and lands on your side of the court or the ball lands out of court.
 Rotation and volleyball scoring applies
Teaching Games for Understanding
in action
 Examples of key questions guiding the inquiry approach
 What is the purpose of the game?
 What are the advantages to your team from using all three passes
allowed?
 What do you have to do with your body in order to catch the ball
above your head?
 Possible game progression: new rule
 Third pass must be from one of the front court players or, add
bonus points if the attack (third pass) is from the front court and
it wins the rally.
 After the game has progressed, further examples of key
questions guiding the enquiry approach could include:
 From where on the court is it most difficult to return the ball?
 Where is the best place to serve the ball?
 Where is the best place to target the third pass over the net?
Teaching Games for Understanding
in action
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Possible game progressions
Do not allow players to move their feet once they catch the ball
Reduce the time allowed to hold the ball before a pass is made
Allow the third pass to be a self set spike
After the first catch, all passes must be a self set
After the first catch and self set, the next two passes must be sets
or a self set spike
Eliminate the self set for the spike, the spike must occur from a set
Introduce the forearm pass; bonus points if the serve reception is
a forearm pass
Introduce the serve; bonus points for a deep serve to the back
court
Introduce the block; bonus points for winning a rally from a block
Volleyball Unit Plan Guide
 Grade 5
 Week 1- Reinforcement of skills required
 Focus- Do I play a dig or do I play a set?
 Week 2- Mini Game Practise
 Focus- My place on the court. Where do I stand and
what is my role in this position
 Focus- Do I play a dig or do I play a set?
Volleyball Unit Plan Guide
 Week 3- Passing the Ball around my team mates
 Focus- How can I pass the ball to a team mate in various locations on
my side of the court?
 Focus- My place on the court. Where do I stand and what is my role
in this position
 Focus- Do I play a dig or do I play a set?
 Week 4- Serving
 Focus- Who should I serve to and what serve should I do- High or
flat?
 Focus- How can I pass the ball to a team mate in various locations on
my side of the court?
 Focus- My place on the court. Where do I stand and what is my role
in this position
 Focus- Do I play a dig or do I play a set?
Resources
Mitchell, S. Improving Invasion Game Performance.
Adapted from Bunke & Thorpe, 1982: Thorpe,
Bunker & Almone, 1986.
An Integrated Approach to TGfU- Dr. Paul WebbDr. Phil Pearson
RAY BREED (HIGH PERFORMANCE COACH)
Rayzor Edge Sports (www.rayzoredgesports.com.au)
Email: raybreed5@gmail.com
http://www.activehealth.uow.edu.au/gamesense/