Hockey - Lesson 1

In the initial lesson of a hockey series for Year 3 pupils, the objective is to master the basics of holding a hockey stick and the skill of dribbling. The success criteria for the lesson are straightforward: pupils should be able to grip the stick correctly and dribble with both control and awareness. To facilitate this, the necessary equipment includes a class set of hockey sticks, balls, cones, and hoops. The lesson begins with a warm-up game called 'Link Tag', where pupils have to evade being caught while running between safe zones. Those caught join the catcher until one pupil remains uncaught.

The main part of the lesson focuses on the correct way to hold a hockey stick, which is a key teaching point. The left hand should be at the top of the stick, while the right hand is positioned below the grip. Pupils practice this grip and then proceed to dribble an imaginary 'crystal ball' along lines drawn on the ground, ensuring they maintain the correct grip and do not 'break' the ball. The lesson moves on to using real balls, emphasizing the importance of using the flat side of the stick and keeping the ball ahead of the feet while running with bent knees and a straight back. A game of 'Ball Dump' encourages teamwork and reinforces the dribbling technique, with an extension activity involving dribbling around cones. The lesson concludes with a cool-down activity called 'Tigers', where 'Fish' pupils jog around and avoid being hit below the knees with a bean bag by the 'Tigers' pupils. Throughout the lesson, pupils are encouraged to discuss where they should be looking while dribbling and why, to promote understanding and skill development.