A Flying Disc Progression

 The Pangrazi book contains a lot of lead up games, but sometimes the things they lead to aren't so obvious.  Here's a series of activities that I use to build flying disc skills.

The first, and to me, absolutely most important step is to use good equipment.  It is critical to use equipment that is easy for kids to use.  The best flying disc I've found is the Aerobie superdisc.  They are easy to throw long and straight and have soft edges so kids aren't afraid to catch them.

Aerobie® Superdisc - 10" Diameter (EA)

Our first activity is to play catch.  After giving the class brief instructions on how to throw and catch a disc, I let the kids form their own groups and find their own space.  This enables kids to learn at their own pace and allows me to roam the class to provide individual instruction where needed.  Once the kids have are comfortable with their abilities (one or two days for younger kids, a one day refresher for older kids), we move on to a game called "Double Disc".

Double Disc is a very simple game which addresses two concepts that younger kids have trouble understanding:  spacing and moving to catch an object.

For a class of 20, I use a rectangular field about 100' by 75'.  The field is split in half with a clearly marked mid line.  The class is split into two teams with each team confined to half the field.  Each team is given a disc.  The object of the game is simply for each team to land their disc in the other team's half of the field while trying to catch the discs being thrown by the opposite team. . A point is scored each time a disc lands in an opposing team's territory.

If only a few kids dominate the action, add more discs or start a second game.  Larger classes can be divided into four teams with 2 discs each on two fields.

My experience with this game is that kids naturally learn to anticipate the flight of the disc and make running catches.  They also learn to throw with greater accuracy and creativity, including banking discs into a target.

These two activities comprise a one week disc unit.  Sometime after this unit, I'll move on to the second stage, disc golf.

For this unit, I use a mock Ryder Cup format.  Here, each class is divided into a "European" team and an "American" team.  Team members are given playing partners and partners a given a pair of opponents from the opposite team, creating a foursome.  All groups play on a 9 hole course with a shotgun start. 

This is a four day competition in which each pair playing a different opponent each day.  Three different scoring formats are used:  Alternate Shot, Best Throw (twice) and Singles.  Scoring is by holes, not throws.  Match winners earn 1 point for their team.  Ties earn 1/2 point for both teams.

The final disc unit, done in the spring, is Ultimate Disc.  This is one of my favorite team activities to teach because it is a game for which there are no youth leagues, meaning that no student has a built in advantage.  This allows kids to compete equally.  Each year, previously unheralded students star in this game.

One important note:  as in every team involving throwing and catching object to score, the boy/girl rule (a boy and a girl must catch a throw before a score counts) is in force.  This is a very effective way of insuring equal opportunity, generating team strategy and allowing all students a chance to succeed.