Through the Goal

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Activity Overview

Participants learn about and practise sending a ball with their feet through a target.

  • Primary (Ages 6-9)
  • Junior (Ages 10-12)

Facility

  • Gymnasium
  • Outdoors

Materials and Equipment

  • 2 pylons per group
  • 1 ball per group

Safety

Inspect the activity area and eliminate potential hazards. Check that the activity surface provides sufficient traction. Set boundaries for the activity a safe distance from walls and obstacles. Ensure that activities take place a safe distance apart.

Activity Information

Activity Set-up

  • Divide participants into small groups (e.g., four to six).
  • Participants set up their area, placing two pylons about 1.5 metres apart to create the goal.
  • Each group splits in half and forms two equal lines facing each other on either side of the goal.

Activity Instructions

  • The first participant attempts to kick the ball between the pylons, toward the first person in the other line of participants. After the participant kicks the ball, he or she runs to the back of the other line of participants. The receiving player controls the ball using their foot and then kicks the ball through the goal and to the first person of the other line.
  • The group keeps track of the number of times the ball went through the goal.
  • After all participants have kicked the ball through the goal and switched sides, the group repeats the task. If they get the ball through the goal in the same number of kicks or less, encourage the group to make the game more challenging. If they are unable to better their previous number of successful kicks after a few attempts, invite the group to make the task less challenging.
  • The leader asks open-ended questions to help participants refine their movement strategies and tactical solutions during the activity. Examples include: How should your body and foot be positioned to successfully kick the ball toward the target? What strategies did you use as you made changes and it got more challenging to kick the ball through the goal?
Through the Goal

Adaptations

To maximize the challenge and the fun, participants could identify their own ways to increase or decrease the challenge.

To decrease the challenge, participants could:

  • Decrease the distance between the kicking line and the goal.
  • Increase the space between the two pylons to make the goal larger.
  • Change the object they choose to send (e.g., beach ball, beanbag).
  • Change how they choose to send the object (e.g., throwing, rolling, sliding).

To increase the challenge, participants could:

  • Increase the distance between the kicking line and the goal.
  • Decrease the space between the two pylons to make the goal smaller.
  • Allow only one touch when receiving the pass. Participants pass the ball back immediately without stopping it first.
  • Send the object in different ways that increase the challenge (e.g., using the non-dominant foot, using an implement).

Pause for Learning

Throughout the activity, consider highlighting the following skills, concepts, and strategies for kicking a ball through a target area. Note that this list is not exhaustive, and further learning opportunities may arise during the task.

Movement Skills and Concepts

  • Manipulation skills and effort awareness – using controlled force to send an object toward a target (e.g., following through with the kicking foot in the direction of the target to improve aim and accuracy)
  • Body awareness – self awareness of how parts of the body are moving and of body actions when kicking an object toward a target (e.g., non-kicking foot stepping to the side of the ball as the kicking foot moves forward to strike the ball)

Movement Strategies

  • Applying appropriate skills to send an object toward a target (e.g., applying different amounts of force depending on size of target and distance from target, focusing on body alignment and follow through to improve accuracy)

Sport Connections

Contains aspects of:

Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines

For health benefits, children aged 5-11 and youth aged 12-17 years should accumulate at least 60 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity daily.

For health benefits, children aged 5-11 and youth aged 12-17 years should accumulate at least 60 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity daily.

This activity qualifies as vigorous intensity.

Vigorous-intensity activities at least 3 days per week. This activity qualifies as vigorous intensity.

This activity strengthens muscles and/or bones.

Activities that strengthen muscle and bone at least 3 days per week. This activity strengthens muscles and/or bones.

More daily physical activity provides greater health benefits.

More daily physical activity provides greater health benefits.