Playing games is an ideal way for young athletes to Warm-Up as they are fun and exciting.
Appropriate types of games allow the aims of a Warm-Up to be achieved and also allow the coach
the opportunity to identify the ability level of the young athletes and therefore group them to
provide teams of similar ability in later stages of the session. In games activities there is also an
opportunity to give young athletes the responsibility to act as leaders, organisers or officials.
The following games are ideal Warm-Up activities for the young athletes under 13 years old:
• Domes & Dishes
• Farmer Tag
• Tails
• Rats & Rabbits
• Push/Pull
• Under/Over Ball Relay
• Side-Side Ball Relay
• Object Relay
3.2.1 Domes & Dishes
Playing the Game
Place half the cones around a defined space on the floor in the normal way and the other half of the
cones upside down, which creates the ‘Domes’ and ‘Dishes’ respectively. Split the group into two teams
of approximately equal numbers and call one team the ‘Domes’ and the other team the ‘Dishes’.
Game One – Cone Zone
The ‘Domes’ must collect all the cones that are placed the normal way and return them to their
CONE ZONE
and the ‘Dishes’ must collect all the cones upside down and return to their
CONE ZONE
.
This is performed by the first member of each team running to collect an appropriate cone returning
it to their
CONE ZONE
and then the second team member running to collect a cone and so on.
The winning team is the one with all of their cones returned to their
CONE ZONE
first.
3.2 Use of Games
Warm-Up & Cool-Down Activities
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WEB COPY
©EVEQUE
WEB COPY
©EVEQUE
Cone Zone
Cone Zone
Illustration of young
athletes playing Game Two
