How to play Crab Soccer?

Caught on a rainy day?  Having taught in Thailand for the past few years, rain is something that comes up often during certain seasons.  However, there are still a lot of fun and engaging activities you can do within the confines of a small room or gym.  After some initial warms ups and stretches, today’ activity was crab soccer.  This is a great team building game you can play with your athletes.  Some of the health and fitness benefits include;

• spacial awareness
• triceps and hamstring strength
• reaction time
• flexibility
• coordination
• team work and cooperation

Set up:

Set up is pretty simple.  This game is best suited for inside of a gym or room with no breakables.  Playing outside is possible, but usually a room is better.  If players are chasing after the ball too often they tire out too quickly.  The game is meant to be fast paced and lots of fun!

• Place two cones at both ends of the room to be used as the goals.
• Use a large,  soft ball when playing, the bigger the better.  A fitness ball will work really well as long as it is soft.
• Have all players remove their shoes before entering the room or gym.

The Rules:

• Divide the group into two teams and choose which side they will defend.

• Have the players sit on their bottom with their feet flat on the floor. Both hands should be palms down with fingers pointing away from their body.  Players should then push their body up with their hands and feet and walk like a crab.

• If players stand up or walk during the game, give them a 2 minute time out penalty from playing.
• Each play has to continue to move in a crab walk position through out the game, and try to kick the ball into the other team’s goal.

• Set a score to be achieved, and the first team to reach it wins.

Keep an eye on the players and try not to let them bunch up or use any dangerous kicks.  If students wear glasses it would be advisable to have them take them off and place them outside of the room.

Have Fun and Enjoy!

Here is a clip from our last game!

How to Play The Gauntlet?

A great after school exercise activity!  Through the use of this activity you can greatly increase the enjoyment of your athletes/students as well as increase their;

• acceleration
• deceleration
• coordination
• space awareness
• reaction time
• cardiovascular endurance

Set up:

• 8 small or large cones
• 4 colored jerseys or bibs
• at least 8 to 12 kids

Your set up should look like this:

The Rules:

• After putting on the jerseys, the players in between the cones must tag anyone who tries to run through their set of cones.  They may only move from side to side along the inside of their cones.  They are not allowed to move forward or backward.

• If a player is tagged they must exit the Gauntlet from the sides and return back to the line of players in front of the first set of cones.

• Players that are running the Gauntlet must wait inline for their turn to run.  Players that are running may only run with in the inside of the cones and must not be tagged.  If tagged rotate to the back of the line for a new turn.

• To begin with send one player at a time through the Gauntlet, after a few minutes start to send in players two at a time.

Keep an eye on the players and try not to let them bunch up at any point in the Gauntlet.

Have Fun and Enjoy!

Here is a clip from our last game!