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Written By Linda Carr

Introduction

Congratulations on your new purchase. The Sportime JingleTrainer is a hand-stitched synthetic leather ball that adds an auditory component to your activities. For the player who needs the auditory cue or for the game where the leader wants to enhance the auditory cue, this ball "sounds off" when in motion! Slightly heavier than VB-Trainers®, it does not bounce and is not designed for use in volleyball. Best uses are tactile stimulation, rolling or tossing.

The main object of the activities in this guide is to enhance auditory cueing to help develop ear-hand coordination and enhance eye-hand coordination.

Games and Activities

Hot Potato

• Use hands with group seated on ground in circle. The ball can be rolled or tossed.
• Use more than one ball to increase the challenge level.
• For those who need ball higher than floor level, have the group seated around a table.
• Variation: Add a sequencing component by naming body parts, numbers, math problems, etc. For example, every time someone touches the ball they would add a number or property to the problem:
  1st person - "3"
  2nd person - "plus"
  3rd person - "7"
  4th person - "equals"
  5th person - "10"
  

Dodge Ball

• Hang a ball from a basketball rim using a cord and an extra basketball net so that the ball almost touches the floor.
• Have the group stand or sit in a circle around the hanging ball. The player who is IT moves around in the circle while the group swings the ball trying to hit IT.
• The ball may not be thrown.

Gotcha

• The object is to control the ball, passing side to side.
• Equipment: JingleTrainer spots to designate individual space in circle.
• Have players stand side by side in circle facing center of circle (spots help them keep formation).
• Start ball around circle, passing it hand to hand, by foot, or tossing it depending on skill level of group while the music is playing.
• The group says "GOTCHA" to the person caught with the ball when the music stops. That person must now turn to face the outside of the circle. They stay in the game, just pass the ball the opposite direction from which they were.
• Repeat 5 to 6 times. This is a quick, sport-specific warm up.
• Variations:
  • Vary the way the ball is passed to player of lesser skill.
  • Add multiple balls, catching more players.

Ultimate Sit-Ups Or Push-Up Passoff

• The object is to work abdominal strength, upper body strength and coordination.
• Equipment: 2 balls per group of 5 to 6 players.
• Divide class into groups of 5 to 6 players. Have players lay down in a line, the feet (bent knee for sit-up) of one player at the hands (reaching overhead) of the next player.
• Both balls are at the head (traveling toward feet) of the first player who will grasp the first ball, complete a sit-up and pass the ball to the hands of the next person and so on down the line.
• The leader takes the second ball and repeats the task. The last person in line completes a sit-up and runs back to the head of the line and begins the activity again. This continues for set time or distance.
• Variations:
  • Start a competition with other teams to travel a greater distance or faster!
  • For student that can not move easily, but can complete sit-up, have them at head of line and adjust distance traveled so that they never have to get up to move to head of line.
  • For wheelchair-bound students, have them at head of line and completing toe-touch with ball to person in front of them.
  • Push-Up Passoff is done in a similar fashion. Have a group get in push-up position and as the first person passes the ball to the second, the second must stop ball, complete push-up until chest touches ball and then pass it on to next teammate and so on to the end of the line. Again the last person takes ball and runs to beginning of line and starts ball all over. This goes on until the team has passed the finish line or completed a time requirement (check the distance traveled).

Alphabet Toss (Name That Team)

• The object is cooperative throwing and catching at increasing distance with cognitive challenge.
• Have players get into groups of two with one ball per group. Have partners start, facing each other approximately 5' to 7' apart.
• Each player is given a letter to start the game by the teacher and every time they catch the ball they must give a word that starts with that letter and before the next throw, each player steps back one step. If they drop the ball they must take 5 steps forward.
• Variations:
  • Have players say the words in alphabetical order. Players start with whatever letter is given to them by teacher for the first throw and go all the way to the end of alphabet.
  • Older players may like to go through the alphabet backwards. If they make a mistake, they must take 5 steps toward each other.
  • Put the non-catching partner with the catching partner so there are 3 players in the group. After they catch the ball, one partner tosses/hands the ball to the partner who, then, says the word and then hands ball back.

Jingleball

• The object is teamwork and eye/ear-hand coordination.
• Equipment: JingleTrainer™, blindfolds, court area and cones marking the goal area at ends of court.
• Divide a group into 2 teams of not more than 4 players and position them on court, with 1 goalie, 1 halfback and 2 forwards. One knee must remain on floor surface at all times during game. Violation of this rule gives the opposing team a "free" shot at goal from the mid-court line.
• The game is started by official rolling ball in from sidelines.
• Points are awarded if ball goes through goal posts.
• Variations:
  • Make end line the goal line.
  • One player may be sighted, but can not score.