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Written By Lorilynn V. Bowie

Introduction

As an educator, how often do you find the word "ball" to bring fear on some kids faces? That is why we offer teachers the SuccessBall. The SuccessBall line of products is the only ball of its kind that, for all ability levels, is fun and challenging at the same time.

SuccessBalls come in 6 primary colors and 3 different sizes. The ball is LYCRA� - and mesh-filled with foam pellets. It is light and will not hurt if you are hit with it. Our intent is to offer you activity suggestions for your classes whether they are for special populations or not, physically challenged or not.

The following activities are fun for students of all ages and can be played for the pleasure of throwing and catching - no matter how far or how high students go!

Activities

Beat The Clock

Equipment: SuccessBalls (one for each student), crate or bucket, a designated area, stopwatch and a boundary area.
Object Of The Game: The object of this game is to work on throwing and catching using cooperative learning. You can begin basic with the underhand and move up to the overhand throw. Players want to get all the balls into the Bucket as quickly as possible, which can only happen if the two sides work together.
Divide the class into two groups. Establish the centerline and sidelines. Be sure you have at least one ball for each student. The teacher starts the stopwatch when the first throw is made and stops it with the last ball being placed in the Bucket. Each student begins with a ball in his or her hand. When the teacher says go, they begin to throw them across the centerline to each other trying to catch them on the fly. If the ball is caught on the fly, they place it in the bucket.
If the ball is missed and hits the floor, they pick it up and throw it again.
Adatptions: For students that cannot throw or catch, they can stop a rolled ball to count as a catch.
For students in a wheelchair, they can begin with a few balls in their lap and throw those and use their chair as a catch if it hits any part of the chair.

How Far Can You Go?

Object Of The Game: This activity is a variation of Red Light, Yellow Light. Using the same basic chant. Skills gained are throwing, catching, running and changing direction quickly. The actual object of the game is to see how long players can stay at the front of the group as an "attacker."
Select 2 to 4 students to be up front as the attackers, each with 2 balls in their hands. The rest of the class is lined up behind a back line as a starting point. The teacher has the attackers stand with their backs to the class so they cannot see them coming. The teacher then says, "Red light, Yellow light, Green light, THROW!" When the word "THROW" is said, the attackers turn around and try to hit the students with the SuccessBalls, as they try to make it back to the line from where he/she started - "home base." If the student is hit, he/she goes to jail. If the student catches the ball, he/she takes the place of the person who threw it. If a student can make it all the way up to the attackers and tag one before he/she gets hit, then that player gets to take the attacker's place.
After all the balls have been thrown, the attackers pick them up and the game goes from the beginning again. As the teacher, you would vary when you say throw, for example:"RED LIGHT, THROW!", "GREEN LIGHT, RED LIGHT THROW!" Judge the distance to keep it challenging.
Adaptations: Special populations using crutches can be attackers. The can also be allowed a head start on the "run" or stay as far as they were able to go.

Pick A Color

Equipment: SuccessBalls™ (2 sets), Spot Markers (1 set), die with colors (same colors as the spots and balls) and a stopwatch (optional).
This activity is easily incorporated into any school's interdisciplinary plan. When working with special populations, especially mentally challenged, we have to remember the basics. We take for granted our ability to quickly recognize colors. Therefore, we need to incorporate these basic recognition skills into a fun game that students can relate to.
Object Of The Game: The object of this game is to add a fun competition game to the recognition of colors. This game builds comradery among the teams, yet helps the students quickly identify and have success with matching colors.
The set up for this game is not exact. What you are trying to do is scatter the colors of the SuccessBalls out so the students have to look for them. The placement of the spots does not matter. You only need one set.

1. Teams are seated behind the line waiting for their turn.
2. The first person in each line stands up or rolls forward or whatever the impairment adapt is.
3. The instructor rolls the die and it will land on a color. As soon as the die stops rolling, the students go out, get a ball the same color and place it on the same color spot.
4. Upon completion of the task, they go back to the end of their line.
5. The next person moves forward and you do the same steps again until all of the balls are placed on the Spot Markers. There should be 2 balls on each spot when players are finished.
6. You can keep score depending on the age and ability of your students. You can count the number correct, you can use a stopwatch for speed, etc. Try variations of this game using a stopwatch to time the students one at a time. See how long it will take each student to place all of the correct ball colors on the correct spot, but they can only touch one ball at a time. This will get the students to cheer each other on and work together as a team.

Higher, Longer

Equipment: SuccessBalls, Hula Hoop(s), basketball hoop or rope.
Object Of The Game: This activity is designed to get students to loose the fear of a ball and also be able to exert force to an object, but not have to worry about it coming back and hitting them or having to chase the object. Skills gained are throwing, catching, accuracy and applying force. The first variation of this game is for accuracy.

1. Place hula hoops on the floor in a straight line so they get further and further away from the person throwing them. Be sure to place the hula-hoops close together because SuccessBalls are not heavy enough to go very far.
2. Each student is assigned a color to use for this game.
3. Using the SuccessBalls you can have students stand behind a line and see how far they can go by throwing the balls into the hoops.
4. You can either assign a "fetcher" to bring the balls back in, or the students can retrieve them.
5. The student who can throw the ball with enough force and accuracy so it still lands in the hoop farthest away measures success.
6. If the game seems too easy, spread the hoops out and see if the students can apply enough force to get the ball to the longest hoop.