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Basketball in the primary school Physical Education lesson

Nae Ionela Cristina 1

Abstract
This paper caters to physical education teachers, whose specialization is other than
basketball. It is a didactic tool that can guide them in their activity and help them introduce
basketball topics in the physical education lesson beginning with the primary school.
This work aims to provide physical education teachers with theoretical, methodological
and organizational resources for this age group, which is considered by many physical
education specialists to be too early to start this sport. I have come to this conclusion
because in the current physical education curriculum, I have not found a choice of
basketball activities for this age group. Thus, I have tried to contribute to the elaboration of
a guiding curriculum that could guide those interested in it.
Since in primary school, play is a method and a means of instruction, I have chosen to
display a selection of the most widely used basketball preparatory movement games to help
the implementation of the proposed curriculum
Keywords: basketball, curriculum, phisical education and sport.
JEL classification: 110, 119

1. Introduction
Basketball, a team sport game, is an important branch of sports activity
with a particular educational value. It combines, on one hand, the positive effects
of sport and physical exercise and, on the other, the educational effects of the
game. (Nae I. F., 2020)
Play provides optimal conditions for the development of motor skills and
abilities needed in life. It is a field of physical activities, which incorporates the
motor actions of physical education and sport: walking, running, jumping and
throwing.
The basketball practice’s effect on the physical development of the body
combined with the possibility of playing it outdoors provides many opportunities
for a healthy and balanced physical development and good health. (Nae, 2013)
Basketball practiced by children contributes to the balanced development
of the body and to the formation of right posture due to the fact that the movements
which are performed during the game, with and without the ball, are varied and
complex, requiring alternative and simultaneous, symmetrical or asymmetrical
participation of all body segments, in which the motor skills are manifested in each
other’s system. (Predescu, 1980) It has a particular influence on the development of
mental capacities. The strength to fight, the will directed towards victory,
determination, sturdiness and perseverance are mental capacities that are educated
through the systematic practice of the game from a very early age.
Play fosters personal relationships (Rink, 2010), a spirit of cooperation and
mutual support, and contributes to the social integration of the student. Likewise,
1
Ionela Cristina Nae, The Bucharest University Economic Studies, naecristina4@gmail.com
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the spirit of organization and self-conscious discipline are educated through

observing the rules of the game, refereeing and teamwork. (Gamero, 2021)
The organized practice of basketball contributes to the education of active,
creative thinking. For instance, the activity in the game gets children used to
analyzing situations, comparing them and drawing conclusions as quickly as
possible. All these reasoning processes link the analyzed situations and ultimately
lead to the improvement of distributive attention and anticipation skills.

2. General Guidelines
Bearing in mind the above aspects, the introduction of basketball themes in
physical education lessons can be carried out from primary school onwards.
At this age, the game should be fun for children, a means of recreation
which can later lead to the enjoyment of the sport. (Negulescu, 2003) A lot of
movement games should be used and children should be encouraged to learn to
respect the rules.
Competition through games and competitions is the main means of
attracting children. It is important that students are used to accepting defeat.
At this age the focus should be on learning basic motor skills, correct
posture with an emphasis on developing the muscles of the spine, and the
appropriate rhythm of movement.
Preschool and early school-age children have a low endurance to static
effort, which is why it is recommended to use a dynamic activity based on
contractions and relaxations, which is less tiring and benefits the circulatory and
respiratory systems.
After an intense physical exercise, the body needs a long time to return to
normal, so it is recommended that children at this age should do short exercises
with longer recovery breaks.
Exercises requiring endurance are not recommended at this age, nor are
strength exercises requiring high strain.
A balanced lifestyle, alternating physical effort with rest, a healthy diet and
outdoor movement contribute to the balanced development and health of children.
At a young school age, the child's behaviour is characterized by liveliness,
an irresistible tendency to movement, looking forward to running, jumping,
climbing, playing with a ball, which is why it is recommended that the activity
should take the form of a game. Children are capable of playing for a long time
without resting, they seem to have an inexhaustible energy, however efforts must
be dosed. When the activity is far too intense and requires concentration over a
longer period of time, children will become bored and tend to abandon the activity.
This does not mean that exercise should be easy, but neither does it have to go far
beyond what they are capable of.

2.1. Training objectives for this age group

 To ensure multilateral physical development and basic motor skills
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 To develop motor skills, especially speed and dexterity

 To initiate and reinforce elements of individual technique and tactics,
linking two or more learned technical procedures and applying them in
simplified bilateral play
 Knowledge of the main rules of the game (steps, double dribbling,
personal foul, putting the ball back into play, 1x1 commitment)
 Learning organizational concepts:
- Educating collaborative and mutually supportive relationships
between children
- Training in self-organization and self-management skills
- Training personal hygiene skills.
2.2 Methodological guidelines
 The technical elements and procedures will be practiced in the form of
games, relays and competitions. The aim will be to teach correct
behaviour towards opponents and teamwork;
 Correct teaching of technical procedures: stopping, dribbling, catching
and passing the ball, pivoting, shooting from the spot and dribbling;
 Introducing the game with simplified rules from the first physical
education lessons;
 The rules of the game will be introduced gradually as technical
procedures are learned;
 Speed and its forms as well as skill can be positively influenced at this
age;
 Strength and stamina can be systematically taught from the age of 9-10
years, with an upward progression.
 Lesson topics should be grouped in cycles of 4-6 lessons according to
their difficulty and should correspond to the development (in the case
of skills), as well as the learning and consolidation of a technical
element or a structure of technical procedures.
3. Content of the curriculum
1. Development of general motor skills by imposing a correct posture
through:
 Speed development with emphasis on reaction and repetition
speed. These are necessary for the correct execution of technical
procedures as well as individual tactical actions.
 The development of the skill necessary for the correct execution of
technical elements and procedures.
 Developing the strength of the main muscle groups
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 Development of general strength.

2. Learning the elements and complexes of technical procedures:
 Different types of passes in 2 from standing and then from running
(pass with 2 hands from chest, with 1 hand from shoulder, with 2
hands from overhead, with the floor).
 Different variations of dribbling, medium high, low, passing the
ball behind the back
 Dribbling with variation of pace, with stops, with detours, zig
zagging
 Different types of dribbling, with detours, combined with other
technical elements
 Pivoting
 Shooting from a standing position
 Dribble shooting
 Dribble-stop in one-touch passing with 2 hands from the chest
 Dribble-stop in a time-pivot-pass with 2 hands from the chest
 Ball outlet-grip-stop-pivot-pass with 2 hands from chest
 Dribbling-stop in one time-shoot to basket with one hand from the
spot
 Dribble-stop in one time-pivot- one-handed shot from the spot
 Catching the ball-dribbling-shooting the basket from the dribble
 Out ball-gripping-dribbling-shooting from dribble
 Getting to the ball - catching the ball from running - shooting the
ball from the basket
 Passing in 3's from the move with change of places.
Learning individual tactical actions:
Attacking:
- Patrolling
- Passing
- Demarcation
- Recovery
In defense:
- Marking: basic position in defense and disengagements in basic position.
- Recovery.
Among the collective tactical actions, we mention for this age group only the
"give and go" combination and the counter-attack for the attack, and for the
defense: the man-to-man defense.
As mentioned above, many movement games are used in this age group as
well as preparatory games for basketball. Among these we mention the most used:
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1. Pair Leap: in pairs, sitting facing each other, students in a low basic
position try to touch their partner's ankles with the palm of their hand.
2. Bouquets: students run around the field in a row, following the teacher's
command, "bouquets by...", the students group themselves in as many
groups according to the number the teacher says. Example: "3 bunches at a
time", and the students run around in groups of 3.
3. Let's make up: in pairs, one pupil pretends to be angry and the other wants
to cheer him up. The "angry" student always turns his back on his partner,
and the partner always tries to get in his face. This game can also be played
on the fly.
4. Don't hold the ball: the team is divided into 2 teams, each occupying half
of the field. Each team makes passes as quickly as possible from the run.
5. Bridge: students are placed in 3-4 rows, made up of an equal number of
children, each row with a ball. In the line the pupils are placed 50-60 cm
behind each other. At the sound of the ball the ball goes from hand-to-hand
then, overhead to the last child, who runs with the ball quickly forward.
The winner is the line that is first in front of the pupil from which the
exercise started.
6. Bridge: students are placed in 3-4 rows, made up of an equal number of
children, each row with a ball. In the line the students are placed 50-60 cm
behind each other. At the sound of the whistle the ball goes from hand-to-
hand then, overhead to the last child, who runs with the ball quickly
forward. The winner is the line that is first in front of the student from
which the exercise started.
7. Ball through the tunnel: same as the bridge game, but with the ball passing
between the legs
8. Drill: same as in the bridge game, but the ball is delivered by twisting the
torso sideways, once to the right, once to the left
9. Wave: same as in the "bridge" game, but the first pupil sends the ball
overhead, the second between the legs then repeats the cycle.
10. Don't enter the circle: played between 2 teams of 5-6 children. They sit on
the edge of the central circle. The students of the 2 teams are interleaved
and hold hands trying to pull each other inside the circle. Whoever lets go
of hands or steps into the circle is penalized and the other team wins a
point. The winning team will be the one that accumulates 10 points.
11. Who holds the ball longer: the class is divided into 2 teams, each half lasts
one minute, during which time those with the ball try to make as many
passes as possible from the off without dribbling, and those on defense do
not allow passes to be made. The team with the most passes wins.
12. Dribbling relays
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13. Shooting competitions

14. Crowd running: students spread all over the field run in all directions and
when they meet a teammate, they execute lunges with changes of direction.
15. Attention to the coach: students spread all over the field run in all
directions and are very attentive to the coach's commands. Example: at a
short whistle, they stop in a while, at 2 whistles they change direction to
the right, at 3 whistles they change direction to the left, etc.
16. Take the ball if you can: in pairs, standing facing each other 1 metre apart.
One student has a ball which they carry in all directions with different slits
while the other student tries to get hold of it.
17. Circle pass with interception or "Donkey": In a circle formation with one
player in the centre. Those in the circle pass to each other and the student
in the middle tries to get possession of the ball. The one in the middle is
exchanged with the one whose pass he intercepted.

4. Conclusions
Physical education classes in primary education will be mainly devoted to
exercises in the form of races, competitions, relays, preparatory games and themed
games to apply the structures learned. Along with these, students will also be
introduced to the rules and regulations and will be educated to behave correctly
towards teammates and opponents.
At this age level, the children will be in contact for the first time with the
specific elements of the game of basketball. Because of this, executions will be
used to ensure that children learn the basic mechanics of technical procedures, and
then move on to linking two or more elements in the form of simple structures that
allow them to play the game with simplified rules from the first lessons.
Lesson topics will be grouped in cycles of 4-6 lessons according to their
difficulty and will correspond to the development of motor skills and the learning
and consolidation of a technical element or a structure of technical procedures.

Bibliography:
Gamero, G.M., Garcia-Ceberino, J.M., Ibanez S.J. (2021). Analysis of Declarative
and Procedural Knowledge According to Teaching Method and Experience
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Nae, I. Filip C.,(2020). Activitatea fizică în Academia de Studii Economice.
Bucuresti: Editura Universitaria Craiova.
Negulescu, C. (2003). Baschet. Baze generale ale metodicii predării. Bucuresti:
Editura Fundației Romania de Mâine.
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Predescu, T., Gheorghiu, S.,Dumitru, O. (1980). Minibaschet. Bucuresti: Editura

Sport-Turism.
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