Messy PE is the best PE!
James Riches, FA PE Officer
When I look back over many of the lessons I used to deliver, I realised that most of the skills being taught did not look like how they were going to be performed in the context they were needed. My activities were often highly structured, very predictable, and often only allowed pupils to act in a very specific way. They didn’t reflect all the adaptations that may be required or what information they needed to act in the first place.
I can remember a specific lesson when I was asking pupils to "scan" or "check their shoulder" before they received the ball and it was at that point a colleague quietly whispered in my ear "what are they checking for, there is nothing there!”. It was at that point I started thinking in a bit more detail about the various ways pupils received the ball in a game, what they did before, what they did after and how my activities could be shaped to replicate this wide variety.
Before receiving the ball, pupils are constantly looking for spaces to receive in. They are looking for where their teammates are and where the opposition is. When they receive, they will try and use the space they have, it might be quite tight as they are surrounded so they must keep the ball close. They might have space the way they are facing to move into or they might have to adjust their body to take a touch into a threatening space. The pass itself might be delivered with too much pace or too little for that matter, it may be in the air. Pupils may want to dribble with the ball, they may want to pass it or shoot, they may not get a choice. All of this is based on what the pupil sees, hears, feels and a lot of my lessons didn't include this information.
This brings me to the title of this blog, “messy PE is the best PE”. Let's begin to include the information pupils use to guide their actions into our lessons and help them explore actions that can transfer into the contexts they are needed. Try and use defenders or at least interference from other pupils to encourage them to look for space and decide how they will receive. Ask them to send the ball in different ways so their teammates can explore different receiving techniques in different situations. Use a range a directional and multidirectional games to encourage them to search for information and receive in a variety of ways. Give them challenges to drive and travel with the ball, make a pass or have a shot at goal. These lessons will look messy or chaotic, pupils may struggle at first. Consider using the STEP framework to manage the difference, modifying the space or number of defenders may help pupils cope with the challenge. The one thing I would say is “don’t panic”. The chaotic nature of the activity may mean it takes longer for the pupils to grasp the skills but I do believe it will help them develop more adaptable skills in the long run.
