Date: September 7^th, 2013

Practice Session #: 1

Number of Participants: 22

Equipment Used:

            -6 Hoops with attached base

            -5 Volleyballs

            -5 Rubber Dodgeballs

            -Assorted Brooms, usually 20

            -Cones

Practice Objectives:

Physical Objectives:

            -See what health/stamina level most of the team is at.

            -Make sure everyone participates and plays.

Technical Objectives:

            -Monitor the level of ability of the players, in order to know what to work on

                        -passing, shooting, beating

Tactical Objectives:

-Monitor strategies seen or used in game-play to establish a baseline to work with.

-Brainstorm potential ideas for strategies.

Personal Objectives:

            -Establish role as coach on the team.

            -Get to know the players.

Session Objectives:

Introductory Activities:

            -Gave an overview of the rules for newcomers.

            -Ran 2 warm up laps and then did static stretching in a circle.

-Discussed my temporary role as coach, and if there were any questions or concerns to talk to me.

Teaching Activities:

            -None. I wanted to get a feel for the team, and start off simply.

Culminating Activity:

            -Full game with no contact.

                        -Wanted to prevent injuries by unskilled players tackling.

            -Water Break.

            -A second full game without contact.

            -Cool down lap.

Evaluation:

            I thought this practice went well because it allowed me to get to know the team, and get myself established. It also let me ease into my role without stepping on any toes. From my understanding, since this is a student-run team, and there are no cuts, nobody works that hard. Most team members have never played sports before, and don’t respond well with drills that they have run in the past. This will probably be the most challenging aspect. I need to find a way to make sure everyone has fun, and doesn’t lose interest in the sport. With this in mind, their usual setup is just playing games against each other, rarely working on actual skills. It was a good practice and way to establish my position.

Date: September 14^th, 2013

Practice Session #: 2

Number of Participants: 20

Equipment Used:

            -6 Hoops with attached base

            -5 Volleyballs

            -5 Rubber Dodgeballs

            -Assorted Brooms, usually 20

            -Cones

Practice Objectives:

Physical Objectives:

            -Educate team on proper technique for tackling.

            -Encourage a safe technique and environment to practice tackling.

            -Create an aggressive environment to practice safe tackles in gameplay.

Technical Objectives:

            -Chasers:

-proper tackle technique: knees bent, head to one side, wrap arms tightly around legs, hold firmly, don’t release when you hit the ground, use thigh to cushion head, distribute weight during fall from knees, hips, and shoulder.

            -Beaters:

                        -Improve accuracy and ability to throw bludgers.

Tactical Objectives:

-Chasers:

            -Recognize how and when to tackle in a game situation.

            -Get first contact out of the way, so that jitters are steadied.

-Beaters:

-Improve accuracy, and recognize when to throw bludger in game situation.

Personal Objectives:

            -Properly instruct how to tackle.

            -Make sure everyone is practicing/working on something at all times.

            -Make it fun.

Session Objectives:

Introductory Activities:

            -Gave an overview of the rules for newcomers.

            -Warm-up game of handball.

                        -no one could move with the ball, score through hoops.

                        -beaters can hit opponents to make them run back to their own hoops.

Teaching Activities:

            -Chasers:

                        -Tackling progressions in pairs:

                                    -knees & standing, walking, jogging, running.

-crouched/low ready position & standing, walking, jogging, running.

                        -1V1 tackling drill:

-players line up facing each other, run in opposite directions around a cone to face each other. Offensive player takes ball and tried to pass through 2 cones, defensive player tries to stop them.

-start without brooms and without ball, progress to with brooms, with balls, with one arm tackles (as rules state).

            -Beaters:

                        -Survivor game in a grid:

-all beaters have bludgers, try to eliminate all players, last one standing wins. Players can catch bludger to stay alive.

-adjust # of balls in play and size of grid.

                        -Bludger tag:

                                    -one beater has a bludger, has to hit other plays to tag them.

                                    -tagged beaters are now it, and take the bludger.

                                    -if ball is caught, player is safe.

Culminating Activity:

            -Full game with contact.

                        -Work on game situation tackling.

            -Water Break & questions that came up in the game.

            -A second full game with contact.

            -Gauntlet:

-bludger line up in two lines, chaser try and make it through the ‘tunnel’ and make to the other side without being hit by bludgers.

                        -chasers can block bludgers with quaffle.

            -Cool down lap.

Evaluation:

            I think this practice was alright. It could have been better. Every adapted game is somewhat difficult to plan, as quidditch is unlike any other sport. If I were just coaching the chasers, it would be easy, but every game I have to find some way to incorporate the beaters in, which is extremely difficult. Handball could have gone better, as many of the beaters complained that never pass the bludger in the game, so why would they do it in the warm up. This was hard to get across as they did not realize it was just a warm up game, and the point was communication and teamwork. It also doesn’t help that these comments are coming from people who have never played sports before. Beaters also rarely tackle in games, so they don’t practice tackling, which is crucial for chasers. This means I have to run two separate groups doing 2 separate drills. That was extremely difficult as well. There were several points where a group was standing around doing nothing because I had to explain a drill to the other group. In hindsight, I could have got them playing a mini game while I explain, but it never crossed my mind at the time. I was too busy explaining other drills and making sure they were working, focusing more on the chasers, as tackling basics are essential and a safety issue. Tackling was also hard to teach as many, especially the girls had never had any experience with contact. Therefore, they were not confident, which is important for tackles. The games did not have as much tackling as there could have been, once I brought the two groups together. I think they were still getting used to full contact and tackling.

Date: September 21^st, 2013

Practice Session #: 3

Number of Participants: 19

Equipment Used:

            -6 Hoops with attached base

            -5 Volleyballs

            -5 Rubber Dodgeballs

            -Assorted Brooms, usually 20

            -Cones

Practice Objectives:

Physical Objectives:

            -Educate team on proper technique for tackling.

            -Encourage a safe technique and environment to practice tackling.

            -Create an aggressive environment to practice safe tackles in gameplay.

            -Increase agility off the start.

Technical Objectives:

            -Chasers:

-proper tackle technique: knees bent, head to one side, wrap arms tightly around legs, hold firmly, don’t release when you hit the ground, use thigh to cushion head, distribute weight during fall from knees, hips, and shoulder.

            -Beaters:

                        -Improve accuracy and ability to throw bludgers.

Tactical Objectives:

-Chasers:

            -Recognize how and when to tackle in a game situation.

            -Get first contact out of the way, so that jitters are steadied.

            -increase agility.

-Beaters:

-Improve accuracy, and recognize when to throw bludger in game situation.

-increase agility.

Personal Objectives:

            -Properly overview and instruct tackling.

            -Make sure everyone is practicing/working on something at all times.

            -Make it fun.

Session Objectives:

Introductory Activities:

            -Gave an overview of the rules for newcomers.

            -Ran two Snitch Snatch warm up games:

                        -every player is given a bandana that they tuck into their waistband.

                        -all players confined to a small grid.

                        -one player has a broom and is it, and tries catching the fake snitches.

-once caught, players must grab a broom and try and catch snitches as well. Last one standing wins.

            -Circle stretch.

Teaching Activities:

            -Both beaters and chasers run 1v1 drill separately.

                        -players lay on stomachs side by side.

                        -coach or assistant yells go and throws ball into play.

                        -chasers fight for quaffle, then try and score/defend.

-beaters fight for bludger and try to beat opponent/catch incoming bludger.

            -Beaters continue this drill, incorporating 2v1s.

            -Chasers move to gauntlet tackling drill.

                        -4 players line up 10-15 yards apart from each other in straight line.

-Everyone else lines up single file. One by one, players run with a ball into contact. They maintain possession of the ball, while opponents work on tackling. Rotate players tackling after everyone has gone through once.

            -Merge two positions and do beating gauntlet game:

-tunnel of beaters that chasers have to make it through as previously explained.

Culminating Activity:

            -Full game with contact.

            -Water Break.

            -A second full game with contact.

            -Cool down lap.

Evaluation:

            So far I have taken a rugby approach to coaching this team (forwards and backs vs beaters and chasers), and I think it only works to a certain point. Both positions have much to work on individually, but even more to work on together. It’s hard to find a balance between the two. It’s also hard to devote enough time to both positions. I am way more comfortable coaching chasers, as they are much like rugby/football positions, but beaters really only need to focus on hitting people with balls (essentially dogedball). There are only so many drills I can think of that will emphasize accuracy or throwing. It’s really difficult. That being said, I thought this practice went pretty well. Many enjoyed the warm up game, and I got a lot of positive feedback on the competition over the 1v1 race to the ball drill. I really think things are coming together, and my position is really stable. There is still a lot to work on, but I feel like things are progressing.

Date: September 28^th, 2013

Practice Session #: 4

Number of Participants: 11

Equipment Used:

            -6 Hoops with attached base

            -5 Volleyballs

            -5 Rubber Dodgeballs

            -Assorted Brooms, usually 20

            -Cones

Practice Objectives:

Physical Objectives:

            -Prepare for game against UBC on Oct 5^th.

                        -aggression and tackling.

Technical Objectives:

            -Tackling techniques

            -Accuracy

Tactical Objectives:

-Work on set plays for the UBC game.

Personal Objectives:

            -Get players in mindset for the game next week.

Session Objectives:

Introductory Activities:

            -Ran 2 warm up laps and then did active stretching to stay warm.

Teaching Activities:

            -3 chasers vs 1 beater and 1 keeper.

                        -chasers work on set plays:

• Stack: all chasers and keeper move in a small pack on one side of the field to attack the hoops.
• Cross: Chasers split into a pair and an individual. Pair carries the ball down one side of the field, and performs a pop pass to the individual player that comes from the opposite side. This play can occur in front or behind the hoops, and works much like a reverse in American Football.
• Emma: Nicknamed after the actress who plays Hermione in Harry Potter. All but one chaser charge for a corner of the field, drawing out as many players as they can, then crossing it to the hopefully open chaser in front of the hoops. The goal is to let the chaser slip past the defense unnoticed.

Culminating Activity:

            -Full game with contact.

            -Water Break.

            -A second full game with contact.

Evaluation:

            This was a very disappointing practice. I had planned to get a lot more accomplished, especially to prep for the upcoming game (something I’ll discuss in a moment). However, the weather wasn’t on our side. There was heavy rainfall, which made me question the safety of the practice on the field. I decided to change things around to a more relaxed practice at jogging pace to reduce injury risk (the game is played in any condition). The next problem was that the weather made many people not show up. I had to work with only 11 players. This essentially made the practice useless, as no one else would know the plays for the game. As for the game against UBC, that’s another issue. They contacted Josh about having a game Sept 21^st. This would be the week we’d just be getting new players out from clubs days. They wouldn’t even know the rules yet. UBC also has way more players than us, so they did not even consider this issue. We told them that day wouldn’t work, and pushed the date to October. This morning I got a message from Josh saying that they were coming out on Oct 5^th to play us. This came with little warning and even less prep time. Our team was not ready for an actual game. Despite this UBC was still coming the next weekend. This made the lack of numbers and weather even more of a concern for me. The lack of notice also frustrated me, but it is just how this ‘league’ works. That being said, the plays were very successful with the players who showed up. I hope for the best for next weeks’ game.

Team Name: UVic Valkyries

Date: October 5th, 2013

Game Session #: 1

Number of Participants: 19

Equipment Used:

            -6 Hoops with attached base

            -5 Volleyballs

            -5 Rubber Dodgeballs

            -Assorted Brooms, usually 20

            -Cones

Game Objectives:

Physical Objectives:

            -Stay safe.

            -Be aggressive and stick each tackle.

Technical Objectives:

            -Tackle, pass, shoot, beat properly and accurately.

Tactical Objectives:

-See plays used at least 5 times.

Personal Objectives:

            -Encourage my team, no matter what.

            -Give equal playing time.

Evaluation:

            We played three games against UBC. The first two were fully competitive, and the last game mixed players on both teams together and was for fun. I love competition, and I really love quidditch, but after this game, I was really frustrated. For starters, UBC has enough people for over three full teams, including subs. They brought over two of their teams (an A and B team). They also have bigger players than our team—significantly bigger. I watched countless missed tackles, as it was not possible to take down someone that size with one arm. I tried to get our team to dedicate our bludgers to the bigger players, but when all their chasers are big threats…there’s not much our team can do. UBC won both games. The second game (100s-40) was much closer than the first (140-50s). Ten points each for a quaffle through the hoops, and 30 for catching the snitch, the s indicates which team caught the snitch. I was so proud of my team after that second game. They fought hard and didn’t give up, and it was much closer—we would have tied with a snitch snatch.

           My big issue with UBC is that Quidditch was made for everyone to enjoy. It was a sport for athletes and nerds. It brings together so many different types of people of different skill levels. Our teams’ philosophy is family, and everyone has the right to play, and it’s only our starters that are picked. UBC approached me after the second game to suggest the third game be for fun with mixed teams, as their ENTIRE B team had not played yet. This baffled me. That they could bench 15 people in this sport for two straight games is unbelievable. I was shocked that the B team even wanted to stay on the team after that. But this is how they run things. They have 6 key chasers that are big rugby players, and they cycled these players both games, without adding anyone else. I was shocked to see this. Regardless, I said yes and we played a fun third game.

           I would never bench the members on my team, unless they did something to warrant it like illegal moves. I know that if I start benching players, less will show up and play. UBC has plenty players to choose from, so they can get away with this, which annoys me. It’s also annoying that as I watched, I could see that our team is better. The only thing UBC has over us, is size. And they use it. Their team is made up of enforcers (like in hockey), something we only have one or two of. I’d like to say with strategy and work our team could overcome this, but size is a crucial aspect of a game that only allows one arm tackles. If we don’t have possession of two bludgers, it’s nearly impossible for our players to stop them from attacking, no matter how skilled our tacklers are. It’s really frustrating, especially when I see so many players benched on the opposite side. We have a long ways to go (hopefully including recruitment) if we want to beat them. It was only after the game that they also mentioned they were hosting a tournament on the 26^th. They gave us three weeks’ notice. That only gives us 2 practices to prepare (I’ve tried organizing a second practice, but at most 4 people come out). These games have given our team a baseline to work with, but there’s a lot that needs work.

Date: October 12th, 2013

Practice Session #: 5

Number of Participants: 11

Equipment Used:

            -6 Hoops with attached base

            -5 Volleyballs

            -5 Rubber Dodgeballs

            -Assorted Brooms, usually 20

            -Cones

Practice Objectives:

Physical Objectives:

            -Catching

            -Tackling in game situations

Technical Objectives:

            -Cradling pass to catch

            -Tackle techniques

Tactical Objectives:

-none

Personal Objectives:

-Less people at practice, hard to prepare for the upcoming games, so I wanted to make it a fun practice to build teamwork.

Session Objectives:

Introductory Activities:

            -Ran 2 warm up laps and static stretching.

            -Warm up Relay race:

                        -three teams, players had to ‘dizzy bat’ with a broom.

-spinning in a circle 3x, with forehead on end of broom, ground on the other.

-then had to navigate through a set of cones, and shoot at the hoop from a distance, then tag next teammate.

Teaching Activities:

            -Egg passing:

                        -just like Mighty Ducks, but passing and catching with hands.

                        -emphasize cradling passes, accurate passing, and catching.

Culminating Activity:

            -Modified game with contact.

                        -3 chasers, and 1 beater per team.

            -Water Break.

            -A second modified game with contact.

Evaluation:

            It’s hard to develop a team when so few show up to each practice, based on homework or motivation, especially in preparation for a tournament. I also had only two beaters this practice, which makes it hard to do anything tactical based. With so few people, I adapted the practice to make it fun for the people who showed up. They really enjoyed and had fun with the egg passing. Everyone washed their hands and clothes after as well. There was also great team bonding throughout the practice, clearly seen from the relay race. All teams cheered their teammates on. It was really great to see. So this practice was good in that sense, but lacked a lot of development and tactical based things I was hoping to get done with them.

Date: October 19th, 2013

Practice Session #: 6

Number of Participants: 18

Equipment Used:

            -6 Hoops with attached base

            -5 Volleyballs

            -5 Rubber Dodgeballs

            -Assorted Brooms, usually 20

            -Cones

Practice Objectives:

Physical Objectives:

            -Catching

            -Tackling in game situations

Technical Objectives:

            -Cradling pass to catch

            -Tackle techniques

            -accuracy of shots and beats

Tactical Objectives:

-work on set plays

-work on offensive attacks and quickly returning and setting up on defense.

Personal Objectives:

-Have the players feel confident about the tournament, and know that improvement is worth more than winning.

Session Objectives:

Introductory Activities:

            -Ran 2 warm up laps and static stretching.

Teaching Activities:

            -Various offensive/defensive scenarios:

                        -4v4

                                    -3 chasers and 1 beater

                        -1v1

                                    -Chaser against Beater

                        -3v2

                                    -3 chasers against 1 beater & 1 keeper, or 2 beaters

                        -2v1

                                    -2 chasers pass up the field and attack 1 keeper

Culminating Activity:

            -Full game with contact.

            -Water Break.

            -A second full game with contact.

Evaluation:

            Ideally I would have liked to have had more time or have done more to prep for the tournament next week. Overall, I think it was a good practice. It gave a lot more focus on attacking, and how to work with different numbers and groups while on the field, making quick plays on the fly. I thought my team did a really good job communicating this practice, and are more in a game-set mind than they were before. As I said before, it’s hard to coordinate with the whole team when only select players turn out. It makes it hard to develop the team more, but I feel like the people that attend are doing better, and gaining more confidence and are able to make better decisions on the field.

Date: October 26th, 2013

Game Session #: 2

Number of Participants: 10

Equipment Used:

            -6 Hoops with attached base

            -5 Volleyballs

            -5 Rubber Dodgeballs

            -Assorted Brooms, usually 20

            -Cones

Game Objectives:

Physical Objectives:

            -Catching & shooting

            -Tackling in game situations

Technical Objectives:

            -Tackle techniques

            -Accuracy of shots and beats

Tactical Objectives:

-Work on set plays

-Work on offensive attacks and quickly returning and setting up on defense.

Personal Objectives:

-Have the team stay focused and not give up during the games.

Evaluation:

            This was another difficult situation for me. Two weeks before getting notice of the tournament, I began to ask the team who could make it and who couldn’t. I myself had work scheduled that day so I would not be able to go. They still wanted to go, but only 12 of them said they could. Twelve went down to ten as two people cancelled last minute. This meant we’d be sending a team with 3 subs to a tournament. That didn’t sit well with me, but they insisted on going anyway. As my position as coach is only temporary and they are just a club at a university level, they are capable of making their own decisions, especially since it’s a student-run club. I felt really powerless, but knew there was nothing I could do, but voice my opinion that it probably wasn’t the best idea. Ultimately, they went, and lost each game they played by a landslide: (UBC 150s-20), (SFU 120s-40), (WWU 90-40s). They were exhausted, and there was one injury on our team, as a girl tried to tackle one of their rugby players. I’ve told them before that I didn’t want girls attempting to tackle the guys, especially if they were bigger. Regardless this player did, and suffered a minor injury from it, but was fit to play the next week. It really frustrated me that I wasn’t able to go. I hope that my team will begin to recognize the amount of work and people needed to win and compete in a tournament.

Date: November 2nd, 2013

Practice Session #: 7

Number of Participants: 3

Practice was cancelled due to torrential downpour, and lack of attendance. I tried to schedule another practice that week, but could not get enough numbers able to attend.

Date: November 9^th, 2013

Practice Session #: 8

Number of Participants: 11

Equipment Used:

            -6 Hoops with attached base

            -5 Volleyballs

            -5 Rubber Dodgeballs

            -Assorted Brooms, usually 20

            -Cones

Practice Objectives:

Physical Objectives:

            -Catching

            -Tackling in game situations

            -Maintaining aggression

Technical Objectives:

            -Cradling pass to catch

            -Tackle techniques

            -Accuracy of shots and beats

Tactical Objectives:

-Work on set plays

Personal Objectives:

-Make it fun.

Session Objectives:

Introductory Activities:

            -Snitch Snatch warm up game 2x

            -Circle static stretch

Teaching Activities:

            -Various offensive/defensive scenarios:

                        -4v4

                                    -3 chasers and 1 beater

                        -5v4

                                    -3 chasers, 1 keeper, 1 beater vs 2 chasers, 1 keeper, 1 beater

                        -3v2

                                    -3 chasers against 1 beater & 1 keeper, or 2 beaters

                        -2v1

                                    -2 chasers pass up the field and attack 1 keeper

Culminating Activity:

            -Full game with contact.

            -Water Break.

            -A second full game with contact.

Evaluation:

            Overall I think this practice went well. We were missing some people, as it was reading break. The players who competed in the tournament were still sore, so they took things a bit slow, which was fine. They may have lost, but they were really enthusiastic and proud of their performance as a team over the games. I really want to encourage a team that values their abilities and progress over one that focuses on scores. I can really see some development happening on the field as well. Most of the chasers are starting to realize and become more aware of positioning and the communication necessary to successfully attack the hoops. The beaters are struggling with realizing how important it is for them to hit the big chaser threats, and maintain possession of the ball. I emphasized the various offensive/defensive scenarios so that there was always one key target for them to hit or follow. They really need to work on identifying that person though, and knowing who is more of a threat. When I pointed this out to them they seemed to get more focused on keying in on that player, but would then let the player with the ball straight through to the hoops. I corrected this, but they are still struggling with this concept.

Date: November 16^th, 2013

Practice Session #: 9

Number of Participants: 21

Equipment Used:

            -6 Hoops with attached base

            -5 Volleyballs

            -5 Rubber Dodgeballs

            -Assorted Brooms, usually 20

            -Cones

Practice Objectives:

Physical Objectives:

            -One-handed Catching

            -Tackling in game situations

            -Maintaining aggression

            -Increasing stamina

Technical Objectives:

            -Cradling pass to catch

            -Tackle techniques

            -Accuracy of shots and beats

Tactical Objectives:

-Work on set plays

-Work on setting up on offense and defense

Personal Objectives:

-Make it fun

-Make sure everyone feels like they are improving

Session Objectives:

Introductory Activities:

            -2 warm-up laps and circle stretch

Teaching Activities:

            -Various offensive/defensive scenarios:

                        -Chasers:

                                    -4 line passing.

-make a rectangle with a line of chasers at each corner, facing opposite lines.

-left line has ball, right line jogs forward and receives a pass, then hands ball off to the line they are jogging to.

-drill continues, mirrored by the other side.

                        -Beaters:

                                    -2v1 Gaining possession drill

-2 beaters (with only 1 ball) challenge 1 beater (with ball)

-working together to get possession of both bludgers.

Culminating Activity:

            -Full game with contact.

            -Water Break.

            -A second full game with contact.

Evaluation:

            I thought the lead in activities for this practice went well. The chasers had to focus on leading a pass, and catching with one hand, which is necessary for this sport. The beaters worked on gaining possession of the second bludger, which is crucial for defense. They really began to work together and communicate, which was great. I think I need to nominate a beater coach as well though. That way I can focus on chasers, and they can focus on beaters. This way, I’m not having one group wait while I explain a drill, or commit more to one than the other. I’ll think more about this, even if I still design the drills and practices, it’d be nice to have that extra set of hands coordinating. Overall everyone worked hard; it was a great practice.

Date: November 23^rd , 2013

Practice Session #: 10

Number of Participants: 23

Equipment Used:

            -6 Hoops with attached base

            -5 Volleyballs

            -5 Rubber Dodgeballs

            -Assorted Brooms, usually 20

            -Cones

Practice Objectives:

Physical Objectives:

            -Catching

            -Tackling in game situations

            -Maintaining aggression

Technical Objectives:

            -Cradling pass to catch, leading pass to teammate

            -Tackle techniques

            -Accuracy of shots and beats

Tactical Objectives:

-Work on set plays

-Basic offense/defense positioning

Personal Objectives:

-To establish a fun learning environment that promotes progress

Session Objectives:

Introductory Activities:

            -Mini Game:

                        -4v4, 3 chasers & 1 beater

                        -Chasers get 3 steps with the ball, beaters have unlimited steps

                        -Ball must touch all chasers before their team can score

Teaching Activities:

            -Square grid passing:

                        -3 players to square grid

                        -chasers lead pass to empty cone, for teammate to run onto.

                        -Beaters aim to hit person running to empty cone

            -Circle Passing

                        -players gather in a circle, chasers & beaters separate

                        -two balls in play.

-player on left must throw the ball high up to themselves, person on their right tosses the ball to them, they must quickly pass it to the next person, who tosses it high to themselves, while the original player catches their ball to pass to the next player.

-essentially passing high to self, then sideways to next player, catching then sideways to next player.

-Player then runs around the circle, trying to beat the ball back to their empty spot.

Culminating Activity:

            -Triangle hoops game:

                        -hoops are arranged inside large grid, in shape of triangle.

-3v3 chasers in the grid, must make x amount of passes before allowed to score.

-beaters on each team are on the outside of the grid, and are allowed to hit opponent chasers.

-if hit, a chaser must exit the grid and do 5 jumping jacks.

            -Modified mini game from warm-up:

                        -5v5: 3 chasers, 2 beaters

                        -chasers allowed 3 steps with ball, beaters can’t move with ball

            -Full game with contact.

Evaluation:

            I really enjoyed this practice. I thought it was a great way to end the semester. The warm up game modified their usual strategies, to account for limited or no movement. They began working better as a unit and communicating. It was great to see progress and them having fun at the same time. The passing drill also showed some development in their ability to lead a pass, control it, and catch it with one hand. Eventually they began continuously passing, which was great to see. I was also pleased that the triangle hoop game worked, as it was something I just made up. It was really awesome to see how my creativity could adapt the games to include the beaters as well, and have the team enjoy it. I could also see how the warm up activities made a slight change in their regular game habits. They began to pass more accurately and think more about positioning in the game. I was really pleased with this practice.

Team Name: UVic Valkyries

Date: January 18^th, 2014

Practice Session #: 11

Number of Participants: 18

Equipment Used:

            -6 Hoops with attached base

            -5 Volleyballs

            -5 Rubber Dodgeballs

            -Assorted Brooms, usually 20

            -Cones

Practice Objectives:

Physical Objectives:

            -Catching

            -Tackling in game situations

            -Maintaining aggression

Technical Objectives:

            -Cradling pass to catch, leading pass to teammate

            -Picking up ball on the fly

            -Tackle techniques

            -Accuracy of shots and beats

Tactical Objectives:

-Work on set plays, and when to use them

-Basic offense/defense positioning

Personal Objectives:

-To establish a fun learning environment that promotes progress

Session Objectives:

Introductory Activities:

            -Pickup Mini Game:

                        -4v4, 3 chasers & 1 beater

                        -chasers cannot move with the ball

                        -beaters can either dribble with feet, or roll the ball to hit opponents

                                    -emphasizes getting close to opponent before hitting them

                        -chasers must pass the ball by rolling it on the ground

                                    -emphasizes pickups on the run

Teaching Activities:

            -Group Mini Games:

                        -split players into groups based on numbers (3 teams)

-geese: all players move together as a unit, all offense, then all go on defense. Only allowed short shots.

-fish: all players hang back and play it safe, only taking long distance shots, and mainly defending their hoops.

-tigers: charge at net anytime they get the chance, can only score by slam dunking ball through hoops.

-once each team plays each other, rotate roles, so that each team plays each style once.

Culminating Activity:

            -Full game with contact.

Evaluation:

            This was a really fun practice. After reading and learning about the TGfU (Teaching Games for Understanding) model in EPHE 452, I was really motivated to try it out on my team. Dr. Hopper, who teaches that class, created animal strategy cards for pickleball, and I applied that technique to quidditch. I modified the roles each animal would take on to emphasize aspects more relevant to quidditch, and it was really rewarding. By using a TGfU model, I can create a fun atmosphere through games, which actually aid the athletes’ abilities. This is perfect for this team, as they don’t want to run through drills, and want to have fun and just play. If I can incorporate this model and more from this class, I can really reach this team, and help make them better through something they enjoy doing. That being said, this practice was tons of fun. I enjoyed watching them play, and they enjoyed playing. I had three players come up to me separately and tell me they enjoyed this practice and style of learning way more than anything else we’ve done. That made me feel great. Up until now I hadn’t really received any recognition or thanks from any of the players, especially personally telling me, so it was great to hear this. It made me feel like I was actually coaching and making a difference, rather than going through the motions. I hope to include more aspects from 452 into my coaching plans in order to better my team and myself.

Date: January 25^th, 2014

Practice Session #: 12

Number of Participants: 20

Equipment Used:

            -6 Hoops with attached base

            -5 Volleyballs

            -5 Rubber Dodgeballs

            -Assorted Brooms, usually 20

            -Cones

Practice Objectives:

Physical Objectives:

            -Catching

            -Tackling in game situations

            -Maintaining aggression

Technical Objectives:

            -Cradling pass to catch, leading pass to teammate

            -Picking up ball on the fly

            -Tackle techniques

            -Accuracy of shots and beats

Tactical Objectives:

-Work on set plays, and when to use them

-Basic offense/defense positioning

Personal Objectives:

-To establish a fun learning environment that promotes progress

Session Objectives:

Introductory Activities:

            -Chinese Gates warm-up 2x:

                        -have 3 levels that players need to cross.

                        -each level has x amount of gates, and x-1 number of guards

-players must carry a bandana across all 3 levels, and place it in their goal, if tagged or beat, they need to exit and return to the 1^st level.

-team cannot win until all their bandanas are across the finish, and players that make it through may assist their teammates.

-safe buffer zone for attackers after each level, but no safe zone for the 2^nd game

-guards are made up of beaters and chasers.

-emphasizes moving/finding open space, decision making, and getting past opponents.

Teaching Activities:

            -Group Mini Games:

                        -split players into groups based on numbers (4 teams)

-turtles: chasers move together and beaters move together (linked almost). They have to travel together/regroup.

-fish: all players hang back and play it safe, only taking long distance shots, and mainly defending their hoops. Beaters allowed to cross half to collect bludgers.

-Gorgons: charge the hoops with all players, beaters assisting/clearing path for chasers, and chasers have to dunk ball. Not allowed to talk to teammates.

-Storks: Like to set up players by the hoops and lob it to them to one time/dunk in.

-once each team plays each other, rotate roles, so that each team plays each style once.

Culminating Activity:

            -Full game with contact.

Evaluation:

            This was a very similar structure to last weeks’ practice. Since it went so well, and there is a week between practices, I thought this would be a fun activity to do again. I incorporated yet another game from 452: Chinese Gates. This game was a little challenging to incorporate the beaters, but I think I did an okay job of doing that. Since they had to throw the ball it opened up more room for attackers to get through, so I modified it so that they could tag players with their ball instead of throwing. The team had a blast again playing the mini games, but I could tell this would be something that would get old quickly if I just kept running it that way. This was the perfect amount of time to devote to this style of games, so its great that I was able to recognize when to move on. They are really starting to clue in to the significance of each style of playing, and when they could use it and when they should not. It’s especially helpful for them to begin reading opponent strategy and figuring out ways to beat them. I am really getting more confident with coaching by seeing how the players enjoy practices and are becoming more motivated.

Date: February 1^st, 2014

Practice Session #: 13

Number of Participants: 17

Equipment Used:

            -6 Hoops with attached base

            -5 Volleyballs

            -5 Rubber Dodgeballs

            -Assorted Brooms, usually 20

            -Cones

Practice Objectives:

Physical Objectives:

            -Tackling in game situations

                        -aggressive tackling

            -Stopping offensive pushes

            -Maintaining aggression

Technical Objectives:

            -Tackle techniques

            -Accuracy of shots and beats

Tactical Objectives:

-Aggressive tackling

-Basic offense/defense positioning

Personal Objectives:

-To establish a fun learning environment that promotes progress

-To emphasize the importance of stepping up and making tackles

Session Objectives:

Introductory Activities:

            -British Bulldog:

                        -1 male chaser and one beater in the middle.

                        -rest of the team tries to make it to the other side

                        -if beat or tackled, players join the middle

                        -for safety reasons: they can only tackle members of the same gender

Teaching Activities:

            -Deke Reads:           

                        -in pairs, have one player offense, the other defense.

                        -both players jog/run to a designated spot, facing each other

-offensive player cuts 90degrees to one side, defensive player points to which direction they think they will go. Point given if right, or to opponent if wrong

                        -after 5 points, switch roles

Culminating Activity:

            -Tackle point game 2x:

                        -regular rules of a game apply

                        -nominate a coach and a team spirit leader

-coach is in charge of strategy for team, and team spirit creates team name.

                        -make three zones for each side of the field.

-If a player with the ball is beat in the zone at the hoops, its worth 1 extra point. Beat in the zone in the middle third of the half is worth 3 points, and a beat in the zone at half gets 5 points.

                        -zone points are doubled if a tackle is made

            -Finish with British Bulldogs

Evaluation:

            This was another solid practice, but it did have some things to work on. The British Bulldog game was great, the players enjoyed the challenge and the unique take on it with beaters, and the challenge of only gender equal contact. That being said, there were few tackles actually made, which is evidently something the team needs to work on. I think the deke drill (also courtesy of 452) really helped the chasers and beaters break down and critically think about where their check will go in order to make the best defensive play. I think once they begin to think more about what needs to be done they will have more progress made. This leads in to the tackle line game. This gave the team more of a reason to tackle. Too often have I seen them wait at the hoops to make a move/tackle, waiting until it’s too late. This game forced them to make tackles further up the field if they wanted to maintain points with the opposite team. The same goes for beaters, whose points were less, as it is more difficult to tackle than beat. There were still less tackles than beats, but it did get them thinking more about aggressive defense, rather than waiting at the hoops. I think if we focus more of this, we will have a better chance against UBC.

Date: February 22^nd, 2014

Practice Session #: 14

Number of Participants: 19

Equipment Used:

            -6 Hoops with attached base

            -5 Volleyballs

            -5 Rubber Dodgeballs

            -Assorted Brooms, usually 20

            -Cones

Practice Objectives:

Physical Objectives:

            -Tackling in game situations

                        -aggressive tackling

            -Stopping offensive pushes

            -Maintaining aggression

Technical Objectives:

            -Tackle techniques

            -Accuracy of shots and beats

Tactical Objectives:

-Aggressive tackling

-Basic offense/defense positioning

-Communicate to beat a player

Personal Objectives:

-To establish a fun learning environment that promotes progress

-To emphasize the importance of stepping up and making tackles

Session Objectives:

Introductory Activities:

            -Capture the Quaffle:

                        -Split players into 2 teams.

                        -position 4 hoops, 2 on each side, with 2 quaffles in each hoop.

                        -Beaters on each team guard hoops, armed with bludgers.

                        -Chasers try to collect all the quaffles onto one side.

                        -if beat, players go to a jail.

                        -chasers can collect one ball, or save one player from jail.

Teaching Activities:

            -Same teams as warm-up:

                        -Chasers 1v1 tackling:

                                    -one team carries a ball on offense, the other tackles on defense

-players start facing each other five yards apart, on go, they take off in different directions, looping around a cone to face each other.

-offense must move between two cones, and make it past another set of cones to score, if defense stops them before that set of cones, they score a point.

                                    -once everyone has gone, switch offense/defense.

                        -Beaters 2v1 grid tag:

-in small grids, 2 beaters with 1 ball try to tag opponent beater who does not have possession of a ball.

-cannot move with the ball.

-beaters have 10 passes to try and tag opponent. If they do, they score a point, if not, opponent scores.

                        -Gauntlet:

-1 teams’ chasers run through the gauntlet of the other teams’ beaters, and vice versa.

-Whichever team takes less rounds to eliminate the opposing chasers, wins.

Culminating Activity:

            -Regular 7v7 full contact game x2

                        -water break in between.

Evaluation:

            I thought this was a pretty fun practice. I structured it as a mini-game tournament between two teams. They really enjoyed that competitive structure. The warm-up game was really fun as well, they liked playing the capture the flag type of game, while incorporating broomsticks and bludgers. The tackling aspect with the chasers also got them more engaged with trying to make/break tackles, as their teams’ points depended on it, likewise with beaters. The beaters played super hard to tag the opponent, and avoid being tagged. It also force them get closer to their opponents to tag them, where in a real game they can use a light, accurate beat. They also always like playing the gauntlet game, and the modification with team vs team really got them into the game as well. I think this model really works to get them learning without realizing it. The full games at the end were also very competitive, and the warm-up games helped promote more physical contact and accurate beats, which is great. Overall I think it went really well. I can start seeing development in the players’ skills.

Date: March 1st, 2014

Practice Session #: 15

Number of Participants: 21

Equipment Used:

            -6 Hoops with attached base

            -5 Volleyballs

            -5 Rubber Dodgeballs

            -Assorted Brooms, usually 20

            -Cones

Practice Objectives:

Physical Objectives:

            -Tackling in game situations

                        -aggressive tackling

            -Stopping offensive pushes

            -Maintaining aggression

Technical Objectives:

            -Tackle techniques

            -Accuracy of shots and beats

Tactical Objectives:

-Aggressive tackling

-Basic offense/defense positioning

-Communicate to beat a player

Personal Objectives:

-To establish a fun learning environment that promotes progress

Session Objectives:

Introductory Activities:

            -2 warm up laps

            -active and static stretching

Teaching Activities:

            -Split all the players up into 4 teams.

-these teams will be used today, and next practice as teams for a tournament.

-regular rules apply, 2 chasers and 2 beaters and 1 keeper.

-Teams split up, and are given 1 quaffle, 2 bludgers, some cones, and rotate using the hoops.

-team coaches decide what drills/practice they want to do before the tournament.

-team spirit chooses what color the team wears.

-team equipment manager is responsible for gathering and returning equipment.

-teams can ask me for drill advice or suggestions to make sure they actually do something.

Culminating Activity:

            -Mini scrimmages against all teams, first to 30 points wins.

                        -regular rules apply.

Evaluation:

            The team is really looking forward to the tournament, and playing with/against the teams. They are also motivated and want to win, which is great to see. I saw several of the groups taking initiative, creating drills or using ones we’ve used in practice to start training their team for the tournament. I needed to help out one group with some ideas, but I only helped them reach a drill, I didn’t give them answers. I think that’s important to note, in order to get them thinking critically about the game elements. Overall I was really pleased with how much effort was being put in. I half-expected the groups to sit around and do nothing when I came up with this plan, but they all wanted to be ready to play, which was great. They also got the chance to try out some of their intended strategies during the scrimmage games. I was really happy with this practice and the way the team has come together. With only one practice left, I wanted to end on a high note with the tournament, and it looks like things are coming together.

Date: March 8^th, 2014

Practice Session #: 16

Number of Participants: 20

Equipment Used:

            -6 Hoops with attached base

            -5 Volleyballs

            -5 Rubber Dodgeballs

            -Assorted Brooms, usually 20

            -Cones

Practice Objectives:

Physical Objectives:

            -Tackling in game situations

                        -aggressive tackling

            -Stopping offensive pushes

            -Maintaining aggression

Technical Objectives:

            -Tackle techniques

            -Accuracy of shots and beats

Tactical Objectives:

-Aggressive tackling

-Basic offense/defense positioning

-Communicate to beat a player

Personal Objectives:

-To establish a fun learning environment that promotes progress

Session Objectives:

Introductory Activities:

            -A warm up, run separately by each team

Culminating Activity:

            -A round robin tournament with all teams playing each other once.

            -Count wins and losses:

                        -1^st plays 4^th

                        -2^nd plays 3^rd

                        - winners play for 1^st and 2^nd, and non-winners play for 3^rd.

                        -small prizes were given to each team, even 4^th.

Evaluation:

            This was an incredibly fun practice, and all the teams got really into it. They worked together really well to come up with strategies and warm ups. They also observed and planned against teams as they rested, and watched the two teams playing. I thought this was an extremely big step for the team, as they were starting to put pieces together and see what strategies would work and what wouldn’t, based on the other teams. They knew if a team had big players, they needed to beat them, while a team with small players could be tackled easier. I really think using the animal strategy mini games really helped with this aspect. They began to critically think on the situations given to them. The best part was that they all had fun, and left everything on the field. It was a great way to end the season, and my experience coaching them.

            Overall I think this experience went really well. At the start of my coaching experience I was really nervous and not confident, but by the end I was confident in structuring a practice and coaching the team. I realize I still have a long ways to go before I truly am an effective coach, but it’s definitely a start.

            The situation itself was challenging. I have never been a head coach before—only an assistant. Another challenge was the team. It was made up of such a wide variety of students. Some had experience playing sports before, others had never been on a team before, or understood the seniority a coach is supposed to have. This was a really difficult barrier to cross. It was hard to try and coach/reach everybody on the team, for example, teaching tackling. Not many wanted to tackle, and therefore did not put much effort in. The same went for other drills. If a student was unwilling to do a drill, they simply did it at 20% of their full effort. This made it hard to actually develop some of the players, as they did not want to develop, and only wanted to play. Since the team is a club, and not a typical structured team, I cannot force them to do anything. It was very hard in that sense. If people were talking, I had to wait, or find another way of dealing with it, rather than a typical coach response of: “Go run a lap.” I couldn’t use penalties to motivate them, nor did I want to, but it did make the situation more unnerving for me as a beginner coach. It’s hard seeing a team with so much potential, yet select few members that do not want to get better. It’s even more challenging when those players can’t understand why the team loses to UBC. With that in mind, the majority of the team was willing to learn and work with me. I’ll admit, some of the drills/games I created did not go as well as I had hoped, but through trial and error, I think I eventually found a way to reach the team with drills and games that impact their abilities.

            At the start of this experience it was really just for a course, but during that second semester, I really started to take more pride in my work, as I saw progress in the team. I went from going through the motions, to trying to create new ways to help the team, and include all the players and positions. This led to my next challenge: the game itself. Since quidditch is so unique and new, there are no set drills or plays or anything for that matter. There were no resources to draw upon and develop practices. In some ways this was harder than dealing with the team, and in others it wasn’t. I’d think all week on how to incorporate all positions, or use separate drills for separate positions. As mentioned, some worked, and some did not. I drew upon my experiences playing Soccer, Rugby, Football, and experiences from my teaching degree thus far. Often, used drills I’d done in rugby, and adapted them to fit the needs of quidditch. This was extremely challenging, as it was hard to run the drills to include all positions, but it was even harder running separate ones. I found myself running like a chicken with its head cut off trying to balance the Chasers and the Beaters. Looking back, I should have recruited a Beater on the team to be an assistant coach and help run their drills while I explained the next one to the Chasers. I tried this method first, as quidditch mostly resembles rugby to me, and in rugby, we practice with forwards and backs separately and then brought them together. This did not work with quidditch, or at least how I was structuring the practices. When I was explaining set plays to Chasers, the Beaters had finished their drill and were standing around, and vice versa. This led to some drills running for too long.

            Despite the many hurdles I was faced with, I think I came out on top. When something didn’t work, I scrapped it and moved on to the next one. The team was very understanding with this as well. I think some were relieved to actually have structure and order, whereas before they had just gotten together and played full games. The first semester was a roller coaster of good and bad practice structures. Some weeks my structure fit their needs, and others it did not. I started to sink into my role in November, finally getting a sense that I was doing a good job. This only increased after the winter break, and I started taking EPHE 452: Teaching Strategies for Games in Physical Education. This class presented me with new resources and teaching methods that I had never considered. I began to adapt my practices to my newfound knowledge. This was good news and bad news, as I may have been too keen on using these methods, and forgot to take a step back to make sure it fit the needs of the team in a pattern that made sense. I think I was too excited over these new resources, and forgot to consider that aspect. While the second semester was far more successful than the first, I felt it could have been even more so if I had executed them in an order that made more sense. With the help of EPHE 452, I found a new confidence in my coaching, and was more willing to try new things. It was during this experimenting phase that I actually had players come up to me and say things like: “Wow, I prefer playing these games to learn way more than anything we’ve done before.” This meant a lot to me. It gave me a sense of accomplishment, and I really could see progress being made in the team.

            This leads me to whether the team achieved their goals for this season. There was a big difference between first and second semester with this team. The first had more of a turnout, but less development, while the second had less of a turnout (mainly due to the cold and rainy weather), but more development. In this sense, the players that stuck with the team year-round were more likely to reach their goals, rather than those who only played first semester. For this reason, I will evaluate the achievement of goals based on the core group that played till the end of second semester.

The physical objectives were for the most part reached. The teams’ endurance, stamina, agility, and overall fitness did increase. This could be for several reasons, but most likely the constant work put in every week. Tackling and aggression however, were lacking. I believe the team does not go 100% against each other, as they do not want to hurt each other, and want to play for fun. This is definitely an adherence when playing UBC, as the team does turn up the intensity, but it is not enough to reach the level of UBC. They need to start playing at practices, how they would in a game, which was a very challenging thing that I do not believe I/we accomplished this season. I think if practices kept going, progress was being made, especially with the introduction of the normal game with the tackling point system. Communication on offense and defense did see an improvement, as plays were actually used (and stopped) at the end of the season in the tournament.

            The technical objectives had similar results. Technique and quality of tackles were not improved (for the majority), as the intensity against the teams’ own players was not there. However, I do feel I properly demonstrated and instructed tackling technique. Both shooting and beating accuracy did improve, as many shots were successful, and beating shifted to close-range as opposed to long-range (an inevitably losing the ball) shots. This consistently improved throughout the season.

            As plays were evident and executed during the tournament, that aspect of tactical objectives was achieved. Defensive positioning still needs a lot of work. Many players had difficulty selecting the biggest threat on defense, and marking them. For example, a small chaser and large chaser come down the field. The larger one is harder to tackle, so beaters should key in on them. However, when the small player had the ball, the beaters essentially ignored him, too focused on the large chaser. I corrected this, but it still needs work, as some players have trouble identifying the big threats, and who to take out first.

            The main personal goal was to successfully coach the season, and to make everyone on the team feel welcomed, included, and part of the ‘family’. I absolutely think this was achieved. Players always felt welcomed, and many told me they’d return in the fall semester to play next year. I believe everyone felt respected, and nobody was benched or felt bad about themselves and their ability. We developed as a team, grew stronger as a team, and bonded through playing together, which is truly what the sport is about—not winning.

            I also asked players to write down individual goals they had for the season, or for games against UBC. Unfortunately not all were met. These included ‘Win against UBC’, ‘to complete more tackles’, and ‘to catch the snitch in a match against UBC’. Many of these goals with UBC were not met, but part of that lies in the amount of playing time had against UBC. I feel with more opportunities to play them, the stronger the team can get, and the more goals reached. This does not mean all individual goals were not met. Many players simply wanted ‘to score’, ‘make a single tackle’, or even ‘to get into better physical shape to last a full game on the field.’ These players could post these goals anonymously or not, with the idea that the team help each other reach these goals. I really believe that this team felt like they accomplished something this season, and improved in ability. I was extremely proud of how they played at the tournament and against UBC. They fought hard, and never gave up. Sport is more about active living and having fun than winning. This team believes in that statement.