Sports Pie – Baseball

There are so many team sports that we love to play in Cragtop Cave. Baseball is one of it. This is a game where a ball is thrown by a player called a pitcher and hit by another player with a bat. The player scores when he or she run and touch four bases on the ground.

Baseball is a very popular sport in several countries like the United States of America and Japan. It is called the “national pastime” sport in the USA, so it’s no wonder that the game is very popular with young children.

More About Little League Baseball

Although Baseball is a team sport it is a game that will allow your child to achieve personal gratification. It will challenge them towards perfection of physical skills. The very nature of the game proves to them that there is always another chance for success. Baseball establishes the values of teamwork, sportsmanship and fair play.

Little League is the name of a non-profit organization in the United States that organizes local children’s baseball and softball leagues.  Established in 1939 as a three-team league in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, by Carl Stotz, today there are millions of Little League players in the United states as well as other countries around the world.  The purpose of Little League, other than fun, is to teach children about teamwork, sportsmanship and fair play.

Little League welcomes both boys and girls between the ages of 5 and 18.  Boys play baseball and girls play softball.  These “little leagues” are divided into four groups based on the age of the children playing and their baseball skills.  The divisions are Little league ( Tee Ball, Minor League and Major League), Junior league, Senior league and Big league.  The age-cutoffs between divisions may differ slightly from district to district.

The most important event in the Little League calendar is the annual Little League World Series. Tournaments are held throughout the USA and it’s territories as well as across the rest of the world.

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Sports Pie – American Football

American Football is a very popular sport in the United States of America. Not to be mistaken from another kind of famous football around the world, American Football has its unique and different shape ball and rules to play. And since it is a full body-contact game, the players are equipped with helmets and pads for shoulders, thigh and knee. They look like warriors on the fields!

For those who are not yet familiar with this game, here’s some basic information.

How to Teach American Football to Children

Explaining football and teaching the game to children appears to be a daunting task. There are rules, positions and game strategies to consider. However, if you take the time to break it down slowly and the children you are teaching are interested in learning about the game, it will be much easier for the youngsters to pick up. Start off with the basics and show them a few fundamentals to help make learning the game enjoyable.

Basics

Step 1
Explain that there are 11 players on each team. The team with the ball is trying to score, and that unit is called the offense. The opposing team is trying to stop the offense, and that group is called the defense.

Step 2
Tell your students that the offense tries to advance the ball by running or passing the ball. The quarterback passes the football, the running backs run with it and the receivers catch passes. The offensive linemen provide the blocking that gives the other players the time and opportunity to make plays.

Step 3
Explain that the defense tries to tackle the player with the football. In addition to tackling the offensive players, the defense tries to intercept passes and force fumbles. The defensive linemen try to keep the blockers from protecting the quarterback and opening holes for the running game. The linebackers tackle the running backs. The defensive backs try to bat down passes, intercept the ball or tackle receivers.

Step 4
Teach players that the offense needs to gain 10 yards per possession to retain the ball by earning a first down. If the offense does not gain 10 yards, the opponent gains possession.

Step 5
Explain to youngsters that professional games consist of four 15-minute quarters and so do college games. High-school games usually consist of four 12-minute quarters. If the games are tied at the end of four quarters, overtime is played.

Scoring Plays

Step 1
Explain that the offense wants to move the ball all the way down the field and put the ball in the end zone for a touchdown. A touchdown is worth 6 points. After the touchdown is scored, a team attempts a point after touchdown by kicking the ball through the goalposts. A team can score 2 points after the touchdown by running or passing the ball into the end zone. The extra-point attempts are attempted from the 3-yard line.

Step 2
Tell youngsters that a team can kick a field goal worth 3 points if it does not get the ball into the end zone for a touchdown. A field goal is successful when the ball is placed on the ground and kicked through the uprights.

Step 3
Tell the children that a team can score 2 points and record a safety if the opponent gets tackled with the ball in the end zone.

Play the Game

Step 1
Show the youngsters how to pass the football. You must put your fingers on the laces and then step and throw the ball to the receiver.

Step 2
Demonstrate how to catch the ball with your hands. A receiver needs to put his hands out in front of his body and catch the ball and then bring the ball into his body. A receiver cannot let the ball hit his chest and then try to catch the ball.

Step 3
Show a young person how to make a tackle. It’s important that a youngster drives his shoulder into his opponent’s midsection and then wrap his arms around the ball carrier and drive him to the ground. The most important thing is never to lead with your helmet when tackling. Players can suffer devastating head and neck injuries when leading with their helmet and this must be avoided at all levels of the game. While serious injuries at the youth level are uncommon according to a study performed by the Mayo Clinic Department of Orthopedic Surgery, players can learn the proper way to tackle as youngsters and have a much better chance of avoiding major injuries later on.

Step 4
Watch a football game on television with your youngster and point out what the quarterback is doing, how the offensive line is blocking and how the defense is attempting to stop the offense. Watching a high-school or college game is exciting, but it is much easier to teach the game when watching it on television. Record the game so you can go over the big plays and key moments.

Sports Pie – Soccer or Football

Soccer is undeniably the most popular sport in the world! Just recently, the World Cup 2014 was held in Brazil, and Germany won the most prestigious title! For more than a month football fever was everywhere, in all corners of the world! That included us, the kids of Cragtop Cave.

We made Yokka, the Master of Disguise, a soccer ball, and Pinkin, our goal- keeper. It turned out that Pinkin was a great goalie! No one can score when she’s defending her turf! Do you know why?

What we know is this: soccer is good for kids, and these are the reasons why…

Participating in a soccer league offers a constructive way for kids to have fun and provides an opportunity for families to spend quality time together. Soccer also helps children develop in myriad ways that benefit their physical and emotional wellbeing.

Becoming Fit

Learning the importance of daily exercise can help your child lead a healthier life. Soccer combines aerobic and anaerobic elements that require a high level of fitness in players. The required level of fitness helps children to maintain healthy body weight. Playing soccer also gives children the recommended amount of cardiovascular exercise necessary to maintain a healthy heart and lungs. Regular exercise builds muscle strength and increases energy levels.

Making Friends

This inclusive sport offers league play for both boys and girls. Soccer leagues are open to various age groups and allow children as young under-5s to compete. Thus children can be members of a team during critical development stages. The child learns important character building traits such as working hard to develop skills and good sportsmanship. Children also experience healthy peer-group interactions and learn how to build friendships during practices, games and team activities.

Broadening Horizons

Soccer’s world governing body, FIFA, has more than 200 national member associations. A high-profile event such as the FIFA World Cup illustrates the diversity of the game’s participants and fans, as well as the various places it is played. Exposing children to soccer can stimulate them to think broader about the world in terms of countries, cultures and people. Thinking in broader terms can also spark their interest in traveling, foreign languages and geography.

Curing Boredom

Playing soccer can teach your child constructive ways to cure boredom. The game’s pace can be the perfect antidote for children who are easily bored. Instead of spending time playing video games and watching television, your child will be active. Being a member of a soccer team will give her access to positive mentors, such as coaches and other adults who will teach her helpful time-management techniques.

Forging Bonds

Getting your children involved in a soccer league strengthens their bond with you. Taking an interest in something they find important lets children know you care. Furthermore, it increases the amount of quality time you spend together.