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Special Olympics Sport

Specific Sport Skills Program Guide

FOREWORD

In Special Olympics, coaches play a unique and indispensable role. It is coaches who impart to Special

Olympics athletes the sports skills and competitive spirit that define the true a

thlete.

Coaches are role models in the building of character; they assist in the development of the whole person; they

give Special Olympics athletes the most immediate awareness of their own worth, their ability, their courage, and

their capacity to gro

w and improve.

To be a coach in Special Olympics demands qualities of mind and spirit that transcend knowledge of specific

games or events. The foundation of good coaching is still competence and solid grounding in the fundamentals.

Therefore, I cannot e

mphasize enough that sound training of coaches and athletes alike is the basis for everything

we do in Special Olympics.

This Special Olympics Sports Skill Program Guide was developed and thoroughly tested by coaches, teachers

and parents. It is written

and illustrated so that coaches at every level of experience can improve their skills for

working with Special Olympics athletes.

Followed carefully and consistently, the Sports Skills Program will raise the level of all Special Olympics

coaching and giv

e the gift of pride and accomplishment that comes with doing something well to Special Olympics

athletes and their families.

Eunice Kennedy Shriver

Founder

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Table of Contents

Introduction to the Program

Introduction to the Sport

Overview of Special O

lympics

History

Mission

Philosophy

Operating Policies

Eligibility

Persons with Mental Retardation

Age Divisions

Official and Nationally Popular Sports

Motor Activities Training Program

Unified Sports®

II.

Organizing the Program

Coach’s Job De

scription

Help for the Coach

Recruiting Athletes, Unified Sports® Teammates, and Assistant Coaches

Retaining Athletes and Coaches

Clothing and Equipment

The Facility

Coach’s Safety Checklist

Developing a Season Plan

III.

Teaching the Skills of the Sport

Plannin

g a Training Session

Warm

up and Stretching

Basic Skills and Teaching Progressions (Drills; Modifications and Adaptations)

Event or Game Concepts

Basic Rules of the Sport

IV.

Improving Athlete Performance

Strength and Conditioning Activities

Home Fitness

Menta

l Preparation

Cross Training Suggestions

Nutrition

Care of Common Minor Injuries and the Prevention of Injuries

Medical Emergency Awareness; Recommended Emergency Medical Procedures

Home Training Program

Getting Ready for Competition

Taking an Athlete or T

eam to a Competition

Divisioning in Special Olympics

Managing a Small Competition

VI.

Additional Resources

Glossary of Terms

Life Benefits of Special Olympics

Infusion Chart

Daily Performance Record

Sport Skills Assessment Record

Other Forms

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INTRODUCTION TO PROGRAM

The

Special Olympics Sports Skills Program Guide

is a step

-by-

step plan for teaching sports skills to people

with mental retardation. It can be used in a variety of ways to:

Coach Special Olympics athletes for competition

Coach participants in

a community recreation program

Teach in a physical education classroom format

Teach as part of a therapeutic recreation setting

Teach within a family, just for fun.

This guide is designed to meet the needs of a widely diverse group of people, who may also exhibit any

number of physical impairments. Suggestions for modifications and adaptations are included.

INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT

The reauthorization of United States Public Law 94

142 as part of the Individuals with Disabilities Edu

cation

Act (IDEA) has not changed the original policies which guarantee physical education and related services to all

school age children with disabilities. U.S. Accredited Programs will want to note that care has been taken to ensure

that this material w

ill meet and comply with this legislation.

As defined in the law, the term “special education” means specially designed instruction, at no cost to the

parent, to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability. This instruction includes classroom inst

ruction and

instruction in physical education, in the home, and in hospitals and institutions. The importance of physical

education in the total education of a child with a disability is evident in that physical education is the only subject

area specifica

lly addressed in the definition of special education.

HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE

If you are coaching Special Olympics athletes or helping to prepare them for competition, you will want to

start by reviewing

Section I

“Overview of Special Olympics”. Then yo

u will work toward developing a season

plan in

Section II

and specific skills progressions in the individual training sessions in Section

III

. This guide also

provides suggestions to help you improve your athlete’s performances in

Section IV

and will help

you get ready for

a competition in

Section V

If you are teaching the skills of the sport without competition as a goal, you will be most interested in the

Section II

topics of Clothing, Equipment, Facility, and Safety. You will also find the step

-by-

ste

p teaching

progressions for basic skills interesting in

Section III

For those of you using this guide to design a classroom curriculum or Individualized Education Plan, you may

find the athlete’s Daily Performance Record and Sports Skills Assessment Rec

ord in

Section VI

useful.

Regardless of your reasons for teaching or coaching this sport, objectives should be based upon the following

criteria:

Present ability of the athlete

Potential ability of the athlete

Behavioral limitations of the athlete

Behavi

oral limitations of the environment.

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THE BENEFITS OF TABLE TENNIS

Table Tennis is the most popular racquet sport in the world. Since becoming a part of Olympic Games

competition in 1988, the sport has further increased its worldwide popularity. Table

tennis is considered a lifetime

sport. Special Olympics athletes who have mastered the basic stokes can enjoy the sport throughout their lives. The

popularity of the sport has allowed access to the required equipment of a racquet, balls, and a table for

most

individuals wishing to participate in the sport. Modern table tennis is very different from the recreational game or

“Ping

-Pong” many of us first learned in our basements or at summer camp. The competitive sport of table tennis is

played by well

ained and highly

skilled athletes. Played at it highest level, it is a sport of super spin and speed

—

sometimes the ball can attain speeds of more than 100 miles per hour. With a ball that weighs only 2.5 grams, it

takes great timing and coordination to c

reate this kind of speed. Players today rely more on spin than speed to play

table tennis at a competitive level.

Table Tennis provides many benefits to Special Olympics athletes:

Improves an athlete’s total fitness level.

Develops hand

eye coordination

, body control and movement.

Teaches athletes to concentrate on a particular task.

Allows athletes the opportunity to make new friends and acquaintances.

Provides an activity which can be enjoyed with siblings and other family members.

Above all, table ten

nis is FUN!

A Preview of the Table Tennis Events Offered

The table tennis competitions are based on athletes’ ability levels. Special Olympics offers the following types

of competition.

Individual Skills Competition

is offered for athletes who have n

ot yet mastered the necessary skills to play a

regulation table tennis match. The Individual Skills Competition is comprised of five events: 1.) hand bounce,

2.) racquet (paddle) bounce, 3.) forehand volley, 4.) backhand volley, and 5.) serve. A player’s

final score is

determined by adding together the scores achieved in each of the five events.

Single Competition

is offered for athletes with moderate to advanced ability who have demonstrated the

necessary skills to play a regulation game of table tennis.

Doubles Competition

is offered for athletes who have demonstrated necessary skills to play regulation table

tennis and wish to play as a two

person team.

Unified Sports

Doubles

is an event which pairs a Special Olympics athlete with a partner without

mental

retardation in a regulation match.

In addition, the following events provide meaningful competition

for athletes with lower ability levels

: target

serve, racquet (paddle) bounce, and return shot.

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SECTION I

OVERVIEW OF SPECIAL OLYMPICS

HISTORY

To honor the memory of the oldest Kennedy child who was killed in World War II, the Kennedy family

founded the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation in 1946. The Foundation’s mission has been to seek the prevention

of mental retardation and to improve

the way in which society treats its citizens who have mental retardation. In the

1950s, the Foundation developed a grant program to improve and advance care for people with mental retardation.

The schools and institutes, which received grants, became mode

ls for humane and progressive family, school, and

clinical settings. A fact

finding trip by Eunice and Sargent Shriver throughout the United States demonstrated

conclusively that improvement in the lives of people with mental retardation was the greatest u

nmet need among all

the National Health Service delivery systems. This conclusion helped refine the direction of the Foundation, and

would eventually lead to the establishment of Special Olympics in 1968.

In 1963, the Kennedy family and the Kennedy Found

ation’s long standing interest in the therapeutic effects of

physical fitness and sports was translated into action when Eunice Kennedy Shriver started a summer day camp for

100 local children with mental retardation at her home in Rockville, Maryland, U.S

.A. This program proved quite

successful in demonstrating the ability of people with mental retardation to participate in and benefit from a wide

variety of recreational experiences. Because of this success, the Foundation decided to support the developmen

t of

similar programs throughout the country. Between 1963 and 1968, the Foundation awarded more that 80 small

grants to public and private organizations in the United States and Canada, for the purpose of creating and

administering community day camps for

people with mental retardation.

In January of 1968, representatives of the Chicago Park District (which sponsored highly successful day camp

programs funded by the Kennedy Foundation since 1964) submitted a grant proposal for a local event to be held in

one of Chicago’s parks. These representatives were then invited to Washington, D.C. for a meeting in which Mrs.

Shriver applauded their proposal and presented her idea for an international competition, to be called “Special

Olympics”. The Chicago Park Dis

trict was awarded a grant to plan and conduct the first Special Olympics Games

with assistance from the Foundation and several of the experts who had helped develop the program.

On July 20, 1968, Opening Ceremonies for the First International Special Oly

mpics Games were held at

Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A., and were co

sponsored by the Kennedy Foundation and the Chicago Park

District. One thousand athletes from 26 states and Canada participated in track and field, swimming and floor

hockey.

The Games were a tremendous success. The following year, the non

profit corporation, Special Olympics,

Inc. and the creation of Special Olympics Accredited Programs in the United States were established.

MISSION

The mission of Special Olympics is to prov

ide year

round sports training and athletic competition in a variety

of Olympic

type sports for people eight years of age and older with mental retardation, giving them continuing

opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience j

oy and participate in a sharing of gifts,

skills, and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.

PHILOSOPHY

Special Olympics is founded on the belief that people with mental retardation can, with proper instruction

and

encouragement, learn, enjoy and benefit from participation in individual and team sports, adapted as necessary to

meet the needs of those with special mental and physical limitations.

Special Olympics believes that consistent training is essential t

o the development of sport skills. In addition,

competition among those of equal abilities is the most appropriate means of testing these skills, measuring progress

and providing incentives for personal growth.

Special Olympics believes that through spo

rts training and competition, people with mental retardation benefit

physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually. Families are also strengthened; and the community at large, can

participate in and observe an environment of equality, respect and accepta

nce.

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Special Olympics believes that every person with mental retardation who is at least eight years old should have

the opportunity to participate in and benefit from sports training and competition. Special Olympics also permits

individual programs to

accept children from ages six to seven for training, but these children may not participate in

Special Olympics competition.

OPERATING POLICIES

To provide the most enjoyable, beneficial and challenging activities for athletes with mental retardation,

Spe

cial Olympics operates in accordance with the following operating policies. The General Rules and the Sports

Rules are specifically designed to enforce these policies.

Special Olympics training and competition are open to every person with mental retardat

ion who is at least

eight years of age and who registers to participate in Special Olympics as required by the General Rules. There

is no maximum age limitation for participation in Special Olympics. An Accredited Program may permit

children who are at lea

st six years old to participate in age

-appropriate Special Olympics training programs

offered by that Accredited Program, or in specific (and age

appropriate) cultural or social activities offered

during the course of a Special Olympics event. Such children may be recognized for their participation in such

training or other non

competitive activities through certificates of participation, or through other types of

recognition approved by SOI that are not associated with participation in Special Olympics com

petition.

However, no child may participate in a Special Olympics competition (or be awarded medals or ribbons

associated with competition) before his or her eighth birthday.

Special Olympics must offer full participation for every athlete regardless of h

is/her economic circumstances.

Special Olympics is an athlete

centered movement and believes that the athlete is all

important. Promoting

athletes as the central focus of each training or competition program or event, developing the physical, social,

psyc

hological, intellectual and spiritual qualities of the participants, and providing meaningful opportunities to

participate in additional activities that support Special Olympics programming must be the focus of every

Accredited Program.

Special Olympics e

ncourages coaches and family members of athletes to make every effort to encourage

Special Olympics athletes to reach their highest level of athletic achievement in a particular sport and to

provide opportunities for them to do so.

Each Accredited Program

shall offer comprehensive year

round sports training, conducted by qualified

coaches in accordance with these Official Sports Rules. Every Special Olympics athlete who competes in a

Special Olympics sport at a Games or a Tournament must have been trained

in that sport. Training shall

include physical conditioning and nutrition education. Accredited Programs shall establish written minimum

training requirements for competitors in each Official Sport, in accordance with their respective Accreditation

Criteri

a and these Official Sports Rules. Athletes who desire to compete in Regional Games, Multi

State

Games or World Games must be trained for at least eight (8) consecutive weeks in the appropriate sport and

must have several opportunities to compete (includin

g scrimmages and practice sessions) during that period.

Each Accredited Program should offer athletes who are preparing for competitions at other levels within

Special Olympics, such as for National Games, Accredited Program Games or Subprogram Games (like

local,

area, community), the same training and competition opportunities as are offered by that Accredited Program

to athletes who participate in Regional, Multi

State and/or World Games.

Every Accredited Program must offer a variety of sports events and

activities that are appropriate to the age

and ability of each athlete and consistent with the Program’s Accreditation Level and that foster full

participation by each eligible athlete regardless of level of ability, degree of mental or physical disabilit

y, or

economic circumstances.

Every Accredited Program must, if required by its Accreditation Level, include Special Olympics Unified

Sports

training and competition in which individuals with and without mental retardation participate together

on teams,

and the Motor Activities Training Program for individuals with such severe mental retardation that

the cannot benefit from standard Special Olympics training and competition programs.

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Special Olympics encourages qualified athletes to participate in school

, club and community programs where

they can train and compete in regular sports activities. The athletes may, at this point, wish to leave Special

Olympics or continue to take part in Special Olympics activities as well. The decision rests with the athle

te.

Special Olympics fully supports the concept of developing sports events for athletes with mental retardation in

conjunction with events conducted by sports organizations for individuals without mental retardation.

Accredited Programs should encourage

other amateur and professional sports programs to include

demonstrations by Special Olympics athletes as part of their major events. In addition, Accredited Programs

should work with other sports organizations to develop sports events in which Special Olym

pics athletes may

compete with individuals who do not have mental retardation. This can occur under circumstances that offer

Special Olympics athletes realistic opportunities to excel and compete successfully, whether by participating

in the same heats as

all athletes or in heats organized specifically for Special Olympics athletes. Special

Olympics personnel should work to create a feasible format for these integrated activities.

10.

All Special Olympics sports training and competition activities and events s

hall be conducted in accordance

with the General Rules, these Official Sports Rules and the other uniform standards. Each Accredited Program

shall offer sports training and competition programs that meet the highest possible standards in facilities and

equ

ipment, athletic attire, training, coaching, officiating, administration, and related events for athletes and

their families. Special Olympics sports training and competitions must be held in a manner that protects the

participating athletes, provides fair

and equitable conditions of competition, and promotes uniformity in

testing athletic skills, so that no competitor obtains an unfair advantage over another.

11.

Special Olympics believes that every athlete deserves an equal chance to excel during competition

. Thus, each

competition division within a given event must be structured so that every athlete/team in the division has a

reasonable chance to excel during competition. This must be done by placing athletes/teams in divisions

according to accurate records

of previous performance or trial heats and, when relevant, grouping by age and

gender.

12.

Special Olympics seeks to promote the spirit of sportsmanship and a love of participation for its own sake by

stressing and celebrating the importance of, and personal

achievement associated with, each athlete’s

participation and personal effort in Special Olympics, regardless of comparative ability. Special Olympics

believes that every athlete should participate to his/her fullest potential. This means that in team spo

rts each

coach must see to it that each athlete has frequent opportunities to participate. This also means that each

Games and Tournament should offer as many sports as possible, with events for athletes of all ability levels.

Special Olympics promotes thi

s philosophy in the training of its coaches and officials.

13.

All Special Olympics Games and competitions

–

at the local, state, provincial, national and international levels

– shall reflect the values, standards, traditions, ceremonies, and activities embo

died in the ancient and modern

Olympic movement, broadened and enriched to celebrate the physical and spiritual qualities of persons with

mental retardation so as to enhance their dignity and self

esteem.

14.

At Accredited Program competitions, Regional Games

, World Games, and other Special Olympics Games,

official medals shall be presented to first, second, and third

place winners. Athletes in fourth through eight

places shall receive ribbons with all appropriate ceremonies. Those who are disqualified (for re

asons other

than unsportsmanlike conduct of violations of the divisioning rules) or do not finish an event shall be given a

participation ribbon. For competitions below the Accredited Program level (that is, at the local level) ribbons

or a combination of

medals and ribbons may be awarded.

15.

Special Olympics training and competition activities must take place in public, with every effort made to

attract spectators and generate coverage by the news media, in order to increase public awareness or and

support

the need and capabilities of persons with mental retardation.

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16.

Special Olympics shall offer every athlete multiple opportunities annually to participate in locally based

competitions in Official Sports and Nationally Popular Sports in which he/she is inter

ested. These activities

should include competitions with teams or individuals other than those with whom the athlete usually trains.

Each Accredited Program must offer competition opportunities in at least the number of Official Sports and/or

Nationally Po

pular Sports required by the Accreditation Criteria for that Program’s Accreditation Level. In

addition, in order to give athletes broader opportunities, area, state, provincial, regional, national and

international competitions as well as tournaments shal

l, subject to available resources, be open to athletes

representing the full range of skill levels.

17.

Special Olympics is not designed to train elite athletes exclusively, but does provide training and competition

for highly skilled and elite athletes with

mental retardation. Fair and equitable methods shall be used to select

athletes for participation in non

local competitions so that every athlete, regardless of skill level, has an equal

opportunity to participate in each competition at his/her skill level

18.

Although Special Olympics is a sports training and competition movement, Accredited Programs may offer or

cooperate with others who offer, as an adjunct to or integral part of Special Olympics Games, a full range of

artistic, social and cultural experie

nces such as dances, art exhibits, concerts, visits to historical sites, clinics,

theatrical and motion picture performances and similar activities.

19.

In some countries with newly created Special Olympics Programs, it may not be possible, due to economic or

other circumstances, to organize nationwide games. In such case, SOI may authorize such Programs to focus

on area or regional games. In such case, SOI may authorize such Programs to focus on area or regional games

with the goal of increasing public awaren

ess of the capabilities of individuals with mental retardation.

20.

All Special Olympics training and competition must be conducted under the auspices of an organization

specifically accredited and sanctioned by SOI to conduct Special Olympics programs.

21.

To t

he greatest extent possible, Special Olympics activities should be organized by and involve local

volunteers from school and college

age individuals to senior citizens, from civic clubs to businesses, in order

to crate greater opportunities for public unde

rstanding of and participation with people with mental

retardation.

22.

The families of Special Olympics athletes are encouraged to play an active role in their community Special

Olympics program, to share in the training of their athletes, and the assist in

the public education effort needed

to create greater understanding of the purposes of Special Olympics and of the emotional, physical, social and

spiritual needs of people with mental retardation and their families.

23.

Special Olympics recognizes the contrib

utions and encourages the participation of other organizations such as

schools, parks, and recreational departments, institutions caring for the mentally handicapped and independent

living centers, which conduct sports training for individuals with mental

retardation. Accredited Special

Olympics Programs should encourage such organizations to train athletes in accordance with Special

Olympics rules to facilitate the athletes’ participation in Special Olympics competitions.

ELIGIBILITY FOR PARTICIPATION IN

SPECIAL OLYMPICS

Special Olympics training and competition is open to every person with mental retardation who is at least eight

years of age and who registers to participate in Special Olympics as required by the General Rules.

There is no maximum age

limitation for participation in Special Olympics. The minimum age requirement for

participation in Special Olympics is at least eight years of age. An Accredited Program may permit children who are

at least six years old to participate in age-

appropriate S

pecial Olympics training programs offered by that Accredited

Program, or in specific (and age

appropriate) cultural or social activities offered during the course of a Special

Olympics event. Such children may be recognized for their participation in such

training or other non

competitive

activities through certificates of participation, or through other types of recognition approved by SOI that are not

associated with participation in Special Olympics competition. However, no child may participate in a Spe

cial

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Olympics competition (or be awarded medals or ribbons associated with competition) before his or her eighth

birthday.

Participation in Special Olympics training and competition is open to all persons with mental retardation who

meet the age requirem

ents, regardless of the level or degree of that person’s disability, and whether or not that

person also has other mental or physical disabilities, so long as that person registers to participate in Special

Olympics as required by the General Rules.

A pe

rson is considered to have mental retardation for purposes of determining his or her eligibility to

participate in Special Olympics if that person satisfies

any one

of the following requirements:

That person has been identified by an agency or professional

as having mental retardation as determined by

their localities; OR

The person has cognitive delay, as determined by standardized measures such as intelligence quotient or

“IQ” testing or other measures that are generally accepted within the professional c

ommunity in that

Accredited Program’s nation as being a reliable measurement of the existence of a cognitive delay; OR

The person has a closely related developmental disability. A “closely related developmental disability”

means having functional limitatio

ns in both general learning (such as IQ) and in adaptive skills (such as in

recreation, work, independent living, self

direction, or self

care). However, persons whose functional

limitations are based solely on a physical, behavioral, or emotional disabili

ty, or a specific learning or

sensory disability, are not eligible to participate as Special Olympics athletes. These individuals may be

eligible to volunteer for Special Olympics as partners in Unified Sports

if they otherwise meet the

separate eligibili

ty requirements for participation in Unified Sports

set forth in the Sports Rules.

An Accredited Program may request limited permission from SOI to depart from the eligibility requirements

specified above if the Accredited Program believes that there ar

e exceptional circumstances that warrant such a

departure and so notifies SOI in writing. SOI will consider such requests promptly, but shall have the final authority

to determine whether any departure or exception is appropriate.

Participation by Individ

uals with Down Syndrome Who Have Atlanto

Axial Instability

Medical research indicates that up to 15% of individuals with Down syndrome have a malalignment of the

cervical vertebrae C

1 and C

2 in the neck known as Atlanto

axial instability. Injury is pos

sible if they participate in

activities that hyper

extend or radically flex the neck or upper spine. All Accredited Programs must take the

following precautions before permitting athletes with Down syndrome to participated in certain physical activities:

(1)

Athletes with Down syndrome may participate in most Special Olympics sports training and competition.

However, they shall not be permitted to participate in any activities which, by their nature, result in hyper

extension, radical flexion or direct pressur

e on the neck, or upper spine, unless the requirements of

subsections (2) and (3) below are satisfied. Such sports training and competition activities include:

butterfly stroke and diving starts in swimming, diving, pentathlon, high jump, squat lifts, eque

strian sports,

artistic gymnastics, football (soccer) alpine skiing, and any warm-

up exercise placing undue stress on the

head and neck.

(2)

An athlete with Down syndrome may be permitted to participate in the activities described in subsection

(1) above if t

hat athlete is examined (including x-

ray views of full extension and flexion of neck) by a

physician who has been briefed on the nature of the Atlanto

axial instability condition and who determines,

based on the results of that examination, that the athlet

e does not have an Atlanto

axial instability

condition.

(3)

An athlete with Down syndrome who has been diagnosed by a physician as having an Atlanto

axial

instability condition may nevertheless be permitted to participate in the activities described in subsec

tion

(1) above if the athlete, or the parent or guardian of a minor athlete, confirms in writing his or her decision

to proceed with these activities notwithstanding the risks created by the Atlanto

axial instability, and two

(2) licensed Medical Professio

nals certify in writing that they have explained these risks to the athlete and

his/her parent or guardian, and that the athlete’s condition does not, in their judgement, preclude the athlete

from participating in Special Olympics. These statements and cer

tifications shall be documented and

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provided to Accredited Programs using the standardized form approved by SOI, entitled “Special Release

for Athletes With Atlanto

axial Instability,” and any revisions of that form, approved by SOI (the “Special

Release C

oncerning Atlanto

Axial Instability”).

Participation by Persons Who Are Blood

Borne Contagious Disease Carriers

No Accredited Program or GOC may exclude or isolate from participation in any Special Olympics training or

competition any athlete who is know

n to be a carrier of a blood

borne contagious infection or virus, or otherwise

discriminate against such athletes solely because of that medical condition. In view of the risk that one or more

Special Olympics athletes may have a blood

borne contagious inf

ection or virus, in conducting Special Olympics

training and competition events, Accredited Programs and GOCs shall follow so

called “Universal Precautions,” or

“Universal Blood and Body Fluid Precautions” for every exposure to any person’s blood, saliva,

or other bodily

fluid. SOI shall keep Accredited Programs apprised of the written Universal Precautions, which meet the

requirements of this Section.

Persons with Mental Retardation

Individuals who demonstrate a slower rate of learning and a limited capacity to learn are identified as having

mental retardation. Mental retardation is seven times more prevalent than deafness, nine times more prevalent than

cerebral palsy, 15 times more prevalent than total blindness, and 35 times more prevalent than muscula

r dystrophy.

Ninety percent of all persons with mental retardation have mild mental retardation and are generally outwardly

indistinguishable from their peers without mental retardation. However, because of their learning limitation, certain

teaching and

coaching strategies are more successful than others. Specifically, demonstration, physical prompt, and

manipulation of body part(s) are preferred to verbal instruction. Tasks to be learned should be divided into small

meaningful steps, presented sequentia

lly, and then practiced in total with as little change in the order as possible.

Feedback about an athlete’s performance should be immediate and specific. Comments such as “you kept your eyes

on the goal” are more meaningful and helpful than phrases like “

good shot”.

Like most groups of people, athletes with mental retardation will vary greatly in terms of their physical

abilities and their sport skill proficiency. The degree of mental retardation generally does not determine an athlete’s

performance leve

l. However, athletes with severe mental retardation will be more challenged by the tactical aspects

of competition. These athletes will also demonstrate greater incidence of secondary impairments (such as cerebral

palsy and other physical limitation) affec

ting motor skills. Yet, given proper coaching and sufficient practice time,

most athletes with mental retardation can successfully compete alongside or against many of their non

disabled

peers.

This Sports Skills Program Guide is written for coaches, tea

chers, family members, peer coaches, and others

who train or assist in training athletes with mental retardation. The task

analyzed approach enables skills to be

taught in small steps and customized for each athlete. The array of Special Olympics sports an

d events within each

sport are designed to ensure that there is an appropriate opportunity for every Special Olympics athlete. This will be

regardless of their learning or physical abilities and their sport skill proficiency.

More technical information o

n mental retardation is available. Please feel free to contact the following

association:

American Association for Mental Retardation

1719 Kalorama Road, NW

Washington, DC 20009

USA

(202) 387

1968

AGE DIVISIONS

Individual Sports

Team Sports

Youth: ages

Junior: ages 15 and under

Junior: ages 12

Senior: ages 16

Masters: ages 22 and over

Masters: ages 22

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Senior Masters: ages 30 and over

Additional age groups may be established if there is a sufficient number of competitor

s within the last age

group for both individual and team sports.

An athlete’s age group is determined by the athlete’s age on the opening day of competition. The age group of

a team is determined by the age of the oldest athlete on that team on the openi

ng day of competition.

In individual sports, if there are less than three competitors within an age group, the athletes shall compete in

the next oldest age group. That age group shall then be renamed to accurately reflect the entire range of competitors

within that age group. Age groups may also be combined to reduce the variance between the highest and lowest

scores within a division.

In team sports and within each ability group, age groups may be combined to create divisions. If there is only

one tea

m within an age or ability group, that team must be combined with other teams for competition.

SPECIAL OLYMPICS SPORTS

Official Summer Sports

Aquatics (Swimming & Diving)

Athletics (Track & Field)

Basketball

Bowling

Cycling

Equestrian Sports

otball (Soccer)

Golf

Gymnastics (Artistic)

Gymnastics (Rhythmic)

Powerlifting

Roller Skating

Sailing

Softball

Tennis

Volleyball

Official Winter Sports

Alpine Skiing

Cross Country Skiing

Figure Skating

Floor Hockey

Speed Skating

Nationally P

opular Sports

Badminton

Bocce

Snowshoeing

Table Tennis

Team Handball

MOTOR ACTIVITIES TRAINING PROGRAM

Special Olympics Motor Activities Training Program (MATP) is designed for persons with severe limitations

who do not yet possess the physical an/or beh

avioral skills necessary to participate in Official Special Olympics

Sports. The program provides a comprehensive motor activity and recreation training curriculum for these

participants. Trainers with various backgrounds (physical educators, recreators, a

nd therapists) and with assistance

from peer trainers and other volunteers can administer MATP. In addition, direct care workers, parents, and

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volunteers will find MATP helpful in developing appropriate motor programs for individuals with severe

limitation

The Motor Activities Training Program uses goals, short

term objectives, task

analyzed activities,

assessments, and teaching suggestions for individualizing motor activity instruction. However, MATP emphasizes

training and participation, rather than c

ompetition. In addition, MATP provides the means for people with severe

limitations to participate in appropriate recreational activities geared to their ability levels. These activities can be

conducted in schools and large residential facilities as well

as in community

based settings.

Individuals who participate in MATP activities work as hard as other Special Olympics athletes, and they

deserve recognition for their efforts. Special Olympics has created a Challenge medal and ribbon to recognize

partici

pants who have completed an MATP eight

week program and who have participated in a Training Day.

Participants in MATP activities at the Subprogram (local) or Program level events should also receive T

shirts, hats,

pins and/or any other form of recognition

that is provided to all Special Olympics athletes.

When MATP participants reach the necessary readiness and skill levels, each Special Olympics sport provides

an appropriate transition into that sport, but at an introductory level. Specific events are i

dentified in the Official

Special Olympics Summer and Winter Sports Rules books for athletes with low ability levels. For example, in

athletics, an appropriate choice for competition would be the 10

Meter Assisted Walk.

UNIFIED SPORTS

Unified Sports

a program that first combines approximately equal numbers of Special Olympics athletes

and peer athletes without mental retardation on sports teams for training and competition. Secondly, all players

(Special Olympics athletes and partners) are of similar

age and ability. Special Olympics athletes in this program

need to have the necessary skill level to participate in the sport so they can be appropriately matched with partners.

Unified Sports

is an important program because it expands sports opportuni

ties for athletes seeking new

challenges. It also dramatically increases inclusion in the community by helping to break down the barriers that

have historically kept people with and without mental retardation apart. At the same time, Unified Sports

provid

a valuable sports opportunity to individuals with mental retardation who are not presently involved with Special

Olympics, especially those with mild retardation, and those in communities where there are not enough Special

Olympics athletes to conduct t

eam sports.

Unified Sports

has become an important addition to the overall Special Olympics program and has helped

further reach its mission. Teams are constructed in such a way as to provide training and competition opportunities

that meaningfully chall

enge all athletes and often lead to improved self

esteem, equal status with peers and new

friendships.

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SECTION II

–

ORGANIZING THE PROGRAM

SPECIAL OLYMPICS JOB DESCRIPTION

Position:

Coach

Description:

The Special Olympics coach is responsible for pro

viding athletes with comprehensive sports training

and competition experiences according to the purpose, mission, and philosophy of Special Olympics.

Responsibilities

Select, assess, and train Special Olympics athletes.

Recruit athletes and complete and

submit all required medical and registration materials by established

deadlines.

Assess the skill of each athlete or team, determining the appropriate events and levels for training and

competition in the selected sports.

Develop individual training progra

ms for each athlete including fundamental skill instruction, strength

and conditioning activities, and instruction on competition and rules. This training program will be a

minimum of eight weeks duration

Apply and abide by the Official Special Olympics Sp

orts Rules.

Apply the skills and rules of the sport being coached.

Develop family support to enhance athlete training opportunities.

Make sport training and competition a fun experience.

Execute the legal duties of a coach:

Provide a safe environment.

Prop

erly plan the activity.

Evaluate athletes for injury or incapacity.

Match or equate athletes.

Proved adequate and proper equipment.

Warn of inherent risks in the sport.

Supervise the activity closely.

Know emergency procedures and first aid.

Have a first

-a

id certified coach on site at all training sessions.

Keep accurate records.

A 90

minute Orientation for family members before the start of the season might include:

Introduction of coaches and volunteers

Special Olympics mission and philosophy

Coachin

g philosophy

Demonstration by athletes, or slides, or video of athletes in the sport

- Program specifics –

dates, times, procedures

How families can help

Questions and answers

HELP FOR THE COACH

Families

are encouraged to take an active role in the Spec

ial Olympics program. Coaches may call upon

family members of all ages to help as:

Assistant coaches

Recruiters of athletes or other volunteers

Fund

raisers for equipment and uniforms

Transportation providers

Record keepers

Chaperones for travel

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Special

Olympics Partners Clubs

are in existence in hundreds of schools across the United States and are

beginning all over the world. Student groups volunteer their time to help as one

one coaching assistants and

teammates. Special Olympics, Inc. provides Par

tners Clubs

Handbooks to help a school organize and establish this

program. “Partners Club

and You” brochures are also available.

Special Olympics Sports Partnerships

involve schools’ varsity and/or junior varsity teams. A Special

Olympics team or ath

lete trains with the school’s team but competes against athletes of comparable age and ability.

Each team will warm up, stretch, condition and cool down together. Athletes without disabilities serve as peer

coaches, scrimmage teammates and boosters.

Othe

r Special Olympics volunteers

help to organize all the Special Olympics sports programs offered in

your community, state or national program. Many Accredited Programs often Subprogram committees or boards

headed by a Manager or Coordinator. These volunteer

colleagues will be resources on:

How to find eligible athletes

Procedures for fund raising

Training for coaches and assistants

Dates for upcoming competitions

In most Accredited Programs, there will also be a volunteer Sport Director who is the expert i

n the sport, help

to administer coaches training and major competitions. This person is the primary resource on:

Sport rules

Sport training techniques of athletes

Finding instructors for sport training services

Finding sport officials for small competition

COACHES CERTIFIED TRAINING COURSES

Special Olympics offers certified training courses that takes into account the different skill needs of coaches.

Certification requires:

General Orientation (at least once)

Approved Course

hour follow

up Practicum

of coaching Special Olympics athletes

Completion and mailing application for certification

The GENERAL ORIENTATION provides a 90

minute classroom instruction about Special Olympics. It is

designed for volunteers, chaperones, family members, and professi

onals who have an interest in providing sports

training for individuals with mental retardation. The course contains information on the Special Olympics mission,

philosophy, eligibility, organization, rules, sports training, and competition opportunities.

The SKILLS COURSE is a four to six

hour sport

specific instructional training school that is designed for

volunteers, family members, and professionals who wish to coach or who already coach Special Olympics athletes.

The course contains information on s

kills, practice drills, mental and physical preparation of athletes, events,

competition rules as well as on

site experience in training Special Olympics athletes.

The PRINCIPLES OF COACHING COURSE is a six

hour classroom training school addressing the

undamental principles of “coaching” Special Olympics athletes. The course focuses on coaching philosophy, sports

psychology, planning, and administration. This course is strongly recommended for all coaches, especially those

who will serve as “head coaches

” or who will organize local training programs.

The COACHING SPECIAL OLYMPICS ATHLETES COURSE is designed for the new coach with sport

experience and the veteran Special Olympics coach looking to improve his or her training and coaching skills. This

thre

e to four

hour course involves four sections: the athlete, the coach, training and coaching the athlete, and

successfully preparing for competition. The course addresses the following: What does a coach need to know about

the athlete with mental retardatio

–

mental, psychological, and social considerations? What about the expanded

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role as a Special Olympics coach? How can athletes be taught and coached more positively and more successfully

so that their performances and behavior improve?

The TACTICS COUR

SE is a four to six

hour training school designed for coaches who want to increase their

knowledge of advanced sport

specific coaching. The course features in

depth sport skills development, advanced

training principles, and competition strategies as well

as on

site experience training Special Olympics athletes, when

appropriate.

MATERIALS

There are many quality books and videos available which are helpful in teaching table tennis. Some are aimed

at teaching beginners and therefore useful to Special Olym

pics coaches. A good place to start is by contacting USA

Table Tennis. (See address next page.) They offer a list of USATT and ITTF (International Table Tennis

Federation) publications, videotapes, and published books about the sport. The organization

also offers

USA Table

Tennis Magazine

, the official publication of USA Table Tennis. You may also find table tennis instruction books

at your local library or bookstore. National Programs can contact the International Table Tennis Federation (see

addres

s next page) or their sport directors for more information.

Recommended Books:

Table Tennis

The Sport

by Scott Preiss

Wm. C. Brown Publishers (1992).

Table Tennis

by Margaret Varner and Rufford Harrison

Wm. C. Brown Publishers (1967)

The Game of

Table Tennis

by Dick Miles

J.B. Lippincott Company (1968)

Advanced Table Tennis

by Jack Carr

Cornerstone Library (1969)

Table Tennis

by David Phillip

Atheneum (1975)

Winning Table Tennis

by Tim Boggan

Contemporary Books, Inc. (1976)

Table Tenni

s: The Skills of the Game

by Gordon Steggall

Crowood Press/David & Charles, Inc., N. Pomfret, VT

(1986)

Play the Game

Table Tennis

by Donald Parker & David Hewitt

Ward Lock Limited (1989)

Table Tennis

Steps to Success

by Larry Hodges

Human Kine

tics Publishers, Inc. (1993)

Table Tennis Organizations

USA Table Tennis is the National Governing Body for the sport of table tennis in the United States.

Headquartered at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USATT has more

than 7,000

sanctioned players and a national network of approximately 300 affiliated clubs. These clubs conduct sanctioned

tournaments, league play, coaching programs, exhibitions, and other promotional, recreation, and educational

activities. Through U

SATT, these state and local organizations may provide helpful resources as you seek to gather

materials, organize a training program and get involved in the local table tennis community. National Programs

should contact the ITTF or their sport directors t

o identify the National Governing Body for table tennis in their

respective country.

International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF)

53, London Road

St. Leonards

on Sea, East Sussex

TN37 6AY, Great Britain

Tel: (44

1424) 72

1414

Fax: (44

1424) 43

1871

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USA

Table Tennis (USATT)

One Olympic Plaza

Colorado Springs, CO 80909

5769

Tel: 719.578.4583

Fax: 719.632.6071

mail: [email protected]

http://www.usatt.org

RECRUITING ATHLETES

The size of your program will depend upon many things

–

how many coaches and as

sistants are available, how

much individualized attention each athlete requires, space and equipment available, and scheduling and

transportation concerns. The appropriate training program can range from one athlete getting private instruction and

practice time to a bus

load of athletes training in a large facility moving from skill station to skill station.

Athletes are most often recruited through those organizations in the community that provide services to

individuals with mental retardation. They may

include:

Schools

Residential facilities

Group homes

Associations serving people with mental retardation

Supported work environments or employment settings

Referrals from family members who have relatives in Special Olympics and from Special Olympics ath

letes

themselves can provide additional sources of new athletes. However, individual athletes beyond school age who live

with their families are often hardest to identify. Publicizing your program to churches, parks, recreation

departments, and other civic

associations will help to get the information to the greatest number of potential athletes.

RECRUITING UNIFIED SPORTS

TEAMMATES

There are a few basic considerations in selecting appropriate individuals to serve as teammates on Unified

Sports

teams. Te

ammates should first match in age and ability with Special Olympics athletes. Second, these

individuals must also be willing to make a commitment to practice as well as to compete. Unified Sports

is not

simply a one

day event where teammates are matched w

ith Special Olympics athletes at the competition site.

Furthermore, individuals who would like an organized sports experience and who are not already participating in

that sport make ideal teammates.

Appropriate teammates can be identified and recruited

from the following sources:

Community service clubs

Businesses and corporations

Church groups

Students who are not involved in organized sports

Recreational sports enthusiasts

Siblings

Careful and thoughtful selection of teammates will lead to the most p

ositive outcomes for everyone.

RECRUITING ASSISTANT COACHES

Specific sport skill is helpful, but not mandatory, in an assistant coach. Family members, teachers, neighbors,

and friends of Special Olympics athletes can be taught the basic skill progression

s and become excellent assistant

coaches. Fraternal and civic organizations are good sources of volunteers as well as high school and college student

service clubs or sports teams. Many of your coaches will come from within the sports community and the fol

lowing

groups:

Adult competitive clubs members

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Former competitors

Parents of children who participate in the sport competitively

Professional coaches

Recreational center employees

Make sure to plan a minimum of one orientation for those recruited. Whenev

er possible, assistant coaches

should also take the General Orientation and the Skills Course prior to the start of the season. It is also important to

give them a copy of the Sport Skills Program Guide.

RETAINING ATHLETES AND COACHES

Developing appropri

ate, meaningful, and high

quality training and competition opportunities will increase a

Program’s ability to recruit and retain athletes and coaches. To this end, the coach

athlete ratio has a major

impact. It is just as important to provide one

one

instruction to athletes with higher ability as it is to those with

lower ability. Use of peer coaches to provide one

one training has also been effective in improving skill level and

in fostering inclusion within the community.

Having several assista

nt coaches allows the head coach to distribute responsibility and authority among the

assistant coaches. The outcomes are lessening the load on any one person, giving each volunteer a very important

and meaningful role, and ensuring a long term commitment

by all.

Reports from field organizations indicate that a critical time in the retention of athletes is the period when they

graduate from school into community work programs. Separation from friends and familiar programs often comes

with transition. A co

ordinated effort among the Special Olympics program, family, and school is important to

ensure that Special Olympics is a part of the athlete’s transition plan. In that way, the athletes can make an

appropriate and timely transition into community

based sp

orts programs as well as continue a meaningful part of

their lives.

The eight weeks of practices should build upon each other, increasing in duration and difficulty as athletes

grow stronger. To establish the habit of success, begin slowly. Make sure eac

h athlete succeeds before moving

her/him to the next level.

CLOTHING

Players must wear appropriate clothing to train and compete successfully. Inappropriate apparel can hinder a

player’s performance and be a safety hazard. Shirts and shorts should be l

oose fitting and allow free movement.

Shirts

T-

shirts are the most comfortable and practical tops for practice and training. In competition, players are

required to wear a dark colored shirt to allow for clear viability of the table tennis ball during p

lay. Traditionally,

table tennis competitions are played in tucked

in, collared shirts.

Shorts

For practice, athletes should wear gym shorts or conventional “tennis

type” shorts. Preferably, the shorts will

have pockets. In competition, dark colored “

tennis-

type” shorts are recommended. Wearing different apparel for

competition can build an athlete’s excitement for the competition.

Shoes And Socks

Shoes should be traditional court or tennis shoes with proper ankle, arch, and heel support. Running s

hoes are

inappropriate for table tennis because they are designed for heel

toe movement, and table tennis requires support

for lateral (side

side) movement. Running shoes or worn

down shoes increase the risk of sustaining an injury

like a sprained a

nkle. Socks should be made of an absorbent cloth material to prevent blisters.

EQUIPMENT

Equipment that is appropriate and in good playing condition is essential.

Table Tennis Racquet (Paddle)

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There are hundreds of different models of table tennis rac

quets (paddles) available to today’s players. The

primary differences between them can be seen in the type of wood used to make the racquet (paddle) and the type of

rubber which covers the striking surface. With the help of an experienced player or coach

, the athlete should seek a

racquet (paddle) which fits them and their style of play.

Both the handle, called the blade, and weight should feel comfortable to the athlete as they execute a stoke.

The type of wood used to make the blade will affect the s

peed of the racquet (paddle). (The speed of the racquet

(paddle) refers to the racquet’s (paddle’s) effect on the ball.) A hard wood (or combination of several layers of

wood) will result in a faster racquet (paddle) than soft wood.

Faster rac

quet (paddle)s are generally used by offensive players and slower ones by defensive players.

Faster racquets (paddles) are harder to control. Each striking surface of the racquet (paddle) must be covered with a

rubber surface. The rules of table tennis

state that the two surfaces must be of different colors and also that the only

acceptable colors are black and bright red. This rule took effect in 1987, and now the only rubber sheets available

for table tennis come in just those two colors.

With abo

ut 200 different types of rubber available as racquet (paddle) surfaces, there are definitely a wide

variety of choices out there. However, beginning players need to concentrate on only three basic categories. You

are most likely familiar with pips

out,

no sponge rubber. This pimpled hard rubber was very popular world

wide

and the type found on most racquets (paddles) used for recreational play. Because of the tremendous amount of

spin in today’s competitive game, pimpled hard rubber racquets (paddles)

are seldom used now

–

they cannot

generate as much spin as the sponge

backed rubber coverings. Pips

out rubber is now made with a sponge rubber

backing.

(Figure?)

The sponge rubber backing provides more control than the hard rubber because the ball stay

in contact with the racquet (paddle) longer. This type of rubber is commonly used by players with a counter

-hitting

style. This rubber is also ideal for controlling heavy spin shots. The most common type of rubber used in table

tennis today is the inv

erted pips with sponge rubber.

(Figure?)

This rubber is used because of its ability to perform

a variety of techniques.

Table Tennis Balls

An abundance of table tennis balls is important for a successful practice. Ideally, each table would have a

parate container of balls. Standard balls are adequate for practice, however, better quality balls are suggested for

tournament play. (Several brands of table tennis balls are approved by the International Table Tennis Federation for

tournament play

–

ey are labeled with three stars to indicate their higher quality.) Athletes should learn to take

care of the balls by collecting balls after each drill and after practice is over.

Other coaching aids which might benefit training:

Notebook

to note atte

ndance, telephone numbers and addresses, student comments, progress reports, and medical

needs for special athletes.

Targets

any object which will serve as a specific spot for athletes to aim. For example, rings or hoops, boxes

or baskets.

THE FACILITY

The Table Tennis table is shown in the

diagram.

Today, because of the speed and spin imparted on the ball,

more space is needed for high caliber play. An arena for national and international play is typically 23 feet by 46

feet (metric).

Top players

need all of this space, but beginners do not. It is recommended that a player have at least

6 feet

(metric)

on all sides of the table to attempt the correct strokes and the ceiling height should be at least 12 to

15 feet

(metric).

COACH’S SAFETY CHECKL

IST

COACH'S SAFETY CHECKLIST

Before every practice session and before every new drill, a coach’s primary concern is the safety of the

athletes. It is important to establish safety rules at your first practice. To prevent injuries, athletes should stre

tch

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and warm

up properly before each practice. Train your athletes to become more physically fit.

Fit athletes are less

likely to get injured!

Another important reminder is to always have your players in front of you and face the athletes when

teaching

. Demonstrations, however, done facing a beginner group can lead to confusion between left and right. It

is much better to have another coach assist by demonstrating a procedure facing the same direction as the athletes.

Before Each Practice

Are the tab

les properly set

up and positioned?

Is the practice area free of any debris or loose material?

Is there a first

aid kit nearby?

Does the coach have access to parents’/guardians’ telephone numbers and emergency numbers?

During Practice

Are the people waiti

ng in line far enough away from the active player?

Are they paying attention?

Are the athletes properly positioned to perform drill?

Are the balls cleared from the playing area and retrieved regularly?

Preparing for Safety

Training and Competing Safe

DEVELOPING A SEASON PLAN

Developing a Season Plan

Before the season begins, a Special Olympics table tennis coach should carefully plan a training program which

will prepare the athletes for competition. When considering your season, keep in mind

the second part of the

mission statement of Special Olympics, “to provide opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage

and experience joy..” It is important to remember that coaches are not only teaching athletes table tennis skills, but

providing an environment to make friends and have fun.

Pre

Program Planning And Preparations:

Improve your table tennis coaching skills by attending training schools and clinics.

Identify a local club and/or individual players who can assist you in locati

ng a training facility and proper

equipment.

Recruit these individuals as assistant coaches, clinicians, officials, and competition management team members.

Recruit volunteers to transport athletes to and from practices and competition.

Create an 8

week in

structional plan for your season, such as suggested in the next section.

Establish a series of overall goals and objectives for the season.

Ensure all athletes have completed necessary physical exams and submitted all required forms.

Work with other coache

s locally or in neighboring communities to schedule joint practice sessions and

competition.

Become knowledgeable and familiar with first aid and emergency procedures that may effect individuals with

mental retardation, such as seizures.

Season Planning:

Manage your 8

week training program.

Plan and adapt your practice sessions to meet the needs of your athletes.

Evaluate each athlete’s progress and make necessary modifications to their individual training program.

Encourage your athletes’ development be e

xposing them to higher

skilled competition by attending local

tournaments and clinics.

If possible, explore additional competition opportunities against non

-Special Olympics opponents.

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Post

Season:

Review and evaluate your pre

season goals and object

ives.

Ask for comments and suggestions from athletes and parents.

Write an evaluation of each athlete’s progress and review it with the athlete and parents.

Establish or modify long

term goals and objectives for your program.

Regularly communicate with Cha

pter or National Program sport director regarding the progress of your

individual program and the future goals and objectives of the overall program.

Suggested Topics for beginners in an 8

week training program:

Lesson 1: General introduction to equipm

ent, proper racquet (paddle) grips, and basic strokes.

Lesson 2: Ball and racquet (paddle) handling drills. Introduce forehand (or forehand counter), and practice

forehand with tossed balls and rallying or feeding drills.

Lesson 3: Continue ball

and racquet (paddle) handing drills. Introduce backhand (or backhand counter) stroke,

and practice backhand with tossed balls. Rallying with forehand and backhand.

Lesson 4: Introduce forehand and backhand push stroke, and practice with balls toss

ed or hit by coaches.

Introduce proper footwork technique through demonstration and drills.

Lesson 5: Emphasis on proper footwork. Hitting and moving, feeding drills, and rally games.

Lesson 6: Introduce basic forehand and backhand service and re

turn.

Lesson 7: Rules of competition and preparation for match play.

Lesson 8: Match play.

Suggested Topics for Intermediate Class:

Lesson 1: Review of all strokes.

Lesson 2: Emphasis on proper footwork and movement. Hitting and moving, feeding dr

ills, and rally games.

Lesson 3: Serve and return technique.

Lesson 4: Introduction of advanced techniques (forehand/backhand block, forehand/backhand loop, and

forehand/backhand chop). Also, the proper technique for hitting against a lob shot s

hould also be

covered.

Lesson 5: Emphasis on stroke technique and preparation for match play.

Lesson 6: Singles strategy, practice drills and point situations. (Doubles strategy and practice may also be

introduced at this point.)

Lesson 7:

Review and practice.

Lesson 8: Match play against teammates, an other Special Olympics team, or non

Special Olympics athletes of

comparable ability.

NOTE:

These are suggestions only. Be creative and design a program that is tailored to your p

articular team of

athletes. If time permits, spend

two

practice sessions on each topic.

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Beginners

may have greater success if they start their table tennis experience by attempting a simple rally using the

basic forehand stroke. Additional stokes (alo

ng with serve and return technique) can then be gradually introduced

as the athlete progresses.

Advanced

players can probably review the basic stokes in one or two sessions. Emphasis can then be placed on

refining these basic stokes and introducing adva

nced techniques. It is important to stress serves and returns for

these players since they will be ready for competitive situations earlier in the season. As your athletes progress, add

strategy to their game.

It is highly unlikely that you will have a

group of only one ability level. It will be necessary for coaches to evaluate

the level of individuals and adapt their programs accordingly. Assistant coaches can be of tremendous help by

taking one ability group while the head coach takes another group.

SSP template

SECTION III

–

TEACHING THE SKILLS OF THE SPORT

PLANNING A TRAINING SESSION

All practices should consist of the following five parts:

Warm

Instruction

introduction or review of a specific skill

Practice of specific s

kills, in drills and games

Conditioning

Cool

down and announcements

Special Olympics athletes respond well to a simple, well

structured training routine with which they can

become familiar. A typical training session is outlined below:

WARM

UP AND STR

ETCHING (10

15 Minutes)

Before stretching, have the athletes slowly jog around the practice area. (This gets the blood flowing to the

muscles that will be stretched next.)

Athletes should stretch each major muscle group.

Have an athlete lead stretches. (

This allows coaches to assist individual athletes.)

Emphasize basic skills through drills performed by athletes (i.e. racquet (paddle) handling).

SKILLS INSTRUCTION (10

15 MINUTES)

Introduce the theme of the new skill.

Demonstrate the proper technique.

vide into smaller groups to practice skill with a coach.

Introduce drill(s) designed to practice skill.

COMPETITION EXPERIENCE (10

20 minutes)

Incorporate the new skill into a competition. (i.e. keep score to see who can hit the most backhand strokes

er the net.)

Emphasize the newly introduced skill in game/point situations.

Organize practice matches.

CONDITIONING EXERCISES (5

10 minutes)

Conduct table tennis

specific agility drills.

Perform general drills which emphasize proper footwork and movement.

COOL

DOWN (5 minutes)

Perform slow walk/jog/stretch.

As athletes cool

down, make comments and announcements.

Finish with team cheer.

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WARMING UP

Table tennis is a full body exercise that incorporates movement from all the major muscle groups

. It is

important to completely warm

up the body before starting to hit table tennis balls. A warm

up raises the body

temperature and prepares the muscles to begin exercising. By warming up and stretching properly, the elasticity of

the muscles is incre

ased and the chance of injury is diminished.

The three types of warm

up are:

PASSIVE:

Increases the body temperature by external means, such as a message, heating pad, steam bath or hot shower.

Athletes with physical limitations may benefit from passiv

e warm

up.

GENERAL:

Increases overall body temperature through movement of major muscle groups that may or may not be

associated with the upcoming activity. Examples of this are running, jogging/brisk walking, or calisthenics.

SPECIFIC:

Concentrates o

n the motions to be used in the upcoming activity and mimics that activity. Examples include

swing the racquet (paddle) through forehand and backhand strokes or serving an imaginary ball.

STRETCHING

(Use same text and diagrams as tennis SSP.)

BASIC SKILLS AND TEACHING PROGRESSIONS

Assessment of Each Athlete’s Current Skill Level

Steps to Teaching Basic Skills

Suggestions for the Coach/Teacher, Including Adaptations and Modifications

Drills/Activities

- Low Ability Level

Intermediate Ability Level

Teaching Basic Event/Game Rules, Tactics, and Strategies

Suggestions for the Coach/Teacher, Including Adaptations and Modifications

Drills/Activities

- Low Ability Level

Intermediate Ability Level

BASIC SKILLS AND PROGRESSION

Table tennis is a complex game with ever

changing conditions. The ball is constantly in motion and therefore

the athlete must learn to adapt to the ball’s changing speed and direction.

Eight Basic Skills necessary to prepare a Special Olympics Table Tenn

is player are:

Hand

eye coordination

Racquet (paddle) handling skills

Timing of contact for individual strokes

Forehand

SSP template

Backhand

Serve

Serve return

Proper footwork and movement

General Teaching Suggestions

Go through the basic components of each skill.

Provide clear, visual demonstrations on how to properly perform the skill.

Keep it simple! Use verbal cues and

“Key Words”

that simplify the new skill(s).

Be aware of some of the common errors made by athletes with average or lower ability.

Remember the i

mportance of

repetition

and

reinforcement

in the training of Special Olympics athletes.

Basic Skill 1

–

HAND

EYE COORDINATION

Hand

eye coordination is the foundation for striking a table tennis ball. Without developing this skill, the

athlete will beco

me frustrated because he/she will not be able to make regular contact with the ball. This is an

important aspect of developing table tennis skills.

Accessing the athlete’s readiness

The beginner has difficulty recognizing the spatial relationship bet

ween the racquet (paddle) and the ball and

will occasionally miss the ball or hit it off center.

The intermediate knows the relationship between the distance of his racquet (paddle) and the oncoming ball

and is proficient at making contact without mis

hits or misses.

Teaching the skill

The athlete should begin practicing with just a table tennis ball and his hand (no racquet (paddle)).

Encourage athletes to watch the ball.

Encourage athletes to keep their heads steady when making contact.

Drills:

Hand

bounce drill

Gently bounce the table tennis ball on the table with the palm of the racquet (paddle) hand.

Attempt to keep the ball bouncing in a controlled manner.

Perform hand bounce as many times as possible in 15

30 seconds.

Tossing and catching drill

Working in pairs or with a coach, catch the ball with racquet (paddle) hand at table level.

After completing catch, throw the ball back to your partner and repeat.

Hand ball drill

Drop the ball onto the table and, with a forehand stroke, hit the ball wit

h the racquet (paddle) hand.

After several repetitions, have a partner toss the ball gently and hit the ball with a forehand stroke.

Cup catches

Hold a large cup in your racquet (paddle) hand, and try to catch a tossed ball in the cup.

Count consecutive c

atches.

Suggestions for Coach

Encourage the athletes to stay in control and concentrate on consistent repetitions rather than speed. If athlete

loses control of the ball, start over and stress repetitions. Athletes who are experiencing difficulties may

be better

suited using balloons or foam balls

–

these objects slow down the speed of the ball and allow athletes the

opportunity for greater success in newly introduced drills.

Key Words: WATCH THE BALL

SSP template

KEEP YOUR HEAD STILL

KEEP A FIRM WRIST

SKILL 2: Racquet (paddle) Control

GRIPPING THE RACQUET (PADDLE)

Controlling the racquet (paddle) is an imperative building block for learning the strokes in table tennis.

Accessing players readiness

A beginner has dif

ficulty in timing his/her swing to the approaching ball. A beginner often swats at ball

rather than hitting with a controlled swing.

An intermediate has developed racquet (paddle) control to a level where he/she rarely mis

hits a ball he/she

was in pr

oper position to strike. The strokes are relatively smooth and in control.

Teaching the skill

Two basic racquet (paddle) grips are used in table tennis: the shakehand grip and the penhold grip. The

shakehand grip is the most popular and the grip

generally recommended for beginners. However, the athletes can

be introduced to both grips and choose the grip which feels most comfortable to them.

The Shakehand Grip

Grip the top of the racquet (paddle) handle between your index finger and thumb. This

forms the primary grip

on the racquet (paddle). Comfortably grip the racquet (paddle) handle with your remaining three fingers.

When performing a forehand stroke, you should be able to feel the impact of the ball with your forefinger

(index finger). For

the backhand, the thumb will have most of the feel.

When switching from forehand to backhand, there should be minimal movement of the grip.

Using this grip, practice strokes and drills, which increase the ability to control the racquet (paddle).

The Pe

nhold Grip

Called the “penhold” grip because you hold the racquet (paddle) handle just like a pen. The index finger and

thumb hold the handle. The third finger rests sideways on the backside of the racquet (paddle), with the

remaining two fingers resting

on the third finger.

Relax the wrist for good range of motion.

The penhold forehand stroke is very similar to the shakehand but may be slightly better because the penhold

grip allows more freedom of motion with the wrist. This extra wrist motion can be c

onverted into more spin

and speed.

An advantage of the penhold grip is that since you strike the ball with the same side of the racquet (paddle) for

both forehand and backhand, it is very easy to make the adjustment during a rally. The disadvantage of the

penhold grip is that a powerful backhand shot is very difficult because of the limited motion available.

The touch for the penhold forehand comes mainly from the third finger, and for the backhand, it comes from

the thumb and third finger.

Using this grip

, practice strokes and drills, which increase the ability to control the racquet (paddle).

DRILLS FOR RACQUET (PADDLE) HANDLING:

Racquet (paddle) Bounce “Ups”

Using the shakehand or penhold grip, hold the racquet (paddle) at waist level.

Drop a ball

onto the face of the racquet (paddle) with the non

racquet (paddle) hand.

Gently bounce the ball into the air in a controlled manner.

Perform as many “ups” as possible in 30 seconds.

“Downs”

Using the shakehand or penhold grip, hold the racquet (paddle

) just above the height of the table.

Gently bounce the ball downward with the face of the racquet (paddle).

Perform as many “downs” as possible in 30 seconds.

As players advance, challenge them to dribble the ball while moving around the table.

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Basic S

kill 3

–

BASIC FOREHAND / BACKHAND STROKES

The basic forehand and backhand strokes are the fundamental rallying strokes in table tennis. A key to success

in table tennis is developing consistency with one’s shots. This is done through working on prope

r stroke technique

and improving concentration.

Accessing the athlete’s readiness

The beginner has difficulty recognizing the spatial relationship between the racquet (paddle) and the ball and

will occasionally miss the ball or hit it off center.

The intermediate knows the relationship between the distance of his racquet (paddle) and the oncoming ball

and is proficient at making contact without mis

hits or misses.

Teaching the skill

The athlete should begin practicing with just a table tennis ball

and his hand (no racquet (paddle)).

Encourage athletes to watch the ball, and to keep their heads steady when making contact.

Timing

In order to understand and perform the basic strokes within table tennis, the player must learn the basics of the

trajec

tory of the ball and where to contact the ball.

Figure 4.1

show the path the ball takes after it strikes the table

and comes towards the athlete. The diagram also shows the “front” of the ball as it moves towards the player. The

“front” of the ball is t

he part of the ball which should be struck.

Table 4.1

lists several strokes and the best timing

for each.

SSP template

Forehand Counter

The most important stroke in table tennis is the forehand (also called the forehand counter). From the

ready

position, the player should try to have his/her upper arm near their side and with the elbow bent at a 90' angle.

When your opponent strikes the ball, you begin to backswing. From the ready position, let your arm relax to a

position below the heigh

t of the ball and, at the same time, twist your waist so that your racquet (paddle) arm moves

away from the ball and put your weight on your back leg. (The back leg is the one farthest from the table. For a

right

handed player hitting a forehand, the righ

t leg is the back leg.)

Remember to keep the elbow near the side of your body. The speed of the backswing should match the speed

of the approaching ball: for a fast shot, backswing quickly; for a slow shot, backswing slowly. From this position,

start

the upward stroke without hesitating at the back of the backswing. (The stroke will end near your forehead,

above your right eye.) Bend your elbow so that your forearm moves upward and, at the same time, twist your waist

so your racquet (paddle) arm mov

es towards your opponent, bringing your weight forward. You should contact the

ball at the top of its bounce, striking the center of the ball. When making contact with the ball, the racquet (paddle)

face should be angled slightly down (we call this a clo

sed racquet (paddle)). You should contact the ball just below

the center of your racquet (paddle) and slightly in front of the side of your body. Remember to follow through to a

saluting position, near your forehead. After the stroke, relax, dropping yo

ur racquet (paddle) to the ready position.

You will need to practice this stroke in order to know how to position your feet and body properly. You

should not have to reach out or lean sideways to hit the ball if your feet are in the right place.

Spin

is an important part of modern table tennis

. The forehand stroke creates a slight topspin. Topspin

occurs when the ball is spinning so that the top rotates in the same direction the ball is moving (

see figure 4.3)

The topspin affects the ball’s fligh

t. A ball with topspin will drop towards the table rapidly after it reaches its peak.

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When the ball hits the table, it will bounce forward because of the friction with the table. When your opponent’s

shot has topspin, the ball will tend to bounce up off

the racquet (paddle). To adjust for this, you should angle your

racquet (paddle) face farther downward (close it more) and contact the ball near its top.

To hit against backspin (or underspin), the reverse of topspin, the angle of your racquet (paddle)

must be open

(angled slightly upward), and you should contact the ball near its bottom.

Backhand Counter

Although most players have very strong forehand strokes, proper backhand technique is essential. If the ball is

coming to the left side of your body

, you should prepare for a backhand stroke. From the ready position, the stance

at the beginning of a stroke, twist the upper body so that your racquet (paddle) moves away from the ball and bring

your racquet (paddle) back and slightly down to the left of

your stomach.

As you backswing, shift most of your weight to your left foot (for a left

handed player, the right foot). Your

elbow should be in front of your racquet (paddle). Keep your elbow still and bring your racquet up and forward,

contacting th

e ball at the top of its bounce and at the center of the ball. The contact point on the racquet should be

below the center of the racquet. Extend your arm and shift your weight so it is centered on both feet. Finish the

stroke by pointing where you want

the ball to go. At the finish of the stroke, the backhand face of the racquet

(paddle) should be angled down and the elbow should not have moved. Relax and return to the ready position.

Backhand Push

The backhand push is one of the most commonly used

shots in table tennis. The backhand push creates

backspin and is often used to control the pace of the game. The placement and spin of the shot make it difficult for

your opponent to attack.

With your feet a shoulder’s width apart and the right foot sli

ghtly farther away from the table than the left

(reverse if you are left

handed), backswing to a point in front of your chest with the racquet (paddle) angle open.

Your elbow should be closer to the net than your racquet, and your weight should be on your

back foot.

Move your racquet forward, using only your forearm. You should contact the ball as it rises from the table or

at the top of its bounce. The contact point on your racquet should be near the bottom edge in the center of the

racquet. The str

oke should be smooth

not a stabbing motion. You must adjust your stroke depending on the spin

of the ball as it comes to you. If the ball has a lot of backspin, you should open your racquet more (almost parallel

with the table) and stroke more quickly.

If the ball has little or no backspin, the racquet (paddle) should be more upright and you should stroke more

slowly. If the ball has topspin, don’t push

block it. After a short follow

through, spring back to a ready position,

straightening your upper

body and bringing your racquet (paddle) back to a neutral position.

Forehand Push

The forehand push is most commonly used when returning short backspin balls on the forehand side. This

stroke is most effective when used to return short backspin

returns. Since it is easy for most players to attack the

long ball with the forehand, the forehand push is rarely used when the ball comes deep.

Because this stroke is used when the ball is short, you must stand close to the table to perform it properly.

Step

forward with your right foot, holding your racquet with your palm up and faced slightly toward your opponent.

Keep your elbow near your body

ready with your feet, not your upper arm. You may need to bend your knees, to

lean your upper body nearer

to the ball.

The backswing should be a small, relaxed stroke made while cocking your wrist. Your forearm should stay

near the table. You should contact the ball as it rises from the table or at the top of its bounce. The contact point on

your racquet

(paddle) should be near the outer edge. Follow through towards the net. After the stroke, spring back

into the ready position, relaxing your arms.

Beginner Drills:

Hand bounce drill

Gently bounce the table tennis ball on the table with the palm of t

he racquet (paddle) hand.

Attempt to keep the ball bouncing in a controlled manner.

Perform hand bounce as many times as possible in 15

30 seconds.

SSP template

Tossing and catching drill

Working in pairs or with a coach, catch the ball with racquet (paddle) hand at t

able level.

After completing catch, throw the ball back to your partner and repeat.

Hand ball drill

Drop the ball onto the table and, with a forehand stroke, hit the ball with the racquet (paddle) hand.

After several repetitions, have a partner toss the b

all gently and hit the ball with a forehand stroke.

Cup catches

Hold a large cup in your racquet (paddle) hand, and try to catch a tossed ball in the cup.

Count consecutive catches.

Racquet Bounce

Using a forehand grip, hold the racquet about 12 inches

(metric)

above the table.

Gently bounce the ball downward to the table.

Perform as many “downs” as possible in 30 seconds.

As players advance, challenge them to dribble ball while moving around the table.

Intermediate Drills

Shadow drills:

These drills ar

e done without a ball are an excellent way to check for proper stroke execution. Examples of

common game formats:

“Follow the leader:” athlete or coach leads group, and instructors check technique.

“Simon says:” athlete must follow leader’s instructions o

nly when he says “Simon says, hit a forehand.”

“Statues:” In statues, the coach calls out a command for the athletes to simulate a forehand or backhand and

then calls out “freeze”. Athletes remain still, and the coach checks for proper grip and form.

Hit

the forehand and backhands with a self drop

Hold the racquet (paddle) with the proper grip and position the body in either the forehand or backhand

position.

Drop the ball from the non

racquet (paddle) hand onto the table to the front of the body.

Stroke

the ball over the net onto the opposite side of the table.

Record the number of successful drop hits and note improvement as season progresses.

Adaptation is to have the coach stand at the side of the table and drop the ball.

Hit tossed balls

A partner or

coach tosses a ball over the net to the athlete.

Make contact after the first bounce and hit the ball over the net.

Count consecutive hits, aim for targets, and keep score between players. Be creative and keep the athletes

interested.

Have the line of at

hletes shadow the hitter. The hitter stands at the table and the other athletes follow the

movements of the hitter.

Basket feeding drills

Coach feeds balls from a hopper or basket to athletes.

Line up athletes on one side of the table, one or two lines

depending on the number of athletes.

Coach gently hits the ball to player’s forehand or backhand.

The athletes hit a designated number of shots and return to the back of the line.

Coaches can make the feeds easier or more difficult as appropriate.

Place ta

rgets to aim at and keep score.

Hitting between two players (or player and coach)

SSP template

Begin with basic forehand or backhand strokes.

The key is improving the consistency of your shots.

The goal of drills is to continually increase the number of consecutive

shots hit by the athlete.

Emphasize follow through on the stroke and proper footwork / positioning.

Players can advance to hitting crosscourt counter

drives (forehand or backhand), and alternate hitting one

backhand and one forehand from your backhand corn

er to your partner’s backhand corner. These drills will

greatly improve the players footwork.

Remind the athletes, it is the intent during these drills to maintain a steady rally, not “win the point”.

Suggestions for Coach

Encourage the athletes to s

tay in control and concentrate on consistent repetitions rather than speed. If

athlete loses control of the ball, start over and stress repetitions. The key is developing the consistency of your

strokes.

Athletes who are experiencing difficulties may

be better suited using balloons or foam balls

–

these objects

slow down the speed of the ball and allow athletes the opportunity for greater success in newly introduced drills.

Always stress to the athlete to follow through and to come back to a relaxed

position before hitting their next

shot. When feeding balls, give a variety of heights and speeds so the athletes learn not all balls are at racquet

(paddle) level. Initially, athletes should be given verbal cues as to where and at what speed the ball wi

ll be in order

to help them react.

Key Words: WATCH THE BALL

KEEP YOUR HEAD STILL

KEEP A FIRM WRIST

Basic Skill 4

–

SERVE

Every point in a match starts with a serve. In competition, players are only allowed

one attempt to successfully

serve the ball. (Refer to the official rules for the definition of “a good service”.)

Accessing the athlete’s readiness

The serve can be one of the most difficult strokes for beginners to master. Because the proper technique

must

be developed through repetition, the beginning player will need some time to develop this skill.

Modifications such as using a self drop forehand stroke and allowing the player to have more than one attempt

on the serve can be used to allow beginners

to hit the ball in play. (These modifications are not appropriate for

competition, but will help athletes to serve the ball into play and allow them to play a game of table tennis.)

Teaching the skill

The ball must be held in the palm of the hand that

does not hold the racquet (paddle). The hand must be flat

before tossing the ball vertically in the air a minimum of six inches

(metric).

The ball must be struck as it

descends. The ball should hit the server’s side of the table first, then the opponen

t’s.

When striking the ball on the serve, the wrist is more relaxed than usual, allowing for better range of motion,

which can create more spin.

Encourage athletes to watch the ball, and to keep their heads steady when making contact.

Using the basic foreh

and stroke, demonstrate the basic serving technique and have the athletes copy or

“mirror” this technique. Develop technique through regular practice.

You don’t have to take a long backswing

–

the best serve is one that is short and has control. The serv

e can be

slow; the idea is to set up your next shot, which will be an offensive shot.

Your weight should be on the left foot when contacting the ball. After contact, the weight should be even on

both feet so you may be ready to execute a backhand or foreh

and stroke.

If the player’s serve is bouncing too high, the ball should be contacted lower on its decent. Have the player try

to strike the ball slightly above the height of the top of the net.

Two things to remind the player to do after they toss th

e ball: Relax the arm that tossed the ball, and move the

racquet (paddle) and arm quickly when striking the ball.

Intermediate players can be taught a backspin, topspin, or no

spin serve as their games develop.

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Finally, teach your players to vary the spin

, speed, and placement of the serve. This keeps the opponent from

anticipating what the player will do next.

Drills for serves:

Beginners serve

Develop proper technique for forehand stroke through repetition.

As the beginner’s serve improves more atte

ntion should be placed on observing the service rules.

Forehand serve

Keep your wrist relaxed with the index finger and thumb controlling the grip when serving.

With the racquet (paddle) face open, contact the ball at a point on the racquet (paddle) far f

rom the handle by

using a short backswing.

The wrist will have a snapping motion, and the ball will graze the rubber surface of the racquet (paddle).

Backhand serve

When serving a backhand serve, it is best to serve from the backhand side of the table. T

his will allow you to

use your forehand on the next shot most of the time.

The wrist is the key to creating control and spin on the backhand serve. A player with a good push stroke

usually can produce a good backhand backspin serve.

Backspin (short) se

rve

A backspin serve is usually a short serve that will keep your opponent from attacking.

To practice a short serve, place a small object 6 to 12 inches on the other side of the net. You can use a broken

ball, a plastic cup, or a wallet. This will be yo

ur target. Try to hit the target ten times, and then place your

target in a different location.

Topspin serve

Most topspin serves are deep serves.

Contact the ball with a forward motion with the racquet (paddle) slightly closed.

To get more spin on th

e ball, contact the ball with the part of the racquet (paddle) farthest from the handle. To

get less spin, contact the ball near the handle of the racquet (paddle).

Practice the topspin serve by placing the target a few inches in front of the far end of

the table. Try hitting the

target when it is near each corner of the table and at the center of the far end.

Suggestions for Coach

The serve is one of the most overlooked parts of table tennis. Most beginning players do not concentrate on

their serve

technique, and as a result loss points due to mis

hitting serves and/or are penalized for illegal serves.

This can cause frustration and ruin a players concentration for the rest of the match.

Basic Skill 5

–

RETURN OF SERVE

Assessing the player readine

The athlete must constantly be reminded to watch the server and the oncoming serve. It is often necessary for

the athlete to move quickly and re

-position themselves to properly strike the ball. These may be difficult

concepts for athletes to master, b

ut are

essential

concepts for the athletes to understand.

Teaching the skill

The athlete should establish themselves in a ready position as they wait for their opponent to stroke the ball.

The athlete should be ready to quickly position themselves to hit

a forehand or backhand return shot.

The ready position is very similar to the standard defensive position used in basketball. Your feet should be

about 2 feet

(metric)

apart with the left foot about 4 inches

(metric)

forward of the right. (For a left

nder,

the left foot should be 4 inches

(metric)

behind the right foot.) Your legs should be slightly bent

(figure).

Your weight must be evenly distributed so you can move to your left or right very quickly. You should also

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keep most of your weight on th

e balls of your feet. This will give you the best traction and allow for quick

movement.

In table tennis, like tennis, the forehand is usually the most powerful shot. Therefore, it is important to allow as

much space as possible for it. Once you are in

the ready position, reach forward a racquet (paddle)’s length.

Your racquet (paddle) should barely touch the table. From the distance, you will not be too close nor too far

away from the table.

Key words:

RELAX

LOOK FOR THE BALL

BE READY

Basic Skill 6

HITTING WITH MOVEMENT

For many Special Olympics table tennis players, moving to the ball and then executing a stroke can be difficult.

It is important for coaches to inform athletes that the ball is not going to come directly to

them in a match. THEY

MUST GO TO THE BALL. Movement to the ball is critical for competition. Practices should be structured to

prepare athletes for match play.

Assessing player readiness

Beginners typically do not like to run to the ball. They woul

d rather reach from the waist, extend their arms

and then flick their wrist at the ball rather than move their feet.

The intermediate player will move more readily to the ball but may not always be in the best position, resulting

in instances of reaching f

or a ball that is too far away or getting “jammed” with a ball which is too close.

Teaching the skill

There are 6 steps to effective movement:

Preparation

–

Set in a relaxed ready position on the balls of your feet.

Proper and quick side to side movement

to be in position to strike the ball.

Seeing and following the direction and speed/spin of the ball.

Being balanced and in proper position (squarely facing your opponent) to stroke the ball.

Making contact with the ball and remaining on balance at finish o

f stroke.

Returning to a neutral position after the stroke so you are ready for the next shot.

Drills for movement:

Demonstrate the proper technique to move to the ball. Teach the jump

step as the most effective method for

quick side to side movement.

ow the result of reaching for a ball and playing it off

balance.

“Shadow” drill

–

coach calls out “running forehand/backhand” and player moves to hit imaginary ball.

Tossing /hitting drill

–

toss or hit balls to alternating sides of table and have players

hit and move.

Agility drills:

Have one player stand in the ready position on one side of the table and another on the opposite side. One

player is the leader. He will move quickly from side to side using small jump

steps, never moving more than 3

feet

(metric)

outside the table. His partners job is to follow the movements, trying to keep his shoulders even

with the leader. This drill can be performed in alternating 10 second intervals.

A number of agility drills commonly used in such sports as basketb

all and tennis can be adapted to table tennis

training.

Carolinas or suicides: The lines of a basketball or tennis court can be used to run this agility/endurance sprint

drill.

Run the lines: This drill can be modified to include an emphasis on side to si

de movement using jump

steps.

Line jumps: Athletes stand on one side of any line on a court. As fast as possible, jump back and forth over the

line.

Jump roping: A great way to increase agility. Do various skipping and hopping routines. Go for speed and

endurance.

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ADVANCED TECHNIQUES

After mastering the basic strokes already discussed, you may wish to work with your athletes on more

advanced techniques that will be important in actual competition. These strokes will require more accurate timing

and be

tter footwork. Remember

—

the athletes should have a solid gasp of the basic strokes before attempting the

following advanced techniques.

Backhand Block

The block is a defensive shot used mostly against topspin or the loop shot. The backhand block is simi

lar to

the backhand counterhit but is a much shorter stroke.

This stroke uses the power of the opponent’s shot and needs little extra power. Well

placed blocks can be

devastating to an attacking opponent, who may be slightly unbalanced after making a stro

ng shot.

Starting from the ready position, use a short backswing and contact the ball as it raises from the table. Bend

your upper body slightly forward and keep a relaxed grip on the racquet (paddle).

Depending on the spin and speed of the opponent’s s

hot, the player will need to adjust the racquet (paddle)

angle. If the shot has a lot of spin, close the blade more (cover the ball with your racquet (paddle)).

When blocking, it is important that the forearm is slightly forward. Make sure the player i

s not reaching too

far from the body when attempting a block.

Forehand Block

The technique of blocking with the forehand is a little different from the backhand block. The paddle angles

will be the same, but the ball will be contacted much further away from the middle of the body.

Footwork is critical for a good forehand block. The right foot should be slightly forward of the left and the

body in a normal upright position.

The forearm moves from the ready position to the right side by rotating the uppe

r arm. Adjust the angle of the

paddle to account for the spin and speed of the opponent’s shot. There should be almost no backswing and

almost no body movement. After the ball bounces up, the player should gently adjust the angle and grip to

contact the

ball. When the block is completed, the arm should be relaxed and returned to the ready position.

Forehand Loop

The loop stroke is the most popular shot in the sport of table tennis. The loop creates a tremendous amount

of spin on the ball, causing it t

o arch and then fall faster forward and downward to the table. In order to

perform a loop shot properly, the player must learn how much power and spin to apply. The power comes

from the forward motion of the racquet (paddle) and the body, and the spin co

mes from grazing (or

skimming) the surface of the ball.

The forehand loop stroke is similar to the forehand counter. As the ball approaches, the racquet (paddle)

should be brought down near the thigh, extending the forearm to the right. The racquet (padd

le) should be

lower than for the counterhit. The right foot is slightly farther back than for the counterhit. In the

backswing, the waist should turn to the right, and your weight should be transferred to the right leg. The

racquet (paddle) should be to

the right of the body, not behind the leg. Make sure the player is not reaching

too far from the body to contact the ball. Swing the forearm upward and forward by bending the elbow. At

the same time, the wrist should snap upward in the same direction t

he forearm is moving. The ball should be

contacted as the player is moving their forearm and wrist, grazing the outer surface of the ball with the

racquet (paddle), providing the spin on the ball.

The player’s body weight should transfer to the left foo

t during the follow through. The player may need to

step forward with the right foot due to the force of the stroke.

The forehand loop can be used in many situations, and the stroke must be adjusted depending on the

opponent’s shot. If the opponent hit

s a counterdrive to the forehand, the ball should be contacted at the top

of the bounce or as it starts to fall. The racquet (paddle) angle should be slightly more closed than for a

forehand counterhit.

If an opponent loops to the forehand, the ball shoul

d be contacted at the top of its bounce and a much more

closed racquet (paddle) angle should be used.

For a heavy backspin (chopped) ball, contact should be made as the ball is falling, using an open racquet

(paddle) angle and an upward stroke. If the bac

kspin is light, the racquet (paddle) angle should not be as

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great. Again, regular practice will allow the player to learn to adjust the racquet (paddle) angle and stroke

based on the speed and spin of the ball.

Backhand Loop

The backhand loop is ofte

n used in order to take the offensive. It is commonly used against deep serves to the

backhand corner. A spinning backhand loop can be an effective way to return serve. For most people, it is

more effective to develop a consistent, slow, spinning backha

nd than a powerful one.

As with the forehand loop, positioning is a key factor. When the ball is crossing the net towards the player,

they should have their body in position so that the ball will be just to the left of the stomach area. The waist

should

be turned slightly and the wrist and paddle are held slightly downward. The weight should be on the

balls of the feet and the body should be lifted as the ball is contacted. The racquet (paddle) is brought forward

by pivoting at the elbow, as you would when throwing a Frisbee. The upper arm should be held near the side

with the elbow stationary.

Spin is produced by snapping the wrist and forearm and grazing the ball during the stroke. As the player

strikes the ball, they should turn to face their o

pponent and lift upward, extending the arm up and forward.

When finishing the stroke, the elbow should not be higher than shoulder level. This stroke should be

attempted as the ball falls from the top of its bounce. As in the forehand loop, reg

ular practice will allow the player

to learn to adjust the racquet (paddle) angle and stroke based on the speed and spin of the ball.

Chopping

The chop stroke is used primarily in defensive situations.

For a forehand chop, the weight should be on the r

ight foot, with the right knee bent. The stroke is similar to a

forehand push but with a much larger backswing. During the backswing, the waist is turned to the right. The

ball should be contacted as it falls, using an open racquet (paddle), and followe

d through forward, using the

wrist and forearm. The follow

through should be finished in front of the body but not across the body. Remind

the player to change the racquet (paddle) angle and follow through to adjust for an opponent’s spin.

Hitting Ag

ainst a Lob

The lob is a defensive stroke that travels in a high arc. It is generally struck from well behind the table. A

well

executed lob can reach a height of 25 feet

(metric)

, and when the ball descends from this height and

strikes the table, it wil

l often bounce to a height well above the reach of the player.

Although the lob looks like an easy ball to hit, many top players still have difficulty in smashing the lob. The

key to success in playing the lob is proper footwork and technique. Some lobs

have sidespin, so it is important

to anticipate the direction of the ball once it land on the table. Many players wait too long to move their feet

into the correct position. When the ball is in the air, the player should move their feet in small steps to

get the

body as close to the ball as possible to smash the ball correctly. An overhead tennis

like stroke is not a correct

stroke. Instead of contacting the ball above the head, the player should wait for the ball to fall after the bounce

to eye level,

then smash the ball. After contacting the ball, weight should be shifted forward. The player

should not take their eye off the ball, and must remain ready to quickly adjust their position to react to the

movement of the ball.

SCORING

Scoring and its

terminology

Table tennis scoring is divided into points, games, and match.

A player wins a point if his/her opponent does not return the ball safety at any time during the rally or if he/she

fails to make a good service.

A game shall be won by the player o

r partners first scoring 21 points unless both players or partners have

scored 20 points, when the winner shall be the player or partners first scoring 2 points more than the opposing

player or partners.

A match shall consist of the best of three games or

the best of five games. Doubles matches, regardless of

format of the competition or the position of the match in the draws (semifinal, final, etc.) shall be two of three

games.

The choice of ends and the right to serve or receive first in a match is decid

ed by a coin toss.

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In singles, the change of service follows: after five points, the receiver shall become the server, and so on, until

the end of the game, or the score 20

20. For information on the doubles change of service, the Rule of the

Game.

MATCH PLAY

Participate in conventional point play with a coach/partner.

Begin each point with the serve as the rules dictate.

Return the serve and complete the point.

Keep the ball within the table boundaries as many times as possible, forcing the opponent into

errors.

Upon conclusion of the point, recover any errant balls and continue the change of service pattern.

Understand and execute basic singles strategy.

Get the service in, emphasizing proper technique, control, and placement over power.

Return the ball

safely over the net and on to your opponent’s side of the table.

Strive for forehand/backhand stroke consistency by placing the ball near the middle of the table.

Focus on the trajectory of the ball and the proper stroke technique.

Concentrate on proper a

nd effective movement and footwork.

Play a singles match.

Determine the server of the first game with a coin toss. The winner can choose to serve or receive, or offer the

choice to the opponent.

Follow the change of service and change of ends rules.

Enco

urage the athletes to recite the score before and after each point.

Remind the athletes where balls land when they are “in” or “out”. Explain to the athlete that a ball is “in” if it

land on the line (including the top edges of the table). Remind the pla

yers that the ball must on bounce twice

on their half of the table.

Supervise play, reminding the athletes to assume the ready point for each point. Encourage the athletes to

strive for consistency during each point.

Remind your players to display good sp

ortsmanship and congratulate both players after the match.

DOUBLES

(NEED ADDITIONAL MATERIALS.)

DOUBLES AND UNIFIED SPORTS

DOUBLES

Assessment and Selecting an Appropriate Position for each Athlete

Athletes who play doubles must have the same deve

lopment level of skills as a singles player. It is important to

have mastered the serve and basic rallying (volley). Doubles positioning requires the athlete to play effectively

from both the forehand and backhand positions. Personality is also importan

t in selecting an athlete for doubles

and choosing partners. Partners should be compatible and able to work together as a team.

For a game of doubles to proceed smoothly, all participants must know how to keep score, follow the change of

service rules, et

c., and how to position themselves for each point. Repetition is the key to having athletes

understand their role and positioning on the court.

Definition of Unified Sports

Special Olympics Unified Sports

is a pioneer sports program that combines ind

ividuals with mental retardation

(Athletes)

and without mental retardation

(Partners)

on the same team for sports training and competition. The

program is designed to help break barriers by enabling Athletes and Partners to participate as TEAMMATES.

Unif

ied Sports

is most successful when Athletes and Partners are matched according to ability and age.

INDIVIDUAL SKILLS COMPETITION (ISC) EVENTS

SSP template

Hand Bounce

Athlete uses one or both hands to bounce the ball on the table for a period of 30 seconds. The ath

lete may

catch or slap the ball and is awarded one point each time the ball hits his/her hand. If the athlete loses

control of the ball, give him or her another ball and continue the count.

Racquet (paddle) Bounce

Athlete scores one point for each ti

me he/she uses the racquet to bounce the ball upwards in the air over

the course of 30 seconds. If the athlete loses control of the ball, hand him/her another ball and

continue

the count.

Forehand Volley

Athlete stands on his/her side of the

table with another player (feeder) on the other side. Using a total of

five balls, the feeder tosses each ball to the athlete’s forehand side. The athlete scores one point for

hitting

the ball back to the feeder’s side of the table. The ball must

hit the table to count as a point. The

athlete

scores five points for hitting into either service box.

Backhand Volley

Same as forehand volley except the feeder sends the ball to the athlete’s backhand side.

Serve

The athlete shall serv

e five balls from the right side of the table and five balls from the left side of the

table. A ball landing in the correct service box will count as one point.

Final Score

A player’s final score is determined by adding together the scores achi

eved in each of the five events

which comprise the Individual Skills Competition (ISC).

COMBINING COMPONENT SKILLS INTO COMPLETE EVENTS

Many of the basic level drills outlined earlier are excellent practice for the skills which make up the Individual

Skills Competition. If athletes are preparing for the ISC, they should be practicing the actual tests used in this

event. During each practice your coaches should run through the event with the athletes. Keep score and follow the

rules. Their goal is

to work to master the basic strokes of the game. With proper training and experience, many

athletes can advance from the ISC to traditional singles or doubles play.

SPORTSMANSHIP IN TABLE TENNIS

The coach should train the athletes to exhibit sport

smanship with teammates and opponents at all times. By

showing sportsmanship, the athletes, coaches and spectators will enjoy the game of table tennis much more. The

athlete should exhibit the following qualities:

Exhibit competitive effort 100% of the

time.

Put forth maximum effort during each match.

Always keep trying; never give up.

Pay full attention to the game.

Exhibit fair play at all times.

Do not consistently infringe upon the rules of the game.

Make any and all line calls promp

tly and fairly.

Demonstrate sportsmanship at all times.

Always shake hands with your opponent and umpire at the conclusion of a match.

SSP template

Cooperate with the opponent throughout the match.

When serving, announce the game score before each point.

If you see th

at a point has been mis

played and your opponent fails to see it, call the point in his/her favor.

Keep the play continuous.

Do not break your opponent’s concentration.

Do not let parents or spectators become involved in coaching or officiating the match.

Cooperate with players on other tables during the match.

Wait until the players on another table have completed a point before retrieving a loose ball.

If a ball comes into your court, the rules state that the umpire may stop play. If there are no umpire

s and

the loose ball distracts you, you should call a let (an interrupted rally with no point given) immediately and

return the ball.

Return errant balls from adjacent courts promptly and courteously.

Suggestions for coach/teacher

Discuss the importance o

f never giving up; the match is never over until the final point is won.

Discuss table tennis etiquette: compliment the opponent on a good shot, do not disturb other players during

an ongoing match.

Always commend athletes when they demonstrate good sports

manship.

Give periodic awards or tokens for good sportsmanship.

SECTION IV

–

IMPROVING ATHLETE PERFORMANCE

STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING ACTIVITIES

Overall fitness is necessary to be a good table tennis player. It i

s important for athletes to work on fitness

in the pre

season and throughout the season. Beyond general fitness here are five main areas to

concentrate on:

Endurance

To play a full table tennis match it is necessary to expand energy over a period of u

p to 30 minutes. A regular

schedule of running two to four miles at a relaxed pace three days a week is an excellent way to build up good

endurance. In addition, running wind sprints one day a week can simulate the same type of energy used

during a ma

tch.

Agility

Moving to meet the ball is essential to playing good table tennis. Athletes can practice various agility drills

both at the table and in any open training area. These drills can include activities focusing on hand

eye

coordination and fo

otwork technique to traditional agility drills such as “running the lines” or “suicides”. By

conducting these drills as relay races they can be made a fun part of practice and not drudgery. In addition, off

the court athletes can improve their agility

by jumping rope, dancing, or any other activity that uses light foot

movements.

Upper Body Strength

Table tennis players should concentrate on strengthening their shoulders, forearm and wrist. Strengthening

these areas with weight training is importan

t in order to avoid overuse of certain muscles, which can cause

fatigue and injury. In the pre

season, it may be beneficial to have athletes do light free weights, better known

as dumbbells, with several repetitions. Other good exercises for the upper

body are pushups, wrist curls,

biceps curls, and pull

ups.

SSP template

Lower Body Strength

Strengthening the legs is very important to maintaining overall match fitness. Strong legs carry athletes

through

long points. Doing leg extensions and hamstring flexion

curls with light weights and high repetitions

will translate to higher performance during competition.

Flexibility

Strength is important in table tennis, but flexibility is even more important. Proper stretching technique

is a key

to deve

loping the flexibility to effectively move and safely play the game. Stretching will bring more

blood to

different muscles of the body, allowing for better lubrication and thus preventing injury.

HOME FITNESS

The sport is much easier and more enjoy

able to learn if the athlete is aerobically fit, strong, and can use proper

technique. All three of these aspects can be greatly improved during all times of the year. The objective of a home

fitness program is to teach each athlete a series of strength an

d conditioning exercises and supervise the sessions

until he/she can perform them on his/her own.

Begin with shorter and easier practices and increase the amount of time and challenge as the athletes become

comfortable with the exercises. Do the same se

quence each session and have athletes repeat it three times a week.

Technique practice can be incorporated into the strength and conditioning program; however, athletes must be

supervised to ensure that they are performing the techniques properly. A sample

Home Training Program is

provided at the end of this section.

MENTAL PREPARATION

Mental training is important for the athlete, whether striving to do his or her personal best or competing

against others. Mental imagery, what Bruce D. Hale of Penn State

University calls “No Sweat Practice,” is very

effective. The mind cannot tell the difference between what is real and what is imagined. Practice is practice,

regardless of whether it is mental or physical.

Ask the athlete to sit in a relaxed position, in

a quiet place with few distractions. Tell the athlete to close

his/her eyes and picture himself/herself performing a particular skill. Each athlete is seeing himself/herself on a

large movie screen. Walk them through the skill step by step. Use as much de

tail as possible, using words to elicit

all the senses (sight, hearing, touch, and smell). Ask the athlete to repeat the image, to picture himself/herself

rehearsing the skill successfully.

(CITE WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE FOR YOUR SPORT AND BEGINNER ATHLETES)

Beginner athletes may see themselves…

Some athletes will need help beginning the process. Others will learn to practice this way on their own. The

link between performing the skills in the mind and performing the skills in actuality may be hard to explai

However, the athlete who repeatedly imagines himself/herself correctly completing the skill and

believing it to be

true is more likely to make it happen. Whatever goes into one’s mind and one’s heart comes out in his/her actions.

CROSS TRAINING SUGGEST

IONS

Cross training is an excellent idea for all athletes

–

including table tennis players. There are several sports

that use some of the same skills and muscle groups as table tennis. Fun activities such as bicycling, running,

skating, and even

walking can improve your overall fitness and thereby help your table tennis game. Sports that use

hand

eye coordination can be a great asset to improving table tennis skills. Examples are tennis, badminton,

softball, and volleyball.

The purpose of cr

oss training is to take part in activities that place similar demands on the body as table

tennis. These sports are different, challenging, and fun. However, training is specific. The advantage of cross

training activities is enhancing overal

l fitness, not improving specific table tennis skills.

SSP template

NUTRITION BASICS

Nutrition influences performance. Athletes need the following nutrients.

CARBOHYDRATES

–

are the primary energy sources and 50

60% of the daily diet (examples are bread, cereal,

rice, pasta, potatoes, etc.). Simple carbohydrates are high in calories but empty in nutritional value like sugar,

candy, syrup, etc.

FATS

–

are secondary energy sources and 20

30% of the daily diet. They should come from primarily

polyunsaturated (vege

table) sources.

PROTEIN

–

repairs and replaces cells, helps in regulating blood fluids, and are 10

20% of the daily diet (examples

are lean meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and dairy products).

VITAMINS

–

regulate growth and development and should come from a

well

balanced diet.

MINERALS

–

regulate fluid exchange and should come from a well

balanced diet.

WATER

–

is one of the most essential of all nutrients. Drinking water before, during, and after events or training

sessions helps to produce energy from the

food we eat.

Athletes should eat a meal no closer than 1.5 hours prior to a competition. This meal should be high in

complex carbohydrates yet low in proteins and fats. Baked potato, spaghetti, rice and cereal all make good choices.

A proper diet for im

proved athletic performance includes:

Eating a variety of wholesome foods

Eating a good breakfast

Chewing each bit of food thoroughly

Avoiding high sugar foods such as cakes, cookies, and soft drinks

Limiting the intake of red meat

Avoiding between

meal an

d late

night snacks

Eating balanced meals regularly

Drinking at least four glasses of water daily

Getting plenty of sleep

Drinking plenty of water after heavy training

Taking food supplements such as vitamins, minerals and proteins may not be necessary if

proper eating

habits and diet are followed.

CARE FOR COMMON MINOR INJURIES

It is the coach’s responsibility to maintain as safe an environment as possible. It is strongly recommended that

coaches have certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)

and first aid, or volunteers should already have

first aid, medical athletic training or emergency care certification. Athlete medical forms should be reviewed prior to

the start of practice and on hand at all training sessions and competition. There shou

ld be a plan for emergencies.

Using the “Coach’s Safety Checklist” will help to prevent injury by assuring adequate supervision, equipment,

facility, warm

up and stretching.

When an injury does occur,

STAY CALM, and administer only basic first aid

. When

in doubt or when more

care is needed, consult the athlete’s family and a physician.

Treating Floor Burns, Strains, Contusions, Minor Bumps and Bruises (RICE)

est; stop any pain

causing activity.

ce for 24

36 hours after the injury.

SSP template

Compress the area wi

th elastic bandage if the area is swollen.

levate to avoid edema and subsequent swelling.

Conditions Requiring Medical Attention

Significant swelling or dislocation of an extremity

Obvious deformity of an arm or leg

Severe pain

Inability to bear weight

on a lower extremity

Lacerations with or without fractures

Significant swelling of a joint, such as elbow, wrist, knee, ankle

Loss of sensation in an extremity

CONDITIONS MANDATING THAT ONLY EXPERIENCED MEDICAL PERSONNEL MOVE THE

ATHLETE

Loss of consciou

sness

Neck or back injury with loss of sensation or motor power in arms or legs

Head injury with disorientation and/or visual changes

Always have someone familiar with basic life support and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) at every

training session.

Even though the possibility of cardiac arrest is much greater in the spectators than with athletes, it

is always possible. Initial measures include:

Establishing unresponsiveness

Calling out for assistance

Positioning the victim

ABCs OF CPR FOR THOSE WHO

HAVE HAD CPR TRAINING:

irway:

Open airway (tilt head and chin).

Establish breathlessness (look, listen, feel),

reathing:

Check for foreign body (airway obstruction).

Provide mouth to mouth breathing.

irculation

Check for pulse.

Start chest compres

sion (if no pulse is felt).

REHABILITATION AND TREATMENT FOR CHRONIC INJURIES

Blisters

Keep pressure off new blisters using a felt “doughnut”.

Where the skin is torn, use extreme care.

Keep it clean and cut skin halfway around the perimeter without remo

ving the skin.

Apply antiseptic ointment and a sterile dressing.

When underlying tissue toughens, cut away the remaining flap of skin.

Abrasions and contusions (floor burns and deeper bruises)

Keep them clean.

Expose them to the air when possible.

Keep th

em dry.

Encourage gentle activity.

SSP template

Chronic knee pain, thigh muscle overload, tendonitis, stress fractures, and ligament strain. Follow the doctor’s

directions, which will generally include:

Rest for five to seven days.

Ice for pain.

Stretch related mu

scles to strengthen them.

Move gently, stopping at point of pain.

Exercise to strengthen afflicted area as it heals.

FROSTBITE

Be aware of the cold factors that may lead to frostbite. Signs to watch for are white spots on cheeks, nose,

fingers, or toes.

If signs appear, bring the athlete indoors immediately for treatment.

HEAT EMERGENCIES

These problems often occur when athletes play too long and hard or stay too long in the sun. People do not

always realize how the sun can affect them.

Because sunlig

ht reflects off shiny surfaces such as bodies of water, being around water can increased your

exposure. Sunburn can occur on overcast days as well as on sunny days. When athletes are in the sun, they should

wear a water

resistant sunscreen lotion, which pr

ovides maximum protection. Sunglasses and a hat provide added

protection.

The following information tells how to recognize and initiate treatment for heat stroke, heat exhaustion, and

heat cramps.

Heat Stroke

Signs and symptoms

Hot, red skin

Very high b

ody temperature

Shock or unconsciousness

What to do

Treat heat stroke as life

threatening emergency and call the paramedics.

Cool the victim by immersing in a cool bath or wrapping in wet sheets and fanning.

Care for shock by laying the victim down and el

evating the feet.

Give nothing by mouth.

Heat Exhaustion

Signs and symptoms

Cool, pale, moist skin

Rapid, weak pulse

Weakness and dizziness

Nausea and vomiting

What to do

Treat heat exhaustion as an emergency and call the paramedics.

Get the victim into

the coolest place available.

Place the victim on the back with the feed elevated.

Cool victim by applying wet sheets or towels to the body and by fanning.

Give a half

glass of water to drink every 15 minutes if the victim is fully conscious and can tolerat

e it.

Heat Cramps

Signs and symptoms

Muscular pains and spasms, usually in the legs or abdomen

What to do

SSP template

Get the victim into the coolest place available.

Give a half

glass of water to drink every 15 minutes and for an hour.

Prevention

Seek protection f

rom the sun and extreme heat

Replace fluids by drinking water, sports drinks, or fruit juices.

SPECIAL OLYMPICS MEDICAL EMERGENCY AWARENESS

Are coaches and chaperones aware of athletes’

pre

existing medical problems

, such as diabetes, epilepsy, or

allerg

ic reaction to bee sting?

Do coaches and chaperones have ready access to the

Athlete/Parent Release Forms that give permission for

medical treatment in case of emergency?

Do coaches and chaperones have these

waivers on hand

at each of the training sessio

ns and competitions?

Is a well

stocked

first

aid kit

also on hand at the training sessions and competitions?

Have coaches been

instructed in how to use the first

aid materials

Should a medical emergency occur at a training site, do coaches know

the loc

ation of the nearest telephone

Do they know the emergency phone number? If that phone is in a locked room, do they have a key? Is a

custodian on duty and easily found? If it is a switchboard phone, do they know how to get an outside line?

Should a medica

l emergency occur at an event or training site, are there adequate

assistant coaches or

chaperones available to stay with other team members

while medical emergency procedures are taken?

If the phone is out of order

, do they know the location of the next

available phone?

Should a medical emergency occur at a competition or event, does each coach and competition management

member know the emergency action plan:

who to contact, where to contact them, how to communicate with

others, and what procedures to fo

llow

10.

If paramedics are called, will they find

locked gates

blocking access to the injured athlete? If so, do coaches or

competition management personnel have a key for those gates or a way to get one quickly?

11.

Do coaches or competition management pers

onnel have a

list of names and phone numbers of the parents or

caregivers

to call in the event of a serious injury?

12.

Where is the

nearest hospital

to the training or competition site? Is that where an ambulance will most likely

take the injured athlete?

f the answer to ANY of these questions is “NO,” coaches or competition management personnel are not prepared to

deal with a medical emergency at a training site or event.

Create an emergency action plan; orient coaches and competition management personne

l on effective

procedures; set up a simulated medical emergency and practice the plan.

SPECIAL OLYMPICS RECOMMENDED EMERGENCY MEDICAL PROCEDURES

DO NOT MOVE an athlete who is believed to be seriously injured…especially when a head, neck, or back

injury i

s suspected.

SSP template

A responsible person MUST STAY WITH THE INJURED ATHLETE at all times and have the Special

Olympics Application for Participation (medical form) and the Athlete/Parent Release form available. The must

also provide appropriate emergency support

Another responsible person should CALL THE EMERGENCY MEDICAL ASSISTANCE NUMBER (911)

and meet them. This will enable paramedics to come as quickly as possible and to enter the area at the

designated place.

Information to give the operator:

Caller’s n

ame (and number if available)

Name of site & location of intersecting streets

Injured athlete’s location at the site

Type of injury and care being given

The rest of the coaches should be with other athletes, moving them to another area and assuring them

that

appropriate emergency procedures are being followed. It is also a good opportunity to answer their questions

and concerns about their teammate.

5. Contact the parent and caregiver as soon as possible.

SSP template

SECTION V

–

GETTING READY FOR COMPETITION

TAKING AN ATHLETE OR TEAM TO COMPETITION

Now that your athletes have been practicing for several weeks, it’s time for them to go on to a competition.

Such a competition will provide the athletes with a chance to demonstrate and test their skills agai

nst other trained

individuals of similar ability.

Before the competition

Clearly inform athletes and parents of the date, time, and location of the event.

Build excitement for the event and focus the practices on the competition.

Organize transportation

to and from the event.

Prepare a checklist for athletes and for coaches. Examples for athletes: table tennis racquet (paddle), water

bottle, snack, and equipment bag. Examples for coaches: registration materials and medical forms, emergency

contacts/pho

ne numbers, list of participants with phone numbers, extra racquet (paddle)s/balls, and a first

aid

kit.

At the competition

Check

in with the tournament coordinator.

Have athletes stretch just as if they were at their own practice session.

Brief warm

-u

p at tables (10

-15 min.)

Follow directions of tournament coordinator regarding competition schedule and table assignments.

Compete according to SOI table tennis rules.

Watch athletes compete and offer encourage and praise good play.

Make sure athletes shak

e opponents hand after each match and display good sportsmanship

–

win or lose.

Participant in awards presentation following the conclusion of the competition.

Make a point of saying something positive and concrete to each athlete from their matches have f

inished.

Encourage your athletes and coaches to thank event hosts, organizers, and volunteers for their efforts.

Thank parents and other supporters who came to watch.

Announce the time and location of the next practice session.

After the competition

Rec

ord the results of your individual team members.

Evaluate their performance.

Inform parents of athletes results.

Set goals for the next competition based on performance.

Work with your coaches, parents, and community supporters to plan and host a local com

petition.

CHOOSING APPROPRIATE COMPETITION: SINGLES, DOUBLES, OR INDIVIDUAL SKILLS

Assessment is critical for the athletes to have a positive experience in competition. Coaches should ask

themselves and their athletes several questions when deciding

a player’s readiness for competition:

Has the athlete mastered the basic skills enabling him to put the ball in play?

Will the athlete be able to keep track of the score?

Does the athlete know the service rotation?

Would the athlete enjoy the camaraderie o

f doubles rather than singles?

Would the athlete be better served by competing in the skills competition?

SSP template

Athletes who have not learned to rally the ball and put serves consistently into play should probably consider

competing in the individual skills co

mpetition. By knowing the athletes on a personal level and having evaluated

their current level of play, a coach can accurately place athletes in the correct event.

COMBINING COMPONENT SKILLS INTO COMPLETE EVENTS

One of the complicated things about the

game of table tennis is putting all the individual strokes together and

having the practice player evolve into a match player. In other words, how well does your practice translate into a

match situation? For this reason, whenever possible make practice

very similar to match situations. The goal of

practice time should be

preparation for matches.

As a coach, it is often easy to get caught up in stroke technique

and other specific aspects of the game. It is important to always remember the game itself:

The serve starts play! Practicing the serve should be a major portion of each practice.

Proper footwork technique and movement to the ball must be emphasized.

Table tennis matches are won by the person who makes the fewest errors. Stress consistency in y

our drills.

Practice positioning for doubles play.

Drills:

The best drill for competition is competition. Try to simulate the conditions in which your athletes will be

playing their matches. Devise fun games such a playing “shadow table tennis” without

a ball or turning drills into

team relays.

Low Ability Level

If athletes are preparing for the individual skills competition, they should be practicing the actual tests.

Coaches should repeatedly run through the tests with the athletes to develop a lev

el of comfort and familiarity. By

periodically keeping scores, both coach and athlete can measure improvements. They should try to master the basic

strokes of the game. Emphasize the proper rules right from the start.

Intermediate Ability Level

Interm

ediate players should play practice games with their teammates and against coaches or other individuals

of similar ability. The more the athletes practice proper stroke technique, the more natural they will become. Have

a “spotter” move from table to tab

le to observe and correct improper service/stroke technique, positioning, etc.

High Ability Level

Advanced players should be able to play a regulation match with little outside supervision. Again it may be

beneficial to have a coach monitor the games to

observe and correct advanced stroke techniques, positioning,

footwork, etc.

Special Olympics athletes do very well with regular, systematic routines. A fun, yet structured practice will

encourage the athletes to participate and learn, and hopefully deve

lop a true love of the sport.

DIVISIONING IN SPECIAL OLYMPICS (SPORT)

In Special Olympics, every athlete must have a reasonable chance to win. Whenever possible, athletes are

divided into specific age groups and segregated by gender before being placed

in competitive divisions. However,

that is not always possible.

The following order has been shown to be effective for divisioning in this sport:

MANAGING A SMALL COMPETITION

CONDUCTING AND MANAGING A SMALL LOCAL COMPETITION

You may be fortuna

te enough to have several competitions for Special Olympics table tennis players in your

area. If not, it is often necessary for coaches to create opportunities for their athletes to compete against other

SSP template

individuals. It may be best to organize a small c

ompetition with other area table tennis teams. Here are some

guidelines for running a quality competition.

Volunteers and Officials Needed:

I f possible recruit volunteers with basic understanding of table tennis rules and scorekeeping.

Competition Dir

ector

Responsible for the overall organization of the event. Usually serves as host facility contact person and

volunteer coordinator. Holds the final word on all protests. Recruits the teams to participate and sets the

competition format and schedule.

Registrar:

Responsible for on

site check

in of participants, keeps results and organizes medals.

Individual Skills Contest (ISC) Officials:

Group leader:

Keeps the group together and rotates with the group to the next station, records scores.

Station leader:

Describes skill to be tested and runs the station. Awards points and makes necessary

judgment calls.

Competition Officials:

Umpire and Assistant Umpire:

These officials may or may not be used for smaller, local competitions

depe

nding on availability. However, they should be recruited for higher level competitions.

Scorekeeper:

(1 per table) Monitors the table, keep score, and turns in scores to registrar.

Court managers:

Help athletes who are waiting for the table to b

e prepared to play when it is their turn.

Assist with ball retrieval and directing athletes to appropriate positions.

Medical Personnel:

Responsible for treating any on

site injuries. Should be a certified athletic trainer, EMT, nurse or doctor.

uipment Checklist:

Table tennis balls: At least 3 per table for match play and a basket for each station of the Individual Skills

Contest (ISC).

Extra table tennis racquets (paddles)

Towels

Water coolers and cups

Signs to clearly mark stations for Individ

ual Skills Contest

Scoreboard(s)

Facility Checklist:

Regulation tables and nets

Barriers between tables (rope/ribbons)

Spectator and Awards area

Volunteer check

in area

Restroom / Locker room facilities

SAMPLE COMPETITION SCRIPT 1

Opening Ceremo

nies

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MC:

“All Special Olympics athletes and special guests, please report to the athlete

parade staging area. The parade

of athletes will begin in a few minutes.

If a band is used, MC introduces band as they enter and take their places.

MC:

“Good mo

rning/afternoon/evening ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the Opening Ceremonies of the (year)

(facility or community) Special Olympics Competition. Let’s give a big hand to the athletes as we begin our

ceremonies.”

Music begins and the parade of Special

Olympics athletes commences.

If there is a banner, athletes carrying the banner will lead, followed by the other athletes and coaches.

The final individuals in the march will be the athlete and special guest chosen to recite the Special Olympics

oath a

nd open the event.”

MC:

“Name of athlete from class/school/program) and our special guest (name of honored guest) will now lead us

in reciting the Special Olympics oath.”

Special Olympics athlete:

“Fellow athletes, please stand; repeat after me…

Let m

e win (pause as others repeat)…

But if I cannot win (pause as others repeat)…

Let me be brave in the attempt (pause as others repeat)…

MC:

(Name of sport official) will now recite the officials’ oath:

Official:

“In the name of all judges and officia

ls, I promise that we shall officiate this Special Olympics competition

with complete impartiality, respecting and abiding by the rules which govern them, in the spirit of sportsmanship.” *

Honored Guest:

“I declare the (year) facility or community) Spec

ial Olympics Competition open.”

MC:

“That concludes the Opening Ceremonies of the (year) (facility or community) Special Olympics Competition.

Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in saluting our Special Olympics athletes and coaches as they begin the

mpetition.”

* If a torch is used, the designated athlete should be introduced and will carry in the torch symbolizing the

Flame of Hope at this point.

SAMPLE COMPETITION SCRIPT 2

Awards Ceremony

Volunteers each division of athletes to the awards area

as soon after competition as possible. They are in

specific order of finish within each division that represents their placements on the awards stands.

The order of participants follows: 8

, 6

, 4

, 2

, 1

, 3

, 5

, and 7

SSP template

Start the music as a

thletes move from the awards staging area to the presentation area.

MC:

“Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to announce the results in the division of the (age and gender group)

(event). In eighth place, with a time/score of (time/score), (name) … (

pause for award presentation). In seventh

place, with a time score of, etc.”

For a competition, the Awards area should be large enough to hold the largest division or heat. If a Special

Olympics banner is available, it is an appropriate backdrop. An awar

ds stand with enough placement boxes for an

entire division is also an option, but not required for a small contest.

INSERT GRAPHIC DIAGRAM OF AWARDS AREA

SAMPLE COMPETITION SCRIPT 3

Closing Ceremonies

MC:

“Special Olympics athletes and coache

s, please assemble for the Closing Ceremonies. And now, after a hard

day of competition and in a spirit of friendship, we will begin the parade forming a friendship circle.”

Introduce the participating athletes or Programs as they form the circle.

MC:

“This Special Olympics Competition would not have been possible without the efforts and dedication of the

volunteers and officials under the leadership of (competition organizer’s name). The (facility or community) Special

Olympics Competition has come to

an end, but the memory of this wonderful competition will remain with us for

many days to come.”

MC:

“Athletes, you should be proud of your accomplishments and of your hours of hard work and training. You are

all winners. Now, as the competition come to

a close, let us join hands in the circle of friendship.”*

MC or Honored Guest:

“I declare the (year) (facility or community) Special Olympics Competition closed.”

If a torch is used, the designated athlete should be introduced and will carry the torc

h out at this point

SAMPLE SCRIPT COMPETITION SCRIPT 4

During a Competition

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SECTION VI

–

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

GLOSSARY OF (SPORT) TERMS

Antispin Rubber

An inverted rubber that does not create spin. “Anti” rubber is used mostly as a defensive w

eapon against spin.

Assistant Umpire

Person appointed to assist the umpire. His/her duties include calling “fault” when he/she sees an illegal serve;

calling “side” when the ball touches the side of the table facing them; calling “let” when needed.

Bac

khand

A stroke from the left side of a right

handed player.

Backspin

Also called underspin. A ball has backspin if the top of the ball is rotating in the direction opposite to the

direction of flight. Also called chop.

Blade

The hitting surface of the

racquet.

Block

A quick, short stroke primarily used against topspin.

Chopping

A defensive technique that uses backspin strokes.

Closed racquet

A racquet is closed when the striking face of the racquet points downward. If you are instructed to close th

e racquet

more, you should move it toward a more closed, or downward, position.

Counterhitting

Offensive hitting with a little topspin.

Deep

A ball is said to land deep when it goes over the net and bounces near the end line of the table.

Free Hand

The

player’s hand not carrying the racquet.

Footwork

How a player moves his feet and body to execute a shot.

Forehand

A stroke from the right side of a right

handed player.

Forehand Loop

A heavy topspin stroke from the forehand side.

Grip

The way a player

holds the racquet.

Inverted pips

Smooth rubber with the pimples facing the inside of the racquet.

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ITTF

The International Table Tennis Federation. The international governing body for table tennis throughout the world.

Let

A rally of which the result is

not scored.

Lob

A high arcing shot used for defense when far away from the table.

Long pips

out rubber

A type of rubber that has long soft pimples on the surface to create a different kind of spin when contacting the ball.

It behaves similarly to antis

pin rubber.

Loop

A heavy topspin offensive shot that is the most used shot in modern table tennis.

No spin serve

A serve that has little or no spin.

Open racquet

A racquet is open when its striking face points upward. If you are instructed to open your

racquet (paddle) more,

you should move it toward a more open, or upward, position.

Paddle

A commonly used term for the racquet. See Racquet.

Penhold Grip

Also called the Asian or Chinese grip. Created by holding the racquet as if it were a pen.

Pips

out

A type of rubber with pimples on the outer surface.

Point

A rally of which the result is scored.

Push

A short backspin shot used against a backspin shot. Primarily defensive.

Racquet (or racquet (paddle))

The instrument used to hit the table tennis

ball.

Racquet face

The side of the racquet with which the ball is struck.

Racquet Hand

The hand carrying the racquet.

Rally

The period during which the ball is in play.

Ready position

A neutral position from which each stroke starts. Similar to the ba

sic defensive position in basketball.

Receiver

The player due to strike the ball second in a rally.

SSP template

Server

The player due to strike the ball first in a rally.

Service

The first shot in each point.

Shakehand Grip

Also called the western grip. Created

by shaking hands with the racquet.

Short

A ball is said to land short when it goes over the net and bounces very near the net. Often, a short ball will bounce

twice on the table if it is not hit. This makes attacking a short ball difficult.

Sidespin

ball has sidespin if, when viewed from above, the ball is rotating in a circular direction.

Smash

A strong offensive shot used against a lob or any other high ball.

Spin

The rotation of the ball.

Sponge

The layer beneath the surface of most modern rubb

er racquet faces is a sponge rubber. The thicker the sponge, the

faster the reaction of the ball on the rubber.

Topspin

A ball has topspin if the top of the ball is rotating in the same direction as the direction of flight.

Umpire

The person appointed t

o decide the results of each rally and control the match.

Underspin

See backspin.

USTTA

The United States Table Tennis Association. The governing body of table tennis in the United States.

Volley

A ball struck by a player which has not touched his c

ourt since last being struck by his opponent.

LIFE BENEFITS OF SPECIAL OLYMPICS

Special Olympics can provide opportunities to develop other skill areas in addition to sports and fitness skills.

These areas include life, social, vocational, and transit

ioning skills. Coaches can play an important role in the

development of these important skills.

LIFE SKILLS

Money management

–

At a Special Olympics event, give athletes the opportunity to buy a meal, T

shirt, etc. Involve them in

choosing and purchasing

of uniforms and equipment.

Personal grooming habits

–

SSP template

Establish team guidelines. Encourage athletes to wear clean clothes, groom their hair, brush their teeth,

shower after practice, wash their own uniforms, etc.

Transportation access

–

Teach athletes h

ow to ride a bus, use the subway, and ride a bicycle. Enable athletes to get out and

interact with the community.

SOCIAL SKILLS

Negotiation

–

Enable athletes to negotiate with parents and employers for changes in the family and work schedules in

order to

participate in a Special Olympics event.

Relationship building

–

Provide opportunities for athletes to interact with volunteers, peer coaches, and teammates, to get along

with others, and to make new friends.

Self

esteem and worth

–

Provide opportunitie

s and reinforcement for each athlete to contribute to the group as well as to improve

individual skills.

VOCATIONAL SKILLS

Commitment and dedication

–

Ask athletes to make a commitment to themselves and the team in attending practices and competitions.

mployers value reliability and dependability.

Focus and concentration

–

Focusing on a specific skill in a sport relates to performing a specific skill and learning a new task on the

job.

Working with others

–

Teamwork learned through team sports relates

to working with others in the job setting.

Stamina and fine gross motor skills

–

Sports participation can improve stamina and complement fine and gross motor skills required to be

successful on the job.

TRANSITIONING SKILLS

Change

–

Sports training impr

oves athletes’ abilities and allows them to progress to higher levels of sport

participation. This often means adjusting to changes in training and competition sites, teammates, and

rules. Athletes who play more than one sport also must make these same adj

ustments from sport to sport.

Learning to adapt to change prepares the athlete for similar changes when moving from school to school

and from student to adult.

SSP template

INFUSION CHART

The Infusion Chart offers examples of life, social, vocational, and transition

ing skills that the athlete can also

acquire while mastering the sport

specific skills described in this Guide. There are numerous possibilities for

expanding and improving each athlete’s overall quality of life. Coaches should work closely with the athlet

e’s

teachers and counselors to incorporate the athlete’s sport

specific skills into his/her overall learning experience.

When an instructor wants to teach the athlete functional skills, the instructor can use examples relative to the

athlete’s sport experi

ence. For example, recognition of numbers in scoring relates to mathematics. By using the

Infusion Chart, the coach can assist the athlete in learning more meaningful life, social, vocational, and transitioning

skills that will assist full inclusion in the

community.

ARTS:

Chooses and designs team insignia and mascot

Makes team banners

Makes felt figures used on a flannel board

Coordinates table tennis clothing.

Understands differences in racquet (paddle) face colors.

SCIENCE:

Judges speed and recognizes

the power of gravity

Judges the distance to the goal

Identifies the body parts used primarily in sports

Understanding relationship between racquet (paddle) and ball.

Understands spin, trajectory, and speed of the ball.

Understands the space relationship

between himself/herself and the bouncing ball.

Understandings the use of different stroke techniques to produce backspin and topspin.

Identifies the parts of the body used in different tennis skills.

INDUSTRIAL ARTS

Constructs a simple results board

Cons

tructs an easel to display team name

Learn to replace racquet face covering.

Construct a simple scorecard.

MATHEMATICS

Keeps track of times

Remembers starting position

Recognizes the difference between two times or scores

Learns to keep score.

Learns to

change ends at odd

numbered games.

Understands time and length of practice.

Learns and understands the Expedite System.

Gauges the cost of purchasing table tennis balls and racquets (paddles).

HOME ECONOMICS

Dresses appropriately for sports in different

weather conditions

Mends and hems clothing

Washes and cleans equipment

Dresses appropriately for practice.

Learns the importance of being on time for practice and competition.

Remembers all of the equipment.

SSP template

HEALTH:

Knows the basic first aid for minor inj

uries (bruises, muscle aches, sunburn)

Uses sunscreen when outdoors

Trains and competes safely and remains under control

Dresses in layers according to weather conditions

Selects appropriate foods before competition and understands the relationship between

a balanced diet and

athletic performance.

Knows basic first

aid procedures for minor injuries.

Learns the importance of drinking water or other fluids to keep hydrated during hot days.

Practices basic safety precautions during play, clearing stray balls a

nd swing the racquet in opening spaces.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Performs warm

up exercises

Demonstrates basic sport

specific skills

Works with others

–

shows teamwork and team spirit

Stays active on own, outside organized activity

Demonstrates the skills to play table tennis.

Knows and abides by the rules of table tennis.

Knows the basic strategy of table tennis.

Cooperates with a partner in a doubles match.

Develops a basic knowledge of conditioning and its relationship to performance.

Develops hand

eye coordi

nation skills.

READING/LANGUAGE

Uses sport

specific terminology

Listens to instructions and follows directions; reads the scoreboard

Expresses himself/herself during practice

Reads sport

specific articles in newspapers or books

Reads a scoreboard.

Listens

to and follows instructions.

Learns table tennis terms and correctly calls the score and the lines.

Reads table tennis publications and follows table tennis results in the media.

SOCIAL STUDIES:

Identifies local sport areas

Participates on teams

Abides b

y the sport and team codes of conduct

Makes new friends.

Interacts with opponent and shakes hands after the completion of the match.

Able to congratulate opponent or teammate after a match.

Interacts with volunteers and competition officials.

Identifies co

mmunity facilities where he/she can practice.

Develops social and functional skills through competition

related travel, hotel stay, and dining.

Understands the reasons behind team and safety rules.

Learns from coaches.

DAILY PERFORMANCE RECORD

SSP template

Purp

ose

The Daily Performance Record is designed for the teacher/coach to prepare and record lower ability athletes’

daily performances as he/she learns the sport skills described in this guide. There are several reasons why the Daily

Performance Record is va

luable to the instructor. The record becomes a permanent document of the athlete’s

progress and helps the teacher/coach establish measurable consistency in the athlete’s curriculum. This is extremely

important when more than one instructor works with the a

thlete.

In addition, the record allows the instructor to be flexible during the actual instructional session. He/she can

break down the skills into tasks that are more specific than those indicated in this Guide and thus, meet the athlete’s

individual ne

eds. Lastly, the record helps the instructor choose proper skills and tasks, viable conditions and criteria

for mastering the skills and tasks, and correct levels of instruction to suit the athlete’s learning abilities in future

sessions. These reasons mak

e the Daily Performance Record an important aspect of an individualized educational

program (IEP).

Using the Daily Performance Record

At the top of the record, the instructor enters his/her name, the athlete’s name, the sport, and the sport skill

level f

rom which the skills are taken. If more than one instructor works with the athlete, they should enter the dates

that they work next to their names.

Skills and Task Analyses

Before the instructional session begins, the instructor decides what skill(s) wil

l be taught. The instructor makes

this decision based on the athlete’s age, the athlete’s interests, and his/her mental and physical abilities. The skill

should be a statement or description of the specific outcome behavior that the athlete must perform, f

or example:

“make a bounce pass to an intended target.” The instructor enters the skill on the top line of the left

hand column.

On the second line, the instructor enters the first task from the task analysis that describes teaching the skill.

Each subse

quent task is entered after the athlete masters the previous task. Of course, more than one sheet may be

used to record all of the tasks involved in one skill. Also, if the athlete cannot perform a prescribed task, the

instructor may break down the skill i

nto even more specific tasks that will allow for the athlete’s success.

Conditions and Criteria for Mastering

After the instructor enters the skill and the first task on the record, he/she then decides on the conditions and

criteria by which the athlete

must master the skill and the task.

Conditions

are special circumstances, which define

the manner in which the athlete must perform a skill, for example: “given a demonstration, and with assistance.”

The instructor should always assume that the ultimate co

nditions in which the athlete masters a skill are: “upon

command and without assistance.” Therefore, the instructor should not feel obligated to enter these conditions in the

record next to the skill entry. However, the instructor should enter conditions n

ext to the task entry, and must select

conditions that suit the task being performed and the individual abilities of the athlete. The instructor should arrange

the task and conditions in a particular way. As the athlete learns to perform the skill, task by

task, he/she also

gradually learns to perform it upon command and without assistance.

Criteria

are the standards that determine how well the skill or task must be performed. A non

impaired athlete

should be able to perform a skill “upon command and without assistance, 90% of the time” for the instructor to

consider that the athlete has mastered it. But in the case of the Special Olympics athlete, the instructor should

determine a standard that more realistically suits the athlete’s mental and physical ab

ilities, for example: “into a

wider than normal target, six out of ten times.” Given the varied nature of tasks and skills, the criteria may involve

many different types of standards, such as amount of time, number of repetitions, accuracy, distance, or sp

eed.

Dates of Sessions and Levels of Instruction Use

The instructor may work on one task for a couple of days, and may use several levels of instruction during that

time to progress to the point where the athlete performs the task upon command and withou

t assistance. To establish

a consistent curriculum for the athlete, the instructor must record the dates he/she works on particular tasks, and

must enter the levels of instruction that were used on those dates.

SSP template

The levels of instruction include Physical

Assistance (PA), Physical Prompt (PP), Demonstration (D), Verbal

Cue (VeC), and Visual Cue (ViC).

Physical Assistance

refers to the instructor giving total manual assistance to the athlete for the entire

task.

Physical Prompt

refers to the instructor givi

ng partial manual assistance to the athlete at a certain

stage of the task.

Demonstration

involves the instructor demonstrating the entire task for the athlete.

Verbal Cue

is a partial verbal prompt where the instructor uses

Key Words

or phrases to elicit

motor

responses from the athlete.

Visual Cue is a partial visual prompt where the teacher/coach points out the key elements of the task

to elicit movements from the athlete.

Date Mastered

When the athlete performs the task according to the pre

set condit

ions and criteria, the instructor enters the

date the task was mastered and proceeds to a new task. Once all of the tasks are mastered and the athlete performs

the entire skill upon command and without assistance, the instructor enters that date in the right

hand column,

across from the skill entry.

SPORTS SKILLS ASSESSMENT RECORD SHEET

Purpose

The Sports Skills Assessment Record Sheet is designed for the instructor to record the athlete’s pre

assessment

and post

assessment scores. The instructor can use

the record sheet as a master list, which indicates several things:

Each athlete’s overall development in the sport

Current ability levels of all the athletes

Comparable progress between athletes in the same ability level

Determination of the athlete’s p

lacement on teams or future skills classes.

Together the Sports Skills Assessment Record Sheet and the Daily Performance Record are effective training

devices, especially for athletes with lower ability.

Using the Sport Skills Assessment Record Sheet fo

r a Specific Sport

The instructor evaluates the athlete with the sport skills assessment before the athlete begins training. He/she

enters the pre

training assessment score in the proper column on the sheet. After the athlete has trained in the sport

skil

l of that particular level, the instructor re

evaluates the athlete and enters the post

-training assessment score in

the proper column on the sheet. After each skill/task, the instructor also enters the post

-training assessment score in

the corresponding a

chievement column. Of course, the instructor may allow the athlete to fill in the record sheet or

post the result so the athlete may see what progress he/she is making and take pride in his/her achievement. The

instructor can also acknowledge each athlete’

s improvement at an end

the

season team party.

INSERT ACTUAL DAILY PERFORMANCE RECORD FORM

CREATE SPORT-

SPECIFIC ATHLETE SKILLS ASSESSMENT RECORD (INSERT ON NEXT PAGE)

INSERT SAMPLE TRAINING SESSION TEMPLATE ON FOLLOWING PAGE

OTHER FORMS