Successful performance in team games depends on skill and knowledge and it is often the knowledge component that is compromised in school physical education and community sports programs. 'GamesSmarts' uses innovative methods for teaching young children how to play team games by focusing on the cognitive or ‘understanding’ aspect of team game play. 'GamesSmarts' is based on an approach known as the 'Teaching Games for Understanding' model which originated in Britain, but is now common in Canada, the USA, and Australia. Through modified games, children learn the fundamental tactical concepts of team games such as the basic principles of attack and defence, 2vs1, 3vs1 player to player marking and basic positioning in generic, small sided, progressive team game activities. GamesSmarts differs from the majority of children’s sports classes because in GamesSmarts children do not learn the skills and rules involved in any one ‘traditional’ sport such as basketball, or soccer. Instead, they participate in adaptations of these and other traditional team games in order to gradually learn and understand basic tactical (cognitive) concepts which can be applied to many different games that they play. Similar approaches to games teaching are beginning to appear in youth sport where the focus extends beyond game skills and moves to game knowledge. For this reason, parents who are volunteer coaches of youth team sports may find considerable value in observing ‘GamesSmart’ classes, and they are welcome to do so.

 

For more information on these programs, please sign up for our Electronic Mailing List. Our staff will send out notices when these programs have become available, which will include: dates, costs, and other information. If you have any questions, please contact our registration office at 604-822-0207.