Relays offer children opportunities to learn cooperation by learning to follow rules.

• Relays teach:
  • Cooperation
  • Competition
  • Sportsmanship
• Relays should not be used for teaching physical skills
• Most students are not active
• Relays should require low skill level and test:
  • Test strength
  • Test quickness
  • Test balance

The following skills can be used in relays:

• Skipping
• Sliding
• Galloping
• Jumping

Relay procedures

• Restrict teams to 4 or 5 students
• Change teams regularly
• Place less skilled students in the middle of the team
• Briefly discuss rule infractions
• Designate a deceleration zone
• De-emphasize winning
• Conduct a trial run
• Clarify traffic rules

Relay examples:

• Beanbag relays- Beanbags can be handled more easily than balls (Good starting point)
• Lane relays- Each runner runs in turn.
• Lane relays with equipment- Manipulation of an object during a relay
• Lane relays with balls- Requires the handling of balls during a relay.
• Circle pass relays- Relays involving ball handling in a circular formation.
• Modified relays- players are numbered and run as individuals.

Personal Challenge Skills:

• Offer opportunity to match strength and wits with others
• Children who are quick and strong perform well
• Give students an opportunity to test themselves (locomotor and nonlocomotor skills)
• De-emphasize winning
• Developmental II and III
• Presented as a change of pace activity in order to rekindle motivation

Personal challenge procedures

• Emphasize safety
• Make instructions explicit
• Perform some activities on mats
• Determine who starts the contest
• Contests should be done with the right side, left side and both sides (variety)
• Develop a rotation system

The following personal challenge example activities are explained on pages 530-533.

1. Hand wrestle
2. Finger fencing
3. Touch knees
4. Grab the flag
5. Rooster fight
6. Palm push
7. Bulldozer
8. Breakdown
9. Elbow wrestle
10. Leg wrestle
11. Catch-and-pull tug-of-war
12. Stick twist
13. Toe touch
14. Crab contest
15. Shoulder shove
16. Wand wrestle
17. Partner pull-up
18. Wand lift
19. Sitting elbow wrestle
20. Power pull
21. Rope tug-of-war
22. Four-team tug-of-war