A session focused around Handball at EFSC this week

This week's session started with Alan and Ollie leading some warm up games including a traffic light game. It was quite sunny out so making use of the playground while we can it was jogging around on a green light, stop on  a red light and a series of warm up exercises when the light was amber. These ranged from star jumps to moving side to side.
We were pleased to welcome a new volunteer to the team this week in Phoebe, who is a student at Davenant school and is doing her Duke of Edinburgh Bronze award. She will be volunteering with us for a while and her assistance is most welcome.
With the main sport of Handball in mind, Alan and the team split the group in to pairs or threes and with a ball per group got them throwing the ball to each other. They varied between underarm throws and over the head. If throwing with the ball in both hands above the head then it would be a bounce pass with the ball bouncing mid-way between thrower and catcher. These exercises were aimed at honing the members throwing and catching skills.

Next up was some targeted throwing with the kids aiming to knock a tennis ball off a cone. The cone was placed midway between the two players with a tennis ball on top. Using the big soft balls the players then had to throw their ball down with the aim of hitting the tennis ball on the cone. The kids did really well with tennis balls flying off in all directions!
Alan then moved on to a Handball shooting routine. Cones were laid out to form three lanes with a goal by the fence at the end of each. We had three volunteer goalkeepers in Umar, Kerrie and Callum. The rest formed three queues to take it in turns to bounce the ball up the course before stopping at a set point and by doing a bounce pass trying to shoot past the keeper in to the goal

The fun then moved indoors for some quick games of handball. The group split in to three teams and we used benches for goals. The kids then used the skills they had practised to do bounce passes to each other and to move the ball up the pitch before shooting for the goal.  Even Umar got in on the action using his wheelchair. He is fast and impossible to tackle and Alan helped him shoot the ball at the goal.

After a break for snacks and refreshments we finished off the session with some games of Boccia and then some putting. The putting game involved hitting off of little markers and aiming to hit little cones. If you hit the cone you  kept it. The game was over when all the cones had been hit and the person with the most cones was declared the winner​

Overall it was another great session with a good variety of activities and games. It was great to see Ollie back after his week off - much needed as Ray was away on Saturday.  Also, a special mention to Phoebe for getting stuck in straight away and helping Alan and Ollie with the session.
The star of the week award this week went to Kerrie for great participation and enthusiasm throughout the morning. Well done Kerrie!

This Saturday is our annual AGM for all the parents and carers to attend. So once you have dropped off your loved ones please make your way to the staff room for the meeting. It would be great to hear your thoughts and opinions on the club and all we do. We promise not to take up your whole morning but we do need your involvement and help if the club is to carry on.
Anyone interested in what we do at EFSC is welcome to attend the meeting and, as always, if you know of any kids who would benefit from our activities then bring them along at 10:00 to try us out.

​See you all Saturday!
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Our STAR this week was Kerrie - pictured here with Anand and Coach Alan