Kin-Ball Skill Stations: Hit, Catch, and Call
A four-station circuit to learn Kin-Ball skills one at a time before playing a game. Students practice hitting with three teammates holding the ball, catching with the whole body, responding to a color call, and carrying the ball as a team.
How to play
- Make 4 groups of 6 and four separate stations, each with a giant ball or a large lightweight ball (2 min).
- Hit: three hold the ball at chest height and the fourth hits it upward with the forearms so two teammates can catch it 12 feet away. Catch: one drops the ball and the rest catch it before it touches the floor.
- Call: everyone wears a colored pinnie; a color is called and only those players run to touch the ball before a rolled ball reaches a cone 20 feet away. Carry: move the ball 30 feet and back without hands.
- Each station lasts 4 minutes; rotate clockwise on the whistle (16 min).
- Wrap-up (4 min): each group tries one practice serve with a color call and a team catch.
Rules
- Hit with forearms or an open hand, never a fist.
- Nobody hits the ball when a teammate is crouching in front.
- At the carry station, if the ball drops, go back to the last cone.
- On the whistle, leave the ball still in the middle of the station and rotate.
Variations
Easier
Use large lightweight balls at every station and cut distances in half.
Standard
Four 4-minute stations with the giant ball for hitting and catching.
Harder
At the hit station, the ball must land inside a large hoop.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: helps hold the ball for the hit and makes the color calls.
- Autism or shy students: show a picture card for each station and keep the same group.
- Lower fitness: open hands are allowed on the first leg of the carry.
Learning goals
- Hit the giant ball while coordinating with three teammates.
- Catch a large object as a group before it falls.
- Respond quickly to a spoken color signal.
Equipment for a class of 25
- giant Kin-Ball balls: 2
- large lightweight balls: 2
- cones: 12
- pinnies in four colors: 24
Teacher tip
If you only have one giant ball, use it for hitting and use large beach balls elsewhere. Keep stations away from walls so the ball doesn't bounce into another group.
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