Stick Player Stretches and Blade Check
A cool-down designed for students who spent the lesson in a low stance with a stick: gentle stretches for the forearms, lower back, hips and hamstrings using the stick for support. It ends with a partner check of blades and grips to pull damaged equipment.
How to play
- Walk slowly around the area with the stick held horizontally across the shoulders, breathing through the nose (2 min).
- Standing with the stick upright for support: stretch the wrist flexors and extensors, 20 seconds per position and hand (2 min).
- On the mat: child's pose with the arms resting on the stick, knee to chest, and a hamstring stretch with the stick behind the foot without pulling hard (3 min).
- In pairs, check both sticks: blade free of cracks or sharp edges, blade firmly attached and grip with no loose tape; mark any stick that needs to be pulled with tape (2 min).
- Each student describes in one word how their back and wrists feel after the lesson (1 min).
Rules
- Stretches are gentle with no bouncing; if it hurts, ease off.
- The stick is used only for support, never for forceful leverage.
- A stick with a broken or sharp blade is removed immediately and handed to the teacher.
Variations
Easier
Standing stretches with the stick only, without getting down on the floor.
Standard
Standing and mat stretches with a partner equipment check.
Harder
Each pair leads another pair through a stretching sequence they designed and explains which muscle it targets.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: does the wrist, trunk and neck stretches seated with the stick across the legs.
- Visual impairment: the partner describes each position aloud and checks the blade together with them by touch.
- Lower back injury: skips child's pose and replaces it with belly breathing lying down with knees bent.
Learning goals
- Recover after a stick lesson with targeted stretches.
- Recognize the areas floorball loads most: wrists, lower back and hips.
- Take responsibility for the care and safety of shared equipment.
Equipment for a class of 25
- floorball sticks: 28
- exercise mats: 28
- masking tape: 2
Teacher tip
Checking blades at the end keeps the next class from using a broken stick. Store the marked sticks separately to replace the blade or retire them.
PatioLab has "Stick Player Stretches and Blade Check" and 5176 more activities ready to drag into your lesson and run from your phone in the gym.
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