Wheelchair-Style Scooter Board Slalom

A skills course on scooter boards pushed only with the arms, inspired by wheelchair skills events: slalom, full spin, backing up and a narrow gate. It ends with a time trial and a team relay.

How to play

1. Set up 4 courses about 50 ft long: a slalom through 6 cones, a square of disc cones for a full spin, 10 ft of backing up and a 2-ft cone gate (3 min).
2. Technique: legs crossed, both hands together to go straight, one hand to turn and palms down to stop. Try the course slowly (4 min).
3. Make 4 teams of 6 (one of 7). Individual round-trip time trial; each cone touched adds 2 seconds (5 min).
4. Relay: the returning player high-fives the next, who leaves after the previous player crosses the line. Add up the team's time (5 min).
5. Each team adds a safe obstacle to another team's course, such as picking up a disc cone, and everyone runs one more round (3 min).

Rules

• Push with your palms on the floor and keep your fingers away from the wheels.
• Nobody leaves until the previous teammate crosses the relay line.
• No lying, kneeling or standing on the scooter.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: a wheelchair user runs the course in their own chair with wider cone spacing.
• Visual impairment: a partner walks alongside giving cues, and the spin is removed.
• Fitness level: the student may push with the heels on the first try.

Learning goals

• Control steering and stopping using only the arms.
• Complete a skills course with precision and speed.
• Understand the skill it takes to maneuver a wheelchair.

Equipment for a class of 25

• scooter boards: 8
• cones: 40
• flat disc cones: 16
• stopwatches: 4

Teacher tip

Check for rings and loose drawstrings and a clean floor. Point out that many wheelchair users make these moves daily on sidewalks and doorways.

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