The third edition of the popular book Teaching Sport Concepts and Skills: A Tactical Games Approach for Ages 7 to 18 now covers the elementary level as well as middle and secondary levels. It shows teachers how to move from a traditional to a tactical games teaching approach with detailed unit and lesson plans, a DVD-ROM with video clips and reproducibles, and a standards-linked Game Performance Assessment Instrument (GPAI).
Teaching Sport Concepts and Skills, Third Edition, not only explains the tactical games approach, but it also contains more than 330 ready-to-use lessons to help teachers apply it. Elementary school teachers will use games to teach the basic concepts and tactics of these types of sports:
- Invasion
- Net and wall
- Striking and fielding
- Target sports
Middle and high school teachers help students develop sport-specific tactical and technical skills for 12 sports, including soccer, lacrosse, and flag football (new to this edition). The lessons feature more than 240 diagrams that make for easy setup and execution of the games.
For those new to the tactical approach, the accompanying DVD-ROM includes video clips of actual lessons that demonstrate the tactical approach in action. The DVD includes ready-to-use reproducibles for in-service teachers that also serve as examples for preservice teachers.
Focusing on tactical awareness helps students develop problem-solving skills through game play. The tactical approach also allows teachers to individualize instruction for novice, developing, and advanced performers by either reducing or increasing the challenge of the tasks involved. The third edition of Teaching Sport Concepts and Skills will help current and future teachers structure positive and engaging learning experiences that set the stage for improved performance and lifelong enjoyment of sport.
About the Author: Steve Mitchell, PhD, is a professor of physical education teacher education at Kent State University. He received his undergraduate and master's degrees from Loughborough University, England, where the tactical approach was developed. He earned a PhD in teaching and curriculum at Syracuse University. An avid soccer player and licensed coach, he has employed a tactical approach in teaching and coaching at the elementary, middle school, high school, and college levels since 1982.
Mitchell is a member of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD); the Ohio Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (OAHPERD); and the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE).
He resides in Kent, Ohio. In his free time he enjoys soccer, tennis, golf, swimming, kayaking, cycling, and skiing when his aching knees allow.
Judy Oslin, PhD, is professor emeritus at Kent State University. She received her undergraduate and master's degrees from Kent State and earned a PhD in sport pedagogy at Ohio State University. Oslin has more than 35 years of experience as a physical educator and teacher educator. She has used the tactical approach with elementary, middle school, high school, and university students.
Oslin has also presented numerous papers and workshops focusing on implementation of the tactical approach and the Game Performance Assessment Instrument at the international, national, regional, state, and local levels. She continues to work with teachers locally, nationally, and internationally to improve the quality of curriculum and assessment. Oslin is a member of numerous professional organizations, including AAHPERD, National Association for Physical Education in Higher Education (NAPEHE), the American Educational Research Association (AERA), and the National Association for Girls and Women in Sport (NAGWS).
Judy resides in Kent, Ohio, and enjoys traveling and participating in numerous outdoor activities.
Linda Griffin, PhD, is a professor and associate dean for academic affairs in the School of Education at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. She earned her bachelor's degree from Black Hills State University, her master's degree from Ithaca College, and her PhD from Ohio State University. She has more than 35 years of experience as a physical educator and teacher educator. Her research and scholarly interest for over 20 years have focused on the teaching and learning of sport-related games through a games-centered approach grounded in constructivist learning. Throughout the United States and abroad, Linda has presented numerous papers and workshops focused on the tactical approach.
Griffin served on the planning committee for the first Teaching Games for Understanding Conference in New Hampshire in 2001. She is a member of AAHPERD, NASPE, NAGWS, and AERA. Griffin has also served as chair for the Curriculum and Instruction Academy, president of the Research Consortium, and a reviewer for various professional journals, including Journal of Teaching in Physical Education and Research Quarterly.
Linda stays active by biking, walking, kayaking, and practicing yoga. She enjoys the sound of the ocean and listening to books on long walks with her dogs, Finnigan and Devon. She lives in Holyoke, Massachusetts.
