Baseball-5 at the university: how the "Play for 5" project updated the library of teaching materials

Over the past three months, the "Play for 5" project team has carried out extensive work: they have revised the guidelines and prepared new manuals for students, teachers, coaches and university supervisors. A single section on the project's website It has been updated with visual diagrams, exercise cards, lesson plans, and instructional videos.

Updating the kit was dictated by the real challenges that universities face when learning about baseball-5: how to introduce the game to students, prepare the first lesson, choose exercises for beginners, and continue working after an open master class. Materials have been developed for each stage that can be used in combination or selected point-by-point for a specific group and site.

"Our main goal is – to make baseball-5 a truly accessible and understandable tool for the development of student sports, – notes the head of the "Play for 5" project Ksenia Koroleva. – We aimed to create not just a set of documents, but a full-fledged ecosystem. Now any university has a ready-made route: from students' first acquaintance with the game through vivid illustrations to the organization of a full-fledged section, taking into account an inclusive approach. The materials are structured so that a teacher or curator can easily adapt them to their site and a specific group."

First introduction: an illustrated guide for students

A new one has been prepared for students illustrated manual "Baseball-5. The first introduction to the game." The 12 pages clearly show the structure of the court, the location of the bases, the sequence of movement and actions of the offensive and defensive players.

The publication is based on diagrams and short explanations. Separate turns are devoted to the main methods of out, hitting with your hand and passing the ball. The safe route scheme helps you understand where the participants are waiting for their turn, how the movement to the base and the return after the exercise are organized. The manual also introduces the program of the first master class and suggests a further route: join the next classes, use video screenings of exercises and discuss the continuation of training with a teacher or a university sports club.

Teacher's tools: from an open lesson to regular training sessions

The basis of the methodological base consists of "Guidelines for baseball-5". During the revision, the formulations and sports terminology were clarified, and the tasks that best correspond to the discipline were revised. The material helps the teacher to prepare for work with the student group, explain game situations and choose ways to evaluate the mastered actions.

Assembled for launch the set of the open lesson: a 60-minute script, a presentation for the participants and forms for the organizers. It covers everything from site preparation, role allocation and warm-up to the first exercises, training draws and discussion of the results. The applications include participation records, a feedback questionnaire, and forms for recording further work with the university.

A set has been developed for the teacher to continue working after the master class. "Teacher's cards" with 12 exercises. It covers passing and receiving the ball, hitting with your hand, moving around the bases, and teamwork. Each card contains a learning task, the necessary inventory, the order of execution and the organization scheme. Additionally, typical errors and options for simplifying and complicating the task are described. The cards can be printed out separately and customized for the tasks of a particular class.

They are associated with a cycle of the first six classes. Consistency leads the group from receiving and accurate passing to hitting, defense interaction, parsing outs, and practice play. For each meeting, a time allocation and guidelines are proposed for monitoring the progress of students. The duration of about 60 minutes serves as a learning guideline and can be adjusted according to the group's readiness.

Additional practice options are presented in the collection. "Educational games and lesson plans". It includes 20 training games and five plans that allow you to choose tasks for hitting accuracy, passing, receiving the ball, reacting and moving around the bases.

Inclusive approach: Baseball-5 for everyone

A separate brochure is dedicated to the adaptation of baseball-5 for students with disabilities. It helps the teacher to select the available game actions and change the conditions of the exercise, taking into account the individual needs of the participant.

The material discusses the organization of space, methods of explanation, inventory selection, changing the pace and complexity of tasks. Exercises, an example of the first lesson, an observation map and practical situations are offered. The focus is on how to help the student participate in the game more safely and independently, coordinating the changes with the participant himself.

Digital assistants: video with AI voice acting

Working with foreign training videos has become an important part of the update. Artificial intelligence tools were used to translate and prepare Russian-language voice acting. During the adaptation, the team clarified sports terminology, names of actions and explanations for exercises. The video materials were designed in the corporate style of the "Play for 5" project.

There are currently eight videos in the section. Three videos are dedicated to getting to know Baseball-5, the basic rules and refereeing. Five more show specific exercises: "Receiving, passing and running", "Passing into the zone", "Relay with a kick", "Squash" and "Square". Short video screenings complement printed materials: the teacher can watch the organization of the assignment in advance, and then use the video when explaining to the group. They also help students return to individual activities after class.

Organizational vector: how to launch a section at a university

The organizational part of the kit answers strategic questions: why does the university need baseball-5 and what format to start with. Presentations on the possibilities of playing in student sports have been prepared for the curators.

In the recommendations "Launching classes and baseball-5 sections at the university" coordination of work within the university, site selection, equipment, invitation of students, trial cycle and conditions of transition to regular classes are consistently considered. The manual is supplemented with templates for proposals, questionnaires, plans and magazines. A ready-made set of anonymous surveys will help you find out the students' opinions. The university can independently transfer the questions to a convenient service, distribute the questionnaire and summarize the results according to the proposed template. Promotional images have also been prepared for inviting participants.

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The updated library is organized according to the tasks of users: to learn about the game, to conduct a lesson or to organize work at the university. Documents can be downloaded, and videos can be viewed directly on the page.

Go to the materials of the "Play for 5" project →

The "Play for 5" project is being implemented by the Reliable Change Foundation with the support of the Vladimir Potanin Charitable Foundation and the Power of Sports program.