Batters All Around

Game Category: Striking & Fielding Games

Type of Activity: Large Group Play

What’s It All About?

Sports such as baseball, cricket, and softball can be categorized as striking and fielding games. In these sports, participants strike an object away from fielders on the opposing team who are positioned in the field and attempt to score points. The fielders attempt to prevent the opposing team from scoring. In this activity, the batters are striking a ball into the field, while attempting to score points, while the fielders make it challenging for the batters to score points.

Did You Know?

• In Blind Baseball, “clappers” can be used by sighted assistants to aid participants in locating the bases when running.¹
• In Wheelchair Softball, the player is considered touching the base when one or more of the wheels are in the 4-foot circle surrounding the base.²

Equipment

• 1 bucket to hold 3 objects
• 1 implement for striking per group (e.g., foam bat, paddle, tennis racquet, cricket bat)
• 1 object to send per group (e.g., foam ball, tennis ball)
• 1 object for striking (e.g., pylon, batting tee)
• 4 objects to mark bases (e.g., hoops, foam squares, floor tape)
• Pylons or floor tape to identify the playing area for fielders

Safety

For participant safety, please review the Disability-Centred Movement Activities safety page and the activity instructions prior to the activity.

Set-up

• Divide participants into 2 groups. One group will be the fielders and the other group will be the batters.
• Use objects (e.g., hoops, foam squares, floor tape) to create 4 bases to make a large diamond shape in the designated playing area. The bases are home base, first base, second base, and third base.
• Identify the larger playing area for the fielders using pylons or floor tape.
• Set up a large pylon with an object placed on the top at the home base.
• The batting team will be first to bat, with the fielding team spread out in the playing area.
• If playing indoors, identify the larger playing area for fielders using pylons or floor tape, safely away from walls or other obstacles.

Learn to Play

• On the signal to begin, the batter chooses their implement to strike the object off the pylon and into the field.
• Once the object is hit, the batter moves to first base, second base, third base, and back to home base. At the same time, the fielders attempt to field the ball and pass the ball to another fielder at first base, then to second base, then to third base, and then to home.
• The objective of the activity is for the batter to move around each of the bases and return back to home base before the ball.
• Batters may choose to stay on the base if the ball has returned home before they reach home base. Participants are out if they are on base after the last batter has had a turn.
• Groups can switch roles from batters to fielders and fielders to batters after every batter in the group has had a turn.

Action to Play

• Invite participants to explore the different ways a batter can strike an object into the field. For example:
  • Use different body parts in different ways such as kicking the object.
  • Strike the object with their dominant/non-dominant hand.
  • Explore different implements for striking (e.g., tennis racquet, paddle, pool noodle, an implement with a larger surface and a shorter handle).
  • Explore different objects to strike such as different sized foam balls.
  • Play standing or seated and have another participant travel the bases.
  • Explore different ways to move around the bases (e.g., crawling, rolling, hopping).
  • Provide more time for participants to travel the bases by changing ways to send the object to fielders (e.g., rolling the ball).
• Invite participants to explore different rules that can be created for the fielding team. For example:
  • Fielders must be positioned on the bases to receive the object.
  • Have more than 1 fielder at a base to increase participation.
  • When sending the object, fielders can only roll it.
  • The object needs to be passed between at least 3 fielders before being sent to a base.

Power All to Play

• Invite participants to explore the Action to Play co-created list of different ways to send an object when playing the activity.
• The objective of this activity is for the batters to move through each of the bases and return back to home base before the 3 objects are returned to the bucket.
• Place 3 pylons along the home base line facing the outfield, with an object balanced on each one. Make sure the pylons are spread out with room for batters to swing at each, keeping a safe distance from other batters and participants. Place a bucket along the home base line, a safe distance from the 3 pylons.
• One batter stands at each of the pylons (3 batters in total), facing the outfield.
• On the signal to begin, the 3 batters strike the ball at the same time into the field.
• Once the objects are struck, the batters move to first base, second base, third base and back to home base. At the same time, fielders must retrieve all 3 objects while the batters move around the bases.
• Points are given when all batters return to their home base before all 3 objects are returned and placed back in the bucket. Groups can switch roles from batters to fielders and fielders to batters after every batter in the group has had a turn.
• Invite participants to explore the different ways to send an object when playing the activity from Action to Play.

Play & Ponder

Use the following prompts throughout the activity to encourage participants to think about and apply the skills, concepts, and strategies used in the activity.

• As a batter, describe what you can do to successfully strike the object to make it challenging for the fielders to retrieve it.
• As a fielder, describe what you can do and how your body is positioned to make it challenging for the batter to score runs.
• As batters or fielders, describe how positive communication can help your group.
• How can you adjust the activity to make it more challenging (e.g., adjust the boundaries, implements, and/or objects)?
• Describe other sports, games, and activities that use the same skills, concepts, and strategies like this striking and fielding game.