Game Sense is an exciting and innovative approach to coaching and physical education that places the game at the heart of the session. It encourages the player to develop skills in a realistic context, to become more tactically aware, to make better decisions and to have more fun. Game Sense is a comprehensive, research-informed introduction to the Game Sense approach that defines and explores key concepts and essential pedagogical theory, and that offers an extensive series of practical examples and plans for using Game Sense in real teaching and coaching situations.

The first section of the book helps the reader to understand how learning occurs and how this informs player-centred pedagogy. It also explains the relationship between Game Sense and other approaches to Teaching Games for Understanding. The second section of the book demonstrates how the theory can be applied in practice, providing a detailed, step-by-step guide to using Game Sense in eleven sports, including soccer, basketball, field hockey and softball.

No other book explores the Game Sense approach in such depth, or combines theory and innovative practical techniques. Game Sense is invaluable reading for all students of physical education or sports coaching, any in-service physical education teacher or any sports coach working with children or young people.

About the Author

Richard Light is Professorial Research Fellow in the School of Health Sciences, University of Ballarat, Australia. Richard was a foundation member of the Teaching Games for Understanding Task Force within AIESEP (International Association for Physical Education in Higher Education) and the convenor of the second international TGfU conference in Melbourne in 2003 and the 2006 Asia-Pacific Conference for Teaching Physical Education and Sport for Understanding in Sydney, Australia. He coordinated the pre-conference TGfU symposia at the 2006 AIESEP World Congress in Finland, the 2008 AIESEP Congress in Japan and the 2008 ISCPES conference at the University of Macau. Richard has edited volumes on TGfU and the Games Approach to sport coaching.

Reviews

"A fantastic resource that helped me, as a generalist teacher, engage the students in learning in Physical Education. The chapter on touch rugby contained background information and useful explanations with teacher-friendly unit plans, activities and even sample questions ... Right from the start, the 'Game Sense' approach outlined for touch rugby engaged my students and got them moving, learning and playing", Eric McCarron, teacher, Banksmeadow Public (primary/elementary) School, Sydney, Australia

"The Game Sense approach to teaching touch rugby ... has been particularly helpful for me in constructing meaningful learning opportunities for undergraduate Physical Education Teacher Education students, and has been particularly effective in outlining alternative pedagogical approaches for teaching less familiar game concepts", Amanda Mooney, Lecturer in Health and Physical Education, University of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia.

"As a coaching and development officer in Rugby League, I found the activities in Game Sense: Pedagogy for Performance, Participation and Enjoyment to be extremely useful because of their effectiveness and simplicity in the application of Games Sense principles. The activities were not only thoroughly enjoyed by participants but most importantly, allowed for effective teaching and learning to take place", David Lakisa, NSWRL Pacific Islander Coaching & Development Officer, Sydney, Australia

"Game Sense: Pedagogy for Performance, Participation and Enjoyment has been very helpful in developing my teaching. The framework in chapter five gives me the guidelines to be able to maximize participation as well as allowing students to learn while playing. Quality questioning is an important part of the process as it confirms the learning from the modified games and stimulates thinking. I have been able to use the modified games in my classes as well as adapting them to some Australian football training sessions, which the participants enjoyed thoroughly", David Hyde, PDHPE pre-service teacher: University of Western Sydney, Sydney and Game Development Officer for AFL NSW/ACT, Australia

"It is through games like these ones, where the players are constantly challenged to think and act using different skills, that some of the best players in the world have been formed. Reading [chapter 10] and experiencing its proposals through using it in my teaching has been a fantastic experience, not only for both for my pre-service teachers and soccer players who have benefited from it, but also for me", Dr Jorge Knijnik, Lecturer, School of Education, University of Western Sydney, Australia

"As a PDHPE teacher in a high school with forty percent of the student population from Non English Speaking Backgrounds (NESB), I found this book to be an extremely valuable resource ... Game Sense: Pedagogy for Performance, Participation and Enjoyment would undoubtedly be an asset to all teachers and or coaches. It is all-encompassing, accessible, diverse and encourages that supportive environment that all teachers are hoping to achieve", Cathryn Johnson, PDHPE teacher, Blakehurst High School, Sydney, Australia

"The chapter on basketball was really useful for me in planning and delivering lessons as part of an invasion games unit ... I found that the learning of skills within the game context was really well suited to the mixed abilities of my students, and the suggestions of less/more challenging allowed me to continually and easily modify the activities based on how the students were going. ... All of my students really enjoyed these activities and it was great to see even the usually less involved students out there enjoying themselves and all encouraging each other! The activities were great fun for myself, and my class!", Renata Cinelli, PDHPE secondary school teacher, Sydney, Australia

"The chapter on netball from Game Sense: Pedagogy for performance, participation and enjoyment was easy to access with explicit instructions any primary teacher could follow. It exposed my students to a variety of activities building up to successfully playing a full game of netball. They enjoyed it so much that they are now consistently asking me to take them out for sport ... I enjoy how this approach moves away from the teacher dictating rules and how the game is to be played and allows students to have a voice and express an opinion about the direction of the game", Pia Maturana, teacher, Lansvale Public (primary/elementary) School, Sydney, Australia

"Cricket can be a tough sport to teach due to the skills required, lack of group participation and, of course, safety ... The Game Sense activities in Game Sense: Pedagogy for Performance, Participation and Enjoyment have quick turnovers with everyone batting regardless of ability. Students who have never played or even seen the game before get involved. In fact, it usually takes only five minutes for this to occur and their interest is maintained by the progression of engaging modified games that they can all play successfully", Harry Hector, PDHPE teacher, Western Sydney

"As a PDHPE lecturer, I found the chapter in Game Sense: pedagogy for performance, participation and enjoyment on ultimate frisbee extremely useful and strongly recommend it. It is always a challenge to develop tutorials that not only engage students but also provide experiences and knowledge that they can take into their future teaching. The easy to use format and the progressive development of activities makes this book an excellent resource", Dr Andrew Bennie, Lecturer, School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, University of Western Sydney, Australia

"This excellent book, Game Sense: Pedagogy for Performance, Participation and Enjoyment, is long overdue and will make a significant contribution toward improving teaching and learning in physical education. Written by Australia's leading physical education theorist, it also shows his practical background because the chapters are very easy to use and particularly when linked with the theoretical chapters. I have used all the modified games in the chapter on softball in my undergraduate classes and they work very well. My students have also used them with success in their teaching in schools and report very positive student responses", Dr Steve Georgakis, Senior Lecturer, PDHPE, University of Sydney, Australia

"As a lecturer in Physical Education, I found the framework used in Game Sense: Pedagogy for performance, participation and enjoyment very useful and easy to follow. This supported me in my ability to execute the games effectively and ensure students were engaged and aware of their own learning throughout the unit. Pre-service teachers often struggle with understanding and using innovation in physical education due to them bringing their past experiences with them. However, with this clear and simple approach to Game Sense, my students were able to bring new meanings to different physical activity experiences ... I highly recommend this unit on volleyball and the approach presented in this book to all those who are interested in providing meaningful and engaging learning experiences for their students in physical education", Daniela Falecki, University PE tutor, University of Western Sydney, Sydney, Australia

Book Information
ISBN 9780415532884
Author Richard Light
Format Paperback
Page Count 240
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 380g