The sport education model simulates an athletic season within a physical education class. Students are placed on teams that remain constant throughout a season. Students take on roles like captain, referee, or statistician. The teacher's role shifts to facilitating student-led practices and competitions. A season typically lasts 12 or more lessons and culminates in a festive championship event. The model aims to develop students' skills, responsibility, and enjoyment of sport through an authentic team experience.

1. THE SPORT
EDUCATION MODEL
Created by: Daryl Siedentop

2. FEATURES OF SPORT EDUCATION
 Basic Premise:
 Instruction is carried out in a way which simulates
an athletic team and season.
 Timing – this model is utilized at both the middle
and high school level.
 West Hartford, SSW
 Middle school sport ed mostly focuses on
traditional team sports which are less lifetime
oriented. Lifetime activities are typically taught
in high school.
 What are some examples of non-lifetime activities,
focusing on team sports?

3. POSSIBLE ACTIVITIES – MIDDLE
SCHOOL
 Basketball
 Field Hockey
 Fitness
 Football
 Hockey
 Lacrosse
 Soccer
 Softball
 Tennis
 Track & Field
 Volleyball
 Weight Training
 Wrestling

4. FEATURES OF SPORT EDUCATION
1. Seasons (not units)
 Seasons typically last a minimum of 12 lessons.
This promotes more in-depth understanding of the
material (more depth, less breadth).
 Teacher selects sport/activity. May also have
students vote on choices.
2. Affiliation
 Students quickly become members of teams, the
rosters for which are constant throughout a
season.
3. Formal Competition
 Sports seasons include formal schedules.
Typically, competitions are interspersed with
practices.

5. FEATURES OF SPORT EDUCATION
1. Culminating Event
 A competitive event highlights the season and
provides goals for players to work towards.
2. Keeping Records
 Records are publicized that provide feedback, define
standards, and establish goals for players and teams.
3. Festivity
 The festive atmosphere of sport enhances its meaning
and adds an important social element for
participants.

6. ROLES OF STUDENT
 Students are increasingly responsible for leadership,
instruction, assessing, and performing.
 Potential student roles (all students practice and play in
competitions)
 Captain – functions as coach, runs practice/games
 Statistician – record and post team and individual results
on bulletin boards
 Fitness Instructor – leads warm-up and possibly cool down
(should be specific to the activity)
 Manager – distributes and collects equipment, sets up
playing field/court, arranges substitute for absent players
 Referee – Referees games and is acquainted with rules and
etiquette of the sport/activity.
 Several team members are assigned the role of referee which
trades-off throughout the season.
 Player – no assigned role, participating member of team.
 Scorekeeper – may designate to unprepared students
 Other roles: assistant captain, reporter…

7. TEACHER ROLE
 Teachers shift from teacher-centered to
student-centered instruction.
 Teacher must establish strong managerial
system with rules and routines.
 Teacher then has time to instruct,
facilitate, and assess student learning
more effectively.
 Model works especially well in a team-
teaching scenario

8. TIMELINE OF A SAMPLE UNIT
 Day 1
 Awarding of the captain’s position
 Festive – announce with clapping
 Team roster is announced for each captain
 Captains and team members are selected in advance by teacher.
May also have captains select in private.
 Class breaks into teams and fills out captain’s packet
 Instruct/remind students of behavioral expectations and
responsibilities for each role.
 Discussion of sport’s rules, etiquette, etc by teacher(s)
 Day 2 – 5 (5 is used for this example, may be > or < days)
 Each team practices separately (teacher checks off each
skill once it has been satisfactorily completed)
 Who leads practice? – two choices

9. Timeline of a Unit: Day 2 – 5 (Practice Only Days)
Teacher: Captain:
Explains practice Captains develop practice plan
sequence and activities at home. Plans are reviewed by
at start of class which teacher prior to each class.
captains them Teacher should provide materials
implement. (books, internet addresses, handouts of
Itis suggested that suggested activities).
May provide a reward/incentive for
teacher provide all
directions at start captains (bonus points, free PE t-shirt,
instead of providing release time to prepare, letter home)
direction prior to each  Other incentives?
practice activity. Teacher picks captain for each team
Teacher rotates helping
each team’s practice.
***May do a combination of the two – some portions of
practice are teacher led, others are captain led

10. Timeline of a Unit: Day 6-11
 Day 6
 Written assessment of rules, etiquette, and strategies (may include
other elements)
 Formal competition
 Competition schedule is set by teacher
 Day 7
 Practice
 Captains focus on deficiencies identified by the 1st day of
competition.
 Day 8
 Formal competition
 Day 9
 Practice
 Day 10
 Formal competition
 Day 11
 Practice
 Day 12, 13
 Formal competition

11. Timeline of a Unit: Day 14
 Day 14
 Culminating Event
 Should be festive and fun. Announce the championship
over the school PA, Ss can bring in food/drinks, teacher
distributes awards (most improved, coach of the unit…)
 May include rewards such as a T-shirt
 May invite students from around school to attend
 Competition
 Three options:
1. Round-robin where all teams play one another in a
tournament format.
 May need two days to complete
2. All teams are assigned an opponent with the top two
teams playing one another in the championship.
3. Just the top 2 teams play one another while the
other teams watch.
1. May need to give assignment to spectators.

12. SCORING
 Teams with most points play in the
championship (depending on how you structure
the culminating event). Points are based upon
the following:
 Motor skill performance of team members
 Based upon psychomotor assessments of students
 Great model for authentic assessment (more time for
assessment in this model)
 Competition performance (wins v. losses)
 Sportsmanship
 Attendance
 Proper warm-up

13. CAPTAIN’S PACKET
Important Points
 Distributed the first day
 Teams cannot move to the next skill without
being checked off by the teacher.
 Includes an advise sheet for captains
SAMPLE PAKCET

14. OCCURENCE
 Within individual classes (just your class)
 Within a class period (classes from multiple teachers)
 Across classes (your classes, different periods)
 Can only compete outside of class during lunch,
intramurals, before/after school. The usual scenario is to
have a competition between the champions from each class.
MODIFIED SPORTS
 Competition/sport rules may be modified to promote
participation. You do not need to play the “full” sport using
all rules and regulations. Some modifications include:
 6 vs. 6 soccer
 3 vs. 3 volleyball
 3 vs. 3 basketball
 Team tennis

15. SETTING UP THE MODEL
 Teach students about the roles prior to start of each
season.
 Can invite guest speakers such as a “real” coach, AT,
referee, etc.
 Address handling conflicts between students
 Teacher should conduct mini-workshops for jobs
needed during team practices or another appropriate
time
 Trainings might include rules for referees, field/court set-
up for managers, score keeping for statisticians
 Amount of teacher direct instruction will vary
depending on grade level (older students may get
more autonomy)
 The more ownership students have in the season’s success,
the more they will be motivated to achieve their goals.

16. SETTING UP THE MODEL
 Make necessary modifications to rules and competition
format
 Teacher may want to write a “job description” for each
role
 Equity – all team members get to play the same
amount of time.
 Balance make-up of teams by gender, ability, behavior,
& others
 May preview teams with captains and allow for limited
“trading”
 Identify what skills each team must check off.

17. BENEFITS
 Allows students to be a part of a team (makes
team membership more likely as adults)
 Captains get to develop leadership skills and
experience the role of being a coach.
 Inclusive learning environment (everyone
participates, not just highly skilled)
 More student centered, utilizes different “voice”
besides the teacher.
 Better avenue for monitoring and promoting
personal growth among all players.
 Teachers and student enjoy this model

18. LIMITATIONS AND CAUTIONS
 Introducing the sport ed
model for the 1st time -
 Start with a highly popular
sport/activity to get the model
rolling
 Start with one class instead of
all classes to get your feet wet
 Class management skills
needed
 Use caution when
implementing with a
“difficult” class.
 Interpersonal conflict
 Conflict among students is the