Broomball: A First for Antioch Physical Education Students

For the first time in school history, Antioch Elementary students experienced the game of broomball. Thanks partly to equipment shared from Marvin Ridge Middle School, Antioch students got their first experience with the new game. Originally, invented in the country of Canada, broomball can be played on an ice, roller rink, street, or floor surfaces. Utilizing a stick that resembles a broom that would be used to sweep a floor, the goal of the game is to score more points than the other team. In addition to using a broomball stick, when played on the ice or street, players will need protective gear including a helmet with a cage. However, for our students at Antioch, who played on the gym floor, no protective gear was needed. Students began the unit by learning about the history and purpose of the game. Followed by practicing moving with the stick in different directions before adding a ball to control around the gym. Next, students learned two main types of passing in the game; the push pass, and the student favorite; the scoop pass. Finally, all kindergartner and first grade students played mini games where they practiced shooting the ball into the goal using the stick. Second and third grade students played small-sided games of five versus five and our fourth and fifth grade students played the full game with a few modifications. In the end, students completed the unit with a knowledge of not only how to play the game of broomball but with knowledge of where the country of Canada is in relation to the United States and how being further away from the equator makes the weather colder in Canada, that North Carolina. Finally, students were excited to compare the new game of broomball to the familiar game of ice hockey, which, coincidentally, was also invented in the country of Canada. A big thank you goes to Marvin Ridge Middle School for making this unit possible for our students at Antioch.