Long Jump Lesson Plan
Lesson Objectives:
The students will be able to
1) Compare and evaluate their own, and their partners performance based
on the given criteria
2) Adhere to all safety instructions given when performing a jump
3) Perform a proper jump based on the given criteria
At the beginning of class, allow 5 minutes for students to get changed
Dynamic Warm-Up: (5-10 mins)
At the beginning of the lesson it is important for the students to be adequately
warmed up. The dynamic warm up chosen should elevate the students heart
rates, and begin warming up all muscle groups in the body. Examples of a good
dynamic warm ups are modified versions of tag, or capture the flag.
Sport Specific Warm-Up: (5 mins)
The warm-up should also include some stretching that is specific to the sport to
prevent any unnecessary injuries. For long jump we will make sure to do some
lunges and high knees (take off phase), as well as squats (landing phase).
Rules of Long Jump (5 mins)
- Jumper must land in the sand
- Plasticine placed in front of the take off board indicates if a jumper steps passed
the board. If they do it is called a foul.
- Distance of the jump is measured from the front of the take-off board to the
closest mark made in the sand.
Safety Considerations:
-Before each jump the sand pit should be raked
- Make sure no sand is on the track before the landing board
- Track is clear of debris (rakes, shovels, sand)
-Proper technique is understood, and adhered to by all students
Body of the Lesson:
Long jump is easiest to understand if broken down into four phases: Approach,
Take-off, Flight, and Landing
Approach (5 mins)
One of the most important parts of the jump is having an accurate idea of the
amount of strides necessary before getting to the board. Have the students pair
up and spend some time measuring where they would begin their approach from
if they were to take 14 strides before reaching the take-off board (each step = 1).
Next practice the approach technique. After a few initial strides, the jumper wants
to be moving at maximum velocity with a tall erect body position, and maintaining
that speed through the take-off.
The final stride of the approach should be short and fast to allow the jumper to
maintain speed through the entire jump.
Take-off (5 mins)
This phase of the jump is arguably the most important, because once a jumper
has committed to their take-off phase there’s no turning back.
Students should have already decided which leg is going to be there lead leg
during the approach stage practice. After the final step (short, remember?) the
jumper is going to drive the knee of their lead leg upwards as hard as they can.
At the same time the athletes arms should swing up in a pendulum motion. Both
of these actions will help create momentum that will project the jumper farther.
Have the students practice this along the track, not in the pit yet.
Flight (5 mins)
During the flight phase the athlete will have the least control over what happens
to their jump. Once in the air, it is important to practice keeping the body square
to the pit, and not rotating at all.
Secondly the jumper should reach for their toes (legs up, chest down) to add
extra distance to their jump. This will be difficult for many students, and should be
practiced carefully with their partners.
Landing (5 mins)
Proper landing technique is very important for avoiding injury. When landing the
jumper should keep legs separated, and bend their knees to absorb shock.
Lastly, the jumper should lean forwards. Since the measurement is taken from
the closest mark to the take-off board, falling backwards would shorten the jump.
Full Jump (10 mins)
After the students have practiced proper technique for an adequate amount of
time, we can put all motions together into one jump. Bring the students over to
the sand pit and explain the goal. During the full jump the students will take turns
jumping into the sand pit using the technique learned. Since the students will be
jumping one by one the pace of the lesson will be slowed down. Have students
be ready to jump immediately to increase efficiency. The teacher should be
standing down by the pit with the rake, measuring and raking for the students.
Cool Down (5 mins)
A cool down exercise after any sport is just as important as a warm up. Cooling
down allows the body to prepare to return to its normal state, before the workout
began. For this cool down, a light jog around the track followed by some
stretching led by the teacher is all that is necessary. During stretching, have the
students review important safety issues, and proper techniques of the high jump
learned in class today.
Allow 5 minutes for the students to get changed before going to their next
class.
