YEAR 7-10 Health and Physical Education

Cricket Smart
Student Resource
MOVEMENT AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
THROWING – anyone can do it!
The skill of throwing is a key component of many skill of throwing and as such can provide
sporting activities and is also found in many an effective platform for the learning and
personal activities, for example, playing with practise of this skill.
the family dog. If you can throw you can join in
In this unit you will take on many roles,
lots of different activities, helping you to lead an
including that of coach, and participate in
active life.
many activities, all designed to help you
The sport of cricket, Australia’s leading teach yourself and your friends to throw
participation activity, is heavily reliant on the really well.
 YEAR 7–10 HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Student Resource

MOVEMENT AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

THROWING – anyone can do it!
Unit Description
Hand-eye coordination (processing the messages you
receive through your eyes to make your hand do what the
message says) and gross motor skills (larger movements
your body makes, such as running) are important
characteristics of many activities, both sporting and
non-sporting. The development of these skills can have
significant benefits for you across a range of areas. Even
if you believe your ability is not as good as you would like
(2013 © Robert Prezioso/Getty Images) it to be you can improve and become very skilled.
The ability to throw is an example of hand-eye coordination and gross motor skills in action.
The skill of throwing is a key component of many sporting activities but is also found in many
personal activities, such as playing with the family dog. If you can throw you can join in lots of
different activities, helping you to lead an active life.
The sport of cricket, Australia’s leading participation activity, is heavily reliant on the skill of
throwing and as such can provide an effective platform for the learning and practise of this skill.
In this unit you will take on many roles, including that of coach, and participate in many
activities, all designed to help you teach yourself and your friends to throw really well.

Unit Expectations
In completing this unit, you will be expected to:
• learn, practise and demonstrate correct techniques/skills/movement patterns for the skill
of throwing
• participate in a range of activities
• look at your own skill set and work out ways you can improve
• demonstrate fair play and cooperation
• work collaboratively to design and apply solutions to address areas you have identified
as requiring work
• apply criteria to make judgments about and refine your own and others’ throwing
• demonstrate leadership across a range of movement and health contexts, including
technique and skill development
• have fun!

2 Y E A R 7–10 He a lt h a nd P h ysica l Ed ucat io n

Assessment Task

My throwing – where was I before and where am I now?

At the end of this unit you will compare your initial throwing technique and your technique
after you have implemented a training program to highlight improvements, or otherwise, you
have made.
You will have the opportunity to present video footage of your throwing, both at the start of
this unit and at its conclusion. You will use this information and additional information gained
from studying the throwing styles of your friends and expert full-time sportspeople and
coaches.
At the end of this unit you will have completed many thinking tools, including a Double Bubble
Map, PCQ Extension, Fishbone Diagram, Extent Barometer and Elimination Draw. You
can use these as evidence to support your view on whether your throwing technique has
improved.
Throwing is a fun activity and a skill you will use many times, even if you choose not to play
sport. Throwing and the skills of throwing have many benefits, including helping your general
coordination, and enhancing your reflexes and thinking skills. That’s why it is a great skill to
develop. You’ll also find the process you follow in this unit can be helpful in any activity. Who
knows, you may even become a personal trainer and do the things you will do in this unit as
part of your job.

Throwing – developing the skill set

Throwing is a ballistic movement. In other words, it’s a rapid, all-out, forceful movement that
involves several complex movements occurring in a sequence.

This task and the tasks that follow are designed to help you:
• develop an understanding of the skills, technique and movement sequence involved in
the throwing of an object
• self-evaluate those skills, techniques and movement sequences
(www.playcricket.com.au)
• develop a checklist for successful application of those skills,
techniques and movement sequences, and
• design a program to develop those skills, techniques
and movement sequences.

(www.playcricket.com.au)

CR ICK E T SM A R T ST UDEN T R ES O URCE 3

 Task 1: How’s your throwing?
Modified Tug of War
In this game you will be placed into teams of six to eight.
In this modified version of ‘Tug of War’ you will not participate directly against other teams but
rather against a stop watch. The aim of the game is to see how far your team can move the
fitness ball in two minutes, by throwing and hitting it with balls your teacher will supply (each
player has four throws so your team will need 24-32 balls).
The fitness ball will be placed at a distance of five metres from the line behind which you
must throw. The team that can move the ball the furtherest from this point, via hits from the
balls they have thrown, is the winner.
Keep a record of how far your team moved the ball in the two-minute time allowance as well
as the number of times each of your team members (including you) hits the ball with their four
throws.

Task 2: Who is the best at throwing and why?

Modified Tug of War Analysis
On the opposite page you will find a thinking tool template called the Elimination Draw.
Record the names of the eight members of your team on the Elimination Draw.
Now that you have an idea of the game, your teacher will ask you and your team to play
again. Remember to record how far your team moved the ball and how many times team
members hit the target.
Now you are going to decide (which means to consider the people in your team and then
make a judgement of their ability) which member of your team is the best thrower.
At the conclusion of the game review your team’s performance with your team mates using
the Elimination Draw to determine the player demonstrating the greatest mastery of the skill
of throwing. (The Elimination Draw works like a tournament. For example, the first two names
are discussed and the person who is the better thrower progresses through to the next
round where the same process is continued until you determine who is the best thrower on
your team). Note: You will have to come up with some criteria in order to help you with your
decision. It may be that the best thrower missed all their shots at the ball so make sure you
think carefully about what constitutes a good thrower.
With the results of the Elimination Draw film the techniques of the two semi-finalists. This
will involve taking the final two throwers and filming them throwing. Note: Your teacher can
provide advice as to how to film the throwers and may suggest an application to help you.
Having reviewed the footage of your team mates’ throwing (2014 © Paul Kane/Getty Images)
styles, identify what the throwers are doing well. Observe
everything they do closely. Your teacher may provide you
with some hints, such as how they hold the ball and stand,
but basically it is for you and your team mates to decide
what it is they are doing that makes them a good thrower.
Use the Fishbone Diagram on page 6 to help you.

4 Y E A R 7–10 He a lt h a nd P h ysica l Ed ucat io n

Semi-final
Round 2
My Team Members
Round 1

CR ICK E T SM A R T ST UDEN T R ES O URCE 5

6
For everything you think they do well unpack these skill components on the Fishbone Diagram below.
(You will see that an example is given for you)

eyes are at the target

is still

ad
side on

He

Y E A R 7–10 He a lt h a nd P h ysica l Ed ucat io n

Topic: Who is the best at throwing and why?
Task 3: What do I do that an Australian cricketer also does?
By completing Task 2 you have identified key aspects of the skill of throwing. Now you are to
examine your own throwing style and techniques by comparing your actions with that of an
expert.
Here you will work with one of your team mates to film your own throwing techniques.
View the throwing masterclass by Cricket Australia coach, Andy Utting where he
demonstrates the key components of throwing, at:
http://community.cricket.com.au/coach/new/throwing-program
Once you have your own footage and have reviewed what Andy Utting does, use the Double
Bubble Map below to compare your technique with that of Andy. Look at the ways your
throwing style is both similar and different to that of Andy Utting’s.
Your teacher will explain how the Double Bubble works but essentially the similarities
between you and Andy are recorded in the central bubbles. The things that are unique to you
and Andy are recorded in the bubbles found around the main bubbles.

CR ICK E T SM A R T ST UDEN T R ES O URCE 7

 Task 4: Skill evaluation – how good am I?
You now have an idea of both the correct techniques involved in throwing a ball and your own
abilities, developed through the Double Bubble Map and your own video analysis. The next
step is to evaluate (which means to consider your skills and make a judgement or decision as
to where you sit in terms of expertise) your own skill level against the benchmarks identified
in the footage of Cricket Australia’s Andy Utting’s throwing masterclass tutorial:
http://community.cricket.com.au/coach/new/throwing-program.
Below you will find a tool called a PCQ Extension.

Perspectives Data Rating

grip

stance

8 Y E A R 7–10 He a lt h a nd P h ysica l Ed ucat io n

The PCQ Extension has two examples of key skills associated with throwing, listed as
perspectives (key skills associated with throwing well). Having analysed and evaluated
the throwing techniques of your team mates, Andy Utting and others, as well as your own
technique, add some more perspectives in the Perspectives column.
Complete the PCQ Extension on your own throwing technique by looking at each key
skill from your perspective. For example, the Pros column should contain those throwing
technique components you feel that you do and the Cons column should contain those
aspects of the skill that you need to address in order to improve.
At the end of each row you will find an Extent Barometer. In other words, use the MAS
strategy to improve your throwing. Try using the MAS strategy for other areas in your life that
you are trying to improve, such as music performance, study or public speaking skills. For
example, where do you rate yourself in terms of your stance? If you think you are an expert
your ranking will be very high. If you are not at the expert level then your rating will be lower.
By now this process should give you a good understanding of where you are in terms of your
throwing ability. You will use this information to help you improve.

(2014 © Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

CR ICK E T SM A R T ST UDEN T R ES O URCE 9

 Task 5: Now I get better
Now that you have a deep understanding of your own abilities with regard to the skill of
throwing you can use this knowledge to help you get better at each component of throwing.
Using the MAS strategy below, identify those elements of your throwing technique that
you can modify, elements that need to be added to your personal technique, and any size
adjustment you need to make, e.g. lengthen your arm extension.

M
modify

A
add

S
size

In other words, everyone can throw, and we can all improve. No matter what the skill, we can
always modify, add and change the size in order to improve.
Based on your MAS you can now develop a training program illustrating the skill component
of throwing you need to work on and the type of activity you will be doing to practise and
improve the skill component. For example, you may feel that you need to modify your stance
in order to get more side on. To do this you have drawn foot images on the floor to show you
where to place your feet when you stand. This is how you will practise getting more side on
when you throw.
Work with a partner to film yourself practising your movements and explaining what you are
doing and why.
Your teacher will give you time to develop, work on and implement
your training program.
Your teacher may also ask you to coach other members of your
team using the training program you have developed. In other
words, you are taking on the role of a personal throwing coach.
This way, you are teaching your team mates the skills of throwing.
(www.cricketaustralia.com.au)

10 Y E A R 7–10 He a lt h a nd P h ysica l Ed ucat io n

Task 6: Have I improved? Let’s see
Working with your team mates, replay the initial Tug of War game you played at the
beginning of this unit. Record how far you and your team mates were able to move the ball
this time as well as the number of times you and your team mates hit the target.
Did you improve?
As a final test of your team’s throwing ability, play Tug of War against each other. Here your
team faces another and you try and move the ball towards your opponents. After two minutes
the team who has moved the ball closest to their opponents is declared the winner.

Task 7: Assessment Task

Compare your initial throwing technique and your technique after you implement your training
program. What do you notice?

Completing the Task

The final step is to complete a Double Bubble Map. On one side of the Map will be your
technique at the start of this unit and the other your technique at the end of the unit. There
may be lots of similarities but it is hoped you will notice lots of changes in your throwing
technique.
Using this information as well as supporting evidence (video (www.cricketaustralia.com.au)

footage pre- and post-unit and your own training programs)

you should identify those aspects of the technique of throwing
you have improved over the course of this unit.
You should now be able to write a report showing the
improvements you have made to your throwing technique,
provide evidence to support this and show, through your
training program, how you achieved your improved results.
Note:
The format and sequence outlined in this unit can be used for
any skill acquisition. Other skills such as catching, batting or
bowling can be developed in this manner using the principles (www.cricketaustralia.com.au)

outlined in this unit. So if you want to improve any skill think

about the process you have followed here.

CR ICK E T SM A R T ST UDEN T R ES O URCE 11

 Glossary
Term Meaning

back swing The movement of the arm backward to a position from which the forward
swing is made.

ballistic skill A rapid, all-out, forceful movement that reaches peak acceleration within
milliseconds of its initiation.

follow through To continue the movement of a throw after the point of release.

grip To take a firm grasp of something. In the throwing context the grip should
involve the first and second fingers in conjunction with the thumb holding a
ball or similar object.

gross motor skill Movement that comes from large muscle groups and whole body
movement. Usually involves head to toe actions.

hand-eye The coordinated control of eye movement with hand movement and the
coordination processing of visual input to guide reaching and grasping along with the
use of proprioception of the hands to guide the eyes.

movement Movement tasks that require individual students or groups of students to

challenges solve a problem in order to successfully complete the task.

movement The combination of fundamental movement skills and movement elements

sequence to enable the body and/or objects to move in response to a stimulus.

skill-related fitness Includes components such as agility, balance, coordination, reactions,

rhythm, power and speed.

stance Alignment of the feet sideways to the target allowing the use of the body
and hips in the throw and not just relying on the shoulder.

throw Any software or hardware that interacts with real-world locations. To propel
an object forward with force through the air by a movement of the arm and
hand.

(www.cricketaustralia.com.au)

12 Y E A R 7–10 He a lt h a nd P h ysica l Ed ucat io n

GET INVOLVED AND PLAY CRICKET,
THERE IS SOMETHING FOR
EVERYONE OF ALL ABILITIES.

Indoor Cricket is a fun, social & quick game

of cricket that can be played all year round.
Modified T20 Cricket is 20 overs each
just like the Big Bash League!
Traditional Club Cricket you play
a full game of cricket.

To find out more visit playcricket.com.au/junior-competition

COMMUNITY.CRICKET.COM.AU/CRICKETSMART