|
 The Concept:
WinterBall is a program designed to attract new participants to the sport of baseball. The program is targeted primarily at elementary schools throughout Ontario with possible application to community centres, local recreation departments, along with boys and girls clubs across the province.
The main focus of the program is to introduce the basic fundamental skills of the game, in a fun, non-competitive manner, providing a positive learning experience for all participants.
WinterBall is designed for students in Grades 3 – 6 (ages 8-12) as an introductory program that will progress through activities. It contains nine different lesson plans. To ensure students are being taught skills at an appropriate skill and ability level, there are a set of lessons for grades 3 and 4 and another set for students in grades 5 and 6.
The program is designed to fit easily with the current curriculum outlined by the Ministry of Education, ensuring the activities being taught are expectations-based and measurable. The program is designed to be completely turn-key including: complete lesson plans with warm-up activities, games to introduce skill techniques, cool down activities, teaching tips, diagrams, and a glossary of terms. The teacher's manual includes gender-neutral terminology and is designed to fit within the guidelines of the education system.
The program has components included to educate teachers, students and parents about the value of creating a positive sporting experience for children and the importance of sport in the community.
Over the past few years, participation in baseball at all levels in the province of Ontario has been decreasing. In surveys conducted by the Ontario Baseball Association over the past four years there have been a number of factors identified as contributing to the overall decline in registration. Such things as coaching expertise, program availability, and length of schedule and skill development are all points that have been raised by youngsters who have played organized baseball and are not now involved. Baseball Ontario has taken significant steps in addressing these areas by introducing new programs and increasing communication.
With the diverse backgrounds of the population of Ontario, many youngsters have not been introduced to the game of baseball at any level. Often their parents are attached to another sport and do not take any interest in exposing baseball to their children.
Sporting activities of any kind, including recreational pursuits, require movement skills that are almost universally the same. With this in mind, Baseball Ontario has developed a program that will allow these movement skills to be presented to youngsters in a school program using baseball equipment, terminology and games.
The goal of this program is to introduce baseball in a recreational non-competitive environment where the youngsters have fun and attain success performing the skills. Once the student realizes that he/she is able to perform the fundamentals of baseball, there will be interest in playing the game with the local organized baseball association.
Why WinterBall?
With reduced government spending on education, and a decrease in class planning time for teachers, schools are forced to look for programs that are new and exciting for students and are turn-key in their delivery system. It is important that the program builds life skills and provides added benefit to both students and society. Baseball is a sport with no economic barriers and may be enjoyed for many generations regardless of social status. The sport of baseball is easily adaptable to almost any setting, including indoors, and can meet all of the requirements of the educational system. By introducing baseball to a mass audience in a controlled setting there will be maximum exposure gained in a minimum amount of time.
"The WinterBall Program is great – our teachers are very comfortable with it."
Anna Maria DiGammarino, St. John Bosco Catholic School, Woodbridge ON
Goals and Objectives!
To promote an active healthy lifestyle and encourage children to participate in sport.
By introducing baseball skills through an exciting, fun program, WinterBall will increase participation in the sport of baseball locally, provincially and eventually nationally.
To teach the fundamentals of the game in a non-competitive environment that will provide children with the fun sport experience inclusive to all regardless of gender or physical ability.
Provide equal access to both male and female students.
To create an adaptable program that can be offered by local community groups and municipal recreation programs as well.
Program Content:
Turn-key lesson plans that may be delivered by a teacher to a class in a gymnasium with very little planning and preparation time.
Sufficient equipment that is very safety conscious that will enable all lessons to be carried out.
Lesson plans contained in a Teachers Manual aimed at grades 3 and 4 together and grades 5 and 6 together. Each lesson will include an introduction to the lesson, a warm up section, entry-level activities, skill development activities, a game and a cooling down procedure.
The program includes an individual game called WinterBall that can be used as an Intramural activity on its own.
There is a student Guide Book that is to be taken home by the students. Book includes drills and games that can be played, along with rules of fair play, etc.
Implementation:
The WinterBall Program has been discussed with teachers, principals and educators from across the Province for their input. Out of these discussions came a Pilot Program.
WinterBall is now implemented in over 400 schools across the Province, and has been adopted by Baseball Canada and sponsored by Major League Baseball. WinterBall is growing across Canada, with over 1,200 schools utilizing the program coast to coast.
Sponsorship:
WinterBall is a self sustaining program. There are numerous costs associated with it, but a sponsorship program has been developed to raise the funds required to operate WinterBall.
The initial development costs came from a grant from the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Recreation. This grant covered the costs of the writing of the lesson plans, the meetings required to set the programs up, the production of the Pilot Program manuals and the costs of the equipment needed to run the Pilot Programs.
Provincial sponsorship packages are available to interested corporate partners at various levels.
Each school will receive $475 worth of equipment and print material, including the latest in safety balls and bats at no charge. There is no cost to the school to utilize the program.
"The bag is still in great condition and has been very useful. It gives our kids the opportunity to play games they do not normally play, and it has been a very positive experience."
Catharine McGirr
Mother St. Bride School, North Bay ON
For more information please contact us at:
Baseball Ontario
17-1425 Bishop St. N.
Cambridge, Ontario N1R 6J9
(519) 740-3900
Fax: (519) 740-6311
baseball@baseballontario.com
|
