🥅 Penalties – Racket Save Challenge

🏴‍☠️ Story Intro:

Welcome to the Penalty Challenge! The enemy pirates are trying to fire cannonballs into your goal! Grab your racket, guard your treasure, and don’t let any balls get past you! Can you become the ultimate shot-stopper?"

🎯 Purpose:

• Improve reaction time and lateral footwork

• Introduce defensive movement (crab steps)

Encourage focus and fun parent/child interaction

🏗 Setup:

• Each pair (parent & child) needs:

• 4 tall traffic cones (to build 2 mini goals – about 3 ft wide)

• 1 throw-down cone (start position)

• 1 circular cone (to rest ball on for "penalty shot")

• 1 inflatable ball

• Place 2 goals about 8–10 ft apart

• The child starts on the middle spot between goals (on the throw-down cone)

🕹 How to Play:

1. Parent sets the inflatable ball on a circular cone about 6 ft in front of the child.

2. When ready, they gently “shoot” the ball towards one of the goals.

3. The child uses crab side-steps and tries to block or stop the shot using their racket.

4. After each save attempt (or goal!), the child resets by returning to the middle cone.

5. Repeat shots — aim for different goals to keep it unpredictable!

🛠 Progressions:

• Player Swap: Let the child have a turn doing the shooting while the parent defends (switch roles).

• Racket Strike Return: Instead of blocking, the child must hit the ball back using a forward or backward swing.

• Serve Defence: Use a balloon instead of a ball for a “slow motion” challenge — try to catch and volley it away mid-air.

🪶 Feathers (for younger players):

• Reduce the width between the goals.

• Allow children to use both hands on the racket.

• Let the ball roll slower — parent can roll rather than strike.

• Coach or parent stands behind the child to help guide racket movement.

🌈 Seasonal Variations:

• 🎃 Pumpkin Penalties: Use orange balloons as pumpkin cannonballs.

• ❄️ Snowball Saves: Use white foam balls as "snowballs" from Frost Giants.

• 💖 Cupid’s Arrows: Parents pretend to "fire" heart arrows toward goals with dramatic flair.

• 🐣 Egg Saves (Easter): Use pastel balloons and shout “Save the egg!”

• 👻 Ghost Balls: Pretend the ball is a spooky ghost trying to sneak past the child!