Class Overview
PeeWee class Structure consists of 4 periods. Not all periods are equal in length. While it mirrors aspects of the Parisi signature classes, each section does not directly correlate to a Jump Start or Total Performance class. The majority of the movement and curriculum is located in period 2 and 3.
Period 1
The Huddle and Run for Fun Drills
(7-10 minutes, then water break)
Period 2
Active Dynamic Warm Up
(10-12 minutes, then water break)
Period 3
Preach, Practice, Play is the section that performs Drills
Movement Mechanics and Games
(10-12 minutes, then water break)
Period 4
The Breakdown
(3-5 minutes, then dismissed)
Total class time 45 minutes
Unstructured Structure
There are many great expressions to describe what a Parisi Pee Wee class feels like. Teaching kids between the ages of 4-7 years old will be like herding cats. Once a coach accepts this, it will be easier to understand that your game plan for the day may need to change. Parisi Pee Wee coaches need to combine their knowledge of movement with improvisation skills. We refer to this as an unstructured structure.
Every class should have a plan in place that follows the program design presented in this manual; however, you will have back up games and plans also in place when you need to redirect your class because it is falling apart. While we hope your class does not fall apart, lesson plans that have worked in the past sometimes fall apart with a class composed of a different group of kids. It could be the dynamic of the group, or a class that was planned for 8-10 kids has only 5 kids. Some games are simply less fun with fewer kids or the game ends quickly.
Examples:
- One of your peewees is not having a good day and the class dynamic changes.
- Some of the peewees are simply exhausted or fatigued. Perhaps they had a field trip that day.
- Only a few peewees showed up and now your games end very quickly.
- The majority of your class arrived late and now your class needs to be shortened. Perhaps there was heavy snowfall or an accident made your clients late.
- Half the class is exhausted and the other half is energized.
There are signs you can look for when your well-designed Parisi class needs to be changed. Do not feel like you are bailing on the program. In fact, your ability to switch gears and move to an unstructured structure is a strategy that will save your class.
There are several signs to recognize that the class you planned may fall apart. Keep in mind, that these things listed below will happen almost every day. Remember these signs to help you identify when you might need to move to a back up lesson plan. Kids will not keep their hands to each other.
- Kids are not following any rules.
- Kids are touching all the equipment.
- Kids are wandering.
- Kids are yawning.
- Kids don’t want to run.
Here are some examples of how you can use unstructured structure to regain control of your class while still following the Parisi program. Unstructured structure is your ability to improvise and redirect your peewees into an activity.
- Think of the class segments as modules. Try reorganizing your planned class. You might decide that Run for Fun needs to be moved to the end of class since your group of kids are very tired.
- You may need to bring the kids back to a Huddle after every movement section because they are tired or they are not listening.
- When your planned training drills or main event ends quickly, you will need back up movement games (like cone relays) and quiet games (like, Can you make your body look like this?) ready to go.
- Use your redirection skills to ultimately gain control. This strategy requires that you balance the children’s attempt to take control with your ability to redirect and reorganize the class. If you planned for a simple cone relay for the day and the children decide to wear the cones as hats instead of running them to the end of the track, you will need to improvise. Bring the kids into a Huddle and have them place the cones on their head. Ask each one to stand up, place the cone on their head and become a crayon. This quiet game proceeds to ask each child what they would draw with that crayon (the pee wee has a blue cone on their head). After this redirected activity, tell them it is time to do a running game and put the crayons back in the box at the end of the track.
- If the equipment you planned to use in the class becomes a distraction, you might decide to create a clean up game. You can call upon one child at a time and ask them, ‘which piece of equipment do they want to touch’, then ask them to move, retrieve or re-position it.
- The example above can be also re-purposed into a game called Build Me a City. The kids take the equipment and simply work together to build something and then take it apart. Put a time limit on this activity.
- Another great ‘back pocket’ game is The Floor is Lava (using boxes , dots and rings). This can be presented to the pee wees in so many different ways. The simplest way to play is to place boxes and position markers around the floor. Have the kids jump up and down and when you say, ‘the floor is lava,’ the kids have to get off the floor and make it to a box or position marker. Make sure there are more position than kids and explain that only one person can be on a position marker.
Building Your Bag of Tricks
Every Parisi Pee Wee coach will need to create a unique bag of tricks. The Parisi Speed School network is very large and our facilities offer different types of assets, layouts and budgets. Additionally, many facilities will have more than one space to lead a Parisi Pee Wee class and therefore have two different styles of instruction and program design because the spaces offer different assets. Assets include size of your space, tumbling equipment, matted floors, turf, designated light switches, access to media, props (various types of rings, hurdles, tunnels, parachutes, boxes, dots etc..).
Use Your Assets
One of the best programming exercises a Parisi coach can do is step back and look at the space and the assets. Think about how to repurpose them into different games. Keep a record of the games the children enjoy the most and the least. Find ways to reorganize games and give them different names. Games and drills can be repackaged by assigning a new name which is attached to a fun theme. This is a reliable teacher’s trick. For example, if the theme of the day is Superheroes you might change a basic running drill into the Flash Game. That same drill can also be called the Race Car game.
Use Your Imagination
Parisi Pee Wee aged children have amazing imaginations. Coaches should always be prepared with easy to follow storylines that capture a child’s attention. If your training space has walls and its own set of light switches, you can transform the room into the moon. During the first period, you can let the kids know they will be training on the moon. In order for them to get there, they will be teleported. Warn them the lights will go off and they must be very quiet during the teleportation process. Turn the lights off. Talk to them about what they will do on the moon. When the lights turn back on, tell them they are now on the moon. Simply teach your class on the moon. Your boxes are now moon rocks!
Create Ice Breakers
In the next section of this manual you will learn more about the class design. Ice breaker games will be used during every class you teach. Ice breaker games are a great way to unify the group. Your Parisi Pee Wee class will begin with a wide variety of ice breakers. Similar to school, your class will use the concept of attendance as your first ice breaker game. Elementary aged children all expect attendance to be done at the beginning of the day. Your class will combine different types of name games with ice breaker games to set the tone of the class.
Crowd Control
As previously mentioned, working with children between 4-7 years old is like herding cats. Class organization is always a priority. No matter the age of the youth athlete, coaches must establish that they are the alpha and the class will have rules to follow and be organized. Coaches will need to use various strategies of crowd control. These are techniques to get your class’ attention. Chants are a great way to capture your class’s attention without yelling. Here are a few examples of chants that work with kids as old as 10 years old.
Chant 1
Coach: Criss cross applesauce, pepperoni pizza. (As this is being said you and the kids will sit on the ground cross crossed and then use their arms to join in.)
Kids: Repeat until children join you.
Chant 2
Coach: 1,2,3 eyes on me ….. 1 , 2 eye on you. Use your hands to signal you and then the kids.
Kids: Repeat until kids repeat it.
Chant 3
Coach: What is the word of the day? I say : DE -CEL-ER-ATION
Kids: DE -CEL-ER-ATION
Coach: Repeat until class is saying the word.
Chant 4
Coach: Ready up, then clap twice,
Coach: Repeat
Kids: Waiting for the class to give you the two Parisi claps.
Chant 5
Coach: Aaaattennntion! Salute!, Repeat. Perform the corresponding movements.
Kids: Waiting for kids to join in, until your group of soldiers are focused on you.
Chant 6
Coach: Boom Chica Boom! I say, Boom Chica Boom.
Kids: Join in and say, Boom Chica Boom.
When you have everyone’s attention. You progress and ask the kids, ‘Okay, are you ready?’
Coach and Kids Say Together: Boom Chica Rocka, Chica Rocka, Chica Boom and they sit down on the last Boom.