The Oddball, No Equipment Needed

Guest Author: Ashley Sollenberger, Elementary Physical Education teacher, Amber’s brother

Big spaces! The setting for The Oddball is a neighborhood park. I teach in a large gymnasium.

Both are big spaces.

This past summer I branched out and lead some author visits to local daycare centers and early learning centers. I read in classrooms or in somewhat crowded common areas. Not big spaces.

I also do not have enough balls to take them along for my presentations, in fact, I just took the book.

When I read The Oddball to my elementary students, we then practice playing with many of the balls that feature in the story. Passing footballs, kicking soccer balls, dribbling basketballs. We need and use big spaces.

By now hopefully, you are wondering how did I present in such limited spaces to diverse groups of children with no equipment. And how could you do this as well given limited space or resources?

I took advantage of something the children all have in abundance.

Their Imagination!

Their bodies bounced like dribbling balls. We tossed invisible balls high into the air. Some students kept their hands close together while tossing a tennis ball, others had their hands spread wide as they tossed a beach ball. I could direct them all to imagine the same ball and show me what their hands would look like, or they each used their own ball, and myself and other students got to guess based on their actions.

Suddenly, we had unlimited resources that could be used in their own personal space. No one had to chase a ball after an errant toss, no one grew frustrated as they dropped their ball repeatedly. All were as successful as their imagination allowed.

We played catch with a neighbor, and through the power of belief, I was able to throw a ball that magically went to every student. In turn, every student threw a ball back to me and I caught everyone.

The Oddball may take place in a park and contain many balls as characters, but if your space and equipment are limited remember the power of imagination. It’s all you need.