With April comes nice weather, but for Chloe, it came stress. The third year had been working so hard to make sure she was ready and she felt she was for the U17 tryouts. She just hoped she'd be good enough for the German team, she knew there were good players already on there, but even if she got a reserve spot she would be happy. She knew she had so much to learn and she just wanted to get to that next level.

Her mind was still on Quidditch when she headed into the Great Hall, her eyes looked around as she realized that it had been changed for their lesson today. Knowing some of the tables had been eaten by the creatures it was already changed a bit, but now all the tables were gone.

"Wow"

Moving more into the room she found a seat on the floor, "Hey Professor, nice ball."

Valencia felt weird walking around the caste in athletic attire. She still hadn't gotten used to the fact that school and leisure happened in the same place, so often, even on weekends, she wasn't really in loungewear.

So being in shorts was weird for her.

"Hello Professor." she greeted as she made her way into the classroom Great Hall. She then took a seat on the floor by the whiteboard.

After all of last term and dealing with the SORE craziness, Stasya had found it less weird to be walking around in athletic apparel when it was called for. Obviously there weren’t too many instances now that Hogwarts was relatively back to normal, but she didn’t feel awkward walking down to the Great Hall for the next Muggle Studies lesson, hoodie thrown over the rest of her outfit just so she was a bit more covered up to start with (plus it gave her somewhere to keep her prefect badge that wasn’t risking poking herself) and pink trainers on her feet. Basically, she was ready for anything, and considering most of the lessons this term had been sports-related she figured preparation wasn’t bad.

“Hi Professor Stewart!,” she greeted the woman, looking curiously at the ball she was bouncing. “Is anyone else joining us to help with the lesson?” Like how they’d had the visitor when they’d learned about cricket. Plus, she was just intrigued by the whole setup of the Hall, without the usual tables and everything. It was definitely not anything like Gobstones. Maybe Quidditch a little, but even there she was stymied. The balls were nothing like what they’d ever used before.

Dorian entered the Great Hall in his workout clothes just like the rest had done. This one was different than his usual black one that he wore almost each morning for his run. This one smelled better see, he could think of others and it was black with purple lines on the sides of his arms and legs.

The moment he had entered the Great Hall and had taken in the markings on the floor and the hoops, he knew immediately what they would be doing today. Masking his excitement, cause he wasn't a 5 year old, the Ravenclaw greeted his Head of House with a "Hello Professor" before he walked over to one of the balls, stooped down, picked it up and began dribbling it up and down. He was going to wipe the floor with all of them!

Tina had no idea what to expect of this lesson. She assumed it must be something sports-related- that seemed to be an ongoing pattern with Muggle Studies this term! But why was it in the Great Hall, of all places? What an odd place for a lesson, she thought as she made her way to the great hall, dressed in a turquoise jogging suit and black trainers. Oh well, she was sure she could handle whatever was in store... as long as it wasn't cricket again!

She walked into the great hall, half expecting to see the usual house tables and benches. Her eyes darted around the room, taking in her surroundings, and her expression instantly brightened. She knew exactly what sport they were playing today! It was one of her favorite non-magical sports. She used to play it all the time in school when she was younger... before she was sent to Chateau Croyance and had to change schools. "Hello, Professor Stewart," she greeted with a cheery smile.

After pausing a moment to gather her dark hair into a high ponytail, she picked up one of the balls and practiced dribbling. It had been years since she'd last played; she was bound to be a little rusty!

Ewan was in his element walking to today’s muggle studies lesson. Sporting his comfiest muggle jogging bottoms and t-shirt along with a pair of trainers, he entered the great hall, wide eyed and ready for whatever Professor Stewart was going to throw at him.

With the beautiful weather looking down upon him as he entered, his eyes were instantly drawn towards the marking on the floor as well as the hoops and ball that lay across the hall. “Yes!” was the only thing that escaped his mouth as he lightly jogged towards Professor Stewart. “Hey Professor, can I take a few shots before we start?” a wide grin across his face and his hands out stretched in hope that the Professor would pass him the ball. He didn’t want to assume that he could just take on of the balls that were just laying around on the floor after all.

Hanna made her slightly longer way down to the Great Hall for the lesson. And was thankful that it was inside, not that she wouldn't have enjoyed getting warm out in the cool outdoors if it meant playing sport. Clad in her clothing appropriate for moving around, she joined the little team.

"Good morning Professor," Hanna greeted chirpily, looking around at all of the things. Basketball came right into her mind. She'd played this a bit at school before coming to Hogwarts, but wasn't the greatest when it came to ball sports. Some of her classmates were having an initial play around with the balls and equipment, but Hanna was currently more interested in not having an injury. So, stretching she did.

Listen, Indigo's father was a muggle. So was his stepmother and his half brother. His point was that he lived with muggles, and he knew things about muggle stuff. He also read a lot so he probably would have known almost as much about muggle stuff anyway. Like he recognized what the setup of this classroom meant. It was the muggle sport basketball. He was really hoping that they weren't going to have to play. Indigo didn't play sports, and he was a bit concerned about making a fool of himself.

"Hello professor." He greeted her unenthusiastically and went to sit on one of the benches to wait for class to start.

Bettie in her leggings, loose t-shirt and converse made her way into the great hall and looked around. Saw that the hall was set up for basketball. Bettie guessed they where going to play some basketball.
With that thought she first said to the professor "Hello professor" then sat down her stuff put her hair in a pony tail and started to do some stretches just in case.

SPOILER!!: Chloe! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bazinga

With April comes nice weather, but for Chloe, it came stress. The third year had been working so hard to make sure she was ready and she felt she was for the U17 tryouts. She just hoped she'd be good enough for the German team, she knew there were good players already on there, but even if she got a reserve spot she would be happy. She knew she had so much to learn and she just wanted to get to that next level.



Her mind was still on Quidditch when she headed into the Great Hall, her eyes looked around as she realized that it had been changed for their lesson today. Knowing some of the tables had been eaten by the creatures it was already changed a bit, but now all the tables were gone.



"Wow"



Moving more into the room she found a seat on the floor, "Hey Professor, nice ball."

Her very first student to arrive that day was the younger Ravenclaw. “Good morning, Ms. McCarthy!’’ Kay grabbed the ball with both hands, pausing with the bouncing. “Thank you. It’s somewhat heavy but otherwise, it’s not so bad.’’

SPOILER!!: Valencia! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by LilFox06

Valencia felt weird walking around the caste in athletic attire. She still hadn't gotten used to the fact that school and leisure happened in the same place, so often, even on weekends, she wasn't really in loungewear.



So being in shorts was weird for her.



"Hello Professor." she greeted as she made her way into the classroom Great Hall. She then took a seat on the floor by the whiteboard.

Bounce, bounce, bounce! “Hello, Ms. Philips! I hope you’re well this morning.’’ A smile was shot to the little Claw.

SPOILER!!: Stasya! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by SilverTiger

After all of last term and dealing with the SORE craziness, Stasya had found it less weird to be walking around in athletic apparel when it was called for. Obviously there weren’t too many instances now that Hogwarts was relatively back to normal, but she didn’t feel awkward walking down to the Great Hall for the next Muggle Studies lesson, hoodie thrown over the rest of her outfit just so she was a bit more covered up to start with (plus it gave her somewhere to keep her prefect badge that wasn’t risking poking herself) and pink trainers on her feet. Basically, she was ready for anything, and considering most of the lessons this term had been sports-related she figured preparation wasn’t bad.



“Hi Professor Stewart!,” she greeted the woman, looking curiously at the ball she was bouncing. “Is anyone else joining us to help with the lesson?” Like how they’d had the visitor when they’d learned about cricket. Plus, she was just intrigued by the whole setup of the Hall, without the usual tables and everything. It was definitely not anything like Gobstones. Maybe Quidditch a little, but even there she was stymied. The balls were nothing like what they’d ever used before.

Kay took another pause but this time it was to catch her breath. It was at that moment that Stasya arrived. “Hello, Ms. Dalgaard-Volkova! No, not this time around.’’ She grinned. “I’ve decided to go solo.’’

SPOILER!!: Dorian! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by DuckyLinJi

Dorian entered the Great Hall in his workout clothes just like the rest had done. This one was different than his usual black one that he wore almost each morning for his run. This one smelled better see, he could think of others and it was black with purple lines on the sides of his arms and legs.



The moment he had entered the Great Hall and had taken in the markings on the floor and the hoops, he knew immediately what they would be doing today. Masking his excitement, cause he wasn't a 5 year old, the Ravenclaw greeted his Head of House with a "Hello Professor" before he walked over to one of the balls, stooped down, picked it up and began dribbling it up and down. He was going to wipe the floor with all of them!

The black and purple of Dorian’s clothing looked wonderful, in Kay’s opinion. She always admired the combination of the two. “Hello, Mr. Katharos!’’ She watched with interest as he took a ball and began bouncing it. Actually, it was more like dribbling it professionally. This meant he was a basketball fan, was good at dribbling the ball or both.

SPOILER!!: Tina! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadMadamMalfoy

Tina had no idea what to expect of this lesson. She assumed it must be something sports-related- that seemed to be an ongoing pattern with Muggle Studies this term! But why was it in the Great Hall, of all places? What an odd place for a lesson, she thought as she made her way to the great hall, dressed in a turquoise jogging suit and black trainers. Oh well, she was sure she could handle whatever was in store... as long as it wasn't cricket again!



She walked into the great hall, half expecting to see the usual house tables and benches. Her eyes darted around the room, taking in her surroundings, and her expression instantly brightened. She knew exactly what sport they were playing today! It was one of her favorite non-magical sports. She used to play it all the time in school when she was younger... before she was sent to Chateau Croyance and had to change schools. "Hello, Professor Stewart," she greeted with a cheery smile.



After pausing a moment to gather her dark hair into a high ponytail, she picked up one of the balls and practiced dribbling. It had been years since she'd last played; she was bound to be a little rusty!

“Good morning, Ms. Dantes!’’ A just as cheerful smile was returned. Oh, hello! Here was yet another student who was seemingly a basketball fan. Wasn’t this wonderful?

SPOILER!!: Ewan! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by GD2204

Ewan was in his element walking to today’s muggle studies lesson. Sporting his comfiest muggle jogging bottoms and t-shirt along with a pair of trainers, he entered the great hall, wide eyed and ready for whatever Professor Stewart was going to throw at him.



With the beautiful weather looking down upon him as he entered, his eyes were instantly drawn towards the marking on the floor as well as the hoops and ball that lay across the hall. “Yes!” was the only thing that escaped his mouth as he lightly jogged towards Professor Stewart. “Hey Professor, can I take a few shots before we start?” a wide grin across his face and his hands out stretched in hope that the Professor would pass him the ball. He didn’t want to assume that he could just take on of the balls that were just laying around on the floor after all.

Kaysha was back to dribbling the ball, this time using both hands. When Ewan arrived, she stopped to greet him. “Hello Mr. Jones!’’ Oh? He was familiar with basketball as well? “Sure. Why not?’’ Her ball was tossed to him. “Let’s see what you got.’’

SPOILER!!: Hanna! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jessiqua

Hanna made her slightly longer way down to the Great Hall for the lesson. And was thankful that it was inside, not that she wouldn't have enjoyed getting warm out in the cool outdoors if it meant playing sport. Clad in her clothing appropriate for moving around, she joined the little team.



"Good morning Professor," Hanna greeted chirpily, looking around at all of the things. Basketball came right into her mind. She'd played this a bit at school before coming to Hogwarts, but wasn't the greatest when it came to ball sports. Some of her classmates were having an initial play around with the balls and equipment, but Hanna was currently more interested in not having an injury. So, stretching she did.

“Good morning, Ms. Newton!’’ Kay replied, now scooping another ball from the ground. Oh, stretching. That was a wonderful way to prepare for the lesson!

SPOILER!!: Indigo! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by littledhampir

Listen, Indigo's father was a muggle. So was his stepmother and his half brother. His point was that he lived with muggles, and he knew things about muggle stuff. He also read a lot so he probably would have known almost as much about muggle stuff anyway. Like he recognized what the setup of this classroom meant. It was the muggle sport basketball. He was really hoping that they weren't going to have to play. Indigo didn't play sports, and he was a bit concerned about making a fool of himself.



"Hello professor." He greeted her unenthusiastically and went to sit on one of the benches to wait for class to start.

The lack of cheeriness did not go unnoticed. “Hello, Mr. Rousseau! Is everything alright?’’ Only then did it enter her mind that Indigo was not fond of playing sports based on her previous lesson experiences this term.

SPOILER!!: Bettie! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by cindajean

Bettie in her leggings, loose t-shirt and converse made her way into the great hall and looked around. Saw that the hall was set up for basketball. Bettie guessed they where going to play some basketball.
With that thought she first said to the professor "Hello professor" then sat down her stuff put her hair in a pony tail and started to do some stretches just in case.

"Hello there, Ms. Blackwell!'' There was a nod of approval from the woman as the Snakette began performing some stretches.

* * * * * * *

With it now being 10 AM, Kay was quite set to begin her lesson. Tucking the ball under her right arm, she jogged to the center of the ‘court’ so that everyone would be able to see and hear her clearly. “Welcome to another lesson on Muggle sports! I trust that you will all enjoy this one while you get yourselves moving and active.

“I know for certain that many of you have figured out what today’s topic is but for those of you who haven’t, this sport is called basketball. For some, this can be a complicated one while others find it simple.’’ She still thought that cricket was the most complicated... “Instead of our usual pattern of beginning with questions, we shall get started with our mini activity. What I’m going to need each of you is to get to your feet and grab a ball. There are some stashed under the benches if any more is needed.’’

Once everyone had grabbed one, Kay continued. “The important thing to remember when doing this move is to keep your eyes focused on what is going on around you: your opponents, your teammates. The move is called ‘dribbling’ and it is essential because it serves as both offensive and defensive. Dribbling is used by players as they move along the court and before they aim the ball for the baskets’’- Kay moved her free hand to point at the two contraptions at either ends of the Hall. “You would have noticed myself and a few of your classmates doing so earlier. I would like for us to begin with this. If you would all for neat rows facing me... Leave enough space between yourselves and the classmate next to and in front of you for the ball.’’

Once they had followed the instructions, the woman continued. “Take the ball in your dominant hand then bounce it against your palm and the ground. The tricky part is keeping your eyes focused ahead of you. Remember, you are not to be looking at the ball. On my count... one, two, three, go!’’

OOC: The lesson has officially commenced; this means no announcing late arrivals unless you want to suffer IC consequences There will be 24 hours for this part of the practice!

Catching the ball without hesitation, Ewan dribbled the ball for a few seconds before finally attempting a jump shot. Okay, he missed. No big deal. Slightly red faced, he looked around hoping that the professor didn’t catch his weak attempt at a shot. Catching the ball, he spent the next few minutes taking shots from various angles, just in case he had to make a 3 point shot in a life or death situation because this was Hogwarts and well… stranger things have happened.

The excitement built inside Ewan now as the Professor confirmed his suspicions about the sport, his competitive edge awakening inside him. Running over to the bleachers quickly, he grabbed a ball and awaited the next set of instructions. Standing in-between two of his classmates, he stared forward at nothing in particular and lackadaisically bounced the ball using his right before flicking the ball to his left as the sound of bouncing rubber echoing through the hall. “Hey Professor, could we get a game going?” he shouted as he continued to bounce the ball between both hands, his mind forming various ideas about school basketball teams amongst other things. He was sure she had a lesson plan for today but one couldn't hurt at the end, right?

Bettie being the only witch in her family of squibs knows a little about basketball. Well the not so serious game of basketball. Fort he fun of it all games that you play at the park. So when the professor told the student to grab a ball and find a spot to dribble it Bettie got this.
After Bettie finished her stretches she grabbed a ball went and found a spot in-between Ewan and another classmate and out of habit began to bounce the ball between both hands.

SPOILER!!: Ewan! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by GD2204

Catching the ball without hesitation, Ewan dribbled the ball for a few seconds before finally attempting a jump shot. Okay, he missed. No big deal. Slightly red faced, he looked around hoping that the professor didn’t catch his weak attempt at a shot. Catching the ball, he spent the next few minutes taking shots from various angles, just in case he had to make a 3 point shot in a life or death situation because this was Hogwarts and well… stranger things have happened.



The excitement built inside Ewan now as the Professor confirmed his suspicions about the sport, his competitive edge awakening inside him. Running over to the bleachers quickly, he grabbed a ball and awaited the next set of instructions. Standing in-between two of his classmates, he stared forward at nothing in particular and lackadaisically bounced the ball using his right before flicking the ball to his left as the sound of bouncing rubber echoing through the hall. “Hey Professor, could we get a game going?” he shouted as he continued to bounce the ball between both hands, his mind forming various ideas about school basketball teams amongst other things. He was sure she had a lesson plan for today but one couldn't hurt at the end, right?

The red-faced Ewan’s efforts before the lesson had started had not gone unnoticed and Kay’s response? She had simply cheered him on. Effort always went a long way and a lot of effort was what the Ravenclaw had been making.

As the sound of bouncing balls filled the Great Hall, she began to maneuver among them and the kiddos. So far, they all seemed to be following the instructions. Hearing herself being addressed, she moved towards Ewan. “Now, now, Mr. Jones,’’ she said with amused eyes. “Patience. We just might have one of those soon.’’

SPOILER!!: Bettie! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by cindajean

Bettie being the only witch in her family of squibs knows a little about basketball. Well the not so serious game of basketball. Fort he fun of it all games that you play at the park. So when the professor told the student to grab a ball and find a spot to dribble it Bettie got this.

After Bettie finished her stretches she grabbed a ball went and found a spot in-between Ewan and another classmate and out of habit began to bounce the ball between both hands.

“You’re doing great so far, Ms. Blackwell. Just a reminder to keep your eyes straight ahead.’’ This reminder was being given to everyone else because the woman remembered how difficult it had been for her to follow that rule.

* * * * * * *

The professor took a glance at her watch. If she wanted to keep the lesson on schedule, now was the time to move on. “Right! You’ve all been doing wonderfully and I see progress. Next, we shall move onto defending. There are a few simple tips for being a great defender, the main being keeping your balance. Your opponent will try to get you to loose your balance so as to get past you in order to toss the ball into the basket. To keep your balance, keep your stance wide and stay low.’’ Kay demonstrated by keeping her feet in line with her shoulders and bending her upper half. “Do not lunge for the ball. You may over reach if this happens. Go ahead, practice your stance.’’

She gave the kiddos a few minutes to do so. With a ball in hand, Kaysha continued. “If your opponent has the ball below their mid-section, place your hand above it. This prevents the opponent from moving into a shooting position.’’ The ball was held under her own mid-section with her free hand on the top.

“Should the opponent be in a shooting position...’’ She put herself in said position. “Put your hand on the ball. Naturally, it stops the opponent from shooting at the basket.’’

Now the ball was raised over her head. “If the opponent moves the ball over their head, place your hand under it and flip upwards. This keeps the opponent from moving the ball downwards in order to make a shot. Finally, keep your head lower than your opponent’s head. What this does is give you the advantage of moving your feet around and into a great position to take the ball as quickly as you can.’’

Kaysha straightened up. “Does anyone need me to repeat anything? I’ll be happy to!’’

OOC: Hey, guys! For this part, all your charrie needs to do is to practice their stance. They’re free to ask questions or to ask for explanations to be repeated! Catch up is allowed. We’ll continue in 24 hours.

Hanna, mostly pre-stretched and feeling good, followed the initial instructions and grabbed a ball. She held it under one arm, comfortably enough, whilst waiting for the next few instructions. And the instructions were mostly not to watch what she was doing, but rather watch what was going on around them. That was something Hanna didn't have much practice doing. She liked to pay attention to what she was doing. This would be a good activity to help move her out of that way of doing things.

She moved slightly so that she had space around her, then dropped the ball to the ground from a height that allowed it to bounce back up.

Slap.

She hit the ball as it came up with her right hand, sending it back down to the ground.

Slap.

Hitting it again as it came back up.

But she was watching the ball. Catching herself, she looked up as she continued to try and pace her slapping hand with the peak height of the ball. It felt only slightly awkward as she caught the ball as it was already on its way back down a few times. Her elbow felt like it was locking out without any contact from the ball.

The next step came much more naturally to Hanna, having her dancing background. Balance was something she was very skilled in, and she quickly got into the stance Professor Stewart was demonstrating. Wide and low.

While Nettie was excited about the concept of basketball, actually PLAYING it was going to be a different matter entirely. See, she was SHORT. Like, really really SHORT. AKA not the ideal person to be playing this sport. Still, she was going to give it a shot! It seemed simple enough. Throw the ball in the hop. It was just like playing Chaser, just not on a broom!

Taking the ball in her dominant right hand, she began to dribble it. This part was easy enough. She'd done this at home many times as a kid - she was pretty sure Royland had gone through a phase where he HAD to play basketball with the muggle children. After a few dribbles, she put her ball to the side and watched Stewart as she went over how to properly stand in a blocking stance.

That was easy enough. She copied her movements, pretending there was an invisible ball shooter person in front of her to defend against. She could do all these movements just fine, but WHAT IF her opponent was seven feet tall?? All the defensive stances in the WORLD would not be able to prepare her for that!!

Ewan couldn’t help but grin as Professor Stewart chastised him. Patience wasn’t his best trait but he knew she was joking. Catching the ball in both hands now, Ewan turned towards the Professor, ready for the next set of instructions, an excitable smile across his face.

It was interesting to see how wizards taught basketball. Keeping his balance just always seemed so natural, just something that you did rather than something that needed to be worked on. Feeling somewhat stupid, he stood there, his legs the same length apart as his shoulders. Next moving his own hand above his mid-section so as to fake block someone from shooting, still feeling a little stupid. Keep your head lower than your opponents? Okay that was new to him. Moving his head lower than his imaginary student, he held it stance for a few seconds whilst looking around to see how his friends were doing.

Tina kept practicing her dribbling until Professor Stewart started the lesson. She caught the orange and black ball mid-bounce as the professor started talking and tucked it under her arm, listening intently. She half-expected the class to start with a round of questions as usual, but a mini activity was a welcome change of pace. She already had a ball, so she remained in place, awaiting further instruction while the rest of her classmates got to their feet.

So they were to practice dribbling… that was easy! All Tina had to do for this part of the activity was go back to what she was doing. She joined one of middle rows, spreading out to put plenty of space between herself and her classmates. On Professor Stewart's signal, Tina resumed bouncing the ball against the palm of her right hand. Sometimes it was tempting to look at the ball, just to be sure she wasn't making a mistake, but she forced herself to keep her eyes ahead. Thump… thump… thump… the sound of the ball thudding against the floor was strangely relaxing! After a few minutes of dribbling, it was all coming to Tina; she was starting to feel more confident now.

She decided to switch things up a bit and spent a few minutes dribbling with her left hand. It seemed like she'd only just started when they were moving on! Tina caught the ball mid-bounce and focused her attention on the demonstration. She wasn't quite as confident with this part as she was with the dribbling- she had less experience playing defense - but she would give it a go.

Tina emulated Professor Stewart's stance the best she could, standing with her feet about shoulder-width apart, and practiced the three defensive moves. First she held her hand over an imaginary ball held below an imaginary opponent's midsection, then she placed her hand on an imaginary ball held in a *shooting position. The last movement was a bit trickier than the others. Tina kept her head low, making a flipping motion with her hand as if trying to knock a ball out of an opponent's hand. Merlin, this felt weird! Well, it was awkward trying to practice all of these defense moves without a real opponent, but that third one was even more so!

SPOILER!!: Hanna! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jessiqua

Hanna, mostly pre-stretched and feeling good, followed the initial instructions and grabbed a ball. She held it under one arm, comfortably enough, whilst waiting for the next few instructions. And the instructions were mostly not to watch what she was doing, but rather watch what was going on around them. That was something Hanna didn't have much practice doing. She liked to pay attention to what she was doing. This would be a good activity to help move her out of that way of doing things.



She moved slightly so that she had space around her, then dropped the ball to the ground from a height that allowed it to bounce back up.



Slap.



She hit the ball as it came up with her right hand, sending it back down to the ground.



Slap.



Hitting it again as it came back up.



But she was watching the ball. Catching herself, she looked up as she continued to try and pace her slapping hand with the peak height of the ball. It felt only slightly awkward as she caught the ball as it was already on its way back down a few times. Her elbow felt like it was locking out without any contact from the ball.



The next step came much more naturally to Hanna, having her dancing background. Balance was something she was very skilled in, and she quickly got into the stance Professor Stewart was demonstrating. Wide and low.

Naturally, there were bound to be a few kiddos focusing on the ball rather than ahead of them. Hanna was one of those but before Kaysha could point that out, the Ravenclaw corrected herself. As for her stance? She received an enthusiastic nod of approval.

SPOILER!!: Nettie! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lissy Longbottom

While Nettie was excited about the concept of basketball, actually PLAYING it was going to be a different matter entirely. See, she was SHORT. Like, really really SHORT. AKA not the ideal person to be playing this sport. Still, she was going to give it a shot! It seemed simple enough. Throw the ball in the hop. It was just like playing Chaser, just not on a broom!



Taking the ball in her dominant right hand, she began to dribble it. This part was easy enough. She'd done this at home many times as a kid - she was pretty sure Royland had gone through a phase where he HAD to play basketball with the muggle children. After a few dribbles, she put her ball to the side and watched Stewart as she went over how to properly stand in a blocking stance.



That was easy enough. She copied her movements, pretending there was an invisible ball shooter person in front of her to defend against. She could do all these movements just fine, but WHAT IF her opponent was seven feet tall?? All the defensive stances in the WORLD would not be able to prepare her for that!!

It was easy to see that Nettie was paying keen attention to every move. For both the dribbling and defense practice moves, she received an encouraging ‘Excellently done!’

SPOILER!!: Ewan! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by GD2204

Ewan couldn’t help but grin as Professor Stewart chastised him. Patience wasn’t his best trait but he knew she was joking. Catching the ball in both hands now, Ewan turned towards the Professor, ready for the next set of instructions, an excitable smile across his face.



It was interesting to see how wizards taught basketball. Keeping his balance just always seemed so natural, just something that you did rather than something that needed to be worked on. Feeling somewhat stupid, he stood there, his legs the same length apart as his shoulders. Next moving his own hand above his mid-section so as to fake block someone from shooting, still feeling a little stupid. Keep your head lower than your opponents? Okay that was new to him. Moving his head lower than his imaginary student, he held it stance for a few seconds whilst looking around to see how his friends were doing.

At least Ewan knew she was simply being funny with him. But on a serious note, he was going to love the main activity which was due to start in a few minutes. For now, his hard work was paying off for his stance looked wonderful.

SPOILER!!: Tina! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadMadamMalfoy

Tina kept practicing her dribbling until Professor Stewart started the lesson. She caught the orange and black ball mid-bounce as the professor started talking and tucked it under her arm, listening intently. She half-expected the class to start with a round of questions as usual, but a mini activity was a welcome change of pace. She already had a ball, so she remained in place, awaiting further instruction while the rest of her classmates got to their feet.



So they were to practice dribbling… that was easy! All Tina had to do for this part of the activity was go back to what she was doing. She joined one of middle rows, spreading out to put plenty of space between herself and her classmates. On Professor Stewart's signal, Tina resumed bouncing the ball against the palm of her right hand. Sometimes it was tempting to look at the ball, just to be sure she wasn't making a mistake, but she forced herself to keep her eyes ahead. Thump… thump… thump… the sound of the ball thudding against the floor was strangely relaxing! After a few minutes of dribbling, it was all coming to Tina; she was starting to feel more confident now.



She decided to switch things up a bit and spent a few minutes dribbling with her left hand. It seemed like she'd only just started when they were moving on! Tina caught the ball mid-bounce and focused her attention on the demonstration. She wasn't quite as confident with this part as she was with the dribbling- she had less experience playing defense - but she would give it a go.



Tina emulated Professor Stewart's stance the best she could, standing with her feet about shoulder-width apart, and practiced the three defensive moves. First she held her hand over an imaginary ball held below an imaginary opponent's midsection, then she placed her hand on an imaginary ball held in a *shooting position. The last movement was a bit trickier than the others. Tina kept her head low, making a flipping motion with her hand as if trying to knock a ball out of an opponent's hand. Merlin, this felt weird! Well, it was awkward trying to practice all of these defense moves without a real opponent, but that third one was even more so!

Tina was rather great at dribbling from Kay’s observation. But it was somewhat easy to see that she wasn’t as comfortable with defense moves. “Just some more practice and you’ll be a pro,’’ Kay encouraged.

* * * * * * *

“The final move that I would like to show you is passing the ball. Like defenses, there are a few methods of how to do this. First... the chest pass.’’ The ball was in her hand once more. More demonstrations were to come! “Grip the ball with both hands on either side. Make sure your fingers are pointed towards your chin. Hold the ball to your chest so that your elbows are corresponding with whichever hand it is. For example, your left elbow should be jutting out in to the left. Adjust your knees so that they match the width of your shoulders, bend your knees then throw.’’ On that last word, she threw the ball to a random student.

“That one is simple, is it not?’' Kaysha quickly reached for another ball, one that was idly sitting close to her feet. “Next, we have the Overhead pass. Put each hand, with the fingers spread, on each side of the ball. Like this.’’ She held the ball and showed it to the class. “Bring it over your head so that your fingertips are aimed in the direction of the ceiling and your elbows are pointing forward. As before, you make the stance of lining your slightly bended knees with your shoulders.’’ Finally, she threw the ball, aiming to go over the heads of a few of the kiddos and she watched it sail away. “This method is used for throwing at a team mate who is a long distance away from you.

“The last method is called a Baseball pass.’’ A new basketball in hand, the woman began demonstrating. “This too is used for passing the ball to a far-off teammate. You are required to use only one hand so what you do is take it in your dominant hand, bring it a bit behind your head and slightly above your shoulder. Step forward on your non-dominant foot and throw!’’ Yet again, she threw in the direction of a random student.

“I would like for you to practice each move. I’ll be among you so if you need help raise your hand.’’

OOC: Hey, guys! So, this will be the last chance you have to complete the mini activity. You’re going to have until Wednesday 20th March, 2019 as I will not be around tomorrow evening. Have fun!

Ewan couldn’t help but be thankful that the stance part of the lesson was over and the passing part was beginning now. Not that he didn’t find it interesting but… With a wide grin, he stood and listened to each of the Professors instructions carefully, watching closely as she demonstrated with a different student all of the various techniques. So he had to practice the straight forward pass, overhead pass and the baseball pass? Easy.

With renewed enthusiasm and confidence, Ewan picked up one of the balls off of the floor and turned towards one of his fellow friends, a wide smile on his face, ready to help anyone who needed a partner.

“So…does anyone want to partner up? Or maybe we could pass in three’s? I don’t mind”.

SPOILER!!: Ewan! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by GD2204

Ewan couldn’t help but be thankful that the stance part of the lesson was over and the passing part was beginning now. Not that he didn’t find it interesting but… With a wide grin, he stood and listened to each of the Professors instructions carefully, watching closely as she demonstrated with a different student all of the various techniques. So he had to practice the straight forward pass, overhead pass and the baseball pass? Easy.

With renewed enthusiasm and confidence, Ewan picked up one of the balls off of the floor and turned towards one of his fellow friends, a wide smile on his face, ready to help anyone who needed a partner.

“So…does anyone want to partner up? Or maybe we could pass in three’s? I don’t mind”.

"I can practice with you if you like,'' Kay volunteered. "But you're free to do so yourself.'' All the kiddos needed to be mindful of was not throwing the balls at their peers. Those objects could pack quite the wallop. "Just give me a few minutes, Mr. Jones, if you'd still would like to have a partner after I'm finished helping the others, count me in.'' Naturally, Kay needed to ensure that the practices were done to the best of everyone's ability.

OOC: Hi, guys! Still about 25 hours left for catch up of the mini activity! Your charries are free to practice by themselves or partner up!

Moving on to the passing of the ball, Hanna realised she had used these moves before without really knowing much about them. She didn't know their names, or the specific movements. Catching the last ball Professor Stewart threw, she tuned to Ewan as he asked about a partner.

"I'll partner up with you," she said, turning to him with the ball in her hands. Hanna grasped the ball in the same movements as the chest pass, demonstrated by Professor Stewart. Both hands grasped the ball, and her fingers were pointed towards her chin. The ball was in to her chest, and her elbows pointed out. And then she bent her knees to practice that movement. The ball never left her hands, though. It was a quick practice of the movement.

Tina smiled politely in reply to Professor Stewart's words of encouragement, though she inwardly berated herself for not picking the defensive moves up the first time she tried. Ugh, and here she thought she was going to be good at this game! It seemed she was more out of practice than she originally thought, but she was determined to do better on the next part of the activity!

She listened extra carefully to the next set of instructions, watching the demonstration of passing techniques intently. Hmm… she wasn't sure what to make of this part. The mechanics of passing were straightforward enough, but passing meant the kind of icky uncertainty and *shudder* teamwork that Tina wasn't good at. What if she passed too fast? Or too slow? Or to the wrong person? So many things could go wrong! She was so busy imagining the what ifs that she almost didn't notice one of Professor Stewart's balls headed straight for her. Luckily she caught it just in time!

Tina decided she would practice passing on her own first, then maybe look for a partner if she had any time left. Still holding the ball that she caught, she positioned her hands on either side, fingers pointed toward her chin. She brought the ball up to her chest height, aligned her bent knees with her shoulders and practiced a throwing motion. After a couple practice movements, she felt comfortable enough to throw the ball for real - not hard, just a light toss to her right.

The overhead pass was a little easier, as this time, Tina didn't have to adjust her stance. She picked up the ball she'd used at the start of the activity, placing a hand on either side, her fingers spread. She raised it over her head and practiced the throwing motion a few more times before throwing the ball. It sailed to her left toward the end of her row.

Now Tina had used both of the balls near her, and she still had one more pass to practice. She followed the direction of her last throw and picked up a ball that wasn't in use. She thought this was the same one she'd been using, but she couldn't tell for sure. She brought the ball back to her spot, ducking her head to avoid being hit by any flying basketballs. She gripped the ball in her right hand, bringing it behind her head and above her shoulder, then stepped forward on her left foot and pretended to throw. Holding the ball one-handed was a bit harder, so she gave the throwing motion some extra practice before actually doing it. Her dark eyes scanned the room for somewhere to pass the ball without it accidentally hitting someone. She eventually found an opening in front of her and tossed the ball, aiming toward the wall where it wouldn't hurt anybody. So far, so good... she hadn't made any embarrassing mistakes yet!

Ewan couldn’t help but grin as Professor Stewart offered to help him practice “Sure Professor! That would be great” and Hanna wanted to practice too! “How about we go in a three?” After all. The more people he learned off, the better he’d end up getting, which is what everyone wanted after all. They could just be one big group. Briefly, he caught a glimpse of another working friend working on their stance and passing too (Tina) who was also more than welcome to join.

Turning to Hanna now, his hands out stretched, Ewan was ready for whatever type of pass that was going to come his way.

Sooooo this was basically just like Quidditch but on your feet, not on a broom. The passes were all pretty similar to the game as well. Aside from the baseball pass. If she chucked a quaffle like that across the pitch, she'd be demoted immediately!

"Here Tina! I'll pass with you," she offered her fellow housemate, smiling and taking the ball in her hand and holding the ball in front of her chest. She put both hands on the ball and then passed it to her with a small smile.