“Alright, everyone. That’s a wrap for the practice session. You’ve all done excellently!” Yes, she had been keeping a watchful eye on them. “If you would please join me over here by the whiteboard. Have a seat on the ground or on the benches. You will want to grab your books and pens to take notes.’’ Kaysha gave the kiddos a few minutes to allow them to get settled in.

“There are some main points that you must know before we get started on the main activity.’’ The marker was uncapped but not before she had pointed yet again to the two contraptions opposite of each other. “That is called the hoop and the goal of a team is to get the ball into the hoop which the opposing team is defending. The net is extending down the hoop so when the ball is thrown into it, points are scored. The raised vertical board is called the ‘backboard’.’’ Jottings of these facts were made on the board before Kay retrieved a diagram which had been hidden away behind the whiteboard. Quickly, it was taped to the front of the same board so that it was visible to all.

“The Mid-court line is where the offense has ten seconds to advance the ball past the mid-court line.’’ Luckily, the board was big enough for her to make notes. “The Front court... this is where the offense accumulates points; Back court... where a team defends its basket; the Baseline is that line that highlights out-of-bounds at either end of the court under each basket; the Sideline is the boundary highlighting out-of-bounds on each side of the court; the Key is that rectangular shaped area that spans from the free throw line to the baseline. Note that it is also called the lane.” Here, the woman paused so that she will be able to finish writing her notes as well as allow the kiddos to do the same. “The Free-throw line is the line from which a free throw is taken after certain fouls; the Three-point line is the arc-shaped line about 20 feet from the basket behind which shots are worth three points, as the name suggests.’’ Kay capped the marker. “I’ll give you a few extra minutes to finish making your notes. I also advise that you draw and label a diagram for yourselves.’’

Five minutes had been granted to the kiddos and now it was time to move on. “We focus on the positions now. Basketball teams are typically made up of five players. On the chart, you will see them indicated in blue circles.’’ Kaysha pointed to them. “Center is where usually the tallest player takes position. It requires a lot of physical contact. As an offense, the player receives ball and shoots close to the basket. This position serves as the last line of defense, blocking opponents’ shots as well as rebounding their misses; Power forward... this position relies both on strength and toughness to control activity. There are many rebounds, especially on defense; Small forward... this position requires a versatile and rather athletic player since they need to be aggressive with their attacks towards the defense of the opposing team by driving and cutting towards the basket; Shooting guard is a defender with a habit for stealing the ball. On offense, they serve as the secondary ball handler and sharpshooter. They have the ability to convert shots from three-point range; finally, the Point guard is the leader of offense who uses superb passing and dribbling skills to set up teammates for open shots.

“That’s basically a general overview of the game. It can get complicated but our aim today is only to have the main idea of how to play and what the game entails. We will now move onto the main activity.’’ A knowing look was passed to Ewan. “You may have guessed it... or hoped for it but we are going to be playing a short game!’’ Wasn’t that exciting?

“We will need two teams. Team A: Ms. Dalgaard-Volkova- center position, Ms. Dantes- power forward, Mr. Rousseau- small forward, Ms. Gladin- shooting guard and Ms. Phillips- point guard, Ms. Awning- feel free to cover whichever position you would like to. Team B: Ms. Newton - center position, Mr. Jones - power forward, Mr. Katharos - small forward, Ms. Blackwell - shooting guard and Ms. McCarthy - point guard. While this will not be the same as an actual game, the fundamental principles explained earlier will apply. Your aim is simple: try to score as many baskets for your team as possible. I will keep a record of the scores in addition to being your referee. If you’ll just assist me in clearing away the excess balls before taking your positions...”

Once clearing of the court was completed, the kiddos were directed to their positions. Ball in hand, Kay moved to the center of the court. “On three. One, two, three!’’ The ball was thrown into the air. Let the game begin!

OOC: Hi, guys! Thank you so much for sticking with this! The positions and team assignment were done randomly but you can and should RP your charrie as though they have the ball, waiting for the ball from a teammate, watching the other team score or anything related to the activity. In order for a team to score a basket, YOU OR ONE OF YOUR TEAM MEMBERS MUST BE IN POSSESSION OF THE BALL FOR THREE CONSECUTIVE POSTS. Example: Team A player steals ball from Team B, Team A passes to a team member, Team A dribbles ball to hoop and dunks it: Result is team A scores. Example: Team A goes for the dunk, Team B intercepts, Team B dribbles, Team B dunks: Result: Team B scores.

If you have any questions, you are free to contact me vis Skype, PM or VM! This activity will end on Saturday 23rd March, 2019 at 11 PM EST! There is NO more catch up on the mini activity.

Hanna was happy to pass and catch from as many people that wanted to, and seeing Ewan with his hands out stretched she realised he was ready for the ball. She lined the ball up just as Professor Stewart showed, bent her knees slightly, and released it towards Ewan.

Before she knew it, they were moving on. Hanna joined the class on the benches near a whiteboard and as instructed had with her a piece of parchment and a self-inking quill. It was good to write it all down, because now they were moving away from the simpler aspects of basketball that she, having never been educated about the sport, knew. She knew how to roughly hold and throw and bounce the ball, even if she didn't know what the moves were called, and the specifics regarding the holds. But she didn't know any of this information relating to the court, the areas, and positions played. Her hand wrote as quick as she count, all of the information being given to them. The spare five minutes Hanna had spent looking back over the diagram she had drawn, filling it in, and looking over it to remember where everyone was supposed to go.

And with good reason, too! They were playing a game, putting all of the skills and information to a practical lesson. Hanna was centre position for team B, which made her feel a bit nervous but knowing it was only a fun game, and not anything professional or (hopefully) competitive, she reminded herself that it would be fine. Hanna jumped up, put her things away, and took her position in the centre of the court, in front of the hoop.

Professor Stewart counted down and threw the ball up, and Hanna ran forward to catch the ball. She practiced dribbling as she looked around her for someone on her B team, and used the first movement they were shown to pass it to one of her teammates.

After exchanging a few passes with friends, Ewan sat on the closest bench to the board and listened to the Professors breakdown of the positions and the court to him and the other students, his eyes stuck to the board as the professor showed various diagrams. With a magnificent smile on his face now, Ewan turned to the Professor as she mentioned the game that was about to take place, the knowing look on her face obviously meant for him. “Sweeeeeeet! Thanks Professor!” he replied out load, hoping that his enthusiasm wasn’t mistaken for rudeness.

After helping to clear away the remaining balls, Ewan bounced on his feet, his enthusiasm for the game now becoming an impossible urge to move. Power forward huh? What was it that Professor Stewart had said, Strength, toughness and control? Okay he could do that. Besides, he was taller than the majority of the kids here so that should help too.

Before he knew it, the game had started and Hanna had the ball too! “Great job Hanna!” he shouted as he moved forward slightly up the right side-line, careful not to get too out of position. After all, he had an important defensive job. “Hanna, here, I’m open!” he called, his arms up in the air above where anyone else could reach, ready to catch the ball and release to someone else in space. No sooner had he caught the ball, he had released it again to his next team mate in space.

Vivienne listened to what Stewart was lecturing about. Basketball? Then came her fave part: the diagrams. Vivienne was a visual learner. Vivienne joined Jones on the court. She hated basketball. Ever since her bestie Melinda broke her nose in grade school. She thought, strength, toughness and control... Like, hello, Vivienne was 5 foot six.

Um, Stewart put her as SHOOTING GUARD? The girl who was probably the shortest one here? Okkkkkkk then.

Getting in to the defensive stance, she watched as the first team started, passing the ball to each other and making their way down to her. Ewan was coming at her now, and even though he was her friend, that didn't mean she was going to make this EASY for them!

She got in position, and Ewan had passed it to...someone who was probably behind her. But nope, not TODAY! She jumped up and hit the ball out of the air, blocking the pass. "Someone get it!" she yelled to her team mates. Hopefully someone heard her, or was nearby, and could grab it and head down in the opposite direction...

Tina had been practicing passing by herself for a while when she heard Nettie offer to practice with her. “Thanks!” she said with a small smile. She caught Nettie's pass, but before she had time to return it, they were moving onto the next thing. What a shame! She gave Nettie an apologetic shrug as she joined her classmates on the bench and fished a pen and notebook out of her bag to take notes. Her heart sank slightly when she learned they would be playing a game. She knew it was coming - what else would they do with this basketball equipment? But even a friendly game made her nervous. She hated losing. She hated making mistakes… and this activity had the potential for both!

Tina already had a basic understanding of basketball, but she still paid careful attention to Professor Stewart. She copied the diagram written on the whiteboard and wrote down practically every word the professor said. She was determined to win this game, and hopefully this information would help her do just that! She was finishing up her notes as Stewart divided them into teams. So she was going to play power forward… okay, she felt reasonably confident about that position.

Tina took a deep breath as she took her position on the court. Don't go out of bounds, don't drop the ball, don't miss any passes or baskets, and definitely don't let your passes get intercepted, she thought. Wow, she never realized how many things could go wrong in a basketball game before! When she played as a kid in muggle school, all she thought about wws having fun, but now, everything was a competition to her.

Tina rushed forward as the ball was thrown into the air, but Team B got to it first. She kept her eyes glued to the ball as it changed hands, waiting for an opportune moment to steal the ball for her team. That opportunity came when Nettie blocked Ewan's pass. Tina ran toward the ball but nearly missed catching it as Nettie's shout startled her. Thankfully, she managed to keep her grip and sprinted in the opposite direction, dribbling the ball as she went. Her dark eyes scanned the area for someone nearer to the basket to pass the ball to, but which pass should she use? She didn't want the ball to get intercepted because of her! After mentally reviewing the defense and passing techniques she practiced earlier, she decided to try a one-handed pass. She brought the ball behind her head and above her shoulder, stepped on her left foot, and threw to one of her teammates, hoping her pass would work.

Kay moved with the kiddos. That is, she moved from the left of the court to the right and back again. Wherever the kiddos and the ball went, she was there. Some of the kiddos, from her observation, were great while a few weren’t but that wasn’t the point. The point was that they all seemed to be having a great time. What was more, they were using the moves and techniques she had taught them earlier. At the moment, Team B seemed to be the stronger one.

Then there was the time for the activity drawing to an end which was very disappointing. There was still the ‘questions’ part of the lesson to cover. Kay retrieved a bright green whistle from her pocket and blew it with an almighty puff of breath. “Time’s up, everyone! What a great job you’ve all done. I really did see those various techniques of offense, defense and ball throwing being applied. In the end, it’s team B that triumphs with 15 points. Team A scored 9.’’ She enthusiastically clapped for her kiddos. “We are almost finished with the lesson but before we wrap up, please make your way back to the benches.’’ The woman used a handkerchief to wipe a small bead of sweat from her forehead as she walked towards the whiteboard.

“I have a very open question for each of you. What are your opinions on basketball? Are there any rules or techniques that you would change?’’ And as she waited for hands to be raised, Kay handed out small white towels to them. One doesn’t run around without breaking into a sweat! “As for our final questions... this too is an open one. Based on the lessons conducted this term, how do you feel about Muggle sports? Are there any you’re more interested in? Any you think are silly? Any that you’d like to play more often?”

OOC: Hallo! The main activity has officially come to an end so there is NO catch up allowed for that as well. The scores were generated randomly using the trustee online Random Generator The current questions will run for 24 hours! Thank you for participating thus far!

OOC 2: Hello! This is the final question. Feel free to answer both days’ together (in other words, catch up is allowed for the two sets of questions). The lesson will be ending in 24 hours!

Nettie wasn't at all surprised that her team hadn't done super well, just because it seemed like the other team was a lot more in to the whole throwing and shooting thing. Her goal had been basically to just do defense the whole time - and it had worked for HER, but she had also been counting on her team to help her out with the scoring thing. Apparently not? Ah well. It's not like it REALLY mattered. Not like Quidditch.

She sat down on the bench and pulled her super long mutant hair out of her bun so she could readjust it before answering the professor's question. She raised her hand. "I liked basketball. It's very similar to Quidditch, although I prefer to be in the air. It gives shorter people like me a more even playing field," she said with a grin. "I understood it a lot more than that cricket game you had us play," she added.

With the end of the basketball match, which was so.much.fun, Hanna grinned at the announcement that team B had won. She hadn't been paying attention to how many goals were being made by either team, owing to the fact she was having too much fun. Surely if she were a real basketball player that would be something she would pay attention to.

Heading back over to the benches, feeling very warm and slightly puffed out, she took a seat and stretched her legs out in front of her. She took the towel from Professor Stewart with an appreciative smile, and wiped her face and back of her neck.

The questions prompted only a short thinking from Hanna, who found herself nodding to what Nettie was saying. Raising her hand she said "I do agree about being in the air. I liked basketball for what it was though." She shrugged. "I don't think I'd feel the need to want different rules, it all made sense and the techniques felt more natural during a fast game." Rather than practicing it whilst stationary and with time to think about who to pass to.

The second question had a no-thinking-required pause. Her hand up again, she said "I love muggle sports! I'm not sure I'd ever want to play in a team, because..." well she had no reason, other than time as well as the fact she'd be starting at 14 years of age. Was that too late? "Well it would be hard with school. But it's something I enjoy when it's a fun game." Not so competitive. Playing with her family.

Taking a deep breath, Ewan ran up and down the court, his mind on the intricate balance between attack and defence as he did so. And just like that, the lesson was over. Had they won? YES! Giving a small jumping fist pump, he turned and started high fiving his team mates and shaking hands with the other team as they cleaned up “Well done everyone! You all did great!” after all, it really was about having fun in the end.

What was his opinion on basketball? “I enjoy it professor!” Ewan answered, a grin on his face now. “I mean, it’s good for me because I’m not the best on a broom but I can throw and pass so it’s kinda like a Quidditch alternative for some of us who maybe didn’t grow up on brooms” his mind drifting towards a Hogwarts basketball team possibly. Imagine if they could verse muggle schools too! He knew they couldn’t but that would be so much fun. Taking a towel, he gave his head and stomach a quick wipe down before magically cleaning it and handing it back.

Slinging his bag on his back now, Ewan couldn’t help but sympathise with Hanna a little “I know what you mean about starting late Hanna but those of us who had never been on a broom before Hogwarts do the same for Quidditch and some of us still get on the team!” which was very true although he was not one of them. “I’m sure we could find a few people to play non-competitively at school. You know, for fun and to practice!” he added on at the end.

Tina kept playing her hardest, running back and forth as the ball changed hands, up until Professor Stewart ended the game. She felt more comfortable with offense than defense, so she primarily focused on that aspect of the game. She was so busy concentrating on the game that she didn't even pay attention to the scores until Stewart announced that Team B had won... and they won by a pretty wide margin. Ugh! Tina fumed. Even when she tried her best, it still wasn't enough to come out on top! She wasn't angry at her teammates or the other team, but she was furious with herself for not making a better showing! Losing was so humiliating!

She blinked, slightly taken aback when Ewan started shaking hands with her team, but she still returned his handshake with a small smile. "Thanks," she replied. "Good game." While she personally didn't think she'd done well - if she had, her team would've won - it was still nice of him to say so!

Tina joined the others on the bench, nodding politely in thanks as Professor Stewart handed her a towel. As she wiped her face and neck, she listened to the questions and some of her classmates' answers. What did she think of basketball? She liked playing; it was the competitive aspect of the game that she didn't like! Why couldn't they just have ten people work together to score as many baskets as possible within a given timeframe, rather than two teams of five with a winner and loser? But somehow she didn't think that answer would go over very well, and she wasn't in the mood to debate her opinions. So she kept her answer to the first question short and sweet. "Basketball is one of my favorite non mag - I mean, muggle sports," she said. Even after being in the UK for nearly a year, she still wasn't used to that word! Such a silly thing to call non-wizards! "I agree with Hanna; I see no need to change any rules or techniques."

She had a bit more to say for the second question. "I enjoy most muggle sports to some degree, either as a player or a spectator, but I think I have a better understanding of them after this term's lessons. The only one we played that I didn't care for was cricket. Even after hearing the rules explained, I still found them confusing, and... I don't know. I just couldn't really get into it." She shrugged. If there were any cricket fans here, she respected that; it just wasn't her thing.

SPOILER!!: Nettie! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lissy Longbottom

Nettie wasn't at all surprised that her team hadn't done super well, just because it seemed like the other team was a lot more in to the whole throwing and shooting thing. Her goal had been basically to just do defense the whole time - and it had worked for HER, but she had also been counting on her team to help her out with the scoring thing. Apparently not? Ah well. It's not like it REALLY mattered. Not like Quidditch.



She sat down on the bench and pulled her super long mutant hair out of her bun so she could readjust it before answering the professor's question. She raised her hand. "I liked basketball. It's very similar to Quidditch, although I prefer to be in the air. It gives shorter people like me a more even playing field," she said with a grin. "I understood it a lot more than that cricket game you had us play," she added.

“Excellent point, Ms. Gladdin. Indeed, the two are somewhat similar in terms of how they are physically played.’’ Of course, the rules were completely different but there were hoops and a small number of players. Kay grinned. “I’m glad you understood cricket. It’s safe to say that sport doesn't care about height either.’’

SPOILER!!: Hanna! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jessiqua

With the end of the basketball match, which was so.much.fun, Hanna grinned at the announcement that team B had won. She hadn't been paying attention to how many goals were being made by either team, owing to the fact she was having too much fun. Surely if she were a real basketball player that would be something she would pay attention to.



Heading back over to the benches, feeling very warm and slightly puffed out, she took a seat and stretched her legs out in front of her. She took the towel from Professor Stewart with an appreciative smile, and wiped her face and back of her neck.



The questions prompted only a short thinking from Hanna, who found herself nodding to what Nettie was saying. Raising her hand she said "I do agree about being in the air. I liked basketball for what it was though." She shrugged. "I don't think I'd feel the need to want different rules, it all made sense and the techniques felt more natural during a fast game." Rather than practicing it whilst stationary and with time to think about who to pass to.



The second question had a no-thinking-required pause. Her hand up again, she said "I love muggle sports! I'm not sure I'd ever want to play in a team, because..." well she had no reason, other than time as well as the fact she'd be starting at 14 years of age. Was that too late? "Well it would be hard with school. But it's something I enjoy when it's a fun game." Not so competitive. Playing with her family.

Kay returned the smile then pointed to Hanna. She was unsurprised to hear that another student preferred being in the air. Broomsticks, flying or Quidditch was a must in each Wizarding family. “I’m glad you found it enjoyable. Yes, exactly why I decided to have the practical first. Playing along lets you grasp everything rather than let's say, taking notes on the various techniques.’’ Sometimes, rearranging the usual lesson structure was necessary. “School and muggle sports would clash, yes, but the sports are perfect for recreation.’’

SPOILER!!: Ewan! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by GD2204

Taking a deep breath, Ewan ran up and down the court, his mind on the intricate balance between attack and defence as he did so. And just like that, the lesson was over. Had they won? YES! Giving a small jumping fist pump, he turned and started high fiving his team mates and shaking hands with the other team as they cleaned up “Well done everyone! You all did great!” after all, it really was about having fun in the end.



What was his opinion on basketball? “I enjoy it professor!” Ewan answered, a grin on his face now. “I mean, it’s good for me because I’m not the best on a broom but I can throw and pass so it’s kinda like a Quidditch alternative for some of us who maybe didn’t grow up on brooms” his mind drifting towards a Hogwarts basketball team possibly. Imagine if they could verse muggle schools too! He knew they couldn’t but that would be so much fun. Taking a towel, he gave his head and stomach a quick wipe down before magically cleaning it and handing it back.



Slinging his bag on his back now, Ewan couldn’t help but sympathise with Hanna a little “I know what you mean about starting late Hanna but those of us who had never been on a broom before Hogwarts do the same for Quidditch and some of us still get on the team!” which was very true although he was not one of them. “I’m sure we could find a few people to play non-competitively at school. You know, for fun and to practice!” he added on at the end.

Kay had been grinning to herself as she watched Ewan high five and cheer his team mates. Really, his love for the game was quite obvious. And as if she needed confirmation... Kaysha laughed. “I can, and I’m sure everyone else too, can tell. I’m very pleased you enjoyed that so much.’’ She took the magically cleaned towel while listening to Ewan encourage Hanna. “He’s right, Ms. Newton. It’s all about your determination. Oh, and count me in for any sports you lot decide to play.’’ Now her brain was running wild with the idea of having a few sessions of playing Muggle sports with those who were interested at Hogwarts. “Mr. Jones? No magic during my lessons as I’m sure you’re aware.’’ As she believed in giving a warning first (since this wasn’t a serious offense), she let docking any points slide. Aside from that, Ewan did offer kind words to Hanna so there was a good deed and a bad deed. To her, they cancelled each other out.

SPOILER!!: Tina! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadMadamMalfoy

Tina kept playing her hardest, running back and forth as the ball changed hands, up until Professor Stewart ended the game. She felt more comfortable with offense than defense, so she primarily focused on that aspect of the game. She was so busy concentrating on the game that she didn't even pay attention to the scores until Stewart announced that Team B had won... and they won by a pretty wide margin. Ugh! Tina fumed. Even when she tried her best, it still wasn't enough to come out on top! She wasn't angry at her teammates or the other team, but she was furious with herself for not making a better showing! Losing was so humiliating!



She blinked, slightly taken aback when Ewan started shaking hands with her team, but she still returned his handshake with a small smile. "Thanks," she replied. "Good game." While she personally didn't think she'd done well - if she had, her team would've won - it was still nice of him to say so!



Tina joined the others on the bench, nodding politely in thanks as Professor Stewart handed her a towel. As she wiped her face and neck, she listened to the questions and some of her classmates' answers. What did she think of basketball? She liked playing; it was the competitive aspect of the game that she didn't like! Why couldn't they just have ten people work together to score as many baskets as possible within a given timeframe, rather than two teams of five with a winner and loser? But somehow she didn't think that answer would go over very well, and she wasn't in the mood to debate her opinions. So she kept her answer to the first question short and sweet. "Basketball is one of my favorite non mag - I mean, muggle sports," she said. Even after being in the UK for nearly a year, she still wasn't used to that word! Such a silly thing to call non-wizards! "I agree with Hanna; I see no need to change any rules or techniques."



She had a bit more to say for the second question. "I enjoy most muggle sports to some degree, either as a player or a spectator, but I think I have a better understanding of them after this term's lessons. The only one we played that I didn't care for was cricket. Even after hearing the rules explained, I still found them confusing, and... I don't know. I just couldn't really get into it." She shrugged. If there were any cricket fans here, she respected that; it just wasn't her thing.

“Yes, you’re another student whom I observed that had a knack for basketball, Ms. Dantes. You certainly have a talent for it.’’ The professor smiled at her. “It’s wonderful to hear that you’ve understood them even better. It’s alright that you found cricket confusing, some people too.’’ It was a complicated game. “The takeaway is that you’ve found appreciation for other sports.’’

* * * * * * *

Kaysha looked to her wristwatch. “That’s about it for today, everyone. I’m letting you head off a few minutes early so that you may refresh yourselves before your next lesson or if you’re heading to lunch. I’ll be seeing you all around.’’ With a last smile at them all, she began ushering them to pack up.

They were not to be late for anything, after all, so it made sense for them to absquatulate.

OOC: Thanks for playing, guys! I’ll leave the thread open for about 7 hours shoul you want to wrap up. House points will be added and the top students for this term during the course of the upcoming weekend