Inspire with a tyre!

We’re often asked about ways to improve engagement in PE. Whilst this is obviously a question with an abundance of possible answers, some are both easier and cheaper to achieve!

I will never forget the look on one headteachers face when I told him that the first thing he needed to do to get his children excited about PE, was to get on the phone to Halfords (other tyre people are available!) and ask them for 8 used tyres. The quizical look he gave, which clearly showed that he thought I was a little insane and was instantly questionning my consulting fee, didn’t last long!

You see, car tyres are made of rubber. Which instantly gives it the ability to rebound a ball that is hit, kicked or thrown at it. Following?

Add the fact they are round, which then makes the ball rebound in different directions, and you can start to see where the fun comes from.

Introduce tyres into hockey and you really see the fun! Imagine a cirle of children with a stick each and one ball between them. You’ve asked them to pass to each other, in any direction, focussing on receiving the pass in a balanced position and distributing it accurately to one of their teammates. Not overly inspiring stuff.

Now add a tyre to the middle of the circle. Every pass is made towards to the tyre. It’s going to bounce off in all sorts of angles and really increase the concentration levels and fun in the participants. Plus, the addition of the deflection and the reduced reaction time that brings is really going to help increase their core skill base. Win, win!

But tyres are not just to be used for deflections – Oh no! There also Tyrone…

Tyrone is the tyre man. To be specific, he is eight tyres stacked to form the shape of a man. How many times do children working on shooting technique shoot into an empty goal? Especially in sports like hockey where having a child stood in the goal, without addequate protection, can be dangerous? Well here’s your solution.

Put Tyrone smack, bang, in the middle of the goal. Now, to score, children have to aim for the corners – otherwise their ball will hit tyrone and deflect away. By aiming for the corners, they are developing accuracy in their shooting and an awareness of how to tactically beat goalkeepers when they do finally encounter a more mobile version of Tyrone!

Tyres can be stored outside, so take up no room in a PE shed. Can be sourced free of charge from garages and can be used in so many ways that we will be writing a whole white paper on it over the coming weeks and months. So get started – Get yourself eight and build Tyrone. Your kids will thank you for it!