SOFTBALL/BASEBALL: BUNTING FOR GRADES 8/9 1

Softball/Baseball: Bunting for Grades 8/9

Katy Kohli

University of Regina
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Topic: Softball/Baseball

Concept Focus:

To learn the different types of bunting in softball and baseball from the offensive point of

the game. To understand how to use bunting effectively in a game situation and create

understanding of why it is being used.

Skill Focus:

Tactical: Focusing on the offensive strategies of the game, particularly how to advance

the runner on base in a game situation.

Technical: Learning proper techniques and basic movement patterns to executing a bunt.

Cross-Curricular Competencies:

-Developing Thinking

-Developing Identity and Interdependence

-Developing Social Responsibility

Common Essential Learnings:

-Communication—Students are learning how to communicate with team mates and

coaches/teachers in order to decide which type and when to bunt to advance their team mates.

-Independent Learning—Students are learning to make decisions about which bunts to

use and how to use them effectively.

-Critical and Creative Thinking—Students are developing skills to decide which offensive

strategy works best in particular situations.

Objectives:

This lesson will provide students with an offensive and effective strategy used in softball

and baseball. It will allow for them to develop cognitive, technical and tactical skills for playing
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the sport. This lesson will work on the necessary skills to achieve this strategy in a game

situation.

Materials:

-wiffle balls

-nerf ball

-bats

-bases or pylons

-hula hoops

Set:

The lesson would start right away with the game to introduce students to the topic and the

tactical and technical skills that the lesson will exhibit for them. So, the lesson will begin with an

explanation and example of the game. The game is a form of bunting and advancing runners in a

much more simple and “free” way. Meaning that the students will be able to see how the general

idea works before they learn about bunting.

Development:

Lead-up Game:

For this game, the class will need to be set up into two teams. Each team will have a

pitcher and a runner. The rest of the students will line up as batters. The batter will take a pitch

from the pitcher and the objective will be to tap/hit it softly to one of the targets. If the batter hits

the target, the runner will be able to score home. This will get the team a point, however, if the

batter doesn’t hit the target, they runner stays put and the batter goes to the end of the line. The

object of the game is to score points for the team by hitting the targets with “soft hits”, i.e.

bunting.
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The students will rotate through the positions. After the batter hits, he becomes pitcher,

pitcher becomes runner, runner goes to the end of the line, next in line is the back catcher and the

back catcher becomes the batter. This diagram (I drew) will show how the game is to be set up.

After this game the class would come together to talk about what they did. The teacher

would guide the students through this discussion to help them achieve game appreciation and

tactical awareness. The teacher would guide them with questions relating to why the runner only

got to go when the target was hit, why they were making such little hits, etc. Then the teacher

would discuss the different types of bunts and when they are appropriate to use. This discussion

would then be lead into the explanation of the practice.

Practice:

The practice portion of the lesson would help students with making appropriate decisions.

The lesson would feature practicing the different kinds of bunts. Students would divide into

groups of four, a pitcher, two fielders and a batter. The pitcher would toss a wiffle ball to the

batter who would then try different bunts. The fielders would field the balls then give them back
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to the pitcher. Each batter would get about ten pitches, and then the students would rotate. This

practice allows students to practice any kind of bunt they want. It allows them to execute their

skills that they are learning and know already. It also allows them to see which bunt works for

them or how it works in a certain way, and which bunts work for other situations.

After each student got a chance to bat, the class would have a small discussion about what

worked for them and what didn’t. The teacher would ask questions like, what worked best for

you, what could you do to improve the control, what would you do to bunt to another area of the

field, etc. The teacher would guide the class to review which bunt works in which situation to

advance the runner. She would also review the game of baseball/softball to get the students ready

for the final game.

Game:

This game will be just a basic game of softball/baseball. It will give students the

opportunity to perform their skills to achieve the goals and strategies of the game from what they

have learned in the lesson. This game is a perfect opportunity for the students to see how bunting

and advancing the runner works all together in a game situation. And they can continue to learn

what works best and what doesn’t. It also allows the students to practice other skills in the game

and get an all around experience of how the tactical focus works.

The class will be divided into two teams. One team will bat and the other will field. The

fielders will line up like any other softball game with the positions and will pitch the ball to the

batter. The batter will hit or bunt and use the skills they just learned to score their team runs. A

modification made to this game is that the students will use a nerf ball rather than a baseball and

gloves. It is safer for everyone and won’t break anything when playing indoors.
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When the students execute a play using bunting to advance the runner, the teacher will

stop the game and the class will discuss what just happened to better understand how the strategy

works. This way, students will be able to put everything together to really understand how it all

works.

Closure:

At the end of the lesson, the students will provide feedback about the lesson to the

teacher. They will discuss what they have learned, what they liked/disliked, how they can

improve, etc. The teacher will use questions to help guide this discussion, as well as asking

questions to make sure the students understand the tactical focus of this lesson. For example,

why would you use a sacrifice bunt in a game? If there was a runner on third base, what kind of

bunt would be best to score that runner home? These kinds of questions will get the students

thinking and understanding how bunting plays into the game of baseball.

This can lead into next day’s lesson which can include other types of offensive strategies

in softball or a further advancement on bunting with a focus on what the runner is doing on the

base while the batter is batting. Today’s lesson is a good introduction to specific offensive

strategies used in the game of baseball/softball.

Assessment/Evaluation:

The assessment would be based on a rubric of a list of things the student should have been

doing during the lesson. And their mark will be based on if they were doing these things, and if

they were doing them to the best of their abilities. The rubric would include things like:

-if the student is following the guidelines and rules

-if the student is listening to both students and instructor, but also communicating

back with them

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-if the student was actually executing the skills used in the lesson in the final game

-if the student was taking and participating in discussions and using them to their

advantage in the game and practice situations

Taking these elements and more, the student would be evaluated for a grade.

Safety Considerations:

In the final game, a nerf ball will be used rather than a real baseball or softball. This is

because the students don’t have gloves or helmets. So, if the nerf ball hits them, it won’t hurt

nearly as much as a real ball would. Also, when playing the first game and the practice, making

sure students are spread out properly will prevent students from getting hurt. And using wiffle

balls for this is the same reason as using a nerf ball.

Adaptive Component:

I don’t think much would really have to be adapted for a student in a wheelchair. They

would still be able to practice bunting and may be able to be a pitcher too. It would be difficult

for them to field, but they would be able to participate in the skills necessary for this lesson. For

other challenges, students could participate in an easier version of the lesson. For example, rather

than hitting targets, just trying to make contact with the ball would be their focus. There can be

many modifications made for these games in this lesson.