Six weeks, forty students, one court and a monsoon
You are the physical activity facilitator at a Marathi-medium secondary school. The head teacher asks you to run a six-week programme, twice a week, 45 minutes per session, for 40 students from Grades 6–8 who currently do little activity. You have one concrete court (20 m × 30 m), a small covered hall, 12 footballs, 6 skipping ropes, 20 cones, 2 mats and no marked lanes. It is monsoon season, so about one in three outdoor sessions is likely to be cancelled at short notice. Three students have asthma (two carry inhalers), one has a mild knee instability after an old injury, and two are very overweight. The stated aim is 'improve fitness and make everyone participate'. The head teacher also wants measurable results in six weeks.
1. Outline the six-week progression and justify the sequencing using training principles.
Read the worked answer
- Weeks 1–2: movement foundations and aerobic games. 10-minute warm-up, 15 minutes of continuous tag and relay games at moderate effort, 5 minutes of skill, 5 minutes of cool-down. The aim is technique and attendance, not maximum fitness.
- Weeks 3–4: introduce intervals (30 s fast / 60 s walk × 6) and simple circuits (squats, push-ups, plank) in game form.
- Weeks 5–6: small-sided games (4v4 football) and a repeat of the baseline test.
Justification: overload is needed for improvement, but it must be gradual and separated by 48 hours because adolescents adapt during recovery. Specificity matters - the goal is cardiorespiratory fitness, so continuous and interval aerobic work dominate. Variation keeps interest over 12 sessions.
With only 12 sessions, the honest measurable target is a 5–10% change in a shuttle-run or 600 m time plus better attendance. Promising large fitness gains would be unrealistic.
2. How will you run sessions when rain makes the court unusable, and how do you manage 40 students with the equipment you have?
Read the worked answer
Write a wet-weather version into the plan rather than improvising:
- In the covered hall, set up 4 stations rotating every 4 minutes: skipping, cone dribbling, step-ups, and core/mobility on the mats.
- Put 10 students at each station with a student leader; 6 ropes and 12 balls mean students work in pairs, not individually.
- Use the cones to mark lanes and turning points.
Keep density high - relays and circuits suit small spaces better than full games. Decide cancellation by 1:30 p.m. and send a message, and never run a full session on a wet, slippery surface.
The judgement is that the six-week block must survive the monsoon; a written alternative protects both the programme and safety.
3. How do the three asthmatic students, the student with knee instability and the two overweight students take part safely, and what outcomes will you measure?
Read the worked answer
- Asthma: inhalers kept at the side of the area, a longer 10-minute gradual warm-up, no maximal sprinting in cold or humid air, and stop at the first wheeze or persistent cough.
- Knee instability: avoid pivoting and jumping; substitute straight-line walking and include quadriceps and glute strengthening.
- Overweight students: start with low-impact, low-skill work (walking relays, station work) and increase duration before intensity to reduce joint load.
Record attendance, a simple shuttle test, sit-ups and a self-rating of effort at baseline and week 6. Because three groups need modifications, write them on the session card so a substitute facilitator can deliver the same safe session.