Introduction to the SEM and its Features
The sports education model (SEM) is a model that was developed to be used in a physical education class but is now used the world over because of its adaptability to all physical activities. The SEM was developed by Siedentop in 1984, and it was meant to encourage all students to actively participate in sports activities and train coaches to have better skills for developing well-rounded athletes. The model divides the sports education into several concepts as follows:
Seasons- the sports take place at specific times throughout the year, and they are typically longer the physical education units. The students become immediate members of a team, and they all practice while gearing up for the competitions that mark the end of the season
Culminating event- is usually at the end of the season and it marks a period when the team can check their progress and celebrate their achievements.
Record keeping- data is recorded throughout the season, and they are used to assess the performance of the team. These records are also kept for future reference and serve as a team's standards and builds traditions.
Festivity- it is done throughout the season and its serves to highlight the achievements of the team to motivate them further. It also provides a social outlet for the team members and builds traditions.
All the above concepts serve a purpose of ensuring all team members become active participants because they can all partake in all of them. While not all students are good at playing a sport, the SEM makes sure that they all work in the team in other capacities. The SEM also equips coaches with proper strategies that help reluctant students who often shy away from active participation.
Strategies
The major concept of SEM is that the coach first comes up with a lesson plan for the specific game(s) that will be played throughout the season. Many students in a physical education class shy away from engaging because they do not know how to play the game and what rules apply to it. If the coach does not realize this, these students will always be sidelined because they do not have a grasp on the techniques the game commands. The coach, at the beginning of the season should teach the basics of the game. From this, they can build slowly and ask students who have previously participated in the game to help other students in practicing what they learn. It is not enough to delve into practice if the students do not know what to do at what time, they often feel confused and ashamed especially if some of their classmates seem to know what they are doing. It is called developing the game sense where they combine what they know on the field while anticipating the next move.(Lauder, 2001 as qt in Siedentop, Hastie, and Van der Mars).
One of the major hallmarks of SEM is the peer tutoring that is insisted upon; it has been proven that children learned the most from their fellow children, and the same applies to the sports education setting as well. Coaches usually divide their students into smaller teams within which they can practice the theoretical aspects they are taught. One way a coach can get shy students to participate is to appoint them as student leaders where they will be responsible for an activity. The activities should be made simple at first, such as recapping previous lessons where all the members are called upon by the leader to recount the lessons. Later on, as these students become more skilled, they can participate in higher roles and even become team captains.
The coach also needs to identify the specific skill sets each team member possesses. While it is every coach's dream that all their team members be excellent at playing the games at a competitive level, in reality, this is not the case. They are several positions within a team these shy students tend to do best at, and it is the coach's responsibility to build it. These positions include statistician, scorekeeper, manager, journalist, commentator and publicist. All these roles are important because they help improve the overall performance of a team, and all these roles are given out to students whom the coach has identified their alternative strengths off the field in a game. SEM is a student-centered model where they are encouraged to take control of their team and the coach only guides them. For example, in an instance where the coach cannot make it for practice, a student trainer can lead off the warm-up session while the equipment manager fetches the equipment and the captain is responsible for leading the practice. It ensures that the team continues training.
It is crucial that the coach realizes that the practicing the games is not only in the preparation for competitions but also for leisure. During such times, all team members are encouraged to participate, even those who have auxiliary members of the team such as equipment manager. What differentiates these leisure games is its fun nature and that everyone is allowed their turns to play. No team member is less than the other, and the coach makes sure to appreciate all their hard work. These games are also marked with festivities where the coach can devise some internal reward systems in categorized such as “Most Improved” especially for the kids who used to shy away from participation. It gives them a sense of belonging in the team and builds a team tradition.
Finally, another way to get shy students to participate in the games is modifying them to suit their needs. Sometimes these students are usually small in stature, or may have some physical disability that makes them feel intimidated by the bigger students. The coach can get smaller equipment for them, and once they master how to use it, they can move on to normal sized equipment. Sometimes all these students need is some attention to improve their skills and gain the confidence they need to participate in the physical activities.
Summary
Coaches have the responsibility to make their team members valuable and feel valued. In SEM, all students are all team members, and they are not cut out from the team. They should cultivate a student-centered learning process where they involve the students in the activities and encourage them to take control of their games. They should, however, train them first on the basic rules of the activity and then take them through practical applications. Dividing the bigger team into smaller teams and appointing student leaders gives them a sense of belonging. Finally, since not all the team positions are filled with players, the coach should build the special skills these shy students might have and use them to better the tea. These positions ensure active participation for all team members and give these students interest in partaking in the games even outside of the team setting.
References
North, J. (2007). Increasing Participation in Sport: The Role of the Coach. The National Coaching Foundation.
Renner, M., Torres, T., Pollard, M., Oltman, L., Huffman, J., McDowell, M., Axelson, C., and Viafore, B. (n.d.). Sports Education Model: Soccer. Retrieved online from http://www.cwu.edu/~jefferis/unitplans/sportedsoccer/soccer_lp.htm
Siedentop, D. (2002). Sport Education. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 2002, 21, 409-418. Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.
Siedentop, D., Hastie, P., and Van der Mars. (n. d). An Introduction to Sport Education. Complete Guide to Sport Education. Arizona State University.
