ShotSpots- They’re Not Just For Basketball!

This blog was written by Janice Jodlowski, Catalog Marketing Manager of our newest Preferred Vendor Partner - Palos Sports. Janice is a 16 year veteran in the sports and fitness industry and is responsible for finding new products for the PE market. She also works closely with professionals in the industry to develop activities for the products and integrate them into PE classes. She presents sessions and workshops to school districts and at conferences.

One of the best parts of my job is meeting teachers who are passionate about making P.E. a positive experience for their classes. If there is one nugget of wisdom I’ve learned in working with those Physical Education teachers for 16 years, it’s this: “Do not assume a PE teacher will use a product for its intended purpose. “

Case in point: ShotSpots™. They consist of a set of seven 18” diameter PVC/vinyl, non-skid floor mats that are double sided with numbers and point values. Designed to sharpen shooting skills, players would use these spots to mark shooting stations. Flip the spots on one side for numbers to mark positions or flip them over to create point values for each shot made from the spot’s location.

The PVC/vinyl material they are made from is very similar to the products you use to line cabinets. The packaging states you can use the ShotSpots™ indoors or out. . Indoor- absolutely! On a wood or tile floor the spots do not slip out from under foot. Outdoors- use caution on blacktop. In hot weather they can stick a little and will get dirty rather quickly. On concrete surfaces- they work well and it takes a little longer for them to get dirty. It is recommended to sweep the play area first.

Included in the packaging are 8 game ideas- 4 each for number and point games. They include a version of Around the World, Line ‘Em Up, 7 Shot Add ‘Em Up, Twenty One and a 2 Minute Shootout using the included digital timer.

By design, ShotSpots™ seem pretty straight forward in concept. However, get them in the hands of a creative PE teacher and they take on a life of their own. Here are some activities and ideas that teachers have shared with me recently:

Volleyball:
• Use the point value side of the spots and place on the reception side of a volleyball court. Servers must aim at the spots to receive the point values.
• Use the number side of the spots and place on the reception side of a volleyball court. Servers must aim at the spots and hit all spots 1 thru 7. Variation for higher skill levels: if they miss a spot, they must start over.

Bowling:
• Use the number side of the spots and spread out against the wall for bowling lanes. Beginner bowlers aim to roll the ball over the spot. As skill levels increase, flip spots over and use point values. As skill levels further increase, add bowling pins.

Floor Hockey:
• Use point or number sides of spots to create shooting stations for floor hockey. Arrange class into teams and play for points or use as a timed shooting event. Make sure to use a hockey ball or similar to roll over the spot.

Nutrition:
• Use the point side of the spots to represent daily portions from each food group. Create a relay using food cards for players to learn portions and food groups.

Granted, most of these ideas are simply using the spots for their numbers or point values, however, using the spots to represent daily portion amounts for food groups is pretty clever. It’s this creative mentality that continues to drive Physical Education teachers to create quality lessons filled with academic content that makes P.E. a positive experience for their students.

That’s just the beginning of the possibilities for the ShotSpots™ as they’ve only been on the market since November 2009. The question is, what would you use them for?

ShotSpots™ are available exclusively at Palos Sports. Visit www.palossports.com or call 1-800-233-5484 for more information.