Find out about: Ball Games
Research into sports science has shown that children need to develop the physical attributes of hand to eye coordination, agility, speed and balance, 
before they reach their teens, in order for them to reach their full physical potential as an adult. And collectively, ball games strongly combine these skills and actions. Of course, there are other enormous benefits to ball games such as learning to show respect to an opponent and/or umpire, self-discipline and playing a positive role as part of a team.
There are a huge number of ball sports available, too many to mention here, so here’s a small sample…
Golf
Golf is a sport that helps create good attributes in young children, such as perseverance, honesty, concentration and respect. It is also a game where a child can easily find his or her competitive level.
More and more schools offer a form of golf in PE. Teachers are provided with great resources to teach it, with follow-on opportunities at golf clubs and driving ranges. The Golf Foundation is the national charity that helps make the game more accessible to youngsters and works in collaboration with many schools and golf clubs. The Golf Foundation helps create a pathway where children can have a first hit at a mini version of golf called Tri-Golf, using plastic clubs and soft targets before progressing to playing golf at clubs. More and more local school partnerships are being linked to golf clubs, where approved junior organisers and PGA professionals are able to help the youngsters learn the rudiments of ‘proper’ golf. If taught well and learned in the correct manner, golf can promote the psychological and physical benefits associated with improvement, personal achievement and a life-long participation in sport.
For more about Golf:
The Golf Foundation: www.golf-foundation.org
PGA: www.pga.info
Netball
Netball mixes a variety of fitness skills that include balance, speed, agility, strength and good teamwork. Naturally, as a team sport, it requires regular practise sessions to ensure all participants play better together.
Primary school children aged from 9 to 11 are introduced to a version of netball called High 5. Aimed at both boys and girls, High 5 is essentially a 
mini version of the seven-a-side game. It is played on a normal sized netball court with only five players who rotate around each position, meaning each player has a chance to have a go at defending and attacking.
For more about netball:
England Netball: www.englandnetball.co.uk/youth
Welsh Netball Association: www.welshnetball.co.uk
Netball Scotland: www.netballscotland.com
Netball Ireland: www.netballireland.com
Rugby
Perhaps considered as one of the most hardy and aggressive of sports, rugby is introduced to children in a much milder manner – thankfully! Primary School aged children can take part in Tag Rugby, which is the RFU's official introduction to the game. It involves use of either a tag belt or tag shorts to replicate a tackle that is clearly seen when an effective tag has been made. Teams are made up of seven players with a gender mix of boys and girls. The game has been created for players to naturally progress to play the traditional 15-a-side game.
Another transitional version of the traditional 15-a-side game is Touch Rugby. This is a minimal contact sport played by children of all ages. A key difference between touch and 15-a-side is the constant pace of the game. There are few breaks in touch rugby and the pace of the game is constantly fast, demanding high levels of fitness.
For more about Rugby:
Rugby Football Union: www.rfu.com
Cricket
Cricket is introduced to children in a variety of ways. Firstly, Kwik Cricket is a simple game for boys and girls aged from 5 years and up. Currently played in 8,000 primary schools it is designed to introduce children to the sport and forms an integral part of the Cricket Board’s strategic goal of increasing interest levels. In recent years Kwik Cricket has seen a surge in participation amongst primary school pupils; with 23 per cent more teams taking part in 2008 than the previous year and a phenomenal rise in the number of girls taking part - up 97 per cent.
Urban Cricket is an exciting grassroots initiative that is aimed at children aged between 7 and 12 years old. It is cricket in its most simplified form with no rules, no pitch and no teams. The basic kit comprises just a bat and ball and the objective is quite simply to practice batting and bowling.
The England and Wales Cricket Board also promotes the sport with an ECB Cricket Factory Tour that gives young people aged 4-18 years old the opportunity to experience the game at the right level for their particular level of skill. This touring facility provides activity stations that test batting, catching, fielding and bowling.
For more about cricket:
Go to: England and Wales Cricket Board: www.ecb.co.uk
Go to: Cricket Scotland: www.cricketscotland.com
Go to: Cricket Ireland: www.irishcricket.org
Tennis
Tennis is regarded as one of the healthiest and least injurious sports with a strong social, yet competitive affiliation to it. The Lawn Tennis Association runs a junior tennis scheme, using a rainbow coloured format that allows a child to progressively move from one stage to the next. The tennis balls are coloured to highlight each stage, namely from red to orange to green to yellow. Starting with Red Ball Mini Tennis, this is for players aged 8 and under, and is played on small courts with short racquets and soft ball; next is Orange Ball Mini Tennis for players aged 8 and 9 who have already reached Red level 1. Green Ball Mini Tennis follows and is for players aged 10. This is played on a full tennis court, with bigger racquets and slightly harder balls. The final stage, Yellow Ball Mini Tennis, is for player’s aged 11 and over. It is played on a full tennis court, with full size racquets and full compression yellow balls. This progressive structure gently eases children to the dynamics of the game.
For more about Tennis:
The Lawn Tennis Association: www.lta.org.uk.
The International Tennis Federation: www.itftennis.com.
