HOPPING: FUNDAMENTAL MOVEMENTS.

                               HOPPING

Hopping is the taking off and landing on the same leg repeatedly. Adults rarely use hopping to move around. Hopping needs to be developed during childhood. To hop, one must project and absorb body weight with just one limb and maintain balance on the small base of support that one foot provides

CHARACTERISTICS OF EARLY HOPPING: • The support leg is momentarily lifted from the floor by flexing it rather than projecting the body up by leg extension. • Swing leg is inactive. • Arms are inactive 

PROFICIENT HOPPING:  • Characteristics of proficient hopping: The swing leg must lead the hip. The support leg must extend fully. The hopper must use the arms, which should move in opposition to the legs. The hopper must flex the support at landing to absorb the force of the landing and to prepare for extension at the next take-off 

DEVELOPMENTAL CHANGES IN HOPPING:  • Few children under age 3 can hop repeatedly. • Preschool years the children becomes proficient hoppers. • The neuromuscular system changes children’s hopping to allow a: • softer • more cushioned landing. 

RATE CONTROLLERS IN HOPPING:  • Hopping likely depends on the postural system’s ability to balance the body on one limb for succession of hops. • Enough force must be generated to lift the body with one limb, recover and quickly generate enough force again to hop repeatedly

Hopping a fundamental movement skill which is taught in many schools around the world . Teachers are trained to give lessons on the fundamental movements including jumping , hopping, skipping, skiing etc. When i came to know that these movements skills are taught in schools i was surprised as these lessons weren't given to us directly . Yes we learnt skipping jumping hopping in our homes ,in streets, played in schools but proper lessons weren't given to us in our schools .I Remember playing a game in my hometown Nushki, Balochistan named SITOKAI . It's a game like hop-scotch . I feel really glad that at least this game was known to us which helped us master  this hopping techniques without having the proper lessons.

Here is the outline of lessons given on fundamental movement skill :hopping

Hopping10 minutes

 Explain to children that hopping means jumping with one foot and landing on the same foot. To maintain balance when they are hopping, their arms should be bent at their sides. Explain what the ball of their foot is and have children touch it. Although they stand on a flat foot, this is the part of their foot they should be jumping off and landing on. They should land softly and quietly by bending their ankle and knee when they land. Activity 3: Exploring Hopping with “Follow the Leader” Have students stand in their own space and follow the instructor through a series of different hops. • Hop in place on right foot, then left foot. • Hop softly so you don’t make a sound. • Hop side to side • Hop forward, hop backwards. • Hop forward and swing your arms. • Hop five times in a row then change feet. • Hop quickly, slowly. • Hop forward in a straight line. • Hop, then jump, then hop, then jump