PATTERING FOOTSTEPS, CHILDREN'S VOICES
BEN: Do you like trying new things?
Perfect. Because we鈥檙e going to learn some of the skills that we need to play blind football.
UPBEAT MUSIC
BEN: Right everyone, I think it鈥檚 time for us to meet our blind football coach鈥
It鈥檚 Azeem.
AZEEM: Hi, guys. Blind football is played by five players.
So, four outfield players and one fully sighted goalkeeper.
The ball is very special because the ball makes a special sound.
Shall I give it a little shake?
RATTLING
You鈥檙e gonna to pass the ball around the circle, you鈥檙e gonna to give it a little shake and you're gonna say your name nice and clearly, nice and loud.
So, we鈥檙e tuning in our speaking skills and our listening skills.
Are you ready?
So鈥 Azeem!
ELLIOT: Elliot!
ELLA: Ella!
BEN: First, we鈥檙e getting used to listening to the sound of the ball as it鈥檚 passed quickly from person to person.
Just like in blind football.
AZEEM: And back we go, give yourselves a big clap.
Good start. Well done.
CHEERING
AZEEM: Nice and simple one to get us going.
When I say, 鈥楪o,鈥 the person at the front of the queue is going to run as quick as they can, all the way around the coach.
They then come back to their group and give that person a high five, then they鈥檙e going to go to the back of the queue and they鈥檙e going to sit down.
Okay. Three, two, one鈥 Go!
BEN: Go on, Eliza. Brilliant.
AZEEM: High five!
BEN: Now, this activity is all about building confidence and beginning to think about your position on the pitch.
AZEEM: Well done, give yourselves a big clap!
What we鈥檙e gonna do this time, is we're gonna incorporate the ball.
I want you to make sure you keep that ball rattling all the way around and all the way back.
Then you鈥檙e going to pass it into the hands of the next person.
Okay, give the ball a little shake.
Three, two, one鈥 Go!
BEN: Now, we鈥檝e added the challenge of listening for the ball, and starting to work together.
CHILDREN HAPPILY SHOUTING
AZEEM: So, this is the challenging part.
Ben, to start off with, I鈥檓 gonna come and stand by your left-hand side.
If I take your left hand鈥
BEN: Yeah.
I鈥檓 going to place it on my right shoulder, like so.
BEN: Okay.
AZEEM: And what鈥檚 gonna happen is we鈥檙e gonna go for a little walk, we're gonna go around the coach and back.
So, if the coach keeps talking which helps me to guide towards you, and then I鈥檓 going to keep making sure that I鈥檓 speaking to you.
Are you ready?
We鈥檙e going to slowly walk around the coach.
So, slowly walking forward.
BEN: Blind footballers need to learn how to move around the pitch without being able to see.
And a big part of that is being able to trust your team mates.
AZEEM: 鈥 two, one, and stop.
And you can lift it off.
Give Ben a big clap!
CLAPPING
BEN: Now, it鈥檚 the turn of our two teams.
They need to put their trust in each other and guide their friends.
But as everyone鈥檚 confidence grows, we can make the activity a little bit trickier.
So, you鈥檙e not going to hold onto me this time; you鈥檙e just gonna follow my voice.
Come towards me in a straight line.
Yeah, very good.
Okay, now you鈥檙e going to slightly turn.
Okay, you鈥檙e just walking back so pop your arms by your side again, nice and relaxed.
You鈥檝e almost made it.
One, two, three鈥
CHEERING
AZEEM: The person at the front of the queue is going to sit down, and they鈥檙e going to pop a blindfold on.
The person at the back of the queue will come and sit about halfway.
BEN: This one is all about teamwork and coordination too.
Everyone is still in pairs, and each pair has a ball.
All you have to do is roll the ball slowly to your partner鈥hile blindfolded.
This is helping our teams with their listening skills, to work out when the ball is coming to them.
AZEEM: We鈥檙e going to increase the distance so you鈥檙e even more further away now.
We鈥檙e gonna be sat down and you put your legs into a 鈥榁鈥 position, which is gonna help.
Okay, shall we give that a go?
BEN: With all of the activities that Azeem has shown us, you can increase the level of challenge as you feel more confident.
No footy match is complete without a post-match chat with the players.
CHILD 1: I like playing blind football because it was so fun.
CHILD 2: The football was special because it made a rattling noise.
CHILD 3: I liked the passing with the ball, with the blindfold on.
CAMERA CLICKS
PATTERING FOOTSTEPS, CHILDREN'S VOICES
Watch this film with British Sign Language
Watch this film with audio description
Watch this film with British Sign Language and audio description
Ben Cajee joins Azeem Amir, England blind football player, as he passes on his blind football skills.
This film is an introduction to blind football, showcasing some of the skills needed to play.
Skills
The activities develop these skills: listening, teamwork and communication (giving and following instructions). The children also get used to wearing a blindfold.
Activities
Big Ears
To practise their listening and communication skills, the children sit in a circle and pass the blind football round quickly from person to person, saying their name so that they get used to listening to their classmates and listening to the sound of the football.
Run Around
The aim of this activity is to build confidence and get the children thinking about their position on the pitch. They run round their coach and back to their classmate, giving them a high five. Then the children run around their coach with the ball and back to their classmate.
Activity card
Download and print the activity card for blind football 5-7
