Log July 12, 2010

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Date	Minutes Spent Tagging	Activity	Notes	TAG Points	Comments/ Lessons learned
07/12/10	15	Tennis	The Kidlet is learning to play tennis. We will arrive at her lesson 15 minutes early everyday this week to work on her serve.	We worked through the stance, the toss and started the swing in 15 minutes of tagging. Tag points were: Tag point: Toes to Post Tag point: Racket on Back Tag point: Toss up and forward This tag point did not give enough information. I made it into three tags. Tag point: Begin toss at shoulder Tag point: Extend fingers with toss. Tag point: Eyes and hand follows ball I chalked a box on the court for her to let her toss bounce into. After using her racket to gage the correct high, she did about ten or 12 tosses and just let the ball drop on the court in to the box. Tag point: Little Lean Tag point: Reach high The Kidlet suggested that we rename the reach high tag to statue of liberty, a tag we use for fast pitch soft ball.	I need to break the serve into small bites and tag the Kidlet on each part. Tennis is not my sport. I used Tennis Steps to Success, 3rd edition by Jim Brown to build my model for tagging a serve. The serve is the most important shot in Tennis. You cannot "win" a point if you did not serve. The objectives for the beginner learning the serve are to work on technique, strength and consistency. I picked the punch-serve to start because it looked like the serve that the instructor was trying to teach and it is the easiest to learn. The objectives for a good serve are: 1. to get the serve into play consistently while using proper technique 2. when consistent getting the ball in to play, the goal is to be able to hit the ball exactly where you want it to go 3. to hit harder 4. to hit with a variety of spins 5. to have a pre-serve routine My objective for the Kidlet is for her to get the ball in to play %75 percent of the time while using proper technique. Directions will follow.
07/12/10		Tennis/ continued			The directions are: Part 1. Stand behind service line at about a 45% angle to the net, facing one of the net post. She is right handed so she will position her left foot forward at the 45% angle. (She will move back to the baseline once she can hit from the service line) Repeat the step on the left and right side of the service line. Work a tag point here for the foot position. Part 2. To toss the ball, hold the ball at the base of the fingers of left hand. Extend arm, holding the ball in the direction you want to hit and lift the ball without bending very much at the elbow. As you lift, release the ball by opening the fingers. Toss the ball so it peaks higher than the tip of the racket. Toss the ball to the same spot consistently. Repeat the step on the left and right side of court. Work a couple of tag points here for tossing. Part 3. Bring the racket to a position behind your back and touch the middle of your back with the edge of your racket. Lift the racket head a few inches and make this the starting point. Repeat the step on the left and right side of court. Work a couple of tag points here for racket position and for throwing a ball across court with the racket hand. Part 4. Swing up at the ball. The serve motion goes up before it goes forward. Don't let the elbow lead the stroke; keep the elbow high until after the hit. Repeat the step on the left and right side of the service line. Work a couple of tag points here for the swing.
07/12/10		Tennis/ continued			Part 5. When you hit, reach as high as you can. Your arm and racket should be fully extended when contact is made. Repeat the step on the left and right side of court. Work a couple of tag points here for the reach. Part 6. With the hit, snap the wrist. Repeat the step on the left and right side of court. Work a couple of tag points here for the snap. Part 7. After contact, bring the racket forward toward the net as far as it will go. Repeat the step on the left and right side of court. Work a couple of tag points Part 8. Follow though across your body, ending on the opposite side from which the motion began. Repeat the step on the left and right side of court. Work a couple of tag points Part 9. Practice directing serves deep and to specific spots marked on the court. Repeat the step on the left and right side of court.
07/12/10		Tennis/ continued			Part 10. Move back to a position halfway between the service line and the baseline and build the serve again. Repeat the step on the left and right side of court. Part 11. Mover back to the baseline and build the serve again. Repeat the step on the left and right side of the service line. Part 12. Move back to the 2 feet behind baseline and build the serve again. Repeat the step on the left and right side of court. Part 13. Build a pre serve routine. Repeat the step on the left and right side of court.
07/12/10	10	Karate	We reviewed the 20 techniques and added 3 more that she knew well already.	Tag point: Check	We reviewed first and then worked on the new stuff. We worked for about an hour. The only thing I tag was keeping her hand up.
07/12/10	5	Cello	The Kidlet is working on the proper way to bow her cello.	Tag Point: Over Bend Wrist Tag Point: Straight Elbow Tag Point: Arm Only I marked the tags 10 times each with a loud box clicker so that she could hear it over her playing.	The Kidlet got out her cello and asked that I tag her bow work. I immediately stopped what I was doing and got my clicker. I praised her for getting her cello out and asking for tags. She LOVES to hear I am proud of her. At dinner I told everyone at the table how proud I am that the Kidlet will get her cello out and start playing with out anyone asking that she do so.