Splash – a game for Red and Orange players

Where to stand

• Player stands in the middle of the service box. Each service box is the players own swimming pool.
• Other player stands at their baseline which in a mini court is the service box. This person is the ‘Splasher’.

How to play

• The player at the backline starts with a donkey drop and tries to land the ball anywhere in the other players pool. They are trying to ‘Splash’ the other player.

How to win

• If the donkey drop starter hits over the net and bounces in the receivers pool, then the receiver has been ‘Splashed’ which wins the point for the player who started.
• If the donkey drop starter tries to hit the ball and it goes over but not in the pool, then they have ‘Landed it in the wrong pool’ and they have lost the point.
• If the donkey drop starter tries to hit the ball and it doesn’t make it over the net, then they have the ball ‘Stuck in their pool’ and they have lost the point.
• If the receiver, hits the ball before it bounces (volleys) but it lands in their own box, they have ‘Splashed’ themselves.
• If the receiver the hits ball on the full and it lands back in the starting person’s boxed then they have ‘Splashed Back’ and they win the point.

Format

• Either two players playing against each other and swapping if they get ‘Splashed’ or champs and challenger style with 1 or 2 waiting off.

Teaching moments

• After trying this for a while then bring kids in and talk about the proper ready position for the receiver.
• After trying this for a while then bring kids in and talk about how the split step needs to land at the same time as when the server hits the ball.
• After trying this for a while then bring kids in and talk about how the starter can donkey drop a shot which ‘Splashes’ the other person. Ask the kids if there are any other ways to ‘Splash’ them than just landing the ball between the player and the net. They will respond (with prompting) that yes it could land over the player’s head in the back of the box. This is where you can talk about what a ‘Lob’ is in tennis.

Adaptations

• To further demonstrate the lob, you can bring the receivers starting position from the middle of the service box to 1 metre from the net. This will help the kids see how the lob will be a smart idea if they are close to the net. The kids will naturally start going from low to high more in their starter donkey drop.
• You can easily open this up to be a full rally where one player (the starter) is allowed to let it bounce and the other player (receiver) has to hit it on the full.

Game scenarios that teach technique

• The nature of this game means kids shorten their volleys to try and ‘Splash Back’ the person.
• The nature of this game means kids move forward and try hard to make the ball on the full.
• The nature of this game means the starter goes from low to high on their swing.
• The nature of the game means the starter starts to think about placement and possible ‘Splash’ spots.