No, we’re not talking about poly-spots, safe spots, squad spots, or anything in between. 

We’re talking about structures of play: 

Side-by-Side: Where players are facing and moving in the same direction. 

Parallel: Players are in a similar space, but frequently focused on their own thing. 

Oppositional: There are clearly two or more individuals/teams versus each other. 

Turn-Based: Where players take turns to perform. 

Synchronized: Where people coordinate to perform the same action at the same time. 

“Will, why should I care about these S.P.O.T.S.?” Because we want students to experience meaningful connection to movement! Emotions drive our behavior, and if students are receiving Physical Education experiences in structures of play they dislike, are we moving them to move OR making them move? 

Better yet think about it this way. In a personal favorite, Top Dog, they cite James Meindl’s research on competitive environments. 50% of participants won’t be helped by competition. 25% will actually do worse. That may not seem like a big deal, but imagine walking up to your boss, and letting them know you would be using a teaching model or strategy that would only work for half of the class. You’d be crazy to do that. Yet, when you think of the stereotypes surrounding Physical Education most envision competitive, oppositional environments where the jocks dominate, and everyone else dreads it. Even the typical big four game forms of the past 30-40 years (Target, Net/Wall, Striking/Fielding, Invasion) often lead back to competitive, oppositional environments. We’re consistently using learning environments that, based on research, only work for ½ of the students. We’re the crazy person! S.P.O.T.S. is one way I suggest we can (See O’Connor et al, 2024 for the full story) cut back the crazy and push back on the stereotypes. How do I use them? 

With younger ages, our units are centered around them. A turn-based unit can work on all of your typical P.E. skills, but it’s not a one-off. We come back to those skills again and again throughout the year. The dribbling skills we used for certain turn-based games can also be used in synchronized or side-by-side activities. It becomes a repeated cycle of practice and learning. Parallel play happens every day to start class with our “Either-Or” warm-ups or object control Get Your S.P.O.T.S. In Order skill “Challenge Time.” 

With older ages, I aim to provide multiple structures of play within each unit so students can move in ways they prefer. Imagine a strength training unit. You could feature stereotypical weight training (parallel/turn-based), Crossfit-like competitions (turn-based competition), group strength workouts (side-by-side), and same-object challenges like Tug O’ War and Yakut Stick Tugging (oppositional competition). At either age level, it’s an opportunity to help students identify what they connect with and add variety to your program. To me, getting your S.P.O.T.S. in order is the way to go. 

If I’ve struck a chord with you, please reach out. I love to talk shop.

This post is part of #slowchathealth’s #MicroBlogMonth, where educators from around the world share, connect, and inspire. Take a moment to explore more posts, connect with contributors like Will Westphal, and if you’re feeling inspired… we’d love to hear your voice too.

Pair this post with:

Making it Count: Organizing PE Around What Really Matters by Professor Ash Casey

How to Facilitate Deeper Connections to Physical Activity by Jordan Manley

Making Meaningful Physical Education Elementary Friendly by Will Westphal

Move More, Learn More!: Harnessing the Brain–Body Connection in Early Childhood edited by Mike Kuczala and Lynne Kenney