Physical Education · Works with Volleyball

SEL activities for Volleyball

23 Physical Education activities you can teach during a Volleyball unit. Each one builds one Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) skill in about 20 minutes, inside the movement you already teach.

PE Course 1

• Pressure on the Court Responsible decision-making · Week 5During a partner challenge, students rehearse short scripts for responding when peers push them to skip a safety step or mock a classmate.
• Strengths in Every Partner Social awareness · Week 6Teams plan a relay by assigning legs based on each teammate's strengths, then journal about a strength they noticed in someone else.
• Nerves and Performance Self-awareness · Week 9Students attempt a target throw once calmly and once under a loud countdown, then analyze how nerves changed their focus and technique.
• Choosing Partners Fairly Social awareness · Week 25Students try several fair partner selection methods in badminton and journal about how it feels to be chosen first, last, or at random.
• Calling Lines Honestly Relationship skills · Week 26In self-officiated pickleball, students make their own line calls and journal about a call that tested their honesty.
• When the Rally Gets Heated Relationship skills · Week 27Partners practice a pause, name it, and fix it routine during a competitive rally game and journal how to repair after a frustrating moment.
• Strategy With a Partner Relationship skills · Week 28Doubles pairs huddle to plan offensive and defensive positions, play a short game, and adjust their plan through clear communication.
• Winning and Losing Well Self-management · Week 29After a round robin tournament, students assess which strategies worked and practice gracious responses to both winning and losing.
• Adapting the Game for All Social awareness · Week 30Groups redesign a dual activity so that players of every ability can take part and then test their version together.
• Activity Across Generations Social awareness · Week 33Students play a game that works for all ages and plan one way to be active with a family member or someone in their community.
• Thank You, Teammates Relationship skills · Week 36In a final cooperative challenge, students thank partners who supported them and write a gratitude note to a classmate or coach.

PE Course 2

• Our Team Agreements Relationship skills · Week 2After a cooperative challenge, the class writes team agreements that support players of all ability levels and each student journals one they will lead.
• Encouraging Every Level Social awareness · Week 12In mixed ability stations, students practice specific encouragement for classmates at every level and journal about encouragement that helped them.
• Huddle Talk Relationship skills · Week 14Teams huddle between short rounds to plan offensive and defensive tactics, making sure every player's voice is heard.
• Mistakes and Momentum Self-management · Week 15Teams practice a quick reset routine after errors during a game and analyze how emotions affect individual and team performance.
• Looking Back on Semester One Self-awareness · Week 18Students revisit their fitness and skill goals, repeat a favorite early activity, and journal how they have grown and what they will refine next.
• What Makes a Good Captain Responsible decision-making · Week 19Students rotate as captains in a team game and then name the leadership skills that helped or hurt the group.
• Leading the Warm Up Social awareness · Week 20Small groups take turns leading a warm up and adjusting it to the group's energy and needs in the moment.
• Choosing Teams Fairly Social awareness · Week 21Students compare ways of forming teams, test fair methods in a game, and journal about how team selection affects belonging.
• Games for All Abilities Social awareness · Week 22Groups modify a team game so that players with different abilities, including wheelchair users, can fully participate, then play the new version.
• Coaching a Younger Player Responsible decision-making · Week 24Pairs plan a simple, modified activity they could teach to a younger child and practice explaining it with patience.
• Staying Calm When Pressed Self-management · Week 27During light pressure drills, students practice steady breathing and journal how calm thinking changes their reaction.
• Gratitude for Our Team Relationship skills · Week 36After a favorite closing game played purely for enjoyment, students write a gratitude note to an assigned classmate.

Some activities are set in this sport. Others work in it with no changes, like a calm breathing reset or a self officiating routine.

RoseThread Connect activities are drafted with the help of AI and shaped by educators. Students never have to share anything personal. Our five SEL skills are informed by CASEL's SEL Framework; RoseThread Learning is not affiliated with or endorsed by CASEL.