One of the amazing things about getting a Wii is that the electronically oriented games actually stimulate interest in real, physical games - at least in our house.
• biking on the Wii makes me want to ride;
• skateboarding on the Wii makes Amy and I want to skateboard (in fact I have gone out twice to do just that in the past month!);
• playing table tennis makes Bentley and I want to play table tennis;
• and playing basketball on the Wii (3 on 3) makes Bentley and I want to shoot hoops. In fact, the Wii is designed to really take a basketball shot into account: too much forward propulsion does not go high enough to score; too much height does not carry the ball to the basket; very realistic. While Bentley plays, for this reason, he asks for help to make baskets so I have been teaching him.
Today we went swimming and on the way home we passed the basketball hoop and ball. We stopped because he has expressed so much interest that I want to capitalize on it for him and his athletic development. I showed him how to shoot correctly using his left hand to stabilize the ball then push up and forward using his wrist. I soon realized that he is too little to shoot a full-size ball in the net. So I changed tactics and showed him the two-handed push shot (see photo above). This tenacious little boy just shot and shot and shot and I realized that he was putting the ball higher and higher. Then he hit the net, then he hit the rim! Almost in!
Bentley had been trying to get more height so besides using both arms, he also began using his legs and that is what gave him more height. Sure enough, a few more throws and he got it into the basket! From the ground! By himself!! Once he got a taste of success he wanted to keep shooting so we kept at it until he made another basket.
Two points; twice!