The joint project "Ball sports groups at primary school age" is entering its third phase. Since 2015, the Institute for Sport and Sport Science at the University of Kassel and MT-Melsungen have been successfully implementing the conception, establishment and evaluation of ball sports groups in the North Hesse region. The cross-grade groups are set up in extracurricular school sports and introduced to target games (hempball, soccer and basketball) according to an integrative teaching concept.

The focus of the project work is on the continuation and further development of the partner program, which is accompanied by scientific studies. In the third phase, the cooperation project will focus on the following tasks from July 2023 to December 2027:

• Partner program and network building: The partner schools program introduced in the second phase of the project, in which more than 20 elementary schools are currently involved, will be continued and expanded. The participating schools organize the ball sports program independently and are supported by education and training opportunities, teaching materials and ball sports packages. One focus of the project work will be on networking and the development of information and communication structures between the partners and institutions involved. This is also linked to the objective of improving cooperation between elementary schools and local sports clubs. The annual tournament event Tag der ballstars is intended to contribute to network building.
• Education and training: As the partner program expands, so does the demand for a corresponding educational offering in the area of integrative sports game teaching. In addition to a training offer within the framework of the teacher training program, a continuation of the cooperation with the Zentralstelle für Schulsport und Bewegungsförderung (ZFS) is aimed at. The training and continuing education programs are designed to meet the needs of participating elementary schools for qualified group leaders (teachers, students, exercise instructors). In addition, the program will be presented in the context of workshops and conference contributions.
• Scientific support: The scientific support of the ballstars will be continued in the third project phase. Following the successful development of special survey procedures and the investigation of sports game-related performance development, further research perspectives will be adopted. (1) In the course of the intended network formation and cooperation, the processes taking place and the results achieved will be evaluated. (2) On the topic of movement and sports careers, the sponsored ballstars children will be interviewed about their further sports activities after leaving elementary school. (3) Based on the developed game collections and tested teaching units, further subject-didactic questions will be addressed (e.g., videographic and didactic breakdown of game forms and teaching units, use in training and further education).