Lesson of the Day

Hello, and welcome to the Lesson of the Day. It used to be the “Tip” of the day, but lately the entries have gotten big enough to be called “Lessons” In any case, here’s how it works: If you can correctly answer a question about a Lesson of the Day at the next practice, you will be eligible for a reward of some sort — that may be getting to do a drill you like, or do the foul shout challenge, or get out of some running. Coach Jim will decide during the following practice! Why do we do this? Because practices are few — especially once games start — so the more players can be “up to speed” by the time we actually start practice, the better!

Lesson#6:This Lane is MY Lane

Hey you guys know that song? This Lane is My Lane? No?

Well, it goes like this:

This lane is my lane.
This lane ain’t your lane.
If you come in here.
You’ll be in some pain.
Cuz I’m gonna stop you.
I won’t let you through.
This lane was made for only meee!

This is the song we sing in our heads when we’re on defense. What does it mean, exactly? It means that ANY TIME you’re on D and you see someone coming in for a layup or to shoot, you GET IN THEIR WAY. Get in their face, man! Put a hand in their face. Stand right in front of them! DO NOT LET THEM TAKE A SHOT NEAR THE BASKET!

Why do I point this out? Because I’ve noticed you’re all very polite girls. Many times, when you see an opponent driving the lane you will say (with an English accent) “Oh, terribly sorry to intrude! Here, allow me to step out of the way for you, old bean!”

Your hands are by your side, or politely waving to them as they gratefully stride in to the hoop and sink a shot.

Um. No.

That’s not supposed to happen. Polite is good — but not on our court. Nobody comes into the tic tac house (our key/lane/near the hoop) uninvited. And the other team is NEVER invited. You are all attack Doberman Pincers. Stopping Anyone Who Comes Near! You could even growl if you like. I’m okay with that.

That’s it for the lesson of the day. Memorize and live the song. (I probably won’t make you sing it out loud…probably.)

-Coach

Lesson#5: DEFENSE

This one comes right from Michael Jordan. It cuts out a little quick near the end, but this should give you a great idea of how to play your man when she has the ball!

Lesson#4: REBOUNDING

Todays lesson is short! It’s about rebounding. Here are the things to remember!

1. DON’T stand right under the hoop — you want to be about 2 steps back — THAT’s where the rebounds go!
2. BEFORE the shot — keep a light forearm on your man to “mark” where she is.
3. When the shot goes up, yell “SHOT!” then TURN and push your hips back into your opponent.
   NOTE! REALLY push her back with your hips! MAKE CONTACT! DO NOT BE SHY!
4. The Biggest Key is — BE AGGRESSIVE! WANT THE BALL!

That’s it! See? I told you it would be short!

Lesson#3: Two-Three (2-3) Zone Defense

(From the Coach’s Clipboard Basketball Playbook, @ http://www.coachesclipboard.net)

FIRST a Disclaimer! I don’t expect anyone to memorize this stuff! Really! All I ask is that you look it over, and maybe — just maybe — somewhere in the backs of your minds, when we go over it on Sunday, one of you will go…”Ohhhh! Right! I think I remember something like that!” Really. That’s all I hope for!

So. We’ll be doing the 2-3 Zone defense! What the heck is that? Well. To start with, a ZONE defense means that each player doesn’t cover a specific person, but a “zone” of the court. You pretty much have a “yard” that you stay in. And I’ll be reminding you to NOT stray too far out of it!

Before we can really talk about the defense, I need to explain the diagrams, don’t I? So, first off:

• YELLOW TRIANGLES (and the letter “X” in the paragraphs below) represent DEFENSE.
• RED CIRCLES (and the letter “O” in the paragraphs below) represent OFFENSE.
• THE NUMBERS FOLLOWING THE LETTERS (X1, for example) represent a POSITION.

So…Anytime you see an “X” (followed by a number) it means defender. For example, X1 would be whom? Did you say the DEFENDING Point Guard? WOW! You’re good! And who would “O3″ be? The offensive Small Forward? You’re not just good, you’re fantastic! What’s more? You’re ready to check out the diagrams! Woo Hoo! Read ON!

Check out Diagram A, Below!
This is the starting setup for our 2-3 Zone defense! Basically, we have the Point Guard (X1) at one end of the foul line (or, elbow), and the Off-Guard (X2) at the other elbow. X4 (Yes, that’s the defending Power Forward) is down at one block, while X3 is at the other block.

But wait! Where’s our big Center — Good Old X5? Why she’s in the middle of the paint of course!! Her “Territory” She owns it, after all! She’s swatting any balls that the offense tries to pass over or around her, and blocking any shot that the foolish offense tries to take in the paint! Check it out, below:

 

OK. Now check Diagram B!
Now. See what happens when the ball moves out to the wing? X2 goes out to challenge! (If the ball went out on the other wing, of course, it would be X1 that goes to challenge, right? Right!) What else is going on here? What changes from Diagram A to Diagram B? Did you notice that X1 slides over, or “SAGS IN” to help protect the middle? You did? You’re so observant! Meanwhile notice that X3, X4, and X5 pretty much stand their ground and stay in their “yards.” Good Guard Dogs!

 

Now lets take a look at Diagram C: When the ball moves into the corner, X4 moves out to cover the ball. It is HUGELY IMPORTANT that X5 (our big Center) slides over immediately into the low block that X4 just left! WHY? BECAUSE! If X5 does not get there in time, the offense may get an easy pass into the low block, and a lay-up!!

A Final Note: Just remember that if these things happen on the other sides (Other Wing, Other Corner) the reaction by the 2-3 Zone is pretty much the same, just a mirror of what you see above.

Also remember the NUMBER ONE RULE OF DEFENSE: HANDS UP ALWAYS!!!

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Lesson#2: The Positions

Since we’ll be showing you an offense on Tuesday, today’s tip is simply the positions on the court. Tuesday, we’ll see which of you can tell me what they all are! I know this is a looong entry!! All you have to know to receive credit on Tuesday is what the five positions are. You will get “brownie points” if you can tell me what NUMBER goes with each position. DON’T worry about memorizing the descriptions, but look them over to see if you could tell me what position YOU think describes YOU. (PS. That doesn’t mean you’ll definitely GET that position!!) P.S. This tip was taken from an existing website! OK Before I really get into the details, all you really need to know is the position names themselves! Here they are:

1. Point Guard
2. Off-Guard
3. Small Forward
4. Power Forward
5. Center

The Point Guard (1)

The point guard runs the offense and watches the backcourt. Her role is very important to the team as she is really an extension of the coach on the floor. She must have these qualities:

1. She must have an instinctive knowledge of the game.
2. She must be a good ball handler.
3. She must be a good passer.
4. She must possess speed and quickness of foot.
5. She must be a good dribbler with either hand.
6. She must be able to play good hard-nosed defense.
7. She must be able to hit the outside shot when left open.
8. She must be able to penetrate and dish off.
9. She must be able to read defenses.
10. Above all, her ego must not be so inflated that it interferes with her basketball judgment. Normally, the point guard receives little publicity for her fine play; but, her coach and teammates know her value to the team.

The Off-Guard (2)

The off-guard is also referred to as the #2 guard or shooting guard. She is generally a very good shooter. The qualities that she needs to possess are:

1. She must have an instinctive knowledge of the game.
2. She must be a good ball handler.
3. She must be a good passer.
4. She must possess speed and quickness of foot.
5. She must be a good dribbler with either hand.
6. She must be able to play good hard-nosed defense.
7. She must be able to hit the 8 to 10 foot shot with consistency.
8. She must be able to penetrate and dish off.
9. She must be able to read defenses.
10. She must know how to move without the ball.
11. She must be a student of the offense so that she can step in and run the offense if the point guard is being overplayed, or must leave the game.
12. Her ego must not be so inflated that it interferes with her basketball judgment. Normally, the off-guard’s job is to put points on the board and help her teammates to score.

The Small Forward (3)

The small forward is the most rounded player (does a little of everything) on the team. She should possess the following characteristics:

1. She must be quick and fast.
2. She must be an adequate rebounder.
3. She must be a good passer.
4. She must be able to play defense anywhere on the floor.
5. Most of all she must be a good scorer, capable of shooting from anywhere from the wings, around the key, and under the boards. The best of these, can score at will, and simply take control of the game with their exceptional athletic abilities.
6. She must run the length of the floor on fast breaks.

The Power Forward (4)

Like the point guard, the power, or strong forward, does not receive much recognition. Usually, if she’s doing her job well, her role as the player doing the “dirty work” is taken for granted. She must possess the following:

1. She must be a solid rebounder, both offensively and defensively. Along with the center, the power forward controls the area inside the key. Many of their characteristics should be similar.
2. She must be an adequate passer.
3. She must be an adequate scorer.
4. She must be a “gutsy” dribbler and a hard driver.
5. She must be a good runner and able to go the entire length of the floor on a fast break.
6. She must stand up to the opposition at both ends of the court. In basketball parlance, she is known as the “enforcer.”

The Center (5)

The center, along with the point guard, is a very important position. Normally, she is the tallest player on the floor. The qualities she must possess are:

1. She must have quickness.
2. She must be an aggressive rebounder and lead the way in blocked shots. She needs to be a little arrogant with a streak of toughness. She is QUEEN OF THE PAINT. She must prove by her manner and actions that this territory is hers!
3. She must be a dependable scorer at short and mid range. She must be adept at the power lay-ups, with and without shot fakes, from both sides of the basket. She needs to develop a short hook and jump shot.
4. She must have defensive leadership, always talking to her teammates.
5. She must be a good passer and be able to see the floor and hit the open man if her shot is not there.
6. She must be able to read how she is being defended and to take advantage of this when she is posting-up.
7. She must have strong hands, good upper body strength, and good jumping ability.

 

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Lesson#1: Get in the Bubble!

“Bubble” is not a term used by all coaches; but it’s useful to remind you to play in a GOOD defensive position. Good Defensive Position means not so close that the player, with the ball, can step by you with ONE step. Yet, you want to be close enough that you could slap the ball if she should hold it in front. In other words, be close enough to bother her. Make her worry. Make her think you will touch her next pass, block her next shot, or steal her next dribble!