PeaceLoveBasketball Friday: Which Defense is the Best?
Defense is my favorite part of the game and man-to-man is my favorite defense. It’s my favorite to play, my favorite to teach during practice, and my favorite to use when I’m coaching a game. I also believe that every player should be taught man-to-man and play a lot of man-to-man, even though it’s not always the perfect solution in a game.
Players and teams should be taught man-to-man because it can be effective against opponents and because when players learn man-to-man, they learn the basic fundamentals of defense. I used the “10 to Win” Westside Rules of Defense when I was coaching at West Seattle. These rules set a precedent for what was expected; for players to stay low and close out aggressive but under control, to keep their hands up and out and to read their opponents, to jump to the ball when a pass was made, to keep their man out of the middle, to read passing lanes and bump cutters, to block out, to play help defense, to talk to one another and to be ruthless when an opponent picked up their dribble, and to never get beat back.
These defensive rules are essential when playing man-to-man defense, and they elevate zone play. There is nothing worse than a 2-3 zone where five players stand in the key, arms down by their sides. This happens a lot at lower levels, when kids are not taught the man-to-man fundamentals and explained how they translate into zones. In a good zone, players bend their knees, see the ball and any players in their area, close out, bump cutters, block out, talk, you get the point, they don’t just stand in their areas.
When […]
Monday’s Pen To Paper: Finding Space to Breathe
Photo Credit: Jeff Zaruba
Wow, 2017 flew by. There were good times (those seen on Instagram) and not-so-good times, but because of the ups and downs, it was fulfilling and interesting, and a year that I wouldn’t change for the world.
However, I am always looking for ways to make life better and I believe what will do that for me in the coming year is to work on slowing life down so that I can better appreciate every moment. Relishing the positive and understanding that when shit happens, I need to breathe and take a moment to myself then move toward happiness.
It’s not easy, especially when the real bad times hit. I’ve fought to save my job, I’ve battled injuries and I’ve lost loved ones and it took a lot of strength and courage to keep moving forward. But every day life can be tough sometimes too. When terrible things happen I know I have to buck up and move on, but at time it’s the little things, the sprained wrist, the sore shoulder, the sick dog, the sick kid, the dead toaster, the flat tire, and the constant battle with laundry and dishes that drags me down.
Life can be challenging that way, even as a half-full kind of gal. I’m not a jump up and down, happy-go-lucky, big smiles all the time type person. In fact, occasionally my husband will even ask me if I had fun at a party or something we did together, and I’ll be surprised by his question, because I’ve had a great time. I just tend to keep my joy at a whisper. I see the good in life (maybe quieter than some); still there are times when I struggle to stay positive day after day after day. If […]
Pen to Paper: The Power of Persistence
Monday’s Friday’s Pen to Paper: The Power of Persistence
It took me ten years to write my first book. I’m not telling you this to depress you, I’m telling you this to let you know, and to remind myself, that if you want something bad enough and you don’t give up on it, chances are you will make that thing happen.
I wanted to write a book that would share my experience in dealing with grief and recovery in hopes that it might help others, and I didn’t give up on that dream. It was not easy, writing is not easy in and of itself and it seemed that life always got in the way, work, kids, that sort of thing, but for ten years I took baby steps toward my goal, I was persistent.
Some, like my husband for example, might use the word stubborn. Well, “stubborn” is a good thing if it can help you attain your goals. When I was 24 years old I was in an accident that left me injured and unable to work in my field, and put me back in my hometown living with my parents. I hated loosing my independence and wanted out. I knew that apartment managers often got free rent, so I decided this is what I needed to do so that I could afford to live on my own again.
Finding a management position wasn’t easy. But I checked the newspapers and made calls (There was no emailing or texting back then), and then more calls and more calls and more calls. I was persistent, stubborn if you please; I even dressed in my best clothes and showed up at a management office to introduce myself. I had the goal to be independent again and I […]
Monday’s Pen to Paper: The Awesome Sports Writing Contest
Get your pen out and get writing and win up to $300 cash!
In the Awesome Sports Project’s continued efforts to inspire and promote voices in girls’ and women’s sports, they have launched their 2nd Annual Awesome Sports Writing Contest. Male and female writers of all ages and level of writing experience are welcome, but the submission must be nonfiction and about girls’ and women’s sports.
Submissions will be read by celebrity judge Rebecca Lowe (NBC Sports Anchor), Dennis Norris, Leisl Veach, and me, Sonya Elliott! There are both youth (18 & under) and adult categories and the entry deadline is February 15, 2018. For more information go to the Awesome Sports Project.
Write On!
Meet Sonya
Meet Sonya
Sonya Elliott’s memoir, Back on the Court: A Young Woman’s Triumphant Return to Life, Love & Basketball, is her story of finding hope in the wake of tragedy after she and her fiancé were hit by a train. She blogs about writing, basketball, and life and is currently working on a Young Adult Novel and a Non-Fiction Coaching book. Stories of her career as a fashion model are woven through her memoir, as both the Soloflex and Easy Spirit Shoes commercials were filmed during that time period, and this unique and intriguing business continues to be a part of her life.
Sonya played basketball at Eastern Washington University and was a starter for the Big Sky Champion team that went to the 1987 NCAA tournament. She coached for almost 25 years and was voted Seattle Times Coach of the Year, Seattle Officials Women’s Basketball Association Coach of the Year, and twice voted Metro League Coach of the Year. She loves the game of basketball and is thankful, not only for her husband and kids but for her ability to continue to get back on the court.
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PEN TO PAPER: VOTE!
The election is coming up quick, so I am writing this blog to encourage people to vote. If you read my blog you know that I am concerned about women’s rights and equal rights, I am pro-choice, I believe in science and I am deeply concerned about the environment, so my vote goes to Joe Biden. Most of you have already decided who you will vote for in this election, but if you are on the fence, I’ve included a chart of news sources and links to check out, because getting your voice heard is important, and being informed from a broad base of news sources is equally important. It doesn’t matter whether you are democrat or republican, what matters is that we bring the nation together. Young, old, white, black, women, men, Buddhist, Catholic, gay, straight, and everything in between. We are all people.
When I was young I wasn’t […]
Life Inspired Fitness: Inspired by de Tour
Watching the Tour de France last month inspired me. I’m not out biking every day in a yellow jersey, or trying to be King of the Mountain, but I had fun following the stages and learning more about the race. And it got me excited about pulling out my bike the next sunny day. I of course know about the race, I know of Lance Armstrong (his cancer, his comeback and the controversy around him) and I’ve watched parts of the race over my lifetime. I know that the race has many stages (twenty-one to be exact), and that the winner of each stage gets to wear the yellow jersey. But that was about it.
This year I checked the leaders each day (2020 overall winner was Tadej Pogacar), and learned that with each race, a rider can win the green jersey as well as a polka dot jersey. The green jersey […]
PEN TO PAPER: Reboot
I used to post a pen to paper, that included a writing prompt, every Monday. It was always a good way for me to kickstart my writing for the week, so I’ve decided to go back to that routine. If you’re a writer please join me. If you’re not a writer, you can join me too. It can be fun to ponder writing prompts even if you don’t have time to write (though it only take 5-10 mins).
I like to give a couple of prompts, but if the prompts I give don’t spark your interest, feel free to use your own. Or if you can’t decide, my friend Jenny and I often grab the nearest book, open it up and set our finger on the page and go with the closest word or phrase. The key is to simpy write.
Write on!
WRITING PROMPT #1: What does reboot mean to you?
WRITING PROMPT […]
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