Sonya Elliott

Back on the Court

AUTHOR & BASKETBALL FANATIC
  • Home
  • Meet Sonya
    • Bio
    • On Writing
    • On Grief
    • On Basketball
    • Gallery
  • Book
  • Articles
  • Blog
    • All Posts
    • Pen To Paper
    • Peace Love Basketball
    • Life Inspired Fitness
  • TedX
  • Press
  • PeaceLoveBasketball
  • Contact

PEACELOVEBASKETBALL: Knowledge is Power – Share It

May 18, 2018 By Sonya Elliott

I’ve read a lot of books about coaching basketball and over the years I have attended many coaches clinics and I love learning about the game and getting different perspectives. As coaches we have certain preferences, but it only helps to check out different options and opinions, and then pick and choose the bits and pieces that fit our needs. Whether we are talking about the X’s and O’s or overall team concepts, knowledge is power.

I am currently building a Coaches Toolkit page on my website with basic information for basketball coaches, such as free downloads of court diagrams, practice plan forms, and beginner basketball basics. The page will also include some of my favorite books such as The Complete Guide to Coaching Girls’ Basketball: Building a Great Team the Carolina Way by Sylvia Hatchell, Reach for the Summit: The Definite Dozen System for Succeeding at Whatever You Do by Pat Summitt and  They Call Me Coach by John Wooden to name a few. I will also be adding links to blogs and websites, and I’m looking for recommendations.So if you have basketball books, blogs or websites that you like, please comment below and I’ll take a look.

Thanks so much!

Filed Under: Basketball, Highlight, PLB Fridays, sports Tagged With: basketball, Coaching, Defense, Inspiring, sports, Teamwork

PeaceLoveBasketball Friday: Which Defense is the Best?

February 2, 2018 By Sonya Elliott

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 I was the head coach at West Seattle High School, I asked my junior varsity coaches to use man-to-man for at least half of each JV game. It’s tough to do this if a team is young and maybe not as skilled, opposing players will go around the defense, players will struggle helping their teammates, and teams who honestly might have a chance to win if they played zone, may lose. Our JV lost some games because of this I’m sure, but I believe that by using man-to-man defense, at least a portion of the time, the girls learned the basic principles of defense and improved their individual game, the JV team, and in the end, the overall program.

Although I openly declare that I love man-to-man and that it’s my favorite D, it’s not always the right defense to get the job done. So it’s a coach’s job to scout an opponent, if possible, so they know what to expect, and then read the opponents offense during the game and adjust. Does a team score every time by driving to the hoop, but can’t hit 3-pointers? They might be the perfect candidate for a tight 2-3 zone. Maybe your opponent doesn’t have great ball handlers but you don’t have enough players to run a lot of full court press, you could try a half-court trapping zone. Put pressure on their ball handlers while conserving some energy. Maybe you want to slow the game but your opponent’s guards could easily get by an aggressive full-court press, you could extend your defense a little into a soft press to take some time off the clock. If your opponent starts beating your zone defense, change it up; try a burst of man-to-man pressure, and visa-versa. Or maybe your opponents leading scorer gets all of her points from the block. Try doubling her every time she touches the ball (this could be done in both man or zone).

I’m a proponent of change, but controlled change. Make changes with your defense to upset your opponent, but only use what your team is familiar with. I had an assistant coach who always wanted to add new offenses and defenses on the fly. I don’t agree with this philosophy. As a head coach, I was open to new things, if we had time to practice them. I wanted our players to feel confident in what they were doing. When I talk about using change, I mean use what you have in your arsenal to create change to upset your opponent. Throw your full court press at them, slow things down with a soft zone, or even mix it up on possessions. I often had my teams change defense on a made basket. I had one team who performed this flawlessly. If we were playing 1-2-2 zone, I might say “go back to man-to-man on makes”. This takes kids who know what they are doing, who have solid man-to-man skills, as well as a good understanding of all zones and presses that their team runs.

It’s always better to stick with the basics, but once your players understand man-to-man concepts it will be easier for them to pick up different zones and presses. When coaching a new team I start by teaching them man-to-man and a basic 2-3. Sometimes you don’t need all the fancy stuff. My West Seattle High School team, who were undefeated Metro League Champions and placed 6th in State, played a lot of man and 2-3 zone and they were amazing at it. They were like one on the court. But we also added a good 1-2-2 (I personally prefer it over a 1-3-1) that was essential from time to time. And when we pressed it was usually a full court 2-2-1 (sometimes back to man, sometimes back to zone) or a half court 1-3-1 (back to 1-2-2). And by playoffs we added a Box and 1 and a Triangle and 2.

I waited on the Box and Triangle for a couple of reasons. One, because our basic man and zone defensive fundamentals weren’t dialed in until near the end of the season, and two, we didn’t usually need them. But come playoff we almost always had a team that had one or two players that we needed to shut down. There is nothing better than frustrating those players with aggressive in your face defense, and these man/zone combination defenses allow that. In a Box and 1, one player is in tight man-to-man and the other players run a box-shaped zone (With Triangle and 2, it’s two in man-to-man and the rest in a triangle zone). These defenses take a lot of talking and teamwork and most important, a good understanding of the fundamentals.

I’m writing this blog is to let you know that there are a lot of defensive options out there for your teams, but what is most important as a coach, is to focus on man-to-man fundamentals. They will improve your man-to-man defense and improve the defensive skills of your players, which will transfer to your zones and in the end, strengthen your team.

 

 

Filed Under: Basketball, Highlight, PLB Fridays Tagged With: basketball, Coaching, Defense, Man-to-Man, sports, Teamwork, Zone

PeaceLoveBasketball Friday: Old Man Strong

August 5, 2016 By Sonya Elliott

FullSizeRender

There is something to be said for experience. When I play basketball these days, physically I can’t keep up with the girls who are half my age, but there are times I still feel strong. Not in the way that I pull down rebounds or run the court, but in my knowledge of the game, my understanding of what makes a winning team. When my son can’t get the upper hand wrestling against my husband, he complains, “It’s not fair, you’re ‘Old Man Strong.’”

Old Man Strong = Experience.

My husband is a three-time state wrestling champion and a former college athlete. He has muscle memory and more important a history and knowledge of how to use his body. A different but very real strength that is often more powerful than the ability to lift more weight.

Why am I telling you all of this? For you coaches it’s a reminder of how important your knowledge is in building the strength of your players and your team. Do they understand how to use their body to block out and get a rebound so they have the upper hand against a bigger, stronger opponent? Do your players understand how to keep their bodies low and ready to move when they are on defense so they can beat a faster player to their spot? Have you taught them to use ball fakes so they can attack the basket and leave their defender behind? Your knowledge of the game will make them stronger.

If you’re a player, listen. Listen to your coaches. Be open to learn as much as possible about the game. Sometimes you can even learn from old ladies like myself, who shuffle up and down the court, but who know how to run an old-fashioned fast break, who aren’t afraid to give up the three pointer and wait for the trailer to come through the middle for an easy layin.

And for the non-ballers, remember whether you’re young or old, be open to learning. In the end more knowledge, whether it’s about how to do your job, enjoy your hobby, or better your life, will make you stronger and allow you to follow your dreams.

 

Filed Under: Basketball, Highlight, PLB Fridays Tagged With: basketball, Coaching, Defense, Inspiring, Life, sports

PeaceLoveBasketball Friday: Blocking Out

July 8, 2016 By Sonya Elliott

photo

Yesterday morning when I was playing basketball a teammate of mine went flying by me to the hoop when a shot went up by the other team. I on the other hand was stepping toward my man to block him out (also known as boxing out). I was taught that it didn’t matter if I got a rebound only that my man should not get it. If everyone on your team has this mentality in the end, someone on your team will get the rebound, because by blocking out, the defense has control and have better position to get to the ball.

Blocking out consistently is not an easy task and not an easy skill to instill in players because the player generally has to move away from the basket and away from the action. It doesn’t seem right, but it can make all the difference in the world. I was a top rebounder at my college and I was only 5’9”. I blocked out. My daughter is one of the top rebounders at her college and she is 5’8”, she does the same. You don’t have to be tall to get rebounds (though it can help), but you do have to be tough and block out.

When you’re on the court remind yourself to block out, if you’re coaching make sure to spend time working on this skill, and if your watching basketball, watch closely and learn to appreciate this part of the game. Blocking out seems to go against the grain as it takes a player away from the action, but in the end it’s one of the best ways to help a team win.

More information on blocking out:

Boxing Out by ExtremeBasketballSkills

How to Block Out in Basketball by HoopSkills

 

 

Filed Under: Basketball, Highlight, PLB Fridays Tagged With: basketball, Coaching, Defense, Hustle, Inspiring, sports

PeaceLoveBasketball Friday: Defense wins the games

May 6, 2016 By Sonya Elliott

IMG_0543 - Version 2

I was watching some young kids play pick-up basketball the other day and I was amazed at how often they played just one end of the court, the offensive end. Both teams were letting three-pointers fly and they made them a lot, but it was hard to watch the rest of the game. There was almost no defense being played. Players were just looking for the glory shots, the three-pointers.

Does it really matter if you can drain a three-point shot, if you can’t, or often won’t, play defense on the other end of the court? I don’t think so. In fact, the ability to hit three-pointers tends to make a lot of players lazy. They assume the ball is going in and don’t follow their shots.

Of course as a shooter, you should think that you’re going to make your shot, but you must crash the boards anyway. (You will miss at a few over your lifetime.) And each time you score, make sure you get down the court on defense to keep your player from scoring. Don’t forget to work on all aspects of your game, as the old saying goes, Offense sells the tickets. Defense wins the games.

Filed Under: Basketball, Highlight, PLB Fridays Tagged With: basketball, Defense, Hustle, Inspiring, sports

Subscribe to Sonya's Blog

Follow Sonya

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2021 · SonyaElliott.com · Site by Webcami · Log in