Wet Weather On Saturday Last Was Unfortunate For Basketball

Chronicle (Levin), 1 June 1949, Page 7

Wet Weather On Saturday Last Was Unfortunate For Basketball

(By "Forward") It was unfortunate that last Saturday was wet, for after the two weeks' spell over the sehool holidays Horowhenua basketball teams, were ready for a game. Most teams, however, have spent a great deal of time in practiee.

Old Girls have a weekly pracetice ' under the supervision of their ;ciub captain, M. Karauti, and .Tui foriWards are to be seen many evenings practising their shooting under the supervision of their qlub captain, M. Dome. The new Athletic team also nuts in some time each week, bu* I have heard that sometimes it is difficult to persuade all the players to be present. -This is disappointing to players who do come regulariy to practiee. The Primary teams are full of enthusiasm, having just completed their tournament. Teachers who aet as coaches of these teams are to be congratulated on the keenness of their players, and Ihe- fine spirit they are developing among junior players. The senior College teams have recently shown an ' eagerness to develop good ball handling and passing, and, are often to be seen with their team captaihs playing games which will speed up their play. The junior Co'lege teams co'uld benefib from such practiee. . Art Of Interception. Having speeded up their passing by constant practiee, teams could how concentrate on developing their ability to intercepG a ball passed by an opponeht. Play often travels so quickly up and down the court that a player may find herself at one moment on the defensive and at the next the centre of an attacking movement. If she is on her toes and a'ert. she will be ready to intercept the ball passed by her opponent. Here she should- keep in mind the chief rule in basketball. ' If your side has possession of the ball, then you must be quick enough to get away ftom your opponent. If the othef I side has the ball, then it is your duty to stick to your opponent in Ithe hope of intercepting the baT. A good game to develop this power to intercept is to divide your. team into two equal parts, say five on each side, the Reds and the Blues. The coach tcsses the ball

between .two opposing players, and if the Red player secures the ball, she passes it to any other player on her side. The Blues then attaek and attempt to intercept the pass, the Reds* trying to keep the ball away from the Blues by swift passing. This practiee may be taken over -.he whole court and is excellent not 'only for praetise in interception, but also to test the fitness of the _ players. ' In five minutes they will run, dodge and jump a- great deal, ancl the unfit player gradually falls out of the game. At this stage it is necessary to msntion the bias pass. No player should pass the ball directly to the spot at which her team player is standing, but always direct it at least a yard and sometimes two yards on either side of her. Pass the ball on the bias.

Duty Of Defence. Defence . players particularly should ee able to intercept the ball as it passes from forward to forward. It is their duty to break dowh the movement among the forwards to get within the goal circle. Defendei's particularly should watch the following: — Come out and towards the ball passed in your direction, whether it is meant fqr you or for the -forward whom you are opposing. Do not try to pass the ball over your opponent's head to. your partner. Always see that each move carries you nearer your objective, your own player in the centre third. In the throw-in after an unsuecessful shot at goal, never throW the bal lacross the goal circle., If Ithe opposing forwards are alert, they wili in.ercept such a pass and be in a good .position to shoot a goal. • Pass the ball to your partner and then move auickly to take another pass if necessary. Forwards praetise/ shooting from any position wi.hin the goal circle. The whole teaxii should spend a short time before each praetise game speeding up the pass.