SEASON OPENING

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 523, 5 May 1933, Page 6

SEASON OPENING

"Centre")

ALL TEAMS PREPARING FOR FIRST GAMES ON MAY 12 IMPORTANCE OF PRACTICE

(Notes by

Now summer sports" are over and the cold weather is beginning to set in, players are settling down in earnest to the winter's games, and basketball clubs are preparing for the^ opening matches on May 12. Praetically all the clubs have been training for a few weeks past and the first games should be keenly contested. Friendly games will be played at the Government Grounds next Saturday, May 6, for practice purposes. Executive Meetings The initial meeting of the new committee of the R.B.A. was held last Wednesday evening. Those present were Mrs. E. G. Guy, Miss I. Street (High School), Miss Jones (Ngongotaha), Miss B. Chambers (Waratah), Miss D. Emeny (Kowhai), Miss O. Edwards (Tui), and the treasurer, Miss J. Grieg. Miss I. Anderson was appointed hon. secretary, and Mrs. Shearer, Mrs. Guy, Miss Street and Miss Jones, referees to the association. An application was received from the Whakarewarewa Club for affiliation to tbe R.B.A. This affiliation was granted. Mr. Louis Woolliams has very kindly offered to present the association with a silver cup for the Wednesday competition and the members expressed their appreciation of Mr. Woolliams' generous action. Correspondence received from the Rotorua Hoclcey Association, conveyed their appreciation to the Basketball Association for readily agreeing to help them with. regard to billeting New Zealand championship players who may be in Rotorua from Sept•ember 1 to 9. Basketball delegates are making immediate enquiries re billeting and the Hockey Association ir. to be advised of full particulars as soon as possible. Team Tactics At this stage of the season, sug■gestions for team combination will probably be welcome, particularly to those new clubs whose members have not played a great deal. Co-opera-tion by each unit makes for good team-work and the fonndation of a : successful basketball team. A player who is able to anticipate the trend of play is invaluable to her side, but any player keen to improve her play should be able to keep up with a passing movement and ready to take a pass when needed. Throughout the game the team spirit should dominate play. A team of strong individualists is never a match for a strong* all-round combination working harmoniously. After all, there is more pleasure in playing a game well 'and feelings oneself an integral part of a good team than participating as an indifferent enthusiast in a game lacking co-ordination. Each member of the nine should be utilised — too | often one sees two players in a third j monopolising* the ball, when by using j the third player, not only is their own j energy conserved, but by opening up the play more, better passing mov-e-ments result. Accurate, easilycaught passes are essential to good basketball. Too many players ima- , gine that when they have taken a i pass and thrown the ball on they j have done their part, not realising | that the most important thing is to pass the ball to such a place and in such a manner as is most advantageous to their side. A badly-angled, fast pass is one hard to catch, while a too slow, too lobby pass at the wrong moment, can be easily intercepted by the opponents. A short, moderately-paced ball, sent slightly above the head height, and aimed to reach the next player at that height, is easily caught, and easy to pass on. Concentrated practice on this one point well repays a team, and new players would be well advised to study this. A Plan of Action A well-defined plan of action is always of assistance to the novice, and any such plan tends to give new players confidence. A' player who, on catching the ball, loolcs wildly around wondering what to do with it, not only breaks down a concerted movement on the part of her team, but also demoralises her team-mates, and

j the uncertainty spreads through the team. Hesitant passing is one of the greatest faults in team-work, and only constant practice in tactics will eliminate it. In basketball, as in c-ther games, practice is the secret of ^'success, for without it a team can never hope to develop what should be its main object — combination. Put a team of A grade players, which has never practised together, against a B grade team, which has had plenty of practice, and the result would never be in doubt, simply because the .B grade girls would have a thorough understanding of one another's play, would pass without hesitation, run into position when and where required, and play with less expenditure of energy. Being physically fit, they would keep going at top speed without showing signs of distress. Now, consider the matter from the coach's point of view. She devotes her time to the club with one object in view — to turn nine players into a team — a difficult task if every player does not attend practice. Should she v/ish to put the team through a cer- ; tain movement and one girl is miss- ! ing, it would be almost a waste of time going on with it. Every. player should realise she has a duty not only J to her team but to her coach also. The draw for Saturday's contests [ appear in another column in this issue. [ ——————