The Medieval Siege and Transition Defense
As John Kessel and Mike MacKay have frequently said, we don’t coach basketball. Rather, we coach people who happen to play basketball. This is where coaching deliver should be aligned with how people learn best. We can use this to look at several elements of coaching, but in this example, we will look at how metaphors can be used to bring principles of play to life in the context of youth basketball.
So many times as coaches we have a clear picture in our heads of a certain principle of play, but the context and situation is not clear for the players. This is a big reason we advocate for playing against defenders vs “on-air” practice (no defenders) is simply because such settings are devoid of context. This is even more important for youth players learning the game. This also applies to how we introduce principles of play to a team. Specifically, I was reflecting on how to develop transition defense principles with an U12 and U14 youth team at London Lions.
While we have a specific idea of what we want our players to be attuned to within transition defense (e.g. the need to protect the basket in a disadvantaged situation), critically, we have to consider how these ideas may be introduced to players in a flexible manner, and within a representative setting.
This is where analogies can be highly useful within CLA practice tasks. These can help players place their attention on the right things (education if attention/intention). This is where the medieval siege enters the equation as an effective metaphor for transition defense!
Ultimately, as a team we are seeking to improve awareness of how we can protect our castle (the basket) most effectively. Ideally, this requires stopping the attackers before they attempt to force their way over the walls. Dedre Gentner has studied the impact of analogies and how they can be used effectively. In 1983, Gentner concluded that “Analogical thinking takes the new and makes it familiar, or take the familiar and puts it in a new light, allowing humans to reason through problems they have never seen in unfamiliar contexts.”
Stage 1 = Lift the Drawbridge
Get to ‘home’ as quickly as possible so we can lift the drawbridge! The player protecting the basket is the “goalie” (again, forms of life mean that football is understood by virtually every player within the UK). The goalie’s job is critical. If the drawbridge is not up, the attackers can easily get through and score a 1-on-0 lay-up. Too many times, this last defender either leaves the safety of the walls or does not get inside the walls in the first instance. In a basketball context, this refers to players buddy-running or chasing the ball when we have no one home. This leads to the attackers easily being able to get inside the castle through passes over the top, which means a team cannot offer any resistance by contusing a shot attempt.
Stage 2 = Delay the Battering Ram
As soon as someone connects and acknowledge it is their responsibility to get to home and lift the drawbridge, we have to slow down the battering ram (the ball). This connection for getting home can be given through offering the following verbals in a leadership voice: “I’m goalie, I’m goalie”. This may then allow for the closest defender to the ball to slow it down by getting in-between the handler and the basket. This defender’s job is to re-route and slow down the battering ram, ideally forcing it to advance up the side of the court, creating some crucial time for the reinforcements to get back and man the walls. As a team, we want to avoid having the battering ram going into our gates at full speed! Think of Giannis Antetokounmpo or LeBron James in transition and with space: bad things will probably happen for the defense!
Stage 3 = The Reinforcements!
The job of the reinforcements is critical. If they can simply get into a “bolt” (full speed sprint, aka running the length of the floor at the speed of Usain Bolt), a team may prevent an outmatched situation (e.g. 1-on-2, 2-on-3 etc) through having enough manpower to push back the assault. The “goalie” needs to be communicating with the reinforcements because he/ she has vision of the floor. This can be done using connections – this includes the use of names and prompts in a leadership voice, giving non-verbals through pointing to potential offensive players left open. Players waiting on at the sideline during a practice activity may also do this so they can practice being an active teammate for when they are on the bench during a game. During this stage, it is most important to identify any unguarded marksmen to prevent the most dangerous threats from easy catch and shoot 3PT shots.
Stage 4 = The Last Stand!
The attackers may have outmatched the defense, and are rapidly enclosing on the basket. This is when the team looks to activate their last defense! This is where walling up and being prepared to get vertical is key. This defender may often be outmatched (e.g. a 1-on-2 scenario), so aggressive stunts to offer a misleading affordance may be useful.
Whole this whole analogy may be exaggerated in certain parts, for a U12 and U14 team this is far more exciting than talking in basketball terms. I think a key part in our role as coaches is to inspire players (of any age/ level), making it fun and engaging for them to participate in practice. Good luck defending the castle!
