It's interesting to watch the kids grow, both individually and as representatives of their age group. As five-year-olds, they tended to not be very aware, and passes were so dubious that they all learned it was safer to hold on to the ball than to throw it.
As seven-year-olds, they're much more aware, so they've segregated out the better shooters and will tend to throw just to them. (There's a little of boys-not-throwing-to-girls, too, even if the girls are very good shots.) They'll also tend to revert to just running and shooting as the game wears on.
By the way, extensive observation of pre-schoolers reveals that they start segregating socially almost immediately. It's actually sort of tragic.
Anyway, the Flower herself is not a very aggressive player. You may recall earlier seasons where she just refused to do anything she felt was rude. I'm not sure how much that still plays in her thinking, but she's at a bit of a loss when the ball is under the net.
Her niche, curiously, is as a defensive player. One part of the game that has definitely registered with her is taking the ball from the opposing team. They play a softer version of the rules, where on a turnover, the newly possessing team is allowed to move the ball a little over halfway down the court before the defensive team can try to get it from them.
What happens, then, is that the Flower stands there on the line waiting for the ball carrier to come down. She becomes intention incarnate. She dogs the ball carrier relentlessly, and just destroys their momentum.
Pretty soon, the other team gets rattled just seeing her there. And, of course, her success in taking the ball away means she gets better and more confident at it.
Of course, I'm hoping she broadens her game a bit: A good passing team could basically work around her, and we're only a year or two from that, I suspect.
Basketball is a great team sport where you can learn how to cooperate with teamates but also learn that if you are open you have to shoot it. Defense is effort, offense is practice.
ReplyDeleteYou have to teach her a hook shot which no one ever does anymore. I taught my nephew it and he tore up his high school league with it.
ReplyDeleteWhat is especailly great for little kids is the two handed set shot since they can get a lot of power using two hands. Of course most of the coaches have never heard of it and insist on only shooting jump shots with the proper form every time. So another great weapon goes by the wayside.
ReplyDeleteGo, flower!
ReplyDeleteOT: tonight's netflix selection: BBC's "Day of the Triffids." Can't wait!
ReplyDeleteBrava for Flower!
ReplyDeleteBlake,
Your Flower sounds a bit like my girl, 9, who also listens. I've wondered whether that has anything to do with gender or sibling order. She too as a slightly older brother.
Troop-- I'll look into those. (I know squat about basketball.)
ReplyDeleteknox-- Hope you enjoy "Triffids". I thought it was very effective.
cl-- Actually, my kids are at least five years apart. But The Boy and The Barbarienne are also great listeners (to others, heh).
Jerry West once wrote a book about the fundementals of basketball that would be great for you to get to teach the Flower.
ReplyDeleteWhat is so good about the hook shot is she can protect the ball with her body and get the shot off without it getting blocked. If she puts her weight behind it she can get it up in the air.
The two handed set shot is great for kids who don't have a lot of power yet. They can use their legs to push the ball up. It is a great shot to learn and no one teaches it anymore.
I know a lot about basketball.
ReplyDeleteThe only things I know more about are sandwiches, cake and breasts.
ReplyDeleteNot necessarily in that order.
cl-- Actually, my kids are at least five years apart.
ReplyDeleteOK. My two are 16 mo apart. Freeman Hunt will soon realize the terrible wonderful miracle of closely born children.
I had to beg my wife to have the first, and then she surprised me with the second. We still call her the immaculate conception. Thing is, she's the spittin' image of me.
But still, don't you see any innate differences?
Freeman Hunt will soon realize the terrible wonderful miracle of closely born children.
ReplyDeleteHeh. Excited. :)
Way to go, Flower.
Trooper should write a post on his blog about teaching kids to play basketball.
I would but I am off on a tangent about Art Shamsky's dogs nipples.
ReplyDeleteInnate differences? They're nothing alike at all.
ReplyDeleteActually, they all start out different and they end up influencing each other. So The Boy's love of monsters has filtered down to his two sisters, e.g.
Everyone talks about how great it is to have kids close together, and there are advantages. But there are advantages to spacing them as well. A new baby signals to the older child that he's not the baby any more.
If everything works out, the youngest baby hits 4-5 while the oldest one gives her a niece or nephew. Heh.
Troop--Is that Basketball My Way?
ReplyDeleteMy two are 16 mo apart. Freeman Hunt will soon realize the terrible wonderful miracle of closely born children.
ReplyDeleteMine are 20 mos. apart. 1 and 3 right now. We did it that way on purpose, and it is indeed both terrible and wonderful. Just don't tell yourself it will get easier--it doesn't. You just get used to it. And it does get more and more fun as they get older.
I loved this post, and all of the comments! I'm a big basketball fan and it's very cool to read of your enjoyment of the sport through the Flower, Blake. More, please!
ReplyDeleteShe becomes intention incarnate. She dogs the ball carrier relentlessly, and just destroys their momentum.
Atta girl! :)