Every player has to have the attributes for the position that they are playing. For those of you who want to be defensive players, we have what it takes for you. Keep reading as we help you to be the great defensive player you were meant to be.
The first thing that you must possess in terms of defensive playing is that you have to be able to pass the ball. Remember how your mom always taught you to share? Remember how the coach tells you that there is no, I when you spell the word team? That is what you need to remember. As being defensive is knowing when you are cornered and asking for help on the court.
The second attribute that you need to know is the defensive stance. This is with your feet firmly planted on the floor and your arms ready to be up. You are ready to guard that ball with your life.
You have to be able to advance. You do not want to advance so much that you get called for it, but you need to be able to get up; there were the action is. Sometimes you might even have to take one for the team.
Another attribute is that you need to know how to slide. You might have to get out of some pretty sticky jams. The way that you can easily do this is by sliding. This can help you immensely if done right and at the right time.
You have to have your blocking skills ready too. This means you do the stance, you get up in the action, but then you block them. You try to make it so that they feel trapped. When they feel this way, they are more likely to lose the ball.
You also need to be able to anticipate. You need to be focused. This means assessing the situation. You need to know who they are going to pass to so that you can accurately block. Sometimes, it takes a little depth perception and observation.
The biggest attribute of a defensive player is that they communicate. When you try to do things on your own, you normally fail. This means that you have to talk to the players on your team. Let them know what is going on around you and when you are ready for some intervention.
You have to know where to position yourself. You need to be where the player you are assigned to be. You need to stick to them like glue. If you do not do this, then you might just help them to get the score. Your team would not like that now would they?
You need to handle the ball just right. You need to learn to dribble accurately then hold onto the ball. It can easily be knocked out so you need to have a firm grip on it. This will help your game greatly.
Last but not least, you need to learn to be intimidating. The better you get at your position, the better you will be at this. When they are intimidated of you, they might slow their pace, they might make some mistake that you can use to retrieve the ball.
All this is part of the game, when you have these skills you are well off. This is what makes a great defensive player. So, learn these attributes well.
Picture credit: Tulane Public Relations • Creative Commons Attribution
