Geno Auriemma notes on defense

Coach Auriemma has enjoyed success at the Division I level of NCAA women's basketball. While his teams have certainly been able to score the ball, defense has been a cornerstone of UConn basketball. Some thoughts on defense from Coach Auriemma:

• you can tell a lot about players by letting them play one-on-one in a drill
• a tough defender is never afraid to put their opponent on the floor (from aggressive D)
  
• defending 1-on-1, you will be shown how much emphasis a defender places on stopping people
• offensively 1-on-1, you will see how important it is for any player to get to the rim
• great defenders take personal pride in stopping scorers and attackers
• championship calibre teams take tremendous pride in playing great overall team D
• defensive competitiveness has to be drilled and grown each day in practice
• one of coach's toughest decisions is how team defends a screen and roll
• if defense works hard to get the ball to one side of the floor then they need to work even harder to keep it there and NOT ALLOW REVERSAL (the key to their supportive weakside help D)
  

Keeping life and basketball in perspective

Some of you may be well aware of the story of Elena Delle Donne. We encourage you to read the following
article (written by Dick Patrick) that recently appeared in USA Today. It outlines the struggles of a
high level athlete that has worked hard to put family, basketball, life, and school into balance.
When you read the article, consider the importance of the "whole athlete" as well as the concept of
truly making an effort to view situations through the eyes of another.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/womensbasketball/2009-11-26-delle-donne-delaware-cover_N.htm

The article highlights several major concepts:

• the importance of family - in this case, Elena's strong relationship with her sister
• the value of taking time (if necessary, for however long) away from sport to renew a level of passion
• the line "The game is fun again" - sport has to be fun, on many levels
• the great humility and grace of Coach Geno Auriemma (UConn - National Champs) that recruited - and then lost Elena - to say "if you're a basketball player and you're playing, it doesn't matter where"