Like any other activity in life, basketball is a sport that requires not only physical presence but also mental involvement. I see basketball as being a team sport that requires each of the five players in the field to be able to apply their mental capacity to be able to effectively coordinate passes and earn points. As I watch basketball sometimes I have noted that a player should focus on perfecting their strengths and improving on their weak areas. This means that players have special positions that they can play best in the field but good players have to be flexible enough to be able to fit in more than two positions in the field.
There are five important slots in a game of basketball. These positions are the point guard, the power forward, the center, the small forward, and the shooting guard (Allen 45). In my opinion, the position of point guard is very essential to the team and it means that the player in that position has to be always be mentally and physically present in the game at all times if our team is going to secure a win. I have also come to learn that communication among the players is important in a game of basketball. I have seen this in the real life games I have watched and those that I have seen on TV. In some cases, I have noted that the pressure and tension in the game sometimes makes players not very vigilant about the position that their fellow players are standing on the pitch. Therefore, going an extra mile and calling out the names of the player with the ball sometimes helps the player in position with the ball to have a clue of the position that you are standing.
Communication skills within the field of play also apply in relation to members of the opponent team. I have also noted through watching people watch basketball that it is important that every player understands that basketball is a game but there is a real life that is separate from the game. It is therefore important to see players from the opponent team as being enemies but as good friends who are competing against you. This means that courtesy in terms of the language employed by the players is fundamental in maintaining a healthy competition during a basketball game. In addition, when need arises for one as a player of the opponent team to help an opponent for example helping a fowled player to stand up, I have often felt that it is a sign of courteous to see a player help a player from the opponent team to help them arise if you fowled them. In this way, it sends a message to the opponent team that you care about them and the competition that the two games are involved in is healthy. Another important area in basketball that I have found to be important to understand as a player is that one should always expect a win or a loss. Therefore, one should not always be assured of a win. This is because extreme optimism can cause players to over-react if they lose to a team that they had hoped to beat. It is a good life practice to always accept the outcome of the game and respect the referee’s decision. Accepting that your opponents have the ability to beat you in a game creates more caution and concentration in the part of the players so that they can focus on the best ways to earn more points in the game.
In conclusion, basketball is a game that requires both physical and mental involvement in the part of the player. I believe that every player has to be ready to play as a team in that teamwork is essential if a basketball team is going to win a particular game. In addition basketball fans are part of the game. Finally, I believe that it is important to make sure that the fans that attend any basketball game are controllable so as not disrupt the smooth flow of the game.
Works Cited
Allen, Forrest, C. Basketball. New Delhi: Sterling Publishers, 1991. Print.
