Sportsman's Notebook Man-To-Man Play Sought By Basketball Coach

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30288, 14 November 1963, Page 20

Sportsman's Notebook Man-To-Man Play Sought By Basketball Coach

Man-to-man play was the only type of basketball that should be encouraged at the present stage of development, the New Zealand men’s basketball coach-selector (Mr J. G. Hamlin, of Wellington) emphasised in his report onthe tour of South-east Asia by the New Zealand team in 1962.

The report was recently released by the New Zealand Men’s Basketball Association and contains many far reaching and controversial proposals. “Individual players get more out of the game. Offensively it improves the individual fundamental skills of the players, thus encouraging all the time in the development of the fundamentals,” said Mr Hamlin. “We all realise that the game will in some ways only develop as fast as the public will let it. The public support us financially. It is therefore essential that we give them something to come back for. Coaches, officials and players will all agree, I feel sure, that it is easier and more spectacular to watch man-to-man basketball than zone,” he said. There was room for zone but players had to learn to play man-to-man first. “I would recommend that every endeavour should be made to have coaches, players, associations and spectators demand man-to-man offence and defence. If this policy was followed for some years I feel that the development of fundamentals would be very noticeable,” Mr Hamlin stated.

Olympic Tour A strong recommendation that negotiations be made for a tour by a New Zealand team to the preliminaryrounds of the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo is made by Mr Hamlin in his report. “One of the many advantages of such competition is that we would play against European, Asian and American styles of play,” he said. Other important recommendations made by Mr Hamlin include:— A training squad be formed this year from nominations by the various associations with the Olympics in mind. Each New Zealand coach be appointed for a period of two years as he was the principal policy-maker for the development of the game. Attempts be made to establish coaching clinics for coaches. Every association should go out of its way

to encourage schoolboy competition. A publicity officer be appointed in Wellington for the New Zealand Association and that ail provincial associations should add a publicity officer to its list of officers. The Education Department asked to recognise basketball to the extent that it will erect backboards in school playgrounds. ¥ ¥ ¥ Surf Officials There will be two notable changes in the key officials for Canterbury surf lifesaving carnivals this season. Mr S. B. Mason, who has been the referee at surf carnivals for a great many years, will not be available for the post. Mr F. L. Mitchell, a former president, will officiate as referee this season. Mr L. J. Tointon, who declined nomination as marshall, has been replaced by Mr J. Moore. Mr Tointon has also given long service to the association as marshall. The appreciation of the services of both men had been placed on record by the association. ¥ ¥ ¥ Guest Competitors Three New Zealand champions will head a team of nin e Christchurch swimmers and divers to compete as guests at the Ex-Pupils’ club’s carnival in Invercargill on Saturday. They are R. L. Hodge and Miss H. Hutton, the national men’s and women's springboard diving

champions respectively, and Miss L. Harrow, the women’s three-mile title-holder. Completing the team are Misses J. Clark (freestyle) and M. Jones (breaststroke), two prominent Canterbury representatives, and four juniors, M. Hindle, B. Mears, Misses L. Falk and A. Mitchell. ¥ ¥ ¥ Marching Titles What could amount virtually to a South Island senior marching championship will be held at Timaru on Sunday. Three of the teams that will be taking part met in the Canterbury championships last Sunday: Marathon Grenadiers, which was first with 277 deductions, and Downings Red Robins and Caroline Kilties (Timaru), second equal with 278 deductions. ¥ ¥ ¥ Inter-Club Tennis Although a day of senior club tennis matches was missed last Saturday, the competitions, with one day played, are still ahead of last season. Then the first day was missed and, because of the show tournament the next week-end, they did not begin until November 17. Senior men and senior women will not play interclub matches next Saturday because of the show tournament, and the draw for November 23 will be as set down. Last Saturday’s draw will go to the end. The first mixed A grade, second mixed grade, section I. anfi senior reserve and second grade men will play next Saturday as scheduled. For the latter two grades it will be the first day, for they were to have begun last Saturday.