Jordan Brigman English 1101 Mr.

B November 7, 2012 Literacy Ethnography A young man dribbles the basketball up the court anxiously. He looks at the clock to see the final seconds of the fourth quarter dwindling away then glances at his coach while his coach bumps his fists together. He smiles as he realizes what play his coach just called. With ten seconds left and the game tied at sixty-six, he drives his defender into a hard screen that is set by his teammate. As he drives by the screen, he pulls up for a wide open jump shot and knowing that if he doesn't make this shot, his team will probably lose in overtime. He shoots with one second left on the clock and right as the buzzer goes off........ swish. That young man goes by the name Antonio Blalock, and he plays for the varsity basketball team at Ashbrook high school. The Purpose of this paper is to show how basketball players and coaches engage with reading, writing, and communication. I will explain the history of the game, how the game of basketball is played, its rules and regulations, and how they use hand signals, plays, and communication. The players, coaches, and even fans all engage with literacy throughout the course of games and practices. The game of basketball was created by James Naismith who was a Canadian American physical education instructor that worked at the International YMCA Training

School in Springfield, Massachusetts. In December 1891, the director of the school, Dr. Luther Halsey Gulick, asked Naismith to find a physical activity to occupy some bad students (Basketball - James Naismith (1861-1939) par 2). Naismith wanted to create a game of skill for the students instead of one that relied on strength. He needed a game that could be played outdoors and could be played indoors in a small space. Naismith obtained two peach baskets and a soccer ball, and developed thirteen rules for the new game (Basketball - James Naismith (1861-1939) par 2). He divided his class of eighteen into two teams of nine players each and set about to teach them the basics of his new game of Basketball. The object of the game was to throw the soccer ball into the fruit baskets nailed to the lower railing of the gym balcony. Every time a point was scored, the game was halted so the janitor could bring out a ladder and retrieve the ball. As time has passed and technology has progressed, basketball has changed in many ways. In present day basketball games, there is an actual basketball ball that was patented by G.L. Pierce in 1929, but was later redesigned in 1950 by Tony Hinkle (History of Basketball par 4). Backboards and metal hoops were created to give players better control and easier shots. A midcourt line, free throw line, and three point lines were all introduced at different times to make the game faster and to go along with the rules better. In basketball, each player has their own position on the court. There is a point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward, and center on the court at all times. Each position has a certain role and the players playing that position are expected to play that role as best as they can. The point guard is the primary ball handler on the court and is usually the best passer as well. According to Antonio Blalock, the point guard has the best vision of the

court and is the best decision maker. Shooting guards focus on getting open and scoring the ball when passed to them. Small forwards tend to be a hybrid between a forward and a guard so they focus on scoring and also getting rebounds. Power forwards and Centers are the big men on the court and their goal is to post up and try to back their man down and score. If somebody else shoots they are responsible for getting rebounds. Coaches create set plays and these set plays are used to get players open and create scoring opportunities. All of these set plays are written down and put into a book called a playbook. Each team has a playbook that compliments their style of basketball and the way they want to play the game. For example, Coach Duncan believes his team is best when they are setting screens, looking for their three point shot, and running the fast break so he would use plays that complimented those strengths. There are plays that almost every team has or knows and there are also plays that coaches create themselves specifically for their team. A play on a piece of paper would look like half of a basketball court with Os as the offensive players and Xs as the defensive players. Each offensive position has its own number in the O or circle. The number one is for point guards, number two for shooting guards, number three for small forwards, four for power forward, and five for center. The play will have lines showing where players are supposed to move and where they are supposed to pass the ball. Here is an example of a play:

In this play the point guard passes the ball to the shooting guard and makes a cut to the basket. While the point guard is cutting, the shooting guard is looking to pass him the ball in the lane and the power forward is popping out to the three point line for an outlet pass. Playbooks consist of many plays like this and depending on the level of competition the plays could be much more difficult. During my observation, I noticed that Coach Duncan would have his team walk through a new play several times and then slowly have them speed it up so that they could learn it better and become accustomed to it. Antonio Blalock said, "I like watching someone else run through the play in my position so that I can see it and learn from them as well." Play calling isnt only used on offense; its also used for defense. There two different types of half court defenses that teams use are man to man and zone. Man to man is exactly how it sounds, each defender guards one individual offensive player. Zone is also how it sounds but is a little bit more complicated. When playing zone, each defender has their own area to guard and they are supposed to stay in that area. Here is an example of a zone defense:

This particular defense is called the 2-3 zone and is used to keep the other team out of the painted area. The guards are supposed to defend up top and around the elbows of the free throw line. The two forwards (3 and 4) are meant to guard the left and right bottom area. The Center (5) is supposed to protect the painted area at all times. The offensive team would spread out and pass the ball around the three point line to break this zone. Zones often leave three point shots open and often teams use three pointers to beat a zone defense. Along with plays comes play calling and names for plays. Coaches must create names for plays so that they can call out a play during a game and not give away what they are doing to the other team. Offensive play naming and calling is simple because you can make up whatever name you want for a play and call it that. From watching this team play during my senior year of high school, I noticed that Coach Duncan liked to use cities of Ohio as his play calling names. Coach Duncan was born in Ohio and also grew up there and attended college in Ohio. Some coaches take it to another level and use hand signals for play calling.

Each hand signal means a different play. Coach Duncan likes to use hand signals to confuse defenses and to make sure they dont start catching on to the names of plays they like to run. Many coaches like to use hand signals to change defenses during the game, this confuses offenses and makes it harder for them to score. This is an example of a coach using hand signals:

Coach Duncan uses this exact same hand signal to call a play where the wing player sets a screen for the point guard and the point guard is supposed to create his own shot and shoot the ball. Coaches arent the only participants of basketball who use hand signals. Players use hand signals to communicate with one another and also their coaches. As a player, putting your fist straight up in the air signals that you are tired and need to come out for a break. Point guards use hand signals the most to call plays that their coach is telling them to run. They will do the same hand signal that their coach is doing so that their teammates can see it.

For this ethnography project, I will observe the Ashbrook High School boys basketball team. I attended high school there all four years and I live about fifteen minutes away from it. The team plays and practices in the Larry Rhodes Gymnasium in Gastonia, North Carolina. They practice from four oclock until whenever coach allows them to leave. Their head coach is named Chad Duncan and is also the athletic director for the school. He is a Caucasian male that is around his mid to late thirtys. The teams age ranges from fourteen to eighteen and consists of African-Americans. Most players are around the height of six foot and all weigh one hundred and fifty pounds or more. They are all fit teenagers that are able to run a lot and they all have some muscle definition. Their season begins in late November and it ends in late February (If they make it into the playoffs). Communication is a very important part of basketball on and off the court. What coaches and team leaders say can have major impacts on the individual performance of a player. Coach Duncan tries to keep an encouraging tone no matter what because he knows players make mistakes and that can really diminish their morale. So by keeping a positive and encouraging tone it helps the player to forget about the mistake and make a better play or decision next time. Whereas getting yelled at can make a player nervous and force another bad decision or play. Pregame speeches can affect players performances more than people realize. Coach Duncan likes to focus on their main goals during the game and then get his team pumped so that they are ready to play. If a team comes into a game thinking they are going to lose then they are going to. Instead Coach Duncan likes to remind his players that he knows for a fact, that the other team isnt better than his. This makes them pumped up and reassures them that they are going to win.

The game of basketball thrives off of communication and literacy. The teams that can communicate the best with each other and that have more passionate and hyped coaches seem to do better than other teams. When a coach can give an emotional speech that gets his or her players more determined or focus they have an advantage over the opposing team. Basketball is all about momentum, whoever has the most momentum typically controls the game. Teams that have the momentum often have the players who are giving one hundred and ten percent and are playing for something more than just a win but for pride. Coaches who can create that without the game even starting are some of the best coaches in the world.

Works Cited Naismith, James. Basketball: Its Origin and Development. University of Nebraska Press, 1941. Print. Mary Bellis. Basketball - James Naismith (1861-1939. About.com. Web. November 4, 2012. < http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blbasketball.htm> Basketball (ball). Hoopmedia.com. May 21, 2007. Web. November 3, 2012 <http://hoopedia.nba.com/index.php?title=Basketball_(Ball)> History of Basketball. Versacourt.com. Web. November 3, 2012. <http://www.versacourt.com/basketball-history.html> Basketball History. Ballhistory.com. Web. November 4, 2012. <http://www.ballhistory.com/basketball.htm>

Jordan Brigman November 5th, 2012 Mr. Borero English 1101 Source 1 1. MLA Citation Naismith, James. Basketball: Its Origin and Development. University of Nebraska Press, 1941. Print. 2. Annotation Basketball: Its Origin and Development was written by the inventor himself, who was inspired purely by the joy of play. Naismith, born in northern Ontario in 1861, gave up the ministry to preach clean living through sport. He describes Duck on the Rock, a game from his Canadian childhood, the creative reasoning behind his basket game, the eventual refinement of rules and development of equipment, the spread of amateur and professional teams throughout the world, and the growth of womens basketball (at first banned to male spectators because the players wore bloomers). Naismith lived long enough to see basketball included in the Olympics in 1936. Three years later he died, after nearly forty years as head of the physical education department at the University of Kansas. 3. Key quotes Today basketball has become the sport that holds the interest of millions between the football and baseball seasons. (Naismith 6) 4. Evaluation Interesting to read for historical purpose. The best parts are how and why he invented the game, people's resistance to the sport, and then its explosion. Source 2 1. MLA Citation Mary Bellis. Basketball - James Naismith (1861-1939. About.com. Web. November 4, 2012. 2. Annotation In this article, Mary Bellis shows how James Naismith created the game and then impacted it later on in life. The first formal rules were devised in 1892. Initially, players dribbled a soccer

ball up and down a court of unspecified dimensions. Points were earned by landing the ball in a peach basket. Iron hoops and a hammock-style basket were introduced in 1893. Another decade passed, however, before the innovation of open-ended nets put an end to the practice of manually retrieving the ball from the basket each time a goal was scored. 3. Key Quotes James Naismith had 14 days to create an indoor game that would provide an "athletic distraction" for a rowdy class through the brutal New England winter. (Bellis 4) It all started with two peach baskets affixed to a 10-foot-high railing and with a soccer ball in a YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association) in Massachusetts. (Bellis 4) 4. Evaluation More use for background research and historical purpose. Very interesting facts about Naismith and his initial creation of the game. Source 3 1. MLA Citation Basketball (ball). Hoopmedia.com. May 21, 2007. Web. November 3, 2012 2. Annotation Organized basketball leagues generally have very rigorous specifications for the balls to be used in official competition including weight, inflation pressure, bounce, circumference, color, and materials used. Most leagues use very similar specifications for their balls which are referred to as size 7 (for men's competition) and size 6 (for women's competition) by manufacturers. 3. Key Quotes Aside from the court and the baskets, the basketball is the only piece of equipment necessary to play the game of basketball. 4. Evaluation Background of the creation of the basketball and more history of the game. Source 4 1. MLA Citation History of Basketball. Versacourt.com. Web. November 3, 2012. 2. Annotation This article talked about how the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted G.L. Pierce a patient for the ball known as the "basketball." The basketball was redesigned in 1950 by Tony Hinkle to its current orange color so players and spectators would be able to see the ball more clearly. 3. Key Quotes

Throughout the past century, basketball has evolved to engage common techniques such as, shooting, passing and dribbling. Players have also incorporated offensive and defensive structures to enhance game performance. 4. Evaluation This article was very informative and had good quality to it. It gave me some valuable information about the game of basketball. Source 5 1. MLA Citation Basketball History. Ballhistory.com. Web. November 4, 2012. 2. Annotation Many teams in the National Basketball Association now have foreign players, who return home to represent their native countries during the Olympic Games. The so-called Dream Team, made up of the top American professional basketball players, has represented the United States in recent Olympic Games 3. Key quotes The first professional basketball league was formed in 1898; players earned $2.50 for home games, $1.25 for games on the road. 4. Evaluation The information displayed in this article is all accurate. It also gave me some valuable information about how basketball rose from nothing in the United States and how many people are taking part in it.