Communique No. 5 - Player Evolution in B.U.F.F.
Hi Everyone, B.U.F.F. is a dynamic, constantly evolving entity. Since the beginning of B.U.F.F. 13 seasons ago, the league, the rules and the players have been constantly changing. B.U.F.F. is not a short term endeavor, it is an everlasting passion. Some of our B.U.F.F. players have had playing careers that have spanned over a decade...into our fifth decade of life....a passion that probably started in our teens. Because of changes in the game or changes in our bodies, personal changes in our playing style are sometimes necessary to continue playing the game that we all love so much. It is easy to get in the mindset of just doing your own thing on the court and thinking that everyone around you will adapt to your game, but in reality we all need to adapt our games to what the league and our teams need most from us. Over time, as we age, the bangers will eventually bang less, the shooters will shoot less, the drivers will drive less, etc....In order to continue having a long, healthy B.U.F.F. career, bangers must evolve into mid range shooters, passers and screeners, shooters must evolve into cutters, passers and screeners, point guards must become shooters, etc... The torch must be passed to the younger players to carry the offense (as well as the defense) as the "go to" guys, the scorers, the playmakers, the power rebounders, the No. 1 and No. 2 options, etc. Along with this, the younger players must also evolve to carry the load if B.U.F.F. is to survive in our second decade. It is our passion for the game along with our desire to stay fit that opens the opportunity to view basketball practice as a form of exercise. (Ask me about "S.C.O.R.E" and "Pods") Younger, less experienced players must learn the intricacies of the game. If you are a banger, you must learn to shoot, screen and pass....if you are a shooter, you must learn to cut, screen and pass. All players should learn about things like "playing inside-out", "pick and roll", "spacing or spreading the court", "making the extra pass", etc. Within the minds of our many veterans there are hundreds of years of valuable playing experience for you to draw from. The B.U.F.F. Sole brother comparison is an easy way to pick up new skills and habits, just watch your favorite NBA players and emmulate them. By adapting your game over time, you not only prolong your own career, but you will continue to maintain yourself as a valuable contributor to the league and helping to keep the games skillful and competitive. Without current players developing new skills, B.U.F.F. will eventually experience a talent drain and the quality of the games will decrease. Many of our players have successfully evolved over the past 12 years of B.U.F.F. I like to use Jeff Lew and myself as examples. Both of us started our careers as Centers in B.U.F.F. and adapted to playing power forward then small forward and in my case also the shooting guard position. Peter Yaskowitz was once the dominant force as a center in the early years of B.U.F.F. and has now established himself as one of our top power forwards. This season I have juggled the line ups to allow better, more even match ups. The centers are taller and younger, the power forwards are older and strong, the small forwards are generally younger and fleet of foot, the point guards remain basically the same and now we have a true shooting guard position stocked with perimeter marksmen. With these changes I may be asking some people to play different positions than they are acustomed to, perhaps making subtle changes to their games for the benefit of their teams and the league. It's like in the NBA where the players play the positions their team needs them to play. Those that adapt are rewarded with playing time, those who can't or refuse to adapt languish on the bench. Like at work, we are all asked to improve ourselves with continuing education, I am hoping our passion for the game will motivate us to keep improving or adapting our games in order to keep the games competitive and fun as well as prolonging our playing careers. For the older guys, it's more mental, for the younger generation...practice makes perfect... Like the dinosaur if we don't adapt we will become extinct. Thanks, Park