The Awareness Problem

How to Teach Defensive Awareness in the Highlight Era

One of the most common questions I get from coaches is some version of the same problem.

“How do I improve my players’ defensive awareness?”

Usually the question comes after a coach describes a player who seems to have all the potential, but just doesn’t see the game properly or have a “feel” for it. The player plays hard. He cares. He knows the rules of the defense. Yet he’s constantly a step late.

What’s interesting is that most coaches can identify awareness when they see it.

We know what an aware player looks like and what they don’t.

They’re communicating on defense. Pointing things out before they happen. Rotating early. Arriving on closeouts on the catch. Jumping passing lanes. And somehow they always seem to be where they need to be.

The challenge is that while coaches are usually very good at recognizing awareness, I’m not sure we’re always as good at defining or teaching it.