Recognize and Respond Quickly to Transitions

When In Transition Transitioning from Offense to Defense and back is one of the mental adjustments most young players often have the hardest time with. If you suddenly find yourself on a team lacking possession, Offensive players will often time find themselves on the "wrong side" of the ball. One does themselves, and their teammates, a significant disservice by pretending that the position they had when attacking is as valuable when defending and vice versa. It usually isn't.

A transition from offense to defense or vice versa is usually the occasion to evaluate one's position, and make adjustments resulting in movement to more valuable, connected space. Develop in yourself the Mental Nimbleness to recognize those moments, evaluate your best position in light of the new context, and undertake that movement with a sense of Urgency. It's not enough to arrive and respond as the play happens, you can impact the play if recognize the possibility, anticipate its direction and get there first.

Responding to transitions requires mental and physical effort. A tired body leads to tired mind resistant to change. You can recognize well-conditioned players, of even players ready for a in-match substitution, by their the quickness with which they respond to transitions. Good transitions are recognized immediately, performed efficiently and effectively with a sense of urgency to both regain control of the ball, and and click into their defensive assignment. On the other hand, if a player finds themselves mentally, and then physically unwilling to make adjustments in response to possession or ball position changes on the field, this is often a sign their conditioning is wanting, or their simply gassed.