Defense (dē-fens): a sports definition within the action of preventing an opponent from scoring.
Basketball as an example. In man-to-man defense, five opponents must guard their assigned match-ups. Whenever there's a mistake or blow by, one person has the awareness to defend the open man from scoring. Same thing whenever in a zone defense. Offense can win some games, but defense leads to winning championships. Having that strong cohesive defense, is what you need to have your teammate's back. Including other things off the court...
Chapter 1
Fiona Darcell
~Summer, 2011~
Walking around the block in a 90-degree summer weather, is a young 12-year-old pre-teen with burgundy red hair downward to her shoulders, light brown skin, having blue eyes, and wearing all-black fitted t-shirt, 5-pocketed fleece pants, and black Nike Air Max sneakers. Fiona Darcell is the name.
'Man I'm hungry. Ain't nothin' in the house to eat.' Fiona thought to herself, before continuously walking around the block from her home until... 'Goin' to a gas station wouldn't hurt.'
Fiona enters inside the gas station, seeing only four customers inside with two employees working around the register. She smirked to herself after looking at some camera spots before walking to a counter grabbing a small Doritos Nacho Cheese potato chip bag and a Sprite soda bottle. 'A'ight. I'm good to go.' she thought to herself.
Fiona puts the chips and soda bottle inside her pocket, before walking slowly by ducking herself to the door exiting out of the gas station.
Wait, what she just did? Simple... Fiona stole the snacks by bucking out of the gas station.
And after stealing the snacks, Fiona arrives to her home to eat the snacks she stole. But twenty minutes later...
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! Hard knocks occurred from the front door as Fiona opens it reveling ...two white police officers.
"Oh shit." Fiona cursed to herself.
"Step outside real quick." The first officer commanded. "If refused, we'll arrest you for not being cooperative."
Not thinking twice, Fiona walked outside standing in front of the two police officers. "Is ...there something ...wrong?" she worried.
"Yes to be exact." The second officer stated. "What were you doing at the gas station moments ago?"
Oh boy. "I was ...buying a snack." Fiona lied.
"A snack you say?" the first officer said as Fiona nodded. "Well I got news for you: you're lying. You didn't 'buy,' you 'stole' the snacks."
"Yeah right." she said with arrogance.
"Oh don't make a fool of yourself, we have evidence you did it." the second officer you did.
The police grabbed Fiona by the shoulders turning her around before later handcuffing her. Folks around the block where Fiona is living, are witnessing what happened. Fiona later is brought to the back of the police cars sitting on hard plastic seats.
The officers talked through the walkie-talkies of capturing Fiona before officer number two approaches to Fiona. "Do you have a parent, ma'am?"
Fiona death-stared the office before saying, "Yes." before later explaining to the officer of who her parent is. The officers later taken Fiona down to the county jail where they talked to Fiona of what she did wrong as she was later sent to the youth detention center for two years.
~One Year Later (Summer, 2012)~
Inside Atlanta, Georgia's Metro Regional Youth Detention Center is where Fiona spent her first year inside - now becoming a teenager at the age of 13. The Youth Detention Center is where boys and girls of all genders attended after doing something that is a caution among other things. But between the genders, everything is separated between schedule things coming into effect. Plus, there has been some crazy things that can happen inside the Youth Detention Center. Fiona as an example, she got into some fights with some crazy-ass girls her age by beating them up like a man. But not everything goes into disaster, there are educational events where they teach these young people education by making sure they know some stuff before being released from YDC. Throughout these last two years of Fiona in the Youth Detention Center, she was able to learn a person's persona of 'why she's this and that'. But hasn't been able to learn about everything interns of what the reality is around her world. Heck, most kids her age wouldn't see it and Fiona is one of them.
...Outside during free hours in a clear warm summer day is Fiona (in her orange jumpsuit) out in the courtyard bored as hell. Not knowing what to do since she is being locked up. That boredom stopped after seeing a basketball laying there at the open concrete-like basketball court.
'Might as well.' Fiona thought to herself, after approaching to the basketball picking it up.
Fiona ends up shooting the basketball towards the basketball hoop with her right dominant hand, but really is just playing with it. All because she was bored and doesn't want to sit around and pick on a fight on someone or something. Somehow to Fiona after picking up that basketball, she starts to ...like it.
"Hmm, that's weird?" Fiona said. "I don't know why I'm liking it, but ...this looks fun." she smirked after hearing what she said to herself.
After shooting some shots, Fiona starts to dribble with her right hand by looking down at the ball (which is a bad thing to do) and starts to walk with around the court. Baffle by this, Fiona smiled after doing this dribble with her right hand she switch by now dribbling with her left hand. But struggled to adjust to it. "Goddamn. It feels different from my right." Fiona said to herself, but continues to do it regardless.
While Fiona is dribbling the ball, there comes an inmate approaching to Fiona. "Hey..." said a female voice.
Fiona stopped what she was doing and looked at the inmate. "Yeah. What do you want?" she said, seeing the inmate having brown skin, black hair, and brown eyes.
"Can I shoot wit ya?" the inmate said.
"Fine then," Fiona agreed before tossing the ball to the inmate.
The inmate grabs the ball and perfectly dribbles towards the basketball hoop, shooting the basketball with a textbook shooting form.
Fiona was amazed of seeing the female inmate to be that skilled. "You must play basketball?" she asked.
"Oh yeah, until I got in trouble." the inmate said.
"What you did?" Fiona asked after approaching closely to where the inmate is at.
The inmate explains, "I got into a fight around the hood before stabbing some girl in the ribs."
"Damn girl. You must be that crazy?"
"Not really. It's just that bitch tried me and I stabbed her. Plain and simple."
"I know how you feel." Fiona indicated. "I seen that shit back at my hood."
The inmate stopped her jump-shot and looked at Fiona. "Really? You too?" she observed.
"Yeah. I lived in Anarchy Homes where sometimes nothing happens until someone starts something." Fiona stated.
The inmate nods as she sits down on the basketball with Fiona sitting on her butt. "I see. By the way, I'm Myra Smith. What's yours?"
"Fiona Darcell."
Myra smirked. "What are you locked up for?"
"Stealin' some snacks from some sto'e (store)."
"What you stole?" Myra asked smiling.
Fiona explains, "A bag of chips and a soda. I even looked at the cameras, but I guess they just got my ass fo' real."
Myra snickered after hearing Fiona's story. "How long are you locked up."
"For two years. Next year is my last."
Myra smirked. "That's good. Mines is different from yours, though."
"What cha mean?"
"I'm seventeen years old and I got five years. So after I get out of YDC, I'll go to court and probably be sent to jail." Myra stated.
"Man that sucks." Fiona said.
"Shyyyyd, I did say I killed somebody. So I had to go to court." Myra explained.
"RRIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNG!" Rings the prison bell as it's a signal for inmates to report back inside.
Myra and Fiona got up and starts to walk towards the main building.
"Hey Myra." Fiona spoke.
"Yeah Fiona?"
"Can, uhhhh, ...Can you teach me how to hoop?" Fiona asks.
"You sure, girl?" Myra made sure.
"Yeah. Somethin' to not get me bored and shit." Fiona said.
"I understand," Myra said. "Just to let you know- Actually, how old are you?"
"Thirteen."
"Okay. But like I was gonna say, just to let you know, it won't be easy by your age. 'Cause they're some folks your age be hoopin' like crazy. Real talk." Myra said.
Fiona nods before the two entered inside the building.
-Evening (Around 8 o'clock)...
Myra and Fiona and other inmates inside the lockdown facility are all doing recreational activities by sitting on lunch tables eating their dinner (a apple, ham & cheese sandwich, a chocolate chip cookie, and a small carton of white milk) by having conversations to one another.
Sitting in a table is where Myra and Fiona are by themselves...
"So Myra," Fiona spoke. "When do you go to court?"
Myra answers, "When I turn eighteen, next year on August."
Fiona nods. "How long do you think you'll be locked up?"
Myra shakes her head before answering, "Pfffff. Only Gods knows when."
"Do you regret stabbin' that girl?" Fiona asked.
"Girl to be honest wit ya, I don't even know, yet. For real."
Fiona smirked after hearing Myra's answer. Now you may think that's ridiculous that an young inmate (male or female of any gender) would have no type of felling after doing something wrong, but that's how it is to individuals who are locked up after committing a crime. Why? Because think about how an individual grew up with a rough childhood, and was later doing cautions things that some think it wasn't nothing but it became a reality by being incarcerated.
Myra asks Fiona, "Since you asked me some questions and shit, how 'bout I asked you."
"Okay. I'm all in." Fiona said.
"Have you ever been locked up before." Myra asked.
"Yeah." Fiona easily answered.
"Really? When?"
Fiona explains after finishing her dinner, "I was ten after I got in a fight in school. And I later cursed out a teacher off some bullshit he said. I was sent here for three months, until being released." Huh!? So this isn't the first time Fiona was incarcerated after she did a cautious thing.
"Did that felt good between those two?" Myra asked after also finishing her dinner.
"Yeah. Because the girl I fought shouldn't try me. And that teacher was a bitch for gettin' on my nerves since I didn't do anything." Fiona answered.
Myra didn't even bother to ask 'why' after hearing Fiona's answer, but does understand interns of her personality. "A'ight then." Myra said. "I'ma ask you this: have you learn anything here in jail?"
"Jail? I thought this was YDC?" Fiona questioned.
"It don't matter. YDC is the same as jail after gettin' locked up." Myra explained. "And once again: have you learn anything in here?"
"Besides school work, people stupid. That's the only thing I learned in here." Fiona answered.
"Though I agree," Myra said, "but not a lot of people here stupid as hell, you know?" Fiona agreed, though she would see 'it' when someone start something that was ludicrous where the cops are there to prevent it or stop it. Hell, the Youth Detention Center's age limit lasts until an individual turns eighteen years of age. "Now I'ma ask you this: what do you want to be when you grow up?"
Fiona thought for a moment, "...I ...I don't know. Why?" she asked. Hey, she may be 13 but her future goal(s) in life is uncertain ...as of yet.
"Well ...to be honest with you," Myra states, "my goal was to be a basketball player in the WNBA." Women's National Basketball Association is what it's called, "But now, that probably will never happened." Deep down inside, Myra is pissed off for letting that dream slipped away. And there is no one to blame but her.
"Shit. That's your fault." Fiona said.
"Yeah, you're right. But whatever goal you decided, don't fuck it up, a'ight? And by don't fuck it up, don't get caught or involved in some bullshit that you don't think it was that serious, until seeing that was a reality. Because when I went to court after stabbing some bitch, I was stunned after the judge sentenced me."
'Shyyyd. Yeah right.' Fiona thought, almost not believing what Myra stated.
"RRIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNG!" Rings the prison bell as it's a signal for inmates to report back inside their cells.
Myra spoke, "We'll talk tomorrow. Okay?"
"Yeah." Fiona accepted.
The two inmates and among others reported back to their cells where the officers say goodnight to some folks.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Next day arrived as inmates of all genders are doing recreational activities: school work for some young teens and pre-teens combine, and cleaning for some older teens. In which Fiona and Myra are doing right now: Fiona doing some school work (since she was suppose to be in middle/junior high school right now), and Myra being the older teenager is cleaning up some food gunk from lunch trays. This started in the morning around 8 o'clock...
"RRIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNG!" That was until the 12 o'clock bell rang where recreational activities will be on hold. Concluding their lunches afterwards, the inmates walked outside where it's warm and humid outside. But it is also the perfect time for Fiona to learn some basketball tips from Myra.
The two approached to the blacktop (A.K.A. outdoor basketball court) where Myra is holding the Wilson white & black Crossover Outdoor basketball. Myra speaks, "A'ight... We only got one hour to be out here, so we gotta make this work. For me to coach you how to hoop, first I wanna see how you shoot the ball." she informed before tossing the basketball to Fiona.
Standing at the free-throw line marker is where Fiona received the ball. She put both of her hands on the ball until...
"Hold up real quick." Myra interrupt. "What's your strongest hand?"
"My right." Fiona answered, showing her right hand.
Myra nods, "Okay. Come to where I'm at." she instructed, for which she is inside the middle of the painted-area. Fiona approach to Myra up close as Myra got behind her. She grabbed Fiona's right arm, while holding the basketball with her left hand, and bends it backwards in a 45-degree angle towards her forehead. "First thing I'm gonna show you, is how to shoot the ball in a textbook forum." Myra explains, "This part right here you're gonna shoot the ball towards the rim, and to put some arc on it you gotta push the ball up high and flick your wrist afterwards. Like this..."
Grabbing the ball out of Fiona's right hand, Myra stood next to Fiona and showed her what she explained. Myra showed her right dominant hand and bends her arm backwards in a 45-degree angle towards her forehead, and shot the ball flicking her wrist. The ball swished into the rim's cylinder.
"Hmm. I get it." Fiona said.
Myra smirks nodding, "Okay." She grabbed the ball and tosses it to her, "Now showed me what I just explained."
Receiving the basketball, Fiona puts her left arm behind her back (since it's useless for now) bends her right arm backwards towards her forehead before shooting it, ...and missed. But there was something wrong that Myra saw...
"Tell me how did you miss." Myra said.
Fiona visualized what she flawed on, "I didn't flick my wrist, I think?" she said.
"Exactly." Myra said before continuing after grabbing the ball and giving it back to her, "Now do it again. And this time, flick your wrist after you shot it."
Fiona pulled off the same ritual Myra explained. She shoots the ball this time flicking her wrist, ...but missed again. "Uhhhhgh... Really?!" Fiona whined.
Myra, grabbing the basketball, sees the body language from Fiona, "I know how you're gonna feel right now. And trust me, it happens all the time including me. Just keep doing that until you make it, while also doing it again." she informed, before handing the ball back to Fiona.
Fiona brings her right arm towards her forehead and shoots it flicking her wrist again. The ball rattles around the rim's cylinder ...and finally in. "Yes," she cheered.
"See I told you." Myra congrats to Fiona before grabbing the ball, "Keep on doing that, that way you'll get used to it." She later tossed the basketball back to Fiona.
"How long do I have to do this?" Fiona asked after receiving the ball.
Myra looked down at her shadow, "About ...an hour."
"An hour?!" Fiona whined, "Why I gotta do this for an hour?! And how you're gonna tell time?"
"Simple," Myra explains, "One: that way you'll get use to shooting like that; and two: me monitoring time by looking at my shadow. And it is now... (*looking at her shadow*) it's about 12:30."
Fiona sighs and does the one-hand shooting drill. Shot after shot, miss after miss, and make after make, Fiona has been continuously shooting one-handed with her right dominant hand. Sweating of this drill due to the hot weather (and the fact of wearing her orange jumpsuit), Fiona is feeling some soreness from her right arm.
"Alright, you can stop now." Myra ceased.
"Mmmmpffff! ...My arm is fellin' sore doing this." Fiona stated, rubbing her right arm.
Myra later told Fiona to rest her arm for a moment so she can continue another shooting drill. "A'ight, this next drill will be the same-"
"Really?!" Fiona interrupted.
"But," Myra continued, "...this time, you're gonna be using your left hand while shooting with your right hand still." which what Myra was about to explained before being interrupted.
"Use my other hand?" Fiona confused, but is still learning the game.
"Like this..." Myra said before walking towards Fiona's left side. "You being right handed," she grabs Fiona's left hand, "your left hand is your guide hand where it balances the basketball while you're about to shoot it." she explained after placing Fiona's shooting form towards her forehead, this time with her two hands on the basketball. "And also, make sure your shoulders are squared to one another that way there's more chances of having a consistent jump shot." while also but lastly adjusting her shoulders making sure they are lined up
Myra backs away from her. "Now shoot it, but make sure your shoulders are lined up, while using your guide hand - which is your left hand - while shooting." she states.
Fiona agrees and sets herself, still inside the painted-area close to the basket. She brings her now-fully-adjusted shooting form towards her forehead just as Myra instructed before shooting it; the ball reaches to the cylinder ...and it falls in on her first try. "Wow ...that felt even better than one hand." Fiona admired, after having her left hand sideways from her right wrist where she shot it off of and having her shoulders lined up together.
"I told you." Myra said before getting the basketball, "But also this, with me adjusting your shooting form, not every shot will go in. Sure you're gonna be pissed because of it, but that's always gonna happened." she explains where Fiona nods. Myra hands the ball back to Fiona before backing away from her, "Now just like I said from the first drill, do that same shooting drill I just now showed you for one hour, a'ight?"
Fiona nods and sets herself again. She brings her shooting form towards her forehead and released it; the ball reached to the cylinder ...and falls in again. And once again, shot after shot, miss after miss, and make after make, despite the new shooting drill Fiona has finally got comfortable shooting with two hands instead of her one right-dominant hand. Thanking Myra for this, Fiona gotten comfortable with her shooting form that was made from scratch instead of fixing it. Because usually when fixing a raw or unorthodox shooting form would lead to some extra work in the lab. However, to Fiona, that was never the case because she is learning how to play basketball.
"Alright, you can stop now." Myra said.
Finishing the last shot, Fiona liked her new shooting form and she was able to get comfortable while shooting it. Myra later showed Fiona by shooting at spots around the court. But Fiona struggled shooting from spots that was outside the painted-area, because she had to put some strength from her legs and upper body in order to get her shot off the right way. Though understanding Fiona's shooting troubles outside the paint, Myra was there to enlighten some tips of how to be even more consistent prior to attempting a jump shot.
"RRRIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNG!" Sounds the prison bell as recreational activities are done for the day.
Fiona and Myra walked together to head back inside the facility. "We'll do some ball-handling tomorrow, okay?" Myra spoke to Fiona.
"Okay." Fiona agreed.
The two entered inside the lockdown facility where the inmates resume some recreational activities inside.
-Another Year Later (Summer, 2013)...
Fiona, thanks to Myra, is outside at the basketball court practicing on some basketball skills working on her handles, jump shot, and footwork and balance by working on various moves. And interns of 'skills,' guard-like skills to be exact due to Fiona being 5'11" (5 feet and 11 inches tall). She continuously did this for two hours until stopping to catch a break sitting down with her friend Myra. Yes, Fiona and Myra developed a 'prison' friendship after various basketball tips and drills Myra developed to Fiona.
"Had fun?" Myra asked.
"Yeah. I just wish I had someone to play against, unlike you." Fiona answered. Now going to what she said - Fiona played against Myra all the time when it comes down to seriousness. Female inmates around the facility would be involve with some activities. but less of them would be in a 'fun level' when it comes down to basketball. Though Fiona and Myra wouldn't mind playing against girls/young ladies, but in a serious level they want to go into attack mode. Okay, but why can't they play against boys/young men? That will never happened. Because, every penitentiary is divided into genders that way nothing detrimental will occur. Keep that in mind.
"So you're getting out this time soon?" Myra asked Fiona.
"Yeah just can't wait to go home." Fiona answered. That's true, short afterwards Fiona will be free. Free to finally go back home.
Myra nods before getting some friendly advice to her friend.
-The Next Day (Morning Around 9AM)...
A male police officer walks towards cell number 245 and later opens it. "Fiona Darcell..." Fiona, who was reading a book (that is boring to her), heard her name called looking at the officer. "You're being released. Come walk with me."
Fiona got up from her bed and walk towards the officer where he will escort her to the main office. But before that will happen, Fiona walks to Myra. "See ya, Myra." she said, saying her goodbyes.
"See ya. Be easy out there for me, a'ight?" she greeted.
Fiona, after dapping her friend, nods before walking away with the offer to the main office. They entered where Fiona puts on the clothes she lastly wore before being incarcerated: all-black fitted t-shirt, 5-pocketed fleece pants, and black Nike Air Max sneakers; all fitting her exactly she remembers. Fiona and the officer walks towards the front gate where a adult female is waiting on her.
"Hey Fiona. How you're felling?" the stranger asked.
"Good, mom." Fiona answered, but not proudly though.
'Mom' Fiona say? Yes, her mother's name is Hannah Darcell: having peach Caucasian skin, red burgundy hair (same as Fiona's), blue eyes (same as Fiona's), height at 5'7", and has a C+ breasts size; wearing her white fitted t-shirt, shy blue jeans, and white Nike sneakers.
The Darcells enter inside Hannah's 1998 Nissan Altima where they are off going back home.
End of Chapter 1
WEEELLLLLL (LOL)! There's chapter 1 of A Help on Defense with plenty more to come down the road. Now this rating may be T, but I may changed it depending on how I'm writing it.
Before I get into my closing, I'll explain the names and for the reason of why I made Fiona (and future Sonic characters) human. Most of what you will be reading, relates to Teammates Forever. However it "may" have some minor changes within this story.
The name Fiona Darcell (A.K.A. Fiona Fox), is the name I put on Teammates Forever, including her mother, Hannah Darcell, only on Basketball Upbringings.
Leave a comment in the review section of how you're liking this ideal story.
And don't worry, this story will be very interesting. I promised, alright?!
SelfMadeHooper out.
PS: Rest in peace to NBA Legends Darryl 'Chocolate Thunder' Dawkins (January 11, 1957 – August 27, 2015; 58 years) and Moses Malone, AKA 'Chairman of the Boards' (March 23, 1955 – September 13, 2015; 60 years). Coming from an basketball fan, you guys will be truly missed.
And also, if you are following me on my penname and my two currently-updated stories of 'Teammates Forever', and 'Basketball Upbringings.' Don't be alarmed, I'm still working on those stories. So don't come up to me PM-ing me of when am I gonna update those stories. I have a life, okay? Keep that in mind, bruh-bruh!
