Athletic Management 24.2 by Momentummedia

February/March 2012

Better Scores

New ideas in academic support › Rethinking Homecoming › Success in Fundraising › Coaches as Teachers › Gym Surfaces

Vol. XXIV, No. 2

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Contents Feb/March 2012

Vol. XXIV, No. 2

10 WARMUP

36 28

COVER STORY

Better Scores

At just about every level of play, tougher academic standards are being put in place or at least discussed. Schools are responding with exciting and innovative ideas to boost grades.

FUNDRAISING

Breaking New Ground

How do you transform an athletic program from an afterthought to a story of success? At Stony Brook University, a comprehensive and detailed fundraising strategy has been one of the shovels helping to break new ground.

COACHING

PROGRESSIVE PROGRAMS

55 63

4 New Media Going mobile

9 Coaching

High school vs. AAU

10 Program Growth Mixing genders

12 Alumni Relations

Rethinking homecoming

14 Budget Cuts

Leaving buses idle

Timeless Lessons

Encouraging your coaches to take a page from the Wizard of Westwood can turn them into teachers, and have a profound effect.

FACILITIES

Floor Factors

Before purchasing a new gym floor, consider the latest developments in what’s underfoot: evolving subfloor systems, new standards, and the use of green materials.

PRODUCT NEWS

Accepting the Challenge

At the University of Oregon, student-athletes are learning the art of teamwork and communication through a for-credit class called “The Leadership Challenge.”

Indoor Facilities

This section features our annual Guide to Indoor Flooring, ideas for designing an athletic training room, antimicrobial products, and gymnasium components.

ON THE COVER Jared Cunningham scores for Oregon State University, one of the schools profiled in our cover story for its successful academic support program. Story begins on page 28.

Q&A

17 Denisha Hendricks Kentucky State University GAMEPLANS

21 When Drills Go Bad By Dr. Richard P. Borkowski

25 Mentoring Coaches By Holly Gera

72 Advertisers Directory 80 Next Stop: Web Site AthleticManagement.com | FEB/MAR 2012 1

Editorial Board VOL. XXIV, NO. 2

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2012

Elizabeth “Betsy” A. Alden, PhD, President, Alden & Associates, Inc. Craig Bogar, EdD, Dean of Student Services/Instructor, United States Sports Academy

PUBLISHER Mark Goldberg

Dan Cardone, Athletic Director, North Hills High School, Pa. James Conn, PhD, Professor, Dept. of Health & Human Performance, Central Missouri State University Robert Corran, PhD, Director of Athletics, University of Vermont James Cox, Facilities and Events Coordinator and Adjunct Professor, Barry University Joan Cronan, Women’s Athletic Director, University of Tennessee Roger Crosley, Coordinator of Athletic Operations, Emerson College

EDITOR IN CHIEF Eleanor Frankel ASSOCIATE EDITORS Dennis Read, Abigail Funk ASSISTANT EDITORS RJ Anderson, Patrick Bohn, Mike Phelps, Kristin Maki ART DIRECTOR Pamela Crawford

Bernie DePalma, Head Athletic Trainer/Physical Therapist, Cornell University Tom Douple, Commissioner, Mid-Continent Conference Jay Gardiner, Director of Athletics, Oglethorpe University Dale Gibson, EdD, Chair, Dept. of Education and Sport Management, Tusculum College Tom Gioglio, EdD, Director of Athletics, East Stroudsburg University

CIRCULATION DIRECTOR David Dubin CIRCULATION MANAGER Sandra Earle PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Maria Bise GRAPHIC ARTIST Trish Landsparger PREPRESS MANAGER Neal Betts

Mike Glazier, Partner, Bond, Schoeneck & King Steve Green, Deputy Director of Athletics, Northwestern University

BUSINESS MANAGER Pennie Small

Kevin Hatcher, Athletic Director, Cal State San Bernardino

SPECIAL PROJECTS Natalie Couch, Dave Wohlhueter

Phillip Hossler, ATC, Athletic Trainer, East Brunswick High School, N.J. E. Newton Jackson, Jr., PhD, Professor of Sport Management and Chair, University of North Florida

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Sharon Barbell

Dick Kemper, CMAA, Executive Director, Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association

MARKETING DIRECTOR Sheryl Shaffer

Bob Knickerbocker, Athletic Equipment Coordinator, Michigan State University

AD MATERIALS COORDINATOR Mike Townsend

John Knorr, EdD, Professor of Kinesiology, former Director of Athletics, St. Edward’s University Donald Lowe, MA, ATC, Chairman of the Board, College Athletic Trainers' Society Robert Mathner, PhD, Assistant Professor, Sport Management, Troy University Tim Neal, Assistant Director of Athletics for Sports Medicine, Syracuse University Fred Nuesch, Coordinator of Athletic External Affairs, Texas A&M-Kingsville Jamie Plunkett, Head Athletic Trainer, Allegheny College Chris Ritrievi, Vice President of Development, Indiana University

BUSINESS & EDITORIAL OFFICES 20 Eastlake Rd., Ithaca, NY 14850 Phone: (607) 257-6970, Fax: (607) 257-7328 e-mail: info@MomentumMedia.com ADVERTISING SALES ASSOCIATES Diedra Harkenrider, (607) 257-6970, ext. 24 Pat Wertman, (607) 257-6970, ext. 21

Matthew J. Robinson, EdD, Associate Professor/Director of Sport Management Program, University of Delaware Calli Theisen Sanders, EdD, Senior Associate Athletics Director, Iowa State University Terry Schlatter, EMC, Equipment Manager, University of Wisconsin Tim Slauter, CMAA, Assistant Principal, West Lafayette High School, Ind. Michael Slive, Commissioner, Southeastern Conference Donald Staffo, PhD, Dept. Chair, Health, Phys. Ed., & Rec., Stillman College Ellen Staurowsky, EdD, Professor of Sport Management, Drexel University William F. Stier, Jr., EdD, Director of Sport Management/ Coordinator of Sport Coaching, State University of New York at Brockport Lou Strasberg, University Travel Coordinator, The University of Memphis E. Michael Stutzke, CMAA, Athletic Director, Sebastian River High School, Fla. Michael Thomas, Director of Athletics, University of Illinois

Athletic Management (ISSN 1554-2033) is published bimonthly for a total of 6 times a year, by MAG, Inc., 20 Eastlake Rd., Ithaca, NY, 14850. Athletic Management is distributed without charge to qualified high school and collegiate athletic program and athletic facilities personnel. The paid subscription rate is $24 for one year/six issues in the United States and $30.00 in Canada. The single copy price is $7. Copyright ©2012 by MAG, Inc. All rights reserved. Text may not be reproduced in any manner, in whole or in part, without permission of the publisher. Unsolicited materials will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Periodicals postage paid at Ithaca, NY, and additional mailing offices.

Troy Tucker, Athletic Director, Northampton Community College Michael Vienna, PhD, Athletic Director, Salisbury University

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Athletic Management, P.O. Box 4806, Ithaca, NY 14852-4806.

Randy Warrick, Athletic Director, University of South Carolina at Aiken William Whitehill, EdD, ATC, Director, Athletic Training Curriculum, Middle Tennessee State University Sister Lynn Winsor, BVM, CMAA, Athletic Director, Xavier College Preparatory, Ariz. Tom Yeager, Commissioner, Colonial Athletic Association

2 FEB/MAR 2012 | AthleticManagement.com

PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.

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WarmUp THE NCAA WILL BEGIN ITS FIRST SEASON OF SAND VOLLEYBALL THIS SPRING, AND HIGH SCHOOLS MIGHT NOT BE FAR BEHIND. In mid-October, the Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) Executive Board approved a pilot program for girls’ sand volleyball, becoming the first state association to do so. As of January, 10 schools had committed to adding the sport and a maximum of 32 teams will be allowed. The season will run from early February until April. “It’s an opportunity for young ladies to participate in an emerging sport and for us to see what kind of buy-in we will get from the schools,” says AIA Associate Executive Director Chuck Schmidt. “We’re going to test it, work out the kinks, and hopefully next year it will be introduced as a sanctioned sport.”

High School News

ADDING SAND

One school that has agreed to participate is Xavier College Preparatory in Phoenix. An all-female school of approximately 1,200 students, Xavier College Prep frequently has strong turnouts for sports teams (90 students tried out for indoor volleyball this past fall), so when Athletic Director Sister Lynn Winsor heard the pilot program was approved, she immediately contacted her existing volleyball coaching staff. “Two of the coaches said they’d love to be pioneers in the sport, and were willing to coach the sand team for no additional pay,” Winsor says. “Many of our girls who already play volleyball are also on club teams, and I don’t imagine they’ll all be playing sand, so this should create an opportunity for other students.” Sand volleyball squads in Arizona will have five twoplayer teams, with two alternates, and contests will be scored similar to tennis (and NCAA sand volleyball). Schmidt says there are plenty of sand volleyball facilities in the state and some school districts have even stated that they will consider building courts at central locations in their districts if the sport gains traction.

Xavier College Prep, competing this past fall in the above photo, will be one of at least 10 high schools in Arizona to offer sand volleyball this spring.

4 FEB/MAR 2012 | AthleticManagement.com

www.gostanford.com/ot/mobile-initiatives.html

IF IT SEEMS LIKE MORE AND MORE FANS AT YOUR CONTESTS HAVE HIGH-END MOBILE DEVICES IN THEIR HANDS, that’s because more and more people are valuing the features they unlock. A recent survey from the Nielsen Group found that of mobile phoneowning adults aged 18-24 and 35-44, nearly 54 percent own smartphones— a 20 percent increase from three years ago. That number jumps even higher for those in the 25-34 age bracket, as 62 percent of that group owns smartphones.

of the football, volleyball, and men’s and women’s basketball teams have access to a mobile device-friendly Web site called “Stanford Gameday Live!” (www.stanfordgdl. com) that offers in-game video replays and updated statistics from the contest.

New Media

SMART IDEAS

In response, college athletic departments are working hard to create mobile applications and sites that satisfy fans’ thirst for cuttingedge access to teams and enhanced gameday experiences. Nowhere is this more evident than at Stanford University, where a new online venture combines a number of Internet-based elements to enhance the Cardinal fan experience. Stanford’s initiative starts by offering free Wi-Fi at athletic venues. Once logged in, fans

A second aspect of Stanford’s fan enhancement push is the free iCardinal mobile app that works with iOS (iPhone) and Android operating systems, the two most popular operating environments for smartphones. In addition to integrating with the Gameday Live Web site, iCardinal links to the school’s social media platforms—such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube—allowing fans to share their own photos, videos, and comments. The app also includes tools that provide fans with greater event convenience. For example, spectators at Car-

Circle No. 102

dinal football games can use the app to locate their vehicles in crowded parking lots when exiting the stadium. For those attending contests at Stanford Stadium and Maples Pavilion, the school invites them to place a food or drink order from their seat using a mobile device and pay for it with a credit or debit card. Once their order is ready, a text message is sent notifying them that their food can be retrieved using a dedicated “Bypass Lane” located at one of the venue’s concession stands. “We are excited about these mobile technology initiatives and are proud that they support the spirit of leadership and innovation that characterizes Stanford University,” says Stanford Director of Athletics Bob Bowlsby. “From a business perspective, our athletics department recognizes the need to evolve our methods alongside broader changes

says the app’s ease of use has struck a chord with the school’s fan base. “It’s great because you can add it instantly, on the spot,” he told the Catholic Sports Journal. “We see a spike in people adding the app during announcements at games. We can track exactly when people add the app, and that’s beneficial.”

Click on “Mobile Site” in top right hand corner at: www.goseattleu.com

in technology and consumer preferences.” Seattle University is another school focused on reaching fans through mobile devices. Since its return to NCAA Division I in 2009, the athletic program has worked hard to increase exposure for its teams and one of its endeav-

ors was the recent creation of an iPhone app. Entitled “GoSeattleU” and available for free through the iPhone App Store, it provides updated stories, scores, schedules, and athlete bios for the school’s 17 teams. Seattle University Associate Athletic Director Eric Guerra

The app’s success has spurred Seattle University to investigate adding an Android application in the near future and an iPad app a little further down the road. It is currently working on a paid app fans will be able to purchase to access streaming video and additional features. “People like to see live content and immediate information,” Guerra said. “They like to see and hear the game. This would be featured on a premium app, including the possibility to even purchase tickets through it. It’s all

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WarmUp about creating excitement through the phones to reach our alumni, fans, and potential students.” In a move to both improve the game-day experience and cut printing costs, the athletic department at Gallaudet University has been experimenting with Quick Response (QR) code technology to replace traditional game programs, which they are now only printing in limited amounts. A QR code is a computer-generated two-dimensional black and white square that can be read by cameras on smartphones and tablets (such as an iPad) to immediately link it to a mobile device-friendly Web site. Starting in September, the Gallaudet sports information department began displaying posters featuring a QR code—and instructions for its use—at game venues. Once the code is scanned in, it is stored in the mobile device

and fans have access to that team’s game program for the entire season with information updated before each contest. The stored code also allows fans who can’t attend a game to have access to realtime stats and live video from an event. “It is important for us to utilize mobile technology,” says Gallaudet Sports Information Director Sam Atkinson. “We have noticed over the past two years the large amount of printed game programs not being used and later recycled. Now we can send our fans to our Web site where we have set up a Game Day Program area with links to the information they want. Plus, now we are not limited to the amount of information we can share, unlike printed programs, and we can rest assured the information is current and up-to-date.”

Gallaudet University QR Code

www.gallaudetathletics.com/news/2011-12/qrprograms

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WarmUp Coaching

IN THE SAME ROOM It’s no secret that high school and AAU boys’ basketball coaches don’t always see eye-to-eye. In North Carolina, Marque Carrington, Head Boys’ Basketball Coach at Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh, is trying to do something about that. In late October, Carrington organized a symposium to which he invited high school coaches, AAU coaches, and media members in the state, with the goal of beginning a discussion about the conflict. “There’s a gap between the two groups that needs to be bridged,” Carrington says. “If we as coaches all have the athletes’ best interests in mind, we all need to be on the same page—and right now we’re not.” Nearly 30 coaches met and covered several topics. Areas of discussion included the influence coaches have over their players; a coach’s role in a player’s eligibility, character, and discipline; a coach’s role in educating parents; and the visibility of AAU and high school coaches during their “off” seasons. The agenda allotted between 10 and 25 minutes per subject with coaches exchanging thoughts and looking for common ground. “I feel one of the biggest problems we have is the issue of a player’s eligibility and character development,” Carrington says. “Let’s say an athlete gets kicked off his high school team as a junior because of his grades or not handling himself correctly. It’s not that big a deal to him if he knows he can just turn around and play AAU ball. I feel there needs to be some type of model where AAU players, just like high school players, need to have a certain GPA and meet certain other standards to be able to play.”

GREG MINTEL

The coaches at the symposium also discussed the need to recognize that players may fill different roles on different teams. “We came to a common understanding that just because a kid is playing point guard for his AAU squad

doesn’t mean he should be the point guard for his high school team,” Carrington says. “We talked about communicating to the kids and their parents that they have to listen and do what each coach needs them to do to be successful, not just one or the other.” Carrington would also like to see AAU programs—and especially the players and their parents—focus less on college scholarships. “When I played, the coaches preached to us day in and day out that we were playing AAU ball to improve our game by competing with and against some of the best talent in the area,” he says. “We never had the mindset that we were playing to get a college scholarship. As a result, there wasn’t the selfishness or craziness with parents moving kids from program to program that we see now. If we can get back to that point I think we’ll see a big difference in attitudes.”

recruiting analyst Dave Telep serve as the moderator at the initial meeting and the first thing he said was, ‘You’re all here on a Saturday morning at 8:30 and you traveled across the state on your own dime, so you’re probably one of the good guys,’” Carrington says. “Now, I feel we have to get some of the guys who are not holding players to a high standard to join us. “I plan to do some research to find out who these ‘other’

coaches are,” he continues. “Then I’ll put some pressure on them and say, ‘You say you want to do this and that for your players, so let’s do it. Let’s sit down so we can help these players.’ And if they don’t get involved, their name and organization are going to be exposed.” Carrington’s advice for individual high school coaches interested in tackling the conflicts is to try to bridge the gap with their AAU counterparts. “You have to find out who your kids are playing for in the summer and establish relationships with those coaches,” he says. “It’s not about saying to an AAU coach, ‘You don’t know what you’re doing.’ It is about looking out for the best interests of the kids.”

Carrington will broaden the audience for his next meeting, which he expects to hold in the spring, inviting players’ parents (but not the players themselves). He also plans to have both a college academic advisor and a compliance staffer participate and will ask the North Carolina High School Athletic Association and the AAU to send representatives as well. He foresees that this next meeting may be more contentious.“At the first meeting everyone was very respectful,” says Carrington. “To get to the root of the problems and solve them, however, it might have to get a little heated. It’s not going to be all berries and smiles.” Carrington also hopes to broaden the audience of AAU coaches. “We had ESPN

Marque Carrington, Head Boys’ Basketball Coach at Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh, N.C., organized a symposium last October to help high school and AAU boys’ basketball coaches discuss their differences and issues in the sport. He is planning a follow-up meeting this spring. AthleticManagement.com | FEB/MAR 2012 9

WarmUp A small school with 1,200 students, St. Joseph’s College in New York City competes with numerous professional teams and NCAA Division I schools for local media coverage. But this past fall, St. Joseph’s generated some rare attention for what Athletic Director Frank Carbone considered a rather straightforward decision.

Six of them did, with several receiving substantial playing time. Freshman Shannon Rom started all 13 games on defense for the Bears while midfielder Daniela Semilla started 11 and forward Christina Abbate started nine.

Although publicity was not a factor in Carbone’s decision to field a mixedgender team, the move has already paid dividends. “I was surprised by the attention, because we didn’t see this as any kind of groundbreaking venture,” he says. “But it has really helped with recruiting, and we’ve had a ton of prospective players visit the campus.”

Program Growth

MIXING GENDERS

Circle No. 107 10 FEB/MAR 2012 | AthleticManagement.com

St. Joseph sophomore forward Cynthia Gambino was one of six females to compete for the school’s men’s soccer team this year.

ST. JOSEPHS COLLEGE(BROOKLYN)/SPORTS INFORMATION

After fielding a co-ed club soccer team for the past few years, the school added men’s soccer in 2011 as part of its move into NCAA Division III, which became official on Sept. 1. With the women’s soccer program not starting until 2012, Carbone decided that any females with sufficient ability would be welcome to join the men’s squad.

That caught the attention of two of the city’s major newspapers. “We’ve done some nice things to improve our department recently, but the New York Times and Daily News don’t call us every day,” Carbone says. “The News gave us a full page article right next to a piece on the Jets, and the Times also covered the story. It was nice for people on campus to see that.”

SYNTHETIC TURF:

TOTAL GLUE-DOWNS ARE JUSTIFIABLY COMING BACK Total glue-down by squeegee

Total glue-down by spraying

ynthetic turf technology has greatly improved with time. It is called “progress” and the word is synonymous with change and improvements. While better in many ways over the old ones, these new turf systems also have their own problems, which we think could be solved by total glue-down instead of loose-laying turf. More people are realizing that the higher quality and higher initial cost of a total glue-down is worth it in the short run and even more so in the long run.

ISTORY - In the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, artificial grass/ synthetic turf began to make its mark as an alternative surface in areas where natural grass could not perform such as: a) athletic fields – especially after bad weather or heavily used fields, b) in high foot traffic areas without athletic activities, c) when maintenance is a hazard like highway median strips, d) in areas where grass growing is a problem such as: the desert, boat docks, around swimming pools and areas devoid of sunlight. In the beginning, most good synthetic turf installations were totally glued-down on both hard surfaces or flexible shock absorbent bases. However, there were problems with the older turf systems (not related to the adhesive) so a slow evolution began to take place, which eventually led to new and better synthetic turfs; loose-laying the turf over crushed stones instead of gluing to a uniform sub-surface; by simply gluing only 6 inches or less of each side of the turf to seaming tape or even less joining area by sewing (called loose-laying). Then sand and/or rubber granules (called infill) is sprinkled or combed between the grass blades. The newer loose-laid systems with infill have their benefits but the major reason for their selection over total glue downs is their much lower price but not better performance. Even when infill continues to be used, we think that many of the problems and expenses of repairing loose-laid systems could be prevented and/or avoided if the 15 foot wide turf rolls were totally glued down to a hard or shock absorbent sub-surface.

Loose-laid narrow seams over stone

expansion and/or contraction due to hourly and day-to-day changes in weather conditions (hot, cold, wet, dry, wind, etc.) are distributed over the entire installation instead of concentrating it only at narrowly joined seams like loose-lay installations. Total glue downs also prevent game line movement (“dancing lines” in trade jargon). Whether they are 15 foot wide turf rolls or smaller inserts, strong and tightly bonded seams are essential not only for aesthetic purposes, but also to avoid injuries from dangerous installations and hazards like tripping or other injuries due to an open seam or shifting turf. While the types of loose-lay installations that fill the turf matrix with sand and/or rubber granules hold the turf down due to gravity, they do not eliminate either lateral seam stresses and/or line movement. Also, infill does not hold the turf down when wind gets under the loose-laid turf, causing the turf to act like a sail. A seam break, whether it be accidental due to high stress or an intentionally cut sewn seam by vandals, can cause a completely loose field. Hence, instead of a small localized and easily fixable seam problem of a total glue down, it is often a major problem with a loose-lay. Also, thieves can cut and remove large sections of loose-laid turf for their home use or to disrupt an upcoming event. It was easy to remember the problems with the older systems, especially when new problems with the loose-lay systems had not had enough time to surface. It’s no longer the case now that the aging problems of loose-laid installation have surfaced such as: broken or unraveled seams resulting in the entire installation being loose; infill getting underneath cut turf or open seams which must first be removed before repairs; shifting lines, numbers, logos, etc. due to expansion, contraction or machinery moving on the turf; vandalism, such as cutting sewn or glued loose-laid seams; and thievery by cutting and removing a large section of turf.

Total glue-downs are gold and loose-lays are silver

LOOSE-LAY SEAMS ARE THE BIG BAD WOLF -

VALUE SUMMARY BY ANALOGY - We think total gluedowns are gold and loose-lays are silver.

Artificial turf surfaces that are used for athletic fields, playgrounds, landscaping and other applications, are basically rolls of engineered high-tech carpet joined to make one piece that covers the entire surface. In trade jargon, the joining is called “seaming”. Additional seams are created by purposely cutting or shaving the turf in order to insert lines, logos, numbers and different colored turfs. An artificial turf surface is only as good as its joined seams because, historically seams are the weakest link of a good synthetic turf installation. Hence, from a seam standpoint, total glue downs are by far the best because high stress from athletic activities, maintenance vehicles, dimensional turf movement such as Circle No. 108

Norris Legue is a chemist and President of Synthetic Surfaces Inc. (www.nordot.com). In about 1969, he invented the first urethane adhesive that was used successfully to install synthetic turf athletic fields. His company’s new generations of NORDOT® Adhesives are used to install synthetic turf more than any other adhesive in the world. His peers have dubbed him the “Guru of Glue®”.

Alumni Relations

RETHINKING HOMECOMING FOR MANY COLLEGES, HOMECOMING WEEKEND IS THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE FALL SEMESTER—IF NOT THE ENTIRE SCHOOL YEAR. So why would a school eliminate it? St. Cloud State University decided to do away with a traditional homecoming this year and instead created “Celebrate! St. Cloud State,” a series of four weekend-long school pride events spread throughout 2011-12. “We wanted to re-imagine how to build Husky pride and create more opportunities to engage our alumni, faculty, staff, and students,” says Wanda Overland, Vice President of Student Life and Development. “So we decided to move to this series of weekends. We think it

will give people more chances to come back to campus and the community.” The first weekend was held in early October, with the second in January, and events are also scheduled for April and June. The idea is for each weekend to have events that appeal to different people, and that Celebrate! becomes an annual tradition. The October Celebrate! St. Cloud weekend centered on the school’s football game, providing a familiar atmosphere for those seeking a traditional experience. It was paired with the university’s family weekend and featured pre- and post-game receptions, a musical performance, and a gathering for alumni of the

school’s Greek organizations. The school also worked with the city’s downtown council to offer organized tours of historic buildings and trolley rides with the mayor, who talked about various city landmarks. The January weekend included home games for the men’s and women’s basketball teams, as well as the men’s ice hockey team. A street fair was also planned, as well as an event for the opening of an art gallery, and a pond hockey tournament featuring upwards of 75 teams. “Here in Minnesota, we’re crazy about hockey,” says Margaret Vos, Director of the Atwood Memorial Center and Co-Chair of the Celebrate! St. Cloud State Committee. “So

When negative student behavior at a football game reaches the breaking point, how should a school respond? For Rob White,

Gathering several current and former coaches and administrators, and using the talents of students in a video production class, White was able to create a seven-minute video—short and to the point. Each speaker talked about sportsmanship in a different way, encouraging students to take pride in their actions.

White had seen the school’s student section at football games deteriorate over the beginning of the 2011 season, with obscene chants becoming a regular occurrence. During a contest at Huron High on Thursday, > To view Saline High Oct. 6, several School’s video on hundred Saline sportsmanship, go to: students left vimeo.com/30315347 the stands and began making their way toward a large inflatable football helmet Huron players used during pregame introductions. White worked with police at the game to have the students ejected before they could reach the helmet, then started the video project the next day.

“We selected coaches and administrators who had longstanding ties to the school and whom the students respected,” White says. “Then we encouraged them to speak from the heart.”

Athletic Director at Saline (Mich.) High School, the answer was to put together a video that students would view during morning announcements the following Monday.

Sportsmanship

12 FEB/MAR 2012 | AthleticManagement.com

The goal of the video was to provide students with an “aha” moment. “We have a lot of tradition at Saline, but our students had forgotten what it meant to be a Hornet,” White says. “The video was a good way to remind them without disrupting the school day, which an assembly would have done. “It was important to put the video together quickly so we could nip this behavior in the bud,” he continues. “If you wait too long to act, then

A FAST RESPONSE

partnering with the tournament was a great way to bring people back to town and create something fun.” In the spring, Celebrate! St. Cloud is designed to be a recognition event for alumni and students, chock full of awards. The committee is also working with administrators at the university, as well as faculty, to invite alumni back to campus to speak in classes. “We want to expand the Homecoming idea beyond just sports and celebrate our students and alumni on the academic side, as well as in the arts,” says Terri Mische, Director of Constituent Engagement and the other Co-Chair of the Celebrate! St. Cloud State Committee.

Former Activities Director and current Interim Principal Eric Diroff was one of the speakers in the video. inappropriate behavior becomes the accepted culture.” Another key was following up the video with additional measures. “We identified the students who were leading the chants and discussed how they could help initiate the change,” White says. “Together, we came up with chants that were appropriate and at the next football game, fans were positive and supportive. We provided the students with encouragement and stressed that we wanted to win with dignity and lose with grace.”

WarmUp The final event weekend of the year, taking place in June, will be anchored with the Lemonade Concert and Art Fair, a St. Cloud State tradition for nearly 40 years. “We bring in artists from across the country who display their work all over campus,” says Vos. “There are also concerts throughout the day, and in the evening a symphony orchestra performance, which is free to the community. There are about 10,000 people who come in for that event.” When the switch from one to four weekends was announced, some local bar and restaurant owners were upset because homecoming weekend is traditionally a big moneymaker for them. To quell their fears, the university involved community organizations in the discussions surrounding the new events. “We had a number of meetings with the hospitality and

lodging associations, and have also invited them to serve on our committees,” Overland says. “There have been numerous opportunities for those people to be engaged in the planning.”

this first time around, we’re kind of building the plane as we’re flying it. But reactions have been good so far. Our goal is, in about three years, to feel like we’ve established a tradition.”

The university hopes the new tradition will offer something for everyone, so each alumnus can find reasons to come back to the school at least once a year. “Change is never easy, I’ll admit that,” says Vos. “And

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After cutting sports at the middle school level over the past two years, Ed Hartnett, Athletic Director for Adams County (Colo.) School District 12, was asked to trim his budget even further in 2011-2012. Without many options, he decided to change the district’s transportation policy for studentathletes, which has saved about $100,000. Starting this fall, buses no longer transport athletes at the district’s six high schools to Saturday games, and during

Neighboring Aurora (Colo.) Public Schools also changed its transportation policy in an effort to control costs. However, schools in Aurora have more flexibility than those in Adams, with individual school athletic directors deciding when to bus teams to games vs. requiring athletes to find their own rides. The district also purchased several “microbuses,” which coaches of teams with a small number of players drive to some games. At Aurora Central, one of five high schools in the district that offer a full slate of sports, Athletic Director Nate Smith says he’ll shave $3,000 to $4,000 off his $75,000 budget thanks to the new policy. He feels the policy’s flexibility has been important.

Budget Cuts

BUSSES IDLE the week, buses do not transport teams to road contests less than a 10-mile drive from their home school. Football was exempted from the policy over concerns that players in full pads would have difficulty driving safely.

“When you have a hard rule in place, it can be a challenge to enforce it and handle issues that may come up,” he says. “We’re allowed to handle transportation on a case-by-case basis, and that makes it work.

“For a team with a lot of athletes, like football or track, or for a game taking place some distance from the school, we’ll usually provide a bus,” Smith continues. “But if it’s a smaller

team and we’re playing a nearby school, I’ll ask the players to find their own way.” The microbuses are used when a traveling team doesn’t have enough athletes to fill a larger bus. All coaches are required to pass a training course on driving the buses each year, and provide copies of their insurance and driving records. Parents also have to sign a form allowing their child to be driven by the coach. Like Hartnett, Smith says proper communication is critical to getting a positive reception to a policy change like this, and he is teaming with his coaches to make sure parents get the message. “I meet with parents at the beginning of the year and explain the policy, and it’s included in the district paperwork athletes need to sign,” he says. “The coaches communicate to their players which games they’ll need to find their own transportation to. They also tell their athletes that by handling transportation this way, the school saves money, which allows the program to buy other things it needs. “Athletes and parents are very receptive when they hear that, and communicating far enough in advance allows them the time to set up rides,” Smith continues. “We haven’t had a single complaint.”

“Our financial situation is bleak, and we had to make some cuts,” Hartnett says. “Two years ago, we cut seventh grade sports, and last year, we cut them for eighth graders, but we still needed to make more. After surveying parents, community members, and staff, it was clear that the last thing anyone wanted was for us to cut sports at the high school level.” Hartnett says that no student-athletes have missed a game so far this year for lack of a ride. The key to making things go smoothly was communicating the logic behind the policy early on and explaining that it was preferable to eliminating teams. “We communicated this policy to parents and athletes before the season started in a number of ways to make sure they were aware of it,” says Hartnett. “We posted a letter online detailing the changes, and sent a copy home with student-athletes.”

14 FEB/MAR 2012 | AthleticManagement.com

Student-athletes at Mountain Range High School, in Westminster, Colo., as well as those at other high schools in Adams County School District 12, are now required to find their own transportation to many away contests. The Mountain Range softball team is shown above.

PAM WAGNER

There has also been an unexpected benefit that has supplied a bit of a silver lining to the move. “Our schools have seen an increase in attendance at road contests thanks to parents driving their kids to games,” says Hartnett. “And the athletes appreciate the support.”

WarmUp “I was a little hesitant at first, but it worked out better than I expected,” Lonergan says. “A lot of our students and fans came with us, as did the school mascot. I don’t think the team believed me when I first said we were going to take the Metro, but they enjoyed it. If we play Promotions in the Verizon Center again, we’ll probably take the Metro again.”

A GW men’s basketball player finds a spot among other subway riders and fans.

VIA METRO

in Penn Quarter, where the men’s basketball team had a game scheduled on Dec. 4, is approximately two miles. Rather than spend the money to rent a bus, Head Men’s Basketball Coach Mike Lonergan had a better idea: to ride the Metro, D.C.’s subway system.

While the event gave George Washington fans—as well as more than a few surprised Metro riders—a chance to get up close and personal with the team, the greatest benefit to the ride might have been in recruiting. “We’re trying to recruit both locally and nationally,” Lonergan says. “We’re trying to sell that we’re one of the top 50 academic institutions in the country and we’re located in the nation’s capital— with a Metro stop right on campus. Lots of students use it to go downtown for internships, and a lot of my players take it to go to Washington Wizards games.

Lonergan originally hatched the plan simply as a way to take advantage of the city’s transportation system, but it soon became much more than that. Director of Athletics Communications Jesse Hooker asked to send out an email blast inviting fans to travel with the team.

“Our local recruits know about the Metro, but might not know we have a stop on campus,” he continues. “For our other recruits, seeing that we rode the Metro to the game and how connected we are to Washington, D.C., is a great thing. All those little things can add up.”

THE TRIP FROM GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY’S CAMPUS IN THE FOGGY BOTTOM NEIGHBORHOOD of Washington, D.C., to the Verizon Center

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Circle No. 110 AthleticManagement.com | FEB/MAR 2012 15

Circle No. 117

Q & A

Denisha Hendricks KENTUCKY STATE UNIVERSITY

AM: You got your undergraduate degree in Physical Education/Athletic Training from the University of South Carolina. How did you get to athletic administration?

When Denisha Hendricks began plotting a career path, she hoped to eventually land a job as an athletic director. But she never thought it would happen so quickly. After working as Senior Woman Administrator at Livingstone College, then Assistant Athletic Director/Senior Woman Administrator at Johnson C. Smith University, Hendricks was hired as Athletic Director at Kentucky State University at the age of 30. Now in her third year leading the Thorobreds, Hendricks is helping Kentucky State reach new heights. She has developed a slogan for the athletic department, upgraded the compliance program, and watched the women’s volleyball team win its second straight conference title this past fall. Hendricks is also very involved on the national level, beginning an appointment with the NCAA Division II Management Council in January and serving on the NACDA Division II Athletic Directors Association Board of Directors. In this interview, she talks about her career path, hiring coaches, and the keys to succeeding in Division II.

Hendricks: During my junior year of undergrad, I was assigned to the football team for my clinical experience. I was standing on the sidelines, looking on the field and up in the skyboxes, and I noticed that most of the people on the field looked like me, but there was only one person in athletic administration who looked like me. I thought there was something wrong with that picture. How can all these other people make decisions when there’s a great majority of the population that they really don’t know? So I wondered how I could get to that point. How could I affect change on a broader scale? I loved athletic training and I still do, but I wanted to be able to help people in a different way. I started working with Harold White, who was the Senior Associate Athletic Director for Academics at South Carolina and the only black person on the department staff at that time. I started learning more about the administrative side, student support services, and everything else. I was able to get some great direction, then I went on to get my Master’s and Doctoral degrees in higher education administration from Auburn University.

How did you handle being named the youngest athletic director in Kentucky State history? It may have been a problem for other people, but it wasn’t a problem for me. People

say you have to be in the business for 15 to 20 years before you can be an athletic director, but I thought, “Let me just try. You won’t know unless you try.” I did, and it has worked out well.

What made you know you were ready? Presidential support is key for any athletic director. I didn’t know [Kentucky State’s president] Dr. Mary Evans Sias prior to coming here, but I knew about her. She had shown herself to be a supportive president to prior athletic directors, and I felt it would be a great situation to work under her. That gave me the confidence to pursue the position. Also, I had a wonderful situation at Johnson C. Smith, but I felt it was time for me to grow. To do that, I had to leave. I had done all the NCAA leadership programs and other professional development programs, and I was ready to take the next step. Looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing.

What is the key to getting support from the president and other upper-level administrators? Number one, it’s open and honest communication. I tell my president all the good things, as well as the bad things. The bad things are hard to tell, but you have to do it. An athletic director should make sure their president is never in a situation where he or she doesn’t know something. That gives the president confidence in you as you lead your particular part of their university. He or she knows that if something comes up, you’re going to handle it, and if it gets to the point

Kentucky State’s Tiffany Jones competes in the 100-meter hurdles at the 2011 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships.

AthleticManagement.com | FEB/MAR 2012 17

Q & A where you need input, you’ll call and say, “Help me.”

What is your approach to mentoring coaches? It goes back to the same principles of communication. I need to make sure all our coaches are comfortable enough to tell me the good and bad things, so I do a lot to connect with them. I don’t often call them and tell them to come to my office. Instead, I go to them. I take the time to get out of my office and talk to them in their space, which has been a really good thing. My coaches also know that they can stop by any time to see me. Another thing I’ve been doing since I started here is traveling with our teams on road trips, and my assistant athletic directors also do this. At Johnson C. Smith I had begun traveling to away games and saw the difference it made with the teams. For one, a lot of misunderstandings can be avoided if an administrator is at a road contest. But also, I get a chance to see how the coaches work on the road, and they get to know me outside of being in a suit and heels in the office. Then when it’s time to have that evaluation or checkpoint meeting with a coach, I’m talking from I’ve seen, not what I’ve heard.

answer no to that question. But I craft my questions in ways so that I can figure out what a person is really about. I also look at the accomplishments they’ve had at other schools. If their team had the highest GPA in the conference, then obviously academics are important to this coach. If they’ve had several people on their team who were in student government or won various awards, then obviously making sure players have a well-rounded experience is important.

What do you do to promote the Division II philosophy? We have the “I Chose Division II” slogan on our Web site and it’s displayed throughout our buildings. We use that slogan when we’re recruiting and our coaches have a lot

“The football team this year wore T-shirts that had ‘One Team, One Vision’ printed on the back, and they said those words when they broke their huddle. It’s catching on and the student-athletes are really excited about it.”

How have your coaches responded to having an administrative presence on the road? For the coaches who had been here a while, it was a big change, so it was key for me to tell them that I was not going to get in the way. It’s still their show, and my role is just to see what’s going on. But if they need anything, I’m there to help, and they’ve appreciated that. If something comes up with the school we’re playing or the transportation, I can handle those things and let them focus on coaching. The important thing has been allowing the coach to still be in control.

What is the key to making great coaching hires that fit in with your school’s philosophy? We take the Division II philosophy very seriously here. This is not a win-at-all-costs environment. The two most important things are student-athlete welfare and academics, and athletics comes third. I try to infuse that philosophy throughout the hiring process. I might not ask a potential hire, “Do you think academics should come before athletics?” Nobody is going to Circle No. 112 18 FEB/MAR FEB/MAR 2012 | |AthleticManagement.com AthleticManagement.com

to say to prospective student-athletes about why they would fit at Division II. We also tell parents and athletes why the staff here chose Division II. For me, I wanted to be at a place where I could be more hands-on with the student-athletes. I know who they are and they know who I am.

What are your current goals for Kentucky State? Last year, our staff went on a retreat where we came up with a theme for the department, which is “One Team, One Vision: Champions.” One of my goals when I came here was to get everyone on the same page and help them understand that there’s really only one team here. There are different parts to it, but we’re all here for the same purpose. That theme is now plastered all over the department, and we’re working on expanding it even more. It’s in our e-mail signatures, we’re having banners put up in various locker rooms and buildings, and we’ve done some other promotional items for the student-athletes. The football team this year wore T-shirts that had “One Team, One Vision” printed on the back, and they said those words when they broke their huddle. It’s catching on and the student-athletes are really excited about it.

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How have you improved the school’s compliance program? That was one of the first things I was asked to do upon my arrival. We’ve gone through the NCAA’s compliance blueprint program and we’re really pleased with the outcome. We’ve developed a lot of manuals and all sorts of forms, so there should be no issues with record keeping. We’ve also enhanced the compliance education piece—not just for the athletic staff, but for all the other areas that impact us, like financial aid, the registrar, and admissions.

In addition to your work on the Division II Management Council, you’ve also served on the NCAA’s Academic Requirements Committee and the Sub-Committee for Initial Eligibility Waivers. Why is national involvement important to you? Being on committees is so important for understanding how the NCAA works. Also, the big, national decisions are being made in these committees, but you can’t get your opinion heard if you don’t have a seat at the table. I think I have a unique viewpoint as an athletic director at a historically black, smaller Division II college, so I have to be involved with committees to have my views heard. I can then bring all the information I gain from serving on committees back to my campus and conference. That’s the responsibility I have —not only to represent everyone well, but also relay the knowledge and help them understand what’s happening at the national level.

What advice would you give to other young athletic directors hoping to get involved in committee work? Apply. A lot of people talk about it, but they don’t take the time to fill out the application. It’s also important for others to know who you are. Don’t just go to the conventions and sit with the people you know—meet new people. It’s important to network so when your name comes up, someone will give you a second look. Being involved on the conference level can also help when it comes to the national committees.

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What are your personal goals for the future? I got here much faster than I thought I would, so I had to go back and revamp my plan. I think the next stop for me will be going into general university administration as a vice president or something similar, and then ultimately being a university president. That’s the path I’m working on now. The great thing about being in athletics is that you work with many different people across campus and you have to understand all the pieces of a university. When I get to the next step, I’ll have a really good working knowledge of how all the various departments function.

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Using one ball carrier against one defender in a restricted area offers a better learning experience. Giving the runner a blocker adds another progressive, game-like opportunity. Soccer: In my first year as an athletic director, I watched our varsity soccer coach instruct his players to do chin-ups on the goal post. He had five to six players doing chin-ups at the same time. I had two concerns. One was that athletes could easily fall or kick the player next to them. Second, was the stability of the goal post—the anchoring system was not built for daily chin-ups.

Danger Zone Sport practices need to be full of challenging and dynamic drills. But sometimes coaches can go too far. By Dr. Richard P. Borkowski If you’re like most athletic administrators, you encourage your coaches to be creative in coming up with new drills. A goal of any team’s practice is to engage and challenge student-athletes. However, creative drills should never come at the cost of safety. While pushing coaches to develop exciting practice situations, administrators must remember to also warn against doing anything that increases the chance of injury. One of best ways to teach coaches about this topic is to provide examples of drills that are not safe. The following are risky, non-productive ideas that should never be allowed. Football: The drill is called “Blood Alley.” A ball carrier stands on the 25-yard line. On the whistle, he runs down a five-yard wide gauntlet created by cones or blocking dummies, with the objective of cross-

ing the goal line. There are five tacklers evenly spaced every five yards facing the ball carrier, the first on the 20-yard line and the last on the goal line. If the ball carrier is brought down by the first tackler, he gets up and tries to get by the second tackler. The process continues until the ball carrier crosses the goal line. The runner can be tackled five or more times in a very short period. One coach told me he places the best tackler on the goal line. If the ball carrier doesn’t reach the goal area, he moves back to the five-yard line and tries again—and again. The only sure thing this drill does is add names to the injury list. Players don’t get tackled, get up, and run again in a game. This is a punishment drill, not a teaching drill. There is no place for punishing drills in any sport.

After telling the coach to discontinue the drill, I installed a tri-level chinning bar outside the locker room. I also reminded all coaches to only use equipment for its intended use. The coach should have asked himself, “Is there a safer way to do chin-ups without misusing equipment?” Field Hockey: This unsafe drill is also used in lacrosse. Five or more athletes with sticks and balls attempt to score on a goalie from various distances. Each offensive player is supposed to wait until the goalkeeper is ready to defend the shot before shooting. The idea is to continually lessen the time between shots on goal to help improve the reaction time of the goalkeeper. This is one of those drills that, with very close supervision, can be productive and safe. When coaches become distracted, however, it begins to resemble a shooting gallery. Wrestling: Since most practice areas for wrestling are limited, almost any drill can turn into an unsafe situation when too many wrestlers are going full speed at Richard P. Borkowski, EdD, CMAA, is a sport safety consultant based in Narberth, Pa., and the former Director of Physical Education and Athletics at the Episcopal Academy in Merion, Pa. His most recent book is titled Game Plan for Sport Safety.

AthleticManagement.com | FEB/MAR 2012 21

GamePlan Risk Management the same time. This results in unplanned contact among athletes. When teams are practicing takedowns, injury potential is increased even further. Wrestling coaches must continually make tough decisions regarding space. Buffer zones need to be in place, and safety should never be sacrificed. Coaches can

FOUR Q’S Here are four questions coaches should ask themselves before employing a new drill: ■

■

Is this drill relevant to what I want to teach? Am I forfeiting safety for expediency and repetitions? Can this drill be properly controlled and supervised? Have I considered and done everything that is reasonable to lower the potential of injury?

always have the extra wrestlers involved in an off-mat activity. Basketball: Take a full court five-on-five practice scrimmage, eliminate out of bounds, disregard all fouls, and you have my contender for the number one “drill from hell.” I have seen kids running up rows of bleachers for a loose ball and chasing each other down the hallway for the ball. I have also seen this drill played with five basketballs at the same time! This is supposed to be a conditioning and toughness drill. But it is really turning basketball into uncontrolled mayhem. Besides being obviously dangerous, the drill is counter-productive. You don’t play basketball without rules. Swimming: If they don’t have a dedicated pool for diving, many swim coaches are tempted to have swimmers and divers working out in one pool at the same time. The diver times his or her entrance into the water as the swimmers doing laps swim away from the diving area, and then gets out of the pool before any swimmers return. This is akin to playing Russian roulette, and should never be allowed. Coaches must separate diving and swimming

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practice. I know of schools that practice one group prior to the start of school. Others send their divers to a local college that has a diving pool. Boys’ lacrosse: A ball is placed in the middle of a 10-yard circle with eight to 10 players on the circumference. Each player is given a number. The coach calls two numbers. Those two players sprint at full speed in an attempt to secure the ball, often making contact with their heads down. There are several drills that accomplish the same objective without subjecting players to unnecessary risks. For example, rolling the ball and having two players start out side by side is more realistic and safer. Limiting the distance to the ball can also lower the chance of injury. Tennis: Each court has two servers and two receivers. Server 1 serves the ball to Receiver 1. Server 2 waits for the results and then serves to receiver 2. When the timing or accuracy are off, you risk someone being hit with a ball. Tennis balls can hurt, especially when they hit an eye. The coach must recognize the basic fact that tennis balls do not always go where you want them to go.

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GamePlan Leadership

input and help encourage buy-in from other staff.

Providing Direction

In NCAA Division III programs, coaches are often at very different levels of experience. Mentoring and motivating them entails a unique strategy. By Holly Gera I am often asked two things about being an athletic director. What is the best part of your job, and what is the most challenging? My answer to both questions is the same: working with my staff.

■ Get to know and respect your staff members as individuals. ■ Clearly outline expectations and offer regular and substantive feedback. ■ Provide sincere and consistent support.

It is what I enjoy most because coaches tend to be hard working, motivated, and driven to succeed. The difficulty comes from leading a diverse group of individuals toward common goals, which takes effort, creativity, and persistence.

As Individuals

Managing staff in NCAA Division III presents some additional, unique challenges. There are typically no bonuses for performance, no endorsement contracts, and smaller camp and clinic proceeds. Coaches need to be motivated not by money but by the competitive spirit and pride in success. To provide this motivation, there are some basic principles that I believe are critical when mentoring a staff:

In recognizing coaches as individuals, it’s important to begin by understanding what level they are at. There are those who are longtime, proven performers, those who have some experience but are still growing in their positions, and rookies who are just establishing themselves. The challenge is to mentor and motivate coaches at every level. When working with the experienced coach, it is essential to recognize their knowledge and expertise. Change may be difficult for these coaches. But if you ask for their input and collaborate with them, they will more easily adapt to any transitions. This will also yield valuable

You should also consider that long-term staff members might sometimes feel they are in a rut. They may not be interested in giving up coaching, but require something to re-energize them. Suggestions for committee work, campus initiatives, or special projects within the department may pique their interest. Employees with less experience are looking for guidance and support. First-year head coaches will be making decisions they’ve never faced before. At this stage, it is important for the athletic director to spend as much time as possible with the coach and to be available for discussions and to answer questions. Also critical is articulating a clear and consistent mission so that new staff will have the best opportunity to assimilate into your organization and be successful. In addition to recognizing where employees are in their career, it is important to understand individual personalities. An approach that might motivate one person may not work well for someone else. For example, some staff may respond well to straightforward and Holly Gera is in her 14th year as Director of Athletics at Montclair State University. She also serves as Past President of the National Association of Division III Athletic Administrators and is a member of the NCAA Division III Championships Committee. She can be reached at: gerah@mail. montclair.edu. AthleticManagement.com | FEB/MAR 2012 25

direct feedback, while others might react better to a gentler, suggestive approach. There are individuals who have to see something written out to understand it, while others do well with verbal communication.

Provide Feedback Constructive feedback can be one of the most effective tools in managing and motivating staff. Good reviews and negative reviews both provide valuable information and a blueprint for what comes next. No matter how busy one’s schedule is, you need to find time to provide feedback. One common method is your institution’s formal evaluation process, but that should only be a starting point. Another way to provide feedback is by walking around. I take time out of my day to stop into various offices to touch base with people. I think that coaches appreciate seeing me on their turf and may feel more comfortable receiving constructive criticism there than in my office. I have also had many productive conversations in hallways or stairwells.

We all have good days and bad days, but consistency in response and consistency in policy are very important to creating an atmosphere of trust.

Somewhere between the formal review and the casual conversation is the occasional one-on-one meeting. I conduct these with each head coach at the conclusion of their traditional season. This offers an opportunity for coaches to review the previous season and to talk about what needs to be done to prepare for next year. Other meetings are scheduled as the need arises and around special projects. Whenever offering feedback, especially if it is negative, it is important to provide a clear context and background for the critique. If previous meetings identified joint goals and objectives, it will be easier to set this context. The conversation should be calm and professional. The tenor should be positive and the focus on goals and action items for the future.

Sincere Support Coaching is full of peaks and valleys, from winning a big game to a tough talk with a struggling freshman. Mentoring coaches through this landscape requires offering a special type of consistent support. Here are some keys I have found helpful in this area: Be accessible. Coaches and staff need to know that you are available. Every day there are issues that arise that are best dealt with promptly. Staff should be welcomed and encouraged to stop at your office and to touch base regularly. (My staff will tell you that a fully stocked candy dish helps facilitate this.) Athletic directors’ schedules are demanding, but you should have a presence in the office. Be a good communicator. If knowledge is power, then it is important to share knowledge to empower your staff. Whether it is university news or department issues, take the time to pass it on to your staff so they are up to date on what is going on. This helps to reduce coaches’ fear of the unknown and enables them Circle No. 119 26 FEB/MAR 2012 | AthleticManagement.com

GamePlan Leadership to feel part of the larger whole. While news isn’t always good, it helps everyone feel more grounded if they know what is going on. Keep in mind that you have many options on how to communicate. Not everyone responds best to e-mails. Some staff relate better to a phone call, others to a faceto-face meeting. Knowing your staff well enough and communicating in a way they prefer greatly improves how well your messages will be received. Holding monthly staff meetings that are productive and efficient is another good communication tool. Meetings should have a clear agenda and discussions should stay on topic. Long and meandering meetings do not facilitate communication. Be consistent. We all have good days and bad days, but consistency in response and consistency in policy are very important to creating an atmosphere of trust. Coaches should not have to wonder if a certain question or issue will result in an outrageous response from the athletic director. Calm and careful consideration in all matters encourages staff to bring issues to you rather than try to handle them on their own. Consistency encourages conversations. Be fair and equitable. Each sport is unique. Even sports like men’s and women’s basketball are different from each other. It is important to ask questions and get input from staff to determine the things needed for each program. I encourage staff to evaluate their teams by what they need rather than by comparing them to other teams. As an administrator, fairness is important, and working to provide appropriate facilities, equipment, and staffing for each program is critical to success and to keeping coaches motivated. Foster collaboration. I look at my staff as my “team,” and continually encourage all coaches to learn from each other. When coaches discuss things like recruiting, managing budgets, hiring assistant coaches, and navigating the university, it not only builds teamwork, but also provides them with good information. Athletic directors can get much more “bang for their buck” if all the staff are involved in orienting a new coach to the department. Given limited resources at most of our institutions, this sense of collaboration can enable staff to significantly maximize resources. In addition to fostering collaboration amongst the staff, the athletic director should ask for suggestions and ideas. An administrator can sometimes become removed from the day to day issues of the department because of the myriad of meetings, committee work, and other priorities. If staff are encouraged to bring ideas forward, it creates a great two-way

communication model. Asking for help, setting up committees, and involving staff in processes is critical to buy-in and to creating and maintaining a positive work environment. Have a second in command. A strong assistant or associate director who can assist in supervising and mentoring staff is critical. This person should be someone you trust implicitly and who will address issues in a manner consistent with how you do so. He or she should also be approachable. Sometimes coaches want a sounding board before bringing an idea

or request forward to the athletic director—an associate director can help the coach make decisions about next steps and offer suggestions. Proper mentoring and strong communication with this person is critical to the process. Intercollegiate athletics, like most professions, is ever changing. There are always new trends and issues developing. However, one constant is the importance of building a productive “team” of coaches who will work toward department and university goals. A motivated and well-managed staff is a successful staff.

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Oregon State University is helping its student-athletes make the transition from high school to college coursework through its BEST program. Here, Beaver Jared Cunningham demonstrates one of his better scores outside the classroom.

COVER STORY

By Mike Phelps At just about every level of play, are being put in place or at least discussed. Schools are responding with exciting and

tougher academic standards

innovative support programs.

hen Warren Central High School in Indianapolis began tracking semester grade point averages for its student-athletes in the spring of 2009, 67 percent were at or above a 2.0. Two years later, that figure was 86 percent. Over the same two years, the percent of j.v. and varsity football players at 2.0 or better leaped from 61 to 82. And the freshman football squad more than doubled the number of athletes making the grade, going from 40 to 81 percent. The increases didn’t come simply from luck or a shift in demographics. Instead, they were the result of Warren Central’s comprehensive academic support program for student-athletes. The program uses moti-

vational tools, grade tracking, and study tables, as well as coaches’ efforts, to increase students’ academic performance. Warren Central is one of many schools, at both the high school and college levels, taking a hard look at ways to boost academic success among student-athletes. For high schools, the impetus is two-fold. Across the country, many school districts are implementing tougher academic standards for student-athletes. And for those who have aspirations to play NCAA Division I, they will see the grades needed to compete as a freshman upped once again. At a historic NCAA Division I Board of Directors meeting in October, where many large-scale changes were approved, university presidents voted to raise the minimum

AthleticManagement.com | FEB/MAR 2012 29

COVER STORY

high school GPA a college freshman athlete needs to play in games from a 2.0 to a 2.3, effective for the 2015-16 school year. Additionally, all incoming student-athletes will be required to have completed 10 of the 16 required core courses before the start of their senior year of high school. Division I student-athletes with high school GPAs between a 2.0 and 2.3 will be required to take an academic redshirt year, meaning they will be eligible to receive athletically related financial aid during their first year on campus and be allowed to practice with the team, but they will be unable to compete in any games or travel. According

The main event at Warren Central’s Leadership Kickoff centers on announcing the student-athletes’ past academic achievement ... to the NCAA, 43 percent of freshmen who played men’s basketball in 2009-10 wouldn’t have qualified for Division I competition under the new GPA standard. At the college level, NCAA Division I schools continue to see more rigorous teambased standards put in place. A change introduced in October that will be phased in over the next few years requires teams to reach a four-year Academic Progress Rate (APR) score of 930 to be eligible for postseason competition, including football bowl games. Under the measure, the 2011 national men’s basketball champion, the University of Connecticut, wouldn’t have been eligible for the NCAA tournament. In Division II, the Presidents Council will hold a special summit in 2013 to discuss the future of academic requirements in its division. Between now and then, the Division II Academic Requirements Committee will study academic research data and how it relates to initial-eligibility, progress-towarddegree, and transfer rules. Results of a pilot study at the Division III level, announced in January, reveal student-athletes’ graduation rates are better than those of the general study body, and Division leaders are now studying whether to further this research and possibly tout the data. The academic prowess of its studentathletes is a great talking point for Division III schools, but it may put more pressure on athletic departments to continually have high graduation rates. 30 FEB/MAR 2012 | AthleticManagement.com

To meet these increasing academic demands, many athletic departments are experimenting with new ideas and progressive programs. While some schools are raising expectations and others are trying to smooth the bumpy transitions, all are finding it key to show student-athletes that their performance in the classroom is as important as their athletic exploits. KEEPING TRACK

School policy at Warren Central requires a student-athlete with a GPA below a 2.0 or an F in any class to attend study sessions twice per week. However, the academic support program is much more than study sessions—it’s a multi-pronged approach. “It starts at the top with the school leadership putting academics at the forefront and saying it’s important,” says Jennifer Jensen, a math teacher at Warren Central who conducts the grade tracking for the program. “And it continues with personal interaction. It is about the student-athletes understanding that we don’t just care about what’s happening on the field and winning a state title. We care about them as students.” In addition to attending before or after school study sessions, struggling student-athletes are required to have individual meetings with their coaches. At these one-onone sessions, the coach outlines expectations and provides a plan for helping players improve. “What we’ve seen is that as coaches have become more concerned with student achievement, the students are also more interested in it,” Jensen says. Another way that Warren Central emphasizes academics to its student-athletes is through its Leadership Kickoff, which was held for the third time this past fall. The event includes all athletes, and serves to start the athletic year. It features a motivational speaker and athletes receive T-shirts with the athletic department’s slogan for the year, which references the importance of academics. The main event at the Leadership Kickoff, however, centers on announcing the student-athletes’ past academic achievement. Each squad’s team GPA from the previous year, as well as the percentage of members in pre-defined GPA ranges, is shared with everyone in attendance. Prizes are awarded

to the teams with the highest marks in separate small- and large-team divisions. “The event generates a sense of pride,” Jensen says. “The kids talk about it, and it has made them more excited about being good students. “There was one situation where a team scored very low, and they were basically called out in that meeting,” she continues. “The next year, that team doubled the number of athletes who were above a 2.0. This event also makes the coaches more aware of academics, and has increased coach support.” Athletes also get frequent reminders of their academic achievement via “data walls” in the athletic office and weightroom, which provide team GPA stats. “There are goals we establish for the year, such as getting more than 90 percent of athletes above a 2.0,” Jensen says. “Additionally, students in Indiana have to pass an assessment in Algebra I and English 10 in order to graduate. Last year we started tracking whether student-athletes were passing those tests, as well.” Jensen believes the key to the program is adults emphasizing academics. “What tutors or coaches say makes a big impact with stu-

... Each squad’s team GPA from the previous year, as well as the percentage of members in predefined GPA ranges, is shared with everyone in attendance. Prizes are awarded to the teams with the highest marks. dents,” she says. “When kids know that you care and are concerned about them, they’ll run through a brick wall for you.” SIMPLY THE BEST

For student-athletes at the college level, the first semester of the freshman year can be a rough time. The transition from high school to college brings a myriad of changes to work through—and it’s easy to struggle academically. Oregon State University is helping to solve this problem through its BEST (Bridge Encouraging Successful Transition) summer session. The program is designed to help incoming freshman student-athletes prepare for Mike Phelps is an Assistant Editor at Athletic Management. He can be reached at: mp@MomentumMedia.com.

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college life and goes far beyond traditional orientation programs. “Without a summer program like this, student-athletes first arrive on campus when they begin their summer camps—so their first exposure is all athletics,” says Kate Halischak, Director of the BEST program and Associate Athletic Director for Academic Affairs at Oregon State. “The BEST program is an attempt to make that first experience more holistic—to add in academics and structure their days to what they will be like during the regular school year.” There are three sessions, and they run for three and a half weeks each. The first session

is specifically for football players, while the others are open to athletes in all other sports. There are approximately 25 student-athletes per session, and their time is structured very carefully by the program staff. “Their days are planned from early morning to late at night,” Halischak says. “That includes two classes that count toward their degree, mandatory study tables at night, meetings with their advisors, and time for them to work out. The idea is that it mirrors what their day will be like once the fall semester starts.” Structuring these activities during a time when the campus is less busy allows the ath-

o help student-athletes focus on their classwork, it’s key for them to see the value of education. But, in the bigger picture, it can also be important for faculty to understand the importance of athletics.

The University of New Haven is taking steps in this direction through a faculty liaison program started in the fall of 2010. Headed by Faculty Athletics Representative Chuck Vigue, it pairs Chargers athletic teams with New Haven faculty and staff members who focus on showing support for student-athletes both on the field and in the classroom.

The first step to creating the program was coming up with a list of activities the liaison could be involved in with his or her assigned team. Some of those ideas included attending games, team meetings, and other events, providing academic advice to studentathletes, having lunch with coaches or team captains, and encouraging colleagues to attend games. Vigue recruited faculty and staff members to participate in the program by sending mass e-mails and personally asking some people he thought might be interested. “The perfect liaison is someone who isn’t going to be shy about participating,” he says. “Some sports will have two or three liaisons, depending on how active they are. If I find someone who’s very active and dedicated, I’ll have them operate by themselves. But sometimes we have people who aren’t quite as involved, so I’ll assign additional liaisons to that team.” One key to making the program work is buy-in from the coaching staff. “I explain to the coaches that this has to start with them,” Vigue says. “The faculty members can’t just walk into a team meeting, they have to be invited and build a rapport.” For anyone interested in implementing a similar program at their school, Vigue suggests starting with faculty and staff members who are already attending sporting events. “This program has evolved slowly, but it does work,” he says. “The students really like it when they see faculty and staff show up for their games. It means a lot to them.”

32 FEB/MAR 2012 2010 | AthleticManagement.com

FA C U LT Y A S S I S T

“The goal is to build a stronger connection between the academic side of campus and the athletic side,” says Vigue. “Sometimes there’s a wide gulf between academics and athletics, and we’re trying to get more faculty involved in what the students are doing outside the classroom.”

letes to meet people they’ll work with for the next four years in a more relaxed setting. “For example, academic advisors are going to be significant people in their lives, so we want to introduce these advisors to the athletes right away,” Halischak says. “Knowing their advisor ahead of time makes things easier once the hustle and bustle of fall term begins.” For their classes, athletes take one core general education course such as sociology or math, and a second that focuses on how to be a successful college athlete. “That class covers personal, cognitive, and cultural identity development,” Halischak says. “It leads to a lot of sharing among the students in attendance and by the time fall semester starts, they’ve developed great relationships with other athletes. “Also, all the students in one session will take the same two classes,” she continues. “It’s cohort learning, and it’s very important that they experience the same things together.” Participants in the BEST program are also involved in volunteer work and other weekend activities. “Everything they do has a learning outcome,” Halischak says. “Student-athletes at Oregon State often go into the community to do things like read to kids in schools. This is an introduction to that kind of work and what it means.” Participation in BEST is voluntary. All recruits receive information about it during their official visit and coaches talk up the program. One reason for the program’s success has been coaches embracing it. “Everyone here understands that this program is where incoming athletes begin to develop their university identity,” Halischak says. “They’re not just a football player or basketball player or rower. They’re part of this much larger academic community and if they can see themselves in that role from the get-go, that’s very significant.” ENSURING ELIGIBILITY

In the summer of 2010, South Washington County Schools in Cottage Grove, Minn., moved from a semester to a trimester system for its three high schools. As a result, the schools’ grading periods now closely align with the fall, winter, and spring sports seasons. That prompted athletic directors in the district to revisit how they track their student-athletes’ grades. “Previously, if a student had enough credits at the beginning of the season, we deemed them eligible and basically let them go on their way,” says Phil Kuemmel, Athletic Director at Park High School in South Washington, explaining that one failed class puts student-athletes on probation and two F’s makes them ineligible. “But after look-

COVER STORY

ing closer at the issue, we decided students needed more guidance and monitoring during the season itself.” The new policy, which was approved by the school board and adopted for the 2010-11 school year, requires teachers to talk to coaches or the school’s athletic director when a student is struggling. The policy also includes increased monitoring of studentathletes’ grades throughout the year. This is designed to get student-athletes the help they need before they start failing a class. “The intent of the new policy is to avoid a situation where a kid is eligible for one season, then we’re surprised because he or she suddenly can’t play the next season,” Kuemmel says. “It allows us to help kids in the middle of the process when they’re having some problems, as opposed to getting to the point where a kid has so many F’s that they can’t even try to be eligible.” So, instead of just looking at end-of-term grades to determine eligibility, Kuemmel now uses student-athletes’ mid-term grades to get a feel for which kids are having trouble and might need assistance. If a student is struggling with one or more classes, they’ll be

placed on academic probation, which makes them temporarily ineligible. “For example, if we find a student is having a hard time in science class, we’ll first give them time to improve that grade,” Kuemmel says. “If the improvement isn’t there, the student becomes temporarily ineligible until the grade comes up. Students having trouble in a number of classes may be required to attend study table sessions. If there’s just one particular class causing trouble, the coach and teacher will communicate directly to put a plan in place, perhaps with the student coming in after school for one-on-one help. We had already done some of that, but the new policy makes it more formal and official.” To help monitor student-athletes’ grades, the athletic department has created forms student-athletes bring to their classes to be filled out by their teachers weekly or bi-weekly and sent to their coaches. “I didn’t want to create a ton of extra work for the teachers, so the forms are designed to be filled out quickly,” Kuemmel says. “They include space for the student’s current grade, thoughts on their effort and behavior, and any missing assignments.”

One other major change is how the district views incoming freshman athletes. Previously, students’ eighth grade marks were used to determine eligibility, but now all ninth graders arrive in high school with a clean slate and are immediately eligible. Kuemmel admits he was skeptical of the idea at first, thinking it might reduce motivation for middle schoolers to keep their grades up. Now he thinks it was the correct decision. “We want kids to get into sports and be a part of our program as freshmen,” he says. “We want to bring them in and get them the assistance they need, rather than telling them, right off the bat, they can’t play because of grades. A lot of times in that scenario, the student will quit sports and then there isn’t assistance available to them.” For other athletic directors going through similar changes, Kuemmel suggests keeping an open mind. “When I came into this position, there were policies in place and they were good ones,” he says. “But it was important to be open to the idea that there might be better ways of using athletics as a motivating tool. “It’s also been very helpful to have a clear school board policy,” Kuemmel continues.

Circle No. 122 AthleticManagement.com | FEB/MAR 2012 33

“Now, any time a parent has a question, I let them know what we do is not just something I created myself. It’s a school board policy and it’s black and white. It makes my

leave and later resigned, and Athletic Director Joel Thirer stepped down. Its APR also bottomed out at 893 in 2009-10, costing the squad scholarships. Now, new Head Coach Mark Macon is working hard to restore the Bearcats’ reputation, including their academic prowess. He recently made great progress, as the team achieved its first perfect APR score of 1,000, boosting the program’s four-year average to a level where it can regain its full scholarship allotment. What has Macon done to get his players’ grades up? He says the most important step has been putting a clear emphasis on academics and making it a continual topic of conversation. “I constantly talk to my players about the education of life,” Macon says. “I can take basketball away from them, but nobody can take away what they learn. That’s something my father told me a long time ago when I was in school—what you learn can never be taken away from you.”

Binghamton’s new Head Men’s Basketball Coach Mark Macon is working hard to restore the Bearcats’ reputation, including their academic prowess ... job easier to have the backing and support of the school board.” PERFECT SCORE

Three years ago, the Binghamton University men’s basketball program made national headlines for all the wrong reasons. Six players were dismissed from the team—including one who was arrested and charged with possession and sale of cocaine—Head Coach Kevin Broadus was placed on administrative

Circle No. 123 34 FEB/MAR 2012 | AthleticManagement.com

He also talks to his athletes about the reality of life after basketball. “Most of them are not going to be able to play sports as a career, so they have to think about doing something else,” Macon explains. “The only way they’ll really be able to do that is to get an education. A lot of my guys now want further education and are looking at getting master’s degrees.” Another key is making sure athletes use all the resources available to them, including

“I constantly talk to my players about the education of life. I can take basketball away from them, but nobody can take away what they learn.” academic advising, study halls, and tutoring sessions. “I want to give them every opportunity to be successful as students and athletes,” says Macon. “They have to be at study hall,

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COVER STORY

make their meetings, and go to their tutoring sessions. The responsibility we have as educators is to make sure they know what’s available to them and that they use them.” To drive his point home, Macon frequently explains to his players how their education will impact the rest of their lives. “College is about perseverance,” he says. “It’s about working hard to get through it. You have to persevere through college and do the right things to stay eligible so you can do something you really like to do.” Macon also mentions the responsibility student-athletes have to the program. “It takes a full team commitment to sustain excellence,” he says. “With the APR, someone who doesn’t want to go to class affects the athletes who come after him. Not only are they hurting themselves, they’re hurting the entire program.”

getting individual tutoring with one of their other teachers.” The grant covered funds for teachers who worked with Carter to develop the curriculum and then served as tutors in the program. “Our main focus was to give the kids time to get their homework going and have help available if they needed it,” he says. “We also wanted to get the point across that high school is about growing up, making good choices, and learning to manage your time.” Carter and Jenkins hope to continue the

program next year and possibly expand it to the off-season and other sports. “We always talk about shooting high—for example, trying to make the honor roll instead of just trying to pass,” Carter continues. “This program helped show that we’re committed to their success in the classroom, and they grasped that idea. For some of the students, the structure and situation here is better than anything they’ll find at home. I don’t know whether a kid will ever tell you they enjoyed study hall, but they certainly appreciated it.” ■

ON THE RIGHT FOOT

As Mike Carter, Head Football Coach at Bloomfield (N.J.) High School, looked over the grades of his freshman players from the past few years, he noticed a disturbing trend: Many of them were failing classes and needed help. So after talking with some of his assistant coaches, including the freshman team coach, he applied for and received a grant through the Bloomfield Educational Foundation to start a program specifically aimed at ninth grade football players. This past fall, the school created a mandatory in-season after-school program for its 42 freshman football players. Before practice each Monday through Thursday, players gathered in classrooms for 50 minutes. Three teachers helped the student-athletes with homework and sometimes gave lectures about time management, decision making, and other ways to succeed in high school. “We have found that our freshmen are traditionally eligible in the fall and winter, but come spring there are problems,” says Bloomfield Athletic Director Steve Jenkins. “A lot of them don’t understand the ramifications of their actions early in the school year and either put themselves into a big hole coming out of the gate in the first marking period, or they do well initially and slack off in marking period two. This program helps ensure they get off on the right foot and maintain what it takes to succeed.” The root of the issue is the transition from eighth to ninth grade. “We found that the kids needed some extra help in making the adjustment from middle school to high school,” Carter says. “This was not an optional program—all the freshmen had to participate, whether they were struggling or getting straight A’s. We only excused kids if they were

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FUNDRAISING

I consider myself very fortunate to work at one of the more powerful and incredible institutions in the country. Stony Brook University, which is part of the New York state public higher education system, has established excellence in academics and research along with an outstanding medical center and is a member

of the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU). In 1999, Stony Brook moved its athletics program to the NCAA Division I level with a goal of increasing the profile, brand, and image of the University, while improving the overall success of its sports teams. The administration wanted athletics to reach the

level of prestige other parts of the campus enjoy. For the first three years, this was a struggle, with teams capturing only one conference championship. Fast forward to 2012 and we have now won 19 conference championships, upped student-athletesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; GPAs to consistently over 3.0, upgraded our football program from

Breaking New Ground

How do you transform an athletic program from an afterthought to a success story? At Stony Brook University, a comprehensive and detailed fundraising strategy has been one of the shovels helping to break new ground. By Jim Fiore

JOHN KEATING

Stony Brook alumnus and MLB player Joe Nathan and his wife Lisa Nathan (center) were the lead donors for the Seawolvesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; baseball stadium, one of several new athletic facilities recently built on campus. Author JIm Fiore is second from right.

36 FEB/MAR 2012 | AthleticManagement.com

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zero scholarships to 63, fully funded all of our women’s sports, and brought in record crowds for our FCS football team this fall. We have new athletic facilities and have increased our exposure both locally and nationally. Before this success, not surprisingly, we faced a need to increase fundraising. Since coming on board in 2003, a large part of my job as Director of Athletics has been to educate and sell staff, university leaders, politicians, community members, recruits, parents, alumni, and friends on why Stony Brook athletics is a place worthy of investment. Along the way, I have found that fundraising is a unique blend of science and art. It takes communication on many levels, creative ideas, and working hand-in-hand with central administrators to be successful. STARTING OFF

While athletics fundraising may end with the all-important “ask,” there are many steps to be taken before getting to that point. The first is to create a plan to get potential donors excited about an athletics program. Why should someone invest in Stony Brook? It’s essential that a department has a clear mission statement and a vision for the future to answer that question. We established a case statement and goals, and then developed a comprehensive plan with strategies and well thought out steps. The goals I proposed were lofty, and I held myself accountable to them. They included winning championships, bettering our 2.7 GPA, and instilling a belief that we could turn around and energize the culture of our program. The mission statement became critical in educating potential donors about what we were trying to do. It was the building block for showing them how their gift could make an impact in allowing our studentathletes to flourish. People want to be a part of something special—whether it’s winning, a great atmosphere, or ambitious ideas. We educated supporters about every facet of our department, what it would take for Stony Brook to achieve success across the Jim Fiore was the youngest Director of Athletics in NCAA Division I when he was named to the position at Stony Brook University in August of 2003. In his tenure, he has dramatically increased athletics fundraising with regard to major gifts, annual giving revenue, and number of donors, and he currently serves on the NCAA Division I Championships/Sports Management Cabinet. He can be reached at: James.Fiore@StonyBrook.edu or followed on Twitter: @JDFiore.

38 FEB/MAR 2012 | AthleticManagement.com

board, and the financial challenges we faced in order to realize our vision. The catch-22 is that it can be very difficult to show progress and illustrate that you are serious about your goals without some funding to start. That’s why another critical early step is to have the support of upper-level administrators. I believe that “coaches win games and administrators win championships.” I have been fortunate to work for two great presidents during my nine-year tenure at Stony Brook, and with their support, we have moved from zero scholarships in football to the full FCS scholarship allotment, built new facilities,

athletic department, we have structured these entities to fall under one umbrella to ensure that communications, marketing, ticket sales, and the advancement staff are all working together to achieve our common goals. This allows us to interact with donors across multiple platforms and make good use of all the technology at our disposal. For example, online giving has risen dramatically over the last few years, and that can only happen if you use technology to make it easy for people to donate through a Web site. We have also expended a great deal of energy to expand our national exposure. One of the most effective mediums

Following meetings with potential donors, we are diligent in comparing notes on what we “heard.” Those follow-up sessions are often very interesting and show us the next steps in the process. and increased staff and salaries. These things are key to upgrading an athletics program and can only happen with the unyielding support of a president who believes that athletics fits within the overarching University mission and is willing to direct dollars into the program to start. For example, I felt that an academic support center was critical to improving our student-athletes’ success in their classes and staff recruiting efforts. With the support of our president, we were able to secure a lead gift of $500,000 from one of our most prominent alumni, which led to our stateof-the-art Goldstein Family Student-Athlete Development Center, built in 2005. Our student-athletes now boast an overall GPA of 3.0 with many athletes entering medical school and law school or immediately securing jobs after graduation. This is something we are very proud of and relay to our donors and recruits. Our upper-level administrators also supported athletics working hand in hand with the Department of University Advancement, which has been important. We collaborate on prospect development, strategies, and the engagement process. We share information regularly and celebrate all gifts at Stony Brook regardless of where they are designated. Creating a dynamic working relationship across the campus also helps to further athletics’ reputation and good standing within the University administration. Another synergy that is needed is among all external services. In the Stony Brook

in accomplishing this has been television. Shortly after my arrival at Stony Brook, we signed a multi-year agreement with the MSG Network, which has helped expand our reach to our alumni throughout the region. In the years since, we have made many appearances on other regional sports networks and ESPN, and recently signed a contract with Cablevision to broadcast our games locally to its three million customers on Long Island. Television exposure has elevated Stony Brook’s profile and helped us “tell our story” about our top-notch University and all that it has to offer. DEVELOPING RELATIONSHIPS

With building blocks in place, we were able to begin developing relationships with potential donors. A donor-centric philosophy has been one of the major keys to our success at Stony Brook. This means everyone in our organization believes that donors who give either time or money are vital to our success—we cannot do what we do without them. They are not a means to an end, but rather a way to help us unlock our potential to do good work for the benefit of our student-athletes and University. That philosophy also means we work hard to build trust and respect with our donors, friends, and fans. We are committed to always being truthful with our constituents and doing the right thing. For example, we encourage our donors to give at a level that is comfortable—but never pressure them past that. There are many

FUNDRAISING

places where donors can give their hardearned dollars and feel their gift has made an impact—which nurtures a strong attachment to the program—from scholarship funding, capital projects, and recruiting efforts, to providing budget enhancement to a particular area. Educating donors is a constant process as we aim to raise the profile, brand, and image of our program. Whether in an interview, public appearance, press release, e-mail, or social networking outreach, we always seek to tell our story and generate excitement about our University and athletic programs. Often, potential donors are unaware of the challenges we face, the accomplishments of our gifted student-athletes and coaches, and the great work that is going on across the University. Taking the time to educate them on those finer points has gone a long way toward helping our advancement process evolve. We also take the time to listen to potential donors. This is arguably the most important aspect to our fundraising efforts. With clearly defined goals and a mission, it is easy to become highly focused on achieving those benchmarks. However, we must be careful

not to become locked in on what we want and not take the time to listen to concerns the donor is expressing. Following meetings with potential donors, we are diligent in comparing notes on what we “heard.” Those follow-up sessions are often very interesting and show us the extremely important next steps in the fundraising process. I encourage our fundraisers to be “pleasantly persistent” with potential donors, but to also listen to our donors’ wants and desires. At the same time, we try to use our efforts wisely. A smart allocation of resources is essential for any department in this economy. I strongly believe that the majority of our time should be spent on major gift development because those donors help produce the greatest results. As our program has matured during my nine years at Stony Brook, we have moved our fundraising efforts away from an event-driven model toward a major gift operation. As a result, we have experienced some spectacular results—last year, we secured the largest donation ever given to a SUNY (State University of New York) athletic department with a $4.3 million gift for a state-of-the-art

strength and conditioning facility provided by a former football and lacrosse studentathlete. Not too long ago, we spent much of our time on “friend-raising” events such as dinners, golf outings, and alumni days. We discovered that for the amount of time we were spending organizing those programs, we were not generating enough revenue for the department. While such events are a necessary part of the fundraising process, we realized they did not maximize our revenue generation efforts. Most fundraising experts will tell you that cultivating donors takes time. I have found it also takes the right person. And that person will change depending on the situation. Whether it is a coach, administrator, university president, or a key volunteer, we are careful to enlist the right person or people at specific points in the fundraising process. For example, we were making a presentation to a donor at one point about a comprehensive capital project and we thought it would be useful to include the architect. He was able to appropriately articulate different construction options, details on the project,

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Circle No. 129 AthleticManagement.com | FEB/MAR 2012 39

and potential solutions much better than we would have been able to. I believe his part of the presentation was a critical reason why the donor ultimately decided to support the project. Coaches can also play an integral role in this endeavor. I have been blessed with an incredible coaching staff that fully understands the need to raise revenue. Our coaches are completely engaged and are a huge part of building our donor database and solicitation efforts. A great coach must first be a great recruiter, and who better than your best recruiter to sell a prospective donor on your vision and mission? Throughout the process of building relationships, stewarding donors is essential. We have been fortunate at Stony Brook to see tremendous growth in our fundraising efforts over the last few years, and I think a big part of that has been a renewed focus on thanking and communicating with our fans and friends. We send an annual report to each of our donors—no matter the size of their gift—to thank them and once again let them know how their contribution has helped write Stony Brook’s story. Also, along with a general University thank you, each donor to athletics receives a special thank you postcard from our coaches or administrators.

With significant donors, we try to do something special and unique whenever possible. In one case, which involved a facility project, we worked with our general contractor to have the lead major donor and his family all sign and date a steel beam that would be used in the structure of the building. Creating this fun and permanent opportunity for the donating family helped to further thank and connect them to the project. Finally, it’s important to not lose sight of the finish line. You need to always be working toward the “ask,” whether it is part of the annual giving program, corporate partnerships, or a major gift. Ask appropriately and in a timely manner—but be sure to ask. My good friend and current Princeton University Director of Athletics Gary Walters once said, “Communication is a contact sport.” That statement is absolutely true when it comes to raising money at the intercollegiate level. Articulate the mission, educate the donor, celebrate the success, continue to build the relationship, and ask when the time is appropriate and preparation has been completed. PLANS IN PLACE

Along with cultivating our donors, we have a few game plans in place. We focus on

three types of giving—annual campaigns, sport-specific fundraisers, and major gifts. The annual giving plan is developed in conjunction with University Advancement and usually entails two “ask” letters, one in the fall and one in the spring. The University Telefund staff members then follow up those letters with phone calls and use varying strategies to get, renew, or upgrade the gift. Our advancement officers create and develop sport-specific plans with each coach to meet their needs and focus on tapping alumni in their sports. These plans vary by sport and usually include a mix of our overall annual giving plan, direct outreach, events, and perhaps even a particular initiative that is solely dedicated to that sport. We round out our annual giving efforts through fundraising events, alumni days, golf outings, and stewardship initiatives. Major gift development has become the primary component of our fundraising efforts. In this area, we create specific strategies for each donor and execute them throughout the year. Each plan is unique in its complexity, length, and management. The first step in the process is for us to identify prospects who have the ability and desire to make a major gift. From there, our advancement officers develop a portfolio and assign those prospects to an appropriate

At Stony Brook, one of our greatest challenges has been reconnecting our STUDENTATHLETE ALUMNI to the University and our department. Since we are a relatively young institu-

RESEARCH In the last 10 years, Stony Brook has made the commitment to research and “clean” its fundraising database. Until recently, our efforts to reconnect with student-athlete alumni were severely hampered by incorrect personal information on addresses, graduation year, and sport played, so we took the necessary steps to update it all.

EVENTS Sport contests provide a natural forum where alumni can have a great time and once again become interested in what is taking place on campus. Unique cultivation events

40 FEB/MAR 2012 | AthleticManagement.com

can also prove effective. In fall 2010, we played our first football game against an FBS opponent when we faced Big East Conference member University of South Florida in Tampa. Florida is the home to many Stony Brook alumni and more than 600 people attended our pregame tailgate party at Raymond James Stadium. Most of the alumni at the party had not been back to campus in more than a decade and the game was a way to get them excited about their alma mater.

COLLABORATION We team with the Alumni Association, University Advancement, and

other key departments to maximize our resources. Homecoming, concerts, galas, award dinners, and other events can all serve to get a positive reaction from alumni who are yearning to reconnect with their school.

ALUMNI L EADERS In a few instances, we have had great success by enlisting the help of highly enthusiastic alumni who would like to serve as “ambassadors” in helping to grow the program. If you can identify the correct people, they can help reach out to former teammates and other generations to get them back involved.

TAPPING ALUMS

tion with a rapidly growing athletic program, we needed to get alumni to “re-discover” their University and feel proud about its past, present, and future. Here are some of the strategies we have utilized to do this:

FUNDRAISING

person. The portfolio outlines the donor’s capacity and inclination for giving, where their interest may lie, and a course of action for the staff member over a prescribed period of time. Once that plan is in place, we meet regularly to discuss next steps and whether we need to alter our strategy in any way. The overall length of the process varies with each prospect, but we normally take 18-24 months to secure a major gift. During that time, it usually becomes quite clear as to the level and purpose of the “ask.” At the appropriate time, we then decide on how to make the ask and who should attend the meeting. It is very important that each prospect is treated as a unique opportunity. Once the gift is secured, we set up a detailed plan to properly honor, recognize, and celebrate their meaningful gift. Recently, we have had great success with this strategy as it led to the building of a brand new baseball stadium thanks to Stony Brook alum and perennial MLB All-Star Joe Nathan. His lead gift of $500,000 set the tone and last spring we unveiled beautiful Joe Nathan ’97

Field. Our dedication ceremony included inviting all of Nathan’s teammates from the 1995 conference championship team, a ribbon cutting ceremony, and a ceremonial first pitch involving Joe, our university president,

very fortunate to meet many of our goals, and believe our best days are still ahead of us. In fact, we recently received two more significant gifts to the Stony Brook Department of Athletics—one for $1 million to be used

Our coaches are ... a huge part of building our donor database and solicitation efforts. A great coach must first be a great recruiter, and who better than your best recruiter to sell a prospective donor on your vision and mission? and the other major donors to the project. As a special memento, all of those in attendance received an autographed Joe Nathan baseball that commemorated the event. Nine years ago, we had some bold plans for the future of Seawolves Athletics. With a lot of hard work and a commitment to raising revenue the right way, we have been

towards our new $20.3 million basketball arena, and the other for $500,000 to be used at my discretion in consultation with the donor. We are blessed to work in an exciting field that can make a tremendous impact on the lives of our student-athletes, and we do not take that privilege and responsibility lightly. ■

Circle No. 130 AthleticManagement.com | FEB/MAR 2012 41

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101011

COACHING

Timeless Lessons

Encouraging your coaches to take a page from the Wizard of Westwood can turn them into teachers, and have a profound effect.

By Dr. Ronald Gallimore, Dr. Bradley Ermeling, and Swen Nater

TOP: DAYTON NEWS/TEESHA MCCLAM (USED WITH PERMISSION)

VERY COACH TODAY, whether they are a rookie or a veteran, and no matter their sport, knows of UCLA’s John Wooden— and for good reason. His men’s basketball teams earned 10 NCAA titles in 12 years, reeled off an 88-game win streak, and won 38 straight tournament games. He was named NCAA Coach of the Year six times, and Men’s College Coach of the 20th Century by both the Naismith Hall of Fame and ESPN. Little wonder he was so successful, some say. He coached several of the greatest duos in collegiate basketball history, including Hazzard and Goodrich, Abdul-Jabbar and Warren, Wicks and Rowe, and Walton and Wilkes. But Wooden believed there was a second factor contributing to his success at UCLA: teaching. He often said what he learned about pedagogy as a high school English teacher in the 1930s helped him become a better coach. He acknowledged whole-heartedly that few coaches can be successful without talent, but he insisted even superstars must be taught to play as a team. While teaching

The hero of this story, Fairmont (Kettering, Ohio) High School Head Boys’ Basketball Coach Hank Bias, celebrates a win in 2010, and poses with John Wooden (inset).

AthleticManagement.com | FEB/MAR 2012 43

well might not always trump talent, he felt it made a critical difference in his career as a coach. In speaking to groups, he said, “when I was teaching at UCLA …” Wooden also believed that teaching can be improved, and that dedicated teachers and coaches should never stop trying to get better. During every year of his career, he identified an area of his teaching he thought needed improvement. Based on his research each off-season, he developed and tried out various instructional adjustments, took notes during practices, and refined his practice lessons until he was satisfied that players were progressing. He thought anyone who is “through learning, is through.” But does any of this apply to today’s coaches? Should an athletic administrator insist and help coaches work on continuously improving their teaching? After all, Wooden coached his last game in 1975. Some might argue times have changed—

what worked so well in Wooden’s era might not be effective today. At least one high school coach in Ohio has found Wooden’s lessons to be relevant. In fact, they saved his career. The story of what this coach learned and its effects on his teaching is a great example of the effects of using continuous improvement. WITH A PHONE CALL

In 2003, Henry “Hank” Bias, Head Boys’ Basketball Coach (and Physical Education Teacher) at Fairmont High School in Kettering, Ohio, had just finished his third consecutive losing season and was profoundly discouraged by his team’s 3-17 record. He questioned whether he had what it takes to coach basketball and mulled changing careers. Thinking about going to graduate school, Bias went to see Dr. George DeMarco, a professor at the University of Dayton, who

urged him to do some research on coaching and teaching before making a career change. One of the articles DeMarco recommended was a 1976 study of Wooden’s pedagogy based on live observations of practice sessions in 1975. Bias was intrigued and asked one of the researchers, Dr. Ron Gallimore, if he had any films of Wooden coaching. The answer was yes, but Bias would need the coach’s permission to borrow them. He was given John Wooden’s home phone number. After some initial hesitation, Bias mustered up the courage to dial Wooden’s number. As Bias started to leave a message, Wooden picked up and said hello. Bias began to explain that he was a high school basketball coach in the Dayton area and had some questions about teaching the game of basketball. Wooden interrupted and started asking questions himself. To Bias’s surprise and delight, they talked for 20 minutes about teaching basketball and how to improve as a coach.

Ronald Gallimore, PhD, is Distinguished Professor Emeritus at UCLA who conducts research on teaching and its improvement, and counts what he learned from John Wooden about teaching as the opportunity of a lifetime. Bradley Ermeling, EdD, is an Educational Researcher at UCLA and recipient of Learning Forward’s 2010 Best Research Award who conducts research and development on teaching and performance improvement. Former UCLA and NBA player Swen Nater is staff member at BeLikeCoach, and author and blogger on the subject of pedagogy and continuous improvement as the means to teaching and coaching success. They can be reached at: ronaldg@ucla.edu, brad.ermeling@gmail.com, and snater@ihmail.com.

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COACHING

Then, Coach Wooden invited Bias to come visit him so they could discuss coaching and teaching at length. A few days later, Bias was sitting in Wooden’s condo, which was crammed to the ceiling with mementos and memorabilia. Wooden shared many bits of advice, but one of the most important was that better instruction was the answer Bias was seeking, and the way to get it was to relentlessly and continuously work on improving teaching, one practice session after another. Bias went back to Ohio and began following Wooden’s advice immediately. The first season after he met with Wooden, Bias’s team doubled its win total, finishing 6-15. The team improved again the next year, nearly hitting .500 at 9-11. In the third year of Bias’s efforts to become a better teacher, the Firebirds’ record was 17-6. After winning the Greater Western Ohio Conference (GWOC) East championship, the team went deep into the state tournament and Bias won a local co-coach of the year award. In the five seasons after Bias began implementing Wooden’s lessons, Fairmont’s winning percentage was 62 percent, compared to 29 percent in the seasons prior to Bias meeting Wooden. This was the best fiveyear record for the school since the 1920s, and it was accomplished with no significant improvement in talent level—during a period when the Firebirds’ competition got tougher. Behind the scenes, Bias’s story is one of steady effort, day after day, week after week. Bias continued to communicate with Wooden and was also helped by Swen Nater, a former UCLA player for Wooden who played professionally for 11 years. But mostly, Bias worked on his own to become a better teacher. He practiced a form of self-guided, continuous improvement, which other coaches can also use to become better teachers of their sport. CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

The concept of Continuous Improvement (CI) applied to teaching and coaching is neither a Wooden creation nor a novel idea. Brad Ermeling identified four actions Wooden used to improve his teaching on the practice floor that bear a striking resemblance to common elements of CI employed in various fields: 1. Identify critical instructional issues. 2. Prepare and implement instructional plans. 3. Use evidence to drive reflection, analysis, and next steps. 4. Persistently seek detectable improvements.

For Bias, these four steps were the foundation of turning around his program. In one sense, they are simple—figure out how to teach the game well. But, in another sense, they are complex—teaching is an art that requires constant self-analysis and revision. Here is how Bias tackled each one: Identify instructional issues: Contemplating what to work on first, Bias recalled one incident that haunted him for a long time. “I remember a player named Brandon commenting that it seemed like we were doing a lot of drills, but none of them applied to the games,” he says. “To soften the blow, he said, ‘you’re a good coach,’ but I think he meant my coaching didn’t add up to anything, because the team was not getting better.”

players’ efforts fell short of expectations. Bias followed this idea, focusing on making practices intense, demanding, and precisely two hours long. Players then knew what to expect, and there was no need to conserve energy for fear the session might be extended. He also began finishing every practice with an activity the players considered fun. In addition, because Bias’s practice plans were laid out minute by minute, his managers and assistant coaches knew when and where to locate equipment. This cut out wasted time between drills because players did not have to wait or search around for what they needed. Bias’s second goal was to curtail the amount of time he spent talking during practices, which he realized resulted in fewer

Wooden’s teachings also emphasize that corrections during games must feel similar to what was said in practice ... The team then plays the way it practices. As he critiqued his approach to teaching, Bias realized he had no consistent principles to plan and conduct practices. He had collected a pile of resources from clinics and other coaches, and he haphazardly picked from this file to plan and teach. He looks back now and describes himself as a bull in a teaching strategy China shop, charging full speed here and there without a coherent plan or pedagogical approach. He was a student of the game, but not a teacher of it. He also realized that practices had a lot of dead time. There was too much stoppage, where he would take extended time to correct mistakes and lecture. Bias identified two specific improvements he wanted to make. First, he would spend more time developing practice plans that had specific learning goals for each day. Second, he would try to eliminate long lectures and stoppage of activity, and instead relay short, concise corrections to players. Prepare instructional plans: In order to accomplish his first goal, Bias began preparing more detailed practice plans for every day, and stuck with them. In the past, he would write out his practice plans, but didn’t always adhere to them. If a drill was going badly, he sometimes extended it, cutting into time for other drills, and causing practice to be extended. One of Wooden’s philosophies was to set a strict limit on the length of practices—no time was added if drills didn’t go well or his

active opportunities to learn and interrupted the flow of learning. Wooden told him that corrections should last no longer than 10 seconds if possible, the player should be addressed by first name, nothing should be mentioned that would discourage the player, and the correction should be packed with practical information. For example, “Kyle, make your cut at the right time. You were a little early. Wait a second and see what happens. Try it again.” Bias also started delivering corrections and praise when players learn the most— immediately after they do something—and being concise. “Justin, way to go, you cut off the driver … Sam, good crisp, fast outlet pass … Mark, don’t pull the ball down when you rebound, keep it up.” Use evidence to reflect, analyze, and change: While working on planning and practice talk for several years, Bias kept notes and records of his practices. Team play had improved, wins were coming more frequently, and Fairmont started building a reputation as a tough and competitive team. Bias felt practices were better organized and more efficient, and he was confident he had become a more disciplined “instructional talker.” But something was missing. His changes were not adding up to the gains in student learning he thought were possible. During games, his players were sometimes confused by what he asked them to do and were not AthleticManagement.com | FEB/MAR 2012 45

executing well—they were not “connecting the dots.” At this point, Bias put even more effort into assessing and reflecting on what he was doing. He realized that while his players were mastering the drills during practice, they were not learning principles to apply in games when suddenly confronted with unexpected moves by their opponents. They could not improvise and adapt on the court. Bias returned to his previous research method: reading what he could find and talking to Wooden, Nater, and anyone he felt could teach him something. As he dug deeper into his analysis and reflection, Bias realized he needed to organize drills so that in practice, players were confronted with decision-making opportunities. They needed to face exactly the same decision points they would in a game. Precisely at those points, he had to teach them the various options and how to choose among those options. For instance, if in a game, a teammate got in the wrong rebounding position after a shot went up, Bias would make sure to say the same thing he said in practices: “Brad, when Jamal gets out of position, remember to fill in as the short rebounder at the free throw line.” Wooden’s teachings also emphasize that the corrections must feel similar to what was said in practice. Along with being the same content, they should be the same tone and intensity. The coach needs to act the same during practices as during games. The team then plays the way it practices.

“I always wished Brandon could come back and practice with us now,” Bias says. “I think he would say, ‘Okay Coach, I know I’m going to be facing every one of those situations in the game on Friday night, and there’s a connect with what we are doing in practice right now.” A few years after he left for college Brandon came for a visit. A current player was hurt, so Brandon filled in. After the practice

cards, he noted drills that required refinements, activities that needed more or less time, and specific instruction an individual player might be helped by. > Reviewing each practice mentally for 15 to 20 minutes afterwards to see how it could improve. Bias thought about what went well and what did not, what he said, and how players reacted. > Asking questions of other coaches, for-

The key to Bias’s success was his commitment to learning how to become a better teacher. session ended, he said, “Coach, if we would have practiced like that when I played here, we would have been a much better team.” Persistently seek improvements: A CI process is never truly finished. Becoming a better teacher is a career-long journey. Along with continuing to read and research about basketball and pedagogy, Bias adopted several important routines to aid his improvement efforts: > Making notes on file cards during and immediately after practices. For example, if a drill was proving inadequate for the goal intended, Bias made a note. He tallied how many repetitions of each offensive or defensive set the team finished with a goal of 100—Coach Wooden had a rule that full mastery required 100 repetitions. On his 3x5

sure nly pres ank: at the o ncerned is th t Dear H e rg o Never fo e should be c And neself. h on o ic h n w o t ts u e who p s abou e o n h ssure o be present. T tighten re p e th ys will st alwa ressure own that mu tside p u ir o e th to b to succum l not per form il w up and ncy. compete level of AND RSELF G. BE YOU EEP LEARNIN K S Y A W L A

He worked to adopt for himself John Wooden’s definition of success: doing the best possible teaching instead of focusing only on the win-loss column or the final score. This was reinforced by a note he received from Wooden at one point.

DEFINING SUCCESS

Along with working hard to improve his teaching of studentathletes, Fairmont High School Head Boys’ Basketball Coach Hank Bias wanted to further his individual sense of success. He wanted to enjoy coaching to its fullest and not feel burdened by its pressures.

mer players, and anyone who might have insights. Questions included technical details on offensive and defensive strategies, what drills work best for specific skill sets, and any feedback or criticism anyone cared to offer. > Monitoring the pace of practice. Bias often used the scoreboard clock to check how on task he was during practices. By continually assessing his practices, he was able to constantly improve his teaching. Some of the specific upgrades he made in later years included: > Tweaking drills to make them more game like. Bias did this by either increasing the speed or intensity of the drill or the intellectual process the player must manage. He added a clock and score to a number of drills. And he developed more drills that helped the players practice reacting. > Identifying areas of needed improvement for individual players, and scheduling brief instructional periods for them just before formal practices began. > Adding a player-led offensive execution time during preparation for summer league games, so that his athletes had an opportunity to be in the “teaching/leading” role and build joint ownership of the team’s offense and defense. > Not making adjustments on the fly. When a drill was not going well, instead of changing it immediately, Bias learned to simply stop the drill and move on. “I learned from Coach Wooden that it’s better to end a drill instead of trying to think on the spur of the moment of improvement,” he says. “Instead, I made adjustments in the next practice plan.” > Working with coaches of the sub-varsity teams with the goal of getting them to adopt a common approach to teaching basketball. APPLYING THE STORY

Bias’s story has inspired those who know it. But it is prudent to keep in mind that 46 FEB/MAR 2012 | AthleticManagement.com

COACHING

it is an anecdote. Even the least skeptical observer might wonder how much of Bias’s experience can be repeated by other coaches. After all, few get direct input from a coaching legend and a former pro player. However, Nater and Wooden both insisted that while Bias benefited from the encouragement they provided, the real key to his success was his willingness to change and relentless commitment to learning how to become a better teacher. Bias’s experience points to at least four specific actions athletic directors can apply in developing the coaches on their staffs. Adopt the CI Process: First, urge your coaches to adopt the CI process Bias used: identify critical instructional issues, plan and implement better kinds of instruction, collect and reflect on evidence, and persist until there are tangible signs of player progress. Bias’s initial focus was practice planning and “instructional talk,” but the choice of an initial CI focus ought to be based on each coach’s careful evaluation and analysis. Team Up: While Bias used a mainly selfguided approach, CI teams have been shown to improve instruction in the educational context. Ask coaches to team up in either small or large groups that meet regularly. This allows opportunities to share goals, ideas, and findings, and provides a setting that supports sustaining continuous improvement efforts. Provide Support: CI effort often needs some support and facilitation to stay focused, some kind of protocol or guidelines to follow, and access to resources such as local experts, reading materials, or face-to-face talks. As athletic director, you can play the role that John Wooden did for Hank Bias, connecting coaches to new possibilities for addressing critical instructional issues. Be Patient: Coach Wooden taught that big changes don’t come quickly— they require steady work and incremental improvements—but when they come, they last. CI takes time, commitment, and persistence to get tangible gains in learning and performance. Administrators and coaches that decide to begin a CI journey should also agree to stick with it over a period of years. The commitment to improvement sometimes leads to wins and championships. But perhaps more importantly, it leads to success as Wooden defined it: “peace of mind, which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to do your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming.” Few lessons could be more important for administrators and coaches, and few lessons could be more valuable to model and teach student-athletes. ■

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PROGRESSIVE PROGRAMS

Accepting The Challenge

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON ATHLETICS/ERIC EVANS (HOFFMAN, LOKOMBO & KADDU) & STEVE DYKES (WEEMS).

At the University of Oregon, student-athletes are learning the art of teamwork and communication through a for-credit class called “The Leadership Challenge.”

Justin Hoffman, Josh Kaddu, Darrion Weems, and Boseko Lokombo (clockwise from top left) were four of 10 football players who took the UO leadership class last summer.

By Katie Harbert

t every institution, student-athletes are expected to be leaders. Coaches demand it and society expects it. But leadership is not a quality that magically appears. Rather, it must be taught, developed, coached, and critiqued.

That’s why, here at the University of Oregon, we have developed a for-credit course specifically to help student-athletes further their leadership skills. Called “The Leadership Challenge,” it is a way for our students to gain self-awareness, become part of a network of leaders, learn more about the process of leadership, and have fun while they’re at it.

AthleticManagement.com | FEB/MAR 2012 49

Leadership skills can be taught through a myriad of ways, based on each institution’s needs, goals, and resources. The class we developed uses experiential learning, which we feel best fits the culture and resources we have at Oregon. Rather than getting lectured on what leadership is, students explore the idea, play with it, and try to figure it out for themselves. STRUCTURE & SETUP

The class began in 2003 under the direction of Karen Nelson, who was the Assistant Athletic Director of Student Services and has since retired. It was a four-day intensive course and largely used activities, speakers, breakout groups, and reflection to teach and develop leadership skills. The class was held again in 2009 and 2011, with the curriculum, structure, and activities changing somewhat based on new leadership literature and the personnel involved. In its current form, the Leadership Challenge course is offered for three credits and takes place over two weekends in the summer. Having the course on the weekend ensures it does not conflict with student-athletes’ other classes and workout schedules. While it is geared towards leadership development among student-athletes, the course is open to all students on campus. The curriculum is designed to teach participants a variety of leadership theories, styles, skills, and practices. It then challenges students to apply these principles. The teaching tools we use include assigned readings, breakout sessions, many handson activities, speakers, reflections, presentations, and a final paper. Students have the opportunity to work individually and in groups, while interacting with each other, facilitators, administrators, and speakers. As mentioned above, we utilize experiential learning, which is a process of activity and reflection that is personal to the participant. Students experience a concept through an activity, then are asked to reflect and process the questions of “What? So what? And now what?” We’ve found that when discussions are relevant to the real-life situations student-athletes find themselves in, they are more open and honest in their discussions, which leads to better learning. The process also allows the students to explore potential

solutions together rather than in silos, making group trust and open discussion a vital part of the course. The class is designed to accommodate 20 to 26 students, with some activities involving the full class and others for smaller breakout groups. We have discussed opening the class to 40 or 50 students but always conclude that greater numbers would compromise the ability for the group and individuals to go in-depth with their leadership training. Another benefit to the small number is that students are able to get to know each other on a deeper level. Most years, I am the lead instructor for

objectives that tie together. We developed five objectives for our course, and then put together instruction that would support those goals. 1. Understand and apply relational leadership and the skills necessary for effective leadership in campus, community, and organizational settings. There are many books and articles about leadership. While we feel it’s important to introduce to the students the many theories of leadership, for the purpose of this class we wanted to narrow in on one definition. We chose the Relational Leadership Model as defined by Susan R. Komives, Nance

We start the course by having each student assess their own leadership style and abilities. Part of this process is self-evaluation … Another part is feedback from others through a 360-degree assessment administered online.

Katie Harbert is Coordinator of Student-Athlete Development at the University of Oregon. She plans and implements the Leadership Challenge course at UO and can be reached at: kharbert@uoregon.edu.

50 FEB/MAR 2012 | AthleticManagement.com

the course, and we divide the class into two separate “teams,” each led by two facilitators. Our staff of facilitators has included academic advisors, directors of operations, assistant athletic directors, and learning specialists. These facilitators volunteer to participate and are trained in the curriculum and the role of facilitation. When recruiting students to take the class, we start with upperclass studentathletes recommended by coaches. Once this group has had the opportunity to register, we begin recruiting younger students who might be interested. Ideally, most class members are entering leadership roles on their teams and have some leadership background. Each year we’ve taught the class, we have ended up with a widely diverse group by age, sport, gender, and race, which has provided for a rich learning opportunity. The course has been the starting point for many diverse, lasting friendships. The opportunity for students to go into in-depth conversations provided by the experiential learning atmosphere has been key to this important dynamic. LEARNING OBJECTIVES

There are so many wonderful ideas and dynamic activities that have been developed around teaching leadership, it’s easy for a course to be a hodge-podge of items. But it’s better if a curriculum has specific learning

Lucas, and Timothy McMahon in Exploring Leadership: For College Students Who Want to Make a Difference, since it can be applied in organizational structures like athletic teams and is very transferable to student-athletes. Relational leadership is a vision-driven, collaborative process where personal relationships and ethics provide the foundation for making positive change. Selected chapters from this text are used as reading assignments, and class activities support the Relational Leadership Model by focusing on group dynamics and allowing students to interact with experienced leaders. In addition, we are lucky enough to have one of the authors, Timothy McMahon, on our campus and have been able to use him as a consultant to advise us on the learning objectives, process, and structure of the class. 2. Increase awareness of their own personal leadership style, including their skills, values, and personal philosophy of leadership. A main goal of the class is to teach students to apply leadership concepts to their own lives. To bring this idea to the forefront, we start the course by having each student assess their own leadership style and abilities. Part of this process is self-evaluation, in which students take an in-depth look at their own beliefs and clearly define them. They are given a list of values and asked to circle all those they claim as their own, then

PROGRESSIVE PROGRAMS

asked to narrow it down to their top three. From there, we have a discussion about our personal values and how they come to be. Another part is feedback from others. Each student is asked to complete the Student LPI (Leadership Practices Inventory), a 360-degree assessment administered online. This inventory includes a self-assessment but also gets feedback from observers, which may include coaches, teammates, peers, teachers, mentors, and anyone else involved in the studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life. Student-athletes enter the e-mail addresses of the people they want to complete it on their behalf and then a report is compiled summarizing feedback in five core areas: Model the Way, Inspire a Shared Vision, Challenge the Process, Enable Others to Act, and Encourage the Heart. These are completed before class commences. 3. Learn the basics of group roles, dynamics, and decision making in order to function constructively in group settings. Student-athletes find themselves in a wide variety of groups where they may need to exercise leadership skills, from their sports teams to campus groups to classes. Learning

about group dynamics helps them to be more effective members of those groups. The text we use to highlight this is The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, by Patrick Lencioni. The five dysfunctions he defines are: Absence of Trust, Fear of Conflict, Lack of Commitment, Avoidance of Accountability, and Inattention to Results. Although its content is geared towards the business setting, it can be easily transferred to the world of college athletics. We teach the text using several activities and by having small groups teach one of the five dysfunctions to the larger group. We also ask students to further their group dynamic skills through an assignment. All participants are placed in groups in which they work to address critical issues in leadership and intercollegiate athletics, and then develop a 10- to 15-minute presentation to be delivered on the last day of the course. A key part of the activity is individuals working together as a group. (And to put a little extra pressure on the students, we invite all of the class speakers, athletic department staff, and sport coaches to attend the presentations.)

4. Understand the importance of cultural awareness and its role in effective leadership and successful groups. Cultural awareness and competency is a core concept of relational leadership and is woven throughout the class. Because our group is always quite diverse, it is not difficult to have meaningful discussions about inclusion and diversity. Additionally, most of the experts who join us speak about this topic within their presentations so students do see it is an important piece of leadership. They get the idea that cultural awareness should be a part of everything we do as leaders. Students also learn about cultural competency from one of our speakers, Johnny Lake, who is a local educator and leadership trainer. Dr. Lake captures the studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; attention by speaking about his personal experience as a black youth growing up without much interaction with white people. He then makes his presentation more personal by asking students to define and share experiences that have impacted them, asking them to question stereotypes and recognize how they affect others.

Circle No. 136 AthleticManagement.com | FEB/MAR 2012 51

5. Develop a personal leadership vision and action plan that demonstrates critical thinking about the application of leadership theory. One major assignment is to create a leadership vision and action plan, which is to be based on students’ learning in the class, the feedback they receive, and their Student LPI. The idea is for them to put on paper their philosophy and vision of leadership, how they expect to continue developing and exercising their leadership, and a specific action plan they want to implement using the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely) goal-setting method. Students are asked to apply relational leadership and other core concepts learned to their vision and action plan.

FOUR ACTION-PACKED DAYS

With the above five learning objectives as our compass, we break our two-weekend course into specific activities. Class instructors look at the learning objectives and spend a lot of time making sure each piece of the class supports one or more of those goals. The first weekend of the course is intended to build trust among students and to create an environment that allows for in-depth discussion and personal development. To do this, we take the group to Bend, Ore., which is a two-and-a-half hour drive east of our campus. Upon arrival in Bend, the class participates in a GPS EcoChallenge in the high desert guided by an outdoor adventure com-

One student-athlete’s perspective on Oregon’s Leadership Challenge class.

Last spring, I was told about a class called the Leadership Challenge, which would be offered during the summer. I was interested in improving my leadership skills, so I signed up. That proved to be a great decision.

BY BOSEKO LOKOMBO Sophomore linebacker and journalism major at the University of Oregon

What I found most helpful about the course was interacting with other student-athletes on the topic of leadership. By sharing past experiences, we grew to better understand when and how we could each step up and be leaders on our teams.

This fall, it felt great to use what I learned to help my team. I was more confident providing a hand to others and speaking up. When an underclassman did something wrong, I was comfortable correcting him. Another thing I learned is that being a follower is just as important as being a leader. For example, we had a team meeting this past season during which seniors talked to the team and asked us what we can improve. By practicing similar situations through the Leadership Challenge course, I had enough confidence to offer my point of view. A year ago, I would have said nothing in that situation. I also think the class helped make our team stronger as a unit. Ten of us participated in the course, and we all took what we learned back to the team. We communicated better and understood when to lead and when to follow. Everyone is a leader, but not everyone knows how to lead. This class helped me and my teammates develop leadership skills we used on the field this year—and will continue to use throughout our lives.

52 FEB/MAR 2012 | AthleticManagement.com

ON THE FIELD

I also appreciated the feedback we got through the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI). I was able to discover my strengths and weaknesses, and realized I am most comfortable leading by example. But I also came to understand the importance of being a vocal leader, and have been working on that.

pany. Students are divided into groups of three through an ice-breaking game. They are then given a backpack with a GPS device and several resources and let loose in “Amazing Race” style to discover and answer clues, reach various checkpoints, and eventually find their final destination. After the EcoChallenge, the group reconvenes at the hotel. They debrief, share a meal together, and then learn about some leadership ideas, such as the Johari Window, the DiSC assessment, relational leadership, and group dynamics. This piece of the curriculum is taught by lead instructors and facilitators and complemented with activities and discussion to help students digest the material further. After about 8:30 p.m., they have free time to get to know their new friends and make use of the hotel pool. The following day, the group has a morning session about LPIs with Rich Burke, a seasoned leadership development professional who has worked with executive teams at Fortune 500 companies. Burke brings the group to a new level of vulnerability and bravery by asking each student to stand up and answer two questions: > What are you most proud of? > What do you want to be remembered for? Burke then walks students through the theory behind the Student LPI, how to read their reports, and what to do with the feedback. This is one of our students’ favorite activities of the weekend. They are able to obtain others’ opinions about their leadership from their coaches and teammates in a safe and productive way, which allows them to develop a plan to work off their strengths and to improve upon their weaknesses. The culmination of the weekend is a whitewater rafting excursion on one of Oregon’s most pristine and powerful rivers, the McKenzie. The class is typically split with half the students having been rafting before and the other half thinking they never would! This is a great time for people’s leadership skills to surface, as the veteran rafters get the opportunity to encourage and teach the novices. Though very busy, the students thoroughly enjoy the short stay in Bend. Attitudes are great, smiles and laughter abound, and the student-athletes are genuinely engaging with the material in a personal way. The stage is set. The second weekend begins with a review of the first weekend, followed by a discussion about the group presentations. Student-athletes then split into groups to work on topics for their presentations, which are to address a “big issue” that they find important and

PROGRESSIVE PROGRAMS

want to create change around. Facilitators assist each group to narrow their focus to topics that they could directly impact with their plan of action. This past year, topics included stereotypes and student-athlete perception, redefining amateurism, and student-athlete unity and community service. Next, the full group comes back together for several activities, including those on decision-making, cultural awareness, and visioning and action planning. The students also work more on their presentations, and have a facilitated discussion with three professionals who are considered leaders in their fields of work. On the last day of class, students do some wrap-up activities and listen to a final speaker. Last year, our speaker was former NFL head coach Tony Dungy, whose son plays football at Oregon. To end the class, students deliver their final presentations. Evaluations from students about the class last year were very encouraging. They appreciated the balance of hands-on activities with

classroom-like learning and the diversity of speakers. They said they learned a tremendous amount and were eager to put their new ideas into action. Their only criticism was they wished the class was longer.

Evaluations from students about the class last year were very encouraging. They appreciated the balance of hands-on activities with classroom-like learning and the diversity of speakers. They said they learned a tremendous amount and were eager to put their new ideas into action. It is rare after completing a class that students take the time to send a thank you note. But two students from the 2011 class did just that. “I just wanted to say thank you so much for such a great leadership class,” said one student. “I absolutely had a blast and I wish that the class was still going on.

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I learned a lot and I’m so anxious to tell my parents about it and put my new skills to the test!” The Leadership Challenge doesn’t completely fill the gap in leadership develop-

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FACILITIES

Floor Factors

Before purchasing a new gym floor, consider the latest developments in what’s underfoot: evolving subfloor systems, new standards, and the use of green materials.

By Jim Catalano

f you’re an athletic administrator who is considering purchasing a new flooring system for your basketball or volleyball facility, rest assured that there are many choices for any budget. Factors such as performance, aesthetics, safety, maintenance, and cost all can influence the decision behind a flooring system, whether it’s a wood or synthetic surface, or a combination of the two.

“It’s a matter of finding the right application at the right price point, and balancing that with need for performance and safety,” says Joel McCausland, Director of SportCourt Products for Connor Sport Court International in Salt Lake City, Utah. “There are a lot of options out there.” While both maple flooring and synthetic surfaces have been around for decades, manufacturers continue to evolve their products, both to improve performance and respond to environmental concerns. This article will

take a look at some of the recent trends in the sport court industry. BENEATH THE SURFACE

When it comes to flooring systems, what’s beneath the surface is often most important. “The subfloor makes all the difference in the world,” says Joe Covington, Jr., President of the Covington Flooring Company in Birmingham, Ala. “If you give customers a basketball to try out on some sample floors, every time they’ll go to the most expensive AthleticManagement.com | FEB/MAR 2012 55

FACILITIES

floor system without you saying anything because of the way the floor feels and the way the ball bounces.” Floating floor systems still comprise the majority of installations, but fixed or anchorresilient subfloor systems have become increasingly popular over the past decade. “They’re systems anchored to the concrete substrate, but they have resilient properties within the subfloor that give them the resilient benefit of a floating floor,” says Daniel Heney, Executive Director of the Maple Flooring Manufacturers Association (MFMA). “Traditionally, there always have been floating floors and anchored floors, but the anchored floors didn’t have resiliency in them. They were very hard or fast floors. With the development of

synthetic surfaces on the same playing level. “We’ve done a couple of monster field houses, 36,000 to 40,000 square feet, where we have a wood floor surrounded by the synthetic surface,” says Michael Foster, President of Foster Specialty Floors in Wixom, Mich. “There’s no threshold between them, so you can run seamlessly from one to the other. And they share a common subfloor.” Schools also continue to use virgin vulcanized rubber for their gym floors. “Vulcanized rubber does not require any type of sealer or finish, thus making it less vulnerable to scratching or removing the wear layer,” says John Gayhart, Southwest Territory Manager at Mondo USA, Inc. “Rub-

“We’ve done a couple of monster field houses, where we have a wood floor surrounded by the synthetic surface. There’s no threshold between them, so you can run seamlessly from one to the other. And they share a common subfloor.” anchor-resilient subfloor systems, now you get the benefit of both. It’s a forgiving floor, but it’s also a fast-playing surface.” Those systems can also help to eliminate dead spots. “They do provide great continuous ball bounce and feel as you walk across the floor,” Covington says. “If you have two layers of plywood or sleeper and plywood and maple on top, and the slab is not super flat, you’ll get voids in that slab and you’ll have dead spots. The anchored resilient system allows you to pull that down within reason to keep from having those dead spots.” Another recent trend has been the development of combination systems, in which a synthetic surface is installed over an anchorresilient subfloor system usually found under a wood floor. “Certain facilities have a lot of activities with lots of traffic—everything from basketball games to sit-down dinners— so the athletic directors will want a synthetic surface that’s easy to just scrub and clean rather than worrying about recoating a wood floor,” Covington says. “But they’ll also want a ball bounce and shock and force reduction that’s better than what you’d get when you just glue a pad to the concrete. So if you put that synthetic surface over the same type of subfloor used under a wood floor system, you’ll get a good shock absorption and a good ball bounce.” These systems also have been installed in large facilities that have both wood and 56 FEB/MAR 2012 | AthleticManagement.com

ber products are designed to be extremely durable against tables and chairs, which allows owners to hold events directly on the surface without the use of a protective floor cover. Vulcanized rubber products offer the quick turnaround time due to not requiring a finish and the durability desired for a multipurpose gymnasium, and it is available in a wood-grain design.” SETTING A NEW STANDARD

Carl Franceschi, Principal at DRA Architects in Newton, Mass., notes that athletic administrators are becoming more aware of standards that describe the performance of sport floors. “There are different requirements for surfaces depending on the sport,” he says. “And there are now more tests out there that describe the properties needed for each sport.” After more than a decade of work, the MFMA recently released its Performance and Uniformity Rating (PUR) for sports floor systems. Basketball is the first sport to have a set of standards, with aerobics and volleyball standards coming in the next year or so. “For years we used DIN standards that were developed in Europe, and recently they’ve been replaced by the EN standard, which is also from Europe,” Heney says. “But those standards weren’t necessarily developed to address wood floors.”

The MFMA PUR standards for basketball floor systems measure the following performance requirements: shock absorption, area of deflection, basketball rebound, vertical deflection, and surface friction (see “PUR Standards” on page 59 for details). These stringent PUR standards, which are verified by a third-party testing company for each system before earning certification, will benefit athletic administrators and architects in several ways. “From the architects’ perspective it makes their lives a lot easier, because they’re not trying to evaluate all these contractors who are telling them stories about their products to get them specified,” Foster says. “For an athletic director looking to choose a flooring system, it finally raises the bar where you can say you want to write a specification that’s based on performance criteria, not necessarily on construction. “All of these systems have some type of shock device,” continues Foster. “So from the end users’ perspective, they can say they want their floor to pass—and it’s pass/ fail—the strictest and most uniform testing criteria in the world. And that’s the MFMA PUR-certified flooring system. That guarantees they’re getting a very uniform system that is cutting-edge technology from all of the various maple mills.” “Anytime you can put something together to have a better installation and end product for the customer, that’s a good thing,” Covington says of the PUR standard. “It makes sure the people who are installing things are doing it the right way.” Manufacturers of synthetic surfaces have adopted the EN standards for their products. “There are multiple levels to the EN standard for the various systems,” Foster says. “Like the PUR standard, this allows architects and athletic directors to specify that they want a certain level of a synthetic surface, rather than a particular product. They can say to a contractor, ‘Here’s the test criteria it has to match—when you submit the bid, submit the suitability report.’ “The PUR and EN standards make it easier on the architect and really guarantee results for the owner,” he continues. “They don’t have to wade through a bunch of salespeople. They can just specify what level EN or PUR they want their floor to be.” ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

As with many industries, indoor surface manufacturers continue to develop and refine their products in response to environJim Catalano is a freelance writer and a former Assistant Editor at Athletic Management.

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Developed after more than a decade of meetings among the six mill members of the Maple Flooring Manufacturers Association (MFMA), the group’s Performance and Uniformity (PUR) standards for wood basketball floor systems measure the following performance characteristics: Shock Absorption: measures the flooring system’s ability to absorb impact forces generated by the athlete. Area of Deflection: measures the floor system’s downward movement during the impact of an athlete landing on the surface. Basketball Rebound: measures the floor system’s ability to contain the deflected area under an athlete’s impact, measured at 20 inches from the point of impact. Vertical Deflection: measures the basketball’s rebound response off the sports floor system as compared to the ball’s rebound response off concrete. Surface Friction: measures an athletic flooring finish’s ability to control the sliding of athletes on a sports surface.

Circle No. 141 58 FEB/MAR 2012 | AthleticManagement.com

PUR STANDARDS

mental concerns. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards can often influence which products are chosen for certain projects. “On the synthetic side, there are a few more options and compositions to consider with an emphasis on green and sustainable,” Franceschi says. “There’s more recycled content that can be incorporated into synthetic floors, and that seems to get consideration when architects are thinking about materials to specify, especially when athletic directors can be part of a whole campus movement to incorporate green into their programs.” While maple remains the same after all these years, manufacturers are now offering slightly thinner strips of the wood in their flooring product. “We’re using more halfinch thick maple,” Covington says. “Some say it’s not a good thing, but I think it is because it allows you to use less wood. It has the same wear layer as 25/32-inch maple, so we can sand it as much as the thicker wood. Why would you use that thicker wood if you’re going to save the amount of trees used and have less material, less freight, and less weight?”

Circle No. 142

FACILITIES

Subfloors are also changing in content. “A lot of manufacturers are starting to develop what they call green subfloors, which are made out of recycled materials,” Heney says. The finishes used on wood floors continue to evolve, with water-based products gaining traction at the expense of oil-based ones, especially in areas of the country where there are stricter laws. “The EPA and various states have changed the amount of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) allowed in seals and finishes,” Foster says. “So the old high-VOC finishes are being replaced by low-VOC finishes and waterbased finishes. The finish manufacturers are working very hard to come up with lowerVOC seals and finishes that won’t glue the floorboards together.” It’s important that any finish you end up using on the floor can dry in a reasonable amount of time. “After we finish installing a floor, the next guy in is the bleacher guy, and he wants to set up 85,000 pounds of stuff on finish that’s maybe a week old,” says Foster. “So if you’re using a certain finish, depending on the temperature or humidity when the finish is put down, it might be dry in 14

days or it might take 28 days. That can be a challenge.” The susceptibility of water-based finishes to moisture has led to some new developments in subfloor design. “Water-based adhesives are more sensitive to moisture vapor than oil-based finishes,” Franceschi says. “To counter that, for the subsurface, we’re specifying a moisture mitigation product and an underlayment—a topping of concrete—over the structural concrete slab on grade. That allows you to not have to gamble that moisture levels might be high come time to put on the finish.” LOOKING AHEAD

There’s no doubt that indoor floor systems will continue to evolve in the coming years as manufacturers seek to improve performance while meeting the varied needs of their customers. There are many ideas currently in the works. “We have some prefinished and presealed floors that are not quite there yet as far as being able to install the floor and just paint the lines on it,” Covington says. “I’d like to be able to lay down a wood floor, paint the

lines, and leave. Synthetic floors are already at that point, since there are no coatings on poured urethane. It would be awesome to be able to do that with a wood floor. First, you don’t have to allow a week of cure time after you finish the job. And it will look really good, like some of those prefinished products that you can get for your house or commercial use. “I’d also like to see more wood-grain synthetic floors out there that can perform,” he continues. “We have wood-grained vinyls now, but I think we need something a little tougher or different. Sometimes they look like plastic, and it would be better if they looked more like wood.” On the standards side, Foster says that performance criteria will continue to be the driving force in specifications. “We’ll be getting away from writing specifications around the way the sports floor is constructed, because as the testing criteria develop and become more scientific, the mills will develop systems to meet those standards,” he says. “My prediction is that we’re going to see specifications that are written to performance criteria, not written around products.” ■

The Blend of Art and Science.

The human form was daVinci’s inspiration. The athletic floor is our inspiration. The relationship of technical standards and system design has led us to create uniform standards of performance for sports floors, the MFMA PUR Standards.

For more information visit www.maplefloor.org. Circle No. 143

Maple Flooring Manufacturers Association 111 Deer Lake Rd Suite 100 Deerfield IL 60015 Phone 888-480-9138 Fax 847-480-9282 Web site www.maplefloor.org e-mail mfma@maplefloor.org

OTHER INDOOR SPORTS SURFACING TRENDS The following are comments from indoor athletic flooring companies on changes in the industry, and how they are meeting these changes Most wood gym floors will eventually get wet from a variety of circumstances. Since wood is a hydroscopic material, it rapidly absorbs free-standing water and reacts to this water by swelling and eventually buckling and ultimately completely failing. Benefits of air flow and the role it plays is a key component to ensuring the longevity of your floor. However, sometimes floor systems limit air flow, do not provide even distribution of air, or they offer no air flow at all. Lack of air movement, commonly referred to as dead air, combined with dark spaces provides excellent conditions for mold growth. However, a new trend is adding technology that allows owners to monitor what is happing under the floor. Monitoring devices can be placed under the floor to help monitor moisture intrusion. Our PowerVent™ Airflow system mechanically forces airflow through the floor system to help prevent or alleviate moisture issues. The PowerVent system will automatically turn on when the conditions underneath the floor change to an unsafe level. Kevin Barker, Vice President Sales and Marketing Aacer Flooring The concern for clean indoor air quality is a rising trend among the building of new schools. Since wood is a natural resource, it is the most sustainable and green option; however, many of the chemical coatings available to protect wood (like oil-modified) are not. Oil-modified solvents can take twice as long to cure than water-based coatings and have a strong, lingering odor. Water-based coatings are non-toxic, have very little smell and are no more harmful than a latex paint. Over the past 20 years, water-based coatings have become the leading innovative solution for durability and beauty on sport floors and are now the chosen coating for LEED and green gym floor projects. Bona Sportive™ is the perfect water-based solution for LEED projects. It is GREENGUARD Children & Schools Certified for indoor air quality and is also a member of the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS). Ilene LeBlanc, Marketing Manager Bona US Olympic Lifting Platforms are one of the biggest trends in today’s weight rooms. This, combined with fitting as much equipment as possible in the most efficient

manner in the weight room, is of equal importance. Infinity Performance is responding to this trend by creating 1.25” thick Infinity Max flooring that is not only extremely durable, but was specifically designed to be used as the Lifting Platform itself. This creates “flush” platforms in the floor that are no longer tripping hazards and opens up the weight room to be used for other training activities. George Atkinson, President Infinity Performance, Inc. The biggest flooring trends Robbins sees are thirdparty certification requirements for both athletic performance along with requirements driven by USGBC’s LEED certification program. Owners are also driving to the trend for more comfortable floors as a result of new designs that damp energy-robbing vibrations. Robbins has responded by designing new systems like MVP and Eclipse that are third-party certified to simultaneously meet all the major industry sport flooring standards worldwide – from PUR to DIN to EN14904 and floors that also improve comfort for the players. On the environmental side, Robbins products are the industry’s first and only padded polyurethane systems that are certified to meet the CA 01350 small chamber test requirements for LEED IEQ contributions. Ken Thomas, Vice President, Marketing Robbins, Inc. On-site UV cured water-base finish is the newest trend in coatings for indoor wood sports floors. After application, UV light is used to instantly cure this finish, allowing for immediate full use of the floor. With industry leading low VOCs, very high durability and exceptional shine, UV cured finish is the next step in finish technology. UV finish has the additional benefit of superior tack for excelled game play. Uveeco is the leading UV coatings company for Athletic UV cured coatings. With over 300,000 sq/ft currently in use and with 2-3 times the normal wear of other coatings, many schools districts are demanding to go fully to UV cured coatings. JC Meyers, Manager Uveeco

AthleticManagement.com | FEB/MAR 2012 61

THE KEY TO WINNING IS SOLID

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To defend against pathogens and save your surfaces visit:

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Circle No. 147

Straight Talk

Efficient Athletic Training Room Layout By Wally Collins

nyone who has been associated with high school, college, or professional sports knows that the athletic training room is the epicenter of any program. It is the place where an athlete can find solace, concentrate on recovery, or prepare for practice or the big game. It is also a pre-practice hub where many come to meet and socialize. At the college level, a well-equipped athletic training room has also become an important part of tours given to recruits and their families during official school visits. For example, the University of Oregon

has arguably the finest athletic training room in the world (thanks to a large Nike donation). This facility is the very first stop on the recruiting tour for all athletes, and there is no mystery why so many families look no further. Parents very quickly get the impression that there will be a great facility and staff looking after their child. While most athletic departments do not have the funds to pull out all the bells and whistles for an athletic training room, you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to spend a lot of money to make this facility shine. It simply takes a commitment to making the room

an important part of an athletic program. The first priority is to secure adequate space. At a high school, this means getting out of the janitorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s old closet and obtaining the use of a classroom or other large room. It is always preferable to be on the ground floor since you will have a constant stream of injured athletes, many of them on crutches. There is nothing worse than having to go up or down stairs on crutches to receive treatment! It is also ideal for the athletic training room to have outside access. This allows a much better option for water management, AthleticManagement.com | FEB/MAR 2012 63

Straight Talk

to cold. One reason why hot tub use has declined is the time it takes to fill, empty, and clean a large tub, which is necessary due to MRSA concerns. On the other hand, the simplicity of filling a tub with water and ice and having athletes stream in post-workout to flush their legs has most cold tubs going all afternoon. Many are now using free standing or built-in, self-contained, no maintenance, salt water filtration polar tubs. The hydro area is also often the source of cooler filling and storage, thus it’s always a good idea to have an industrial sink there.

as most coolers are filled in the athletic training room then transported out to the buses or fields. The outside access also allows athletes who are injured on the field to easily be transported directly to the athletic training room for evaluation. The athletic training room is broken down into the following simple component parts: THE OFFICE: Every athletic training

room should have an office where the athletic trainer can have a desk, close the door to counsel student-athletes, and remain HIPAA compliant. It is very important to remember that the athletic trainer is a health care professional first and foremost and needs to be supported as such. TAPING AREA: I believe the taping

benches should be as close to the main entrance as possible. This forces the swarm of athletes waiting to get taped to stay in the hallway until it is their turn to filter into the room, take their place in the empty seats, get taped, and proceed to practice. When the taping area is placed elsewhere, the entire room will swell with bodies and disrupt treatment and rehabs. TREATMENT AREA: This is where the

treatment tables and modalities go. It is best placed in the back of the room so those being treated are not in the middle of all the other chaos that often presents itself in the athletic training room. MODALITIES: Electrotherapy, ultrasound, and cold therapy modalities

should be located in the treatment area. All college athletic trainers are trained to operate this equipment, and much research shows that these modalities help in the speed of recovery. REHAB AREA: The amount of space

allocated here depends on a number of factors, including the space available, the ability to do rehab, and the rehab equipment on hand. At a minimum, there should be space for some light rehab work (resistant bands, light weights, etc.) to take place. Some schools will want a very large workout area for rehabbing athletes. HYDRO AREA: This is where most ice machines and therapy pools are housed. It is always best to have this area closed off with glass so the athletic trainer can watch what is going on in the room while not hearing the noise from the ice machine or dealing with the heat and moisture from the pools and ice machine. Whirlpool use today has gone primarily from hot

EXAM ROOM: If a team doctor regularly spends time in the athletic training room, there should be an exam room for his or her use. It should allow privacy for the athlete and physician.

As far as flooring is concerned, it is never advisable to use carpet. Since bodily fluids such as blood are a part of athletic training rooms, and carpet fibers absorb fluids, it can become a breeding ground for MRSA and other infectious diseases. The secret to having a functional athletic training room starts with organization and cleanliness. No matter how much space you do or do not have, utilizing all of the components mentioned above neatly within the space makes the room work. The synergistic effort between the consultant and the athletic trainer, administrator or designer guarantees the absolute best result in terms of use of space, design, appearance and product selection for any budget.

Wally Collins is the President at Collins Sports Medicine, which offers free consulting service where all aspects of the project are discussed, drawn and budgeted. He recently worked with the Radio City Rockettes on the design of their new athletic training facility at Radio City Music Hall. “In preparation for the 2011 Radio City Christmas Spectacular season, the Collins Sports Medicine Team played an integral role in the functional design of our new athletic training facility,” said Elaine Winslow-Redmond, Head Athletic Trainer, Radio City Rockettes. “Reflecting the level of athleticism that the Rockettes perform with their renowned precision technique and choreography, the Collins Sports Medicine Team was able to produce an new athletic training facility designed to assist in maintaining the health and wellness of the world-famous dance company.” 64 FEB/MAR 2012 | AthleticManagement.com

PROTEAM™ is the “team to beat” in athletic training tables and treatment furniture. Our Modular Taping

Stations fit any space and any need. As versatile as the Option Play, you can add, change or relocate modules as necessary! PROFESSIONAL PLANNING AND DESIGN Whether you’re building a brand new athletic training room or just updating the space you have, PROTEAM by Hausmann’s design specialists have the experience & knowledge that you can count on. We will guide you step by step in the practical design of your facility from an empty space, to CAD drawings, to a professionally finished, efficient & cost effective training room that you will love for years to come. Whether you are a high school, college or professional facility, let us help you design your training room, treatment room, locker room or offices.

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This coupon is worth 25% off all taping station accessories purchased between January 1 & May 17, 2012. Accessories must be included on taping station order. A copy of this coupon must be presented at time of order placement. Excludes contract sales and orders already placed with Hausmann by your dealer. *Excludes all Logos and Logo Plates.

www.hausmann.com www.s-wenterprises.com Circle No. 148

Guide to Indoor Flooring

Linear Rubber Products manufactures genuine rubber flooring products, including mats, tiles, and runners for commercial athletic venues such as fitness centers, weightrooms, gyms, and more. The company’s products are proven to protect floors against the impact of free weights and exercise equipment while providing acoustical qualities and beautifying the environment. RECENT INSTALLATIONS: World Gyms, Racine, WI Quads Gym, Chicago, IL PRIMARY ADVANTAGES:

Linear Rubber Products’ PowerPad mats are among the largest available, with widths up to six feet and lengths up to 16 feet. These large mats lie flat and stay flat, and can be installed easily with minimal unsightly seams. In addition, Linear has a complete selection of products at all price points for all budgets, and offers a wide variety of formats, including mats, rolls for long installations, and tiles with interlocking tabs and squares.

Linear Rubber Products 800-558-4040 www.rubbermats.com See ad on page 53 • Circle No. 501

66 FEB/MAR 2012 | AthleticManagement.com

In 1974, the Matéflex Modular Flooring Company was formed to manufacture and market in the United States. The company has been in continuous business at its Utica, N.Y., headquarters ever since, under a parent company established in 1912. “Matéflex identified the appropriate flooring solution and worked closely with us to complete the project on time and within budget.” RECENT INSTALLATIONS: New York University Seton Hall University SUNY Institute of Technology Patterson (N.Y.) Recreation Center North Carolina Volleyball Academy PRIMARY ADVANTAGES:

Matéflex knows sports and flooring. That’s why the company engineers all its state-of-the-art tiles for peak performance and near bulletproof durability. All of its modular flooring is portable and requires extremely low maintenance. And that’s not all— these tiles are affordable and easy to install. Matéflex is the oldest U.S. modular tile manufacturer. The company has been doing this since 1974 and it keeps finding new ways to do it better.

Matéflex 800-926-3539 www.mateflex.com See ad on page 15 • Circle No. 502

Mondo is a leader in rubber floor covering with more than 60 years of experience. The company’s high-performance, durable flooring surfaces have been installed in athletic facilities worldwide. “In use on our fitness center’s elevated indoor 1/8-mile running/ walking track is the Super X Mondo surface. Super X has a great feel to runners, with sufficient cushion to offer some give while allowing for firm footing with excellent traction. It allows for walking, jogging, or accelerated sprinting.” —Logan Hampton, Director, Donaghey Student Center, University of Arkansas-Little Rock RECENT INSTALLATIONS: University of Nevada-Las Vegas Cornell College Springfield College Loyola Academy High School, IL University of Arkansas-Little Rock PRIMARY ADVANTAGES:

Mondo’s vulcanized rubber surfaces are resilient, highly durable, easy to maintain, and environmentally friendly.

Mondo 800-361-3747 www.mondoworldwide.com See ad on inside front cover Circle No. 503

Guide to Indoor Flooring

Aacer Flooring is a world leader in maple performance sports flooring systems. With more than 100 years experience in every part of the wood flooring industry, Aacer manufactures sports performance floor systems designed to accommodate athletes at all levels of play. “We’ve been very pleased with our floor. They came highly recommended from many people. I spoke to Rick Pitino from Louisville, and the way he talked about his court made it an easy decision for us.” —Bobby Cremins, Head Men’s Basketball Coach, College of Charleston RECENT INSTALLATIONS: College of Charleston University of Louisville University of Arizona Iowa State University Georgia Tech

Infinity Performance has led the industry in developing the most durable flooring products that are designed specifically for extreme athletic weightroom applications. The company’s new 1.25-inch thick Infinity Max™ is the only product on the market that comes with a 10-year warranty that covers free weight damage. “Thank you for the great floor and all the support this year. It was truly a great help on the success we had this season.” —Chris Ruf, Director of Football, Baylor University RECENT INSTALLATIONS: Baylor University Duke University Florida State University Texas Tech University Texas Christian University University of Arkansas University of Notre Dame

PRIMARY ADVANTAGES:

Aacer Sports Flooring is the newest flooring mill built in North America in the last 15 years, and the company’s quality is unmatched by any competitor. Aacer also believes in bringing technology to owners that will not only work for athletes, but also help protect the largest investment in the field house. Aacer’s patented floor designs, along with these technological advances, provide end users some of the best products in the world. The patented PowerVent™ system and moisturemonitoring device is just one example of these advances.

Infinity Performance’s 1.25-inch thick Infinity Max™ is the most durable surface available for weightroom applications, and the company backs that up with up to a 10-year warranty that covers free weight damage. Infinity Performance also works closely with the strength & conditioning coaches and their architect to design the perfect custom colors and logos for their facility. Infinity Performance is also committed to providing the highest quality flooring installations.

Aacer Flooring • 877-582-1181 www.aacerflooring.com See ad on page 59 • Circle No. 549

Infinity Flooring 888-479-1017 www.infinityflooring.com See ad on page 58 • Circle No. 557

PRIMARY ADVANTAGES:

MFMA is the authoritative source of technical and general information about maple flooring and related sports flooring systems. MFMA establishes product quality, performance, and installation guidelines; educates end users; and promotes the use of maple flooring products worldwide. “No one knows more about how a good floor should perform and how it should be installed than the MFMA members.” —Jay Stoehr SERVICES OFFERED: Inspection Services MFMA Sealer & Finish List PUR Compliant verification Accredited Installer Certification Technical consultation PRIMARY ADVANTAGES:

MFMA’s PUR Standards have been designed, utilizing exacting testing methodologies, to ensure that customers receive a reliable, well performing, competitive sports surface. As an organization representing the worldwide sports flooring industry, our goal is to balance technical standards with practical flooring system design in order to create uniform standards of performance for competitive sports floors. When a flooring system is an MFMA PUR Compliant floor, it is understood that the floor has passed strict testing for both performance and uniformity.

Maple Flooring Manufacturers Association 847-480-9138 www.maplefloor.org See ad on page 60 • Circle No. 545

AthleticManagement.com | FEB/MAR 2012 67

Guide to Indoor Flooring

Working as wood floor contractors for many years, Uveeco decided there had to be a better way to do floor finish, so the company developed its own proprietary blend of finish to meet or exceed the demands of a rapidly changing marketplace. RECENT INSTALLATIONS: University of Wyoming Men’s Basketball Court University of Wyoming Women’s Volleyball Courts Boys & Girls Club, Casper, WY Buffalo High School Gym, WY Laramie Rec Center, WY

Humane Manufacturing Co. was established in 1907 as a metal fabricating company. In 1972, it started molding rubber mats for weightrooms—that’s nearly 40 years of rubber molding experience. Rubber mats and flooring provide excellent protection for your equipment as well as the floor underneath it. “I have sold Humane rubber floor mats for more than 16 years to health clubs, prisons, and all types of home gyms. What a great product for the money, and never a problem.” —Rex Reinhart, President, Jesup Gym Equipment RECENT INSTALLATIONS: Penn State Ice Rink Crestview High School Colorado Mountain College Hayward High School, CA Mitchell High School, SD PRIMARY ADVANTAGES:

With a tensile strength of up to 1,000 PSI and Durometer of 63, Humane’s mats are stronger and softer than similar products. Humane only uses truck grade tire buffings (not passenger tires) and is 100-percent vulcanized, which means they are non-absorbent. The company’s mats also contribute to LEED points for being recycled. Beveled edges are available and molded right into the mats so transition strips are not necessary. These mats are also can be customsized and outfitted with logos. Humane’s rubber mats and flooring will protect your equipment and your floor. LOKTUFF™comes in several different thickness and color options. New colors are coming this year.

Uveeco 307-742-2072 www.uveeco.com See ad on page 34 • Circle No. 558

68 FEB/MAR 2012 | AthleticManagement.com

Humane Manufacturing Co., LLC 800-369-6263 www.humanemfg.com See ad on page 6 • Circle No. 559

Robbins is always on the forefront of product innovation. Its latest designs, like Eclipse™ and Eclipse™ SB, are third party-certified to simultaneously pass all industry performance guidelines from MFMA’s PUR, to DIN and EN 14904. The MVP system does the same, plus stands in a class by itself for vibration damping and extreme uniformity. Robbins’ lineup of Pulastic padded polyurethane systems are the first and only urethane sports flooring systems to be third party certified to meet the CA 01350 test requirements for LEED IEQ 4.3 contributions. RECENT INSTALLATIONS: Toronto Raptors Oklahoma City Thunder Orlando Magic Richmond Olympic Oval University of Michigan George Washington University Loyola Marymount University PRIMARY ADVANTAGES:

Robbins doesn’t just design and manufacture the best systems on the market, it also creates champions, like 21 of the past 25 NBA champs and NCAA champions such as Duke, North Carolina, Indiana, and UConn. So whether you’re in charge of an elite NBA, NCAA, or high school program, or just looking for the best value for your money at any level of play, Robbins is the choice you can trust.

Robbins Inc. 800-543-1913 www.robbinsfloor.com See ad on page 57 • Circle No. 560

Guide to Indoor Flooring

We’ll Help You Give Athletes The Recognition They Deserve Athletic Management’s Custom Publishing Services Bona company background: Since 1919, Bona has pioneered the highest quality hardwood floor products for professionals and homeowners. Our floor care products have protected and cared for distinguished floors such as Westminster Cathedral, Nike World Headquarters, NBA arenas and museums worldwide. RECENT INSTALLATIONS: Chaparral High School, Parker, CO University of Connecticut Golden State Warriors, California Sacramento Kings, California University of Oregon PRIMARY ADVANTAGES:

Bona dedicates more resources, both in products and expert personnel, to the research and development of wood coatings than any other company in the world. We develop and manufacture the proprietary polymers and ingredients used in all our products. This unique position as owners of these technologies enables us to maintain the highest level of quality. Our entire program was developed and produced exclusively for sport floors. We manufacture the only sport floor finishing products available that are GREENGUARD Children & SchoolsSM Certified for indoor air quality and are the Official Hardwood Floor Care Partner of the NBA. Our sport systems protect the majority of NBA floors, as well as NCAA Division 1 floors across the country. Our highly skilled sales and training team are also dedicated to our unique product offering and the sport floor industry.

Bona US www.bona.com usadmin@bona.com See ad on page 54 • Circle No. 563

• Programs for Your Home Games • Yearbook • Championship Season Celebrations • Year-In-Review

• Event Programs • Championship Season Celebrations • Athletics Department Newsletters

ANNOUNCING A NEW SERVICE

Digital Magazines, Newsletters and Year-In-Review Reports

We’ll personalize a custom-design concept that captures the spirit of your athletics. FOR MORE INFORMATION please contact MARK GOLDBERG @ 607.257.6970 EXT. 11 or mg@momentummedia.com Circle No. 155 AthleticManagement.com | FEB/MAR 2012 69

Gym Components A SAFE ALTERNATIVE

If you seek “green” products for your school, consider installing CoverSports EnviroSafe® gym wall padding. EnviroSafe is made from 60-percent recycled/40-percent virgin polyester fiber, and is a safe alternative to Poly and Bonded foams, yet costs no more. EnviroSafe foam is 100-percent toxin-free and 100-percent recyclable, unlike traditional foam products. The 18-ounce vinyl covering comes in 14 colors and is printable with school letters/logos. Padding is custom-made to your needs.

CoverSports • 800-445-6680 www.coversports.com

Circle No. 541

SAVE SPACE

Wenger’s GearBoss® and GearBoss II™ storage systems improve inventory management, space utilization, and sanitation. Requiring significantly less space than traditional shelving, these flexible, high-density carts are easily configurable for a variety of equipment. Carts roll along a fixed track, allowing easy access and minimizing wasted space. The open design enables equipment to dry quickly, improving sanitation. The GearBoss II system incorporates key GearBoss features and innovations at half the cost.

Wenger Corp. • 800-4WENGER www.wengercorp.com

Circle No. 513

EXTREME QUALITY

Looking for quality weight equipment at an affordable price? Perform Better introduces its new PB Extreme Half Rack. This rack comes complete with weight storage for both Olympic and Bumper plates, safety spot arms, bar holders, hook plates with a safety lock system, a knurled P-grip pull-up bar, and band attachments. The adjustable pull-up bar allows you to make your rack 7’6” high, 8’ high, or 8’6” high. This rack is constructed of 11-gauge, 3” x 3” steel uprights and is made in the USA. Check out Perform Better’s 2012 catalog for more information. To get your free copy, go online or call.

Perform Better • 800-556-7464 www.performbetter.com

Circle No. 512

MULTI-PURPOSE STORAGE RACK

Power Systems’ three-tiered racks hold aquatic equipment on mesh shelves, allowing for water run-off and ventilation. The Club Rack has six mesh shelves and the Studio Rack has three mesh shelves. Racks have casters for mobility and are constructed of twoinch hard PVC. Club rack 75” L x 22” W x 70” H, Studio rack 47” L x 22” W x 70” H. The racks come in gray/ black and assembly is required. Equipment sold separately. Power Systems, Inc. • 800-321-6975 www.powersystems.com

Circle No. 509

VERSATILE TABLE

The Model A9088 “6-Leg SplitLeg” Trainers Table features a 30” x 78” upholstered top with optional 69 Gas Spring Backrest. This product has an extremely versatile and functional split leg design with an open storage shelf that is great for towels, pillows, or extra equipment that needs quick and easy access. The table has a natural oak or wild cherry laminate base with a choice of nine Pro-Form vinyl upholstery colors. PROTEAM by Hausmann • 888-428-7626 www.proteamtables.com

Circle No. 554

POWERFUL REVENUE SOURCE

Click Effects systems—Click Effects, CrossFire, BLAZE, FlashBack, and Pro Audio—set new benchmarks in providing video and audio content control and delivery for live sports and entertainment events in stadiums and arenas. With a simple point and click, these display systems deliver scheduled and live impulse video clips, audio tracks, graphics, instant replays, animation, and sponsor ads that not only entertain audiences but also provide powerful revenue-generating opportunities. Sound & Video Creations • 615-460-7330 www.clickeffects.com

Circle No. 550

STURDY STORAGE

Cabana Banners offers top-quality custom championship banners, record boards, chair covers, scorer’s tables, and wall and floor murals. The company has made advancements in its digital printing to offer fresh and innovative designs. The digital series has a greater spectrum of bright, vivid colors, with excellent definition and high image quality. From team pictures to realistic mascots, endless possibilities are available in dynamic, vivid, living color.

The all-welded, heavy-duty Integrated Frame Locker from Lyon Workspace Products is an ideal locker. It features a doorframe with integral parts that maximize strength and security. The single point, recessed locking device has no moving parts and features a convenient magnetic catch for consistently reliable door closing. The 14-gauge steel doors on single-, double-, and triple-tier models have an 18-gauge pan-type stiffener welded inside the channelshaped formation on the hinge side for extraordinary strength. Standard diamond-shaped door perforations provide proper ventilation and an attractive appearance.

Cabana Banners • 800-697-3139 www.cabanabanners.com

Lyon Workspace Products • 800-323-0082 www.lyonworkspace.com

STAND OUT

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Circle No. 539

Circle No. 511

fabric structures

F L E X I B L E F I N A N C E S O L U T I O N S O N FA B R I C S T R U C T U R E S * TERMS UP TO 7 YEARS RATES AS LOW AS 4.99% AS LITTLE AS 10% DOWN *Subject to credit approval.

A superior environment for training, competing and recreational sports. Low in cost per square foot. Natural daytime lighting. Easy to relocate. Expandable.

Call one of our ClearSpan specialists today at 1.866.643.1010 or visit www.ClearSpan.com/ADAM2. Circle No. 149

Gym Components MAKE A STATEMENT

Many universities, colleges, and sports organizations are improving their facilities by wrapping their bleacher tops with Dura-Mesh™ banners from BigSigns.com. Not only does this brand and promote their school and teams, but it makes a bold visual statement that can help attract top talent and underscore your home field advantage.

BigSigns.com • 800-790-7611 www.bigsigns.com

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BUILD FOR SUCCESS

VP Buildings is a world leader in the steel systems construction industry, and is an ideal choice for athletic building solutions. Whether you need a gymnasium, arena, indoor soccer and football practice facility, or other structure, VP Buildings offers not only the design capability but also the flexibility and sophistication to fulfill your needs. VP Buildings • 800-238-3246 www.vp.com

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LIGHTWEIGHT TREATMENT TABLE NEVER SOUNDED BETTER

The MX120A, a user-friendly voice and music sound system/dual-channel mixer, fits into a standard 2020 or 1110 electrical utility box. An internal DIP switch and trimmer adjustments keep the system properly configured and safe from excessive volume. A lockable surfacemounted case is also available. Up to three units can be daisy-chained.

KDM Electronics, Inc. • 800-567-6282 www.octasound.com

Circle No. 546

The Model 7650 Portable Sideline/ Treatment Table has a 28” W x 73” L PVC-free urethane upholstery top with push-button height adjustment from 24” to 32.” The lightweight aluminum frame weighs only 30 pounds and the product includes an adjustable face cradle with an ultra-soft face cushion, carrying bag with shoulder sling, and removable two-inch Turf Pad for outdoor use (set of four). Comes in 751 Black as a standard color, with 752 Blue available for special order. PROTEAM by Hausmann • 888-428-7626 www.proteamtables.com

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