Coaching Management 11.8

Coaching Management VOL. XI, NO. 8

F O O T B A L L ■ ■

P O S T S E A S O N

E D I T I O N

Fund-Raising Ideas Strength on the Line

HELPING HANDS Getting Assistance From Others

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Coaching Management Football Edition Postseason 2003

CONTENTS

Vol. XI, No. 8

p. 2

p. 31

LOCKER ROOM

COVER STORY

Bulletin Board . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Helping Hands

Coaches adjust to academic reforms … State lawmakers looking at NCAA regulations … Talking to players about supplements … Making sidelines safer … Division III coaches get used to stricter preseason rules.

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Finding the right help for your team sometimes means looking beyond your players and coaching staff. But, before you hand anything off, think about what you need and who can best provide it.

OFF THE FIELD

Fund-Raising Fundamentals Q&A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Since taking over at Wabash College before the 2001 season, Chris Creighton has guided the Little Giants to an 18-game winning streak and their first NCAA playoff appearance since 1977.

Video Editing & Software Guide . . . . . . . . . 44 Team Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Uniforms & Apparel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Performance Apparel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Strength Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 More Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

STRENGTH TRAINING

A Strong Front

Prepress Manager Adam Berenstain

Circulation Director Mark Shea

Associate Editor Guillermo Metz

Production Manager Kristin Ayers

Ad Materials Coordinator Mike Townsend

Art Director Pamela Crawford

Assistant Editors RJ Anderson Kenny Berkowitz David Hill Dennis Read Laura Smith

Asst. Production Manager Kristi Kempf

Special Projects Dave Wohlhueter

Production Assistant Jonni Campbell

Administrative Assistants Sharon Barbell Daniela Reis Amy Walton

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Advertiser Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 Catalog Showcase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Web Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59

Editorial Assistant Greg Scholand

IT Manager Mark Nye

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Games are often won and lost in the trenches, and success in the trenches follows hard work in the weight room. A top NCAA Division I-A strength coach explains how he prepares linemen for battle.

Editor-in-Chief Eleanor Frankel

Business Manager Pennie Small

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Raising money for your program is very similar to building a successful team.

They both require forming an effective game plan, finding the right roles for people to play, and keeping everyone focused on the end goal.

Publisher Mark Goldberg

Art Assistant Dina Stander

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Advertising Sales Associates Diedra Harkenrider, (607) 257-6970, ext. 24 Sheryl Shaffer, (607) 257-6970, ext. 21 Business and Editorial Offices 2488 N. Triphammer Rd., Ithaca, NY 14850 (607) 257-6970, Fax (607) 257-7328 info@MomentumMedia.com Mailing lists for Coaching Management Football are provided by the Clell Wade Coaches Directory.

The Coaching Management Football edition is published in November and March by MAG, Inc. and is distributed free to college and high school coaches in the United States and Canada. Copyright © 2003 by MAG, Inc. All rights reserved. Text may not be reproduced in any manner, in whole or in part, without the permission of the publisher. Unsolicited materials will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

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bulletin board Coaches Adjust to Academic Reforms New academic standards for NCAA Division I athletes have both high school and college football coaches focusing more on their players’ academic achievements this year.

And more stringent rules may be just around the corner.

The most significant change to initial eligibility standards that took effect August 1, 2003 involves core course require-

of the NCAA Task Force on Academic Reform.

High school coaches play an important role in making sure their players are ready to meet the new standards, according to Turner. “If I were a high school coach, I’d be working hard to advise my players to be serious about their academic work, develop solid study habits, and get prepared,” he says.

Equally important for high school coaches is making sure players and administrators at

NCAA eligibility regulations,” he says. “We learned that the vast majority of studentathletes first heard about them in their junior or senior year of high school. Only a tiny percentage knew anything about them when they were freshmen.”

According to Teaff, with the number of core courses required for initial eligibility steadily increasing, students will need to understand the requirements as soon as they enter high school. “They’re going to have to start concentrating on getting the core courses they need as freshmen,” he says. “If they get to their sophomore year without getting the courses they need, they’re already too far behind.

“There is often a huge development in an individual between eighth or ninth grade and his senior year of high school,” Teaff continues. “Part way through high school, he realizes he wants to go to college, and he may qualify athletically for a scholarship, but he hasn’t done the things he needs to do to be academically eligible.”

Classroom success stories, like these seven players from the University of Minnesota who earned their degrees in four years, will become even more valuable under a proposed series of academic incentives and penalties.

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their schools are aware of the initial eligibility rules early enough to comply, says Grant Teaff, Executive Director of the National Football Coaches Association. “We just completed a survey of Division I student-athletes, asking them when they first learned about

Changes to NCAA continuing eligibility rules also took effect this fall, raising the bar both for student-athletes’ grades and the number of credits they must complete each year.

By the start of the second year, a player must achieve 90 percent of the GPA required for graduation. By the start of

College student-athletes must now earn credits toward their degrees at a faster rate as well. They are required to have completed 40 percent of their credits by the start of their third year, 60 by the start of their fourth year, and 80 by the start of their fifth year.

(The previous standard was 25/50/75.) Junior college transfers are held to the same standards as their peers who entered four-year programs as freshmen.

“These aren’t small changes,” Turner says. “They’re going to be significant. We’re really raising the bar on what athletes will have to do in order to continue to play.”

To cope with these tougher continuing eligibility standards, Turner suggests coaches start by putting more emphasis on academics when they’re recruiting. “Make sure you know exactly what it takes for a student-athlete to succeed academically at your institution, and don’t recruit anyone who doesn’t have those qualities,” he advises, “because you’ll be penalized competitively if they don’t succeed.”

“Coaches also need to make sure the academic support program that surrounds their students is effective,” Teaff says. “The program needs to be very focused and very effective and efficient. Schools that have solid academic support programs are going to have an advantage, and those that don’t are going to struggle.”

Glen Mason, University of Minnesota Head Football Coach and former AFCA president, agrees, but says financial realContinued on page 7

U OF M ATHLETICS

ments. Incoming freshmen now need 14 core courses on their high school transcripts to earn initial eligibility, up from 13 in past years. That standard will continue to rise over the next five or six years until it reaches 16 core courses, according to Todd Turner, Chair

The solution, Teaff says, is to get everyone on the same page as quickly as possible. “I can’t emphasize this strongly enough—getting the information out to eighth and ninth graders is essential,” he says.

“We’re really calling on high school coaches to take the lead in this and make sure the officials on their campuses, their student-athletes, and their parents know what the rules are.”

the third year, a player must meet 95 percent of the GPA required to graduate, and by the start of the fourth year, a player must reach the GPA required for graduation.

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bulletin board ities play a role, as the tougher eligibility standards spread academic support resources thinner. “Originally, tutoring and other academic support were geared toward helping the marginal student-athlete stay eligible,” he explains.

“Now, they’ve grown to the point where the goal is not really just to help with eligibility, but to help students across the board achieve their best.

With the money crunch we’re experiencing, it’s hard to see where the resources are going to come from.

“We also need to be careful that the new rules don’t have unintended consequences,” Mason continues. “For example, what about the student who comes in thinking he wants to go to medical school, and realizes his real interest is in engineering? It may be practically impossible for him to meet the requirements for progress toward his degree.

I would hate for that student to have to make a choice between his career path and being eligible. That’s the exception rather than the rule, but we need to keep those exceptions in mind, because for that student, it’s a lifechanging exception.”

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Although most coaches may not be aware of it yet, the academic performance of this year’s freshman class may count toward the first round of a new system of rewards and penalties that could begin as early as the fall 2004 semester. This system is the last piece of the NCAA’s academic reform initiative, and is under review by the Management Council. The incentives and disincentives package is expected to reach a vote of For a detailed explanation of the proposed academic index, see www.ncaa.org /news/2003/20030526/ active/4011n01.html

the NCAA Board of Directors

by April 2004.

The plan would sanction programs failing to meet academic standards with penalties ranging from warning letters to reductions in scholarships and restrictions on postseason play. “The first level of penalty would be a warning letter to teams that fall below a certain cut-off,” Turner says. “The second level could include a reduction in scholarships and recruiting restrictions, and schools that fall below the line a third time would be banned from participation in an NCAA championship in that sport. If it happens a fourth time, the school would be put in a restricted membership category and wouldn’t be able to compete or receive revenue-sharing funds.”

academic expenses, particularly when their participation generates tens of millions of dollars for athletic departments. The measure has less teeth in its application than it has political appeal: It doesn’t take effect unless three other states with Big 12 Conference members

eligibility, was referred to the chamber’s Education Committee.

California’s measure takes a broader approach. Named the “Student Athletes’ Bill of Rights,” the measure would bar California universities

On the positive side, incentives may include additional revenue, scholarships, recruiting benefits, and a formal public recognition program.

States Tackle NCAA Rules Simmering student-athlete welfare issues have bubbled over to the political stove and are garnering the attention of state legislatures as they prepare for their 2004 sessions.

Lawmakers in Nebraska, Texas, and California are all examining bills that would run counter to NCAA rules. And a highprofile Olympian/college athlete is also entering the fray on the side of loosened amateurism regulations.

In Nebraska, the Senate passed and the governor signed a measure requiring the University of NebraskaLincoln to pay a stipend to its football players. Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha, the measure’s sponsor, says athletes from modest economic backgrounds should have money for incidental, non-

Olympic mogul skier and University of Colorado wide receiver Jeremy Bloom, above, is supporting efforts to give studentathletes more freedom to earn money from outside jobs and the sale of apparel with their name and number. adopt similar measures, and no other states have.

Texas state Rep. Ron Wilson, a Houston Democrat, introduced a bill that would allow colleges and universities to establish a grant program, administered by financial aid offices, for scholarship studentathletes. The bill, which may violate current NCAA rules governing student-athlete

from following NCAA rules that penalize student-athletes for violations by others, such as coaches or boosters. It would also ban schools from following rules that limit the terms of a scholarship or stipend, earnings from jobs not associated with an athlete’s sport, health insurance coverage, the ability to transfer if a coach leaves, and hiring an agent.

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bulletin board Authored by Sen. Kevin Murray, a Los Angeles-area Democrat, the bill passed the state Senate and was referred to the Assembly Higher Education Committee. It’s adamantly opposed by most Golden State universities because if carried out, it would likely render student-athletes in the state ineligible under NCAA amateurism rules.

The measure is backed by Jeremy Bloom, a University of Colorado sophomore wide receiver and kick returner who is also a world-class mogul skier. Bloom, who last summer appealed a federal court’s rejection of his claim that NCAA rules unfairly prohibit him from receiving endorsement money from skiing, has developed his own version of a student-athletes’ rights bill.

In an op-ed piece outlining his views in The New York Times, he wrote that he’s sent copies to state legislators all over the country.

Bloom’s measure would, among other things, eliminate NCAA-imposed earnings limits on outside jobs, allow athletes to accept any income from sports other than the sport they compete in collegiately, and collect money generated by the sale of apparel bearing their names and jersey numbers, and have schools pay for year-round health insurance.

Bloom says his campaign is intended to aid future studentathletes, as he’ll probably be long graduated before any such measures take effect.

And his beef, he adds, is not with schools, but with the NCAA.

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Since March, when a Broward (Fla.) County coroner’s report added Baltimore Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler’s name to the growing list of athletes whose deaths have been blamed, at least in part, on the use of ephedra, a new urgency has swept through state and federal attempts to ban the substance.

In May, Illinois became the first state to outlaw the sale of ephedra. A New York ban passed both houses of the state legislature in early June, and is waiting for the governor’s signature. In July 2004, Florida law will prohibit ephedra’s sale to people under 18. And U.S. Senator Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) is drawing up a bill that would change the way all dietary supplements are tested and approved.

Education, not legislation, offers the best results, Burandt says, and it starts with frequent discussions with athletes.

“Our coaches discuss supplements at least once a week with their teams,” he says.

“We don’t just not encourage the use of supplements. We actively discourage it.

“When you’re communicating with players, you can’t just say the right thing and expect a

taking supplements is okay with you.

“But you can’t say, ‘If I find out that anyone is using ephedra, they’ll be off the team,’” Beste adds. “That’s the way to ensure no one will tell you anything. Your message needs to be, ‘This is very dangerous, and I’m concerned about this issue because I care about you.’ Whether or not you leave the door open from the

Warning student-athletes about the dangers of supplement use is a regular part of each coach’s job at Fond du Lac (Wis.) High School. Head Football Coach Mike Dressler is shown above.

But legislation is only part of the answer when it comes to protecting high school studentathletes from ephedra and other easily obtainable supplements teens are often eager to try, says Mark Burandt, Activities Director at Fond du Lac (Wis.) High School. “Laws are a good start, but they don’t really change the availability all that much,” Burandt says. “Alcohol is illegal for people under 21—and we know kids drink. Tobacco is illegal for those under 18, yet teens account for the majority of new smokers.”

light bulb to go on,” he continues. “It’s a long-term building process, and coaches have to communicate to players that they care about them first as human beings. Until you get that message across, anything you say is just going to be seen as one more adult preaching to them.”

Iowa High School Athletic Association Wellness Coordinator Alan Beste agrees that communication is the key. “It all starts with what you say, and silence is not an option,” he says. “Kids interpret silence as a message that

start will determine how open your players will be with you about the issue all year.”

The messages needn’t come in formal presentations, either.

Periodic short reminders work better than long lectures.

“Take advantage of teachable moments,” Beste advises.

“Pay attention to current events, and when you see a newspaper story about the results of an athlete using supplements, take it to practice and discuss it with your players. Print copies and post them in the locker room or pass them around. Your words

KEITH VANDERVORT PHOTO/THE REPORTER

“If states start ensuring that us student-athletes received fair treatment,” he wrote in the Times piece, “would the NCAA really ban us all? I doubt it—and the organization would understand that its reign was in jeopardy and come to the bargaining table.”

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bulletin board have a lot more impact when players can link them to something real.”

Joining ephedra on the list of supplements teens are likely to use is androstenedione, a steroid precursor banned by the NCAA. “There is a very high level of concern over androstenedione,” Beste says.

“It can have the same negative effects as being on a steroid.”

Even substances that appear safe can pose hidden dangers, especially if not used or labeled correctly. “Mislabeling runs rampant, and products can contain ingredients that aren’t listed on the label,” Beste says. “Athletes can be getting more of a substance than the bottle says. Then there’s the question of whether kids are taking the amount the label says. My gut feeling is no—I think almost all of them take a lot more.”

Even protein shakes carry some risk, Beste believes. “I think the biggest concern here is philosophical,” he says. “When kids use protein shakes, the message is, ‘You can’t achieve optimal performance naturally; you have to take something.’

And then they think, ‘What else can I try?’ It’s a short path from protein shakes to ephedra, creatine, and andro, and the only place to go from there is steroids. We have to send the message that getting there naturally may take longer, but they can do it, and it’s safer.”

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NCAA Emphasizes Sideline Control From the bucolic countryside of South Carolina to the idyllic island of Hawai’i, a troubling number of college football games in 2002 were marred by postgame violence. In response, the NCAA made sideline control a point of emphasis for the 2003 season.

At a Sportsmanship and Behavior Summit held in February, coaches, administrators, and government and law enforcement officials discussed ways to control inappropriate behavior both on and off the field.

“It’s been a growing problem,” says Vince Dooley, Athletic Director at the University of Georgia and Chairman of the summit. “It’s as serious as you can get. We’ve had people throwing bottles, burning automobiles, tearing down goalposts.”

NCAA President Myles Brand opened the summit by stressing that individual institutions need to determine their own local practices, and that the

NCAA will not develop national policies of its own.

Instead, the summit worked towards building consensus and creating a best practices document that individual schools and conferences can use to address the problem.

“Most people in the stadiums are trying to do what’s right,” says Clemson Athletic Director and summit panelist Terry Don Phillips. “But you have a small percentage of people who have made up their minds to be malicious. There’s nothing new about the fact that people consume alcohol and get exuberant after a great win.

Being malicious to property and other individuals is new.”

In his first year at Clemson, Phillips drew fire by telling reporters that fans had “forfeited” their right to come onto the football field by tearing down the goalposts after a victory against archrival South Carolina. The next day, he retracted his statement, issued an apology, and began talking about implementing changes to make the stadium safer.

For the 2003 season, Clemson created a task force composed of athletic department employees, student-athletes, university administrators, and security officials to address issues of safety; increased bicycle police patrols in the parking lot to reduce opportunities for alcohol abuse; designated an area on the field where children and parents could mingle with players after the game; directed fans to the center of the field after a game, allowing them to enter only from the east side of the stadium and used events staff to allow visiting teams easy access to locker rooms on the west side.

“We don’t want people to get hurt, so we’ll do our best to provide a safe environment,” says Phillips. “But if it reaches the point where people are rushing the field and tearing down our goalposts, there’s not a lot we can do except try to minimize injury as best we can.”

“There’s no simple solution, other than using common sense and hoping for the best,” says Dooley. “It’s important

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Educating parents is equally important. “Parents see these supplements at the supermarket and think, ‘If these weren’t safe, how could stores sell them?’” Beste says. “Coaches need to provide parents with the same information they’re giving players. Get them together and discuss how the game went, and then spend a few minutes telling them where you stand on supplement use.”

Administrators and coaches are trying to find ways to reduce postgame scenes like this one, which occurred after Oklahoma State’s upset win over Oklahoma in November, 2002.

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that coaches set a good example in showing respect to their opponents and the officials.

And fans need to know that they are accountable for their actions, whatever their behavior might be.”

The summit also produced some possible steps schools could take to reduce problems: ■ Invite staff from the opposing team to participate in operational planning meetings.

■ Move home student and band seating away from visiting team benches and locker rooms.

■ Limit non-essential personnel on football sidelines.

■ Reduce or eliminate video replays of controversial plays.

■ Station cameras prominently around the stadium and videotape the crowd to encourage responsible behavior.

■ Meet with student groups before and during the season to review the consequences of negative behaviors.

Consider the use of goalposts which would either be strong enough to resist being torn down or weak enough to quickly collapse without injuring people on the field.

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■ Rely more on faculty members to influence positive student behaviors.

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Weather is democratic. It can be just as hot and humid on a multipurpose chain-linkbound Division III practice field as on a multi-decked high-profile Division I stadium, and not having an athletic scholarship doesn’t change the risk of heat stroke. Thus when NCAA Divisions I and II mandated new preseason-practice rules designed to lessen the risk of heat-related injury and illness, Division III did the same. The limitations are similar across the divisions, but there are some differences in the details, and thanks to the nature of Division III, the impact may differ, too.

The idea that heat-related illness in preseason should be addressed in some fashion is hardly controversial. The Division III Management Council and Presidents’ Council cited statistics from the 2001-02 NCAA Injury Surveillance System that showed that 80 percent of Division III heatrelated illness incidents were in football. Furthermore, heat illness occurred in 40 percent of all Division III football programs in 2001-02, and the overall preseason practice injury rate was almost four times higher than the regularseason rate. And, in a statistic pointing straight to the new limits on two-a-days, preliminary data showed that more than 50 percent of injuries reported in Division III football during the fall of 2002 occurred on multiple-session days.

The main parts of the new preseason model are by now familiar to most in college football: All prospects and athletes must undergo a physician-administered medical exam before preseason practice; preseason camp for all players, including late-

Like other NCAA Division III teams, Trinity University faced a different preseason camp in 2003 with the addition of an acclimatization period, a reduction in two-a-days, and the elimination of two practice opportunities. arriving walk-ons, starts with a five-day acclimatization period with only one on-field practice per day during which equipment is phased in from shorts and helmets to full pads; multiple practices (“two-adays”) can’t be held on consecutive days; on one-practice days, practice may last up to three hours, and on multiplepractice days, activities may take up no more than five hours in all. But where the new Division I rules left the number of preseason practice

opportunities unchanged, Division III reduced them, from 27 to 25.

Wittenberg University Head Coach Joe Fincham says the limits hit Division III teams harder because they typically rely more on first-year players than those in Division I. “In Division III over half your players are typically freshmen,” he says. “We don’t have spring ball. We don’t have a tremendous amount of contact with our kids through the

AP/WIDE WORLD PHOTOS

The strongest consensus reached at the summit was that the meeting itself was a step in the right direction, and the best practices document was an important tool in helping athletic directors examine their policies. “The best practices document is a good first step, but it’s only a first step,” says Dooley. “Our next step is to see what happens, let the group assess the situation, and decide what we might do from there. This issue has to be constantly monitored, constantly addressed, and constantly promoted.”

Preseason Evolves in Division III

summer. It’s tough because you worry about just how ready your kids are for the season. When you’re relying on young players, losing a couple practices is a problem.”

The freshman issue also concerns Trinity University (Texas) Head Coach Steve Mohr, who says 20 percent of his 2002 Stagg Bowl squad were firstyear players. He notes that many freshmen can’t practice on days when the school holds orientation, which can cut into the limited two-a-day schedule.

“We had to deal with that before, but at least we had the opportunity to have twoa-day practices consecutively for about a week prior to freshman orientation,” Mohr says. “Now, with one-a-days through five or six days fol-

lowed by freshman orientation, some schools are very limited in the number of two-a-days they can have. We only had three days for two-a-day practices before we started classes, and to me, one of the most important times in a football season is preseason camp.”

Even though he appreciates the heat issue, Fincham, too, sees two-a-days as important.

“To have a good team, there are some things that you have to go through from a toughness standpoint, and I think those extra days of doubles toughen your team up a little bit,” he says. “I think it’s a great thing that we’ve done in trying to care for the kids.

My biggest fear, however, is during those first couple of weeks, what happens if you walk out for a game and it’s

93 on the field? Are those kids going to be more apt to have heat problems because of not going through those days of doubles?”

Fincham, speaking as preseason practice was just starting, planned to get in the full allowable 25 days. But not Bridgewater College Head Coach Mike Clark. The new Division III rules count Sundays during the preseason period as practice-opportunity days— meaning some schools will have fewer days off. “We have to practice on two Sundays because of the way the calendar falls,” he says. “I’m going to give the kids the other Sunday off, but I have to count it anyway, whether I use it or not.”

Mohr, on the other hand, chose to continue to take all

Sundays off. “We’re going to lose a practice, but that’s just the way it is because the body can’t go seven days in a row and hold up, in my estimation,” he says. “Injury-wise and fatigue-wise, it doesn’t seem to make sense.”

If there’s any consolation on the regulation front, it may be in the form of a decision last winter by the Division III Interpretations and Legislation Committee to add positionspecific agility drills to the list of activities allowed during the five consecutive weeks of the non-traditional season.

While the change opens up a non-traditional season like that in some other Division III sports, coaches see it as a positive step—although some conferences chose to limit the length of the session or disallow it altogether.

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Chris Creighton WABASH COLLEGE

After guiding the Wabash College Little Giants to an 8-2 record in 2001 and a 12-1 record in 2002, Head Football Coach Chris Creighton began his third season at the Crawfordsville, Ind., school this year. A loss to Mount Union College in the 2002 NCAA Division III quarterfinals couldn’t take the shine off a great year for Creighton, who was named North Coast Athletic Conference and AFCA Division III District III Coach of the Year.

Creighton was a quarterback at Kenyon College, leading the Lords to their only NCAC title in 1989.

After graduating in 1991, he served as an Assistant Coach at Concordia University, then returned to the field as quarterback of the Lindham Griffins, piloting the team to its first Swedish National Championship.

CM: You put a lot of emphasis on making your program a family. What exactly does that mean to you?

Creighton: A team is a group of individuals who come together for a common purpose, a program is a team that does things together year-round, and a family is a program where you care more about other people than yourself. Obviously, that’s very difficult to create, because it goes against human nature to be selfless.

It’s especially hard to do in Division III, because by rule, you can be a team only during the season. But I really think now that our guys understand family, and they realize that football might not even be worth playing if you’re not on a team that’s a family.

How do you build that sense of family?

From the very beginning, our freshmen understand they’re important and valued.

There’s no hierarchy and no hazing. When our freshmen walk through the door on reporting day, our seniors go nuts for them, grabbing their bags and helping them move in.

We start the season by taking a retreat that involves very little football and a lot of team-building. We divide the team into 12 different groups, with 11 or 12 people in each one, and they’re with each other the entire retreat. They eat

together, they stay in the same cabin together, and they do activities together.

During the retreat, each person on the team introduces himself, and it’s not just, “My name is Joe Smith, and I’m from such-and-such high school.” They each have a few minutes, and this year, we had each of them bring an artifact that helped them describe who they really are.

To get through 120 people takes quite a while, but we value those introductions enough to make the time. We are constantly thinking of ways to keep folks together, and we coach family and commitment as much as we coach Xs and Os. How do you coach commitment?

First, you teach what it is. No matter how committed somebody is, they can always become more committed. Part of that is being very demanding of the players, but we also encourage our guys to make a commitment to continuing to be the best football players they can be, even in the off-season, when they’re on their own. During the season, our guys voluntarily get up at six in the morning Monday through Friday and work out together, and we do all we can to reinforce that.

We point out anyone who’s increased their strength and agility, and any time we can show the benefits of that work, we hammer home just how awesome it is.

Creighton then spent four years as Quarterback Coach and Offensive Coordinator at Manchester College.

In 1997, he took his first head coaching position at Ottawa University in Kansas, guiding the Braves to a 32-7 record and two conference titles before heading for Wabash.

In this interview, Creighton talks about the importance of building a family feeling within his football team, the challenges of recruiting for a Division III program, and the Little Giants’ 2003 summer trip to Europe.

Wabash College Head Coach Chris Creighton takes his 120-man roster on a team-building retreat to start the season. It’s worked well as the Little Giants won 17 straight games in 2001-2002.

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

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How do you identify the student-athletes who will be right for your program?

First, we’re very honest in telling people exactly what we think their experience at Wabash will be like. That way, an 18year-old can think deeply and reflect about whether that is what he wants. We look for character first, because we feel we have something special here. We

To be honest, those are the folks we want to be recruiting, and we just have to remember it’s going to be a long haul. We have to hang in there and stick by them through the recruiting process.

Very few of them will actually get the opportunity to play in Division I, and at whatever point they figure that out, we want to be there.

My coaching philosophy is that love is ultimately more powerful than hate, fear, intimidation, and negativity.

Love isn’t always hugs, but in the end, love wins out.

So I try to put that into practice from day one and just follow my gut and how I believe it should be done.

don’t want to bring anybody in who could take away from that, no matter how talented that athlete might be.

How do you recruit athletes who think they’re good enough to play in Division I?

Circle No. 11

At the same time, we really don’t feel as though we’re second fiddle to Division I. We work very hard, we’re in a $21 million athletic facility here, and football is important at this school. There are people out there who are serious about school and love the game of football, but don’t

AFCA Booth No. 41-42

get scholarships. Those are the folks that we hope Wabash is a good fit for.

What was it like to make the transition from Ottawa University to Wabash College?

It was somewhat difficult, because this place is so loyal. For them to have a coach who did not attend Wabash took some getting used to. Also, this place has an awesome tradition, and [former head coach] Greg Carlson had been here for 18 years.

I established myself by being demanding and upping the ante on commitment— not by just being a hard-guy, but by being someone who’s interested in getting to know them as people and helping them become all they want to become.

My coaching philosophy is that love is ultimately more powerful than hate, fear, intimidation, and negativity. Love isn’t always hugs, but in the end, love wins out. So I try to put that into practice from day one and just follow my gut and how I believe it should be done.

Continued on page 22

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Circle No. 13

Continued from page 19 In the short term, coaching by fear or negativity or intimidation can be very effective, but ultimately, it’s not the most powerful way to coach. Love can be described a lot of different ways, but at the heart of it, it means you’re truly looking out for the best interests of the players, and you’re sincere about developing relationships with them.

That’s where the tough love comes in— it’s not all hunky-dory. We decide together what their goals are, and I hold them to their goals. That’s toughness. Toughness isn’t yelling and screaming. Toughness is having a high standard and holding people to it in a positive way.

You started that first year with a record of 1-2. Were there doubters, and how did you deal with them?

Well, I came into the job very confident. I think my experience at Ottawa really solidified my philosophy, but the two schools felt very different. Teaching plays happens quicker at Wabash than it did at Ottawa. But as far as teaching guys to believe, it happened slower at Wabash.

These are analytical, critical-thinking young men here at Wabash, and they’ve

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

been taught to not take things at face value, to challenge them.

So I told them early on, “I know you’re not going to just buy into all these ideas right away, because that’s how you’re wired.

But you also know that if we’re going to win, the team has to believe in itself.”

So our theme for that season was “We Believe,” and being 1-2 wasn’t a fun spot to be in. We’d played two fantastic games against teams that were better than us at the time. But even though we lost that second game, the team began to understand what I was asking them for. And we’ve been on a good streak since then.

After that loss, you won 18 straight games before losing in the playoffs.

Was there more pressure once you started winning?

During that first year, there was no pressure—we had an underdog mentality for the whole year. Coming into the second year, there still wasn’t a lot of pressure, because we really hadn’t accomplished much. So we had the theme of “Be Hungry,” because we weren’t going to be

satisfied in any way. We were going to be hungry week in and week out, and they really responded to that.

We really make a big deal out of our themes. We coach the theme, and we talk about it all the time. It’s not just some fancy slogan that we slap on a T-shirt— it’s something that we actively pursue throughout the year.

Looking back on it, it was the right theme and the guys completely embraced it.

We were fighting human nature. When you win a big game, you want to feel good about yourself. You need a time period to feel good. But once that time is over, you’ve got to be hungry again.

You’ve got to constantly be going after your best.

After beating Wittenberg early in the 2002 season, you had to play them again in the playoffs. How did you prepare differently for the rematch?

We watched the films, saw what happened, and adjusted our Xs and Os. But I think the key to beating Wittenberg the second time was our theme. When you

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beat a team in football, it’s very rare that you play them again in the same season.

So we were faced with this very odd predicament. We knew they had all the natural motivation, because we’d beaten them at their Homecoming and ended their winning streak. We knew they were going to be hungry, so our theme for that week was “Famished.” No matter how hungry they were, we were going to be hungrier. We were going to be famished.

How did your trip to Germany and Austria last spring come about?

We tell our guys, “We want this football program to impact your life more deeply than winning championships. We it want to have an impact on who you are as a person.” And part of our vision is to make playing football at Wabash College one of the most incredible experiences of a person’s life. By NCAA rules, we are allowed to take a trip once every three years, and during my interview at Wabash, I let them know how passionate I was about making a trip. Then I wrote a proposal up in May 2002, a year before the trip, and Wabash accepted it. We worked with one of the companies that set up

these trips. They handled all the travel arrangements and put together the itinerary, including the game in Vienna.

Did your student-athletes have to raise money to pay for the trip?

Wabash helped a lot, but yes, the cost for the players to take the trip was a little

several of them wrote up their reflections and spoke about experiences they would never have had otherwise. It was a great family-builder, a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We were in Munich, Innsbruck, Salzburg, and Vienna. We were at Dachau concentration camp for half a day, and how can you not be affected by walking

We really make a big deal out of our themes. We coach the theme, and we talk about it all the time.

It’s not just some fancy slogan that we slap on a T-shirt—it’s something that we actively pursue throughout the year.

over $2,000 per person, and each person was ultimately responsible for his own bill. So we raised some money with a lifta-thon, and the college allowed us to ask alumni for donations, and some of the players did fund-raisers on their own.

What did the team get out of it?

There were 42 people who went, and

around the crematorium? We climbed an 8,000-foot mountain in the Austrian Alps together—and some of these guys had never seen a mountain before. We played a great team, the Vienna Vikings, and we lost. But it’s not too often that a Division III athlete gets to play a game at the end of May, in Europe, in front of 5,000 people.

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Circle No. 16 COACHING MANAGEMENT

23

BY DAVID HILL

STEVE BIANCHI WAS TIRED OF HAVING HIS COACHING STAFF SHOOTING AND EDITING GAME TAPES. IT TOOK UP TOO MUCH TIME THAT HE THOUGHT WOULD BE BETTER SPENT ON COACHING AND TEACHING. But when the person hired

by his school, Webster Schroeder High School near Rochester, N.Y., to shoot his team’s video didn’t show up for a game until the second quarter, he finally decided enough was enough. Bianchi started searching for a professional videographer the next day.

“I saw a guy shooting another event, and I approached him,” Bianchi says.

“He gave me some examples of his tapes.

At first, I didn’t like what he shot for us, but that was just because he hadn’t done

resources. In this article, we’ll explore what kinds of assistance head coaches at various levels have sought and how they integrated it into their programs to build better teams.

What to Delegate Who to seek depends on what you need. Some coaches want to farm out off-field tasks to free up time for handson instruction. Others assess what their athletes, both individually and collectively, could use additional help with.

The extra attention might be footballspecific skills, but it can also be used to help with team-building, mental aspects of the sport, or general student-athlete coping issues.

can’t bring freshmen in early. These exercises create great team chemistry— including camaraderie, trust in teammates, and commitment—and they bring out leaders. We block out time in the afternoons of preseason camp for it.

We think it’s so important that some players miss practice or meetings for it.”

Steve Johnson, Head Coach at Bethel College in St. Paul, Minn., also puts a premium on intangibles. Specifically, he and his coaching staff look for help in instilling the attitude that their studentathletes can be tough football players while exemplifying the spiritual emphasis of the Baptist-affiliated college. They talk about this concept to their players, but to help reinforce it, they call on peo-

HELPING HANDS Finding the right help for your team sometimes means looking beyond your players and coaching staff. But, before you hand anything off, think about what you need and who can best provide it.

24

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Guiding an NCAA Division III program heavily dependent on freshmen, Jay Accorsi, Head Football Coach at Rowan University, faces the annual challenge of integrating dozens of first-year players into the team chemistry. So he called upon Richard Fopiano, Chair and Associate Professor of Health and Exercise Sciences, as well as professors Gregory Byron and Peter Radigan. They designed a series of team-building ropescourse activities. One exercise utilizes what looks like a giant spider web set up like a baseball backstop. Players must communicate and work together to raise teammates over the top and back down.

“We’ve been doing these activities the last three years, and they’ve really helped us,” says Accorsi, a nine-year Rowan assistant who became head coach before the 2002 season. “In Division III, we have no spring practice and

ple who’ve exemplified that dichotomy, preferably in notable football-related ways. Highlights include former University of Nebraska Head Football Coach and current member of Congress Tom Osborne speaking to the Bethel squad, as well as visits from former Minnesota Vikings standout Wally Hilgenberg.

“Our players have a chance to see someone who’s been through a similar experience,” Johnson says. “Speakers like that reinforce what we try to teach these guys. It reinforces what we talk about and what we believe.”

Johnson landed Osborne’s inspirational visit with the Bethel team through a fortuitous break. Osborne, Johnson says, was in the Twin Cities area on a Fellowship of Christian Athletes David Hill is an Assistant Editor at Coaching Management.

BRIAN BAHR/GETTY IMAGES

football. Once I told him what we wanted, he got it.”

Now, the videographer shoots every game, edits the video, and even produces recruiting tapes for players to send to college coaches. “I don’t have to worry about cameras breaking, bad camera views, or not panning properly,” Bianchi says. “I try to make my job as stress-free as possible so I can concentrate on coaching.”

Bianchi has discovered the joy of outside help. As talented and capable as a head coach and coaching staff may be, sometimes a team needs to go farther afield for assistance. It may be that someone with very specific expertise is needed, or perhaps the coaching staff would be better off delegating certain tasks so they can focus on coaching.

Either way, there often comes a time when coaches need to tap outside

COVER STORY

COVER STORY

speaking engagement, and it just happened that the person picking him up at the airport was an assistant coach with the Bethel team. In another convenient set of circumstances, Hilgenberg is often on campus because his daughter is a student there, and he was open to speaking to the team.

Dan Hanson, Head Football Coach at Malone College in Ohio, says the school’s proximity to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton means many luminaries of the sport are often nearby, and some are happy to talk to the team. Hanson also frequently asks business people from the surrounding community to speak to the team about attitude and a general approach to responsibilities and life. In choosing whom to invite, people with football backgrounds are great, Hanson says, but it’s not necessary.

“We look at people who are successful,” he says. “Whether it’s in tiddlywinks or football, if you’re a successful person you know how to be successful.

We look at people who have been successful in their business and those who have a proven track record.”

When it comes to helping teams with the intangibles, many coaches call on another readily available resource: their former players. Bob Palko, West Allegheny (Pa.) High School Head Coach, says he teaches players that they’re not only welcome to come back after leaving school, but that they’ll always be part of the program. “Most of the kids who are playing college ball stop by before they leave home for school, and those who are working or going to school nearby often come around,” Palko says. “There’s no formal invitation needed. When they get home, they call me, or stop at my house. I’ll say, ‘When you get a chance, would you mind stopping off and seeing the kids?’

“It’s neat to see the interaction,” Palko continues. “They come into the locker room just like they never left. It’s like family—when your children go away to college, the first thing they do when they come home is open the refrigerator door. That’s the kind of atmosphere we try to create.”

No matter where they’re playing, or even if they’ve hung up their cleats, former players can help the current athletes keep all their hard work in perspective, Palko says. “The players are 26

COACHING MANAGEMENT

constantly hearing me talk to them and tell them things,” he says. “But when former players say, ‘Hey, you need to listen to this guy because he told me the same thing, and he was right,’ it reinforces what we as coaches say. I don’t have to choreograph it or tell the college guys what to say. I’ll just tell the team, ‘Ben’s here. He wants to talk to you about this or that,’ and then I’ll put them on and they’ll just go. It’s been a really good thing for us.”

Look Around You After zeroing-in on where your program can use some help, the next step is identifying who can provide it. Perhaps the first place to start is, paradoxi-

As a Division III program with a limited budget, Rowan can’t afford a staff videographer. But a campus counselor with an interest in football and knowledge of video fills that role, Accorsi says.

Nor can the program afford its own nutritionist, but Head Athletic Trainer Chuck Whedon’s wife is a nutritionist and Whedon himself has a special interest in the diet-athletic performance relationship, Accorsi says. As a result, the football staff routinely turns to Whedon for advice.

Among other people Accorsi has brought to speak to the team are the university president, the head of the campus counseling center, and the director of residential life. In addition to inspiration and encouragement, they also dispense

A STAFF OF TEAMMATES Jim Schubert, Head Football Coach at Manchester (N.H.) Central High School, used expertise available to him through friendships made playing at the school during the program’s glory years in the ’60s. Dick Bozoian, a psychologist

San Diego Chargers, and there he met Sid Gilman, who was very instrumental in helping Steve learn the passing game.

Steve brought that passing game here, and we incorporated it into our offense. New Hampshire high school football is pretty much five yards and a cloud of dust, but we’re a 50-50 throwing-running team.”

in charge of training for a local manufacturing company, serves as the strength coach, and in turn taps into the expertise of his half-brother, Dan Riley, a veteran NFL strength coach now serving in that capacity with the Houston Texans. “He gives Dick information, and Dick takes that information and disseminates it among us coaches,” Schubert says. “Dick’s not a coach per se, but he comes three days a week during the off-season.”

It helps that there’s no requirement in New Hampshire or at the school that assistant coaching positions go first to teachers, says Schubert, who directs alternative-education programs for the city of Manchester. What the corps of part-time unpaid assistants and consultants have in common, Schubert says, is they played together at the school and wanted to help resurrect their alma mater’s football program.

The team physician, Dr. Mike Murphy, is also the freshman-team coach. And Schubert’s brother, Steve, who played six years in the NFL as a wide receiver and punt returner before launching a career as a stock broker, has helped with Manchester’s passing game and serves as an eye-inthe-sky during games.

“We got together in the late ’80s, and wanted to turn Central High football around,” he says. “And we accomplished that together. I just happened to be the head coach. The key is having people you’ve worked with before and who are willing to have the same philosophy you have, and who don’t have their own agendas to accomplish. We all have the same agenda, which is to do what’s best for Central High football.”

“He’s my consultant. He’s not paid,” Jim Schubert says. “After he graduated from Massachusetts, he had a tryout with the

cally, close to home. This can mean getting people within the athletic department to step into special roles.

Or it can mean increasing the involvement of people who have only a tangential relationship to your program.

practical information that helps players deal with other aspects of college life, which could otherwise divert their attention and energy.

“We use all the people on campus we can,” Accorsi says. “They’re all free. We

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COVER STORY

don’t have the budget they have at the bigger divisions, so we can’t afford to bring in a top-name speaker. All these people are in my Rolodex. They’re experts in their fields, and unlike a onetime speaker, they stick around, and players can go to them for help later.”

Other people with no obvious connection to football—or even athletics in general—can also help. Bianchi’s staff wanted to proactively deal with personal issues that can undermine a team.

Instead of searching for a sports psychologist, he called on a school social worker.

“He talked to our team about, for instance, what alcohol use does to the team and a player’s psyche, as well as the health negatives,” Bianchi says. “He is a well-rounded guy, and the players trust him. You’ve got to bring in someone the kids can relate to and trust.”

Another connection many coaches find valuable, yet others overlook, is parents. Especially at the high school level, parents are willing to help and often have valuable skills that can be an asset to the football team.

“We use our parent group to provide the pre-game meal, to provide snacks on the bus to road games and in the locker room, and after the game,” says Bianchi. “And they make sure we have enough Gatorade.”

The coaching staff at Redemptionist High School in Baton Rouge, La., relies on the team’s Mothers Club for a lot of inspiration and motivation. “They’re always coming in and decorating the boys’ locker room for games,” Assistant Head Football Coach Frank Fresina says. “They’re a great support base. We also have a mother-son breakfast where all the mothers are involved. The guys will eat in the cafeteria with their moms on the Friday morning of a game day.”

Help Yourself Sometimes, considering team needs can mean thinking of what the coaching staff needs. Bianchi especially espouses this view. After three state titles in four years, his program was producing college players so regularly that supplying recruiters with tapes and aca-

demic transcripts became a time-consuming chore. So Bianchi, along with getting help with videos, turned to people who deal with colleges all the time: guidance counselors. “I told them what they needed to know about the NCAA clearinghouse and what they need to know to help the kids with NCAA eligibility,” Bianchi says. From there, the guidance counselors took over the heavy lifting of providing transcripts and other paperwork.

Calling in reinforcements doesn’t have to mean simply getting more people involved in your program. Sometimes, building a performance team is something broader. It’s knowing who to call on to make you a better coach and your staff a better staff.

Milton Broussard has been coaching high school football in the Baton Rouge area longer than anyone, says Fresina, and now he’s a sort of mentor and consultant—as well as defensive coordinator—at Redemptionist thanks to a state rule that allows retired teacher-coaches to coach without teaching.

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28

COACHING MANAGEMENT

COVER STORY

“We have a relatively young staff,” says Fresina. “With all the battles he’s been in and the things he’s seen and the things he’s come across after 43 years, he’s been able to help us develop our coaching philosophy.”

During a recent season, Redemptionist brought former NFL player Eugene Daniel aboard as a volunteer coach.

Daniel’s role, Fresina says, was devoted less to on-field activity than to coaching the coaches. “He helped with things like how to develop new schemes, how to watch a tape, and how to really scout an opponent,” Fresina says.

Redemptionist was able to gain this valuable asset through a combination of serendipity and networking. “The elementary school on our campus was going to bring back football, and he was to be part of that staff, but the deal fell through,” Fresina says. “We called and asked if he was still interested in coaching, and he said he’d love to. Volunteer coaches usually come to us through word of mouth. But in the case of Eugene, we were in the right place at the right time.”

Many large Division I programs extend their hands-on coaching staffs by employing a director of football operations in charge of administrative and logistical duties. At small colleges and high schools, that’s a rarity. Redemptionist, though, has a retired athletic director on its staff who is in charge of administrative duties. He also adds an experienced perspective when unexpected situations arise. “In his 30-something years as an AD, he’s seen it all,” says Fresina.

Bianchi’s advice is to use existing resources when forming your performance team. “We are not afraid to go out and solicit the help that we need,” he says. “But I don’t have to go out and find a sports psychologist and nutritionist. That information is out there. You just have to go out and get it.”

There are many ways to get the information you need to help yourself, Bianchi says. Books, magazines, and the Internet are ripe with advice and information. So are live sources. Each summer, Bianchi takes part in a football camp at Syracuse University, which helps

him keep in touch with college coaches who, he says, “are full-time and do this stuff for a living.” Likewise, even when he’s at a clinic as a speaker, he’s sure to ask a lot of questions, too.

Bianchi often takes expertise already at hand as well, such as his school’s physical education director, who headed a state health and wellness committee. Also at Bianchi’s fingertips is an assistant coach who is a certified strength and conditioning specialist, and another assistant who is the head track coach and serves as the football speed coach. “You have to go and continually pick brains,” Bianchi says. “When I’ve been at clinics, I go out and get what I need.

“I have someone on my staff who keeps track of nutrition,” Bianchi continues. “But we went out and talked with National Fitness and found out what was the best way to prepare for games— snacks, energy boost, how to time it, and how to hydrate.

“Wherever you’re weak, you should try to go out and fill that area,” Bianchi concludes. ■

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OFF THE FIELD

Fund-Raising Fundamentals

Raising money for your program is very similar to building a successful team. They both require forming an effective game plan, finding the right roles for people to play, and keeping everyone focused on the end goal.

BY LEM ELWAY

n high school athletics today, fundraising has become part of the domain. But success in fund-raising isn’t guaranteed simply because you have a good team and some desire. It requires as much planning, commitment, and sweat as coaching any athletic team.

Based on my many efforts over the years, I have found there are four essential elements to successful fund-raising. First, a central focus must be established, which answers the questions: Why are we raising money?

Who will it help? What is our plan of attack? Determining this focus makes the selling easier and gives everyone a road map for where they are going.

Second, organization must be very thorough. You must formulate a course of action that covers both short- and longrange planning. This includes target dates for completion, troubleshooting plans, and a system for communication. Then, when minor mishaps occur, you are prepared to overcome them and move on.

A third element to successful fundraising is an unwavering commitment by those involved in the project, especially your volunteers. These projects take a lot of time and work, and when the chores get tedious, volunteers may need to dig down deep to keep going.

Having a central focus and a well organized plan helps to keep the commitment level high.

Lem Elway is the former Head Baseball Coach at Anacortes (Wash.) High School and a member of the Washington State Coaches Hall of Fame. Currently a special education teacher at Rochester (Wash.) Middle School, he has taught at the middle and high school levels for more than 25 years and coached several sports, including football.

COACHING MANAGEMENT

31

OFF THE FIELD

The final point to get headed in the right direction: Ensure success. The absolute worst thing that can happen for the future of your fund-raising programs is to begin a project that cannot succeed. Therefore, it’s critical to determine effort and time available before making any decisions on projects.

Volunteers Are Key Just as coaches can’t win games without good players, a fund-raiser will not be successful without a solid base of volunteers. Unless you are one of those coaches who has ample time to fundraise, it will be necessary to find a responsible, competent, trustworthy, and enthusiastic volunteer to head each fund-raising project. You still need to oversee this person’s work and provide a lot of direction, but hopefully he or she can do the majority of the tasks associated with the initiative.

Finding volunteers doesn’t stop with choosing a leader. It is just as critical to round up volunteers for all the legwork and event-day help that go into a fundraising project. These people must possess the skills necessary to meet the needs and objectives of the fund-raising project in a positive way. The two most important qualities are usually listening skills and people skills—they must know how to listen and be sensitive to others.

Ideally, your volunteers will come to you with these skills, but if not, you can provide training.

Tasks should be assigned to specific volunteers with great care. It’s important that their responsibility sets them up for success, so you need to assess what you think certain people can handle. In other words, try to assign work based on strengths, abilities, and personality just as you would on the field.

Here are some general guidelines to keep in mind when assigning tasks to your volunteers: ■ Keep tasks short and simple until volunteers have proven themselves.

■ Tasks for volunteers must have deadlines, as opposed to being openended.

■ Pick volunteers from people who will have children in the program in the future.

■ Get rid of talkers, because you need doers—people who are action oriented.

■ Make sure volunteers have a positive attitude about the project.

32

COACHING MANAGEMENT

Coaches are fortunate to have a ready-made pool of volunteer help in student-athletes, but what are the pros and cons of using student-athletes in fund-raising? On the plus side, athletes are a good source of labor and energy.

But they do need more direction and leadership than adult volunteers.

Another drawback is that they can typically handle only tasks with short time frames. As with adult volunteers, there are some good workers and bad workers, and you need to make sure studentathletes are all put in situations that fit their abilities and personalities.

Everyone, from student-athletes to parents to the project chair, needs to feel ownership of the project. Let volunteers know the big picture, and ask for their opinions and ideas. Praise even the smallest achievements and remind volunteers of how the small steps fit into the larger goal.

Volunteers are the lifeblood of your current and future fund-raising projects. Therefore, it’s critical that they have a positive experience. Plan for any potential problems with volunteers and, if they occur, rectify them as soon as possible. It is extremely hard to keep people moving forward if they’ve had a bad experience.

Big & Small There are two types of projects—those that require little planning, organization, and manpower but yield small amounts of money, and those requiring continuing labor, detailed planning, and large-scale coordination, but with larger potential financial gains. Knowing your objectives and level of commitment available will help determine which type of project you should attempt.

There are countless examples of smaller fund-raising projects. Don’t limit your choices to selling candy and programs, but think outside the box and about the needs of your specific community. Keep in mind that any time you can provide a needed service for people, you create a win/win situation.

(See Sidebar, “Small Ideas,” for examples of easy-to-implement projects.)

Large-scale projects should take into account what your fund-raising team is prepared to handle. In some cases, you may want to partner with coaches of other teams and split the proceeds, or even approach it on a department-wide

basis. Below, I’ll provide examples of four larger projects that have worked for me.

Recipe Book: The big job with this project is getting public figures in the community (such as school personnel, police officers, the mayor) to give you their favorite recipes and explain something about themselves. In addition to the recipe and “fun fact” about the person, their photo should appear on the same page.

The idea is to cross occupational, social, and political groups and create something people will want to have and use. The book should be both fun and useful. It should create excitement: “Did you read our principal’s recipe for fried catfish? Did you know he worked as a chef while in college?”

This project’s success is based on obtaining advertising and selling the book. Marketing is important, as is figuring out the best time of year to publish the book. With enough creativity, this project can often exceed initial expectations for success.

SMALL IDEAS The following are ideas for small-scale fund-raising projects: ■

An antique bazaar

■

Sports camps directed by high school athletes

■

Game programs with advertising

■

Local businesses that could use your labor (clean up a facility, tree planting, etc.)

■

Telephone book handout to houses

■

Golf tournaments

■

Window painting in businesses

■

Sale of local farm products

The book requires set-up and coordination time to make things happen in a timely manner. It also requires a thorough exploration of costs vs. income, as printing can be very expensive. Getting a local printer to give you a discount can bolster profits.

Guinness Record Car Wash: The idea here is trying to break the record for the most vehicles washed in a certain period of time. Drivers are not charged for getting their cars washed

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OFF THE FIELD

since this would slow down the process, but they are asked for donations.

It’s best to conduct this event in a big parking lot at a highly visible location.

One area should be sectioned off for washing the cars, while another area should be reserved for patrons to watch the event, enjoy refreshments, and offer donations.

Businesses in the community should be asked to bring their vehicles to be washed as part of the effort. They can also be asked to provide supplies (spread this out over as many as you can) such as soap, towels, balloons, and refreshments.

This project requires large amounts of labor, organization, and great advertising, but it can be a big money maker.

Make sure the community calendar is clear that day and do everything you can think of to make this a special happening. Everyone loves to be part of a fun community effort to help kids. If promoted properly, it can even become an annual event that will generate a lot of enthusiasm year after year.

CD of School Events: Although it may be a wonderful American tradition, the annual school yearbook is slowly pricing itself out of existence. In its place, con-

sider producing an annual computer CD or home DVD that covers special events of the world, country, and town, and extracurricular events at the school–the modern version of a yearbook.

This is a fund-raiser that will allow you to make $20,000 to $50,000 depending on your school size, if you use your creativity and energy in the right way.

Along with selling the actual discs, you can also sell advertising. Businesses could buy time for a pictorial or verbal message while families could use that time to wish their child “good luck after graduation” or whatever they would like.

The amount of time allowed and price charged would be determined by your market. But remember, this would be a “time capsule” and everyone would want one, if marketed correctly.

In order to put all this information together, look for a computer student or someone interested in this new technology. Video can be obtained from other coaches, the school video department, and local TV stations. With this project, the first year will be labor intensive, but future projects will be easier because the groundwork has already been laid.

Auction: This fund-raiser can produce big money, but also requires a lot of people, top-notch organization, and a clear plan of attack. The idea is to obtain free (or at-cost) items and services from people and businesses in the community and auction them off at a fun-filled evening event. Money is made both by selling tickets to the event (insist that everyone buy a ticket to the auction, even those involved in its administration) and through auctioned items bought by participants.

Auctioned items can run the gamut from an hour of sailing lessons to 20 pounds of apples from a local orchard to dinner with a coach. Big-ticket items can be auctioned off in front of the audience, with a silent auction for smaller items. You may also chose to raffle off one large item. It’s important that people of all levels of economic means have something to bid for.

Because this is such a big project, a long-range timeline must be developed.

Set the date for the auction at least six to eight months in advance so everyone knows when it will happen and can put it on their calendars. Send a personal invitation to the big donors in the com-

A POSITIVE PROCESS You probably get the major point by now: planning, planning, and more planning.

Here are some tips to ensure the planning process goes smoothly: Create a vision. Formulate in one sentence why you are doing this, what you are doing, and how you will measure success. Make sure your key volunteers know this vision sentence like the back of their hands.

lic facility after an event, handing out phone books, planting trees on a tree farm, or even digging ditches for a community sewer project. People need to be open minded and creative when analyzing community needs.

Think big. Results usually follow expectations, as long as the energy level and organization are good. Even if your resources lead you to implement a small project, you must “think big” about your project—you must approach it with high expectations and enthusiasm.

Be thorough. Check the cash figures given to you by Volunteer A. Remind Volunteer B where he needs to be and when.

Dot the I’s and cross the T’s whenever you write them.

Be creative. In choosing what fundraising activity to implement, think creatively about your community’s needs.

The best fund-raising project is not necessarily one that has worked well somewhere else. It is one that provides a service needed in your particular community. This could come in the form of cleaning a pub-

34

COACHING MANAGEMENT

Have a timetable. Deadlines need to be on paper so everyone can see and read them. And those deadlines need to be met even if that means doing some overtime in the early stages. Otherwise, you’ll be doing double overtime at the last minute.

Avoid panic. Try not to fund-raise in a crisis situation. It’s critical to keep the

experience a positive one, and that is difficult to do during any type of crisis.

Keep enthusiasm high. Enthusiasm needs to come from supervisors. This is done by keeping workers abreast of the progress of the project, communicating any and all successes, and keeping your chin up. It also entails being gentle and constructive in criticism and making deadlines short so individuals are set up for success.

Publicize it. If you are planning an event that needs to generate a crowd, you’ll want to heavily advertise the happening. The apex of excitement should happen about two days before the event.

Publicity should occur through all media: newspapers, radio stations, signs, Chamber of Commerce, and service groups. Use all means available and have a directed plan of attack.

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OFF THE FIELD

munity and follow up to make sure they can attend.

The first phase of this project is the two-part challenge of finding out what kinds of things people would be most interested in buying, and then securing donations. This is probably the most critical stage and should occur six months in advance. Make a list of potential donated items, divide the list up among your volunteers, and remind them to not be bashful in asking for items (the worst thing that can happen is someone says “no”). Try to match volunteers with potential donors that they know or will feel comfortable approaching.

The second stage is putting on the show. The atmosphere at the auction must be one that projects fun and good feeling. This can take many different avenues and usually consists of having entertainment, drinks, and a meal or hors d’oeuvres.

In addition, the night’s activities and sequence of auction items must move rapidly so that participants don’t become bored. Organizers (and other key peo-

ple in the athletic department and school) should walk around during the event to make sure everyone is having fun and to handle any problems that arise. The auctioneer is also a key element for success–it’s imperative you get one who can really work the crowd and get maximum dollar for each item. If you have a raffle, the winning ticket should not be chosen until the very end to ensure people stay the whole night.

There are two other areas that need to function smoothly. First, the items for auction must be arranged around the room in a manner that lets everyone see them at their leisure. Second, accounting procedures for payment must be streamlined, easily understood by the patrons, and flawless in accountability.

The auction project can take on a life of its own because of its magnitude.

The key is to treat each component as an individual project until the time they come together. This is why organization and coordination need to be a high priority.

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Ending by Evaluating Whether you go big or small with your fund-raising effort, the final stage is to evaluate the project. This must take place soon after the event while everything is still fresh in everyone’s minds. It should be a creative session, in which volunteers analyze all areas of the project so that next year’s plan can be even better. However, if volunteers are not enthusiastic enough to even discuss the project, it may mean you should not repeat it.

Although some people trivialize this stage, it is really important for having closure, identifying areas that need attention, and recognizing strong points of the project. It also allows a true sense of success to be conveyed to everyone.

Remember, fund-raising is like building a team. It starts with preparation, then you have the action, and the last stage is the follow-through. And throughout every stage, make sure all those involved focus on the main point: This activity is being done for the benefit of kids. ■

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STRENGTH TRAINING

GRANT HALVERSON/NC STATE MEDIA RELATIONS

A STRONG FRONT

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Games are often won and lost in the trenches, and success in the trenches follows hard work in the weight room. Here’s a look at how one top NCAA Division I-A strength coach prepares linemen for battle.

BY TODD STROUD

OOTBALL COACHES FACE A WIDE ARRAY OF CHALLENGES AS THEY TRY

TO MAKE THEIR PLAYERS AS STRONG AS THEY CAN BE. Among those challenges is finding ways to use proven methods for building strength and improving agility and conditioning while also keeping players excited about strength training.

In my 18 years as a strength professional, the athletes I coach have continued to set the bar higher in terms of speed, size, and strength. In response, I constantly experiment and think of ways to keep our athletes motivated. Every year, we sit down and think of a few fun

exercises and drills to add and carry with us to the next cycle. It could be medicine-ball throws between sets or the use of chains for variable resistance—or even something more unorthodox.

But behind the gimmicks and motivational tools, the simple truth is that the

Todd Stroud is the Director of Strength and Conditioning at North Carolina State University. A former noseguard at Florida State, he has also coached at Memphis, West Alabama, and Auburn.

COACHING MANAGEMENT

39

STRENGTH TRAINING

basis of our program does not change. We focus on the basic exercises, keeping our program simple but inspirational. This article highlights how we take basic training and make it interesting and useful.

The Big Guys The most critical aspect of our football strength and conditioning program is the training of the offensive and defensive linemen. We train our big players on a four-day split, year-round, meaning that we attack the upper body two times per week, and the lower body two days a week. The rest day in between the fourday split is always used for speed, agility, and quickness work, where we focus on the fundamentals of individual positions.

Table One CORE EXERCISES MONDAY ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Bench Press Power Shrug Close Grip Bench Press Split Jerk Weighted Dips

TUESDAY ■ ■ ■ ■

Squat Power Clean Stiff Deads Clean Combos

WEDNESDAY ■

Speed, Agility, and Quickness

THURSDAY ■ ■ ■ ■

Incline Bench Push Press Power Shrug Close Grip Incline Dips

FRIDAY ■ ■ ■ ■

Clean Squat Split Jerk Step-Ups

We are very basic in our approach to training linemen, using a combination of simple power movements and multi-joint Olympic movements. A periodization model is used to improve each athlete’s performance. Our core exercises are laid out in Table One. One element we focus on heavily is grip strength. When you get right down 40

COACHING MANAGEMENT

to it, what college linemen do most durVariations ing the course of a football game is use When pull-ups are mastered by the their hands. Sure, they need big, strong majority of your athletes, it is time to legs and hips; sure, they need to be able introduce the variations of this exercise. to extend and explode. But a lineman The first variation is the Chin-Up, which who can’t grab cloth is worth nothing! is completed with the exact same Therefore, we have made the basic method as the pull-up, but the hand pull-up exercise and variations of the pull-up one of Coaches must make sure our upper-body staples. This that all of their athletes forces these big people to improve their grip strength, are completing every prowhile also developing supgrammed rep as either a porting muscle groups like forced rep or a negative. the back and biceps regions.

Everyone’s done them at The value of eccentric one time or another, but contractions during this when you’re dealing with training a 300-plus-pound movement is critical in every athlete, it’s worth going over player’s improvement. the fundamentals of this simple exercise. The pull-up is initiated with a shoulder-width grip position is different. When executing beginning from a totally extended posithe Chin-Up, the athlete will start with tion with no bend in the elbow joint. The his palms facing inward. This variation athlete then pulls himself upward toward is a simple wrinkle to add to a program, the bar, squeezing his shoulder blades and your linemen will find it a bit easier together until his chin carries over the to perform. The benefits are of equal bar. Once the athlete reaches the top of value as far as grip strength is conthe pull, he simply retraces his steps in a cerned, but the bicep muscle is much controlled fashion until his elbows are more involved. fully extended once again.

The final variation of the pull-up Coaches must make sure that all of exercise is the Towel Pull. The Towel their athletes are completing every proPull is by far the most demanding in grammed rep as either a forced rep or a terms of overall grip strength and probanegative. The value of eccentric conbly the most valuable for football linetractions during this movement is critimen in particular. The actual equipment cal in every player’s improvement. setup is very simple: the coach will drape The spotter plays an important role two bath-size towels over the top of the during the pull-up. Many of your chin bar and tape the loose ends togethyounger athletes will not be able to sucer with athletic tape. This will form two cessfully complete one repetition withlong handles of cloth and tape that will out a great spot. The spotter must hold hang down toward the athlete. the lifter’s ankles in a supporting fashThe athlete then grips each handle ion and provide assistance when needat the very top of the cloth just below ed. Once the athlete reaches the top the chin bar. Each player will grip the position, the spotter should then cloth with his thumbs facing upward release him and let him lower himself in toward the chin bar, and grasp the a controlled negative repetition. As towel with his four other fingers. The each player improves, the need for a athlete will then follow the pull-up prospotter becomes less and less. tocol using his spotter as his guide.

The next step for the spotter is to This hand position is an important give assistance with the lifter’s upper one to train in that it is the same hand body only, supporting him under each position that linemen use when they lat and giving assistance with a slight attack blocks. During this movement, it upward push. After just a few weeks, not requires a great level of grip strength to only will every big man on your team execute the reps properly, so the spothave a new sense of accomplishment, ter must do a great job. The format on but also a better sense of hand awareupper-body days for these pulling exerness and improved grip strength. cises is shown in Table Two on page 42.

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Circle No. 27

STRENGTH TRAINING

Speeding Up Our speed and agility days are also critical. We concentrate on a form running program that is targeted to improve our 10-yard and 40-yard dash times. We work exclusively on stance and start: gen-

Table Two UPPER-BODY WORKOUT MONDAY ■ ■ ■ ■

Bench Press Power Shrug Split Jerk Close Grip Bench

■ ■ ■ ■

Pull-Ups 3x8-12 Chins 2x8-12 Towels 2x6-8 Weighted Dips

THURSDAY ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Incline Bench Press Push Press Incline Close Grip Power Shrug Towel Pulls 2x6-8 Chins 3x8-12 Weighted Dips

erating force with the upper body to create an explosive start and using body lean to gain ground on the first step.

We also work on variations of the NFL shuttle run series, which are quickchange movement drills done on a matted area. When doing these, we concentrate quite a bit on knee bend and football positioning. These include the two-point and four-point wave drill and two-point and four-point seat roll.

We also do a drill we call “front to back” where the athlete touches his chest to the ground then rotates his hips in one direction and touches his back to the ground. A lot of this work is done in a “pen” that is seven yards wide, 10 yards long, and 44 inches high.

Some Fun Through the core exercises, pullups, and movement drills, we work on motivating each athlete every day. But we also recognize the need to throw a few twists into the program to keep things interesting. For example, we conduct a “Superstar Competition” in the

spring for motivation. This is a team competition where the offense and defense are separated and we compete doing a variety of strongman events.

They include a keg toss, tug of war, relay race carrying various implements, tire flipping, 4x100-yard relay, and so forth.

It is a lot of fun for the players and breaks the monotony of training under conventional circumstances.

We also periodically take digital pictures of our players, which does a great job of motivating them. When an athlete sees himself progress through photos, he gets a real sense of accomplishment.

As a strength coach, I believe that we have a huge responsibility to provide leadership and guidance to our studentathletes, and the biggest part of our job is to make our players feel like they have accomplished something. All of these exercises are simple enough so that, after a very short time, all of your linemen will have success doing the pull-up and its variations, they will increase their speed, and you will get the results that you desire on the field. ■

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www.TheXvest.com Circle No. 28

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

AFCA Booth No. 82-83

THE

clipboard ddd

www.gssiweb.com

Fueling the Mind for Peak Performance

By DAVID CUTCLIFFE Head football coach at the University of Mississippi (Oxford, MS)

The mental preparation of an athlete can be the difference between winning and losing. While winning should not be the only goal, it does play a part in a coach’s job. In addition to making their players better athletes, coaches have the job of making players better people. Good people will be mentally tougher and have a will to win in the fourth quarter. Knowing and using the following tactics can help a coach develop a winning program on all levels.

Define the program Create a mission statement to help define the team. Every team member, including players, coaches and other staff members, should be held accountable to this statement.

A team is not made up of individuals. It is defined by its individuals.

Preach those two favorite four-letter words – HARD WORK Winning games is hard enough, but champions win games in the 4th quarter! There is no easy formula for this. The team must outwork the opponent to gain the winning edge.

Hard work does pay off in the end.

Teach accountability

Change is uncontrollable and positive

Each athlete’s actions on and off the field affects the athlete, the athlete’s family and the team. Teach players to stop and think. Have the athletes ask themselves the following questions:

A coach or an athlete may have had success in the past using particular tactics. However, those tactics may not work at every level. Don’t be afraid to make adjustments to reach that next level of success. A solid program should continue to evolve as teams and players grow.

✓ Is this a risk I can afford to take? ✓ How will this affect my future? ✓ How will this affect my family? ✓ How will this affect my teammates and coaches?

Get every coach on the same page The coaching staff sets the tone of the team. They must make the same sacrifices as the athletes, set an example, keep a positive attitude and never stop teaching. Athletes act as the coaches act.

Take time away from the game Sometimes coaches and athletes need to forget about the sport. This does not mean quitting the sport. It means taking time away to talk with the team or coaches about life.

Sharing life’s lessons with one another can make the team stronger as a unit and each athlete a stronger person.

Remember this formula for success

✓ Practice and concentration, then more practice and concentration!

Motivate athletes to believe in themselves If athletes believe in themselves, they will accomplish more on and off the field. Whether it’s themselves, their team, their school, their coaches or their visions, believing can take athletes as far as they want to go.

✓ Those who let things happen usually lose to those who make things happen.

✓ If you don’t invest much in the process, then defeat doesn’t hurt and winning isn’t very exciting!

V V II D D EE O O EE D D II T T II N NG G SS Y Y SS T T EE M M SS G GU U II D D EE Dartfish USA www.dartfish.com usa@dartfish.com AFCA Booth No. 165

Digital Sports Video, Inc. www.digitalsportsvideo.com 800.821.9308 AFCA Booth No. Bay 8

Dartfish offers immense versatility, and it is being used successfully in all sports. In one software package, we offer a complete solution for training performance, video analysis, tagging, editing, and sharing (DVD, CD, E-mail, Interactive analysis).

Support Services: We have a local presence throughout the USA, and we offer on-site training, free web support, and phone support options.

Upgrades Available: Dartfish is continuously advancing and improving its technologies to answer all coaching needs.

Users can always upgrade their current version to the highest one, or subscribe to one of our upgrade plans. Discounts are given to existing clients.

Customer Quote: "The Denver Broncos punter has gained two- to three-tenths of a second of hang time on his punts when compared with last year. That’s considered an eternity in his profession. A computer program called Dartfish has helped him rebuild his mechanics and straighten the plane of his body, improving results."

Rocky Mountain News, August 2003 Founded in: 1998 Background: Dartfish is creating a new dimension in the sports experience. Since 1998, our technologies and know-how have been widely recognized in the world of sports.

Dartfish is the preferred partner of many Major League Baseball and National Football League teams, as well as top Colleges, High Schools and national governing bodies. In 2002, Dartfish received the prestigious Horizon Award for Sports Technology of the Year.

Dartfish USA Circle No. 50 on Reader Inquiry Card

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

888.LRS.0001 AFCA Maxi Bay 1

SEE AD ON PAGE: 36

SEE AD ON PAGE: 22

Primary Advantages: Dartfish brings extensive worldwide experience gained through thousands of Olympic, College, and High School programs. Our Emmy nominated broadcast technology is changing the face of sports training.

LRSSports www.LRSSports.com

Primary Advantages: Our software is a market leader.

DSV developed the first True Fire Wire Technology for Windows based editing software.

The DSV Football Edition Software includes Video Editing, Scouting, Tendencies, Statistics, Data Entry from Pocket PC & Playbook Software in one package!

No other company offers as many features. DSV software allows the coach to capture and mark individual plays from a Digital Camcorder with just one click!

The Video Editing Software can seamlessly edit and checkerboard up to 4 camera angles of game video.

The Coaches’ Multimedia Remote Control can be used to control video functions as well as software functions. DSV also offers the DSV All Sports Edition Software for the entire athletic program.

Support Services: DSV offers training and dedicated toll-free customer support for all products. The Football Edition includes 24/7 telephone and Internet based support during the football season. Our support technicians have the ability to access the customers’ computer directly to provide hands on support and training, just like we’re there with you!

Upgrades Available: All DSV products can be easily upgraded as new software becomes available.

Customer Quote: “DSV is the most complete football video software system I have ever used. From digitizing the original video to customizing cut-ups, scouting reports and game plans, our DSV system performs.

Best of all, it's user-friendly software that allows every member of our staff to utilize our video system to its full potential. I challenge anyone to find a video system this powerful and versatile at twice the price. The DSV staff and tech support team are simply the best.

From day one, their staff and tech support personnel have been on the Jenks team. They are truly interested in our program’s continued growth and success.

With our grueling weekend schedule during football season, it's important to know that support is only a phone call away. Simply stated, DSV is a member of the Jenks Trojan football program.”

SEE AD ON PAGE: 33

Primary Advantages: Our exclusive set of products combine to form time-saving video editing solutions. Choose to capture video using FireWire or a video capture card, in DV or MPEG-2 format, or choose our Direct To Edit option which eliminates capture and markup time. Implement a single video editing station or a network of editing stations and viewing/analysis stations for coaches and meeting rooms.

Choose desktop or laptop PCs or both.

The wide range of products and options allows us to meet the needs of programs large and small, from Division I to high school. We can tailor a system that fits within most budgets.

Support Services: We offer 24/7 toll-free telephone technical support, along with installation and on-site training. We provide getting started guides, user manuals, and online help with each product.

Upgrades Available: Upgrades of LRSSports products are available. The next releases of Gamer and Ultima will be version 8.0, due during the first quarter of 2004.

Customer List: Northern Illinois University, Bowling Green, Middle Tennessee State University, University of Tulsa, Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, Southeastern Louisiana University, St. John’s University, University of Central Florida, San Diego State University, Florida Atlantic, Illinois State, Army, Eastern Illinois, Western Illinois, Nicholls State, McNeese State.

Allan Trimble, Head Football Coach Jenks High School, Jenks, Oklahoma

Background: Established in 1996, DSV Inc. (formerly Playbook Power) began developing playbook and coaching management software. In 1999, with over 3,000 existing customers, they began developing Digital Editing Software. DSV quickly became a market leader developing the first ‘true FireWire’ Technology for Windows-based editing software.

Currently there are over 200 users of the Football Edition software, including professional, college and the top ranked high school team in the nation.

Digital Sports Video, Inc. Circle No. 51 on Reader Inquiry Card

Background: LRSSports Software provides innovative, high quality digital video editing and scouting solutions developed by the LRSSports team of creative software engineers based on suggestions and comments we’ve received from coaches and video coordinators since we offered our first digital video editing system in 1996.

More than 300 sports teams, from Division I through high school, depend on LRSSports products.

LRSSports Circle No. 52 on Reader Inquiry Card

V V II D D EE O O EE D D II T T II N NG G SS Y Y SS T T EE M M SS G GU U II D D EE TDSports Videoware

TigerVision

www.tdsvideoware.com 866.875.0786

TigerVision www.tigerviz.com 877.211.8603 SEE AD ON PAGE: 49

SEE AD ON PAGE: 18

SEE AD ON PAGE: 55

Primary Advantages: PlayBreaker by TDSports provides affordable video editing technology for any scholastic or collegiate athletic program. PlayBreaker gives coaches the ability to create “cut-up” tapes, team and individual highlight tapes, and hard copy scouting reports. “Keep It Simple” is our motto, and we did. Our software is very user-friendly and any coach can learn to run our system in virtually no time.

Support Services: TDSports offers 24/7 technical support during the season. Our technology experts can dial into any team’s computer via the Internet. This capability allows our staff to take full control of the computer, enabling them to identify and correct problems over the phone. The dial-in feature simulates onsite tech support—we are right there with you.

Upgrades Available: Coaches can start with our basic system and then add to it over time at an affordable price.

PlayBreaker can be networked, giving coaches multi-station capabilities.

Accessories such as “checker boarding,” customized scouting reports, and handheld remotes can be purchased with the system or added later, allowing coaches to build an affordable, customized video editing system over a period of two to three seasons. Our service contracts guarantee coaches two software upgrades in the year following purchase.

Customer Quote: “The PlayBreaker system more than met our needs, was easy to use, and came at an affordable price.

Finally, our work in the film room will match our performance on the field and in the weight room.”

Thom McDaniels, Head Football Coach, Warren Harding High School, Warren, OH, ‘97 USA Today and Nike Coach of the Year Background: Founded in 2001, our staff’s 15 years of coaching experience sparked a desire to help student athletics. Our 12 years of technological experience gives us the vehicle to do so.

TDSports Videoware Circle No. 53 on Reader Inquiry Card

US Sports Video www.USSportsVideo.com 800.556.8778 AFCA Booth Nos. 145-146

Primary Advantages: TigerVision is an effective nonlinear video system that is affordable and portable. Because TigerVision uses Microsoft EXCEL and DVD-Video to access game video, TigerVision can be used wherever a coach has access to a PC running Microsoft EXCEL® and a compatible internal DVD player.

Support Services: Westmoreland Technologies, Inc provides free technical support to all TigerVision customers for the first year. Support for each subsequent year is $300/year. Typically, there is no need to buy technical support unless new personnel are using the system.

Upgrades Available: TigerVision system software upgrades are available to all existing customers free of charge. Simply download the latest software version from our Web site.

Customer List: Marion High School Shippensburg University

Primary Advantages: Sports video is our only business. US Sports Video now has the newest technological breakthrough with a DVD recorder and player. Both are customized to work with the NFL Cowboy Remote.

Coaches now have the same quality and efficiencies in DVD format that they’ve come to admire in our VHS systems. We developed the "MARK" camera, a portable recording system so coaches start with the best quality game tape. The video EDIT TOWER is second to none.

This integrated editing system is quick and easy to learn. Our exclusive remote control video recording systems, SKYHAWK and FALCON, are the best end zone and wall-mounted units, respectively, on the market.

Support Services: We offer 24/7 support.

Upgrades Available: Upgrading is the name of the game, as technology changes. We work with coaches to provide the best system to fit their needs and budget.

Moorpark High School TriWest High School Henderson High School Loyola College Prep Lake Zurich High School Newton High School

Customer Quote: US Sports Video has provided Mt. Union with all its sports edit and MARK camera systems over the years. “The addition of SKYHAWK gives us a very good end zone shot ... an effective teaching tool, particularly for my line coaches.”

Larry Kehres, Head Football Coach, Mount Union College, NCAA D-III, Five-time National Champions

Date Founded: August 2001 Background: Westmoreland Technologies developed TigerVision to be an affordable and versatile nonlinear video system. Ease and affordability have been central goals throughout the development of TigerVision. The use of EXCEL® was a logical choice since many coaches already use EXCEL®.

Westmoreland Technologies, Inc. Circle No. 54 on Reader Inquiry Card

Background: Inventor, developer, and manufacturer of custom-built sports video systems. Sports video is 100percent of our business since 1988.

US Sports Video Circle No. 55 on Reader Inquiry Card

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C CO OA AC CH H II N NG G & & SS T TA AT T SS O O FF T TW WA AR R EE G GU U II D D EE CompuSports, Inc. www.compusports.com 800.691.4555

Cutting Edge www.ivoron.com 413.243.4518

SEE AD ON PAGE: 55 Products Offered: Easy-Scout XP and EasyRecruiter, both published and distributed by CompuSports. Also offers a wide range of Playbook, Statistics and Practice Planning products from industry-leading publishers.

Primary Advantages: Products are affordable, easy-to-use and well-established. As a multivendor distributor, CompuSports is able to offer "best-of-breed" products to its customers.

Support Services: Dedicated Technical Support Web Site and Knowledgebase. E-mail and Instant Messaging support for all products. Telephone support provided for Scouting, Recruiting and Playbook products.

Upgrades Available: Yes, at significantly reduced prices.

Customer Quote: "I have been using computer scouting programs for 15 years and have found CompuSports Easy-Scout programs to be user-friendly, have very fast and easy input, and provide by far the best reports I have come in contact with. Any time I have had a question, I have always received a clear answer, often the same day. I strongly recommend CompuSports and its Easy-Scout program for coaches at any level."

Steve Ellison, Petaluma High School, Petaluma, CA "Your Easy-Scout XP product is great. The program is extremely user friendly and enables us to present information to our players in a clear and concise manner. We combine this information with edited video clips and our players look forward to our presentation each week."

Scott Kramer, Verona Area High School, Verona, WI

SEE AD ON PAGE: 29

Primary Advantages: The Voron Instant Archiving System has completely eliminated the editing/digitizing step involved with creating digital game cut-ups. By interfacing a digital video camera with a laptop computer, Voron instantly creates full-featured game film cut-ups as the game progresses. Immediately after the game the user has a fully tagged and searchable database of video clips to view, separated by every play type; offense, defense, kick coverage, kick return, etc. Voron’s playback interface provides the user with immediate game situation feedback: down, distance, field position, hash and score. The custom tagging feature allows the user to attach information to every play and the three editable drop-down menus provide custom play menus for offensive formation, offensive play type and defensive formation.

The playback controls provide exact control of video playback; go to any play at any time with the click of a mouse. The playback controls provide clear pause, single frame advance and back, and the slider control allows for pinpoint control to scroll to any point in the play.

Support Services: 24-hour tech support mid-August through December 1.

Upgrades Available: The software is continually upgraded with coaches’ input and recommendations.

Customer Quote: “The Voron system is so simple and efficient that it has made video training a tremendous advantage to our football program. We know it gives us an edge on our competition since we are breaking down game film just minutes after the game is over.”

GamePrep Solutions www.GamePrepSolutions.com info@gameprepsolutions.com SEE AD ON PAGE: 53

Primary Advantages: Easy-to-use, affordable, software is uniquely designed with built-in intelligence enabling you to define and create your team’s defensive alignments and offensive schemes.

Playcards are created in a fraction of the time because the software does much of the work for you. ScriptPRO, set for release in January 2004, will create practice scripts from the play cards thus further enhancing your practice organization and preparedness. DepthChartPRO, also due out this winter, allows for complete management of your players and their multiple positions with an easy-to-use point and click interface.

Support Services: Twenty-three minutes of live tutorials included in the software provide hands-on learning. Additionally, email and phone support deliver quick responses to all your questions within 24 hours.

Upgrades Available: Point release upgrades are available through the web site at no additional charge. Major releases are available at a reduced price.

Customer Quote: “PlayCardPRO is great.

It saves me anywhere from two to three hours per week of wasted time drawing up plays. By using PlayCardPRO I can spend more time watching film and preparing schemes for our upcoming opponents. I love PlayCardPRO and would recommend it to any defensive staff serious about their program.”

Rick Newsock, Defensive Coordinator, Valley View High School, Germantown, Ohio

Keith Thomson, Lee High School.

Background: CompuSports, Inc., based in Frederick MD, was founded in 1984 when it introduced the Easy-Scout line of football scouting software. The company has evolved into a publisher and multi-vendor distributor of coaching software and information through its CompuSports Network (of web sites) and 24/7 telesales center. The CompuSports Network includes Footballcoachingsites.com, the Web’s first and only directory of Football Coaching Web Sites.

CompuSports Circle No. 56 on Reader Inquiry Card

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Don’t let your competition get a jump on you. Be the first to break down your game film with the Voron Instant Archiving System.

Date Founded: 12/1/2002 Background: Cutting Edge Video brings 15 years of video production and software development together to produce possibly the easiest and fastest video-coaching tool available today.

Cutting Edge Circle No. 57 on Reader Inquiry Card

Background: Provider of easy-to-use, affordable software designed by a football coach to simplify and streamline game preparation activities like playcard creation, practice scripts, and depth chart management.

GamePrep Solutions, Ltd. Circle No. 58 on Reader Inquiry Card

Coach’s Office™ Graphware, Inc. www.coachsoffice.com 513.424.1091 AFCA Booth Nos. 41-42 SEE AD ON PAGE: 19

Primary Advantages: Coach’s Office is a fully integrated system allowing the coaches to draw and save formations, plays, fronts, and coverages, and use these drawings in any combination to print playcards from a practice script, produce a customized playbook, give a slide show presentation, and mix video with play diagrams. It will also integrate seamlessly with other game analysis and video editing systems.

In the next issue of Coaching Management Football Guide to Turf Systems Football Field Equipment Strength Training Training & Conditioning Aids Practice Aids Technology Products Performance Apparel

Check out www.AthleticBid.com

Support Services: We offer telephone support at no extra cost.

Upgrades Available: Coach’s Office can easily be upgraded from one level to another. Updates to the program can be downloaded from our support site.

Customer Quote: “Coach’s Office has allowed us to compile our football notebook in a very sharp format. The ability to produce playcards is critical in getting the scout team to execute plays our team does not run. We compile our game plan and share it with the players using the slide show component, which is like having a dry-erase board on the wall. Coach’s Office has allowed for information to be more readily shared with the players in less time and has helped our program substantially.”

Vince Kehres, Mount Union College (Won two national championships and maintained a perfect record of 34-0 since using Coach’s Office.)

Background: Three years ago the company spun off a new sports division that specializes in football software for coaches at all levels from the NFL to Pop Warner.

GraphWare, Inc. Circle No. 59 on Reader Inquiry Card Circle No. 30 COACHING MANAGEMENT

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Team Equipment ADAMS USA (800) 251-6857, www.adamsusa.com Adams USA has introduced the Pro-Guard “Plus” Football Facemask. There are 10 styles available for the backs and six styles for the linemen. Adams offers three XL styles and two youth styles. There are also seven Titanium styles available. The ProGuard “Plus” features extra thick bonded Annotek® Polyethylene Powder Coating. It is offered in black, white, gray, royal, navy, scarlet, maroon, light gold, dark green, kelly green, orange, and purple.

Circle No. 60 on Reader Inquiry Card

Adams USA has also introduced a new High-Impact Plastic Chin Strap Buckle. The buckle is stainless steel encased in highimpact plastic. It allows for better uniform wear—no snagging with buckle edges. It is available in black and white with additional colors to be available. Patent no.

6,481,066.

Circle No. 61 on Reader Inquiry Card

AMERICAN FOOTBALL SPECIALISTS (270) 843-8393, www.prokicker.com American Football Specialists also offers Football Goal Posts, the latest in style, quality, and safety at a value price. All goal posts meet High School Federation and NCAA specifications.

Circle No. 62 on Reader Inquiry Card

Are you searching for a square-toe kicking shoe? It’s right here in black and white. This “original style” square-toe kicking shoe, from American Football Specialists, has a leather upper and lower (sole) with detachable cleats. Half and full sizes are available in both black and white colors.

Circle No. 63 on Reader Inquiry Card

PALMGARD (800) 472-5642, www.palmgard.com The DURA-GRIP™ Coaches Gloves, from PalmGard, are great for coaches, players and officials of coldweather sports. The glove features DURAGRIP™ embossed leather palm for a secure grip. The precurved fingers and adjustable neoprene

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

wrist closure gives flexibility and a comfortable fit. The entire surface has thermal lining to keep hands warm. Sold only in pairs, adult sizes range from S-XXL. Team discounts available. Order on-line or ask for them at your favorite sporting goods store.

Circle No. 64 on Reader Inquiry Card

SCHUTT SPORTS (866) 4SCHUTT, www.schuttsports.com Innovation in their product line has always distinguished Schutt Sports as the leader in football protective gear. Case in point: its Faceguard Removal Tool, which easily cuts loop straps for quick faceguard removal in injury situations. In these circumstances, immediate response is critical, with fast access to airways being the priority. The Faceguard Removal Tool is a reliable, no-nonsense way to ensure a player gets the attention he needs without the hassles associated with other faceguards.

Circle No. 65 on Reader Inquiry Card

Schutt Sports "pads" its record for smart innovation and rewrites the code for helmet protection and comfort with the Schutt DNA™, featuring advanced militaryproven materials, a new look, and easy custom fitting that requires no additional components. The helmet has new-tothe-game SKYDEX™ shock-absorbing technology that is used to cushion the decks of Navy SEAL boats and the soles of Nike's Tuned Air™ shoes. SKYDEX™ allows Schutt to exceed industry shock absorption standards with protective padding that is thinner than traditional foam pads. The extra room allows for more comfort cushioning, which provides an overall better feel for the athlete. The helmet is in a pilot launch and may be available for sale by next season. For more information, contact Schutt Sports, The Gear That Makes The Game™.

Circle No. 66 on Reader Inquiry Card

STROMGREN SUPPORTS (800) 527-1988, www.stromgren.com Stromgren Supports has introduced its Second Skin® line of body-comforming compression tops. The 80-percent nylon/20percent Lycra® blend fabric, with a TechSheen inner liner, provides an ultimate feeling of comfort. Second Skin tops are treated with the Stromgren exclusive moisture management system, Hydro-

Flex®. A perfect undergarment for any athletic or leisure activity, these tops are available in long-sleeve, short-sleeve, and sleeveless models. Stocked in white, black, navy, royal, and red, Second Skin is available in youth sizes large and XL, and adult sizes small through 3XL. Circle No. 67 on Reader Inquiry Card Stromgren Supports has introduced the Model #1591 girdle, a new five-pocket, knee-length football girdle constructed from high-performance, heavy-duty, four-way stretch fabric. The content of this fabric is 35percent Lycra® brand spandex and 65-percent nylon, which provides greater compression and support. Recent studies show that the wearer can experience reduced muscle fatigue, improved force and power, better responsiveness, and maintain precision of motion. The fabric is Hydro-Flex™ treated to wick away perspiration for cooler, drier performance.

Circle No. 68 on Reader Inquiry Card

VANTAGE PRODUCTS INTERNATIONAL (800) 244-4457, www.vpisports.com Vantage Products International has introduced a new helmet rack that fits through doorways and you don’t have to hunt for ear holes. The newest helmet rack available is easy to use and can roll outside to your players.

It will hold 60 football helmets with masks. It is constructed of 1” O.D. chrome-plated steel tubing and has 4 heavy-duty 4” swivel castors, 2 with locking mechanisms. Dimensions: 24”W x 61”L x 64”H. Weight 61 lbs.

Circle No. 69 on Reader Inquiry Card

WILSON SPORTING GOODS www.wilson.com Since its introduction in 2002, the Wilson GST™ has been the number-one selling game football in the world. And now for 2004, Wilson is taking it a step further with Accurate Control Lacing. A Wilson exclusive, the ACL system enhances grip for more accurate passing and more consistent catching.

Wilson’s patented ACL laces are 160 percent more gripable than traditional laces.

Gripability is further improved by the GST’s exclusive Laid-In Stripe. Though it resembles a conventional pained stripe, the Laid-In Stripe is actually a swath of composite-pebbled leather set in a recess across the ball’s

Uniforms & Apparel surface. A receiver’s dream, the Laid-In Stripe replaces a traditionally slippery part of the football with a new friction-enhancing surface. Suggested Retail: $69.99 Circle No. 70 on Reader Inquiry Card

BASSCO SPORTING GOODS (800) 250-4929, www.bassco.com Contact Bassco Sporting Goods for football Spirit packs delivered in 14 days.

Bassco’s XTREME spirit pack includes a heavyweight 100% cotton t-shirt, deluxe tricot mesh football short and a pair of cotton practice socks. The t-shirt and shorts include a one, two, or three color screen print with your school’s custom design. Allow Bassco’s art department to create a unique design just for your program or provide them with your existing artwork. T-shirts and shorts are available in 13 colors, size S through 3XL. Circle No. 71 on Reader Inquiry Card

Bassco Sporting Goods offers custom lettered game jerseys in 14 days. Choose from the company's stock game jersey

offered in 10 team colors or the limited option game jersey where you select the body, insert and cuff color. New for 2004 is optional piping that boarders both sides of the side insert.

Circle No. 72 on Reader Inquiry Card

MOYER SPORTS (800) 255-5299, ext. 6, www.moyersports.com Moyer Sports offers a full line of stock and custom team apparel, warm ups, travel suits, jackets, jerseys, and bags. Top names such as adidas, Bike, Dynamic Team Sports, and Moyer’s Custom Line are among the many brands available. The company’s inhouse lettering facility enables Moyer to offer quicker service than the competition. A free color catalog is available.

Circle No. 73 on Reader Inquiry Card

PRO LOOK SPORTS (800) PRO-LOOK, www.prolooksports.com Pro Look Sports has become the fastest growing team sportswear company in six years for one reason: fully custom, quality uniforms.

Its uniforms are made of the finest materials available, cut and sewn to your exact specifications. There are no additional costs for embroidered logos or for soft tackletwill names and numbers. All work is backed by a two-year guarantee. Go Pro. Circle No. 74 on Reader Inquiry Card

Pro Look Football uniforms make a good impression—on the competition, not on your budget. Pro Look doesn't charge extra for logos, names, lettering, etc.

It provides great custom uniforms at one low price. And all work is backed by a two-year guarantee.

Go Pro, and you'll even impress yourself.

Circle No. 75 on Reader Inquiry Card

TigerVision NonLinear Video Playback & Analysis System Using Microsoft EXCEL® and DVD-Video!

See the game...any part of it...in any order, using TigerVision!

Westmoreland Technologies’ TigerVision system uses the versatility and power of Microsoft EXCEL® and the indexing capability of DVD-Video to provide powerful and exceptionally easy nonlinear video playback and game analysis. If you use EXCEL® to study your game’s play-by-play information, TigerVision extends your use of EXCEL® to give you direct access to video for each play. View your offense-defense-kicking intercut, and any game situation you select, from the same DVD. TigerVision is portable, and affordable! Because TigerVision uses DVD-Video and Microsoft EXCEL®, coaches can view game video wherever they have a PC. TigerVision is also great for the team meeting room with its easy-to-use playback controls.

TigerVision customers also receive our Tendency Report macro, a tool that analyzes and reports on any criteria you specify from your EXCEL® data.

Westmoreland Technologies’ TigerVision system is compatible with the Pioneer DVD-V7400 Industrial DVD Player and with most internal PC DVD-ROM drives. Call us or visit our web site for system and price information.

Westmoreland Technologies, Inc 1-877-211-8603 (toll free) www.tigerviz.com Circle No. 31

Circle No. 32 COACHING MANAGEMENT

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Performance Apparel What athletes are wearing underneath their uniforms.

By Dale Strauf, Athletic Equipment Manager, Cornell University, and President of the Athletic Equipment Managers Association You don’t want to purchase any type of undergarment until you have had an opportunity to field-test it. In conducting the field-test, evaluate the garment in the following areas: O O O O

Does it perform the way it is supposed to on the athlete?

Does it hold its shape during use?

Does the fabric appear to be durable?

Are the seams finished off and reinforced so that they’ll hold over time?

O Is the waistband stitched enough so that it won’t be abrasive to the athlete O Does it hold its color when you wash it?

GEAR 2000 (800) 527-1988, E-mail: jagear@ruraltel.net Product Name: Z-Cool™ 5 Pocket Football Girdles Features: #1261 Cool Max® Patent #5,161,257; ZCool™ compression and moisture management - use with Z-Cool Hip, Thigh, and Knee Pads Fabric content: Cool Max® Z-Cool 75% Nylon, 25% Lycra Styles Offered: 5 pocket elastic or drawstring waistband Single-layer or multi-layer construction?

Multi-layer Perspiration Wicking Qualities: Patented DuPont® Cool-Max® weave of fibers Chemical Treatments Used: None. Wicking is in the DuPont® CoolMax® weave.

Team Discount Program Offered: Quantity discounts available through Gear 2000 Z-Cool Local Dealer.

Circle No. 76 on Reader Inquiry Card Product Name: Z-Cool™ Football Shoulder Pads with 3-D Evaporative Foam.

Features: Styles available are 1) RB, WR, DB; 2) DL, TE, DE; 3) OL

You should field-test the garment by letting one of your more active players—someone who’s really going to give it a lot of punishment—wear it during workouts. It’s best to conduct the testing right after the season’s offer during conditioning workouts. Have the athlete wear it for a minimum of two weeks to properly test it.

You shouldn’t have any problems getting companies to provide you with product to field-test. The companies that are really confident in their product will have no problem giving you a sample to test. Let the company know that you will return the sample back to them at their request.

If the undergarment holds up to its claims during the fieldtestings, and the price and features meet your needs, then you know you are purchasing the right undergarment for your athletes.

Features: 3-D Drying Energy System, Z-Cool™ inner arch with vent holes, ZCool™ Heat Transfer form system, Air Release® Clavicle Pads, Patent No. 5,701,611 Fabric content: Nylon/poly mesh fabric Styles Offered: 1) RB, WR, DB—This model is super lightweight, has removable and adjustable deltoid pads, and 3-D drying foam. 2) DL, TE, DE—This model is as much as 1-1/2 lbs. lighter than competitors, has removable and adjustable CAP pads, and 3-D drying foam. 3) OL—This model is also as much as 1-1/2 lbs. lighter than competitors and features a non-grab epaulet system.

Single-layer or multi-layer construction?

Multi-layer 3-D heat transfer foam Perspiration Wicking Qualities: The foam will not hold moisture. The arch design allows for air flow. Has the 3-D air flow foam system. Use with ZCool Tight Fit Top. Chemical Treatments Used: None. Moisture management works because of 3-D foam air movement and unique (patent pending) Gear 2000 designs.

Team Discount Program Offered: Quantity discounts. Price through Gear 2000 sporting goods dealers.

Circle No. 77 on Reader Inquiry Card

MCDAVID SPORTS/MEDICAL PRODUCTS (800) 237-8254 www.mcdavidinc.com Product Name: McDavid Body Shirts (hDc Performance Apparel) Features: Long sleeve, short sleeve, sleeveless (mock/crew) Fabric content: 85% nylon, 15% spandex Styles Offered: Nylon/spandex construction with hDc Technology offers premium compression support Single-layer or multi-layer construction?

Single-layer Perspiration Wicking Qualities: hDc is a permanent compound that absorbs moisture and disperses it into the fabric evaporating moisture quickly.

Chemical Treatments Used: Ultra hDc, hDc Circle No. 78 on Reader Inquiry Card Product Name: Microfiber Shirts (hDc Performance Apparel) Features: Long sleeve, short sleeve, sleeveless (mock/crew).

Fabric content: 100% micro polyester Styles Offered: Microfiber loosewear is an ultra light

Check out www.AthleticBid.com to contact these companies.

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Performance Apparel micro polyester that provides maximum comfort.

Single-layer or multi-layer construction?

Single-layer Perspiration Wicking Qualities: hDc is a permanent compound that absorbs moisture and disperses it into the fabric evaporating moisture quickly.

Chemical Treatments Used: Ultra hDc, hDc Circle No. 79 on Reader Inquiry Card

NIKE Web site: www.niketown.com Product Name: Nike Pro Compression Features: Nike Pro is featured in sleeveless, long sleeve, mock, and tees, as well as shorts and tights. Nike Pro Compression provides cool, lightweight support for your workout. Made with stretch Dri-FIT technology designed to keep you dry and

comfortable while enhancing athletic performance.

Fabric Content: 62% polyester, 22% nylon, 16% spandex Styles Offered: Nike Pro featured in a sleeveless, long sleeve, mock, tee, short, and tight.

Single-layer or multi-layer construction?

Single-layer Perspiration Wicking Qualities: Made with stretch Dri-FIT technology designed to keep you dry and comfortable while enhancing athletic performance.

Chemical Treatments Used: In addition to fiber construction there is a wicking chemical finish.

Circle No. 80 on Reader Inquiry Card Product Name: Nike Pro Compression Features: Nike Pro Vent featured in a sleeveless, long sleeve, and short sleeve top. Nike Pro Vent provides cool, lightweight sup-

port for your workout. Strategically placed vents are laminated to Dri-FIT fabric to improve air flow and keep you dry and comfortable while enhancing athletic performance.

Fabric Content: Body: 82% polyester, 18% spandex Mesh: 86% polyester, 10% spandex, 4% other Styles Offered: Nike Pro Vent featured in a sleeveless, long sleeve, and short sleeve top.

Perspiration Wicking Qualities: Made with stretch Dri-FIT technology designed to keep you dry and comfortable while enhancing athletic performance.

Chemical Treatments Used: In addition to fiber construction there is a wicking chemical finish.

Circle No. 81 on Reader Inquiry Card

RAY GUY KICKING ACADEMY & TALENT SEARCH

2004 WINTER CAMPS / NATIONAL KICKING COMBINE Augusta • Dallas • Phoenix • New Orleans • Los Angeles • San Francisco • Adjust to “kicking off the ground” • Learn to coach yourself • College recruitment / scholarship opportunities • Instruction for all athletic levels!

WWW.PROKICKER.COM AFCA Booth No. 61

Circle No. 33

270.843.8393

Circle No. 34

COACHING MANAGEMENT

51

Strength Training CASTLE STRENGTH & FITNESS, INC. (816) 517-2872, www.thepowerstep.com Castle Strength & Fitness, Inc., offers the PowerStep, a six-level platform that can be used for multiple exercises, such as step-ups, box-squats and plyometric jumps. It comes in a white frame with a 1 1/2” wooden platform board as the step. The company also offers side rails for athletes recovering from knee and hip injuries who need the stability assistance for step-ups. The lowest step measures six inches and can be incrementally raised three inches at a time for a maximum height of 21 inches.

Circle No. 85 on Reader Inquiry Card

CORMAX (701) 845-3986, www.cormaxstrengthpowersystems.com Increase your athletes’ power and minimize the risk of injury with the Cormax Strength Power Systems.

Cormax systems control the eccentric load to a safe level, eliminating the need for spotters. This system’s ability to train the Stretch-Shortening Cycle (SSC) allows your athletes to focus on rate of Force Development— the key to converting strength to power. To see the system in action please visit the company's Web site.

Circle No. 86 on Reader Inquiry Card

Has the risk of injury stopped you from performing squat jumps, cleans, explosive pressing movements or overhead press?

Cormax Strength Power Systems offers four machines that can train your athletes with more intensity and more safety than you thought possible. The Cormax Systems control the eccentric load to a safe level of your choosing, eliminating the need for spotters. Please visit the company's Web site to see this system in action.

Circle No. 87 on Reader Inquiry Card

JUMP STRETCH, INC. (800) 344-3539, www.jumpstretch.com Jump Stretch, Inc., offers six sizes of heavyduty continuous-loop rubberbands (Flex Bands®) for strength training, flexibility work, rehab, and even powerlifting. By combining the bands with the company’s customized pipe arrangements (for resisted

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walking/running and weighted abdominal exercises) and patented tubular steel bases (for squats and squat thrusts), Jump Stretch can help you make the most of any available space in your workout area.

Circle No. 88 on Reader Inquiry Card

NSCA (800) 815-6826, www.nsca-lift.org Join the elite of football and baseball strength and conditioning professionals for two days of learning and networking. Plan to ring in the New Year in sunny Orlando, Fla.— home to DisneyWorld, Epcot, Universal Studios, SeaWorld, and more. Coaches fom bowlcontending and College World Series-contending universities will be giving cuttingedge presentations on football and baseball.

Circle No. 89 on Reader Inquiry Card

Share your knowledge with other specialized individuals by joining more than 26,000 professionals in the sport science, athletic, and fitness industries that are members of the NSCA. Enjoy leading strength and conditioning publications, cutting-edge conferences, nationally accredited certifications, educational resources and products, and career services.

Circle No. 90 on Reader Inquiry Card

POWER LIFT (800) 872-1543, www.power-lift.com The innovative Power Lift patented "Lever Action" Bench is designed to fit into all of the Power Lift racks. The front handle and wheels allows for easy center positioning into one of two locking positions on the spotters’ platforms. Spotter’s platforms are now located on the racks, which provides a step thru design. The "Lever Action" bench can be adjusted horizontally while locked into position. This adjustment allows users to easily position themselves under the Olympic bar in the incline positions.

Circle No. 91 on Reader Inquiry Card

The Power Lift Half Rack is ideal for facilities that are limited in space. Standard features for the Half Rack include patented "Rhino Hook" bar catches, safety spot bars,

weight storage, dual vertical bar storage. A dual-grip chin up bar is standard on 8’ and 9’ Half Racks. Spotter’s platforms are located on the rack, providing a step thru design.

The half rack can be customized using "Lever Action" benches and Olympic Lifting platforms.

Circle No. 92 on Reader Inquiry Card

POWERLUNG (800) 903-3087, www.powerlung.com PowerLung trains and strengthens all 12 muscles in breathing, allowing you to feel less winded and better equipped for your next big game. Football is one of the very few sports that truly tests skill and fitness related components. Your body is pushed to the extreme and you still demand more. PowerLung will provide you with exactly just that, more.

Your body is provided energy through oxygen, which allows you to go faster and farther than your opponents.

Circle No. 93 on Reader Inquiry Card

POWERNETICS (800) 829-2928, www.powernetics.com Powernetics offers a line of strength training machines that develop power by providing a consistent ratio of speed, resistance, and intensity.

The Dominator builds strength in one unbroken line from the feet to the hands. The machine’s ground-based torquing motion works both sides of the body, as well as providing an explosive chest punch. The unit will more than double strength in the 90-degree torso rotation.

Circle No. 94 on Reader Inquiry Card

Powernetics also offers the Power Trainer, which for more than 10 years has made the power clean a safe exercise for athletes from junior high to the collegiate level. The Power Trainer enables an athlete to not only safely clean, but also to reverse the clean. The unit performs seven different exercises: the clean, reverse clean, dead lift, lift jumps, high rows, bench press, and shoulder press.

Strength Training The Power Trainer has proven over the years to be the safest and most effective way to perform the power clean.

Circle No. 95 on Reader Inquiry Card

POWER SYSTEMS, INC. (800) 321-6975, www.power-systems.com Power Systems' new, versatile Squat and Lunge Bar is ideal for squat, step-ups, and lunges. Its unique cambered design ensures proper form. It has a heavily padded shoulder harness with built-in hand grips for comfort.

Constructed of 7gauge tubular steel with Olympic size chrome plated barrels. It has a 700 pound weight capacity.

Overall bar dimensions: 81" L; inside bar dimensions: 54". The Squat and Lunge Bar will fit most standard Olympic squat racks.

Circle No. 96 on Reader Inquiry Card

Increase competition among your athletes. Power Systems' Football Depth Chart is ideal to display in your locker room, weight room, or office. Designed

to chart up to five athletes per position, this dry erase board can be updated at any time. It is made from high impact styrene for years of use. All markings and headers are permanently screened on the board. The board measures 36"-high by 24" wide.

Circle No. 97 on Reader Inquiry Card

SAMSON WEIGHT TRAINING EQUIPMENT (800) 472-6766, www.SamsonEquipment.com The Samson Power Stand combines the features of conventional half racks at a fraction of the price. This compact design is complete with plate storage, bar holders, adjustable cups and safety catches.

The Samson Power Stand is ideal for most straight bar exercises while taking up a minimal amount of space.

Circle No. 98 on Reader Inquiry Card

Samson’s new Twist Lock Step-Up. This new product has all the benefits of common step up boxes with the convenience of attaching to your existing equipment without the cost of buying a separate piece of equipment. Designed to attach to all Samson Power Racks. The Twist Lock Step-Up can also be custom built to fit any rack on the market.

Circle No. 99 on Reader Inquiry Card

TOTAL PERFORMANCE SPORTS (877) 387-5998, www.totalperformancesports.com Total Performance Sports has recently released its series of strength and conditioning videos. What is different about these is the approach the company takes to strength and conditioning. TPS applies specific events from the sport of Strongman, along with Olympic, and powerlifting into a unique, cutting edge program. The videos continued on page 55

PlayCardPRO... the unique play card software with built-in intelligence!

With this easy-to-use software, coaches are reducing their weekly drawing time while increasing their available coaching time.

Designed by a football coach, PlayCardPRO addresses the specific needs of scout teams across the country. The sophisticated rulebased software let’s you train the computer to place all 22 players on the screen just as you align all 22 players on the field.

Easy-to-read play cards automatically print in both directions and feature yard lines and hash marks for perspective, plus color, shading, and text for emphasis. Introductory price of $99 includes 23 minutes of live tutorials.

www.GamePrepSolutions.com Email info@gameprepsolutions.com

Call: 937-545-1561 Circle No. 35

Circle No. 36 COACHING MANAGEMENT

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ADVERTISERS DIRECTORY CIRCLE NO.

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Adams USA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Barry University . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Bassco Sporting Goods . . . . . . 14-15 Coach’s Office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 CompuSports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Cormax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Dartfish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Digital Sports Video . . . . . . . . . . . 36 eFundraising.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Eversan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC Gatorade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Gear 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-21 Gebauer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Jump Stretch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 LRSSports Software . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 M.A.S.A. Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 McDavid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Nike . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5 NSCA (Sport-Specific Conference) . . . . . 28 PalmGard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 PlayBreaker (TDSports Videoware) . . . . 55 PlayCardPRO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Power Lift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 PowerLung . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Powernetics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IBC PowerStep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Pro Look Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Pro Look Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Professional Kicking Services . . . . . 55 Ray Guy Kicking Academy. . . . . . . 51 Samson Weight Equipment . . . . . . 47 Schutt Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Spalding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Specialized Seating . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Sprinturf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BC Stromgren Supports (5-pocket girdle). 51

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Adams USA (chin strap buckle) . . . . .

Adams USA (facemask) . . . . . . . . . .

American Football (goal posts) . . . .

American Football (kicking shoe) . . .

Barry University (Movement Science) .

Barry University (Sport Management).

Bassco (jerseys) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Bassco (XTREME spirit pack) . . . . . . .

Castle Strength & Fitness/PowerStep

Coach’s Office . . . . . . . . . .

CompuSports . . . . . . . . . .

Cormax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Cormax (4 machines) . . . . . . .

Dartfish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Digital Sports Video . . . . .

Eversan (custom design) . . . . .

Eversan (outdoor scoreboards) .

GamePrepSolutions. . . . . .

Gatorade. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Gear 2000 (5-pocket girdles) .

Gear 2000 (shoulder pads) . . .

Gebauer . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Jump Stretch. . . . . . . . . . .

LRSSports Software . . . . . .

M.A.S.A. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

McDavid (Body Shirts) . . . . . .

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McDavid (Microfiber Shirts) . . . . . . . .

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Nike (Pro Compression) . . . . . . . . . .

Nike (Pro Vent) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

NSCA (conference) . . . . . . . . . . . . .

NSCA (membership) . . . . . . . . . . . .

PalmGard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Power Lift (Half Rack) . . . . . . . . . . .

Power Lift (“Lever Action” Bench) . . .

Power Systems (catalog) . . . . . . . .

Power Systems (Depth Chart) . . . . .

Power Systems (Squat/Lunge Bar) . . .

PowerLung . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Powernetics (Power Trainer) . . . . . . .

Powernetics (The Dominator) . . . . . .

Pro Look Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Pro Look Sports (uniforms) . . . . . . .

Professional Kicking Services . . . .

Samson (Power Stand) . . . . . . . . . . .

Samson (Twist Lock Step-Up) . . . . . . .

Schutt Sports (Faceguard Removal Tool) Schutt Sports (Schutt DNA) . . . . . . .

Specialized Seating . . . . . . . . . . .

Stromgren (Model #1591 girdle) . . . .

Stromgren (Second Skin) . . . . . . . . .

TDSports Videoware . . . . . . . . . .

TigerVision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Total Performance Sports . . . . . .

U.S. Sports Video . . . . . . . . . . . .

Vantage Products Int’l. . . . . . . . .

VertiMax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Voron (Cutting Edge ) . . . . . . . . . . .

Wilson Sporting Goods . . . . . . . .

Xvest (Don Chu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Xvest (Fire Fighter model) . . . . . . . . .

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For Quicker Response, Request Information From Advertisers On-Line at

MomentumMedia.com.

RAW TALENT AND GREAT COACHING MAKE FOR A WINNING TEAM AND WE’LL GIVE YOU A MUCH BETTER ATHLETE TO WORK WITH! • If you really want to help your athletes, this season and in their future sports endeavors, VertiMax is the answer!

by GENETIC POTENTIAL UNLIKE ANY JUMP TRAINER YOU HAVE EVER SEEN! • NO other trainer will improve your athletes’

Vertical Jump and First-Step-Quickness like VertiMax! Three 8-min sessions per week produce amazing results!

As featured in Sports Illustrated and seen on ESPN, HBO and FOX Sports Networks

• Vertimax is presently in use at Div 1 schools

such as Penn State, Nebraska, Clemson, Notre Dame, Georgia, Miami, Iowa, Ohio State, Texas, and others.

1-800-699-5867

www.vertimax.com 129 Athletes Taken in This Year’s NFL Draft, Trained on Vertimax Circle No. 37

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

Strength Training focus on how to properly perform the events to maximize speed, agility, explosiveness, dynamic flexibility, and minimize injury. These tapes, unlike most tapes, are fun and exciting to watch, with extremely high production quality. Proper execution is stressed with slow motion breakdown of each technique, explained in plain English.

Applications for each sport are also stressed. Introduction of many of these events into your program will greatly enhance Football performance by increasing explosive power and endurance. Crush your opponents next season, dominate the gridiron. Tapes are $39.99 each, or both for $69.99 plus shipping. View a free preview at TPS' Web site and click on the "Products" page.

Circle No. 100 on Reader Inquiry Card

Penn State, all own and use VertiMax. The colleges represented in last year’s 16 BCS Bowl Games own and use 27 VertiMax. We know that superior athleticism and great coaching make for a winning team, and VertiMax will give you a much better athlete to work with. Fifteen skill positions can do the whole eight-set routine in 40 minutes, and you will be able to see the difference where it counts—on the field of play.

Circle No. 101 on Reader Inquiry Card

X VEST (800) 697-5658, www.THExVest.com “I have found the X Vest to be an excellent tool for providing overloads in both plyometric and strength training, conditioning and rehabilitation programs. The fit and adaptability are excellent. The X Vest

VERTIMAX (800) 699-5867, www.vertimax.com If you want to see game-winning moves and playoff intensity, VertiMax is the answer. No other trainer will increase your athletes’ vertical jump and first-step-quickness like VertiMax. Top-ranked NFL teams, such as the Patriots, Dolphins, and Steelers, and Div1 colleges such as Florida, Miami, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and

allows for freedom of movement and doesn’t interfere with any of the agility, bounding or running programs that I write for a wide variety of athletes, both collegiate and professional. The X Vest has proven itself in my programs! Thank you for all your efforts and help in improving my capability as a strength & conditioning specialist.”—Donald A. Chu Ph.D., PT, ATC, CSCS and author of Jumping into Plyometrics.

Circle No. 102 on Reader Inquiry Card Xvest has a new weight configuration and it’s heavy, 84 pounds of heavy.

The new Xvest known as the Fire Fighter model was developed strictly for the Fire Fighter and their rigorous training. It has the basic design as the original Xvest but internally it has a new weight configuration allowing for 84 pounds. Because of its ability to adjust weight like the original Xvest numerous individuals from bodybuilders to the military are buying them.

Circle No. 103 on Reader Inquiry Card

PROFESSIONAL KICKING SERVICES, INC. BOX 2747, SPARKS, NV 89432 • PH: 775-626-5425 FX: 775-626-3217 • E-MAIL: PKS80@AOL.COM

Gain A Competitive Edge!

For National Camp Schedule & Registration See Our Website At:

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WWW.PELFREYKICKINGCAMPS.COM “BEST OF THEIR KIND” SPORTS ILLUSTRATED 16 Consecutive USA Today All Americans “From Field of Dreams to Stardom”

yEdits game film into individual plays yAdaptable for any sports or activity that reviews film yChecker Board - merge two different angles of the same game to run simultaneously yVideo Window - output to TV, VCR or projection unit yScouting Reports - create hard copy for coaches and players yHighlights - store great plays throughout the season, then make team or individual highlight tapes

Circle No. 38

by T

y"Cut Ups" - retrieve and record specific plays to VHS tape for customized film sessions

yConverts game film to digital format

Football Coaching Software

• • • •

Startin Easy-Scout Game Analysis • Easy-Scout Ga • Playbook & Sta Playbook Publishing and Animation • Recruiting Eq Play Cards, Scripting and Practice Planning Recruiting and Equipment Management

www.compusports.com

yFlexible to customize your system over time yCustomer Support 24-7-365

that For More Details or yers to View an Online Demo, Visit: analyzing

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1-866-875-0786 1

Toll Free: 800-691-4555 Circle No. 40

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www.AthleticBid.com

www.AthleticBid.com

www.AthleticBid.co Looking for companies and products via the INTERNET? AtleticBid.com gives you the tools to research products

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thleticBid.com is a free service to help buyers at schools and athletic organizations research and contact companies in the most efficient fashion.

AthleticBid.com offers the following services.

Online Buyer’s Guide Using AthleticBid.com’s on-line Buyer’s Guide, you are able to: • View the complete product line of companies.

• View catalog pages or spec sheets from many of the top companies. Click on the “View Company Brochures” button for these

companies, and you will find PDF files titled by product or category. Print them out for easy reference.

• Read a profile or description of select companies by clicking on the “About the Company” button.

• Request to be contacted by a company representative.

• Request catalog and sales literature from companies.

Simply click on a button and fill in your address and an e-mail with your request is sent directly to the supplier.

Dealer Locator • Locate your nearest dealer for many leading manufacturers and suppliers.

The Market Place • Purchase inventory close-outs, discontinued items and products on sale from national suppliers. The products featured in this section are being sold at significant savings.

Place an RFP • You can use this service to request and receive information from numerous suppliers by providing your product specs only once and letting AthleticBid.com do the rest.

Jersey Field Products Park City, NJ 08832 Phone: (800) 275-8000; (973) 222-3300 | Fax: (973) 222-3333 Contact Name: John Jame s Email address: Jersey@a ol.net Company Description: Your “One-Stop Source” for America’s Leading Spor Supplies! Special mixes t Surfaces and for infields, pitcher’s mou nds, home plate areas and by over 100 pro teams and warning tracks. Used 5000 colleges, with 200 products from more than and bulk plants across the 20 distribution centers country. Call 1-800-275-80 00 for more information.

View Product Line

The Product Connection • Products for your team or organization are highlighted through both descriptions and photos. You can request sales literature on products you’re interested in with just a click.

leticBid.com www.A

More Products BARRY UNIVERSITY MS IN SPORT MGT. (800) 756-6000, ext. 3494, www.barry.edu/hpls Barry University’s MS in Sport Management program can help you turn your passion for sports into a successful career. Barry offers a comprehensive curriculum with the right combination of theory and practice delivered by knowledgeable, nationally respected faculty. Its South Florida location provides an abundance of powerful internships in some of the most exciting sport-related venues in the country. Inquire about the generous graduate scholarships and assistantships.

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Barry University’s MS in Movement Science offers a variety of specializations to prepare you for a future in athletic training, biomechanics, exercise science, or sport and exercise psychology.

Whichever specialization best meets your needs, you will benefit from state-of-the-art laboratory and research facilities; knowledgeable, nationally respected

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faculty; and Barry’s ideal South Florida climate and location with access to challenging opportunities for graduate clinical placements.

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EVERSAN, INC. (800) 383-6060, www.eversan.com Eversan, Inc., knows everyone’s dynamic visual communication needs are different. This is why Eversan has professional custom design teams to achieve total customer satisfaction through uncompromised quality, service and integrity. Eversan is committed to ensure that its customers’ requirements and specifications are exceeded each and every time. Call to discuss your ideas. Eversan will provide cutting edge technological solutions and bring your vision to reality.

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Eversan, Inc., offers an array of outdoor scoreboards, timing systems, message centers and video displays. Eversan’s major emphasis is producing energy efficient products that require low voltage and little maintenance; the company’s outdoor scoreboards will run on a 12-volt battery. All outdoor scoreboards come with brilliant reflective digits, which are

order

energy efficient and can be viewed in direct sunlight. Eversan’s wireless system with a 2.4 GHz spread spectrum frequency allows for simple installation with no cable hassles.

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GATORADE (800) 88GATOR, www.gatorade.com Gatorade Thirst Quencher’s optimal formula contains electrolytes and carbohydrates.

Nothing rehydrates, replenishes and refuels better than Gatorade® Thirst Quencher—not even water. REHYDRATE—Gatorade has the flavor to keep your athletes drinking—and a six- percent carbohydrate solution that’s optimal for speeding fluids back into their systems.

No fluid is absorbed faster than Gatorade.

REPLENISH—If your athletes don’t replace the electrolytes they lose when they sweat, they risk becoming dehydrated, which can take them out of the game. By putting electrolytes back, Gatorade helps athletes drink more, retain fluids and maintain fluid balance. REFUEL—Unlike water, Gatorade has the right

from...

Superior manufacturing & installation make our synthetic grass the best in the field.

A-Turf™ synthetic grass systems feature the industry’s best technology and leading manufacturers. Each component is considered the best in the business. A-Turf’s installation teams are highly-skilled and precision-oriented.

CISION INFILL MATERIALS The A-Turf line of synthetic grass systems includes rubber and silica sand infill components. Materials selection and sizing are essential to achieving the required level of performance.

THE HIGHEST QUALITY SYNTHETIC GRASS A-Turf’s synthetic grass is manufactured in Dalton, Georgia, by Controlled Products. The highest-grade fibers are tufted into the most dimensionally stable backings, forming a superior synthetic grass product.

Since 1990, Controlled Products has produced synthetic grass products for more than 300 fields worldwide.

NATIONAL INSTALLATION A-Turf’s highly-skilled teams are installing athletic fields across the country. From Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey, Pennsylvania, to SMU’s Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas, Texas. Even batting tunnels at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland.

WORLD-RENOWNED RESILIENT UNDERPAD The Regupol® pad, produced in Germany since the late 1950’s and in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, since the late 1980’s, is installed at more than 1,000 fields worldwide. The proprietary Regupol® manufacturing process yields a perfectly consistent thickness, very consistent density, and long life of performance.

Call us toll-free at 888-777-6910 Fax us at 716-204-0189 E-mail us at info@aturf.com

FIVE SYNTHETIC GRASS SYSTEMS A-Turf’s line includes three infill and two conventional synthetic grass systems. Infill systems include rubber and sand or rubber only. A-Turf can help you understand which system is best suited for your application.

A DIVISION OF SURFACE AMERICA A-Turf is part of Surface America – the leader in recreational surfacing, with products in playground surfacing, gymnasium flooring, fitness flooring, and specialty & sports surfacing.

PRE-

Visit us on the Web at

www.aturf.com for more information.

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More Products amount of carbohydrates (14 grams per eight ounces) to give your athlete’s working muscles more energy, help athletes fight fatigue and keep their mental edge.

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THE GEBAUER COMPANY (800) 321-9348, www.gebauerco.com From the most trusted name in skin refrigerants for over 100 years comes a new, non-prescription topical skin refrigerant, Gebauer’s Instant Ice™. Use it like ice for temporary relief of minor pain and swelling from sprains and strains, minor sports injuries, bruising and contusions. Now instead of using ice to treat onthe-scene minor sports injuries, high school and recreational league coaches, high school athletic trainers, and others will now be able to use what professional athletic trainers use. In fact, Jim Ramsay, head athletic trainer for the New York Rangers, has been using Gebauer topical skin refrigerants for years. “Instant Ice is great for on-the-scene care,” said Ramsay. “If a player gets hit on the wrist or takes a puck off the shin, I can easily anesthetize the area with Instant Ice to reduce the pain, allowing the player to get back in the game quickly.”

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M.A.S.A., INC. (800) 264-4519, www.masa.com Cleat Cleaner from M.A.S.A., Inc.—Finally, a solution to cleaning all athletic shoes with cleats.

Cleat Cleaners quickly remove mud and dirt, improve footing and mobility, reduce injuries and promote cleaner dressing rooms. Whether you are pitching, fielding or running the base paths, clean, lightweight cleats give you the firm secure footing you need for quick starts and stops, particularly when playing on a muddy field.

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SPECIALIZED SEATING (877) SEATING, www.sit123.com Sit back & relax with the seating professionals.

Specialized Seating (SPEC SEATS) is your number one source for team benches, sidelines, locker rooms, meeting rooms, and fundraising; it even has little seats for timeouts. The company’s literature package shows its full line of chairs, stools, stadium seats and slipcovers all are available in a variety of colors and can be customized with your own artwork. Plus order a Sideline Package of team chairs and scorers table and get your time-out stools free. Call to design your own custom sideline package and sit with the pros.

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

C USTOMER T ESTIMONIAL

“The Overspeed Trainer from Kytec allows us to recruit the maximal amount of fast-twitch muscle fibers, which is crucial for speed development.”

F.A.S.T.-EDGE Training Staff Sports Conditioning Camps “I have been working with Tom Shaw since my last game in college. I feel like the equipment from Kytec has made me a better football player.”

Tom Brady QB, New England Patriots “If you are looking for quality speed and agility equipment, Kytec is the one! The Fast Program uses only Kytec equipment for speed and agility training.”

Bill Weile, General Manager Cris Carter's Fast Program “I firmly believe that speed can be developed and taught. I have found Kytec's resistance-assistance training equipment to be an important part of our speed development programs. Speed is a highly priced commodity in sports. Kytec's high quality, innovative equipment can help you reach your top speed.”

Steve Odgers, C.S.C.S. Chicago White Sox “Wayne Gretsky, Mike Powell, Sheila Hudson, Trace Armstrong, and Henry Ellard are just a few of the World Class athletes that have benefited from using Kytec equipment under my coaching. I use the best to train the best!”

Randy Huntington “I have been using Kytec's athletic speed equipment for over 10 years. The equipment is manufactured with excellent quality and holds up to our everyday vigorous training routines. My athletes have experienced phenomenal results while training with Kytec equipment. No one else comes close! Thanks Kytec!”

Ted Lang, Director of Team Speed Fitness & Agility Coordinator Milwaukee Brewers

C USTOMER T ESTIMONIAL

“We researched the surface for our new stadium field for 18 months before deciding on the all-rubber infill. After doing our own tests and visiting other fields, we decided Sprinturf is the best. We crunched the numbers and our president made the decision to install Sprinturf in the middle of budget cuts, job freezes, and declining enrollment. We couldn’t afford to be wrong.

“In early September, the Kansas City area had five inches of rain in one day. The field drained beautifully and we played all six scheduled college and high school contests over the next 24 hours. Other schools in the area called to schedule make-up games they couldn’t play, so this was added income.

“Sprinturf has changed my life. We have reduced man-hours in field maintenance, increased activities on the field, and have seen fewer injuries. All of this saves money, and generates extra income.”

Brian Kramer, William Jewell College Associate Athletic Director “This is our third season playing on Sprinturf. In choosing a synthetic surface we strived to find a surface that would provide us with all the benefits of a grass field year round, particularly in December, when we can potentially host three I-AA playoff games. Now that we have Sprinturf, field condition is not an issue as it plays virtually the same regardless of the weather.

Sprinturf is the perfect all-weather solution that we were looking for. I believe we got the best turf product for our stadium field at the best price. The surface is everything the company claimed it would be, and their service has been great.”

Chuck Maes, University of Montana Associate Athletic Director for Internal Operations “I’ve have been playing or coaching football for most of my life. I’ve investigated all the artificial turfs on the market, and Sprinturf is by far the best turf system I have ever seen.”

Andy Talley, Villanova University Head Football Coach

Kytec Athletic Speed Equip.

Sprinturf LLC

8337 Penn Avenue South Bloomington, MN 55431

990 Old Eagle School Rd, Ste. 1010H Wayne, PA 19087

800.732.4883 www.kytec.us

877.686.8873 www.sprinturf.com

WebConnections WWW.AMERICANATHLETIC.COM

WWW.CARLSURF.COM

The American Athletic, Inc., Web site describes AAI’s quality-driven design, engineering, and manufacturing capabilities and its world-class products for the sports of gymnastics, baseball, volleyball, and basketball, as well as for the sports construction business.

Providing the finest in shock and sound absorbing surfacing made from recycled rubber, CSSI is the exclusive supplier of PlayGuard ULTRA, Traditional PlayGuard, SoftPave ULTRA, Traditional SoftPave and SoftRoll resilient surfacing systems.

WWW.ATURF.COM

WWW.DAKTRONICS.COM

A-Turf systems feature the highest quality synthetic grass in the industry, world-renowned resilient Regupol® underpad, and a coast-tocoast network of experienced installers.

For 35 years, Daktronics has provided visual communication solutions to thousands of customers all over the world. Daktronics is recognized as the industry leader for designing and manufacturing innovative scoring, timing, video and animation display systems.

WWW.BALLFIELDS.COM Beacon Ballfields Web site features include: full catalog access with secure online order processing; field maintenance seminar information; articles, instruction guides, project recommendations, field layout information; and tradeshow schedules.

WWW.CENTURYINDUSTRIES.COM Century Industries is a long-time leader in mobile bleacher seating, mobile staging, and mobile food concessions, providing professional, outdoor facilities that are easily and quickly moved from event to event.

WWW.CLARINSEATING.COM Over 70 years ago, Clarin produced the first, all steel folding chair in America. From that visionary design, Clarin has become the world’s most innovative provider of seating solutions.

WWW.FAIR-PLAY.COM Check the latest brilliant innovations in scoreboard and message center systems. Proven lamp and LED technology—plus wireless control systems for indoor and outdoor products.

All from Fair-Play, America’s Scorekeeper for 70 years.

WWW.LYONWORKSPACE.COM Lyon Workspace Products is the world’s leading manufacturer of specialty lockers for athletic facilities, and now offers an antimicrobial paint finish, featuring silver ion technology, to fight bacterial and mold growth in locker rooms.

WWW.NASM.ORG The National Academy of Sports Medicine

(NASM) is the industry’s premier provider of continuing education and certification for fitness, sports-performance and sports-medicine professionals worldwide. Today NASM serves more than 20,000 members in 15 countries and now offers advanced credentials and more than 20 continuing-education courses in a variety of disciplines.

WWW.NSCA-CC.ORG Learn more about the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist® (CSCS®) and NSCACertified Personal Trainer® (NSCA-CPT®) credentials. As the only nationally accredited fitness related credentials, they are truly the “Credentials of Distinction” in the fitness industry.

WWW.OSCODAPLASTICS.COM Oscoda Plastics,® Inc., a world leader in recycled vinyls, manufactures Protect-All® Specialty Flooring, a premier sports and fitness flooring, from 100-percent recycled post-industrial vinyls obtained from the roofing and automotive industries.

WWW.QUALITE.COM Information about Qualite’s full line of sports lighting systems is found on the Web site, including the PRO-Series, Gold Series and International, along with Qualite’s exclusive MDS (Maintenance Diagnostic System) and automatic light control, ReQuest.

What can you really DO with giant rubber bands?!

Run Faster Reduce Injuries

Jump Higher

Play Lower

Add Resistance to Machine Lifts

Improve Endurance

Increase Flexibility

Stay Ahead of Your Competition with Flex Bands!

The Best-Kept Secret in Pro Sports Used by the Patriots, Cowboys, Yankees, Indians, Red Sox, Mariners, Hornets, Heat and many more!

Flex Bands have been improving athletic performance since 1980.

Jump Stretch, Inc. 1230 N. Meridian Rd. Youngstown, OH 44509 www.jumpstretch.com 1-800-344-3539 Fax: 1-330-793-8719 Circle No. 42 COACHING MANAGEMENT

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Web Connections WWW.SMIAWARDS.COM SMi Awards has outstanding new watch and clock styles to complement its existing lines of quality custom logo watches, clocks and championship rings. Perfect for senior awards, championship team recognition, staff gifts, boosters/fund-raisers.

WWW.SIT123.COM Check out the release of the new Specialized Seating/Spec Seats Web site, which features the latest in custom chairs, stools, slipcovers, storage carts, stadium seats, and scorers’ tables. Click on the 360degree seat viewer and look at seats from all angles. So enhance your team benches, locker rooms, meeting rooms and fundraising events with Spec Seats.

WWW.WOODWAY.COM Woodway is happy to announce the launch of its new Web site. Please visit the site and see what the company has added. You will be able to custom build your own treadmill at “Woodway Café,” or go online and exchange training ideas and ask questions on the “Coaches Corner.”

Catalog Showcase POWER SYSTEMS, INC. (800) 321-6975, www.power-systems.com Since 1986 Power Systems has been a leading supplier of sport training, health and fitness products. The company prides itself in being the one resource for all of your training needs. Its new 2004 catalog has a new look with better graphics and photos. Included areas are core strength, medicine balls, speed, plyometrics, agility, strength equipment, strength accessories and flooring. You will find the catalog full of hundreds of new products and dozens of products available exclusively from Power Systems. The company has also lowered some prices to enable the customer to get premium products at great prices.

Go online or call Power Systems to request a free 2004 catalog today.

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Professional Kicking Services (775) 626-5425, www.pelfreykickingcamps.com Professional Kicking Services, Inc., is football’s largest and only full-time kicking educational program.

Order all your kicking needs from this catalog or online at www.pelfreykickingcamps.com.

Professional Kicking Services has 51 summer kicking camps, including 19 pvt. sites, three college-only sites, and in December, “Off the Ground Certification” for graduating high school seniors.

Professional Kicking Services is football’s leading pro training and placement program. Schedule and registration information is available online.

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

AFCA Booth No. 127

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Usually, the cheers are reserved for the team.

Not the turf.

But then, this isn’t mere turf, it’s Sprinturf. We win every head-to-head matchup. While sand/rubber infill systems range from hard to very hard, Sprinturf has a G-Max rating that affords the ultimate playing experience. Every day and in every type of weather. Our patented turf system is infilled with environmentally safe, triple-washed rubber specially sized for consistency. It has none of the hazards associated with outdated sand/rubber artificial turf.

Also, because Sprinturf lasts longer and is easier to maintain, it ultimately costs less.

The next time you hear the home fans chanting “We’re Number One,” don’t assume they’re talking about their team.

Toll-Free Toll-Free (877) (877) 686-TURF(8873) 686-TURF(8873) www.sprinturf.com www.sprinturf.com

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THE NEXT GENERATION OF GRASS

AFCA Bay 9-A