Coaching Management 13.4

Coaching Management VOL. XIII, NO. 4

F O O T B A L L

P R E S E A S O N

E D I T I O N

Risk Management Tips

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$5.00

2 0 0 5

THE LEADING EDGE Working With Your Captains

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Fun Ways To Improve Agility

Circle No. 100

Coaching Management Football Edition Preseason 2005

CONTENTS

Vol. XIII, No. 4

2 LOCKER ROOM

Bulletin Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 NCAA Division II teams can continue to award the equivalent of 36 scholarships, at least for now … Indiana football rivals keep their big game in check … Florida school district tests for steroid use … A Grammy-award winning composer pens new tunes for the University of Hawai’i football team …

Efforts to warn athletes about the dangers of gambling widen … North Dakota State Head Coach Craig Bohl brings new fans into the game through his Football 101 class.

Q&A

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Dan Hawkins, Boise State University Advertisers Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 Guide To Synthetic Turf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 Football Facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 Technology Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 Strength & Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 Team Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Uniforms & Apparel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 Injury Prevention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 Web News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 More Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 Publisher Mark Goldberg Art Director Pamela Crawford Business Manager Pennie Small Special Projects Dave Wohlhueter

Editor-in-Chief Eleanor Frankel Associate Editor Dennis Read Assistant Editors R.J. Anderson Kenny Berkowitz Abigail Funk David Hill Greg Scholand Laura Smith

COVER STORY

The Leading Edge

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Not all good leaders are born that way. By setting clear expectations, providing the tools needed to lead, and maintaining open communication, you can develop stronger captains and a better team.

RISK MANAGEMENT

Safety Blitz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 The best coaches use two types of safety blitzes: one that sacks quarterbacks and one that keeps the risk of injuries low. Here’s how to make safety a part of your game plan.

STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

Game For A Change

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Why would a member of the Tennessee Titans be tossing a football into a garbage can? It’s part of a trend toward using carefully designed games to increase agility and improve conditioning.

HIGH SCHOOL CHAMPIONS

Columbus Day

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When Brookhaven High School won the Ohio Division II state championship, it was a victory for the entire Columbus City League.

High School Championship Solutions

Circulation Director Dave Dubin

Production Manager Kristin Ayers

Circulation Manager John Callaghan

Production Assistant Jonni Campbell

Circulation Assistant Joan Doria Prepress Manager Adam Berenstain

Ad Materials Coordinator Mike Townsend Administrative Assistant Sharon Barbell

Asst. Prepress Manager Jim Harper

IT Manager Mark Nye

COVER PHOTO: COURTESY UNC ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

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Advertising Sales Associates Diedra Harkenrider, (607) 257-6970, ext. 24 Sheryl Shaffer, (607) 257-6970, ext. 21 Marketing/Sales Assistant Danielle Catalano 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 April by MAG, Inc. and is distributed free to college and high school coaches in the United States and Canada. Copyright © 2005 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 selfaddressed, stamped envelope. Coaching Management is printed by Banta Publications Group, Kansas City, MO. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Coaching Management, P.O. Box 4806, Ithaca, N.Y. 14852.

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bulletin board Division II Votes Against Cuts Many of the top-ranked NCAA Division II football programs have more in common than regular success on the field.

They’re often the teams that also offer the most scholarship money. An attempt to put some new names in the Top 20 by reducing the number of scholarships Division II teams can award was ultimately voted down at the NCAA Convention in January, but only after a lengthy debate. Yet despite the ‘no’ vote, the discussion over equity continues.

The proposal, co-sponsored by the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference and the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, would have slashed the football scholarship limit from 36 to 24 full-time equivalencies.

Supporters claimed that the impact would be limited for most Division II programs, since a majority currently offer 28 or fewer scholarships. But it was argued that the biggest spenders would be brought into closer competitive balance with everyone else.

“The trend in Division II has been that the teams that compete for and win national championships in football are the teams at or near the full 36 scholarship equivalencies,” says Joel Smith, RMAC Commissioner. “As a result, a lot of programs start each season knowing they just won’t be able to compete with the top teams.”

Smith points to the experience of his conference’s 2004 champion as an example. The Colorado School of Mines finished 8-0 in its conference during the regular season, then suffered a 70-35 defeat to powerhouse Pittsburg State in the playoffs. “You take that loss back to your campus after a year of great success, and it is harder to go to your alumni, faculty, and board of gover-

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nors and say ‘Football means something to us,’” he says. “It might even lead some schools to question why they’re playing in the first place.”

That issue, according to Smith, poses the most pressing longterm danger to the sport in Division II. With athletic budgets already tight, he worries that some schools will find it difficult to spend so much on football when teams that can offer more money perpetually dominate the game. “Without a more level playing field, there may well be some institutions that decide it’s no longer worth the cost of the program,” he says.

true even in Division I, where all the athletes are on scholarship,” he says. “There will always be teams that have more success than others, but that’s no reason to bring those teams down by taking opportunities away from athletes.”

Hatcher sees the scholarship debate as only one facet of a larger issue facing the division.

osal No. 28 succeeded in shining light on the problem of disparity in football, and the onus is now on the NCAA to search for other solutions.

“I think it’s healthy to have this discussion and to keep looking for creative ways to develop a well-balanced system where there’s competition and parity,” he says. “But if they can’t come up with some-

Those who favor scholarship reduction also argue that recently relaxed rules for calculating full-time equivalencies have allowed schools to offer more money than they could in the past. They claim the reduction would actually return those schools to their previous spending levels.

Those opposed to the cuts maintain that any reduction in scholarships would mean fewer opportunities for student-athletes, and therefore isn’t worth whatever budget savings or heightened competitiveness it would generate. “You limit the chances for athletes to play college football if you take away scholarship money,” says Chris Hatcher, Head Coach at Valdosta State University. “By cutting the number of scholarships, teams would lose depth because they couldn’t go out and recruit as many players, and the overall quality of Division II football would definitely take a hit.”

Valdosta State won the 2004 Division II championship offering the full complement of 36 scholarships, but Hatcher says he’s faced many tough opponents who offer less. “Every division has some schools at the top, some at the bottom, and some in between. That’s

A proposal to limit NCAA Division II football teams to 24 scholarships was defeated in January. Still, debate continues over how much grant-in-aid money should be available. Division II Player of the Year Chad Friehauf (7) of the Colorado School of Mines is above.

“I think we’re really searching for our identity right now in Division II, because there are some schools that want to be Division II in some sports, like basketball, but don’t want to offer a full complement of scholarships in football because it costs more money,” he explains. “Schools decide for themselves the level they compete at, so why should we do something that would harm those who choose to offer the full complement of scholarships?”

While scholarship cuts are off the table for now, Division II likely hasn’t heard the last of the subject. Smith says Prop-

thing, then when it’s time to propose new legislation, we’ll be back proposing more scholarship restrictions.”

Keeping Rivalry Games in Hand They’re the games everyone looks for on the schedule first—the ones that drive players during off-season workouts. When kept in perspective, rivalry games can generate great excitement for teams and fans alike. When they grow too big, though, the same games can lead to mayhem while overshadowing the rest of the season.

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bulletin board In Indianapolis, Warren Central High School has used detailed planning, and some help from its “Dads” to help keep its annual meeting with cross-town rival Ben Davis High School under control. Tickets for the matchup are limited to 9,000, the number of seats in Warren Central Stadium, which helps security personnel keep an eye on the crowd.

In addition to police officers and faculty members, Warren Central has about 30 members of the Warren Dads on duty for the Ben Davis game. The Warren Dads are a group of almost 100 adult males that have a connection to Warren Central, whether as a father,

grandfather, or any other school link. They provide added security at events like the rival game as well as many school functions and events, including those that their children may not be involved in.

“We actually had an aerial photo taken of the stadium and the school, and the administrating team and the officers in charge of security have copies,” says Warren Central Athletic Director Doug Seagrave. “We talk about specific assignments for each officer, administrator, and Warren Dad volunteer. We really have it mapped out very well before the first fan even gets in the gate.”

On arriving at the stadium, fans are directed to separate parking lots, enter through separate gates, and are sent to opposite sides of the field. Seagrave says this prevents most opposing-fan interaction. Plus, Warren Central’s stadium was renovated several years ago, leaving an old press box on the visitor’s side, which can be used as a security base.

“We give a walkie-talkie or radio to an administrator from Ben Davis,” says Seagrave, “who sits in that press box and can really look over his crowd.

This way he can hear everything we’re saying and can also chime in if something’s up and he needs to get a hold of us.”

Seagrave says communication is really the beginning of preparing for a rival event like the Ben Davis game. “You certainly can’t stop everything,” says Seagrave. “There’s always something new that pops up.

But so much can be eliminated just by some communication between the principals and the athletic directors of the two schools.”

Warren Central administrators meet every Monday to discuss upcoming events, and Seagrave is in constant contact with Ben Davis Athletic Director Kevin Britt as the game approaches.

“We try to treat all games the same from a starting vantage point,” Seagrave says, “then make whatever accommodations need to be made for a larger crowd.”

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Wright says he quickly learned there’s no need to build up a rivalry to his team. “That’s going to take care of itself,” says Wright. “They’re a lot more attentive on that Monday and they’re ready for business. As silly as it sounds, the challenge for both teams is that we’ve got to keep our kids up mentally for the semifinal and state championship still to come.”

Steroid Testing Hits High Schools Over the past 12 months, it’s been hard to pick up a sports page without seeing a headline that refers to drug testing.

From a new agreement for testing Major League Baseball players to numerous sanctions and appeals among Olympians, the hunt for athletes using performance-enhancing substances sometimes seems like a sport in itself.

Like many other aspects of sports, this search is now reaching the high school level.

The executive director of the University Interscholastic League, the governing body for most high school athletics in Texas, said in February that it may consider some form of steroid testing in the wake of a Dallas Morning News series reporting on the admission of steroid use by at least nine athletes at a Dallas-area high school. And in January, the Polk County (Fla.) public school system added steroids to the list of substances it looks for

AP/WIDE WORLD PHOTOS

Warren Central High School in Indianapolis won a state title in 2004, but its biggest game each season is the showdown with cross-town rival Ben Davis High School. Thanks to several proactive measures, the event has been devoid of serious problems.

Some of the measures added for the Ben Davis game have become standard protocol for all home games, including the separate parking lots. In addition, a police officer and volunteer team supervisor are placed in the parking lot to escort the visiting team to the locker room. It all serves one goal: To make what happens off the field as minimal a distraction for the players as possible.

This is similar to the task shared

by Warren Central Head Coach Kevin Wright. “The thing that you guard against and the thing that you learn is to make sure you keep the game in perspective,” Wright says.

“You can almost make the game too big. Our approach as a coaching staff is to not blow it out of proportion, so that our kids understand it’s just another game.”

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bulletin board in random testing of athletes.

Polk County is the first district in Florida to test for steroids, and among a handful across the country.

Polk County didn’t suspect a particular problem, says Don Bridges, Director of Athletics for the 14-high school district.

Instead, the district had money left over after the first year of a three-year, $63,000 federal grant to pay for random testing for recreational drugs, and steroid testing was the best suggested expansion of the program.

Administrators and coaches believe testing may keep athletes from considering steroid

use—because that seems to have been the effect on recreational drug use. “We’re hearing from the student-athletes that testing is cutting it back, because they don’t know when the drug people are coming,” Bridges says.

If it does nothing else, testing helps highlight the dangers of steroids and gives adults a new way to find out what’s going on in young people’s lives, says Patrick Smith, Head Football Coach at Polk County’s George Jenkins High School in Lakeland. “With so much steroid use going on in pro sports, I feel like we have to worry about it with our younger kids,” Smith says. “It may not

The National Institute on Drug Abuse maintains a Web site with comprehensive information on steroid abuse at: www.steroidabuse.org.

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be as big a problem as we think, or it may be bigger.

Either way, I think it’s a good tool to find out where we are.”

Based on a 2003 survey, the National Institute on Drug Abuse says 3.5 percent of 12th-graders have used anabolic steroids at least once.

The survey didn’t distinguish between athletes and other students.

The high price of steroid testing is often cited as a reason steroids are not included in most scholastic random drug tests. But when Polk County decided to add steroids to its list of banned substances, it scaled back the rate of testing

from 10 percent of athletes to eight percent to help offset the additional cost.

“The steroid test costs us $105 a person. The drug test costs us $15 a person,” says Bridges.

“We can’t go around testing a whole bunch of people for steroids. We’d run out of money.”

Frank Uryasz, President of the National Center for Drug-free Sport, says the costs of steroid testing may be exaggerated because quoted rates often reflect a sophisticated protocol needed only among professional and Olympic athletes looking to beat the test.

His organization works with a

An NIDA fact sheet, including health effects and survey results on the extent of steroid use, is at: www.drugabuse.gov/Infofax/steroids.html.

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bulletin board Los Angeles lab charging $50 per sample, he says.

“In the high school population, you could screen for maybe half a dozen steroids and pick up maybe 99 percent of the steroid use,” Uryasz says. “If you were to do that in a savvy group of Olympic or professional athletes, you’d probably have less luck. A steroid test looking for fewer drugs can still be a very effective high school testing program.

“We’d certainly like to see more schools that test for drugs include a test for anabolic steroids,” Uryasz continues. “One of my concerns is that the courts have told us that it’s permissible to test high school athletes, and we single out that population for drug testing, yet we fail to test for the drugs that they’re most inclined to use, which are the performance-enhancing drugs.”

Hawai’i Marches To Some New Football Tunes Good stadium music inspires players and fans while reminding the visitors they’re on foreign turf, which is why some of the best stadium themes play on the intrinsic culture of the home team’s city or institution. One of the most successful recent examples of a football program capitalizing on its native sound is the University of Hawai’i, where home fans and visiting teams were greeted during the 2004 season campaign by war drums, conch calls, chanting, and traditional Polynesian musicians.

The brief stadium themes unveiled for Warriors home games in 2004 were overseen

by Head Coach June Jones.

The six taped pieces include “Conch Shell,” which is played before kickoff, “Eo Eo,” which is played during timeouts, and “Warrior Strut,” which is

played as the Warriors enter the field.

The lyrics to “Warrior Strut,” provided by Kanalu Young, a professor of Hawai’ian studies at the university, include a traditional Hawai’ian call to arms, “Eo Na Toa E,” which translates to “This is battle.

You must respond.” Those words have become the team’s unoffiAccording to Head Coach June Jones, a series cial motto, of new music pieces written by Grammy Award with players winner Mike Post has helped get University of wearing it on Hawai’i football fans more involved in the their shirts Warriors’ games. and fans chanting the The idea originated with fivewords during games. time Grammy Award-winning composer Mike Post, who has “The new music has changed written music for dozens of the whole atmosphere of our television shows, including home games,” says Jones.

“Hill Street Blues, “Law & “Our crowd used to sit on Order,” and “NYPD Blue.” their hands at times during the Post, who has lived part-time game, but this music has really in Hawai’i for the past 30 years, brought them into the game. became friends with Jones As soon as they hear ‘Eo Na when the former Hawai’i quarToa E,’ everybody responds. terback returned to lead the And in the six years I’ve been program in 1999. here, that never happened before.

“When I first came back, Mike mentioned to me that he “We wanted to establish an wanted to do something for identity of who we are, and the school,” says Jones. “And this has done that,” Jones he kept saying it, until I realcontinues. “It really is us. It ized that he was serious. He ties us all together, and over wanted to give something to time it will become even more the football program, somepowerful, giving our program thing that would last long a new tradition.” after he and I are gone.”

The new University of Hawai’i football music can be heard at: www.uhathletics.hawaii.edu/music.html.

Anti-Gambling Efforts Broaden Armed with a survey confirming that a small number of college student-athletes have been asked to affect a game, provided inside information, or affected the outcome of a game because of gambling debts, the NCAA is strengthening its anti-wagering efforts.

Special attention is being paid to Division II and III, which reported higher rates of gambling behavior than Division I. So far, the highest profile educational effort was national Sports Wagering Awareness Day, held at the height of this past college football season.

On Oct. 30, many head football coaches and their staffs wore NCAA “Don’t Bet On It” wristbands during their games as an awareness-raising gesture. The event, conducted in cooperation with the American Football Coaches Association, grew out of a study released earlier in 2004 which found that gambling among studentathletes wasn’t pervasive but was occurring frequently enough to warrant concern.

The NCAA conducted an anonymous survey of 21,000 student-athletes in all three divisions and found that almost 34.6 percent of male studentathletes engaged in some type of sports wagering in the previous year. While any gambling could raise concern, NCAA bylaws prohibit gambling only on pro or college sports in which the NCAA sanctions a championship. In Division I, the figure was 28.8 percent; in Division II, 33.5 percent; and in Division III, 40.7 percent.

Some NCAA officials attributed the difference to greater antiwagering education in Division I. The survey seemed to bear this theory out, with athletes at that level reporting greater knowledge of the

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bulletin board Association’s rules against gambling.

Among football players, 36 percent reported wagering on college or pro sports, and 23.8 percent had wagered on college sports. A limited number of football players reported actions that threatened the integrity of the game: 1.1 percent reported accepting money for playing poorly in a game, 2.3 percent reported being asked to affect the outcome of a game, and 2.8 percent of Division I football players reported providing inside information about a game. Finally, 1.4 percent reported having affected the outcome of a game because of gambling debts.

The newly formed NCAA Sports Wagering Task Force has distributed booklets and posters to every athletic department, and another Sports Wagering Awareness Day is planned. A wagering awareness Web site for coaches and student-athletes is also in the works.

What can coaches do? Watch their players’ behavior, for one thing. The NCAA’s Office of Agent, Gambling, and Amateurism Activities is drawing on the survey to develop a profile of student-athletes who might be likely to wager on sports. Though only five percent of student-athletes surveyed reported signs that they could be classified as

Teaching Football 101

problem or pathological gamblers, certain risk-taking and impulsive behaviors could suggest they are potential problem gamblers, according to the AGA Office. These are: ■

Committing traffic violations.

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Making impulse purchases.

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Having family and friends who gamble.

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Abusing drugs or alcohol.

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Stealing.

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Having multiple sexual partners and engaging in risky sexual behaviors.

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Having different postcollege goals than nongamblers.

More information on gambling educational activities is available at: www1.ncaa.org/ membership/enforcement/gambling/index.html

The common way to raise home football attendance at most schools is to go after people who already know and love the game. Whether they’re fans of football or their alma mater, most people have an allegiance before they cross the turnstile.

But at North Dakota State University, Head Coach Craig Bohl is trying to reach potential fans who have limited knowledge of the game. Bohl offered a “Football 101” class to the general public in order to increase awareness and teach the basics of the game to anyone in or around Fargo.

“When I was at the University of Nebraska, one of our coaches led a similar class,”

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BOB NELSON/NDSU ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

tion and answer period, and students participated in chalk talks and practiced field formations in walk-through demonstrations at the Fargodome.

With a price tag of $40 per student and all the proceeds going to the Bison Excellence Fund, the class raised about $2,500 for the NDSU athletic department. Bohl says he and the department were extremely pleased with the turnout.

North Dakota State University Head Coach Craig Bohl explains the basics of football to new fans during his Football 101 class. Last year’s class raised about $2,500 for the NDSU athletic department.

Bohl says. “And I thought it would be a good way to promote our football program.”

Bohl had more than 60 students in the noncredit class, which ran during football sea-

son for four sessions. Separate classes concentrated on offense, defense, special teams, and the basic rules of college football, for which Bohl enlisted the help of a college official.

Each session included a ques-

The majority of students in the class were women looking for a better understanding of the game, including mothers of sons who were learning to play football. There were also a few couples hoping to watch and talk football together.

Though some students knew the game fairly well, teaching the class sent Bohl back to the very basics of football instruc-

tion, somewhere he hadn’t been in quite a while.

“At times it was a little bit challenging because I’m versed in talking to people who have a pretty good understanding of the game,” Bohl says.

“Some people in the class had very limited knowledge, so making it interesting for everyone was a challenge.”

NDSU and Bohl plan on holding another Football 101 class because of the positive feedback they received from participants. Other universities have held similar classes for those in need of a few pointers while watching the game, including Syracuse University and the University of Alabama.

And the NFL holds classes called “NFL For Her—Football 101” at several team venues across the country each year.

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Dan Hawkins Boise State University As Head Coach at a school known as much for developing coaching talent as for its blue turf, Dan Hawkins is carving his own niche. In his four years directing the Boise State University football program, he’s led the Broncos to a 44-7 record and three Western Athletic Conference championships. Despite losing 12 starters from the 2003 team that went 13-1, Boise State finished the 2004 regular season with a perfect 11-0 record and ranked in the top 10 in both major polls.

The 2004 team continued the school’s tradition of potent offense, setting a school record with an average of 49 points per game, second among NCAA Division I-A schools. No one-trick ponies, the CM: What is your offensive philosophy?

Hawkins: We start with a good, sound, fundamental running game and then build from there. Despite the fact that we’re noted for passing and scoring, we’ve had 1,000-yard rushers in each of the past three seasons. After that, it revolves around trying to get our players in the right positions so they can do the things they excel at. And we’re not afraid to try some wild things. We use a lot of shifting, motion, and formations.

How much of the offensive game plan are you involved with, and how much do you leave up to your assistant coaches?

I’m heavily involved with certain phases of the offensive game plan throughout the week, but then on game day, for the most part, Offensive Coordinator Chris Peterson handles the play calling. He does a great job of making sure we’re all working together. He’ll say, “What are you thinking, Hawk?” or “Do you guys think we should run the ball here?” There are times when he gets into a flow and doesn’t need any help, and there are other times when he’ll solicit more input. But I don’t believe in making somebody the coordinator and then, as head coach, yanking the reins away during critical situations.

Your offense receives a lot of attention, but people may not realize that your run defense was ranked 10th in the country. How do you maintain a balance between these two phases of the game?

It’s difficult because I’m very involved with the offense and special teams, so I try to maintain a balance by attending

Broncos also cracked the top 10 in rushing defense.

Boise State was invited to a bowl game for the third straight season, and Hawkins was chosen as a finalist for the 2004 Paul “Bear” Bryant College Football Coach of the Year Award.

Before being promoted to Head Coach in 2000, Hawkins was an Assistant Head Coach and Recruiting Coordinator, overseeing the tight ends and special teams.

Before coming to Boise State, Hawkins served as Head Coach at Willamette University, an NAIA school; was an offensive and defensive coordinator at the junior college level; and a high school head coach. In this interview, Hawkins talks about his high-powered offense, his approach to the game, and tips for climbing the coaching ladder.

defensive unit and position meetings. I want to know what’s going on with the defense, but I leave a lot of the planning up to our Defensive Coordinator, Ron Collins. I’ll also watch some tape on the team we’re playing so I can get a feel for them, then see what the defensive coaches are thinking.

How important are walk-ons to your program?

We’ve had an unbelievable history here with walk-ons. I just finished my seventh year at Boise State, and we have put 36

walk-ons on scholarship since I’ve been here. Last season, seven of our starters were former walk-ons. A number of our former walk-ons are even playing in the NFL. Our walk-ons know that number one, they’ll get an opportunity to play. And number two, if they get the job done, we’ll give them a scholarship. I think it makes a difference that most of the coaches on our staff were either walk-ons or non-scholarship players. We know these guys are important. They get the same

Although noted more for its offensive prowess, Boise State had the NCAA Division IA’s 10th-ranked rushing defense in 2004.

COACHING MANAGEMENT

15

Q A

&

attention, coaching, discipline, and rewards as everybody else.

What do you tell your athletes about dealing with success?

When you’re called the favorite, that’s determined by somebody else. And that’s something we have to battle extremely hard because we have a whole lot of media attention hovering over our guys.

What’s it like making the jump from coaching at the NAIA level to NCAA Division I-A? It is different. I know that sometimes people say, “Football is football.” Well, it’s not.

The details, the intensity, and the pace are all very different. There are certain things that every coach knows about football and handling people, and those things transcend across levels. But the pace, sched-

“There are certain things that every coach knows about football and handling people, and those things transcend across levels. But the pace, schedule, and nuances are dramatically different in Division I versus a smaller college.”

The opponent should always be you. Our preparation should always be the same, and our mental approach should always be the same. We try to look at it as a continuum. It’s not about winning a game or a championship, it’s about becoming this vehicle of excellence and trying to understand what that’s all about on a daily basis.

ule, and nuances are dramatically different in Division I versus a smaller college.

How has your experience working at smaller schools helped as you’ve evolved into a successful Division I coach?

You learn to do it all when you work at those other levels. In going from high school to junior college to NAIA to Divi-

Every Winning Coach Has a Great Assistant

sion I, I’ve learned to do everything from taping ankles and washing jerseys, to cutting and lining a field. So when I got to this level, I had an appreciation and knowledge of what everyone in the program is doing. Also, I was used to juggling a lot of balls, because coaching at other levels usually means you have to be a teacher or hold another job at the school.

And when you coach at those levels you’re not always going to get the better athletes, so you had better be a good teacher and know how to make those guys fundamentally sound.

Plus, by coaching at those levels, I’ve gained an appreciation for balance as well as a perspective on how this whole thing is supposed to be put together. I certainly understand it is a business at this level, and that you have to win to keep your job, but at the same time, I think I have developed an appreciation for kids going to school and having interests outside of football.

What is your advice for young coaches looking to climb the coaching ladder?

Coaches should be less resume-driven and more relationship-driven. I get a ton

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of letters from guys, and their standard message is, “I work hard, I’m loyal and dedicated, and I have attention to detail.� But I think what a coach needs to realize is that it’s important to find the program and coaches that are the right fit for him and his family. I have a saying, “Bigger isn’t better, better is better.�

You need to find what’s better for you. If that’s a better living situation or family

coaches? What kind of music do you listen to? What do you laugh at? A lot of those things go into having great chemistry on a coaching staff.

What do you look for when hiring assistant coaches?

It’s tough to describe it exactly, but I’m trying to see if they are the right fit. We have a great situation here with our staff

“To be a great coach, you genuinely have to care about people—to the degree that you might be willing to lose a game or even forfeit your career if it meant bettering some kid’s life ... Ultimately you’re a servant to your players and your staff. And if you’re not willing to do that, I don’t think you’ll ever develop the kind of chemistry that’s necessary to succeed.� situation, then you make that work. It’s not just working with the best football coach, it’s also how the situation works for your wife and your kids.

I’m also big on chemistry within a staff.

How will you get along with the other

in that they are all low-ego, high-output guys. They care about our players both on and off the field. They’re dedicated fathers and husbands. They understand the importance of having a balance between football and their personal lives. It’s all about having guys who understand each

other, coexist well together, and who are able to check their egos at the door.

What do you think separates a good coach and a bad coach?

The difference between average and good is pretty small. The difference between good and great is huge. A lot of coaches will say, “We’re close,� but it’s not about being close.

A certain amount of humility is necessary.

We all have egos, but there should be an understanding that you don’t know it all and that you should always be willing to learn. The ability to blame yourself instead of blaming your players is also important.

To be a great coach, you genuinely have to care about people—to the degree that you might be willing to lose a game or even forfeit your career if it meant bettering some kid’s life. I believe that ultimate leadership is servitude. I know you have to direct and lead, but ultimately you’re a servant to your players and your staff.

And if you’re not willing to do that, I don’t think you’ll ever develop the kind of chemistry that’s necessary to succeed.

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THE North Carolina center Jason Brown (#72) served as one of five captains for the Tar Heels in 2004. Head Coach John Bunting develops his captains with help from the Carolina Leadership Academy, based at his Chapel Hill campus.

PHOTO BY UNC ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

COVER STORY

THEY CAN BE SIGNAL-CALLERS, ROLE MODELS, AND THE MOUTHPIECE FOR YOUR TEAM. They are likely the best barometers of your team’s frame of mind. And when they do their jobs well, they are extensions of you on the field and in the locker room.

With so much emphasis placed on character and team building, it is important to acknowledge and utilize those voices that resonate deepest within your team. Yet, it is not enough to simply appoint those young men as captains.

They need to be given the guidance and tools that show them how to lead.

“We preach leadership, but very few of us teach it,” says Jeff Janssen, author of The Team Captain’s Leadership Manual and co-developer of the Carolina Leadership Academy. “Many coaches assume that their guys know what it means to be a leader, but a lot of players don’t have that understanding. Coaches need to give those leaders some practical skills for communicating with teammates, working through conflicts, and refocusing the team when things are looking bleak.”

While some coaches will argue that leadership is innate and needs only to be tapped into, there’s little doubt that

There are as many ways to utilize captains as there are coaches. But one constant among good coaches is that they know what they want from their team leaders.

Some coaches see the captain’s role as being a character model. “I want a captain who’s able to be one of the guys, but who holds himself accountable and to a higher standard,” says Jeff Chandler, who recently retired as Head Coach at East Lake High School in Sammamish, Wash. “He needs to have the respect of his peers and be able to hold them accountable. As a result, the players perform better because they don’t want to let their leader down.”

The roles typically assigned to team captains range from the mundane to the subtle. “Coaches should talk to captains about things as basic as leading the team during practice drills,” says Janssen.

“More complex responsibilities include setting the mental and emotional tone of the team. They have to be the people who are enthusiastic, the people who still have some hope after a two- or threegame losing streak. And sometimes captains need to talk to a struggling teammate to find out what’s going on and what will get them back on track.

take the team’s temperature. To accomplish this, Janssen developed what he calls the Captains’ Weekly Monitoring Sheet. “It’s a simple one-page form which forces the leaders to take a look at where they think the team is during that week and communicate what they see to the coach,” he says. “Are the guys focused or are they distracted? Are they fresh or fatigued? Are they confident or are they starting to wonder a little bit because they’ve lost a few in a row?”

Coaches should realize that multiple roles may require multiple people. Don McPherson, Executive Director of the Sports Leadership Institute at Adelphi University noticed that when he was a captain at Syracuse University in 1988.

“We had three captains, and each one of us was very different from the next,” says McPherson. “One guy was hardnosed, another guy was the liaison between coaches and players, and I was basically the face of the team—the guy who represented the team publicly and gave the quote for the paper.

“I think consistency is the most important quality of being a captain,” adds McPherson, who was a runner-up

BY R.J. ANDERSON

LEADING EDGE

Not all good leaders are born that way.

By setting clear expectations, providing the tools needed to lead, and maintaining open communication, you can develop stronger captains and a better team. by defining roles, developing leadership skills, and empowering their captains, coaches can get more out of their leaders, both on the field and off. So how can you, as a coach, help your captains realize their full leadership potential?

Position Description Before beginning to groom captains, a coach must first define the role. After all, the young men put into leadership positions must understand what is expected of them.

“Their role is also to keep their coaches informed. This is a delicate issue because there are some things that coaches need to know about, but captains also have to maintain their teammates’ trust and confidentiality,” Janssen adds. “But it should be made clear that the captain’s job is to be loyal to the coaches, while at the same time making sure their teammates understand where the coaches are coming from.”

Throughout the season many coaches count on their captains to frequently

for the Heisman Trophy during Syracuse’s undefeated run in 1988. “That means consistency on and off the field in how they conduct themselves.”

Priming the Pump Once a coach has determined what he wants out of his captains, he can begin the process of getting it. Few capR.J. Anderson is an Assistant Editor at Coaching Management. He can be reached at rja@MomentumMedia.com.

COACHING MANAGEMENT

21

COVER STORY

tains come to a team as natural born leaders, which leaves it up to the coaches to teach them how to do it.

Janssen’s book features a 10-week plan in which captains and coaches read a chapter each week. Chapters include information on communicating with coaches, constructively confronting less-

disciplined teammates, refocusing the team when it becomes distracted, and holding teammates accountable and to higher standards. “We ask that coaches and players dedicate anywhere from 15 minutes to half an hour to sitting down together each week and making sure that the captains are getting what the coach

wants them to understand,” says Janssen.

Chandler used ideas from Janssen’s book the past two seasons and believes the process should begin during the offseason. “I gave our team leaders a copy of the book, and from June to August we went through it a chapter at a time,” says Chandler. “I asked them to read

MAKING THE CHOICE What are the first steps in selecting team captains?

Whether you choose the captains yourself, or allow the players to vote on the decision, some early legwork is necessary.

If you have the players elect leadership representatives, you still need to make clear what criteria they should consider before voting. From informal suggestions and pre-vote instructions to having the players formally evaluate their teammates on work ethic and character, there are a number of methods for getting your message across.

“An easy thing for coaches to do is create a job description for their captains— before they are voted on,” says Jeff Janssen, author of The Team Captain’s Leadership Manual and co-developer of the Carolina Leadership Academy at the University of North Carolina. “Think of some of the best leaders you’ve had in your program, and with them in mind create a precise description of the roles, responsibilities, and do’s and don’ts that you need from your captains. That way all of the players will know what you’re looking for.”

good cross-section of the team so it’s not made up of just the kids who are getting the headlines,” says Chandler.

It helps to be open to changing the way captains are selected. What has worked the best in past years may not be the best solution now. “Each season and each group of kids might be a little different, so coaches need to get a feel for their team and find out what’s going to work best,” says Janssen.

Wes Littlefield, Head Coach at Messalonskee High School in Oakland, Maine, has taken a business-like approach to selecting captains by treating the entire process as a job interview. At Messalonskee, seniors who wish to be a captain are required to fill out an application and provide three reference letters before they can be considered.

Once those requirements are fulfilled, each individual faces a 10-person panel, made up of coaches, school board members, a teacher, and the town’s chief of police. Littlefield says typical questions include, “You’re a senior and you hear

that another player went to a party. How do you handle that? How do you approach him? Do you tell the coaches, tell the other captains, or do you keep it under your hat?”

Most interviews lasted about an hour, but can run longer. “We had one kid who was a great tailback, but he was also a hothead,” says Littlefield. “We wanted to make sure he would be able to control himself. So we drilled that kid for an hour and 45 minutes—and the chief of police handled the first 25 minutes by himself.”

Despite the panel’s best efforts to rattle him, that player kept his cool, and was named one of the captains. “He was under control his entire senior year and had the best year of his career,” says Littlefield.

“We basically used his captaincy to help control his temper.

“It’s an experience that can be a preview for real-life interview situations,” he adds.

“Even today, that player tells us that his college interview was 10 times easier than what he went through to become a captain.”

Selection Survey

To identify potential take-charge studentathletes, Jeff Chandler, who recently retired as Head Coach at East Lake High School in Sammamish, Wash., looked at the previous season. He had each returning player complete a year-end survey called the Top-Three Leaders List. The survey contained questions such as “Which three players have the best work ethic on the team?” and “Name the three people you trust the most.”

Jeff Janssen, author of The Team Captain’s Leadership Manual and co-developer of the University of North Carolina’s one-year-old Carolina Leadership Academy, recently asked 150 high school and college coaches the question, “What methods do you use to select captains?”

■

6% automatically appoint the seniors to be captains.

The players who scored the highest comprised the players’ council. Chandler says he had between four and 12 players on that council and divided it by position, class, and playing time. “I tried to get a

■

6% use a unity or leadership council in place of captains.

22

COACHING MANAGEMENT

■

33% let the players vote.

■

25% make the decision on their own.

16% do a combination of the two. They let the players nominate who they think the best leaders would be, but then the coaches have the final say.

■

13% decided not to name captains at all. They still had leaders but they did not want to use the term captain.

■

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COVER STORY

each chapter and answer the questions at the end, and then we met for an hour a week to discuss it. The more we talked, the more they started to understand what I was after.”

Janssen’s book isn’t the only way to facilitate this learning process. David Elson, Head Coach at Western Kentucky University says, “Back in December, I gave the seniors the book, The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader, by John C. Maxwell, and told them, ‘I want you to read this, and we’re going to cover four or five of those qualities each time we sit down.’

And I want them to talk in the meetings.

It isn’t a lecture from me, but rather a group discussion about leadership.”

The exact topic of the discussion is less important than simply having one.

“As much as players want and need discipline,” McPherson says, “they also need guidance and recognition in terms of a coach saying, ‘I see that you’re struggling. I was a young leader once, here’s what I went through.’ There’s not much leaders won’t do for a coach if they know that coach truly cares about them.”

Since many student-athletes learn better by doing than by listening to a lecture, Janssen recommends that coaches look to activities that teach leadership basics. One method he recommends is ropes courses that require someone to step up as a vocal leader to solve problems. These activities can be done with captains only or tailored to incorporate the entire team.

Another tactic that Janssen uses at the Carolina Leadership Academy—a program that instructs captains and potential captains for every University of North Carolina team—is to encourage participants to interview other leaders in the community such as a school principal, another team’s coach, a police officer, or any other person in a leadership position. The point of the exercise is to let captains see that leadership impacts many different areas of life, while also helping them build a network of people they can learn from.

A Team Approach Just as most football practices include both individual and group instruction, some coaches use a twopronged approach to develop leadership. In addition to working closely with their captains, these coaches also form groups often called “leadership coun-

cils” to both spread the leadership duties and introduce potential captains to leadership concepts.

John Bunting, Head Coach at the University of North Carolina, is integrating lessons learned from the Carolina Leadership Academy with his existing philosophies on structuring leadership. By employing a leadership council of 10 to 12 handpicked players, as well as three to five captains who are elected by the team, Bunting makes

team. He says that by first learning to become accountable for their own actions, younger players are stepping up and displaying the characteristics that could lead to them becoming a captain down the road.

“We had 15 or 16 players involved in the leadership academy—from freshmen to seniors,” says Bunting. “And I expect them to advance in the leadership council and have an opportunity to become one of the team captains.”

CHECKUP TIME

T

o help a captain gauge what kind of job he is doing, Jeff Janssen, author of The Team Captain’s Leadership Manual and co-developer of the University of North Carolina’s Carolina Leadership Academy, recommends that twice each season, coaches initiate a review process that includes a self-evaluation, as well as evaluations from teammates and coaches. To facilitate this process, Janssen has constructed a 24-question Team Leadership Evaluation. He says the first round of evaluations should take place after the last preseason practice, and another should be held a third of the way into the season or at the halfway point.

“A lot of times a leader might think he’s doing a great job,” says Janssen. “But if he gets feedback from his coaches or teammates saying, ‘We need some more things from you that you’re not giving us right now,’ then that captain can look to make some corrections and adjustments mid-season, rather than wait until the end of the year to find out he wasn’t as effective as he could The Team Leadership Evaluation is available as a free download at: have been.” www.jeffjanssen.com, under “Free Coaching Resources: Evaluations.”

sure that the pieces are in place to both provide direction and a collective voice for the team. He notes that after being elected as captains, which takes place at the end of preseason training, players are not allowed to be on the leadership council in order to keep the two entities separate. In most cases though, the captains are players who have served on the council in previous years.

“The leadership council is there to give me feedback on the team,” says Bunting. “I meet with them every Wednesday morning for breakfast and bounce things off them relative to team chemistry. I’ll ask, ‘Do you guys see this?’ or ‘How’s the locker room?’

“The captains are in the inner-most dealings of team management and are charged with making decisions,” he adds.

During the season, Bunting meets with the captains every Monday for dinner.

In the year since the academy’s inception, Bunting has seen a dramatic turnaround in the leadership of his

At Western Kentucky, Elson believes that good leaders beget more good leaders. To provide positive examples for younger players, Elson has set up a peermentoring program that partners a senior leader with a freshman or sophomore.

“A guy mentoring another player one-on-one and showing him that he cares—that’s leadership,” says Elson.

“Leadership is not always the guy in front who’s yelling and screaming.

Leadership means doing something behind the scenes to show one of your teammates that you care about them— taking the time to sit down and talk with him, getting to know him, and helping him through a tough time.

“That builds a relationship, and if guys have those relationships and care about one another, you’re going to have a pretty strong team,” he adds. “You’ll have that elusive team chemistry that everybody always talks about. Team unity comes more from one-on-one interactions off the field than from anywhere else.”

COACHING MANAGEMENT

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COVER STORY

Leadership education does not end with the leaders. To produce effective leaders, coaches must also make sure that the rest of the team understands what you expect. Coaches don’t always realize that whether or not a captain’s teammates respect him can be largely determined by how the coach treats his captains in front of the team.

“The coaching staff should empower the captains by saying to the rest of the team, ‘These are your leaders, and we

expect you to respect them because they are going to be the voice of the team,’” Janssen says.

“I treat my captains like colleagues,” says Bunting. “I definitely give them extra respect and when they’ve done something well, I point it out to the other players.” Bunting adds that if those captains happen to do something wrong leadership-wise, he’ll pull them aside and talk to them privately.

Another way coaches can help to

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empower their captains is by providing them a say in the way things are done.

“Provide them with opportunities to have input on decisions,” advises Janssen, “whether it’s about practice times, drills, or the disciplinary actions when people aren’t doing what they’re supposed to do.”

Constant Communication Just as a coach expects his captains to communicate constantly with teammates, he must also ensure that his lines of communication are open. “If coaches want their captains to be extensions of them out on the field, they have to extend themselves to their captains on a regular basis so they become a leadership team,” Janssen says.

Weekly meetings are a common way of keeping in touch with captains. Less formal get-togethers can also work as long as the coach is sincere about communicating. “Nothing replaces having a sit-down, face-to-face conversation and just getting to know them,” says McPherson. “It’s a time when a coach can sincerely ask, ‘What are you all about?’ It’s also a time for that coach to tell the player what he as a coach is all about.”

While it takes time and effort to develop effective leaders, by investing a couple of hours a week to help leaders hone their skills, coaches can do themselves a big favor. “With good captains your job becomes so much easier because you have fewer headaches,” says Janssen. “You don’t have to worry about what guys are doing on weekends quite as much because you know that you have a solid leadership group that is going to hold them accountable.

“Developing their leaders allows coaches to spend more time on adjustments, game plans, strategies, and X’s and O’s rather than worrying about putting out all the other little fires in terms of chemistry,” he adds. “The time a coach spends on the front end creating great leaders is probably going to save them hours down the road.” ■

For information on the Carolina Leadership Academy, go to www. tarheelblue.collegesports.com and click on student-athlete development.

Circle No. 119

Circle No. 120

RISK MANAGEMENT

SAFETY BLITZ

The best coaches use two types of safety blitzes: one that sacks quarterbacks and one that keeps the risk of injuries low. Here’s how to make safety a part of your gameplan.

AP/WIDE WORLD PHOTOS

BY DR. RICHARD P. BORKOWSKI THERE ARE FEW COACHING TOPICS SEEN AS MORE MUNDANE THAN SAFETY. Even fewer may be more important to both your players’ health and your career. Yet, safety often is ignored until a serious injury occurs.

Coaches must know and appreciate their risk management duties. The implementation of solid safety rules will not make your players injury free, but it can reduce the chances of both common and catastrophic injuries. Taking steps to minimize the risk of injury also lowers the likelihood of time-consuming, program-shattering lawsuits.

Your basic legal responsibilities as a coach follow. My suggestions are based on a consensus of opinions held by people in athletics, an ongoing review of court cases, and my years of experience as an athletic risk manager.

They’re the kind of things a good coach does naturally while offering a worthwhile athletic experience that minimizes the risk of injury. If after reading this article, you have any doubts about your own responsibilities, seek the advice of your school’s legal counsel—before the avoidable injury.

The Right Attitude The first step in lowering risk is stressing the importance of safety by making it a constant priority. Always address any safety problems you see immediately.

Correct any unsafe techniques, or say, “No, we won’t play,” if presented with

hazardous playing conditions that can’t be corrected.

The major concern in football is catastrophic injury, due primarily to the use of the head as an initial contact point. The helmet is designed to protect the head—it is not meant to be a weapon. Spearing, cheap shots, and taking someone “out of the game” must not be part of football.

Teach players the proper way to tackle. Explain to them that it’s dangerous to turn themselves into a missile by lowering their head and hitting with the top of their helmet, even if that’s what they sometimes see on television.

Richard P. Borkowski, EdD, CMAA, is a sport safety consultant based in Narberth, Pa. The former Director of Physical Education and Athletics at the Episcopal Academy in Merion, Pa., his most recent book is titled Coaching for Safety, A Risk Management Handbook for High School Coaches, published by ESD112.

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Sell athletic safety to players in both your actions and speech. Teach studentathletes to help keep playing areas clear of extraneous objects, such as helmets and other equipment. Explain to your athletes the danger of rough housing and horseplay before, during, and after practice. Remind your players of their responsibility for their own safety and the safety of others on the field.

Also consider your own actions come game time. Coaches who teach unsportsmanlike techniques to get an edge on opponents turn football into an inappropriate activity. On the flip side, if you sideline a player for an illegal or dangerous hit, you are making a strong statement about the importance of safety in your program.

When athletes hear you preach safety, they will be less apt to attempt risky behavior. When parents see that you take safety seriously, they will trust you and your judgement, even after an injury happens. When you put a priority on safety in your own planning, you will be able to spot hazards more easily.

Appropriate Equipment The days of giving old, worn-down equipment to the freshman team are over. Equipment lasts for only a certain length of time. Replace equipment before it is no longer functional and becomes dangerous. Also, teach your players to check their equipment on a regular basis, since it can deteriorate quickly with the wear and tear of games and practices.

It’s vital to make sure that all players have equipment that fits properly. Even the best-designed helmet is of little use if it’s too big or too small. Also, make sure players know the proper way to wear and use the equipment. This is especially important if you have any players who are new to the game, since they may be reluctant to ask for help.

In addition, buy only from established and reputable companies. Avoid purchasing new “state of the art” equipment until it becomes established equipment. Years ago, a heavy, springloaded dummy that came down an overhead track was considered a great piece of equipment for blocking and tackling practice. That opinion quickly changed after several catastrophic injuries.

Avoid modifying equipment or using it for any activity other than what it was

intended for. Makeshift blocking and tackling dummies, for example, may contain hidden dangers that put both players and coaches at risk.

Warn of Risks Some coaches feel that if you inform student-athletes of potential injuries, they will stop participating. This has proven to be untrue. In fact, warning of the inherent dangers of the game and obtaining an informed-consent form from players and parents is an established duty, and informing people about the potential risks of participating in any activity actually reduces injuries.

It may seem obvious that an athlete can get hurt playing football, but informed-consent forms spell out the potential risks. The form should include pertinent words in large print, such as “Warning,” “Attention,” and “Please Read.” The heading on the form should also be in large print. The form should cover all phases, sites, and time frames of the season. Your legal counsel should review the informedconsent form. After it has been signed, give a copy to each student-athlete’s parents and keep the original.

It is important that the recipient understands the seriousness of the consent form. Have an informational meeting with parents to discuss the risks and benefits of participation. Ask parents and players if they have any questions and if they understand what they are signing. They should know that signing the form is voluntary, and that by doing so, they are agreeing to accept the risks that come with participation.

Even after the form has been signed, warnings and reminders should be regularly issued within the context of normal instruction. Some pieces of equipment come with their own warnings. Make sure players read and understand these labels as well.

Super Supervision Lack of supervision is the most-cited complaint against coaches in wrongful injury lawsuits. The coaches’ presence during an activity is the first line of defense against potential problems. Permitting players to remain on the field for extra work without supervision is no longer an option.

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RISK MANAGEMENT

ling the situation through your knowledge and planning. First, you must be completely familiar with the activity you are supervising. You must plan appropriate activities for the group you are working with, taking time to foresee any potential problems.

Second, you should always be scanning the activity from the best vantage point. Think of keeping “back to the wall,” so you can take in as much of the scene as possible.

Avoid distractions. While you’re supervising a drill is not the time to talk with others.

Check Facilities All coaches have a duty to inspect the facility that they are going to use. One of the most important things to look for is a sufficient buffer zone. A good rule of thumb is to always go for a “first down,” meaning there should be at least 30 feet of open space around the edges of the playing area. Adjacent playing fields should have at least 60 feet between them.

Any fences, tracks, or other obstacles within the buffer zone that can’t be moved should be well padded to reduce the risk of injury. If you practice near a sidewalk, hill, or other possible danger that can’t be padded up, the whole team needs to be very aware of the danger. Moving the action as far away from the hazard as you can is the first step. If that’s not always possible, place players in front of these areas to serve as active barriers. In addition, use a very quick whistle around the area.

Make sure that playing areas are free from stray equipment, such as water bottles, extra helmets and pads, or kicking nets and tees. This is especially important during practice when different groups may be working on different schedules close to each other.

Know The Rules You are required to know the rules of your sport and fulfill the requirements of the national and state associations.

Read the rulebook every season. Attend state and local rules meetings. Never

ignore any regulation that pertains to safety. There is no excuse for not staying current with all rules and regulations.

Follow your athletic department’s rules and regulations. Consider talking with your athletic director at least once a year about safety issues. If you have questions, seek outside opinions.

Know the basic rules of health safety.

You are not expected to know all that an athletic trainer knows, but it’s important for you to stay current on the major guidelines. For example, it would be considered a breach of your duty as a coach if you prevented your players from taking water breaks during practice or failed to have a first aid kit on the bench.

Progressive Planning A key part of risk management is instructing players in a safe manner. You have a responsibility to develop a sequence of progressive practice sessions and offer game preparation and strategies that result in worthwhile and safe experiences for your student-athletes.

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This begins with your strength and conditioning program. Progression is the key to proper conditioning, and rest is a vital component. Trying to do too

A SHORT LIST Every football coach needs to: ■

Recognize that risks exist.

■

Identify those risks.

■

Evaluate the risks.

■

Have a plan to reduce the risks.

■

Closely supervise the program.

Remind participants of their role in controlling risks.

■

Always remain vigilant. Risk management is a continual process.

■

Review and revise the program when necessary.

■

■

Ask for assistance from supervisors.

■

Care about the welfare of all athletes.

much too soon is a bad mistake coaches sometimes make.

Another part of proper progression is keeping competitions as equal as possible. Skill, experience, maturity, height, weight, age, mental state, and the activity itself all play a part in avoiding competitive mismatches. For example, avoid matching a smaller, less-experienced player against a returning all-state fullback in tackling drills. Some coaches may feel this is a good way to “toughen players up,” but it can also increase their potential for injury and your potential for liability.

Good Instruction Along with developing proper progressions, you must provide appropriate instruction. You not only have a duty to instruct your athletes to play well, you must also teach proper techniques to lower the chances of injury.

The repetition of fundamental skills is one of the major, and often neglected, techniques used to lower risk. Have skills demonstrated and let the players

practice them in various ways before using them in a game. Teach before you test. Never, ever place an athlete into a situation he is not prepared for.

In addition, coach only that which you really know. Continue to improve your knowledge by attending workshops.

After An Injury Regardless of the excellence of a risk management program, injuries will still occur. Coaches are expected to have a basic knowledge of what should and should not be done when a player is injured.

Most important, you must know how to implement your emergency plan. Do you know what to do at an away game when there is a serious injury? Whom do you call? Do you have a cell phone?

Where is the nearest exit? Practice your emergency game plan before an emergency happens.

Coaches should have training in basic first aid and CPR. Obtain an AED and make sure someone present knows how to use it. Maintain a first aid kit that

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includes individual emergency medical forms. Obtain a higher level of medical care as quickly as possible after an injury.

Protect your players from further harm, and comfort your athletes, but do not offer medical assistance beyond your ability. Remember the golden rule of injury assessment and first aid care: Always assume and treat for the worst possible injury.

Report and document all incidents as soon as possible.

Accident reports should be factual and to the point. Do not editorialize. Avoid offering information to those in the area except your supervisors or medical personnel.

An athlete should not return to play after an injury or illness without a completed “return-to-play” form. Athletes who return to competition too early often suffer injuries that would have been avoided had they fully recovered before playing again.

Along with being knowledgeable in first aid care, the single most important thing you can do when your athletes are injured is to show them and their parents that you care.

Although it sounds simple, parents are less apt to take a coach to court if he seems to have been genuinely concerned about the welfare of their child.

Maintain Records As often as possible, put things in writing and keep records.

This includes checklists, practice plans, training plans, medical examination forms, athletic handbooks, informed-consent forms, and return-to-play agreements. Following a written plan lowers the chance of forgetting an issue and demonstrates your professionalism. It will also save you a great deal of time in the future.

Check with your athletic administrator about the length of time that you should retain these records. My sources suggest four to seven years.

One more note here: The records you keep on file must reflect what you actually did in a situation. If your written rules state athletes cannot practice without passing a physical and then you permit a student to play who hasn’t, you may be found negligent.

On A Daily Basis Whether you’re going to a practice, strength workout, or game, as you walk into every situation, ask yourself, have I done all that is reasonable to lower the chance of injury to my athletes? Have I checked for possible hazards? Have I reviewed the safety of the drills? Have I taught my athletes how to be safe?

The best defense against injuries and possible lawsuits is to understand, appreciate, and meet your legal duties as a coach. You may have noticed that they are the same as the basic responsibilities of being a good coach.

Risk management is a matter of staying vigilant and caring about those who play for you. By doing so, you can improve your chances of staying in the calm waters of risk management and avoiding the tumult of an avoidable injury. ■ For more articles on risk management by Dr. Borkowski, visit our Web site at: www.AthleticSearch.com and type “Borkowski” into the search window.

A version of this article has appeared in previous editions of Coaching Management.

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Circle No. 126

Circle No. 127

Game For A Change

STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

BY GUILLERMO METZ

DONN JONES

T

wo professional football players face a wall marked with a single line at a height of about three feet. On the floor, a trapezoid-shaped court is marked off that widens as it gets further from the wall.

Standing about 25 feet from the wall, one of the athletes throws a tennis ball just above the line.

The other races to catch it and, in one swift motion, fires it back at the wall. They keep at it until one of them fails to catch a rebound within one bounce or can’t throw the ball above the line.

Sounds like fun, right? Well, it is. But it’s also a highly functional training drill

Why would a member of the Tennessee Titans be tossing a football into a garbage can? It’s part of a trend toward using carefully designed games to increase agility and improve conditioning. used by some of the NFL’s finest players. That’s right, NFL. It’s an agility-oriented, fast-paced game Steve Watterson, Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Tennessee Titans, calls Wall Ball, where 300-plus-pound linemen and wily receivers try to outmaneuver each other without tripping over their own feet.

Watterson has become a leader in designing drills that are fun, functional, challenging, reactive games tailored to target specific needs. He created Wall Ball to make his athletes more ambidextrous—after they get the hang of playing the game with both hands, he makes them play with only their non-

dominant one. Being able to play handball with either hand isn’t really the point. The point is to develop balance, coordination, quickness, and agility.

And within a few short weeks, Watterson says, his athletes are doing just that.

Design Stage The impetus for using these types of new drills varies from coach to coach.

Some use them to address a particular deficiency on a team, others focus on appealing to the athletes’ competitiveness, and still others design them as a Guillermo Metz is a former Associate Editor at Coaching Management.

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dynamic warmup. But all coaches agree that every drill must be functional and purposeful—every drill must be designed with a specific end-goal in mind.

“The design of the program is a little more sophisticated than just coming up with a game to play,” says Watterson. “We find a need and then we try to match it with a functional activity. If that functional activity can be a game or a fun, competitive activity, that’s even better.”

Two years ago, when Watterson was completing his postseason evaluations, he noticed that the majority of his players were what he calls “unilaterally dominant.” “If a guy was left-handed, he was more left-handed dominant—they were not very ambidextrous,” he explains. “I first noticed it specifically with the line-

backers, but I also saw it when I went back and looked at other positions.”

In response, Watterson invented Wall Ball. He took handball as a template and modified it to address his players’ deficiency. “When they get the ball, they have to catch it and in a continuous motion take a shot back at the wall,” says Watterson. “They can’t bat it like in handball, because that would be too easy. And they can’t stop, turn, re-set up, and take their shot. We start out with a tennis ball, because it’s a little slower, and move up to a racquetball.”

(See “Changing the Rules” below for more of Watterson’s drills.)

Jeff Connors, Assistant Athletic Director for Strength and Conditioning at the University of North Carolina, also spends

a lot of time making sure his drills carry over to the field. “You have to have a goal and a purpose for any drill you’re going to do,” he says. “When I look across the multitude of drills that are being published, I see very few that have specific applications. Most are general and not closely enough defined to the objective and purpose for the athlete.

“For example, foot quickness is different from linear speed and from change of direction,” he continues. “We try to make training as specific to the activity as possible.”

Connors uses a series of drills for quarterbacks, running backs, receivers, linebackers, and sometimes defensive ends and tight ends that he calls “competitive reactives.” Each pits an offen-

CHANGING THE RULES Steve Watterson, Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Tennessee Titans, is getting a reputation as a strength and conditioning coach who incorporates some pretty off-the-wall games, drills, and activities in his program. He’s had his NFL athletes involved in everything from yoga to Jane Fonda workouts.

But the drills he is most proud of are those he’s created or adapted to address specific needs on the team.

Every time a point is scored, the losing team has a penalty assessed, which could be anything from 25 push-ups to 50 sit-ups to a half gasser, or running across the field and back. And to keep things really interesting, Watterson changes the rules on an almost daily basis or puts obstacles on the field, like a large ring of PVC pipes around each garbage can. He’ll also change the ball as the players begin to adjust to the pace of the game, from a football to a basketball, then to a tennis ball, and finally to the fastest of all, a racquetball.

“About six years ago,” Watterson says, citing one example, “I saw that within the league, between the player’s union and the NFL management, there were more and more regulations on what a strength coach could do with players, especially in the off-season.

No helmets. No pads. No organized football activities. No other coaches on the field with plays or drills.

Sometimes, Watterson prefers to develop certain skills with athletes working one-on-one, such as with something he calls neck wrestling. “It’s basically Greco-Roman wrestling, but there’s function to it,” he says. “There’s hand control and there are football positions. I’ve taken these to another level by having athletes run sprints between each 30-second-to-40-second bout.

“It was limiting the physiological response that we could get,” he continues. “So I tried to find new, innovative ways to still develop the fitness components I was looking for.”

“Along with that, we are using martial arts techniques to learn how to most effectively get someone else’s hands off you,” Watterson adds. “We’re applying these techniques to offensive linemen, defensive linemen, wide receivers, defensive backs, linebackers, and tight ends. We look at how to defeat an opponent without getting your body off balance—how to redirect the opponent so you can continue your pathway.”

Thus, Powerball was born. “It’s part rugby, part basketball, part dodgeball,” Watterson says. The game is played across the width of the first 40 yards of a football field, with a large garbage can on either end, and five to eight players on a side.

The athletes pass the ball to each other and run with it, and they can even throw it to themselves. If they are touched while holding the ball, the ball goes to the other team. In some formulations of the game, if a player is touched while in possession of the ball, he goes to the other team. If the ball goes out of bounds, the last person to touch it goes to the other team. A point is scored by getting the ball in one of the garbage cans.

“There’s no contact other than one-hand touch,” Watterson says.

“I don’t allow picks, moving screens, or anything like that. Sometimes I pull in blocking dummies and put them strategically on the field of play so the athletes can use them as picks.”

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

Watterson also runs the more typical relay races and cone drills, although he carries them a bit further. “We’ll have relay races with all sorts of functional drills like high knees, butt kicks, carioca, power steps, back pedaling, skipping, and hopping,” he says. “That will be phase one. Then we get into implementing specific drills with cone touches. We’ll run five or six patterns. Then we’ll add hurdles to jump over. Then we’ll have them navigate over and under an obstacle course—they go around a figure-eight pattern, pick up large water bottles, run 20 yards, put them down, go to a garbage can, pull out three 45-pound plates, put them in another garbage can, grab the water bottles, return them to where they were originally, and then sprint back to the starting line and tag the next guy. Each week, I change the course so they don’t get used to it.”

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STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

sive player against one or more defenders, fine-tuning their ability to react quickly to their opponent. “Basically, what we’re trying to do is two things,” Connors says. “We’re trying to help our offensive athletes learn how to shake a defender, and we’re trying to help our defensive athletes come to balance.”

(See “Competitive Reactives” below for more on Connors’ drills.)

Cal Dietz, Associate Strength and Conditioning Coach at the University of Minnesota, also emphasizes the importance of competitive drills. “Every drill we do is set up as a race, whether it’s conditioning, speed development, or agility,” he says. “You can time each athlete separately, but I find it’s better to set it up as a race between people.

“A big motivator for any type of drill is chasing,” he explains. “When you get chased, you run a lot faster. It makes everything more intense and more game-like. If you get caught, you owe me a push-up. If the chaser doesn’t catch the guy, the chaser owes me a push-up.

You might say, ‘a push-up, no big deal.’

But you don’t want to be that guy.”

Kevin Ebel, Director of Strength and Conditioning at Performance One Athletic Development in Columbus, Ohio, who works with many NFL players, designs his drills as a warmup to the weightroom work. He uses a lot of agility ladders and cones, then adds games

of catch or visual or verbal commands to work on his athletes’ reaction time.

All of it is aimed at helping his athletes maximize the impact of their lifting programs.

“Yeah, they’re going to develop foot speed,” Ebel says. “Yeah, they’re going to develop quickness and body control.

But we’re really using it as a warmup. If you get someone who’s kind of sluggish and uncoordinated on the ladder drills, they’re going to be uncoordinated on the lifting platform that day as well.

“It’s a three-step process,” he continues. “If you think about an Olympic lift, you have to move as fast as you can in a controlled fashion. That’s the same premise behind agility drills. If you get someone doing agility drills well, they’re going to have a good chance of success in the Olympic lifts. And that way we’ll get the most out of those lifts, which translates to improved performance on the field.”

On leg days in the weightroom, Ebel’s reactive warmup drills focus on foot and hip speed, with a lot of forward and backward motion and some bounding. On upper-body days, he has his players work primarily on hip mobility and upper-body quickness rather than foot speed.

Even though they’re used for warming up, Ebel doesn’t downplay the design of the drills. He stresses the reac-

tive element above all. “You can easily have a pattern of drills and footwork, whether it be on the agility ladders or with cones,” he says, “but then, all they’re doing is memorizing specific foot patterns. Unless they’re being forced to react, it’s not going to transfer well to sport. You have to build reaction into it, whether that’s to a sound or a visual cue.”

All in the Implementation Some words of warning: Don’t run out and have your athletes play Wall Ball as soon as you put down this issue. A key element to making these types of drills work is to ease your athletes into them.

“No matter if an athlete has been with us for a month or for five years, they always start off with the most basic drills at the start of the off-season,” says Ebel. “We generally start with an emphasis on foot speed, and as that increases, we get into the bounding drills and the more reactive types of things and the change of direction.”

Throughout the progression, every time a new drill or twist is introduced, Ebel and his staff make sure the athletes know exactly what is expected of them and what they’re trying to get out of the drill. “Whatever they’re doing, we always explain the drill first and give them three or four targets to focus on,” he says. “We’re very critical, very hands-

COMPETITIVE REACTIVES Jeff Connors, Assistant Athletic Director for Strength and Conditioning at the University of North Carolina, has a whole host of

player from behind and the player in front,” he says. “The defender in front is going to adjust not only to the offensive player but also to the defensive player in the back. They have to work together, so that if the player in the back moves slightly to one side or the other, the first defender will try to shade the other direction. Meanwhile, the offensive player has to watch them both.”

In one he calls the Cut-Back Drill, he sets three cones in a triangle, each 12 yards apart with two cones along a scoring line. A defender starts at one of the two cones on that line, while an offensive player starts at the third cone. The offensive player tries to cross the scoring line without being tagged. To make things more difficult, Connors will sometimes tie the defensive player’s arms at the elbows to keep them down so that he has to bring his feet to the offensive player.

A variation of this, called the Funnel Drill, involves two offensive players and one defender. But it has the added element that the field narrows to only about six to eight yards in width as it approaches the goal line. “I’ll have a receiver come down the funnel with his hands behind his back and try to mirror off the defender while a running back comes behind him, like a perimeter running play,” Connors says. “The running back has to try to score without being tagged, using the receiver as a shield. In this drill, the defender can use his hands to some extent. But it’s just a movement drill. We’re not tackling anybody or even reaching and grabbing them, we’re just tagging.”

drills he calls competitive reactives, where he pits one athlete against another. One plays defense, the other offense, as they run through various drills that push their limits of agility, quickness, and speed.

Another, called the Chase Drill, starts with a similar configuration, but Connors adds a second defender, about three yards behind the offensive player. “The offensive player has to avoid both the

40

COACHING MANAGEMENT

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on, constantly giving them feedback.

And if we see something that’s absolutely horrible, we stop everybody and reemphasize things again. ‘Focus on this.

Take a step back. Slow it down.’”

Ebel tells his athletes that the ultimate target is being able to run the drills as fast as they can, but the only way they’re going to reach that point is by learning to move intuitively. “The emphasis is always on feeling it,” he says.

“I tell them, ‘Don’t think about what

you’re doing. Feel what you’re doing. I don’t want you staring down at that ladder. I want you feeling that foot speed— feel the rhythm, feel the balance, feel the control. Then, find that border where you’re just about to get out of control and then live on that edge.’”

Connors also breaks it down for his players. “I demonstrate the proper body stance and position, how not to false step out of that position, how to accelerate out of that position, and how to

use the whole body,” he says. “For many of these drills, the first thing the athlete has to do is learn how to come to balance in a proper stance, with his feet in a position where he can easily reaccelerate. They need to have good power angles at the hip and knee joints.”

Dietz expends a lot of effort making sure his athletes are doing the drills correctly, too. “I’m looking for them to keep their feet low during the acceleration phase, and maintain good body position and awareness,” he says. “I’m also analyzing what they can do to become faster. For example, some kids will take improper steps—instead of making it a two-step change of direction, they’ll take three or four steps.

That’s what I’m looking for and trying to eliminate.”

There are two schools of thought about just how important perfect form is when performing these types of drills. For some coaches, accepting imperfect form means less efficient movements and an increased chance of injuries. “I don’t think there’s any place to accept improper technique, whether it’s in the weightroom or on the field,” says Connors. “If you want athletes to be productive, technique is going to be very important. If you’re willing to compromise on technique, they’re going to suffer.”

Other coaches will accept near-perfect form because they believe that maximum intensity will yield greater results.

“Some people are too concerned with making sure the kids have perfect form and doing everything just so,” says Dietz.

“The result is that the kids don’t run hard. They’re more worried about doing the drill correctly than about the drill being done with as much intensity as possible.

“In sports, there’s nothing that’s done the exact same way each time,” he continues. “So, I don’t think you should be such a stickler and make sure that everything is done exactly the same way every single time. Once they get the form down, it’s more important to get some intensity out of them. They’ll get to the point where they’re running it efficiently, because their performance in the drill will be better.” ■ A longer version of this article appeared in our sister publication, Training & Conditioning.

Circle No. 130

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

Practical Research Protects Football Players from the Heat

By E. Randy Eichner, MD, FACSM Crampers lose more salt than non-crampers A second study was designed to determine:

Last year, medical staff from the University of Oklahoma (OU) and scientists from the Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI) studied OU’s football team to help solve the problem of full-body heat cramps. The new and vital information from their research is now being used to help athletes exercise more safely in the heat.

●

●

Researchers measured players’ sweat rates and sweat electrolyte losses during two-a-day football practices in August. They compared five cramp-prone players to five players with no history of cramping.

Players heat up fast during training Exercising in the heat places one of the most demanding physiological stresses on the body. Still, how much do we really know about the heat load players face during agility, strength and sprint training in the summer?

To answer this key question, researchers monitored core temperatures in eight linemen during a conditioning session in June. The ambient temperature was 76 degrees F and relative humidity was 77 percent.

Crampers were "salty sweaters," losing twice the sodium in sweat as non-crampers.

Each player swallow a vitamin-sized radiopill temperature sensor that broadcast his core temperature to a handheld receiver placed near his abdomen or back. This battery-powered space-age pill, developed by NASA and tested in astronauts, soldiers and cold-water swimmers, emits a low-frequency radiowave that varies by temperature and provides a continuous gauge of core temperatures. Measurements were taken every 10 minutes during the 95minute workout that comprised: ● ● ●

Causes of full-body muscle cramping in the heat.

Practical ways to prevent it.

30 minutes of field agility drills with weighted vest.

43 minutes of strength training.

22 minutes of sprinting.

Even though players wore only wore t-shirts and shorts, core temperatures rose fast. From around normal, their core temperatures climbed to between 101 to 102 degrees during the field drills, stayed at that level during strength training, and went as high as 103 degrees in the final sprinting. One player, who reached a zenith of nearly 104 degrees, suffered major heat cramping.

It’s clear that, even in June’s only moderate heat and not wearing football gear, players training hard can heat up fast.

Both groups lost small and similar amounts of potassium in sweat, but their sweat sodium losses were starkly different. Crampers were "salty sweaters," losing twice the sodium in sweat as non-crampers.

The salt drain in crampers was stunning. In one day of two-a-days, they lost an average of five teaspoons of salt in sweat, and one player lost nine teaspoons!

Crampers also had higher sweat rates and so dehydrated more than non-crampers.

Sodium-rich diets prevent heat illness and cramping This core-temperature research suggests that football players need to be monitored for signs and symptoms of heat illness even during relatively moderate ambient heat stress, such as pre-season summer conditioning.

The heat-cramping study implies: 1) The roots of full-body heat cramping are muscle fatigue, dehydration and salt depletion; and 2) Practical prevention hinges on hydration and sodium.

Having players increase the amount of sodium in their diet can decrease the incidence of full-body muscle cramps.

This can be done by: ● Ingesting a properly formulated sports drink. ● Adding salt to foods. ● Placing pretzels in team meetings. ● Touting other healthful foods high in sodium, such as tomato juice, soups, and pickles.

E. Randy Eichner, MD, FACSM, is the team internist for the University of Oklahoma football team.

For more information on heat cramping please visit the Sports Science Center at www.gssiweb.com.

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How do bands increase the effectiveness of strength workouts on Hammer Strength equipment?

Bands create increased load during the course of movement through a lift. As the athlete’s body position becomes more biomechanically advantageous and he or she gains more leverage, there is more resistance to overcome. By using bands on our Hammer Strength equipment, our athletes can get more out of their strength workouts. We have used bands with several pieces, particularly on the Hammer Strength Jammer.

Why did you choose Hammer Strength equipment for your facility?

One thing that’s always intrigued me about Hammer Strength is the scientific research that goes into the design of each piece. Their exercise scientists start with a 3D model of the human body, and they apply computer technology to analyze movement patterns so they can create pieces that are the most efficient and effective. That sets Hammer Strength apart from the generic up-and-down or side-to-side movement machines. These machines have superior movement because they’re designed with biomechanics in mind.

Can you give an example of the advantages of Hammer Strength’s design?

When you’re doing a chest press on other machines, you’re usually locked into a motion where both arms are working together and dependent on one another.

The Hammer Strength pieces have independent limb action, so you may find a strength deficit in one arm that can be corrected with more work. Also, instead of the purely linear movement on a typical chest press machine, the Hammer Strength machine incorporates the natural rotation pattern of the arm.

The lat pull down is another example. Usually, you just sit down and pull the bar straight up and down, and you can manipulate the workout slightly by changing your sitting angle on the bench. But on a Hammer Strength pull down, you pull in a circular or semi-circular motion. This type of pull down in a supine grip position closely mimics the movement of a bodyweight chin-up. You’re activating more muscle, and making biomechanically sound movements, and that’s going to strengthen the muscles while also preventing injury.

What else makes Hammer Strength a smart choice?

In every training facility, equipment maintenance is always an issue. You save money by having quality equipment that needs very little upkeep and repair.

We’ve had our Hammer Strength pieces for four years, and we’ve never needed to call someone in to repair them. With some of our other equipment, we’ve got people in here every two weeks fixing something. Our staff keeps the machines clean and lubricated, and we don’t have any problems. This is heavy duty equipment, and you can tell that they took the time to build it right.

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Circle No. 131

HIGH SCHOOL CHAMPIONS

COLUMBUS DAY When Brookhaven High School won the Ohio Division II state championship, it was a victory for the entire Columbus City League.

BY ABIGAIL FUNK PHOTOS BY NEAL C. LAURON/COLUMBUS DISPATCH 46

COACHING MANAGEMENT

HIGH SCHOOL CHAMPIONS

Tom Blake, Head Football Coach at Brookhaven High School in Columbus, Ohio, recently became the first City League coach to lead his team to a state football championship. But what Blake remembers most from the title game isn’t the touchdown his team scored on the opening kickoff. It’s not the media frenzy that surrounded him and the Bearcats. And it’s not the fact that he just made history. It’s the smiles on his players’ faces.

“After the game, I looked around and saw the kids’ faces, those big smiles on their faces,” Blake says. “I was just so darn happy for them. I was extremely happy for Marv Whiting, our defensive coordinator. It’s something Marv deserved. Chuck Andrick, one of our line coaches, has been involved in all nine of the school’s trips to the playoffs, either as a player or a coach. I was so happy for those guys. The thrill for me was watching them celebrate.”

The Bearcats’ 15-0 season and state title were enjoyed far beyond Brookhaven’s sidelines. Archie Griffin, a City League alumnus and two-time Heisman Trophy winner, spoke at the team banquet. Players Blake had coached when he was an assistant in the ’80s were in the stands for the title game, as was Ohio State tailback and Brookhaven graduate Maurice Hall.

“Going into that game, the kids knew they were representing the entire city and everyone who’s ever played City League football,” Blake says. “We’re just so proud to have done this for everyone connected with City League football.”

One year earlier, the Bearcats might have thought they had missed

their chance to bring a state title to Columbus. Brookhaven won 13 straight games in 2003 before losing in the state semi-finals. The Bearcats lost several defensive players from that squad to graduation, and Blake thought 2004 would be a rebuilding season. Instead, he was surprised at how quickly the defense jelled and how strong they were early in the year.

“I knew we had a pretty good team coming in,” Blake says. “But you never know how good you really are until the end of the season.”

The coaches held a team camp in June, and Blake says with those 10 days over the summer, they weren’t as pressed in the preseason as many other schools are. Blake says the turnout for camp was high and that his team did a good job of working hard in the off-season as well.

Although it was only his second season at the helm for Brookhaven, Blake has more than 20 years of coaching experience. He started as an assistant at Brookhaven in 1983, and coached at Independence High School and Thomas Worthington High School, both in Columbus, before returning to Brookhaven as head coach in 2003.

Blake’s experience taught him that it was important to maintain consistency throughout the season.

“We kept practice the same and approached each game the same way all year long,” Blake says. “We talked all year about taking one game at a time. We didn’t let the kids bask in the glory of victory. We told them, ‘The next game is the most important.’”

After following that script to 14 straight wins, the Bearcats took over Massillon Paul Brown Tiger Stadium on their way to a 42-21 win over Avon Lake High School, snapping the defending champion’s 29-game win-

School: Brookhaven High School, Columbus, Ohio Head Coach: Tom Blake 2004 Season: 15-0, Division II State Champions Notes: The Brookhaven Bearcats are the first Columbus City League team to win an Ohio football state championship …

Brookhaven beat Avon Lake, 42-21, in the title game, snapping the defending champion’s 29-game winning streak.

ning streak. The game started with Brookhaven recovering a fumble for a touchdown on the opening kick. The first quarter ended with the Bearcats leading 14-0, and the team sealed the win by taking a 35-14 lead in the third.

Even on the day of the championship game, Blake’s approach remained unchanged. The team boarded the bus after school and pulled out right behind the other students. “The only difference was, those kids were going home, and we were headed up to Massillon,” Blake says. “We didn’t do anything special. We got up there at the same time we always did for an away game and just played.”

While Blake likes consistency for his team, he also understands that coaches and players have to adapt as they progress through the schedule.

Columbus was losing daylight, but instead of shortening practice, the Bearcats started earlier. Blake also reduced the amount of contact in practice toward the end of the season to avoid injury and burnout.

One aspect of Blake’s coaching that he’s always adhered to is the selection of captains. The Bearcats did not have season-long captains. Instead, each week the coaching staff picked four players to represent the team at that week’s game. Based on their Monday through Thursday performance in practice, Blake and his staff announced the four new captains at their weekly Thursday night team dinner.

“Kids would ask me if they were going to be captain that week,” Blake says. “It’s a goal for some of them and it gives each of them an opportunity to be a leader. By doing it this way, they’re all leaders.” ■ Abigail Funk is an Assistant Editor at Coaching Management. She can be reached at afunk@MomentumMedia.com.

Varsity Assistant Coaches: Marv Whiting, defensive coordinator; Steve Ayers, defensive secondary; Travis Clodfelter, defensive line; Trevor White, linebackers; Anthony Thornton, offensive coordinator; Chuck Andrick, offensive line; Damon Kimbrough, receivers; Mike Pechac, tight ends.

Title Game Memories: “After the game, I looked around and saw the kids’ faces, those big smiles on their faces. I was just so darn happy for them.”

COACHING MANAGEMENT

47

High School Championship Solutions

MUSKEGON HIGH SCHOOL, MI DIVISION II STATE CHAMPIONS

MCGILL-TOOLEN HIGH SCHOOL, AL IN FIRST YEAR UNDER A NEW COACH

Need: Muskegon needed an affordable software program to customize playbooks, scout opponents, and organize video.

Need: An efficient way to produce playcards, practice scripts, and game plans for new Head Coach Steve Savarese, Alabama’s all-time wins leader among high school football coaches.

Solution: The coaches use B.W. Software’s Playmaker Pro in the offseason to customize the playbook and during the season to create scout team cards for the defense. B.W. Software’s TD Video classifies video shots from games into an easy-to-reference series of offensive, defensive, and special teams’ plays, and enables coaches to create highlight videos and a series of off-season training tapes.

Solution: Savarese credits Coach’s Office software with helping him to immediately turn around a losing program. His McGill-Toolen team, winners of just three games last season, finished the year with a record of 8-4.

Savarese calls Coach’s Office “another assistant coach,” allowing him to quickly and easily manage scouting, create playcards and game plans, track opponents, and more.

B.W. Software Systems

Coach’s Office®/Graphware, Inc.

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HOOVER HIGH SCHOOL, AL 6A STATE CHAMPIONS 2000, 2002, 2003 Need: Rush Propst, Head Football Coach, and his staff needed a way to break down game film more efficiently.

He also wanted to work with a company that had been in the business a long time and could provide a total solution for his staff.

Solution: Coach Propst chose SportsEdit from CoachComm.

“CoachComm is a total solution company—we have done business with CoachComm for several years, and we call on them for all of our technology solutions. SportsEdit is a great product from a great company,” Propst says.

CoachComm 800-749-2761, FAX: 888-329-2658 WWW.COACHCOMM.COM Circle No. 502

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

LUMEN CHRISTI HIGH SCHOOL, MI 12-2, D-5 MICHIGAN STATE CHAMPIONS, 2003 & 2004

SUSQUEHANNOCK H.S., PA YAIAA-DII CHAMPIONS, 2004 (6-2)

Need: Head Coach Herb Brogan and Defensive Coordinator Joe Williams were looking for a video editing system that could generate paper reports easily and display marked-up video.

Need: Athletic Trainer Glen Johnson was looking for a durable treatment table that would be easy to carry and set up for use on the sidelines during football games.

Solution: “Gamer’s ability to quickly generate printed reports showing tendencies and other information was crucial for us,” Brogan says. “We also like having the ability to make highlight videos quickly. In just five minutes, it’s all done. We appreciate the LRSSports support staff and the training. The good reputation of LRSSports also played a big part in our decision.”

Solution: Johnson chose the Portable Taping Table from Oakworks. This lightweight but sturdy table is fully adjustable and features removable field feet, making it ideal for use in any situation, indoors or out. The Portable Taping Table is easily transportable in its protective carrying case, so it’s perfect for athletic trainers who need to work on the sidelines checking injuries or taping athletes.

LRSSports Software

Oakworks

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

800-916-4603, FAX: 717-235-6798 WWW.OAKWORKSPT.COM Circle No. 504

WEST DES MOINES VALLEY H.S., IA 4-A FOOTBALL CHAMPIONS, 2002 & 2003 IOWA ALL SPORTS CHAMPIONS, 2003 & 2004 Need: Gary Swenson, Head Football Coach and Fitness Center Director, was looking to redesign his free weight area with space-saving equipment that was ideal for both athletics and physical education classes.

Solution: Coach Swenson chose Power Lift 9’ power racks with “Lever Action” benches.

“I visited multiple facilities where Power Lift equipment was being used and I knew this was the solution for us,” he says. “By incorporating the bench press, incline press, military press, and squat station into one space-saving rack, we were able to create more usable space in our facility.”

Power Lift 800-872-1543, FAX: 515-386-3220 WWW.POWER-LIFT.COM Circle No. 505

High School Championship Solutions

VALDOSTA HIGH SCHOOL, GA 23-TIME STATE CHAMPIONS Need: Valdosta, the winningest high school athletic program in the United States, needed top-quality weight training equipment when renovating its weightroom.

Solution: Samson worked with Head Coach Rick Darlington on everything from the initial floor plan to the custom-designed power stations. The company outfitted Valdosta’s weightroom with 16 Triple Power Stations, 16 dip attachments, and four sets of plyo boxes. Hickory platforms within each power station were painted with the school’s logo for an attractive touch that enhances school pride.

Samson Weight Training Equipment 800-4 SAMSON, FAX: 505-523-2100 WWW.SAMSONEQUIPMENT.COM Circle No. 506

ALISO NIGUEL HIGH SCHOOL, CA 10-2, 2ND IN SEA VIEW LEAGUE, ALLLEAGUE KICKER Need: Coach Brad Bohn needed a kicking net, footballs, tees, holders, and blocks.

Need: Every year, 70,000 high school football players sustain concussions.

Head coaches and team athletic trainers need an accurate, reliable way to determine when a player is able to return to action following a concussion.

Solution: “The kicking net from Wizard Sports Equipment is top of the line,” says Coach Bohn. “It’s easy to set up and transport, and the carrying case is convenient for taking it along on road games. The advantage of Wizard products is that you always get quality athletic equipment at good prices, and the service is great.”

Solution: This season, coaches and doctors have a new tool: Concussion Sentinel™. This easy-to-use, computerbased test records a player’s cognitive speed and accuracy before and after an injur y. Schutt® Sports and CogState®, Ltd have formed an alliance to provide this program free of charge for up to 300 athletes at ever y high school in the U.S. To learn more, visit www.concussionsentinel.com.

WIZARD SPORTS EQUIPMENT

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270.843.8393 Circle No. 133 COACHING MANAGEMENT

49

Coaching Management

GuideToSyntheticTurf

Choosing the Best Synthetic Turf Solution Investing in a new synthetic turf field is a major undertaking for any athletic department. From soliciting donations to choosing a surface and planning the installation, there is a lot to think about.

Upper Arlington High School in Columbus, Ohio recently purchased a synthetic field for its football stadium, and we asked Head Football Coach Darrell Mayne about what his school did to make the process a success.

Why did you choose a synthetic turf field for your facility?

The first thing we did was figure out what our priorities were. Number one was safety. We knew we wanted a field that would help protect our players from injury. Number two was playability. We have a lot of different teams that use our field—football, soccer, lacrosse, and field hockey all play on it—and we couldn’t grow grass fast enough to replace what was being torn up. When we heard that the newer turf systems out there now are actually safer than natural grass, and we realized that an artificial surface would hold up a lot better under heavy use, we knew we wanted to go with a synthetic field.

What resources did you use when researching surfaces?

We actually formed a committee to help us make the best decision on what kind of turf to purchase. It included local businesspeople and community

50

COACHING MANAGEMENT

members, parents of athletes, and coaches from our football, soccer, and lacrosse teams to represent their respective sports. The committee members talked to company representatives and surveyed all the information they provided for us, and they asked a lot of questions.

We also made a point of visiting schools that had recently put in some different surfaces. We talked to several schools about their new fields and about why they had chosen the surface they did. We even talked to some schools whose turf did not turn out very well, and asked them what they would do differently if they could do it again.

At some of the places we visited, athletes from our school came along with us. We had them out on the fields with footballs and soccer ball and lacrosse sticks, and we told them just to play on it for a while and get an idea of what it feels like. With a purchase like this, you want to make sure the people who will be competing on the surface are comfortable with it. Our athletes provided feedback to the committee, and that helped them to make a decision.

The committee was a great way to organize our entire search process. And having community members involved really helped when it came time to get the word out as we raised funds for the project.

How did your school mobilize the fundraising effort?

We had to raise something like $600,000 to get it done, and we didn’t use any taxpayer dollars to fund the project, so we had to be very organized and very active. One of the first things we did was bring in a fundraising con-

sultant who was familiar with all the intricacies of effective fundraising.

We created a pledging system with different levels of giving for individuals, and we solicited support from businesses and small corporations in our area. We also set up a database of potential donors and e-mailed all of our alumni to let them know what we were doing and to ask for their contributions.

And to make sure this was a community project that would have community support, we held a lot of our fundraising meetings in various people’s homes, to get everything organized and help get the word out.

We wanted to be flexible and give people a lot of different ways to help.

Some people gave matching donations, and others donated a certain amount of money spread out over three or four years. And we had a few corporations who made large donations in exchange for naming rights to some of the things that are going to be placed in the stadium. We spent about eight months on the fundraising campaign, and it turned out to be a great success.

When did you know that all the effort your school had put into selecting and purchasing a new field was worth it?

One day this past fall, we were scheduled for a 4 o’clock practice and we had a total deluge at about 1 o’clock.

It rained about two inches within a very short time, and on our old field that would have meant a canceled practice for us. But when we went out on the field that afternoon, the surface was dry and we went on as scheduled. It’s been one of the best things I’ve seen happen to our athletic department, and it’s been great for our teams.

Guide to Synthetic Turf

Sports Technology International

Challenger Industries, Inc.

Sprinturf

www.sti-sports.com 724-452-3011 See ad on page 26

www.challengerind.com 800-334-8873 See ad on page 18

www.sprinturf.com 877-686-TURF See ad on page 17A

Poligras 2000 (field hockey) and Poligras NF (football and soccer) are manufactured and installed to afford athletes the ultimate surface on which to perform.

The company’s new Poligras 2000 LSR features a softer, more gentle polyethylene “low slide resistant” yarn that is less abrasive than previous yarns, yet still offers a premium dry or wet shoe/turf interface.

Poligras NF Premier features 2.25-inch – 2.5-inch polyethylene fibers, which are tufted into a durable fabric and installed on football and soccer fields around the world. This fabric is filled during installation with either a measured mixture of sand and rubber or rubber only. Poligras NF fields have been installed with full FIFA certification.

“The installation of Poligras on both our baseball and football fields has been a positive experience for our university. Our athletes like the sure footing and nonabrasiveness of the Poligras product.”

Tom Spicer, former Director of Athletics Fort Hays State University, KS Company Background: Advanced Polymer Technology (APT) recently celebrated its 10th anniversary.

Through its subsidiary, Sports Technology International, APT manufactures polyurethane for gymnasiums and running tracks, and all types of synthetic turf. Sports Technology manufactures such trademarked products as Rekortan®, Spurtan®, Poligras®, Omniturf®, and Laykold®.

Recent Installations: River Oaks Baptist School, TX; Santa Fe Indian School, NM; Santa Ana Soccer Complex, CA; Fort Hays State University, KS; Liberty High School, WA Sports Technology International Circle No. 510

The Players’ Choice system, installed only by Challenger-certified installation contractors, is the closest thing to natural grass in appearance and playability.

It reduces injuries, because there are no potholes, sprinkler heads, or other inconsistencies like those found on natural fields. The low-friction polyethylene fiber also prevents the rug burns associated with previous generations of synthetic surfaces. Traction remains fairly consistent, regardless of the weather, so the surface is always ready for play.

The all-rubber infill provides a long-term GMax rating suitable for all sports, and the surface will not harden like other blended systems.

“It’s more fiscally and ethically responsible to have this type of field than anything else we’ve done athletically for a long time. Injury rates are down as well.”

2004 Press Release Dixie State College, UT Company Background: Challenger Industries, Inc. was established in 1983. It is the oldest synthetic turf manufacturer with the same ownership in the industry. Steve White, an original founder, serves as President. David White serves as Vice President. Together, the two have over 47 years of experience in the turf and textile industry.

Recent Installations: University of Nevada-Las Vegas, NV; Dixie State College, UT; Helix High School, CA; St. Xavier High School, OH; Douglas Co. High School, CO Challenger Industries, Inc. Circle No. 511

Sprinturf is the single largest provider of synthetic turf systems in the United States. The company has developed many innovative products, including the groundbreaking Ultrablade™ fiber.

Ultrablade exploded onto the scene nearly two years ago, after years of extensive testing. This unique monofilament-like fiber has revolutionized the marketplace. It is remarkably soft and pliable, yet amazingly durable. It holds its integrity longer than any other synthetic turf fiber ever developed.

“We were ready to choose FieldTurf until we learned about Sprinturf. The two companies do not even compare!

We tested and played on all types of surfaces, but Sprinturf, with its Ultrablade fiber, third party warranty, and excellent service, was clearly the winner. We made a great choice!”

Larry Reisbig, Athletic Director Long Beach City College Company Background: Sprinturf synthetic turf systems have been installed at hundreds of sports venues worldwide, from the NFL and top colleges and universities to high schools, soccer pitches in Europe, and baseball fields in the Caribbean. Sprinturf has earned its reputation as an innovator with products like Stabilon™, the patented all-rubber infill system, the groundbreaking Ultrablade™ fiber, and CoolFill™ colored rubber infill.

Sprinturf is the largest U.S. based synthetic turf company.

Recent Installations: University of Pennsylvania, PA; DC United; Utah State University, UT; Ohio Dominican University, OH; Minnetonka High School, MN Sprinturf Circle No. 512

COACHING MANAGEMENT

51

Football Facilities latest in style, quality, and safety at a value price. All of the company’s goal posts meet NFHS and NCAA specifications. Give your field a professional look and an added measure of safety with the finest in permanent goal posts.

Circle No. 516

Aer-Flo, Inc. 800-823-7356 WWW.AERFLO.COM Breathable gray polypropylene fabric allows rain to drain through the Bench Zone™ Sideline Turf Protector while eliminating mud around the bench. The Bench Zone can stand up to steeltipped cleats, and the entire edge is wrap-reinforced with white or gold vinyl, with grommets at three-foot intervals to enhance durability and player safety. This tarp can be used with either side up. The following sizes are available: 15’ x 25’, 30’, 40’, 50’, 75’, 100’, 125’, and 150’. The Bench Zone Sideline Protector offers more features and a lower price than catalog brands.

Circle No. 515

American Football Specialists 270-843-8393 WWW.PROKICKER.COM American Football Specialists offers football goal posts that provide the

Fair-Play Scoreboards 800-247-0265 WWW.FAIR-PLAY.COM Fair-Play Scoreboards’ portable PSO6900-2 is designed for multiple outdoor sports. From soccer and football games to baseball, outdoor basketball, and even water polo—this scoreboard has you covered. Its high-contrast 10-inch amber digits are the largest you’ll find on a portable scoreboard. The lightweight wheeled design allows it to move easily

on outdoor surfaces. It operates from a standard 120-volt outlet or an optional battery, and has long-lasting LEDs for durability and wide-angle viewing. Call the company to request a catalog.

Circle No. 517 The FB-8120-2 scoreboard is America’s favorite design and Fair-Play’s numberone seller for football, soccer, and track. The dazzling display of the FB-8120-2 utilizes Fair-Play’s proven LED technology, which offers both long life and low maintenance. It is easily personalized and frequently put into service with optional sponsorships, school identification signs, and message centers.

Circle No. 518

Floyd Perry’s GMS 800-227-9381 WWW.GMSFORSPORTSFIELDS.COM Turf Grows by the Inch and is Killed by the Foot is a must-have for football and soccer field maintenance professionals.

This book, compiled by Floyd Perry, is a spiral-bound, full-color pictorial guide that includes the latest research, the most innovative techniques, and contributions from the industry’s leading experts. The descriptions and instructions are easy to understand, simplifying even the most difficult tasks. Over 450 color photos show up-to-date methods of efficient maintenance. Detailed forms can be adapted to meet the needs and schedules of any athletic facility. The book is available for $64.95, shipping included.

Circle No. 519

Front Row Sports Technologies 800-950-6040 WWW.FRONTROWSCORING.COM

Circle No. 134

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

Front Row Sports Technologies is the leading producer of sideline equipment, from indoor scorer’s tables and chairs to the company’s newly patented sideline system for football fields. With 60 feet of advertising space and removable faces for different sports, the possibilities for generating revenue are endless.

A medical table and water station can be stored within the sideline system bench itself, and overall it offers 60

Football Facilities

Textbook for Football & Soccer Field Management NEW!

cubic feet of storage space. This innovative product is showing up on sidelines all over the United States, so call or go online today to get yours.

Circle No. 520

Seating Services 800-552-9470 WWW.SEATINGSERVICES.COM Seating Services, manufacturer of quality stadium chairs, has introduced the Cardinal Model Series 3500 tip-up chair for use in settings with narrow row spacing—as narrow as 27 inches.

These blow-molded chairs are gravity tip.

They have no springs or pins, which saves money in three ways: The chairs are less expensive to manufacture, install, and maintain. They are designed for installation on concrete or steel/aluminum grandstands. Seat widths can range from 18-22 inches. Many available colors and options make these an excellent way to seat more fans in a limited space.

Circle No. 521

Specialized Seating 877-SEATING WWW.SPECIALIZEDSEATING.COM Sit back and relax with the seating professionals. Specialized Seating is your number-one source for team benches, sidelines, locker rooms, meeting rooms, and fundraising. The company even has little seats for time outs.

Its literature package shows a full line of chairs, stools, stadium seats, and slipcovers, all available in a variety of colors customizable with your own artwork. Order a sideline package of team chairs and a scorer’s table and get your time out stools free. Call Specialized Seating to design your own custom sideline package and sit with the pros.

Circle No. 522

Turfco Manufacturing 800-679-8201 WWW.TURFCO.COM The Turfco® Mete-R-Matic® XL towtype topdresser offers increased hopper capacity to cover larger turf areas on sports fields. It combines Turfco’s patented Mete-R-Matic chevron belt

design and ground drive system to ensure even distribution of topdressing materials, regardless of moisture content or vehicle speed. As a result, the MeteR-Matic XL is the easiest to use, most consistent large-area topdresser available. With a hopper capacity of 2.25 cubic yards (1.72 cubic meters), it can carry a load of up to 6,000 lbs.

Circle No. 523 Unlike traditional rotary edgers, the Turfco® Edge-R-Rite’s unique oscillating blade cuts turf without throwing debris, making it cleaner and safer to use in high-traffic areas. It eliminates spade or shovel edging and leaves a professionallooking edge.

The right-angle blade edges baseball diamonds, golf course bunkers, and flower beds.

Additional blades can be added to edge sidewalks, curbs, and driveways, and to make cuts for drainage or to install all sorts of edging. Depth control can be easily adjusted up to four inches. The Edge-R-Rite is built with a solid-steel frame and a traction-assist drive.

Circle No. 524

Wenger Corp.

800-733-0393, EXT. 159 WWW.WENGER.COM The new GearBoss storage system is designed specifically for storing athletic equipment to optimize functionality and efficient use of space. The GearBoss system improves inventory management and security. It’s a modular, highdensity system of rolling carts that are flexible and easy to configure for all kinds of equipment, including helmets, shoulder pads, jerseys, balls, and everything else. The GearBoss X-Carts roll along a fixed aluminum track in the floor, allowing easy access to both sides of the cart while minimizing wasted aisle space.

Customize your GearBoss with team colors.

Circle No. 525

Floyd Perry’s

NEW!

“Turf Grows By The Inch And Is Killed By The Foot” 12 Expert Authors Over 450 Color Photos Informative Charts and Articles Forms That Can Be Reproduced Topics Include: High School & College Stadiums, Turf Safety, Fertilization, Pest & Disease, Management, Weed Control, Irrigation, Field Planning, Soil Testing Weights, Calibrations, Volumes, Dimensions, Liability Defense, Youth/Recreation, Soccer Complexes, Practice/Training Areas, Maintenance Schedules and More!

It’s Easy to Order 1-800-227-9381 All For Only $59.95, Plus $5 S&H We Accept Visa, MasterCard, Check, or Purchase Order.

GMS will conduct a groundskeepers training academy or seminar at your location. Call if interested in hosting or attending an event.

Floyd Perry’s Grounds Maintenance Service Toll-Free 1-800-227-9381 Fax: 407-648-2119 E-Mail grounds@digital.net www.gmsforsportsfields.com Circle No. 135 COACHING MANAGEMENT

53

Technology Products B.W. Software 888-752-9625 WWW.PLAYMAKERPRO.COM B.W. Software offers PlayMaker Pro, a user-friendly drawing program that makes it easy for coaches to create and distribute plays to staff and players.

This program enables you to draw players much better and faster than by hand. The plays can be shown with animation, and you can flip plays from one side of the field to the other in seconds. The system is sold in one affordable package, and B.W. Software provides a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Circle No. 530 B.W. Software also offers TD Video, a Macintosh-based system which contains all of the key features you’d expect from a top video editing and scouting software program: including instant rewind and fast forward, immediate access to any play in a game, and flicker-free slow motion. You can do cut-ups, checkerboards, and scouting reports. Plus, TD Video utilizes firewire technology, which makes the transmission from the video camera to the computer or projector screen much clearer than with other sytems. The software costs just $895.

Circle No. 531

Coach’s Office®/Graphware, Inc. 513-424-1091 WWW.COACHSOFFICE.COM Coach’s Office has made major enhancements to its current suite of programs. Its software is now compatible with two major digital editing systems. Coach’s Office allows you to take cut-ups from your games and play them back within the playbook or slideshow modules while viewing diagrams of the plays. It is the only product of

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its kind that can print playcards directly from a practice script, saving you hours each day. The chalkboard drawing tool has more features to make drawing plays easier. The playbook module offers page templates, page numbering, and word processing, so you can paste text, tables, and graphics from other applications. Attach your desktop or laptop PC to a projector and use the slideshow module for training and presentations.

Circle No. 532

CoachComm 800-749-2761 WWW.COACHCOMM.COM SportsEdit, from XOS Technologies and CoachComm, is one of the most powerful and affordable editing systems available. It’s powerful because it is based on XOS Technologies software, which is the choice of many professionals.

With SportsEdit you get a high-quality, easy-to-use, multi-sport editing system with custom filtering; 4way sorting; interval and event marking; statistics importing; playlist data entry; video-frame printing; quickie stats reporting; multiple-view intercutting; commando remote compatibility; and much more. SportsEdit offers great value—the systems start at only $3,495.

Circle No. 533 Connex is an affordable new handsfree headset system available only from CoachComm.

It works the way a headset system should—up to 18 coaches get clear, powerful sound along with offense/defense switching. Set-up is quick and easy.

Connex features LiION batteries for the performance you demand—short charge time, long operation, and no off-season maintenance.

CoachComm’s Connex offers top-notch, affordable sideline communication. The systems start at just $2,395.

Circle No. 534

CompuSports 800-691-4555 WWW.COMPUSPORTS.COM Easy-Scout XP is the newest and most powerful member of CompuSports’ Easy-Scout family of scouting software.

Easy-Scout XP “scouts” both offense and defense and incorporates all of the design features that have made EasyScout a trusted name with football coaches for nearly two decades. A trial version that provides access to all of the play entry and reporting capabilities of Easy-Scout XP is available from the CompuSports Web site. Several affordable upgrade options are available to existing EasyScout users.

Circle No. 535

Endzone Video Systems 866-210-9030 WWW.ENDZONEVIDEO.COM The Endzone Video System is a portable telescoping tower that requires no electrical cords and can be set up and operated by just one person. It is available in 25-foot and 35-foot sizes.

The tower is made with quality cables, pullies, and gears to ensure long life and optimum performance. It’s flexible enough for wide-angle and close-up video shooting, and can be moved easily from one end of the field to the other. Give your team an edge by capturing the best possible view of the game.

Circle No. 536 The Wide & Tight Tripod from Endzone Video Systems is designed to allow one person to operate both the wide-angle and close-up cameras from the press box. The system includes a tripod, doublemount plates, and two remote controls. It’s lightweight and can be transported easily in two bags.

Circle No. 537

Technology Products LRSSports® 888-LRS-0001 WWW.LRSSPORTS.COM The new LRSSports® Viewing Station makes viewing digital video as easy as touching the screen, clicking the mouse, or pressing a button on your favorite handheld remote. It’s ideal for all players and coaches who don’t need or want to learn video editing functionality. The Viewing Station is available for Ultima™ and Gamer™ video editing stations, and it works with touch-screen technology, a handheld remote, or a standard PC mouse.

Circle No. 538 Game Day Capture options from LRSSports let coaches and video coordinators work the way they want.

LRSSports options allow you to capture video and marks using a laptop or a portable hard drive right on the field, or to capture digital video and have the

LRSSports video editing system automatically mark clips by reading scene changes on the video stream.

In addition, LRSSports offers efficient ODK creation, angle splitting, and merging capability.

Circle No. 539

U.S. Sports Video 800-556-8778 WWW.USSPORTSVIDEO.COM U.S. Sports Video offers the EagleCam Skyhawk, a patented video acquisition system that’s remote-controlled, portable, and elevated. It includes a custom-built, allaluminum modular tower unit that sets up in seconds; a remote-controlled camera built into a Riddell football helmet; a roboticscontrolled command center module that allows control of camera pan, tilt,

zoom, focus, and iris; a high-resolution nine-inch color action monitor; and an electronic interface system.

Circle No. 540 Digital editing has become the trend for breaking down game tapes, and U.S. Sports Video has drawn upon its years of experience to offer unmatched technology and service in this emerging field. U.S. Sports Video can assist your athletic program, whether you’re an existing customer looking for an upgrade, or a new customer looking to purchase a digital editing system. The company’s systems are based on the same careful research, development, and testing that has produced all the other successful products enjoyed by its sports video customers over the years. U.S. Sports Video offers 24-hour, seven-days-a-week technical support, and sports video is the company’s only business.

Circle No. 541

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Great Ideas For Athletes...

Knee Strap

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Adams USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Advanced Polymer Technology . . . 26 Aer-Flo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Austin Plastics & Supply . . . . . . . . . 59 B.W. Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Bassco Sporting Goods . . . . . . . . 12-13 Challenger Industries . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Cho-Pat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Coach’s Office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 CoachComm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 CompuSports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Cramer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Cutters Sport Gloves . . . . . . . . . . . . BC eFundraising.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Endzone Video Systems . . . . . . . . . 24 Fair-Play Scoreboards . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Floyd Perry’s GMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Front Row Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Full Performance Fitness . . . . . . . . . 55 Gatorade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Jump Stretch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 K&K Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

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Adams USA (chin strap buckles) . . . . . . 60 Adams USA (shoulder pad) . . . . . . . . . 60 Aer-Flo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 American Football (goal posts). . . . . . 52 American Football (kicking shoe) . . . . 62 Austin Plastics & Supply . . . . . . . . . 57 B.W. Software (championship solutions) 48 B.W. Software (PlayMaker Pro) . . . . . . 54 B.W. Software (TD Video) . . . . . . . . . . 54 Bassco (athletic equipment) . . . . . . . . . 61 Bassco (custom-lettered game jerseys) . . 61 Challenger Industries . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Cho-Pat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Coach’s Office (championship solutions) 48 Coach’s Office (program enhancements) 54 CoachComm (championship solutions) . 48 CoachComm (Connex) . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 CoachComm (SportsEdit) . . . . . . . . . . 54 CompuSports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Cramer (Coil Cool) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Cramer (ProShox) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Cutters Gloves (C-TACK) . . . . . . . . . . 62 Cutters Gloves (Wrist Coach) . . . . . . . 62 eFundraising.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Endzone Video (tripod) . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Endzone Video (video system). . . . . . . 54 Fair-Play Scoreboards (FB-8120-2) . . . 52 Fair-Play Scoreboards (PSO-6900-2). . 52 Floyd Perry’s GMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Front Row Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Gatorade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 HQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Jump Stretch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 K&K Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Life Fitness (Dual Adjustable Pulley) . . . 58 Life Fitness (Rack Systems) . . . . . . . . . 57 LRSSports (championship solution) . . . . 48 LRSSports (Game Day Capture) . . . . . . 55

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Life Fitness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 LRSSports Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 M.A.S.A. Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 McDavid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC Oakworks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Power Lift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Powernetics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IBC Ray Guy Kicking Academy . . . . . . . 49 Samson Weight Equipment . . . . . . . 42 Schutt Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Seating Services, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Specialized Seating . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Sprinturf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17A Thiolon Grass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17B Turfco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 U.S. Sports Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Under Armour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 VertiMax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Wenger Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Wilson Sporting Goods . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Wizard Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 WSI Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

PRODUCTS DIRECTORY

Cho-Pat’s Original Knee Strap is designed to alleviate certain knee discomforts due to overuse syndromes, arthritis, and other forms of degeneration. Nearly two million sold!

Sizes: XS - XXL • Colors: Black and Tan

Dual Action Knee Strap Patented device offers an extra level of pain relief and protection from knee degeneration and overuse syndromes.

Stabilizes and strengthens the joint while allowing full mobility.

Sizes: Sm - XL

Achilles Tendon Strap This patented device will reduce stress upon the Achilles Tendon and provide effective relief from pain and discomfort associated with Achilles Tendonitis. Sizes: Sm - Med - Lrg

www.cho-pat.com 1-800-221-1601 Circle No. 138

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ADVERTISERS DIRECTORY CIRCLE NO.

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Catalog Showcase Performance Analysis 704-202-0416 WWW.PERF-ANALYSIS.COM Polymer shoulder pad inserts fit into most football shoulder pads on the market today.

These pads utilize impactdissipating visco-elastic polymer padding and memory foam. This combination of superior materials provides increased shoulder protection while still being lightweight.

The pads are strategically scalloped for AC protection and isolation. They are designed to protect both injured and healthy players. Velcro™ provisions are included for easy installation into most any pad system. The shoulder pad inserts can be purchased through Sports Health by calling 800-323-1305.

Circle No. 545

Strength & Conditioning Aids Austin Plastics & Supply 800-290-1025 WWW.ATHLETICRECORDBOARDS.COM Athletic record boards are an effective tool for motivating your athletes to do their best. Visit Austin’s Web site to view examples of footballrelated boards, such as offseason strength and conditioning record boards, player-of-the-week boards, goal boards, and football record boards.

Engraved record nameplates are available, or you can print your own using perforated card stock supplied by the company. Custom boards are also available.

Circle No. 547

VertiMax Power Systems 800-321-6975 WWW.POWER-SYSTEMS.COM Since 1986, Power Systems has been setting the standard as a leading supplier for sports performance, fitness, and rehabilitation products and programs. It’s the one resource for all your training equipment, supplemental product education, and storage needs. The sports performance catalog has designated areas for core strength, medicine balls, speed, plyometrics, strength equipment, racks, and flooring. The catalog is full of hundreds of new products and dozens of products available exclusively from Power Systems. The company has even lowered some of its prices, enabling the customer to get premium products at great prices. Call or go online to find out more, to place an order, or to request a catalog.

Circle No. 546

800-699-5867 WWW.VERTIMAX.COM “Only the VertiMax V6 incorporates upper-body loading into an already highly-effective explosion training device. Training the upper body to improve the lift aspect of vertical jump is a giant breakthrough.

You can use it for arm action in the running phase, jam techniques, or combine all resistance bands for run-into-jump maneuvers. I can say without hesitation that this device can be of great importance in any training program.” — Garrett Giemont, Professional Football 2002 Strength & Conditioning Coach of the Year Circle No. 548 No matter what kind of lowerbody strengthand speed-training you are doing, it falls into one of three categories: heavy resistance,

plyometrics, or low-load, velocity-specific training (the VertiMax). If heavy resistance were 10 on a scale of one to 10, and if plyometrics were one, VertiMax would be five. It’s plyo with overload: the best of both worlds. VertiMax offers maximum transfer to the field.

Circle No. 549

Jump Stretch, Inc. 800-344-3539 WWW.JUMPSTRETCH.COM The goal at Jump Stretch is to provide equipment that simulates actual game conditions to improve performance.

Most sports require short bursts of explosive power, so the company promotes anaerobic training.

Squats and squat thrusts performed with Flex Bands® provide a safe and highly-effective method for improving explosiveness. Jump Stretch has been helping pro, college, and high school teams improve vertical jump, speed, and power since 1980.

Circle No. 550

Life Fitness 800-634-8637 WWW.LIFEFITNESS.COM Hammer Strength’s Olympic HeavyDuty Rack Systems include the 8- and 9-foot Olympic Heavy-Duty Power Racks, a multi-rack, and a half-rack.

They carry on Hammer Strength’s heritage of simple, durable construction using the highest-quality components. The units are constructed with heavy-duty 9-gauge, 3” x 3” steel tubing. The Olympic Heavy-Duty Power Rack Adjustment Rack, which supports the bar catches and bar supports, is numbered for quick and easy position identification. It is also equipped with a non-slip spotter’s stand, and multiple grip positions for pull-ups and chin-ups.

Circle No. 551

COACHING MANAGEMENT

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Strength & Conditioning Aids Life Fitness 800-634-8637 WWW.LIFEFITNESS.COM Life Fitness’s Dual Adjustable Pulley provides more than 220 exercise options, making it one of the most versatile strength-training machines available.

Equipped with Cable Motion Technology, users can define their own paths of motion for unlimited training opportunities and advanced strength training. Boasting a new, contemporary design, the unit has a 1:4 resistance ratio, 20 vertical adjustment positions, an integrated storage rack, and an accessory kit.

Circle No. 552

Power Lift 800-872-1543 WWW.POWER-LIFT.COM The Power Lift half rack is ideal for facilities that are lacking in space since it takes up less room than the multi or power rack. Lifts that can be done on the half rack include bench press, incline press, squat, hang clean, push press, and lunge.

Standard features for Power Lift racks include patented “Rhino Hook” bar catches, safety spot bars, dual-grip chin-up bars, and weight storage.

Available options include the “Lever Action” bench, technique trays, rack dip attachments, adjustable bumper plate storage, and rack stepup devices.

Circle No. 553 The innovative, patented “Lever Action” bench is designed to fit into all of the Power Lift racks. The front handle and wheels allow for easy center positioning into one of two locking positions on the spotters’ platforms. The spotters’ platforms are now located on the racks, making for a step-through design. The “Lever Action” bench can be adjusted horizontally while locked into position. This allows users to easily position themselves under the Olympic bar in incline positions.

Circle No. 554

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 Giants, Jaguars, Raiders, Ravens, Angels, Padres, Red Sox, 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 58

Circle No. 139 COACHING MANAGEMENT

Power Systems 800-321-6975 WWW.POWER-SYSTEMS.COM Drive home the power and develop explosive lower-body strength to improve start and acceleration with the Power Systems’ Power Sled. Perform resistance training without a partner using your choice of the waist belt or shoulder harness.

For more versatility, the sled can be pushed using the handles on the back. The waist belt can be used for backward, forward, and lateral running drills. Additional weight can be added to increase difficulty and challenge acceleration. The waist belt is adjustable from 30” to 42” and the XXL belt adjusts from 40” to 48”. The shoulder harness option fits chests up to 56”. The Power Sled is made of strong welded steel. A Power Sled instructional manual, video, and DVD are also available.

Circle No. 555 The Multi Grip Bar™ from Power Systems assists in complete muscular development of the shoulders and chest by providing three different ergonomic hand positions to

Strength & Conditioning Aids reduce stress on the shoulders and wrists during pressing exercises. This weightlifting bar is a Power Systems exclusive, made of heattreated alloy with knurled hand grips and fixed sleeves. The bar is 84 inches long and weighs 58 lbs. Call or visit Power Systems online for more information. Power Systems...setting the standard in training products and programs since 1986.

Circle No. 556

framework, all designed to fit athletes of every size.

Work everything from the chest to the shoulders, bilaterally and unilaterally, with comfort and ease.

Combine variety and quality with one of the best names in the business.

Circle No. 559 The Samson 111PSS Power Stand provides a great way to perform multiple exercises in one compact unit. Athletes have the abil-

ity to perform everything from the bench press and incline to the shoulder press and squats, simply by adjusting the safety catches and cups to the desired height.

The Power Stand comes equipped with adjustable safety catches, cups, and weight storage for easy use. Give your athletes this quality equipment from one of the industry’s leading manufacturers.

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Powernetics 800-829-2928 WWW.POWERNETICS.COM Powernetics offers many products for the strength training of your football players, including the Bulldog and the Attacker.

The Bulldog isolates the hamstrings and glutes without putting stress on the knees and back. It also offers an explosive hack jump exercise that develops power in the hamstrings, glutes, and quads—all from one exercise. The Attacker allows the athlete to fire and roll his hips while moving up and out into a full hand separation. Because of the explosive movement, power is developed from the feet through the hands.

Circle No. 557 Powernetics 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 do cleans safely, but also to reverse the clean. The unit can be used to perform seven different exercises: the clean, reverse clean, dead lift, lift jump, high row, bench press, and shoulder press. The Power Trainer has proven over the years to be the safest and most effective way to perform the power clean.

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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

Toll Free: 800-691-4555

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ATHLETIC RECORD BOARDS Strength & Fitness

“Strive For Athletic Achievement” What a great way for motivating your athletes!

“RECORDS ARE MEANT TO BE BROKEN” NOW DISPLAY THEM FOR ALL TO SEE!

Samson Weight Training Equipment 800-472-6766 WWW.SAMSONEQUIPMENT.COM Samson’s 104HHUB is a great new addition to the company’s outstanding plateloaded line. The unique design allows the athlete to combine unilateral and bilateral movements from seven different positions.

It’s fully equipped with easy-to-load weight horns, adjustable handles, and adjustable

Austin Plastics & Supply, Inc. 2415 A Kramer Lane, Austin, TX (800)290-1025

78758

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Injury Prevention Adams USA 800-251-6857 WWW.ADAMSUSA.COM Adams USA makes quality, high-impact plastic chin strap buckles. The buckles are made of stainless steel and encased in highimpact plastic for superior durability and safety. They’re the best choice for protecting players’ uniforms from snags caused by sharp buckle edges. These buckles are available in 11 colors to match your team’s uniforms. Patent No. 6,481,066.

Circle No. 565 The Boss shoulder pad from Adams USA is a revolutionary innovation in football protection. Designed by Jeff Boss, former LSU equipment manager, the pad comes in two styles. The Boss and the Boss Gridiron both have a streamlined, low-profile design, locking shoulder epaulets, a flat pad, and no cantilever strap, allowing improved range of motion. These pads are position-specific and come in a range of sizes. Players have their choice of air management or non-air management pad systems, and removable or sewn-in channel wedges.

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Cho-Pat 800-221-1601 WWW.CHO-PAT.COM Cho-Pat’s patented Dual Action Knee Strap provides an extra level of relief for painful and weakened knees. It applies pressure to the tendon below the knee to reduce patellar subluxation and improve tracking and elevation. It also puts pressure on the tendon above the knee to provide added support and

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stability. The Dual Action Knee Strap allows full mobility.

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Cramer Products, Inc. 800-345-2231 WWW.CRAMERSPORTSMED.COM Do you want professional fit and maximum protection? ProShox’s unique professional fitting system provides the same fit and protection from oral head injuries as a dentist-designed mouth guard. The ProShox professional fitting system uses a dental tray to ensure proper fit and ultimate comfort. It also works as a protective carrying case. The mouth guard is constructed of a DuPont shock-absorbing material that helps prevent jaw-related concussions, TMJ dislocation, and dental trauma.

Circle No. 568 The Coil Cool from Cramer is an economical, efficient way to dispense cold drinking water. A copper coil inside the cooler carries drinking water from the hose attachment to the drinking hoses that hang on the sides of the cooler. Just add ice to the cooler, attach your water hose, and crisp, cool water is available through four adjustable drinking nozzles.

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quickly should heat illness treatment become necessary. Proven by over 16 years of use in the field, the patented pill wirelessly and continuously transmits the athlete’s core temperature harmlessly through the body to the handheld CorTemp data recorder. One recorder monitors up to 99 athletes. The system also has long-range RF transmission capabilities.

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McDavid, Inc. 800-237-8254 WWW.MCDAVIDINC.COM Innovation is a trademark of the protective equipment manufactured by McDavid Sports Medical Products. The company recently introduced a new product line that utilizes technology to provide better protection and comfort for athletes. Hexpad™ protective apparel features hundreds of individual pads, permanently bonded between two layers of moisture-transporting 4-way stretch compression fabric. The result is a line of padded undergarments for athletes that are more protective, super lightweight, and breathable. Hexpads conform to the body, flex, and stretch far better than any other product on the market.

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HQ, Inc. 941-721-7588 WWW.HQINC.NET Recognizing elevated core body temperature on the field is critical for the prevention, detection, and treatment of exertional heat illness. The CorTemp™ Core Body Temperature Monitoring System, featuring the CorTemp ingestible temperature pill, monitors core temperature during practices and games, enabling the ATC to respond

SafeTGard 800-356-9026 WWW.SAFETGARD.COM SafeTGard Knitted Elastic Support Sleeves are available for the ankle, knee, elbow, and arm. They offer greater breathability than standard neoprene wraps, and keep athletes cooler and dryer by wicking away sweat.

The sleeves have an extremely thin profile that won’t interfere with cloth-

Injury Prevention ing, and the knit varies in density and thickness to place maximum support and flexibility where it’s needed most. They are available in blue/white or gray/black, and in small, medium, and large sizes.

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Uniforms & Apparel Bassco Sporting Goods 800-250-4923 WWW.BASSCO.COM Bassco Sporting Goods was acquired in July by Sport Chalet, creating one of the largest team dealer groups in the country.

Since its founding +1 /9 in 1959, 6 1 Sport - ,6

Chalet has evolved into a national leader in athletic equipment sales.

As a result of this acquisition, Bassco now offers greater product selection, improved customer service, an expanded catalog showcasing products from top football equipment manufacturers, and an enhanced Web site that makes researching and ordering products easier than ever. Bassco provides the knowledge and experience that coaches look for to maximize their equipment budget. Call today to request a free catalog.

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SCHUTT SPORTS® 866-4 SCHUTT WWW.SCHUTTSPORTS.COM Schutt Sports® has introduced new Typhoon™ shoulder pads. These pads incorporate Smart Fabric Technology™

by Outlast®, a Schutt exclusive, to help control players’ body temperature in any climate. Typhoon pads provide the protection you demand through a dense foam padding system that offers one layer for protection and another for soft comfort next to the body. They are available in position-specific arch styles to provide the flexibility, mobility, and comfort your players need to be at their best.

Circle No. 573 The Equipment Manager’s Field Pack from Schutt Sports® comes loaded with useful items for practice and game day. Add your own field essentials to create a personalized field kit that sits on your hip. Each one includes Schutt’s Faceguard Removal Tool, T-Nut Wrench, and Helmet Pump, as well as a screwdriver. There are multiple pockets to carry T-nuts, screws, snaps, loop straps, buckles, cleats, T-hooks, laces, and any other item you may need for on-field equipment repairs.

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local dealer, and you’ll receive your choice of two pairs of micro-fiber Lycra coach’s shorts and two ultra-light Tshirts, or 25 “Skullys” (skull caps) for your team.

For every $1,500 you spend, you’re eligible to receive one of these gifts. Your team dealer or sales representative will place your completed order with McDavid. This offer will continue until May 15, 2005.

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Bassco Sporting Goods, a subsidiary of Sport Chalet, offers top-quality customlettered game jerseys. Take advantage of the company’s Quick Ship program, and your team can be sporting its new custom jerseys in less than two weeks. Stock game jerseys are available in 10 team colors, or choose the limited option game jersey, for which you select the body, insert, cuff color, and optional piping on the insert. Contact Bassco to request the company’s catalog, which was recently expanded to showcase a wide selection of uniform products.

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McDavid, Inc. 800-237-8254 WWW.MCDAVIDINC.COM To say “Thank you” to its customers for their support, McDavid would like to offer some of its products to coaches absolutely free. Just purchase $1,500 worth of McDavid products from your

WSI Manufacturing 651-994-9945 WWW.WSISPORTS.COM The new Stealth Attack shirt combines moisture management and protection into one garment for the performance athlete.

The pads are removable, so the garment caters to each athlete’s individual needs.

The ultra-light, tough carbon cell foam pads protect the kidneys, spine, and sternum, while stinger padding on the shoulders makes shoulder pads more comfortable.

Circle No. 578 The revolutionary new football girdle from WSI Manufacturing features lightweight protection combined with breathable, durable moisture management. It also acts like a pair of compression shorts, making this the single most beneficial piece of equipment on the market today. The Stealth line is continuously being developed at WSI, and it’s popular among professional and collegiate players because of its thin, lightweight, breathable materials. It provides protection and comfort, allowing players to focus on their game and not be distracted by the elements or by injury.

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Team Equipment American Football Specialists 270-843-8393 WWW.PROKICKER.COM The SQUARE TOE KICKING SHOE from American Football Specialists is the company’s “original style,” made of leather and featuring detachable cleats. Half and full sizes are available Circle No. 580

the material. Independent research has demonstrated C-TACK’s superiority over other brands that have attempted to replicate the technology. Researchers tested the grips of leading football gloves, and the results were clear: Cutters outperformed all the other gloves, in both dry and wet conditions.

Because the grip is part of the material, there is no material or residue transfer. C-TACK meets NFHS and NCAA specifications.

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The Gatorade Co. Cutters Gloves® 800-821-0231 WWW.CUTTERSGLOVES.COM The 197 Triple Playmaker Wrist Coach is made with C-PRENE™, Cutters Gloves®’ exclusive “fits like a glove” technology, for optimal comfort and fit. It includes three windows for easy reference, allowing you to store more than 60 plays at once, and is available in black, white, gray, and 11 team colors. Visit the “Downloads” section of Cutters’ Web site for free blank playcard templates. The site also offers additional product information and a dealer locator.

Circle No. 581 Cutters Gloves® is the innovator behind C-TACK™ performance grip material.

Other gloves may look the same, but

Cutters’ exclusive C-TACK material is the only one in which the grip is part of

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800-88GATOR WWW.GATORADE.COM After years of extensive research, scientists at the Gatorade Sports Science Institute have developed Gatorade Endurance Formula for athletes’ longer, more intense workouts and competitions.

Gatorade Endurance Formula is a specialized sports drink with a five-electrolyte blend containing nearly twice the sodium (200 mg) and three times the potassium (90 mg) of Gatorade Thirst Quencher to more fully replace what athletes lose in sweat when fluid and electrolyte losses become substantial.

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M.A.S.A., Inc. 800-264-4519 WWW.MASA.COM The wrist coach is an invaluable tool for today’s complex offensive and defensive schemes. It is specially designed with a comfortable wristband and a vinyl covering. Game plan compartments let players and coaches communicate without spending timouts.

It also absorbs sweat to improve grip.

Call or go online today to find out more about M.A.S.A. products.

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Wilson Sporting Goods Co. WWW.WILSON.COM Wilson leads the nation in college and high school football sales with the GST Game Ball, the first thoroughly redesigned football in a generation. It features the Accurate Control Lacing system, which enhances grip for more accurate passing and more consistent catching. The patented ACL laces are 160 percent more gripable than traditional laces. The GST is available with deep pebbled leather, a Wilson exclusive offering increased tack for better control. And for the best grip, choose GST’s exclusive Laid-In Stripe.

This swath of composite pebbled leather set in a recess across the ball’s surface replaces an often slippery part of the football with a new friction-enhancing surface.

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Wizard Kicking & Equipment Co. 888-964-5425 WWW.WIZARDSPORTS.COM Since 1984, Wizard Kicking has been manufacturing and designing quality football kicking products. Check out the company’s new Wizard Pro Kicking Cage. It’s completely powder-coated, lightweight (just 38 lbs.), and stable.

Setting it up is quick and easy, because the Pro Kicking Cage was designed by kickers, for kickers. Along with great kicking nets, holders, tees, and custom football bags, Wizard has designed an excellent football kicking/punting shoe.

The new Plus 3 kicking shoe gives your kicker or punter that extra level of confidence. The Spotbilt square-toe kicking shoe is also available.

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More Products eFundraising 866-825-2921 WWW.MAGFUNDRAISING.COM Try eFundraising’s On-line Fundraising Program, a new way to raise money quickly and easily. With your free, personalized Web site, complete with a magazine store, your supporters can purchase magazine subscriptions online and 40 percent of each purchase amount will go back to your group. Simply enter the site and send e-mails to friends and family across America, inviting them to visit your online store and buy, renew, or extend their magazine subscriptions to help support your group. They’ll save up to 85 percent off the newsstand price on over 650 magazine titles while you earn 40-percent profit.

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K&K Insurance Group, Inc.

Oakworks

800-426-2889 WWW.KANDKINSURANCE.COM K&K offers a variety of insurance products for the sports industry. The company’s camp, clinic, league, and team programs offer low minimum premiums, simple self-rating applications, quick turnaround time, and superior coverage. K&K also offers quality coverage for school athletic programs, stadiums, and sports complexes. A total commitment encompasses everything K&K does, from competitive pricing to prompt claims resolution.

K&K Insurance is there to help when you need help the most. Applications are now available online.

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

800-916-4603 WWW.OAKWORKSPT.COM With a 500-lb. dynamic load weight rating, the Portable Taping Table from Oakworks is the strongest and most durable taping table on the market. It’s fully portable and provides an ideal sideline evaluation and taping station at home and on the road. Plus, with independently adjustable legs and unique field feet®, the Portable Taping Table can handle any uneven surface or rugged terrain without a problem. Take control by using your own equipment at away games and events. When you’re on the road, you never know what you’re going to get. Take Control, Take OakworksSM. Circle No. 589

Web News CUTTERS GLOVES PUTS PLAYCARD TEMPLATES ONLINE There’s a great tool for coaches on the Cutters Gloves Web site. Enter the “Downloads” section, and get free blank playcard templates for Playmaker Wrist Coaches. Simply type in your plays, print out the cards, distribute them to your players, and you’re ready for the game. They’re easy to use, and ensure that plays are accurately transposed. They also allow you to quickly modify plays depending on the circumstances of each game. They’re available in two versions: 20 plays per card, and 30 plays per card.

www.cuttersgloves.com TOPDRESSERS FEATURED ON EARTH & TURF’S WEB SITE Earth & Turf Products, LLC is America’s supplier for the best compact topdressers. The company specializes in topdressers with capacities of one cubic yard and under. All of its products are well built and priced to fit any athletic department’s budget. Go online today to find out more about the MultiSpread™, the Scoop&Spread™, and all the other products Earth and Turf has to offer.

www.earthandturf.com THE BEST SCOREBOARDS ON THE WEB Take a look at some great new scoreboards and accessories in the “New Stuff” section of Fair-Play’s Web site. It features the company’s latest models of basketball scoreboards, an LED goal light strip for glass backboards, and an attractive new portable wrestling scoreboard. Fair-Play’s LED numerals are bright, easy to read, and viewable from a full 100-degree arc. You’ll enjoy the style, performance, and innovation of a

Fair-Play scoreboard for years to come. While you’re at the site, visit the “Gallery” section to check out recent installations at football fields.

www.fair-play.com HEARTLINE’S SITE IS TAILORED TO MEET YOUR NEEDS Heartline Fitness Systems has overhauled its Web site for 2005. The site now offers improved navigational technology, new color schemes, and other improvements that cater to the company’s core constituents—athletic training and small-footprint commercial fitness facilities. Finding product and service information is a snap using toolbars, dropdown menus, and site maps. Products are brought to life with video clips and animated demonstrations, so you can see how the systems work and how they can benefit your strength program. There’s even a clickable U.S. map to help you find nearby Heartline dealers.

www.heartlinefitness.com SEE ANIMATED EXERCISES ON JUMP STRETCH’S SITE The Jump Stretch Web site features background information on owner/inventor Dick Hartzell. It also lists band sizes and widths, as well as resistances. If you click on “Flexibility Routine,” you will see the start and finish of each exercise in a moving-picture format. By clicking on the “Order Now” icon, you can check out the various combinations of bands the company sells, as well as running stations, home gym packages, and instructional videos. For additional information, residents of the continental U.S. can call 800-344-3539, and anyone can e-mail from the link within the site.

www.jumpstretch.com

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Company News

Adams USA Teams Up With Brain Pad To Offer Innovative Mouth Guards Adams USA, one of the nation’s leading manufacturers of athletic equipment and performance gear, has entered into a licensing agreement with Brain Pad, Inc. (formerly WIPSS Products, Inc.) to distribute revolutionary upper and lower jaw-joint mouth guards.

Adams USA will offer the Adams PRO + PLUS, Adams LoPro, Adams LoPro FEMALE, and Adams “CLENCHER!” The PRO + PLUS design is available with or without a strap or a lanyard. It stabilizes the jaw while offering breatheability. Adams LoPro offers protection that is more streamlined and low-profile.

The LoPro FEMALE model is the first and only femalespecific mouth guard on the market, and incorporates a special thermoplastic for extra cushioning at impact and added comfort during use. Finally, the Adams “CLENCHER!” is a great starter piece for athletes in lower-impact contact sports who are looking for better protection than traditional upper mouthguards.

Testimonial

Improve Your Team With Cutters Gloves “We had experimented with all types of wrist coaches to improve communication with our quarterbacks and defensive signal callers. We found Cutters’ Triple Playmaker Wristcoach to be the best for enhancing communication from the sideline to the field.”

Pat Behrns, Head Football Coach University of Nebraska-Omaha “A few years ago, we came across Cutters Gloves and were amazed by the grip the gloves provided, even when they were wet. Our players are wearing them not only for the superior performance they provide, but also for the durability.”

Len Luedtke, Head Football Coach Marshfield High School, WI

Adams USA’s new mouth guards are the only mouth guards that offer air passages for breathe-ability. They are available in youth and adult sizes, and can easily fit over braces. They have suggested retail prices ranging from $6 to $25, and are available at local sporting goods dealers and select brand name stores.

“Our players are using gloves from Cutters not only for the high performance, but also because of the selection they offer for each position. I put my skill guys in the receiver gloves, my tight ends and linebackers in the linebacker/running back gloves, and my linemen in The Reinforcer.”

Steve Johnson, Head Football Coach Bethel College, MN

Adams USA

Cutters Gloves

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From High School to the Pros, Teams Are Getting the Jump Stretch Edge Jump Stretch offers the complete line of FlexBand® exercise equipment. Flex Bands were developed by former football coach Dick Hartzell, and they’re the original continuous-loop bands used by pro baseball, football, and basketball teams, as well as power lifters. Today, they can be found at most major colleges and universities nationwide.

All these schools and teams have learned the benefits of Jump Stretch: Austintown Local School District, OH Canfield Local School District, OH Fairless Local School District, OH Heidelberg College, OH Hobbs Municipal School, NM Lakota West High School, OH Lutheran High School, OH Mattawan Consolidated School, MI Mesa Unified School District #4, AZ Miami Dolphins, FL Mount Union College, OH Oswego Community Senior High School, IL Oswego East High School, IL Poland Seminary High School, OH San Diego Padres, CA Springfield Shawnee High School, OH University of Colorado at Boulder University of Michigan University of Texas Ursuline High School, OH

Jump Stretch, Inc.

P.O. BOX 489, COOKESVILLE, TN 38503 800-251-6857 JOHN.BARTLETT@ADAMSUSA.COM

4902 E. MCDOWELL RD., STE. 103, PHOENIX, AZ 85008 800-821-0231 GARY@CUTTERSGLOVES.COM

1230 N. MERIDIAN RD., YOUNGSTOWN, OH 44509 800-344-3539 SLAROSA@JUMPSTRETCH.COM

WWW.ADAMSUSA.COM

WWW.CUTTERSGLOVES.COM

WWW.JUMPSTRETCH.COM

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