Coaching Management 13.6

Coaching Management VOL. XIII, NO. 6

BASKETBALL

PRESEASON

EDITION

THE RUNNING Teaching your athletes GAME to run and gun ■

Preventing ACL Injuries

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Career Decisions

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$5.00

2005

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Coaching Management Basketball Edition Preseason 2005

CONTENTS

Vol. XIII, No. 6

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LOCKER ROOM

Bulletin Board

COVER STORY . . . . . . . . . . . .2

D-I passes recruiting package … Utah affirms open enrollment … Colleges respond to APRs … NFHS adjusts team-control fouls … CWA questions male practice players … Company offers legal insurance for coaches …

NCAA extends experimental lines.

Q&A

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From high school to NCAA Division I, five coaches share their strategies for using run and gun.

THE COACHING CAREER

Starting Over . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 At some point, most coaches have thought about quitting their jobs. How do you know when it’s time to find another school? And what do you do when you get there?

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After 21 seasons as head coach at Oakland University, Greg Kampe talks about making the transition from Division II to Division I, overcoming team chemistry issues, and taking advantage of the media hype that surrounded the Golden Grizzlies’ first NCAA Tournament win.

ADVERTISERS DIRECTORY

Publisher Mark Goldberg Marketing Director Sheryl Shaffer Marketing/Sales Assistant Danielle Catalano Art Director Pamela Crawford Photo Research Dina Stander, Signs of Life Studio

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 PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES/STEPHEN DUNN

The Running Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

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INJURY PREVENTION

On Guard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Multiple-plane, multiple-joint workouts are the key to an effective defense against ACL injuries.

Uniforms/Apparel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Team Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Shooting Aids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Basketball Court . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

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Scoring Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Strength/Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 New Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 More Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

On the cover: Niagara University used a running offense to reach the NCAA Division I Tournament for the first time in 35 years. Story begins on page 16.

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

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LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD D-I Coaching Package Passed A package of legislative proposals passed by the NCAA Division I Board of Directors in April has altered the recruiting calendar, eliminated the “baton rule,” and lifted some restrictions concerning offseason access to current student-athletes. The proposals were introduced by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) along with a companion package endorsed by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA).

■ For women, the calendar was revised to permit 85 “recruiting person days” between Sept. 16 and April 30.

■ For the men’s game, prospects will no longer be permitted to make official campus visits during the spring of their junior year.

Men’s coaches will be allowed to make phone calls to high school juniors once a month and to seniors twice a week.

■

As part of the package, men’s and women’s coaches and non-coaching staff members will no longer be permitted to work at another institution’s camps and clinics. The board rejected a WBCA proposal that would have prohibited women’s coaches from being employed by professional teams or serving as announcers or communicators for professional league broadcasts.

“There was tremendous cooperation between the NCAA

In arguably the most significant change, the board eliminated restrictions on the number of student-athletes permitted to participate in out-of-season skill-instruction sessions, reversing a decision made by the Management Council two weeks earlier.

“Lifting the limit on the number of players a coach can work with at any one time in the off-season is a change that will be felt immediately,” says Jim Haney, Executive Director of the NABC.

Utah Affirms Open Enrollment In Utah, as in many states, students’ right to choose their own high school is ensured by an open-enrollment law.

And, as in many states, there has been grumbling in Utah about whether open enrollment tacitly allows certain schools to attract the best athletes and become perennial powerhouses.

Another area where coaches will see a dramatic difference is in modifications to recruiting regulations and to the recruiting calendar. Included in those changes are:

COACHING MANAGEMENT

The NCAA has extended the recruiting calendar and lifted restrictions on out-of-season skill-instruction sessions. Above, heavily-recruited Josh McRoberts of Carmel (Ind.) High School, MVP of the McDonald’s All American Boys’ Basketball Game, has chosen to attend Duke University.

But what is merely complaining in some states became action in Utah, as the state legislature last year considered a proposal that would have stripped a year of eligibility from any athlete who attends high school outside his or her local boundary. The bill was narrowly defeated in committee, but it sparked a lively debate about how open enrollment affects high school athletics. The bill’s supporters claimed that the state’s top teams are stacked

AP/WIDEWORLD PHOTOS

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“They had concerns, which was not unexpected, and there was some reluctance early on to accept some of the proposals,” adds Haney.

“But as we worked through the last month, the level of communication and cooperation really blossomed and allowed the package to gain support. We had a great experience working with both the NCAA staff and its institutions and conferences.”

For more information on the legislation packages, visit the NABC at: www. nabc.org, and the WBCA at: www.wbca.org.

The board also passed a proposal eliminating the baton rule, which prohibited schools from having more than one coach recruiting off-campus at any one time. Under the new legislation, an institution is now permitted to have three coaches recruiting off-campus simultaneously.

■ For men’s coaches, the evaluation period was extended from Oct. 6 through March 31, during which time teams are permitted to use 130 “recruiting person days.” Also, the contact period for evaluating non-scholastic events in April was reinstated.

staff and the NABC in crafting our package of proposals,” says Haney. “Then, as it went through the legislative process and as the general membership became involved, we were able to observe their insights and recommendations.

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LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD with out-of-boundary students who picked their school because of athletics, and that open enrollment has widened the chasm between the haves and have-nots.

or no evidence that athletics alone is attracting out-ofboundary students to the state’s most successful programs. Only two of the five boys’ basketball teams audit-

agreed with its intention—to restrict athletes from choosing a school based solely on sports—but didn’t believe the new law would provide a meaningful or fair solution.

“When a student transfers from one high school to another, we can usually find out about their reasons and determine if the move was made for athletics,” says Jerry Bovee, Assistant Director of the UHSAA. “But it’s very difficult to determine a freshman student’s motivation for choosing a high school for the first time, so it would be hard to justify denying them the opportunity to participate.”

Bobby Porter, President of the Utah High School Basketball Coaches Association, says coaches in his state are split over the impact of open enrollment on athletics. “Some of our coaches say that students should be able to go where they want, and that it enhances competition because coaches are forced to make their program better every year,” he explains. “Others just want to see kids play in their own neighborhoods.

They’re frustrated when they see a talented kid grow up in their area and then choose to attend another high school.”

A Utah audit showed little evidence that athletics alone is attracting out-of-boundary students to the state’s most successful programs. Here, Skyline defeats Hillcrest in the opening round of the 2005 5A Boys’ State Basketball Championships.

The results, released this February, indicate that there is little

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ed had an out-of-boundary percentage that was significantly higher than the school’s overall student body.

In girls’ basketball, no team’s percentage was more than 14 percent above the student body, and two teams had lower out-of-boundary ratios than their school’s student population.

The Utah High School Activities Association, which lobbied aggressively against the bill,

For NCAA Division I programs, this spring’s March Madness referred to more than postseason basketball games.

That’s because early March brought the first release of Academic Performance Rates, also called APR scores.

The numbers made public in March reflect the academic performance of Division I scholarship athletes in all NCAA championship sports during the 2003-04 academic year. Each student-athlete can earn two points per semester—one by remaining in school and one by remaining academically eligible. At the end of the year, points are tallied and divided by the total points a program could earn.

The NCAA set 925—or 92.5 percent of possible points— as the team and department minimum below which penalties can be imposed. That number, the NCAA says, represents an APR that would result in a 50 percent graduation rate among student-athletes.

More than half of NCAA Division I schools had at least one team fall below the cutoff.

Among basketball programs, 61 of 326 men’s teams and 15 of 324 women’s teams failed to earn an APR of at least 925.

No penalties were assessed based on the 2003-04 APRs, but they will be imposed when the next round of scores is released in December. At that point, teams that have fallen below 925 and have a player who earns 0 points will be barred from replacing that player’s scholarship at the next awarding opportunity.

Division I coaches whose teams missed the mark are looking hard at their recruiting practices. For Scott Drew, Head Men’s Coach at Baylor Univer-

SCOTT G. WINTERTON/DESERET MORNING NEWS

To investigate the merit of that claim, the Utah legislature asked its Auditor General to audit several of the state’s leading football, baseball, and boys’ and girls’ basketball programs. As part of the audit, officials compared schools’ out-of-boundary percentages for the entire student body to the out-of-boundary percentages for selected teams.

Porter believes that open enrollment has driven successful coaches in Utah to do more to ensure that incoming students don’t overlook their schools. “If you’re running a good program and reaching out to people in your area, local athletes won’t feel the need to go across town,” he says. “It’s good for the high school coach to get involved in the community—to go to games at the junior high and elementary school, or hand out passes to schools so the younger kids can come to the high school games for free.

Some coaches don’t want to do those things, and that’s why they’re losing out to open enrollment.”

Coaches Respond to APRs

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LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD sity, evaluating prospects now means talking more in-depth with high school counselors and teachers. “I’m also working much more closely with our academic counselors,” he says.

One aspect of the collaboration between Baylor’s coaches and academic counselors has been the school’s new “academic quick screen” procedure. When Drew identifies a prospect, the first thing he does is forward his standardized test scores and transcript to Don Riley, Direc-

tor of Student-Athlete Services at Baylor.

Riley and his staff assign the prospect an academic ranking of 1 (acceptable), 2 (questionable), or 3 (not acceptable).

“It’s been great for us,” says Drew. “It gives us a fast read on a prospect’s academics, and then we can decide whether we want to go any further.”

Beyond recruiting, coaches need to work closely with their current student-athletes to ensure academic success, according to Walter Harrison, President of Hartford

At Baylor University, Head Men’s Coach Scott Drew collaborates with academic counselors and uses a “quick screen procedure” to gauge recruits’ potential for success in the classroom.

University and Chair of the NCAA’s Committee on Academic Performance (CAP), the group that makes decisions regarding the APR. “Coaches should work with academic advisors to keep track of the academic success of their student-athletes,” Harrison says. “They should make it clear to student-athletes that success in the classroom is just as important as success on the court.”

Some coaches, however, are raising concerns that one aspect of the APR needs to be rethought: the loss of points when a player leaves to play professionally.

Basketball coaches are particularly concerned about athletes who are in good academic standing in the fall but see their grades plummet in the spring while they prepare for the NBA draft.

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BAYLOR UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

According to Harrison, CAP agrees that the issue needs work and will discuss it when the group meets in late July. The committee may consider offering a waiver for schools whose athletes leave to play professionally. “The APR formula would stay the same, but once a waiver was filed, the committee would evaluate the athlete’s grades up to the point when he or she decided to enter the draft, and

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LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD possibly return the eligibility point,” says Julie Cromer, NCAA Director of Membership Services and staff liaison to CAP. Harrison expects CAP to forward a proposal on the issue to the Board of Directors following the July meeting. “I fully expect us to resolve this before the next round of APR data is due in the fall,” he says.

Whether or not the committee tinkers with the formula, APRs will continue to be a major focus for coaches. And according to Todd Turner, Athletic Director at the University of Washington, who chaired the NCAA Incentives/ Disincentives Management Council Working Group that created the APR, coping with the new standards is simple.

“Recruit good kids and don’t let anybody become ineligible,” Turner says. “Make sure they go to class and get degrees, which is what college students are supposed to do.”

NFHS Adjusts Team-Control Fouls Beginning this season, teamcontrol fouls will no longer result in free throws for the defensive team, thanks to a rule change passed at the NFHS Basketball Rules Committee meeting in April. The rulebook now treats teamcontrol fouls the same as player-control fouls, awarding a throw-in to the non-offending team.

According to NFHS Basketball Rules Editor and National Interpreter Mary Struckhoff, there were two primary reasons for the change. “We wanted to make it easier on officials, so they’re not forced to determine whether the offending player did or didn’t have control of the ball during the foul in a close play. From now on, any team-control or

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player-control foul will be treated just like a violation,” she explains. “Also, by awarding the ball instead of foul shots, we’ll be treating an offensive foul like a turnover, which is what it should be, rather than giving the defense an immediate opportunity to score.”

The restart procedure following double personal, double technical, and simultaneous fouls was also revised by the committee. Instead of using alternating-possession throwins, play will now resume from the point of interruption. If one team was clearly in possession at the time of the whistle, that team will retain the ball. If neither team had clear possession, alternating possession will remain in effect.

CWA Questions Male Practice Players Go to many top-level college women’s basketball practices and you won’t see just women sweating in drills and scrimmages. Male players will be there too, challenging the women’s team as stand-ins for upcoming opponents who

The association-wide Committee on Women’s Athletics (CWA) has a subcommittee researching the matter, and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) is asking its members for their views. There doesn’t seem to be a groundswell for eliminating male practice players, and the issue was raised in part by proponents seeking clarity and perhaps a loosening of

“No one should gain an advantage when both teams are penalized,” Struckhoff says, “and there was a sense that the team with the possession arrow was benefiting. Officials told us they didn’t always call double fouls when they were warranted because they knew who had the arrow. We’ve eliminated that concern.”

In another rule change, the penalty for intentionally stepping off the court, such as crossing behind the baseline during play, was reduced from a technical foul to a violation. The committee felt that the more severe penalty made referees hesitate to blow the whistle except to call the most egregious infractions. The committee also added a rule assessing a technical foul if a player removes his or her jersey within the visual confines of the playing area.

For a complete list of changes, go to: www. nfhs.org, click on Sport & Rules Information, and click on Basketball.

The University of Arizona Wildcats, who use a male practice squad to simulate their upcoming opponents, reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament, finishing the 2004-05 season with a 20-12 record. may be taller, stronger, and faster than any females on the intercollegiate squad. Male practice squads are allowed under NCAA rules in all sports, and are common in basketball. But the issues they raise are coming under scrutiny in the NCAA.

rules regarding male squads.

But the issue is being raised in the context of gender equity just as the women’s game is becoming higher-profile than ever.

Among those raising concerns is CWA Vice-Chair Janet Kit-

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LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD tell, Associate Director of Athletics at Syracuse University. According to Kittell, male squads are reducing chances for female athletes to improve. “If you’re the sixth, seventh, or eighth woman on the squad you are not getting the same amount of practice time when you have a team of men practicing against your first string,” says Kittell.

Many other coaches don’t see male squads as competition for participation, particularly if used to simulate game conditions. “At times we’ll break it down into guys versus girls, and run it just like a traditional game,” says Toriano Towns, Assistant Women’s Coach at the Univer-

sity of Arizona. “Everyone gets opportunities to be subbed, and we go through all our rotations. We use the guys’ team to simulate the plays that our opponent is going to run, and the guys’ team is prepared all week exclusively for that.

They are able to do things that other players on our team can’t do.”

NCAA policy, clarified through numerous rules interpretations, states that males who regularly practice with women’s teams must meet the eligibility standards for intercollegiate student-athletes. Furthermore, they must not be receiving athletics-related financial aid from the institution or any other compensation

A DIFFERENT KIND OF COURT-READY Justice may be blind, but it isn’t always free.

Legal representation, even for a client in the right, can cost a few hundred dollars an hour, and coaches can be especially vulnerable to lawsuits.

That’s why basketball coaches’ associations in a handful of states have responded to the pitch of Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. They are telling members about a plan in which, for a monthly fee of about $25, Pre-Paid Legal will help provide legal advice and representation. If it takes more time than covered by the agreement, the member will be charged a discounted hourly rate.

Virtually all professional teams use the VERTEC to improve lower body power and jump reach.

For the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan, the clincher was the chance to help coaches get legal advice without worrying if the question is worth the cost of consulting a lawyer, says Tom Hursey, Executive Director. “It’s kind of a backup, to be able to talk to somebody,” Hursey says.

It also helps in cases where the employer won’t cover a coach, especially when his or her performance is in question, Hursey continues. “In the past, it seemed like schools really backed their coaches without question,” he says. “But now they’re not stepping up in as many cases, so the coach needs a lawyer. At $300 an

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hour, it adds up quickly, and in many cases, the coach just ends up saying, ‘The heck with it. I’m out of here.’”

Pre-Paid Legal doesn’t use the term “legal insurance,” but some people look at it as a sort of HMO for legal representation, says Ed Kavanaugh, a former teacher and basketball coach who represents the company in Michigan. Many coaches work part-time or aren’t covered by their school’s legal counsel for some other reason, he says. Plus, the Pre-Paid agreement is comprehensive, offering legal help whether the problem is personal or work-related.

The need for some sort of legal representation for coaches became apparent at a recent board meeting of the Basketball Coaches Association of New York (BCANY), says Executive Director Dave Archer. A coach who was in danger of being disciplined wondered if he had any recourse other than hiring a lawyer.

Archer had heard about Pre-Paid Legal’s plan and thought that at $300 a year, it seemed like a good deal, he says.

As in Michigan, the New York association isn’t running the program or officially endorsing it. Instead, it’s simply making it available to members. But BCANY will receive a small fee for each coach who signs on, Archer says.

from the athletic department, including payment for serving as a student manager. Because they aren’t eligible for competition, they aren’t allowed to travel with the team.

of redoing court lines is minimized to one time.”

During the experimental games, the women’s threepoint line is being pushed back to 20 feet, six inches and the men’s to 20 feet, nine inches, three inches further than last year’s experiment with the international line, and one foot beyond the current line. “The international line was a starting point in experimentation,” Keating says.

“But we’ve moved away from the concept of doing what the international game is doing.

We’re talking about moving the three-point line back as much as 12 inches, but if we decide to move it back only nine inches it won’t be because that’s the international line.”

The NCAA also requires that male practice players go through the initial eligibility clearinghouse, a process that can create additional obstacles for male students who want to help, says Towns. It’s especially difficult for upperclassmen who may not have easy access to the high school transcripts the clearinghouse needs.

“For the purpose they serve, it seems a little extreme to have them go through these rigors,” Towns says. “What often happens is a male player says, ‘My buddy did this last year, and I’d love to do it.’

But now he’s got to wait weeks, sometimes months, before he’s able to gather the necessary paperwork to send off to the clearinghouse. By then, he’s moved on to other things.”

To ensure that the three-point line and lane are properly spaced, the lane will be widened to 14 feet, with a onefoot extension of the current lane on each side, and the restricted-area arc will move to three feet from the basket, instead of the current two feet. “Widening the lane opens up the middle for more driving and a less congested ‘T,’” says Keating. “But if you don’t push back the threepoint line as you widen the lane, defensive players can double-up more easily on post players, so we have to make sure that spacing is correct.”

The WBCA hasn’t taken an official position and won’t until it gets results of a survey containing a question on the matter, says Shannon Reynolds, the group’s Chief Operating Officer. But anecdotally, coaches seem overwhelmingly against outlawing Y chromosomes on the women’s practice court, she says.

“It’s a widely used practice, and the coaches we’ve spoken to at our own convention say it helps the game grow and improve,” Reynolds says. “Women are getting bigger and stronger, and you’ve got to find bigger and stronger people for them to practice against.”

NCAA Extends Experimental Lines

SIDELINE PHOTOS

The NCAA Men’s and Women’s Rules Committees are calling for further experimentation with court markings before deciding whether to officially push back the three-point line and widen the lanes.

Institutions will be required to participate in the experimental changes in all exempted contests until the end of 2005, and the NCAA is asking schools to voluntarily implement the changes in practice scrimmages and exhibition games.

One reason for delaying the decision is the lack of responses received by the women’s rules committee. “The men’s committee has gotten enough feedback to know we have a mandate to move the

Keating says it’s only a matter of time before the court lines are moved. “It’s just a question of coming to a final decision after we get all of our information and feedback in,” says Keating. “Whether we move the three-point line back nine or 12 inches and widen the lane one foot or one and a half feet is still being discussed, but the change will be in that neighborhood.”

The NCAA will again experiment with the threepoint line during preseason 2005-06. Here, Pat Carroll of St. Joseph’s University sinks one of his division-leading 135 three-pointers. lines,” says Larry Keating, rules committee member and Kansas University Senior Associate Athletic Director. “The women just haven’t gotten enough feedback on their side.

“We don’t want to be faced with a situation where we pass a rule that affects the lines, and the women’s committee comes in the following year with a different measurement,” continues Keating. “We’re trying to make sure that the financial impact

For a complete list of NCAA rules changes for 2005-06, go to: www2.ncaa.org, click on Sports, and click on Basketball.

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Q&A

GREG KAMPE Oakland University

In 2005, the Oakland University Golden Grizzlies reached the NCAA Division I Tournament for the first time in school history—despite losing the first seven games of the season, experiencing major personality conflicts between two of their star athletes, and playing one of the toughest schedules in college basketball. They came from behind to win the Mid-Continent Conference Championship, then topped Alabama A&M in the NCAA Tournament play-in game to notch the school’s first Tournament victory, bringing national media attention to the team, school, and coach.

After working for six years as an assistant coach at the University of Toledo, Greg Kampe came to Oakland with dreams of one day coaching the Detroit Pistons. Instead, he found that “life is great right here at Oakland,” and after 21 seasons, only seven other Division I coaches have been at their school longer.

Kampe coached the program through its transition from Division II to Division I, guiding the team to a regular-season Mid-Continent Conference title in its first year at the Division I level. And his 348-254 record places him among the winningest active Division I coaches.

In this interview, Kampe talks about making the move to Division I, overcoming team chemistry issues, and taking advantage of the media hype that surrounded Oakland’s first NCAA Tournament win.

CM: Looking back to 1997, what was the most difficult part about making the transition to Division I? GK: Oakland University took a big, bold step in moving to Division I. We were a very, very good D-II program. We had four straight 20-win seasons, were nationally ranked, had four straight NCAA Tournament runs, and had made it to the Sweet 16. But when we moved, it was difficult gaining acceptance in the D-I world. There isn’t much respect for the new guy—not only locally, but nationally nobody has ever heard of you. We knew we were a good program, but found ourselves at the bottom and had to start all over again.

playing televised games against teams like Xavier and Illinois, and that benefits our entire athletic department.

Third, it really helps us in recruiting. I am able to tell young men, “Yes, you’ll be playing in a lesser-known conference, but you’ll be competing on television against some of the best teams in the country.” I tell parents that not only do we have a chance to go the NCAA Tournament, but they’re also going to watch their son play at Illinois, Michigan State, and Missouri.

During those next four years when we weren’t yet eligible for the NCAA Tournament, it was challenging to convince recruits to come play at Oakland.

Every athlete wants to play in the NCAA Tournament, but in that first recruiting year, we couldn’t give them that chance right away.

How did you recruit players during that transition?

I promised them a lot of playing time and the hardest schedule possible. I said, “We may not be able to get into the NCAA Tournament, but you’re going to play in all these great environments against all the biggest universities. You’re going to play the big boys.” That first year, we said, “We’ll red shirt you during your freshman year so you’ll have a chance as a fifthyear senior,” which we did. After the first year, we switched to saying, “We’ll be eligible by the time you’re a junior.”

Why do you schedule so many games against such tough opponents?

We do that for three reasons. One, we’re still the new guys on the block and we want exposure for Oakland University. We want people to know who we are. Now, having gone to the Tournament—and the fact that I’m talking to you—proves we’ve succeeded.

The second reason is that we needed to make some money. We made a quarter of a million dollars this year

Led by Cortney Scott (above) and Rawle Marshall, the 2004-05 Golden Grizzlies reached the NCAA Division I Tournament for the first time in school history.

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After starting this past season 0-7, how did you keep your team motivated?

Going 0-7 is no fun, no matter who you’re playing. It wears on everyone, so we pushed really hard to stay together and understand that our only goal was to get to the NCAA Tournament. We weren’t getting blown away in any of those games, and we almost won a couple of them. Everyone could see we had a chance to be good, we were just too young at the time to finish those games.

So I told our athletes, “Playing these teams is making us better, and at some

point later this season, it will pay off.�

And it did.

Do you motivate freshmen differently than upperclassmen?

Every year, we tell our freshmen, “This is the senior class’s last chance. You’ve got to learn the system, and work to achieve our seniors’ goals.� This year, we had a lot of freshmen playing major roles, and it was pretty hard for them to play the teams we played and succeed. We knew they could be good collectively, but they didn’t really mesh as a group until late in

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the season. It took time, practice, and a lot of different ways to motivate them: showing confidence in their abilities, patting them on the back, and telling them how much they were improving.

You had a few personality clashes between players this season. What advice do you have for dealing with team chemistry?

We had two athletes, Rawle Marshall and Cortney Scott, who come from very diverse backgrounds and value things differently. We did everything we could in order to help the situation: We hired a team psychologist, did team-building exercises, went bowling, and had meetings where we talked about ourselves and shared what was important in our lives.

We did all of those things as a team. We got to know one another and found out that yes, some people didn’t like each other. Rawle and Cortney were brought up very differently, and we put those issues on the table. One day they just looked at each other and said, “This is ridiculous. We’re here for the same thing.�

So I guess it worked, because they understood that ultimately we’re a team and we’re here to care for each other.

“The thing I’m proudest of is that I never heard any of my players use the word ‘I’ in their interviews.

After all we had gone through, that showed our team-building was worth it. They gave credit to their teammates and the coaching staff, and never talked about themselves.“ How much importance do you place on academics?

Academics are the highest priority for us. We have a very high graduation rate and very high grade point averages— our team GPA this semester was 3.1.

And the guys know we value academics, because we show up at their classes to make sure they’re attending. I’ve been here a long time and professors know that grades are important to me, so I’ll get a phone call if things aren’t going well.

The word on the street here at Oakland is that everybody has to graduate. The

Q&A idea is that you are a student-athlete and there’s no player who can skate that commitment. For example, Rawle is flying around the country right now for all these draft combines since he declared for the draft, but he’s coming back for his finals before he flies out again. We’re making sure he finishes.

How did you prepare for your Tournament game against the University of North Carolina?

We went into that game believing we could win. We were playing really well, we had come up with a plan that we felt had an opportunity to work, and the team bought into it. We were on a run, and it was easy to convince the team they were David, ready to slay the giant.

But we knew by halftime that it wasn’t going to happen, because North Carolina was just unbelievable—they sank 22 of their first 30 shots. We played really well and still lost by 28 points.

It seems like you’ve never turned down an interview. How important is it to meet media requests?

We want to handle every request that we

get, and never say no. We’re trying to make a name for ourselves, so the day after we beat Alabama A&M, I started interviews at five o’clock in the morning and did a show every 15 minutes until 2:30 in the afternoon. It’s been hard, and I’ve only said no once. The night before the play-in game I was going to have dinner with my college coach, who I hadn’t seen in years. So I told ESPN that my coach took first priority.

How did you prepare your players for the media hype that surrounded your first NCAA tournament win?

From the start of the season, we’ve had them do every interview that was requested. They were a little shaky in the beginning, but they improved as the year went on. Next year we’re going to hire someone to come in during preseason and tutor the kids on how to handle the media.

The thing I’m proudest of is that I never heard any of my players use the word “I” in their interviews. After all we had gone through, that showed our team-building had been worth it. They gave credit to

their teammates and the coaching staff, and never talked about themselves.

What is your next challenge?

We’ve got to get into the NCAA Tournament in a more conventional way and make it to the Sweet 16. Winning our conference championship as a seventh seed was a pretty unusual way to get into the Tournament. Next time, we want to get in as a 12 or 13 seed, then upset a four or five seed to move into the Sweet 16.

Entering your 22nd year at Oakland and having accomplished your goal of making it to the Tournament, do you have plans to move on?

I was 28 years old when I got my first head coaching job, and I came from a program that had been successful. I really believed that I was going to be the next Mike Krzyzewski, and what I found out was that I didn’t have to go anywhere else to succeed. I’ve been very fortunate to get great players and great assistant coaches. People ask, “Why have you stayed there so long?” But I feel very fortunate that they want to keep me. I’m lucky to be here.

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O

Niagara University used a running offense to reach the NCAA Division I Tournament for the first time in 35 years.

BY R.J. ANDERSON N COLLEGE AND HIGH SCHOOL CAMPUSES ALIKE, RUN AND GUN BASKETBALL IS EXPERIENCING A

RENAISSANCE. Huge numbers of points are being scored, on-court intensity is running high, and crowds of supercharged fans are watching this hyper-aggressive combination of pressure defense and rapidfire point production.

There’s more than one way to turn up the tempo, and there are as many variations in the running game as there are coaches that use it. The five coaches here—Grinnell College’s David Arseneault, Niagara University’s Joe Mihalich, the University of Tennessee’s Bruce Pearl, Oregon City High School’s Brad Smith, and the University of Redlands’s Gary Smith—have each experienced dramatic success with run and gun.

Their approaches are as varied as their personalities, with one thing in common: “Running and pressing,” says Mihalich, “is the most exciting way to play this game.”

Running the Numbers At Grinnell College, the Pioneers play a style of basketball that causes purists to shake their heads in disbelief.

Using the most extreme form of run and gun in collegiate basketball, Head Men’s Coach David Arseneault has built his approach around taking as many shots as possible on offense—especially three-pointers, which often outnumber

two-point attempts. His defense is an allout gamble that often concedes simple layups by the other team and routinely yields 100 points a game.

“It sounds and looks really chaotic at times, but there’s a method to the madness,” says Arseneault. “My players will tell you it’s the most organized system they’ve ever played in.

“What we’re trying to do is perfect our response to certain situations: What to do when another team scores on us, what to do when we get a defensive rebound, what to do when we get an offensive rebound, and what to do when we get a live turnover,” he continues. “I want to see the exact same thing happening at high speed every time.”

Playing a hyper-aggressive 1-2-2 trapping press, Grinnell throws all of its resources into stealing the first or second pass of an opponent’s possession.

If a steal is made, the Pioneers spread across the floor on the offense, as the point guard tries to either take the ball to the rim for a shot or pass to a teammate for a three-pointer. The Pioneers keep their possessions short, expecting the player who has the ball at the 12second mark to take his best shot.

If Grinnell is unsuccessful in forcing a turnover within the first couple of tries, the result is often an easy bucket for the other team. It’s a consequence that Arseneault doesn’t mind. “We’ve R.J. Anderson is an Assistant Editor at Coaching Management. He can be reached at rja@MomentumMedia.com.

From high school to NCAA Division I, five coaches share their strategies for using run and gun.

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GETTY IMAGES/STEPHEN DUNN

COVER STORY

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COVER STORY

actually figured out that it’s better for us to get dunked on in the first 10 seconds of a possession than it is for our opponent to hold the ball for 30 seconds without scoring,” he says. “That’s how important the pace is for us.”

Built on numbers, it’s a two-for-you, three-for-us formula that helped the 2003-04 Pioneers set an NCAA record for offense, averaging 126 points per game. According to Arseneault, who authored The Running Game: A Formula for Success, and developed the DVD Running to Win!, a study conducted by Grinnell students revealed a set of statistical benchmarks that usually lead to a Pioneer victory.

“We found that if we get off 94 shots per game, with half of those coming from behind the three-point line, rebound 33 percent of our misses, force the other team to turn the ball over 32 times, and force the other team’s big man to run up and down the court 150 times, the result is usually a victory,” says Arseneault. “At one point

our record was 79-3 when we accomplished all of those goals.”

Grinnell players are expected to attempt as many shots as possible, especially three pointers, which account for about 60 points per game. “We’re trying to get a shot off every 12 seconds,” says Arseneault, “and we’re trying to get the ball back every 12 seconds off of our press.”

Although Grinnell’s style of play is so physically taxing, Arseneault rarely incorporates conditioning-specific drills into his daily practice routine, preferring to let his athletes rest their weary legs, especially when they are deep into the season. And because defense is almost an afterthought, 80 percent of practice time is spent on the offensive end of the court, and every drill ends with a three-pointer.

The Pioneers put so much stock in the three that at the beginning of each practice every player takes 100 shots from behind the arc, with team managers charting how many are made.

“A lot of becoming a good shooter is gaining confidence,” says Arseneault.

“If I can get the kids to shoot threepointers while they’re fresh, they’ll have a better chance of making them. If I can get them to shoot threes off an easier pass, then they’re going to shoot a higher percentage. And if I can get them to shoot from similar spots—we have them shoot 25 shots from four spots—then they’re more likely to go on runs. It is a great way to raise their averages.

“The amount of practice time they spend under my watchful eye is very limited,” adds Arseneault. “It’s the old K.C. Jones approach: You don’t want to leave your best efforts on the practice floor. I’m trying to keep the kids fresh mentally and physically.”

Playing Platoons In only their second season using run and gun, the 2004-05 University of Redlands Bulldogs surpassed the Pioneers’ NCAA record for offense, averaging 132 points per game and making almost 24

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COVER STORY

three-pointers per contest. Head Men’s Coach Gary Smith learned the style directly from Arseneault, and bases his approach on a two-platoon system in which new players generally rotate into the game every 45 seconds.

“The platoon factor emphasizes unselfishness and a positive work ethic,” says Smith. “It gets people to play with more effort, and our athletes are trained to work extremely hard for short periods of time. Platooning players allows the team to dictate how the game is played. It truly is a team approach.”

The composition of Smith’s platoons varies from year to year, based on his athletes’ strengths. “It’s not a first-and-second-team scenario—we start different groups, depending on who’s playing well during practice, or if one group is better at controlling tips,” says Smith.

“We’re looking for as much balance as we can get, but it’s as much about chemistry as anything else.”

In practices, Smith runs drills crisply and quickly, which is how he wants his athletes to play the game. “Drills have

to create the immediacy of transitioning from offense to defense and from defense to offense,” he says. During actual contests, with substitution patterns largely established ahead of time, Smith concentrates on fine-tuning his defense to counter an opponent’s attack.

“I have one assistant coach in charge of substitutions and another in charge of getting the kids ready for their next shift,” says Smith. “That way, we don’t have to take timeouts to make adjustments. We’ve got everybody there, ready to go, and we can tell them what we want right before they go into the game.”

Practicing Pressure At Niagara University, the Purple Eagles ranked fourth in scoring last season among Division I teams and reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 35 years. Running a patterned fast break, Head Men’s Coach Joe Mihalich trains his players to take shots as quickly as possible, building the team’s offense around its point guard.

“He’s the key to our run and gun, and his job is to push the ball and make plays,” says Mihalich. “For us, it’s the point guard’s show. Everybody on the team has responsibilities, but the point guard dictates how the game unfolds.”

To make the system work, Mihalich structures practices to simulate the pressure of a game situation. “We want highintensity practices, whether we’re running drills or scrimmages,” says Mihalich.

“Practices need to be very competitive, whether we’re competing against another player, the clock, or ourselves. We want to create a healthy sense of urgency with everything we do.”

In the last two seasons, Niagara has relied on a half-court man-to-man approach as well as a 2-3 zone. “A lot of people think that pressure basketball automatically means full-court manto-man pressing, but you should apply pressure with your offense as well by pushing the ball,” advises Mihalich.

“We give up a lot of points,” he adds.

“But partly, that comes from having a

ADDED BENEFITS While most coaches use their fast-paced styles for obvious reasons—to outscore their opponents—there are other motives for pushing the pace. From packing the stands to getting more players into the game, coaches who run know that there are plenty of good reasons to play the fast break.

For Brad Smith, Head Girls’ Coach at Oregon City (Ore.) High School, run and gun’s up-tempo pace provides a chance to rotate more athletes onto the court, which makes for a happier, more balanced team. “In Oregon this year, there were programs that didn’t have enough girls to fill their freshman or j.v. teams,” says Smith, who regularly plays nine to 10 girls in each contest. “We had enough players for an extra team.

Running makes the kids want to play because they know there’s more opportunity to get on the floor.”

Instead of systems that rely on one dominant offensive performer, run and gun gives every player the opportunity to score. “Kids need to enjoy the game,” says Smith. “It needs to be more than just passing the ball around so that one kid gets a shot on every possession. You should get everybody involved, and running is the ideal way to do that.”

When David Arseneault instituted an extreme, record-setting version of run and gun 12 years ago at Grinnell College, his main goals were to increase player participation and improve team morale. Inheriting a program that had suffered through 25 consecutive losing seasons, Arseneault saw a lot of problems that needed solving, and attitude was at the top of the list.

“Kids would stay on the team until they realized they wouldn’t be in the playing rotation, and then they would quit,” says Arseneault, who regularly plays 15 or 16 players in a game. “It’s one thing to sit on the bench for a winning team, but it’s another to do it for a losing team. The

kids weren’t having fun, and I wasn’t having fun.”

Inspired by the freewheeling Loyola Marymount University teams of the late ’80s and early ’90s, Arseneault decided to turn his shooters loose. The results have been staggering, with Grinnell staging repeated assaults on the NCAA record books for points scored and shots attempted. Campus support has soared, even in a disappointing season like 2004-05, when the team finished 8-15 while averaging 109 points per game.

And in a first for NCAA Division III basketball, ESPN2 televised a regular-season contest at the school’s new gymnasium, bringing Grinnell’s hyper-kinetic run and gun to a national audience.

It’s a huge leap for a small program, and the players aren’t the only ones who have enjoyed the change. “This style has rejuvenated my coaching career,” says Arseneault. “It’s wonderful to just watch our kids on the court creating and enjoying themselves.”

COACHING MANAGEMENT

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COVER STORY

lot of possessions. When we play quickly, there are going to be a lot of possessions.

We give up a lot, but we more than make up for it on the offensive end.”

Forcing Errors Like any good tactician, Brad Smith is not afraid to make adjustments to his system. As Head Girls’ Coach at Oregon City (Ore.) High School, he’s been tweaking his running game for more than 20 years and in that time has won

eight state titles and finished at the top of the USA Today poll three times.

On defense, Smith shifts between a zone press, a man-to-man , and a run and jump, shifting formations to keep opponents off-balance. But no matter which defense he calls, the team’s priority is forcing errors. “One of the big things with the fast break and press is showing kids that their purpose is not to steal the ball, it’s to make the other team make mistakes,” he says. “That

may turn into a steal, but more than likely it will turn into a forced shot or a straight turnover. The point is to get the ball back. If you go in thinking you’re going to steal every pass, you’re going to make a lot of mistakes.”

Smith runs team practices six days a week for three hours at a time. “We spend an hour in which we have either three teams of six or four teams of five running our fast break against our press,” he says. “One team gets the rebound and runs five versus three.

Two defenders join in at mid-court and the offensive team will either score or miss. The offensive team gets the ball right back and goes the other direction against the five defenders. Once they get to the other end, the offensive players come off and the defense becomes the offense against a new group.”

During that hour, Smith and his coaches call out different presses, and the offensive team is charged with recognizing and beating each defense. After an hour of fast breaking and pressing, which doubles as the team’s conditioning work, the remainder of practice is broken into 45 minutes of offensive drills and 45 minutes of defensive fundamentals, giving players the background they need to think on their feet.

“Because we’re allowing our athletes to play with a lot of freedom, we’re going to lose a certain amount of control,” says Smith. “Coach Wooden said it himself: When you fast break and press, you’re going to increase your turnovers. What we’re counting on here is that the other team will turn it over even more.”

Making the Transition At the University of WisconsinMilwaukee, Head Men’s Coach Bruce Pearl’s running style took the Panthers all the way to the Sweet 16. But setting a school record with 26 wins wasn’t the only by-product of Pearl’s success.

Tournament upsets against Alabama and Boston College put Wisconsin-Milwaukee on the basketball map, bringing national recognition to the team and its coach, who’s since brought the strategy to his new job as the Head Men’s Coach at the University of Tennessee.

Tennessee’s new offensive strategy will rely on covering the floor and its new defense will emphasize creating turnovers. “We try to create more possessions with our pressure defense,” says

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COVER STORY

Tennessee Assistant Coach Jason Shay, who coached under Pearl for four years at Wisconsin-Milwaukee and played at the University of Iowa when Pearl was an assistant coach. “Our offensive philosophy is to push the ball as fast as we can, get three guys to the baseline faster than the other team, and try to spread the defense over the entire width of the court. We want to attack the basket and force the defense to collapse, so we can either kick it out for threes or take it to the rim.”

Bringing their high-intensity approach to the University of Tennessee, Pearl and his coaching staff hit the ground running. Their first job was to get returning players to buy into the system, and they began by providing video clips that showed the 2004-05 Milwaukee team, focusing on the role of each position and the elements required to succeed at the faster pace.

Their second challenge was to change the mindset of players who are used to walking the ball up the court.

“They have to recognize that transi-

tion opportunities exist as soon as we gain possession,” says Shay. “If they can beat their man in those first two steps, it leads to passes over the top of the defense, which should result in layups or wide-open shots.”

In practices, the coaching staff adds intensity by spending substantially more time scrimmaging and less time running drills. “Coach Pearl teaches on the fly, working within the framework of a game situation,” says Shay. “It’s more effective than doing a lot of drill work.

We spend at least half of our practice time pushing the basketball and applying pressure.

“We play a lot of five-minute games,” adds Shay. “And we also do a lot of situational stuff using time and score scenarios, where our players have to quickly recognize the situation and decide how to react.”

Is It Right For You? Whether or not a team runs is reflective of its coach’s personality and level of comfort with the freedom the system

gives to players. It helps if the team is full of quick, instinctive athletes, but that shouldn’t be the only factor to consider when deciding whether a team should play up-tempo.

At Grinnell, the Pioneers are often out-matched from a pure athletic standpoint. “As I look across our league, in most years I think I would trade talent with any other school in our conference,” says Arseneault. “We’ve had average athletes who are prepared to overachieve for short periods of time against better athletes who are looking to pace themselves. That’s how we get it done.”

Brad Smith agrees, and says that by using the fast break and pressure defense, run and gun teams gain an advantage over opponents with the same level of talent. “You’re not always going to have great teams, but if you can press and run you’ll have good, solid teams,” says Smith. “You can succeed with even mediocre athletes—as long as they know what they’re doing and where they’re supposed to go.” ■

Circle No. 113 COACHING COACHING MANAGEMENT MANAGEMENT

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When the game is on the line.

THE COACHING CAREER

STARTING OVER At some point, most coaches have thought about quitting their jobs. How do you know when it’s time to find another school? And what do you

BY LEM ELWAY do when you get there?

Y

ou’ve just finished an incredibly tough season and you’re ready to throw in the towel. The athletes didn’t seem motivated, their parents drove you crazy, and your athletic director was off playing golf whenever you needed a helping hand. You’re about to hand in your letter of resignation, but then again, you’re not really sure you want out. You do love coaching— working with the kids and the thrill of the competition.

Ever had a season like that? Most of us have at some point in our coaching careers. How do you decide whether it’s time to leave and start over?

I recently left the school where I’d been coaching for 16 years. It was a difficult decision, but one that was ultimately in my best interest. It took a lot of reflection, thinking about my options, and getting ready for new challenges. But here I am, at age 58, a rookie head coach in a new school with more energy than I’ve had in years.

AP/WIDE WORLD PHOTOS

What Went Wrong?

There are many reasons that might make a coach want to resign. Sometimes Lem Elway just completed his first year as Head Baseball Coach at Black Hills (Wash.)

High School and Head Football Coach at Rochester (Wash.) High School, where he teaches special education. A member of the Washington State Coaches Hall of Fame, he has coached sports at the middle school, high school, and college levels, including baseball, basketball, and football.

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THE COACHING CAREER

it is because a painful situation arose with parents. Maybe the time commitment has become too overwhelming.

For some, lack of support from administration and a shrinking budget is the impetus. Others just feel they’ve lost their passion for coaching and are not sure why.

Before you turn in that resignation letter, it’s important to reflect on why you are thinking about calling it quits.

A critical and unemotional look at the situation is essential to making the right choice. This is the only way to figure out if you truly want to quit coaching altogether, if you should move to another school, or if you just need to change some of your strategies before the next season starts. Here are some areas to think about: Parents: When I started coaching, parents rarely dared to question my decisions and were quickly told to mind their own business if they did. Today, working with parents is a big part of the job, and it can run even a veteran coach ragged.

If you are thinking about moving to another school because of issues with parents, you should know that parents in another district are probably not going to be much different. Every team has parents who will question your decisions, overprotect their children, and not understand the greater good.

The simple truth is that you need to embrace working with parents if you want to continue coaching.

However, some schools are better at supporting their coaches through parent problems than others. If your current administration does not back you up in parental disagreements, you might want to look for one that will.

This issue can be especially sensitive when it comes to disciplining athletes who break school or team rules. One of the reasons I left my former school was that I was verbally attacked after the administration disciplined five seniors from my team who were caught breaking the team no-drinking rule.

Some of the parents of these studentathletes were relentless in trying to get me fired. Although the administration backed me and I stayed at the school for another five years, the negativity took its toll. Having a fresh start at a new school was what I needed to preserve my enthusiasm for coaching.

School Climate: Sometimes the environment of the school and athletic department make coaching difficult. A coach I know relocated after seeing his budget cut year after year and the administration not giving him the support he needed to do a good job. He found a position at a school with a strong athletic director and a community committed to high school athletics.

On the flip side, some coaches become frustrated with a climate that puts too much emphasis on winning.

A new generation of parents who want the team to bring home a regional championship every year might not be your idea of a good time. If that’s more pressure than you want, then it may be time to say good-bye.

Time Commitments: Being a head coach is much more time-consuming than it was 10 years ago. If you aren’t spending enough time with your family, you’ve got a very good reason to take a break from coaching. Whether you’re juggling childcare with your spouse or taking your kids on weekend college visits, there are things in your family life that you can’t afford to miss.

In most cases, you can return to coaching when the time is right. Even if your old job has gone to someone else, there will be opportunities to coach in just about every community. I’ve seen head baseball coaches leave their post, then return to coach the team’s newly formed softball team. I’ve also seen former head coaches return as assistant coaches with great success.

Mistakes Made: This is hard to do, but it’s critical that you think about the mistakes you’ve made that contributed to the negative situation. We all make mistakes, but only those who can analyze their missteps will grow from them. Conduct a critical evaluation of yourself and write down what you could have done differently.

For example, maybe you didn’t make your expectations clear enough at the beginning of the season. Maybe you are struggling with evaluating the talent on your team. Maybe your strategies weren’t well thought out. Maybe you haven’t found the right balance of being strict yet understanding with your athletes. Maybe you tried to skirt parents’ questions instead of dealing with a situation. Maybe you neglected to ask for help when you needed it.

Be honest with yourself about the mistakes you’ve made. And then be honest about figuring out your role in avoiding similar problems in the future.

Is Repair Possible?: With a complete understanding of what went wrong and your role in the problem, you next need to think about whether the situation can be repaired. If you feel that, by doing some things differently next year, you can avoid the same problems, then write down your goals for how you want to change and stay where you are. In some cases, you might also need to talk to people to repair any damage done.

If you honestly don’t feel the problems will go away no matter what you do, then hand in that resignation letter and think about your next step: Do you stop coaching altogether or look for a new position? To help make this decision, think about going to practice next season at a new school: Are you pumped up as you imagine yourself meeting new players (and parents)?

Or would you be forcing yourself to get excited at that first meeting? If the former is true, then keep reading.

Putting Out Your Resume Before you decide to look for another job, understand that there is work to be done and decisions to be made. First of all, think about your parameters. “Is it possible to relocate or do I need to look for a job in the area? What are my financial needs?

What are my family’s needs?”

Family considerations cannot be overlooked. Having a family partnership is critical on a short- and long-term basis.

In my recent coaching change, it was not until my spouse said she was ready to move that we made our decision.

Think about what you want in a job, as well as about your overall coaching goals. What has your current school taught you about job satisfaction? What has it shown you about finding a work environment that suits you? What have you learned about the qualities to look for in your next athletic director?

Once you know what you want, start researching and networking. I found it helpful to talk to other coaches at schools that had openings and in communities I was interested in moving to.

I asked them about working with the athletic director and other administrators, how problems with parents are

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THE COACHING CAREER

handled, what type of students attend the school, and whether the coaches on staff get along.

Next, get your resume in order.

Make sure all job-appropriate information is included, and provide a list of personal recommendations for employers to contact. Review your interview skills, making sure obvious questions have been studied and your answers practiced. Talk to others who have recently gone through the pro-

TURBOSTATS

cess for tips. For example, in today’s world, questions about handling parents and program philosophy are at the top of the list. Make sure you have practiced answers to a list of possible high-priority interview questions.

Finally, remember the two golden rules about changing jobs: Don’t leave a job until you have another one in hand, and don’t let everyone know what you are doing until you have the relocation plans in place. This can be

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Circle No. 116

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

very hard, but is important in case you cannot find another job quickly.

New Coach on the Block Once you have secured a new position, plan to work hard to get off on the right foot. When taking leadership of a program, there is much to learn and communicate.

To start, establish relationships with as many people as you can: ■ Meet with prospective athletes to introduce yourself and learn about their goals and objectives.

■ If possible, meet with the former coach of the team to get his or her perspective on the history of the program.

■ Meet teachers, counselors, and secretaries in the building to establish professional relationships.

■ Establish lines of communication with parents who are involved with your program in any way. Make sure there are multiple ways they can contact and communicate with you.

■ Meet with local radio and newspaper outlets to introduce yourself and facilitate ways to satisfy their needs.

■ Attend as many school and community activities as possible to show your support for other programs.

■ Meet with the booster club to get members’ sense of the program and begin to work on projects together.

■ Meet with “feeder” coaches to provide leadership, information, and support for their programs.

■ Talk to the principal and administration about the issues they see as important.

As you talk with people, find out the history of the sport at the school and any significant issues from the past.

This will give you an important perspective that will help guide your decision making. For example, understand why the former coach left and what people liked and disliked about him or her. Get a sense of whether the best athletes at the school are involved in your sport, and if not, why not. Find out how problems have been handled in the past and how parents have responded.

It’s also a good idea to understand the coaching dynamics in your new school. As time passes, you can put your personal touch on the program to reflect your style, but to start, follow the standards set by veteran coaches. For

THE COACHING CAREER

example, if tidy uniforms are important to the coaches of other sports, make sure your kids are tucking in their shirts and looking sharp. If coaches are supposed to follow the lead of a booster club president, then don’t step on anyone’s toes.

Other things to find out: ■ Do the best athletes play multiple sports?

■ What is the success level of other sports at the school?

■ What outside influences in the community are related to athletics and your sport?

■ Do players participate in club sports during the off-season?

■ How strong is the involvement and support of parents?

■ What are the expectations of your program from the athletes, school, and community?

If there are assistant coaches to be hired, work with your athletic director to get the best folks on board. If possible, have a veteran coach of another sport help you with the details of the

program. If you’re hiring all new assistants, make sure to do your homework on prospects. Conduct thorough interviews and check references.

Start the season by communicating your expectations to athletes. Some coaches draw a line in the sand about rules, but when starting new, it often works best to set some guidelines, and then adjust gradually. Starting a new program means selling your procedures, expectations, and philosophy, which can’t be rushed if done right.

Don’t assume anything. It’s easy to forget about all the little things that need to be addressed, but if they aren’t, frustration and anxiety can result. For example, some new coaches like to work only with the younger players and think toward the future. Here at Black Hills, I elected to work closely with the seniors and make them the leaders. My number one priority was to improve the attitude of the program, and I felt it would work best if the seniors could help. Whatever you do, remember that how you handle seniors is important.

It’s also critical to explain your expectations to parents. A parents’ meeting needs to occur a month or so before the start of the season, at which time you cover all aspects of your program’s operations, expectations, and procedures—including discipline. This can easily be the most important meeting for your program. It puts you in a proactive mode and opens the lines of communication. Parents must be encouraged to ask questions, and they should receive good, clear answers.

Starting over can be a painful or exhilarating experience. To make it a rewarding one, take the time to think deeply about your desires and your options. Then, have an organized, systematic approach, stay positive, and communicate well. The future is in your hands. ■ For a look at Lem Elway’s previous articles in Coaching Management on working with parents, setting goals, and fundraising, search “Elway” at our Web site: www.AthleticSearch.com.

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Circle No. 117 COACHING MANAGEMENT

29

SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

Performance Points

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Focus on Neck and Shoulder Training With Mickey Marotti, MS, MA, MSCC Director of Strength and Conditioning University of Florida Why should neck and shoulder training be a priority?

How is the 4-Way Neck machine used?

In sports like football, injury prevention for the neck and shoulder area is extremely important. We focus on training in that area specifically to guard against injuries, especially injuries that can be caused by collisions. At both the college and high school level, athletic trainers, strength coaches, or whoever runs the strength program needs to pay attention to this area, because well developed musculature in the neck and shoulders is essential for safety in a collision sport. Every position group on our football team at Florida works on the neck and shoulders, and the training is most extensive for those players who are frequently involved in high-impact collisions—such as defensive backs, linebackers, tight ends, and fullbacks.

The athlete sits in the machine, and there’s a pad that goes up against his head. If we’re working on neck extension, for example, the pad rests on the back of the head. He sits upright with his shoulders back to tighten the core, and basically drives his head backward in an extension position, pauses, and then slowly brings it back. The athlete just has to turn to the side to perform lateral flexion work, with the pad up against the side of the head in both directions. Hand grips help keep the body upright during these motions so the athlete is working the neck only.

What are some of the exercises used to develop the neck and shoulder area?

The primary exercises we do for the neck involve neck flexion and extension, and also lateral flexion to both sides.

We achieve this in several different ways, including the use of weight plates, manual resistance with a partner, and a neck machine from Hammer Strength called the 4-Way Neck.

If we are doing neck flexion, for instance, the athlete lays on a bench and we put a towel over his forehead, and he does neck flexion exercises using a 25-, 35-, or 45-lb. plate, depending on where he is in the training regimen. In addition to that single-plane movement, we also perform multidirectional movement and use different angles to strengthen all parts of the neck musculature.

For the shoulders, we use a lot of shrugs with barbells and dumbbells. We also do exercises like upright rowing, overhead shoulder presses with dumbbells or barbells, lateral and shoulder-front raises with dumbbells, chains, or manual resistance, and rear-delt raises. We divide these exercises throughout the week to make sure that we’re working every part of the shoulders but not overtraining or overworking any one area.

Neck training should be progressive in terms of load and resistance, and that’s hard to achieve with manual resistance because there’s no way to accurately measure how hard the muscles are working. The neck machine is great because it uses specific increments of weight, so you can keep track of how much resistance is being applied and adjust the load gradually, in small amounts.

What rate of progress do you look for in neck and shoulder training?

Our progression is as slow as it can be. An athlete typically uses the same amount of weight for two or three weeks at a time, and progresses in increments of five or even as little as two and a half pounds. That’s primarily a safety concern, to avoid overtraining or straining the muscles in the neck.

What other safety concerns are involved in neck and shoulder training?

In addition to the slow progression, all movements must be done in a controlled manner, emphasizing the negative portion of the repetition. The regimen should be carefully planned out in advance to make sure it hits all parts of the musculature and doesn’t overwork anything. We try to do our neck flexion and extension exercises twice a week, and we also include some isometric rotational work to develop the range of motion.

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Circle No. 118

Circle No. 119

ON GUARD

INJURY PREVENTION

Multiple-plane, multiple-joint workouts are the key to an effective defense against ACL injuries.

I

After injuring her ACL, guard Camryn Whitaker rejoined Western Kentucky for 34 games in 2003-04 and 29 games in 2004-05.

JOE GLOWACKI/WKU ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

BY VERN GAMBETTA NJURIES TO THE ANTERIOR CRUCIATE

(ACL) are among the most catastrophic in sport, and are especially prevalent in basketball. They always seem to happen when they’re least expected, and the long recovery that follows is nothing less than grueling.

While exercise physiologists and physicians continue to study the whys and hows of ACL injuries, coaches have LIGAMENT

been most interested in preventing them. The good news is that raised awareness to the problem has increased attention to strategies for injury prevention. From small studies to large-scale NCAA-funded research, clear guidelines are emerging on how to prevent these injuries.

Studying the Studies The emphasis on ACL injury prevention needs to be on multiple-plane, multiple-joint work that puts a premium on balance and proprioception in functional, sport-specific positions. Instead of focusing on the knee alone, we need to address the entire kinetic chain to better

Vern Gambetta is the President of Gambetta Sports Training Systems in Sarasota, Fla. A frequent contributor to Coaching Management, he can be reached via his Web site: www.gambetta.com.

COACHING MANAGEMENT

33

INJURY PREVENTION

reduce force on the joint. The emphasis needs to be on training integrated movements, not isolated muscles.

An important but often ignored fact is that 70 percent of knee injuries are noncontact. The typical mechanisms of these non-contact injuries are planting and cutting, straight-knee landing (no flexion on landing), hard one-step stops with the knee hyperextended, pivoting, and rapid deceleration. These are all movements that occur with high force and at

high speed, and though they usually happen very quickly, athletes can be trained to make them more efficiently as part of a comprehensive prevention program.

There are two common threads in recent studies on ACL protection: first, that athletes need to improve balance, proprioception, and the mechanics of movement, and second, that plyometrics and strength training are effective preventatives of injury. In simpler terms, these studies show that almost anything

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

that strengthens the muscles around the knee and develops proprioception will significantly reduce the incidence of ACL injury.

Making It Specific With input from scores of other performance coaches, I developed the Lower Extremity Prevention & Performance Program™ to help address these injuries. (For a full program that can be used at any level of play, see “A Look at LEPPP” on page 36 ).

How can you take the protocols for reducing ACL injuries and adjust them for your team? Depending on the level of play, time factors, and the athletes, you’ll need to adapt the program accordingly.

Let’s start by examining time factors.

The studies clearly show that a significant time commitment is a key factor in any ACL injury-prevention program.

Spending 20 minutes on injury prevention two or three times a week is not enough—some form of training needs to be covered five days a week.

If it’s difficult for you to set aside half an hour of every practice for injury prevention, I suggest breaking down the training into modules that can fit alongside your athletes’ other training components. The logical place to begin is in warmup, because the warmup is a necessary component of every training session.

Other exercises might be incorporated into drills done during the heart of practice, and athletes can also be given some of the simpler modules as “homework.”

After examining time factors, take a look at your individual athletes. What do they do on their non-training days? How active are they? Athletes who spend weekends staying active will have an advantage over those whose exposure to sport comes only through the team’s games and practices.

Injury history is also a key factor. If an athlete has a history of lower-extremity sprains and joint laxity, start with a more remedial program. In this case, initial stages should look more like a rehab program.

Another factor I’ve been looking at recently is style of play. Anecdotal evidence suggests that athletes who play out of control are more likely to injure their ACLs. You may want to think about the difference between an athlete

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Circle No. 121

INJURY PREVENTION

A L O O K AT L E P P P The following details the portion of the Lower Extremity Prevention & Performance Program™ that I designed to be used as a warmup before practice. It can vary from 15 to 20 minutes in length.

MINI-BAND ROUTINE Side step x 20 Forward walk x 20 Carioca x 20 Monster walk x 20 BALANCE Single-leg squat ■ Sagittal ■ Frontal ■ Transverse Balance Shift ■ Step to the side ■ Step forward ■ Step back Note: Do one rep at each position, hold 10 seconds.

CRAWLS Jackknife x 5 Creepy crawl x 5 COMBINATION LUNGES & REACHES Lunge A ■ Lunge forward and reach up ■ Lunge to the side and reach up ■ Rotational lunge and reach up Lunge B ■ Lunge forward and reach out ■ Lunge to the side and reach out ■ Rotational lunge and reach out Lunge C ■ Lunge forward and reach across ■ Lunge to the side and reach across ■ Rotational lunge and reach across

Circle No. 122

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

Note: Reaches should be both to the right and the left.

Do two reps with each leg in each plane. Combinations of A, B, and C should be varied from day to day.

COORDINATION Skip Crossover skip Side step Carioca (low and long) Carioca (short and quick) Backward run High-knee skip High-knee skip w/rotation

Hop in place (over line) Forward/back x 10 ■ Side to side x 10 ■ Rotational x 10 each side ■

Multidirectional jump Forward/forward/side/side/ opposite side/side/back/ back x 2

■

Restart jump Forward/forward/back x 3 ■ Side/side/back x 3 ■ Opposite side/side/back x 3 ■

Rotational jump Land facing 180 degrees opposite from start x 10 each side

■

Note: Do three reps of each exercise the length of the court.

PLYOMETRIC PROGRAM Jump in place (over line) ■ Forward/back x 10 ■ Side to side x 10 ■ Rotational x 10 each side

Restart hop Forward/forward/back x 3 ■ Side/side/back x 3 ■ Opposite side/side/back x 3 ■

Rotational bound Off one foot onto opposite foot x 10 each side

■

Circle No. 123

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WWW BALLGIRLATHLETIC COM Circle No. 124

EQUIPMENT INJURY PREVENTION

who hustles and an athlete who plays without regard to proper body positioning and mechanics.

Putting It All Together All of the successful ACL-prevention programs share a few key components: mechanics of movement, proprioception, plyometrics, and strength training.

They can be translated into the following five modules: ■ strength/power, including basic strength, core strength, elastic/reactive strength (plyometrics) ■ balance/proprioception ■ agility, including body awareness, footwork, and change of direction ■ dynamic flexibility ■ sport-specific conditioning Here’s how I combine these modules and fit them into different parts of the year and different sections of practice: Off-season: I recommend one hour, three to four times a week, with an emphasis on strength training and balance/ proprioception work at first, followed by

a gradual shift to include agility and plyometric training.

Preseason: Every day before practice, do 15 to 20 minutes of warmup work that includes balance/proprioception, agility, and plyometric training. After practice, do 20 to 30 minutes of strength training three times a week.

In-Season: Before practice, continue the preseason plan of 15 to 20 minutes of work as a warmup that includes balance/proprioception, agility, and plyometric training. Post-practice workouts can be reduced as the season progresses. In the early season, do 20 minutes of strength training three times a week; in midseason, 20 minutes of strength training twice a week is recommended; and during the late season and playoffs, do 10 to 15 minutes twice a week.

Here are some additional tips for designing your own program: ■ Use drills that are easy to teach and easy to monitor.

■ Design a training program that is progressive and varied.

■ Teach landing and stopping mech-

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

anics before plyometric and agility training.

■ Focus part of your strength training on force reduction work, which can be accomplished through a heavy dose of strength training that emphasizes fast, eccentric muscle action performed in postures and positions similar to sport movements.

■ Remember that training is cumulative. There is no single workout or component that will ensure success, but rather the sum of all workouts and the interaction of all components.

One last tip is about communication: Educating your athletes in the importance of injury prevention is a crucial part of gaining their trust in your program. If you can teach the “why,” the “how” will follow as your athletes provide their own motivation and make compliance with the program a meaningful experience for your entire team. ■ Similar versions of this article have appeared in other editions of Coaching Management.

Need uniforms before the season starts?

The following companies can meet your needs!

Bassco, a Division of Sport Chalet, Inc. 800-250-4923 WWW.SPORTCHALET.BASSCO.COM

DeLong Sportswear 800-733-5664 WWW.DELONG-SPORTSWEAR.COM

NeuEdge Sportswear 800-486-2788 WWW.NEUEDGESPORTS.COM

Turnaround Time: Practice Uniforms: ........... 2 Shooting Shirts: .............. 2 Warm-Ups: ...................... 2 Stock Uniforms: ............... 2 Custom Uniforms: ............ 2

Turnaround Time: Practice Uniforms: .........2-3 Shooting Shirts: ............2-3 Warm-Ups: ....................2-3 Stock Uniforms: .............2-3 Custom Uniforms: ..........2-3 Semi-Custom Uniforms:..2-3

Turnaround Time: Stock Uniforms: ................. At once Custom Uniforms: .............4 weeks Custom Shooting Shirts: ...4 weeks Custom Warm-Ups: ...........4 weeks

Weeks Weeks Weeks Weeks Weeks

Sport Chalet offers a basketball spirit pack that can be delivered in 14 working days. The pack includes a heavyweight 100-percent cotton T-shirt, reversible tricot mesh jersey, big and baggy tricot mesh shorts, and a pair of socks. All garments include your choice of custom screen printing with no set-up charges. Three jersey styles offered: men’s reversible tank top men’s reversible cap sleeve style, and women’s cut pattern.

Primary Advantages: Sport Chalet’s custom-design dazzle cloth game uniforms are available in 10 home and 10 away color combinations in both men’s and women’s patterns. Complement these dazzle cloth uniforms with their shooting shirt and tear-away pants in seven matching colors.

Circle No. 500 Ballgirl Athletic 877-268-7778 WWW.BALLGIRLATHLETIC.COM Turnaround Time: Practice Uniforms: ................1 Day Team Uniforms: ....................1 Day Custom Uniforms: .........4–6 Weeks Shooting Shirts: ...................1 Day Team uniforms by Ballgirl Athletic are uniquely designed by women for women. The fabrics, styling, fit all have been tested by our target market: female athletes. The most popular uniform style—the Athena Jersey and Game Shorts—plus practice gear short styles are in stock in most team colors and available for immediate delivery. Custom color uniforms are available in 4–6 weeks.

Primary Advantages: Ballgirl Athletic uniquely designs and develops product solely for the female athlete. Styles from Ballgirl Athletic have been worn and tested by female athletes for performance, fit and comfort.

Circle No. 501

Weeks Weeks Weeks Weeks Weeks Weeks

DeLong delivers top quality custommade uniforms specific to your team’s color and style in two to three weeks.

Every order is shipped complete.

Primary Advantages: DeLong’s topquality craftmanship manufactures today’s styles for highprofile team uniforms customized to your team’s colors. Every order is shipped complete, and at-once orders are shipped in two to three weeks. Customdesign your teams uniform and warm-ups and have them in time for your first tip-off. You’ll find that DeLong’s service is unsurpassed in the industry. Contact your local DeLong authorized institutional dealer for ordering information.

Circle No. 502 Moyer Sports 800-255-5299 WWW.MOYERSPORTS.COM Turnaround Time: Practice Uniforms: ......... 4-6 weeks Shooting Shirts: ............ 4-6 weeks Warm-Ups: .................... 4-6 weeks Stock Uniforms: ............. 4-6 weeks Custom Uniforms: .......... 4-6 weeks All products available for rush service Moyer Sports offers a complete line of stock and custom uniforms, warm-ups, shooting shirts, and tear-away pants available in men’s and women’s cuts. The company also carries travel suits, jackets and bags, and top names such as Adidas and Dynamic.

Numbers and lettering are dyed directly into fabric. Moyer Sports guarantees its products will never peel or crack.

NeuEdge offers custom-sublimated dyed uniforms in all team colors. The company dyes your logos and lettering right into the fabric with no screen printing, so there’s no more cracking or peeling of letters and numbers. Many different uniform designs and collar options are available.

Primary Advantages: NeuEdge’s uniforms are made in the U.S.A.— dyed and sewn in the company’s Pennsylvania factory. This allows for complete quality control and fast turnaround times. The on-staff team of artists and designers can customize excellent graphics for your team uniforms.

Circle No. 504 Proball USA 800-401-9708 WWW.PROBALLUSA.COM Turnaround Time: Practice Uniforms: ......... 4-6 Custom Uniforms: .......... 4-6 Shooting Shirts: ............ 4-6 Warm-Ups: .................... 4-6

weeks weeks weeks weeks

Proball USA provides truly customized uniforms, warmups, shooting shirts, and practice uniforms with one set price and no extra charges. A Proball representative will guide you through the entire ordering process.

Primary Advantages: Proball’s uniforms are truly customized for your team—the company doesn’t sell stock uniforms. All uniforms and warm-ups are designed to the coach’s specifications, and there are no limitations.

Circle No. 505

Primary Advantages: Moyer Sports’ inhouse lettering facility enables quicker service than the competition.

Circle No. 503

COACHING MANAGEMENT

39

Testimonial

HexPads Turn Up The Heat When the Miami Heat opened the first round of the NBA Playoffs on April 24, Shaquille O’Neal’s status was in serious doubt because of a major thigh contusion. The injury would have prevented most players from suiting up, even in light of the importance of this game.

But Shaq not only suited up, he scored 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.

For extra protection, he wore HexPad™ Protective Undergarment Shorts from McDavid Products.

“I can’t even imagine how bad Shaq’s injury would have been if he hadn’t worn the HexPad when the contact to his thigh occurred,” says Heat Athletic Trainer Ron Culp.

“I really believe the shorts prevented the injury from being more serious, and wearing the undergarment has enabled Shaq to play at a higher level in spite of the injury.”

O’Neal isn’t the only Heat to benefit from McDavid’s HexPad technology—starting guards Dwyane Wade and Damon Jones have worn both the HexPad shorts and shirt during the season.

“The HexPad garments are extremely innovative and effective,” Culp says.

“And McDavid is an outstanding company to work with. They have customized garments to fit our needs and gone the extra mile time and time again. I rank McDavid as one of the best companies we work with.”

HexPads are worn by players from several NBA and NFL teams, and by athletes at more than 80 major college programs.

McDavid 10305 ARGONNE DR. WOODRIDGE, IL 60517 800-237-8254 INFO@MCDAVIDUSA.COM WWW.MCDAVIDUSA.COM

40

COACHING MANAGEMENT

Team Equipment Airborne Athletics, Inc. 888-887-7453 WWW.DRDISHBASKETBALL.COM The Dr. Dish™ Ball Cart is more than a storage cart. Its unique design keeps basketballs conveniently located at hip level for fast, easy access, which is especially important when running fast-paced drills. Coaches can now have a tough, multipurpose cart built specifically for basketball. The Dr. Dish Ball Cart can also collect balls when used with the Dr. Dish basketball shooting machine and BallBoy net collection system. It holds up to 18 balls.

Circle No. 506 Cho-Pat 800-221-1601 WWW.CHO-PAT.COM Cho-Pat’s patented Dual Action Knee Strap provides an extra dimension of relief for painful and weakened knees.

First, it applies pressure upon the tendon below the knee to reduce patellar subluxation and improve patellar tracking and elevation. Then, by adding pressure on the tendon above the knee, the strap further strengthens and provides an additional level of support and stability to the joint. The fabric-covered neoprene construction allows full mobility. Call ChoPat, or visit the company’s Web site, for more information.

Circle No. 507 New Balance Athletic Shoe 800-253-7463 WWW.NEWBALANCE.COM The BB902 is an ultra durable performance basketball shoe built to last from tryouts to the conference finals.

This shoe has great stability, cushioning with excellent durability, and maximum shock absorption. It offers superior support in the midfoot while reducing overall weight. It is constructed with solid rubber and blown

rubber for exceptional durability, natural comfort, and breathability. The collar and tongue are made with breathable moisture-wicking foam.

Circle No. 508 The BB887 from New Balance is a supportive team basketball shoe for players who demand long-wearing comfort. It offers exceptional shock absorption and superior support in the midfoot while reducing overall weight.

Natural comfort, durability, and breathability make this shoe a great choice.

The outsole pattern is designed for increased traction during lateral motion.

Circle No. 509 Russell Athletic WWW.RUSSELLATHLETIC.COM Russell Athletic combines tradition, performance, and design to create basketball uniforms that actually enhance athletic performance.

Russell Athletic uniforms are offered in a variety of innovative fabrics, including Russell’s Dri-Power moisture-management technology, which keeps players cool, dry, and comfortable on the court. Russell’s sleek new uniform with a Vneck and contrasting back paneling is designed especially for women, offering ease of movement and improved performance.

Circle No. 510 Russell Athletic has a longstanding tradition of producing team uniforms that are used at the highest levels of competition. More than 100 NCAA basketball teams wear Russell Athletic in practice and during games. Russell Athletic uniforms are designed with superior fit and durability to enhance on-court performance.

The company’s uniforms are offered in innovative fabrics, including DriPower moisture-management technology, which allows athletes to compete at their very best.

Circle No. 511

Shooting Aids Airborne Athletics, Inc. 888-887-7453 WWW.DRDISHBASKETBALL.COM Dr. Dish™ is an all-in-one machine that handles shooting, passing, and rebounding. Like traditional machines, Dr. Dish can pass balls around the perimeter to outside shooters. But unlike traditional machines, Dr. Dish can also throw game-like passes from anywhere on the court, training all your shooters. Plus, it can simulate missed shots for rebounding and tipping drills.

Dr. Dish’s Court Smart Technology™ includes programmable operations, preprogrammed drills, and memorization of your favorite drills. It’s available with a counter to keep track of shots and calculate shooting percentages.

Circle No. 512 Better Basketball 866-866-4667 WWW.BETTERBASKETBALL.COM Better Basketball, the world’s leader in basketball improvement videos, has

released their sixth video: Better 1-on-1 Offense, Scoring from the Perimeter.

This video teaches players how to evaluate and react to plays like: off the dribble, in the mid-range, pressured tightly, finishing at the goal, and the pick-androll. There is a groundbreaking 13-minute feature on maximizing your quickness potential out of triple threat. Available in DVD and in VHS, you’ll find footage from professional European players and bonus sections from WNBA All-Star Sue Bird, 2004 NBA Finals MVP Chauncey Billups, and Hallof-Famer Rick Barry.

Shoot-A-Way, Inc. 800-294-4654 WWW.SHOOTAWAY.NET Dependability and simplicity best describe The Gun from Shoot-A-Way. It has people excited about shooting again. The Gun zips out passes from 15 to 35 feet. Multiple settings allow it to throw to the same spot consistently,

or to throw as it rotates to a series of spots around the perimeter. The fast-paced workout forces players to shoot and move, catch quickly, and get their shots up.

Call Shoot-A-Way for more information and a free demonstration video.

Circle No. 513 Shoot-A-Way is introducing its new rebounding machine. The Rebounder helps teach players to rebound with power and control by forcing them to pull the ball down through arms of resistance.

An adjustable ball height of seven to 11 feet makes this rebounder versatile enough for almost any team. The optional block-out pads allow a player to block out into spring loaded pads, then rebound with authority.

Circle No. 514

Circle No. 126 COACHING MANAGEMENT

41

Great Ideas For Athletes...

Knee Strap

COMPANY

PAGE NO.

CIRCLE NO.

COMPANY

PAGE NO

124 . . . Ballgirl Athletic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

121 . . . LRSSports Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

111 . . . Bassco (Sport Chalet) . . . . . . . . . . . 20-21

104 . . McDavid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

123. . . Cardinal Publishers Group . . . . . . . 36

110 . . . Moyer Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

127 . . . Cho-Pat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

108 . . NeuEdge Sportswear . . . . . . . . . . . 14

125. . . Clarin Seating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

102. . . New Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

134. . . ClearDefense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IBC

126 . . . New Trend Media Sports . . . . . . . . 41

128. . . Courtclean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

117 . . . OPTP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

115 . . . DeLong Sportswear . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

100 . . Powernetics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC

135. . . Dr. Dish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BC

112 . . . Proball USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

129. . . eFundraising.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

120. . . Shoot-A-Way (Rebounder) . . . . . . . . . 34

109 . . Fair-Play Scoreboards . . . . . . . . . . . 15

103. . . Shoot-A-Way (The Gun) . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

107. . . Fox 40 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

113 . . . SignCo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

122. . . Front Row Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

105 . . Spalding/Hydra-Rib/BPI . . . . . . . . . . 9

132 . . . Game On Recruiting Systems . . . . . 46

130. . . Specialized Seating . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

101. . . Gatorade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

106 . . Sports Imports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

114 . . . Jaypro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

133. . . Stadium Chair. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

131 . . . JV Pro, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

116 . . . TurboStats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

118 . . . Life Fitness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

119 . . . VertiMax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

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. 127

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ADVERTISERS DIRECTORY CIRCLE NO.

COACHING MANAGEMENT

CIRCLE NO.

COMPANY

PAGE NO.

512 . . . Airborne Athletics

(Dr. Dish)

506 . . Airborne Athletics

(Dr. Dish Ball Cart) .

. . . . . . . 41

CIRCLE NO.

COMPANY

PAGE NO

562 . . McDavid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

40

503 . . Moyer Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

501 . . Ballgirl Athletic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

504 . . NeuEdge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

500 . . Bassco

. . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

509 . . New Balance

(BB887) .

. . . . . . . . . . . . 40

. . . . . . . . . . 43

508 . . New Balance

(BB902) .

. . . . . . . . . . . . 40

(Sport Chalet)

522 . . Bison

(Baseline Breakaway)

523 . . Bison

(Sport Pride padding)

. . . . . . . . . 43

559. . . New Trend Media Sports . . . . . . . . 50

563 . . Cardinal Publishers Group . . . . . . . 52

547 . . OPTP

(DVD program) .

507 . . Cho-Pat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

548 . . OPTP

(Strength Training Anatomy) .

524. . . Clarin Seating

(3402) .

525 . . Clarin seating

(locker room stools) .

. . . . . . . . . . . . 43

. . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 . . . . 48

564 . . Power Systems

(catalog)

. . . 43

550 . . Power Systems

(Fat Bars) .

526 . . ClearDefense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

549 . . Power Systems

(Power Chains)

527 . . Courtclean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

551 . . . Powernetics

(Power Trainer)

502 . . DeLong Sportswear . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

552 . . Powernetics

(The Dominator) .

555 . . Digital Scout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

505 . . Proball USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

561 . . . eFundraising.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

534 . . Revere Plastics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

530 . . Fair-Play Scoreboards

. . 44

510 . . . Russell Athletic

(Dri-Power)

531. . . Fair-Play Scoreboards (indoor LED) . . 44

511 . . . Russell Athletic

(team uniforms)

537 . . Front Row Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

514 . . . Shoot-A-Way

(rebounding machine) .

540 . . Full Performance Fitness . . . . . . . . . 48

513 . . . Shoot-A-Way

(The Gun)

(1600 series)

. . . . . . . . . . 52 . . . . . . . . . 49 . . . . . . 49

. . . . . . . . 49 . . . . . . . 49

. . . . . . . . 40 . . . . . 40 . . 41

. . . . . . . . . . . 41

556 . . Game On Recruiting Systems . . . . . 50

535 . . SignCo

542 . . Gatorade

539 . . SignCo (Rotating Scoring Table) . . . . . . 46

541. . . Gatorade

(Endurance Formula) (Nutrition Shake)

. . . . . . 48

(Rotating Fascia Signs)

. . . . . . . 45

. . . . . . . . . 48

521. . . Spalding/Hydra-Rib/BPI

(catalog) .

. . . . 48

520 . . Spalding/Hydra-Rib/BPI

(equipment)

545 . . Hammer Strength

(Combo Rack)

546 . . Hammer Strength

(Olympic Platform)

. . 43 43

. 48

536 . . Specialized Seating . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

. . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

553 . . Sports Imports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

. . . . . . . . . 44

560 . . TurboStats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

538 . . JV Pro, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

543 . . VertiMax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

557 . . LRSSports

(Gamer video editing)

544 . . VertiMax

558 . . LRSSports

(GamerEZ) .

533 . . Jaypro

(Little Champ)

532 . . Jaypro

(Slope Fold Curtain)

. . . . . 50

. . . . . . . . . . . . 50

(V6) .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Basketball Court Equipment Spalding/Hydra-Rib/BPI 800-435-DUNK WWW.SPALDING.COM WWW.HYDRA-RIB.COM WWW.AMERICANATHLETIC.COM. Spalding/BPI/Hydra-RIB is collectively the largest basketball equipment supplier in the world, offering portable backstops for professional, collegiate and recreational play.

Commitment to superior design and customer support makes the company the number one choice in basketball equipment.

BPI and Hydra-RIB are the proud portable basketball backstop suppliers to 15 NBA arenas and hundreds of colleges.

Circle No. 520 Spalding, Hydra-RIB and Basketball Products International (BPI) share a long history of providing quality products to athletes ranging from high schools to the pros across the world. Their extensive product line includes portable and ceiling-suspended basketball backstops, backboards, rims, basketballs, pads, training equipment, balls, and accessories. For a free product catalog, please call toll-free.

Circle No. 521 Bison Recreational Products 800-247-7668 WWW.BISONINC.COM The first breakaway goal with true 180-degree deflection is now available from Bison. From the left, the right, or down the lane, the new Bison Baseline Breakaway protects players and equipment no matter what the angle of attack. As the only 180-degree breakaway with popular positive lock release mechanism, the Bison Baseline is an

official product of the National High School Federation and meets all NFHS, FIBA and NCAA rules, including the new Division I Rule for rebound elasticity testing. Bison is the official supplier of basketball equipment selected by the NHSF. Circle No. 522

offering a variety of other options. Its locker room stools are available in three different models, including varying heights and seat styles.

Circle No. 525 ClearDefense 866-370-1699 WWW.CLEARDEFENSE.COM

Bison Pro now offers Sport Pride™ digitally printed wall padding. This means wall padding designs and colors are now limited only by the imagination!

Sport Pride wall padding allows full color photo and logo reproduction in an infinite range of colors. These digitally printed, fullcolor images are superior to vinyl stick-ons or silk-screened graphics in both image quality and durability, making an excellent project for booster club fundraisers. This two-inch thick padding meets all applicable standards including draft ASTM standards for safety. Cutouts are available.

Circle No. 523

ClearDefense’s Glass Retention Systems not only strengthen glass, but also retain shattered glass, safeguarding people and property. Through patented applications, ClearDefense offers laminates that enhance the safety of athletes and spectators, while reducing the risk-exposure and liability of facility owners. The Rention Systems prevent NCAA and NBA backboards, NHL arena glass, NASCAR windshields, and NFHS & NIAAA gym backboards from shattering. ClearDefense systems protect the windows at the heart of our nation’s military—the Pentagon—as well as other military and government buildings.

Circle No 526

Clarin Corp.

800-323-9062 WWW.CLARINSEATING.COM

Courtclean 800-900-2481 WWW.COURTCLEAN.COM

Comfort and durability are the standard features that make Clarin seats the winning choice. For the ultimate in sideline and locker room accommodations, choose the 3402, featuring two arms, a thick, luxurious vinyl or fabric cushion and an option for logo applications. In arenas, schools, and stadiums around the country, Clarin’s 3000 series are a popular selection for portable seating systems.

Circle No. 524

Are slippery gym floors and wrestling mats a problem? Courtclean is the answer. It’s fast, easy, safe, and affordable. With the Courtclean system, one person can easily damp mop your floors or disinfect your mats in less than five minutes, and play can start immediately.

Satisfaction is 100-percent guaranteed.

Circle No. 527

Clarin’s locker room stools are the best way to promote team spirit while providing a quality product guaranteed to last. Clarin customizes seating with your team colors and logo while

Check out

www.AthleticBid.com to contact these companies.

COACHING MANAGEMENT

43

Basketball Court Equipment Fair-Play 800-247-0265 WWW.FAIR-PLAY.COM Fair-Play Scoreboard’s 1600 basketball series is designed for today’s gym, displaying all basic game information as well as additional features, such as timeouts left and doublebonus arrows to indicate one-and-one and two-shot fouls. Three distinctive digit colors organize scoring information and ensure readability. For more than 70 years, fans and administrators have relied on the style and innovation of Fair-Play Scoreboards. Check out Fair-Play’s entire line of basketball scoring and timing products on its Web site, or call for a free catalog.

Circle No. 530

Quickly identify critical game information at first glance. Fair-Play’s indoor LED basketball scoreboards come standard with three distinct digit colors—vibrant amber, red, and green—to separate time, score, and other vital statistics.

Coachs have asked for it, FairPlay’s got it. Now get the Fair-Play spirit for your gym. For more than 70 years, fans and administrators have relied on the style and innovation of Fair-Play Scoreboards.

Check out Fair-Play’s entire line of basketball scoring and timing products on its Web site, or call for a free catalog.

Circle No. 531 Jaypro Sports, LLC 800-243-0533 WWW.JAYPRO.COM

frame and to provide maximum clearance for all sporting activities. The heavy-duty 19-ounce curtain is reinforced fire-retardant vinyl with vinyl-coated polyester mesh. Jaypro Sports is a leading provider of custom and non-custom high quality sports equipment for all indoor and outdoor sporting facilities.

Circle No. 532 Jaypro’s Little Champ™ Adjustable Backboard Adapter adjusts to five different heights with just one unit.

The backboard converts regulation height courts to accommodate youth league requirements. The adjustable backboard and frame provide youth

Jaypro’s Slope Fold Curtain makes the most effective use of space in a sloped-ceiling application. The curtain is engineered to fit against the roof

Patent Pending

Slippery gym floors a problem?

Athletic Directors, Coaches and Facilities Directors, do you spend countless hours cleaning and mopping your own gym floor. Now in less than 5 minutes, with the courtclean System, you can damp mop your entire floor and start play immediately! For example, the courtclean can easily be used at halftime of basketball games. Thousands of Universities, Colleges, High Schools and other facilities are currently using and enjoying the courtclean in their gyms. courtclean is easy to use. Simply dampen and attach the supplied one piece cleaning towel to the courtclean and you are ready to go. When done, simply launder the towel for it’s next use. courtclean works great on wrestling mats, synthetic floors and all large hard floor surfaces.

To order, or for your local dealer,please call (800) 900-2481 or visit our web site at www.courtclean.com

Circle No. 128

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

Circle No. 129

Basketball Court Equipment goal heights seven to nine feet, bringing the goal two feet closer to the foul line. A unique “ladder like” five-point positioning bar is designed specifically for easy height change. Installation requires only one person and it sets up simply without modifying the existing goal structure.The Little Champ fits on any existing goal and includes new, fullsized (35”x 48”) graphite backboards with aluminum backframes, and official size 5/8-inch goals with nylon nets.

Circle No. 533 Revere Plastics, Inc. 800-226-8374 WWW.REVEREPLASTICS.COM In today’s marketplace, most manufacturers of gym floor covers are moving to heavier-weight floor covering materials. While Revere Plastics is at the forefront of this movement with its super duty Defender 50 floor covering

material, the company is also continuing to upgrade and improve its line of lighter-weight materials with the use of high-tech reinforcing scrims and the latest in elastomeric coatings. In conjunction with these high-tech materials, Revere has also developed compact storage systems for ease in handling.

For customer convenience, Revere offers one-stop shopping for all your protective covering needs. In addition to floor covers, Revere also manufactures protective padding and safety padding, custom-made to your specific requirements. To most effectively and safely use your gym space, Revere offers divider curtains, custom-tailored to meet any application.

Circle No. 534 SignCo 402-474-6646 WWW.SIGNCO.COM SignCo Rotating Fascia Signs offer every school and organization a tremendous opportunity to generate amazing revenue. With each sign capable of holding up to 20 ad panels, you will be

able to offer all your advertisers the prime location within your gym or arena.

Call SignCo and start earning money for your program today.

Circle No. 535 Specialized Seating 877-SEATING WWW.SIT123.COM Sit back and relax with the seating professionals at Specialized Seating. The company has seating for team benches, sidelines, locker rooms, meeting rooms, fundraising, and even for timeouts. Call the company to design your own custom sideline package and sit with the pros.

Circle No. 536

JV PRO Scoring Tables

NEW! LED Possession Arrows & Bonus Lights Brighter, Bigger, Safer • Two styles to choose from, Free-Standing or Bleacher.

• Heavy duty padding in your choice of school colors.

• High quality laminated table top with safe, rounded corners.

• Bleacher will also convert to Free-Standing style in seconds without tools.

• Folds to 16 inches for storage, extends only 14 inches on to the court.

• All models include locking casters for easy placement.

• Enclosed UL light fixtures.

Heavy duty chairs in your school colors with logo or mascot are available to match your scoring table.

2600 Harrison Ave. • Rockford IL 61108 Phone: 815-229-1600 • 800-962-2440 • Fax: 815-229-3308 Webpage: @http://www.jvpro.com E-mail: info@jvpro.com

Circle No. 130

Circle No. 131 COACHING MANAGEMENT

45

Scoring Tables Front Row Scoring Tables 800-950-6040 WWW.FRONTROWSCORING.COM

JV Pro, Inc. 800-962-2440 WWW.JVPRO.COM

SignCo 402-474-6646 WWW.SIGNCO.COM

Front Row Scoring Tables manufactures a high-quality scorer’s table with the following features: aluminum solid-welded table (freestanding or bleacher-mounted); heavy, durable perimeter padding; drop-down table top

JV Pro offers custom-made freestanding and convertible bleacher-mounted scoring tables. Standard options include an LED possession arrow with bonus indicators, illuminated shatterproof lexan panels and heavy-duty soft rubber casters for easy movement, and collapsibility down to 16 inches for easy storage.

JV Pro also offers heavy-duty courtside chairs in school colors and featuring your logo or mascot to compliment your scoring table. These products create the perfect image for your sports program.

Circle No. 538

The most effective and easiest way to generate revenue for your program is through corporate sponsorship and advertising. With SignCo’s Rotating Scoring Table, you are able to create 20 spots of inventory for your advertisers as close to the action as possible.

Call SignCo to find out more about this amazing product.

Circle No. 539

with recessed drink holders; six-outlet receptacle; lockable casters for ease of movement; and illuminated face panels to present your school name, mascot, and sponsors. Optional features include detachable, double-sided possession indicators, bonus indicators, and protective covers. This table is safety-engineered, convenient to use, and comes with a five-year warranty on workmanship.

Circle No. 537

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

For Winners, There Is No Off Season.

Show Your Colors!

Best Bestsideline sidelinechair chairmade. ade.

Guaranteed.

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46

Developed with college coaches for college coaches, Game On recruiting software puts an easy to use, easy to customize and highly effective tracking system at your fingertips. The Game On system accurately mimics the way you and your staff manage recruiting. Make notes, share information, track contacts and set up mailing features to eliminate duplicated efforts and potential compliance pitfalls. Tested on the playing field and proven effective at building the winning teams of tomorrow.

Visit us at www.stadiumchair.com to see our complete line of products.

888.536.8193

Contact your local dealer for details on our free locker stool offer.

Chair Caddy

Also great for fundraisers!

www.gameonsystems.com

888-417-9590 • stadiumchair.com

Circle No. 132

Circle No. 133

COACHING MANAGEMENT

stad chair 136.indd 1

7/26/05 1:45:32 PM

Company Q & A

Doug Campbell is the President of Airborne Athletics, Inc., the exclusive manufacturer of the Dr. Dish Basketball Training Machine. “Since we introduced Dr. Dish, I’ve been amazed at how quickly coaches have recognized the additional training value Dr. Dish offers over traditional training machines,” Campbell says.

“The versatility and game-like training opportunities provided

by Dr. Dish are improving players game skills quickly.”

Airborne Athetics Dishes the Dirt on Basketball Training Machines Tell our readers a little bit about Dr. Dish.

Game spot, game shot, game speed— that is the Dr. Dish edge. Dr. Dish is a shooting, passing, rebounding, and oncourt drill machine. Most importantly, it can simulate game-like scenarios with bounce, chest, lob, and even skip passes, from anywhere on the court.

Imagine your perimeter shooters and inside shooters getting thousands of extra repetitions from game-like locations where they have to meet the pass, square to the basket, and then shoot. It makes for more realistic training. And, with the new “Pass & Feed,” a player can catch a pass from Dr. Dish, square, shoot, rebound his or her own ball, then outlet-pass the ball back to Dr. Dish, which reloads the machine.

Dick Vitale made a comment regarding Dr. Dish being the next generation of training machines.

What makes Dr. Dish so advanced?

Dr. Dish can be used from under the basket like traditional training machines.

However, what makes us better is that Dr. Dish is also a shooting, passing, rebounding, and on-court drill machine operating from anywhere on the court— and now we’ve added Court Smart Technology™.

What is Court Smart Technology?

Airborne Athletics, Inc. 116 WEST MAIN ST. BELLE PLAINE, MN 56011 888-887-7453 SALES@DRDISHBASKETBALL.COM

Court Smart Technology allows you to throw a ball to any spot or multiple spots at any speed with any rotation range and rotation speed. And it’s simple: All coaches have to do is decide where to throw the ball, how often, and at what speed. They can then save this

drill so the next time all they have to do is select it and press start, and everything sets up automatically. Plus, we’ve already saved some commonly-used drills into the machine for you.

What new features or options does the Dr. Dish offer?

We offer a wireless “shots made” counter so Dr. Dish can count shots made and shots taken, and then calculate your shooting percentage. The wireless feature allows a player or coach to use the machine away from the basket and still use this feature.

Another option is our video camera mount. This allows you to use your own video camera on the Dr. Dish. It gives the coaches and players a great tool for learning.

The “Pass & Feed” feature is a device attached to the BallBoy net system that allows a player to outlet-pass a ball to the net, which feeds Dr. Dish for continuous, uninterrupted training. You might use this feature when Dr. Dish is shooting the ball (and missing) for rebounding drills; the player rebounds, then passes back to the net, feeding the Dr. Dish.

We have more features that you can see at www.drdishbasketball.com.

Your web site has pages of testimonials from coaches at all levels. What do you hear the most often from them?

Almost everyone says that they love the remote control! Seriously, we hear how the Dish has improved teams’ game shooting percentage and three-point shooters. Users also love the versatility and power of using it for on-court drills and rebounding. Every coach tells us of new ways to use the Dish—we’re always learning new drills from our coaches. Other common feedback we hear is that the players love using the machine and that open-gym is packed!

WWW.DRDISHBASKETBALL.COM COACHING MANAGEMENT

47

Strength & Conditioning Aids Full Performance Fitness, Inc. 310-567-2220 WWW.FULLPERFORMANCEFITNESS.COM

VertiMax 800-699-5867 WWW.VERTIMAX.COM

1st Step for Energy is a liquid that provides 98-percent absorption of nutrients, as compared to the 10-20 percent typical of vitamin pills or capsules.

The full dose of vitamins is retained in the bloodstream to work synergistically for faster recovery after intense workouts.

The product contains 71 liquid vitamins and minerals, including: A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, C, D, E, biotin, folic acid, iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium.

Circle No. 540

No matter what kind of lower-body strength and 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. 543

Gatorade 800-88 GATOR WWW.GATORADE.COM Gatorade Nutrition Shake is a balanced nutritional supplement that’s ideal for use as a highenergy meal replacement, or a pre-event or betweenmeal snack. Gatorade Nutrition Shake contains vitamin C, calcium, and iron, so it’s great for athletes who want to per form at their best and need to supplement their diet with a convenient, balanced, and nutritious product. Gatorade Nutrition Shake is available in two flavors—chocolate and vanilla.

Circle No. 541 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.

Circle No. 542

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

“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. 544 Hammer Strength 800-634-8637 WWW.LIFEFITNESS.COM The new Hammer Strength Olympic Heavy Duty Combo Rack gives collegiate and high school athletic facilities the ultimate training variety in the most spaceefficient combination. It offers two training stations on each side of the rack, 16 adjustment positions for both the bar

supports and bar catches, and two flip-up, non-slip spotter stands. Like all Hammer Strength products, the Heavy Duty Combo Rack provides premium durability, functionality, and ease of use, enabling facilities to provide optimal team training for enhanced sports performance.

Circle No. 545 The new Hammer Strength Olympic Platform can be used as a stand-alone product or combined with a Hammer Strength Olympic Heavy Duty Rack and an oak insert to define a specific area for completing a variety of Olympic lifts and training exercises. The 6’ x 8’ Platform has a wraparound sheet metal frame and rubber impact mat.

Circle No. 546 OPTP 800-367-7393 WWW.OPTP.COM Juan Carlos Santana, MEd, CSCS, is your host for a comprehensive look at over 100 of the most popular medicine ball exercises. This new DVD program offers complete education and exercise demonstrations for greater stability, body strength, balance, and flexibility, using progressive exercises that emphasize good form.

Athletic trainers, coaches, and rehab staff will all be inspired to incorporate medicine ball training exercises into their programs. For more information and a free catalog, call OPTP today.

Circle No. 547 Strength Training Anatomy contains detailed full-color anatomical illustrations of exercises that target every major muscle group, along with full descriptions of how to perform them.

The illustrations

Strength & Conditioning Aids graphically depict both the muscles and the bones, with variations showing how the exercises can be modified to isolate specific muscles. Call OPTP for more information and a free catalog.

Circle No. 548 Power Systems 800-321-6975 WWW.POWER-SYSTEMS.COM Sometimes the simplest training tools are the most effective. Power Systems has added solid steel Power Chains to its new 2005 catalog. It’s a simple idea that delivers real results.

These galvanized chains provide progressive resistance when attached to any Olympic bar and can be used for bench presses, squats, inclines, and more. As each link lifts off the ground, the total weight being lifted increases, stimulating maximum muscular contraction throughout the entire range of motion. Power Chains are sold in pairs and are available in three sizes: 20 lbs., 34 lbs., and 48 lbs.

Circle No. 549 The Power Systems Fat Bars, short and long, assist in concentrated muscular development of the hands, wrists, and forearms by introducing a wider bar diameter for a wider grip. The long Fat Bar can be used for chest, military, and wide presses while the short Fat Bar is suitable for curls, rows, and other short-grip movements.

Both bars are made of two-inch tubular steel with a knurled grip and fixed sleeves. The long bar is 87 inches long and weighs 22 lbs., and the short bar is 48 inches long and weighs 15 lbs.

Power Systems has been setting the standard in strength and conditioning products and programs since 1986.

Circle No. 550 Powernetics 800-829-2928 WWW.POWERNETICS.COM Powernetics offers the Power Trainer, which for more than 10 years has made the power clean a safe exercise for ath-

letes 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.

Circle No. 551 Powernetics also offers a line of strength-training machines that develop power by providing a consistent ratio of speed, resistance, and intensity. The Dominator builds strength in one unbroken line from the feet to the hands. The machine’s groundbased torquing motion works both sides of the body, while also providing an explosive chest punch. The unit will more than double strength in the 90-degree torso rotation.

Circle No. 552 Sports Imports 800-556-3198 WWW.SPORTSIMPORTS.COM Virtually all professional and college sports teams, and the NFL Scouting Combine, use the Vertec jump training system, distributed by Sports Imports.

It is the best way to evaluate and to improve jump reach and lower-body explosive power. The Vertec jump training system challenges athletes to improve their vertical leap through instantaneous feedback and recognition. The process is simple, offering a true vertical target, visual motivation, and an immediate, accurate measure of success and growth. A wallmounted version is now available.

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Testimonial

In-stock Basketball Wall Structures Mean On-time Project Completion Bison has revolutionized the ordering process for custom-built wall structures—something most manufactures can’t do because of long lead times.

Swing-up, side-fold, or stationary structures with extensions up to 12 feet can be ordered and packaged with backboards, rims, and padding to fit your needs. Bison’s unique telescoping extension design allows installers to put the face of the backboard exactly where it needs to be in relationship to the existing court layout.

“When I was asked on short notice by the University of Nebraska Athletic Department to help coordinate a basketball goal upgrade at an existing auxillary practice facility for the men’s and women’s basketball programs, I turned to Bison. Its heavy-duty in-stock wall mount structures allowed us to complete the project in time for the beginning of practice, and avoid the long wait typical of most manufactured custom-built structures. The teams love their renovated facility.”

Doug Lillie Building Superintendent University of Nebraska Devaney Center Lincoln, NE “We have installed virtually every manufacturers’s basketball structures, and always welcome an opportunity to install Bison’s in-stock wall structure units. Bison’s unique telescoping design allows us to get in and out fast with perfect backboard alignment to existing court lines. Its tubing, brackets, and pivot points are extra-heavy and result in a rigid, stable assembly that makes us confident that there will be no callback problems.”

Dave Smith, Installer Jos. A. Copperstone, Co. Inc. Bloomfield Hills, MI

Bison Recreational Products 603 L STREET LINCOLN, NE 68508 800-247-7668 WWW.BISONINC.COM COACHING MANAGEMENT

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Testimonial

Fair-Play Scores a Slam-Dunk Success for Regina Senior High

With a crop of state and district championship trophies lining its hallways, Regina Senior High School, a parochial school in Iowa City, IA, is legendary throughout the state for its competitive athletics programs. So when the championship-level school sought to replace its outdated scoring systems, it wanted the best. And Regina got it, thanks to its partnership with Fair-Play Scoreboards.

New Technology Digital Scout 800-249-1189 WWW.DIGITALSCOUT.COM New Basketball Statware 5.0 delivers expanded features to the nation’s leading statistics software program.

Statware enables realtime analysis at the game and instant box scores, reports, and shot charts right after.

Version 5.0 adds new player on-court combination performance reports, the ability to use both live and Quick Entry in the same game, and new reports and player cards with season or career stats, player photo, and team logo. Free trial download at Digital Scout’s Web site.

Circle No. 555 Game On Recruiting Systems 888-536-8193 WWW.GAMEONSYSTEMS.COM

Athletic Director and Head Girls’ Basketball Coach Jeff Wallace was ready to replace the gymnasium’s old basketball scoreboards with energy-efficient models to broadcast sponsorship advertising as well as game scores.

Fair-Play proposed—and Wallace selected—two LED basketball scoreboards to time and score basketball, volleyball, and wrestling matches. The scoreboards run with a Fair-Play wireless controller, designed specifically for sports applications to avoid interference from cell phones and other wireless devices.

An LED message center integrated into the scoreboard plays school announcements and sponsor advertisements.

Game On offers a complete recruiting management tool that tracks prospect information, calls, and other communication, evaluations, and contacts.

Users can print letters or send e-mail right from the system. Compliance reporting, call reminders, high school/AAU/club team information, and much more is all at the user’s fingertips. Game On is easy to use, flexible to fit each program’s unique recruiting needs, and very affordable.

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Regina Senior High School selected Fair-Play’s proposal because it offered everything the school wanted. “We wanted the best of the best,” Wallace says. “And we got it. We got the bestlooking scoreboards at the right price.”

Gamer™ Video Editing Systems for Basketball is the latest version of the Gamer™ video editing system for basketball from LRSSports. Gamer offers team filtering so you can quickly find clips of your next opponent. Also featured is powerful text overlay, drawing capabilities over moving video, zoom options during video playback, and easy distribution of clips to players without making tapes or DVDs. Find out why our customers call Gamer a slam dunk!

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Fair-Play Scoreboards 1700 DELAWARE AVE. DES MOINES, IA 50317 800-247-0265 SALES@FAIR-PLAY.COM WWW.FAIR-PLAY.COM

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

LRSSports 888-LRS-0001 WWW.LRSSPORTS.COM

Gamer™EZ from LRSSports is the one digital video editing system that every team can afford. Easily. GamerEZ is flexible enough to meet the diverse needs of team sports, such as baseball and field hockey as well as individual sports like wrestling and track. Check out the GamerEZ online demo to see how easy this product is to use. Then call us to find out how easy it is to buy.

Circle No. 558 New Trend Media Sports Systems 843-863-1065 WWW.NEWTRENDMEDIA.COM NTM Sports Systems are cost-effective and so user-friendly that coaches actually enjoy using them. They cut time off the entire process, from digitizing film to printing reports.

Fields, filters and reports are ready-togo or easily created from scratch. The company has over 50 combined years of video coordinating, database programming, network engineering, and software training to back its products and 24/7 tech support.

Circle No. 559 TurboStats Software Co. 800-607-8287 WWW.TURBOSTATS.COM TurboStats has introduced Version 6.0 for the PC, and ScoreKeeper 2.0 for Basketball for the Palm OS handheld computer. ScoreKeeper 2.0 now tracks playing time and putbacks made/missed.

Either product can be used alone, but when used together they create the most advanced and versatile product in their class. Track unlimited games for unlimited teams with shot charts and statistics right on your PDA screen, print game summaries and play-by-play reports on your PC, and update Web sites automatically with HTML output. A ProSeries version of TurboStats, with an animated playbook, is also available.

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More Products eFundrasising.com 866-825-2921 WWW.EFUNDRAISING.COM

McDavid, Inc. 800-237-8254 WWW.MCDAVIDINC.COM

court, enabling confidence to get in the paint,” Maggette says.

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Earn more profits with less effort with eFundraising’s Online Magazine Fundraising Program! Get all the tools you need to run a successful fundraising campaign online, including your free personalized Web site, complete with magazine store.

Supporters from coast to coast can purchase magazine subscriptions online —they’ll save up to 85 percent off the newsstand prices on over 650 magazine titles while your group earns 40 percent profit. For more information, call eFundraising toll-free or visit it online.

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Los Angeles Clippers star Corey Maggette has signed an endorsement deal with McDavid, maker of innovative basketball protective apparel. Maggette has developed into one of the top players in the NBA, averaging 22 points per game (13th in the league) during the 2004-05 season. McDavid’s revolutionary HexPad technology is fast becoming the chosen protective apparel of NBA players, as over 50 percent of NBA teams wear it to perform better and protect themselves.

The lightweight HexPad is breathable and also absorbs and dissipates impact, a perfect combination for basketball.

“McDavid’s HexPad technology allows me to be as aggressive as I want on the

Cardinal Publishers Group 800-296-0481 WWW.CARDINALPUB.COM

Web News CHO-PAT PUTS ITS PRODUCT CATALOG ON THE WEB Cho-Pat’s updated Web site provides visitors with descriptions, pictures, and sizing information for all of the company’s sports-medicine products. This online catalog gives every customer a comprehensive review of each product to help him or her determine which device is appropriate for a given situation. In addition, comments and testimonials from other users give added background on the performance and success of ChoPat’s products. Visitors can purchase products online, or use the readily available contact information for more detailed questions, comments, and purchases.

www.cho-pat.com CHECK OUT THE WEALTH OF INFORMATION OFFERED BY SWEDE-O Swede-O’s updated Web site includes detailed information on the company’s innovative line of foot and ankle products. The site also highlights the Thermoskin™ line of products, which includes patented thermal supports designed to prevent, treat, and rehabilitate almost any part of the body. Swede-O’s Web site offers a wide variety of resources, including details on exciting new products, product applications, product photos, instructions for use, sizing guidelines, purchasing information, and company contact information.

www.swedeo.com RAISE MONEY WITH YOUR TEAM’S OWN ONLINE MAGAZINE STORE eFundraising.com has introduced a new addition to its Web site: the Online Magazine Fundraising Program. This program allows groups 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 send e-mails to friends and family across the U.S. and invite them to visit your online store to buy, renew, or extend their magazine subscriptions and help support your group. They’ll save up to 85 percent off the newsstand prices on over 650 magazine titles, while you earn 40 percent profit.

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

Five-Star Basketball Camps have long been synonymous with quality basketball instruction. Some of the best players in the world have been Five-Star campers, including Michael Jordan and LeBron James. As part of its mission to educate young players and their coaches, the Five-Star Basketball book series has added titles designed especially for female athletes, and a playbook for coaches at all levels of play. Call today for more information.

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Catalog Showcase 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.

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