Coaching Management 13.7

Coaching Management VOL. XIII, NO. 7

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Coaching Management Baseball Edition Postseason 2005

CONTENTS

Vol. XIII, No. 7

2

LOCKER ROOM

Bulletin Board

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

No more scheduled seven-inning games, the NCAA says ... Gender equity in facility upgrades ... Taking a crowd out to the ball game in Pueblo ... What to say about steroids ... Helping players avoid overuse in showcase events.

Q&A

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STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

High School Moves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

12

Team Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Wood Bats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Hitting/Pitching Aids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Baseball Facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

More Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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

Calling Catchers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Catchers capable of calling a game can be a valuable asset to a program— provided they’re fully prepared.

At Coastal Carolina, Gary Gilmore leads his alma mater into the top level and a top seed.

Publisher Mark Goldberg

27

23

Coaches understand that agility is an important component of athletic achievement. But how do you begin to train agility at the high school level?

COACHING LIFE

A Fresh Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 If you don’t look forward to the first day of practice every year—and all that goes with it—it might be time to step back and ask yourself whether you need to coach elsewhere, leave the field, or just reassess how you work.

32 35 36 41 48

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On the cover: University of Minnesota catcher Jake Elder is among backstops who usually call pitches themselves. Photo courtesy of University of Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletics.

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

1

LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD NCAA: Nine Innings or None Central Missouri State University Head Coach Darin Hendrickson was in the middle of his team’s spring trip in Florida when he first heard the news. The games being played that week would not count because they were only seven innings long, not nine, as teams tried to play as many games against as many opponents as possible.

What started as a rumble exploded when the NCAA Division III Championships Committee issued a memorandum Feb. 24 reminding member schools that only nine-inning games could be reported to the committee for championship selection purposes. CMSU is in Division II, but the same rule applies to Divisions I and III.

Coaches entered panic mode.

Schools looked back at their early-season spring tournaments and deleted games from their records. Coaches were counting up the rest of the season’s schedule to make sure they had enough games scheduled. And the idea set in that games cut short due to school or conference-wide travel curfew policies could constitute a rescheduling nightmare.

“This just came to a head at the wrong time,” says Hendrickson. “I agree with the rule. I’m definitely an advocate of the nine-inning game.

But the timing and clarification were poor.”

The NCAA sent out a third memo in April stating that the early-season seven-inning games already completed in 2005 would count toward team records, but any games played after April 18 must meet the requirements of a full game. “In the best interest of the players and the coaches, we had another vote, and the people on the committee felt that the most prudent thing was to give everybody a pass this year and start fresh next season,” says Chris McKnight, Chair of the Baseball Rules

COACHING MANAGEMENT

“Because we’re located in Rochester, N.Y., we almost never get in enough games,” says Pepicelli. “When we take these Florida trips, we schedule doubleheaders, but all it takes is one rain date and everyone’s scrambling to get their games in.”

Central Missouri State Head Coach Darin Hendrickson, right, shown conferring with catcher Brent Lacey and pitcher Jason Schutt this past season, plans to conform to the NCAA dictate against scheduled seven-inning games by eliminating doubleheaders with two opponents on the team’s 2006 spring trip.

When CMSU takes its spring trip to Savannah, Ga., in March, the Mules will play nine-inning games each day for a week, with no scheduled doubleheaders. And Pepicelli and other northern schools are just hoping their early season doubleheaders in Florida don’t get rained out, or it could mean a loss of games. A longer spring trip is not feasible for most teams due to the extra costs associated with lodging and the need to return to campus.

“It won’t be as big of an issue for 2006 as it was this year,” says Pepicelli. “Now we know in advance and can work around it.”

CMSU ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

2

Coaches of northern schools are probably at the biggest disadvantage in the sudden enforcement of a rule that had gone overlooked. St. John Fisher College Head Coach Dan Pepicelli says the sole reason for his team’s annual spring break trip to Florida is to play as many games as possible while its home field in upstate New York is still blanketed in snow.

Hendrickson says he’s been in similar situations where multiple teams were scheduled to play games over three days and if the forecast said rain on the third day, all the coaches agreed to squeeze the games into two days, playing seven-inning doubleheaders against two opponents. These scenarios won’t be an option next season.

“I was shocked when I first heard about it,” says Hendrickson. “The spring trip we were on invites seven-inning games due to travel constraints and field availability.

Along with many other coaches, I’ve been playing seveninning games on spring trips in order to get games in since the beginning of time.”

The NCAA Baseball Rules Committee sent out its own memo reiterating the rule about seven-inning games.

It states that games are nine innings long, except for doubleheaders, which are defined as two nine-inning games, two seven-inning games, or one nine- and one seveninning game played against the same team within 30 minutes of each other. Therefore, seven-inning games played against different teams could not count toward teams’ records even if they started within a half hour of each other. Nor could two games against the same team count if there were more than 30 minutes in between.

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Circle No. 101

LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD Title IX Applies to Field Upgrades When a baseball game at Mayo High School in Rochester, Minn., was called this year due to darkness, it wasn’t because the school’s field lacked lights or because they were broken.

It was because softball fields in the district don’t have lights.

Faced with a mandate to make its facilities more equitable to comply with Title IX, the district wouldn’t allow baseball teams to schedule home games under the lights as long as the softball teams didn’t have the same opportunity.

For Mayo, the issue began two years ago when a parent from another high school in the Rochester Public School District, which includes Mayo, Century, and John Marshall high schools, filed a complaint with the U. S. Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR). Among other inequities, the parent alleged that facilities and equipment for Rochester’s female student-athletes were inferior to boys’ in several sports, including softball. The OCR investigated and agreed.

It ordered the district to fix disparities between softball and baseball scoreboards,

Mayo team calling a game in April rather than reaching for the light switch.

Outcry from parents after that game prompted Kuisle to discuss the issue with the OCR again. “They told me that the instruction was actually to not schedule any night games, but that we were allowed to use the lights to finish games already in progress,” he says.

“We used the lights three times during the season for the last two innings of double-headers.”

The case raises a Title IX hot topic many schools are en-

equalize up if at all possible,” she says. “When you equalize down, you often end up with a situation that makes both girls and boys feel bad, since the girls feel like they were responsible for taking something away from the boys.

It also creates a backlash against Title IX and creates bitterness about the law.

“When girls are used to not having the same facilities the boys have, they come to expect that,” continues Chaudry. “When coaches hear their female athletes say, ‘We don’t care,’ it’s their job to educate the athletes about what the law requires. Otherwise, we’re training young women to grow up expecting less.”

In the meantime, Rochester may collaborate with the Rochester Park and Recreation Department to improve a city complex for varsity softball teams. “That could be a viable solution, although it can create another inequity because girls aren’t able to play their home games at home,” Chaudry says.

A batter warms up between innings of a game between schools in the Rochester, Minn., district as the sun goes down. In a Title IX case, the district was directed to not schedule night games for lighted fields until it could also light softball fields, though it could complete games using lights. Similar disparities in facilities are becoming common grounds for cases brought under Title IX, experts say.

4

COACHING MANAGEMENT

dugouts, public address systems, concessions stands, bleachers, press boxes, and lighting.

The district fixed the other inequities, but couldn’t afford to purchase lights for the softball fields, according to Mark Kuisle, Interim Supervisor of Athletics for Rochester Public Schools. So the OCR ordered the district to play baseball games only under natural light—a decision that left the

countering. “When baseball fields have a lot of amenities and softball fields don’t, it’s very visible, and that seems to be the case at a large number of schools,” says Neena Chaudry, Senior Legal Counsel for the National Women’s Law Center.

Rochester’s solution is technically legal, but it’s not ideal, according to Chaudry. “We refer to that as ‘equalizing down,’ and it’s always better to

“However, if at all possible, it’s best to find some way, through fundraising or booster donations or appeals to the community, to provide equal facilities for softball and baseball, since these are such visible programs,” Chaudry adds. “It’s a common problem, and it’s one that schools really need to work to find creative solutions to.”

ROCHESTER POST-BULLETIN

Mayo’s story is one for baseball coaches to be aware of as they contemplate field upgrades, since the condition of respective facilities can say a lot about gender equity at a school if a Title IX complaint is brought. That doesn’t necessarily mean a school’s softball and baseball facilities have to be equal in every way, but it pays to make sure that any plan for improving a baseball field also examines the state of facilities used primarily by female student-athletes.

Another possibility involves evening out treatment across a school’s overall athletic program, perhaps making up for a sub-par softball facility by providing extra amenities to another female team. “Title IX is not intended to be a sport-by-sport comparison,” Chaudry says. “The question is whether, in the athletic program as a whole, the amenities provided to the genders are equitable.

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LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD Packing the Park for a Record What did 3,683 people in Pueblo, Colo., have in common one Friday evening this May? They attended a Colorado State University-Pueblo baseball game, setting the all-time NCAA Division II singlegame attendance record for the sport. The turnout was a great success for the program, but it didn’t happen by accident—CSU-Pueblo billed the event as “Pack the Park” night, luring spectators with a host of special attractions and giveaways.

Head Coach Stan Sanchez, who orchestrated the effort, says other schools in his conference have run similar promotions, but he decided that breaking the record would be Pueblo’s primary goal. “We knew that if we were going to set a record, we would need to find some different ways to get people interested,” he says. “So one of the first things we did was think about what

would get the community to come out to the game.”

One major step was getting local youth baseball programs involved. Sanchez presented the idea of conducting a youth baseball clinic before the game to Art Gonzales of the Art & Lorraine Gonzales Youth Clinic, which offers baseball instruction to area children who can’t afford expensive summer programs.

Gonzales liked the idea and offered to hold a clinic at the event, setting up hitting, pitching, and infield training stations for young ballplayers. Sanchez contacted all the local youth baseball coaches and encouraged their teams to take part in the record-setting attempt.

“We ended up having over 600 kids show up with their bats and gloves, all wearing uniforms from their various teams, and that was really neat,” Sanchez says. “We planned it so that no youth league games were scheduled for that night.”

Members of the CSU-Pueblo team also participated in the clinic, which was followed by a speed pitch contest for players ages six to 14, with prizes furnished by a convenience store that sponsored the event. Participants received free T-shirts, hot dogs, chips, and sodas, and teams paraded around the park before the game. “I think giving all that free stuff away attracted a lot of people, and I know the kids had a great time,” Sanchez says.

Fans were entered into drawings for 15 prizes of pro baseball memorabilia, including jerseys autographed by Steve Carlton and Goose Gossage, and baseballs autographed

by Ken Griffey Jr., Harmon Killebrew, Brooks Robinson, and Tommy Lasorda. The grand prize was $1,300 in free gasoline. Afterward, fans were invited to stay for a fireworks display.

With average attendance for a CSU-Pueblo baseball game hovering around 300, the

night was a huge success. In fact, the game garnered the highest total gate revenue of any event in the athletic department’s history. It was held at a community baseball complex, since organizers knew the team’s regular facility wouldn’t be large enough to accommodate the crowd.

Sanchez credits an organized and aggressive promotional campaign. Sponsor donations allowed him to advertise “Pack the Park” night in the newspaper and on local radio and television, and posters went up around the community and in area elementary and middle schools. Players even spent four days handing out information in front of the Pueblo Wal-Mart.

So what did Sanchez learn from the experience about getting people out to the ball park? “I guess it’s a minorleague approach, where you’re putting on more of a show,” he says. “The baseball game is part of it, of course, but people like to be entertained, and like to win things and get stuff for free. I spent some time in minor league baseball, so I know how their promotions work and what it takes to get people out to the park. The truth is that college baseball is no different.”

The evening’s only disappointment was the outcome of the game, with CSU-Pueblo falling 5-4 to rival Mesa State College. But Sanchez says his players loved playing in front of a huge crowd, and he’s already planning to make the event even bigger next season.

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

MIKE SWEENEY/CHIEFTAIN

An NCAA Division II-record crowd of 3,683 watches Colorado State University-Pueblo and Mesa State University in CSU-Pueblo’s ‘Pack the Park’ night in May. CSU-Pueblo plans to try for a new record in 2006 with a reprise of the heavily promoted event.

“It was a magical night for our team, and our sponsors were overwhelmed with positive publicity from being involved with our program and doing something for the youth of the community,” he says. “We’re committed to breaking the record again next year.”

What to Say About Steroids As clouds of suspicion in pro baseball have evolved into what some see as a bona fide epidemic, fears that steroid use will trickle down to college and high school players are more real than ever. Even as individual school districts and some state governments look into how best to focus their prevention efforts, the job of steering athletes away from dangerous performanceenhancing substances still lies in large part with coaches, whose message can come across more clearly than that of any other authority figures.

For the coach who believes steroid use may be a problem in other quarters but not on his team, some recent eyeopening statistics offer good reason to think again. The

National Institutes of Health’s ongoing Monitoring the Future study found in its 2004 survey that 270,000 eighth, 10th, and 12th graders nationwide (3.4 percent) have used steroids, and noted a 62 percent increase among 12th graders since 1991. A Texas A&M study cited this winter in a multi-part Dallas Morning News exposé into high school steroid use reported that nearly 42,000 Texas students in grades seven through 12 (about 2.3 percent) had used steroids.

And at the college level, the NCAA’s most recent survey of student-athlete drug use showed that baseball, at 2.3 percent, had the second highest incidence of steroid use of any college sport (behind football).

With researchers and experts agreeing that statistics like these chronically understate the true size and scope of the

problem, it’s never safe to assume that your players are immune. A responsible approach to prevention involves knowing the warning signs and symptoms of steroid use, understanding what makes young people turn to steroids, and emphasizing education and good choices when talking to your team.

The traditional physical signs of steroid use in males are not hard to recognize—they include rapid muscle growth, jaundice, hair loss, breast development, and severe acne, particularly on the chest and back. Equally telling, however, can be unexplained changes in behavior.

“Not all anabolic steroid users will exhibit the classic physical symptoms, so we now tell coaches to look for changes in mood, behavior, and activity,” says Frank Uryasz, President of

the National Center for Drug Free Sport. “Sometimes you’ll see aggressive or erratic behavior, but often a steroid user will become withdrawn or more isolated from the team.

Maybe he’ll even change where he works out. Those types of changes in behavior, together with physical changes, should immediately raise a red flag for coaches.”

Uryasz says many athletes who use steroids first try to gain weight or strength by taking protein or amino-acid supplements, such as creatine. But when they don’t see the desired results, steroids become the logical next step.

“I’m convinced that dietary supplements are the training wheels for anabolic steroid users,” Uryasz says. “Athletes will often use a host of dietary supplements before resorting to a steroid.”

Circle No. 103 COACHING MANAGEMENT

7

LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD For this reason, it is essential for coaches to conduct informed discussions about safe and unsafe practices whenever they talk to athletes about performance enhancement.

“If a coach tells a young male that he would become a better player if he gained strength, but doesn’t say how to do it, that silence can be interpreted as approval for turning to various substances,” Uryasz explains. “We can educate with brochures, posters, and educational sessions, but I don’t know of any greater prevention tool than a strong nonuse message from a coach.”

tion and hydration. Educational resources from organizations like the Gatorade Sports Science Institute and the American Dietetic Association can help coaches provide their athletes with quality information about performance enhancement.

High school state associations and even state legislatures are diving into the issue. The California Interscholastic Federation adopted regulations earlier this year mandating that all coaches in the state complete a steroids education program by 2008.

how to recognize students who might be using, the various names and categories of the drugs, where kids are getting them, and how they are being used. We’ll also be teaching coaches about the negative physical effects of steroids, and pointing out athletes who have died from steroid use and high school students who have committed suicide as a result of steroidlinked depression.” The new CIF regulations also prohibit coaches from selling, distributing, or promoting any performance-enhancing supplements to their athletes.

Uryasz recommends bringing in an expert to talk to your team about the dangers of supplements and steroids, and to discuss safe and effective ways to enhance performance, such as responsible strength training and improving nutri-

“Each coach will take part in a program that consists of eight hours of training, followed by a certification test,” says Courtney Johnson, Director of Educational Services for the CIF. “We’ll be providing a lot of information on things like

Among governments, the focus has been largely on testing. Florida’s legislature recently considered a bill that would have required the state association to develop a testing program for one sport, and a Michigan legislator

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introduced a bill this spring that would mandate testing of athletes at state competitions.

The governor of New Mexico is urging his state’s legislature to institute random drug testing for high school athletes during its next session, and has pledged $330,000 to finance a program. While no state has mandatory steroid testing yet, some localities are acting on their own, such as Polk County, Fla., where the school system began testing athletes for steroids this January, and Fort Zumwalt, Mo., where a voluntary steroid testing program was approved by the school board in May. The Dallas Morning News series on high school steroid use can be viewed at: www.dallasnews.com/s/ dws/spe/2005/steroids/ index.html.

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LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD Avoiding Overuse at Showcases For high school-age prospects, dreams of playing in the major leagues or at the collegiate level start with one common thread: getting noticed. And players will do almost anything to make that happen.

Showcase events are usually modeled after the professional tryout system in which players execute the fundamentals required by their position, including throwing, fielding, hitting, and pitching. The throwing and pitching elements are of particular concern to Andrews. “In these situations, the pitcher uses maximal effort to ‘light up’ the gun to impress coaches and scouts,” he says in a report for the USA Baseball Medical and Safety Advisory Committee. “A pitcher may be at risk of injury if: he is not properly rested, he is out of season, he comes to the show-

Scouts work at the Alabama Baseball Coaches Association AllStar Weekend, which has been cited as an example of an event for high school-age players that is designed to avoid injuryrisking overuse of pitchers and catchers.

JOSHUA BUCKLEY/THE CULLMAN TIMES

With that in mind, USA Baseball is advising student-athletes and coaches to be leery of tryouts or showcase events designed to put players in front of college and Major League scouts. Without any rules or regulations in place to standardize these events, nearly anyone can put one on.

Dr. James Andrews, a noted Alabama-based orthopedist and the medical director for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, has been especially vocal with these warnings, saying that

too often the events are run by “rugged entrepreneurs looking for a baseball buck.”

He claims these non-baseball people often charge exorbitant participation fees and place minimal emphasis on athlete safety.

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case with previous reoccurring pain in his elbow or shoulder, he doesn’t warm up properly, he tries to do too much related to fastball velocity, and/or he tries to do too much related to breaking pitches.

“Pitching two innings for a 17or 18-year-old pitcher would seem to be a light chore,” Andrews adds in his report.

“But pitching to light up the radar gun and get hitters out in front of potential employers increases adrenaline production for any young pitcher.

Pitching during the off-season in these circumstances could be injurious, and potentially career threatening.”

Andrews also says catchers are at risk. He says that after one particular showcase event, an injured catcher reported being asked to make 100 throws to second base within 200 seconds.

One thing to examine is whether instruction is provided and whether the events are designed to turn a profit. Andrews admits there are some events that provide positive examples, and points to summer events hosted by the Alabama Baseball Coaches Association (ALABCA). Coaches can use them as an example when advising players of what to look for in a showcase.

The ALABCA’s June events attract nearly 700 players to the association’s underclassman regional workouts, which are one-day skills trials held at strategic locations around the state. From those trials, 25 athletes are selected to attend the three-day All-Star Weekend of Workouts and Games, which consists of an educational seminar; a day of training, skill testing, and instruction; and four games in front

of 50 to 60 college coaches and professional scouts. The one-day workout costs players $20. The three-day all-star weekend costs $150, which includes room and board at the host university.

For the educational seminar, the ALABCA brings in an NCAA compliance officer and coaches from Division I, II, and III, junior colleges, and the NAIA who talk for five to seven minutes about the realities of competing at their level, and what their institutions can offer. An athletic trainer gives examples of exercises and routines for yearround baseball-specific conditioning, and players spend a session with former big-leaguer Lou Thornton.

Keeping athletes safe during the event is a point of emphasis. “We’re not going to hurt

a kid. We’re only going to throw the pitchers for a couple innings each overall, with a maximum of three innings,” says Barry Dean, Executive Director of the ALABCA. “We’re not trying to win the games, just trying to let the coaches see them. In two innings, you can see what a kid can do. And during our one-day workout to get to the all-star weekend, pitchers only throw 11 pitches in the bullpen: five fastballs, three breaking balls, and three change-ups.

“We’ve even removed ‘showcase’ from the event name, because of the negative connotation that has arisen from other events,” continues Dean.

“Ours is an all-star weekend because we do all of those other things, and it’s more than just players showcasing their skills.”

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Circle No. 107

Circle No. 106

COACHING MANAGEMENT kodiakCM137.indd 1

8/23/05 10:14:04 AM

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Q&A

GARY GILMORE Coastal Carolina University

In 10 years as Head Coach at Coastal Carolina University, Gary Gilmore has seen both the school and his team grow and develop. A 1980 graduate of the Myrtle Beach, S.C., school, Gilmore played when its baseball team was a regular visitor to the NAIA World Series as the University of South Carolina Coastal Carolina College. He now guides a team that ranks among the best in NCAA Division I. Gilmore took over at CCU in 1996, one year after the Chanticleers posted their first losing season in 18 years.

CM: What are some of the pros and cons of coaching at your alma mater?

Gilmore: The pros are that I knew the expectations of our administration, community, and student body when I came into the program as a coach. Having played here, I had insight into how we could further develop the baseball program. The cons are that it’s sometimes very difficult for everyone to realize what a big player Coastal Carolina can be in college baseball. I believe there are times people relish the memories of the “good old days” back in the late ’70s and ’80s when we had great success and things were far less complicated.

How do you sell CCU to your recruits?

Coastal Carolina is in a great location.

We have great facilities, an outstanding schedule, fantastic weather, wonderful teammates, and an extremely dedicated coaching staff that’s committed to getting this team to Omaha while developing each player to his fullest potential.

And we have great academic opportunities.

How important is it to have alumni playing professionally?

It shows recruits that through diligence and hard work they can achieve their life-long dream. From the time they’re in tee-ball, every kid dreams of playing in the big leagues. Getting that opportunity and seeing multiple guys go from here to the professional ranks pretty much every year is a big selling point for our program.

How do you keep players who are thinking about playing professionally

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

Bringing the small game of pitching and defense to the field was a hard sell to some players, but Gilmore was determined to coach his way. Coastal Carolina baseball has been steadily improving ever since. In 2005, the Chanticleers set a school record with 50 wins, made their fifth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Division I tournament, and earned the top seed in a regional for the first time.

A four-time Regional Coach of the Year and threetime Conference Coach of the Year, Gilmore talks to Coaching Management about recruiting, sending players to the pros, and the re-emergence of small ball in college baseball.

on track toward the end of the college season?

We talk individually with them several times a year—where they’re potentially ranked in the draft and how that relates to their educational experience—and then we weigh the options.

To give up the last year of college for a few thousand dollars, to me, is not what they should be looking to do.

There has to be a balance between the baseball experience and the academic experience; the two have to go hand-in-hand. But you’re only young once, so if it’s the right opportunity, I’ll encourage a young man to go pro because I don’t want him to give up that chance.

you’re primarily a commuter school, having a football team immediately provides credibility locally, regionally, and nation-

How do you handle speaking with parents of recruits?

It’s very important that parents have a great relationship with me and that they understand my values regarding education and professional baseball.

There’s a right time and place for both of them. My message to parents is that I would never recommend anything for their child that I wouldn’t recommend for my own son.

How did CCU adding a football team in 2003 affect baseball?

There are positives of the football program for us. When

Pitcher Jake Hurry was among the six Coastal Carolina University players taken in the 2005 Major League draft, a record for the school’s program.

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Q&A ally. All of a sudden people begin to look at you as a complete university, whereas before we were seen as a very good commuter school that had an athletic program. When you add football, the perception is that you’re a full-fledged university. It has elevated our entire athletic program.

What has your role been in the ongoing stadium renovation project at CCU? As head coach, you’re the guy that has to come up with the dreams and goals of your program. Obviously the dream of going to Omaha is something we’ve been preaching since the day I walked in here. Our current stadium is over 20 years old, and our program has grown to heights where we need to address our facility situation.

“Granted, everybody loves to see the ball fly out of the park, but our kids take great pride in things like stealing a base and hitting a ground ball to a spot where we can score without a hit. Learning to play that way, we win as a group, and that’s all we talk about.“ We’ve done a tremendous amount with the peripheral things: improving the playing field, the wall, the practice area, and the lights. Now we need to address the grandstand area. Through my own and several other committed individuals’ visions, we’ve acquired a significant donation to get us started, and we’re looking forward to tackling this project in the next 12 months. To watch your dreams be drawn up on paper is extremely exciting.

You preach the small game. How do you get your players to buy into its importance?

When we recruit players, I explain our philosophy to them—that we start with great pitching, superb defense, situational hitting, and base running. Overall, hitting and hitting with power are important in the scheme of things, and they have a presence in our order, but it’s not how we go about playing our game.

The short game in college baseball was a real struggle for four or five years back when we had the monoshaft bats and

14

COACHING MANAGEMENT

teams were hitting 150 and 170 home runs. Now that the bat velocities are similar to wood, the small game and defense have become a great part of college baseball. Look at the success Texas has had, winning the College World Series twice in the last four seasons. We play the way they do, and their philosophy is very similar to ours.

Granted, everybody loves to see the ball fly out of the park, but our kids take great pride in things like stealing a base and hitting a ground ball to a spot where we can score without a big hit. Learning to play that way, we win as a group, and that’s all we talk about.

How do you coach the mental side of the game?

I try to make every practice situation as difficult and as game-like as I possibly can. There’s a win and loss and a consequence that follows each. When we fail as a group, we pay a price as a group, and when we succeed as a group, we’re rewarded as one. It teaches us to compete in every aspect. If I can make practice drills as difficult as a game and hold the kids accountable, it prepares them for the real thing.

How do you approach egos?

Everybody has an ego, and some show it more than others. But our guys know that if their egos become bigger than the team, there’s a place on the bench right next to me where they can sit and watch for a while until they can put it in check.

No one, including me, is bigger than the group. I coach that way, we practice that way, and that’s the way it’s done every single day. Everybody gets their turn raking the field, everybody gets their turn doing this and that, and everyone completes tasks the way they should be done for the good of the group, not the good of one person. You can’t play the way we play and have individuals on your team.

Every single guy has to understand his role and the importance of what he’s asked to do.

Your 2004 season was marred by injuries. How did you adapt to that situation?

I had to be very patient in some areas, which is something I’m not the greatest at. Two or three of our big role players were hurt early in the season. Our regulars basically had no one to free them up for any time off, and then all of a sudden some regulars were also injured, but it coincided with some of the previously

injured players recovering and stepping in to play again.

I was preaching cohesiveness on our team, and finding roles for everyone. All the kids could perform at different levels at different times. With the loss of Ryan McGraw, for example, we didn’t have an All-America center fielder sitting on the bench to replace him. The young man who moved into his spot was a very good player, but I had to be patient and learn what he could and couldn’t do and how I could incorporate him into our team to help us. I had to learn about our players and redevelop the chemistry on our team. The kids who stepped in for the injured players were great, doing anything that we asked of them, adapting to any style of play we needed. They were able to perform, and that’s why we were able to continue winning.

Bill Jarman was with you for more than 10 years as pitching coach before becoming Head Coach at Lander University this summer. How do you keep good assistants for so long?

I show a lot of confidence in them and allow them to coach. I like to have my hands in everything when it comes to coaching, but I’ve learned to surround myself with great people and allow them to do their thing. We make sure that philosophically we’re on the same page and teaching the same things and coaching baseball the right way.

I encourage them to take pride in the areas and aspects that they coach as if it was their own team. They’re celebrated and held accountable, too. I think I’ve found a happy medium between trying to have my hands in everything and letting my assistants have some freedom to express themselves and take pride in what they’re doing.

What has motivated you for the past 10 years?

I’m a blue-collar college coach. I’m one of those guys who needs to get my fix of at least one hour of batting practice every day or else I’m lost. I hope that God allows me to be a college coach for as long as possible—that’s my dream. I have goals: I want to prepare my team each game and each day as well as I possibly can, and then we want to go out and win every single game. My deep and driving desire is to take at least one team to Omaha. I want that experience. It’s a lot harder at a 7,500-student school than a major university, but it can be done.

We’ve been knocking on that door, and we’re not so far away that the dream is beyond us.

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Circle No. 109

The University of Minnesota’s Jake Elder, who calls pitches, sizes up the on-deck hitter in action from the 2005 season.

Calling Catchers

Catchers capable of calling a game can be valuable assets to a program—provided they’re ready and fully prepared.

BY R.J. ANDERSON 16

COACHING MANAGEMENT

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS

COVER STORY

I

N THE SPRING OF 2005, Charlie Robinson, catcher at Cabell Midland High School in Ona, W.Va., was breaking new ground for the Knights’ storied baseball program. A returning starter on a team gunning for its second state championship in three years, Robinson had more responsibility than any catcher before him at Cabell Midland. In addition to handling the pitching staff, intimidating would-be base stealers, and providing nimble defense behind the plate, Robinson was given the opportunity to call all the pitches by Head Coach Tracy Brumfield.

By placing his faith in Robinson, Brumfield did something that many coaches are hesitant to do: relinquish control. Because this particular aspect of the game is so important, Brumfield’s decision to hand Robinson the reins was not made without plenty of evaluation and a little trial and error.

“Last year, we let him call the pitches early on, then we took it over as the season progressed,” says Brumfield. “He didn’t do a bad job, but he just wasn’t familiar with how to do it. Charlie was a first-year starter for us then, and we felt more confident in having the coaches call the pitches at that point.

“This year, we let him do it the whole season,” continues Brumfield. “We had a lot more trust in Charlie this time around. He’s very intelligent, gamesavvy, and he’s played with our four senior pitchers this year and he’s caught them all since Little League. We felt confident with him calling the pitches this year and so did our pitchers.”

So what changed in the span of one year? In a word: experience. Brumfield’s faith in Robinson, as well as the confidence of his team’s pitchers, grew through time spent working together during practice and summer-league baseball as well as from Robinson’s diligence in learning the intricacies of the game.

In this article we’ll talk to a handful of successful coaches whose pitch calls come from behind the plate and rarely, if ever, from the dugout. They’ll share their secrets for getting batteries on the same page, offer advice for preparing catchers for this important task, and extol the virtues of letting the catcher call the shots.

Catcher’s Advantage Like most coaches at the NCAA Division I level, University of Minnesota Head Coach John Anderson is a big believer in developing his players into independent, critical thinkers. And for him, that education begins with the two busiest and most influential players on the diamond—the pitcher and the catcher. “My philosophy has always been that practice is for coaches, and games are for players,” says Anderson.

“I believe in turning over as much of the responsibility of the game to the kids as I can and being more of a consultant during the process.”

That is also the thinking of Princeton University Head Coach Scott Bradley. A former Major League catcher, Bradley feels that catchers calling pitches is how the game is supposed to be played. “In my eight years here, I have yet to call a pitch from the dugout,” he says.

Philosophical and developmental preferences aside, the main reason coaches empower their catchers is simple: They’re in the middle of everything. These coaches are convinced that catchers are in a much better position to know what to call. “They see the hitter’s position in the box and how the hitter is reacting,” says Anderson.

“They’re much more connected to the process than I am watching from the dugout.”

Bradley agrees. “I’ve watched a lot of baseball games, and I still don’t believe that standing in the dugout gives as good a viewpoint or as good a feel as the catcher gets behind the plate catch-

ing every pitch,” he says. “They see the movement, the life on the fastball, and they’re able to see the subtle adjustments a hitter makes in the box.”

Need more reasons? Anderson says that letting the catcher call pitches means a coach’s expertise and knowledge can be spread out instead of focused on just one aspect of the game. “You’ll also find you have more energy for the rest of the game,” he adds. “It takes a lot of energy to bear down and call every single pitch from the dugout.”

Brumfield says the same is true at the high school level. “I can concentrate on moving the infield around, call out defenses, and even think ahead to what I want to do in our offensive half of the inning,” he says. “And my pitching coach is able to concentrate on the pitcher’s mechanics because he doesn’t have to worry about what pitch to call next.”

Brumfield also notes that the odds of the opposing teams stealing your signs are lowered. “Instead of our pitching coach giving the signs, then having the other team pick them up by the fourth inning, we cut that element out of the equation,” he says.

For the catchers themselves, calling the game provides a chance to build confidence and display leadership skills.

“The catcher should be deeply into the game anyway, but calling the game puts them in command and allows them to lead the team,” says Vince Keister, Head Coach at Midd-West High School in Middleburg, Pa. “It also gives them confidence in other areas like hitting and their defensive skills.”

Alex Marconi, Assistant Coach at the University of North Carolina, agrees that calling a game enhances the other tools a catcher brings to the team. “He’s going to learn each pitcher and really help the staff,” says Marconi. “They’ll be R.J. Anderson is an Assistant Editor at Coaching Management. He can be reached at rja@MomentumMedia.com.

COACHING MANAGEMENT

17

COVER STORY

more comfortable with him, and he’ll be more comfortable with them. It also helps the catcher as a hitter, because he can think: ‘If I was behind the dish, I’d be calling for a fastball away right now.’”

Working With Pitchers Perhaps the most important talent for pitch calling is learning to read and communicate with his battery mate.

At North Carolina, Marconi, a former minor league catcher, preaches the importance of winning the pitcher’s trust.

“I talk to my catchers about gaining a reputation as a ‘pitcher’s catcher,’ which means building a rapport and finding out what each pitcher likes and doesn’t like to throw,” says Marconi.

“Ultimately, they need to find out how to get the most out of each pitcher. And that’s an ongoing process.”

“A catcher never wants to ask a pitcher to throw something he’s not comfortable with,” adds Bradley. “You want to gain an understanding of the pitcher’s confidence level so that you know when you can and can’t call for a change-up on a three-two count.”

For most catchers who call pitches, that rapport building begins during practice. “It’s important that a catcher

spend time in the bullpen when his pitchers have their work days because it shows the pitcher you care about him and that you understand that you’re in it together,” says Bradley. “Also, the pitcher may be working on something new—maybe changing his grip on a slider—and the catcher can be back there saying, ‘What was that? Throw it to me again. Boy, that’s much sharper, I like that!’ But if the catcher is not around for those practice sessions, and during the next game he calls a slider, he’s not going to have a very good feel for what the pitcher is throwing.”

At Minnesota, Anderson isn’t afraid to pull his catchers out of team drills to have them work with his pitchers in the bullpen. “I want my catchers in the bullpen spending 20 to 30 minutes of each practice working with the pitchers,” he says. “And I want them involved when the pitching coach is helping them work on their pitches.

“Some coaches only pair the pitcher and catcher together at game time, and they miss lots of opportunities to grow together and learn about one another,” continues Anderson. “You have to connect those players long before you get into a competitive situation, whether it’s in the bullpen, during drills, or while working on a certain pitch.”

Anderson also recommends that each catcher practice catching everybody on the pitching staff to learn their strengths and weaknesses. “It’s a time for the catcher to find out what the pitcher’s demeanor is like and figure out how to keep him together when things aren’t going well,” he says.

It’s a good idea to get your pitchers and catchers together as often as possible.

This can be as simple as pairing pitchers and catchers during drills and running.

During games, have a catcher who is not playing sit with the next day’s pitcher and do the pitching charts together. It’s a good time to talk strategy and how they would handle certain situations.

Coaches should also encourage their pitchers and catchers to talk baseball during free time. “We try to emphasize to our catchers early on that they need to spend time with our pitchers and talk to them off the field. A good way to do that is by watching big league games on TV together,” says Bradley. “That’s a great time to talk about pitching and find out how the other guys see the game.”

Post-game bus rides or evaluation meetings also offer good opportunities to build the pitcher-catcher relationship. For Anderson, the evaluation aspect is a critical element in the development of that relationship. “We’ll sit

MANAGING MISTAKES The University of Minnesota’s John Anderson is a veteran head coach who has trusted his catchers to call games for a long time. However, that wasn’t always the case, as during his early years of minding the dugout, Anderson took those duties upon himself. Because he’s been on both sides of the pitch-calling fence, Anderson knows that calling pitches is not an exact science and more importantly, he understands that nobody is perfect.

“I realize that on occasion a catcher can make a bad decision and not get the results that we want, but I believe we can learn from those mistakes and move on. You might give up a hit in a crucial situation and lose a game here or there, but to me there are tons more benefits over the long haul,” says Anderson. “I

18

COACHING MANAGEMENT

also remember back to when I called pitches, and that I called quite a few home run balls myself.”

So how should a coach react when he doesn’t agree with the catcher’s pitch calls?

What should they talk about when they visit the mound? “I talk to my catcher, I don’t second-guess him,” says Scott Bradley, Head Coach at Princeton University. “As long as he has a reason for why he called a certain pitch, he’s never wrong. And we tell him that early on. I might say, ‘We had that guy one-and-two.

Why did you call a change-up in that situation?’ And as long as he has a logical reason, he’s always right. And I don’t ask them those questions only when I disagree with them; I ask them all the time because I want to understand his thinking.”

Anderson, too, focuses on the reasoning behind a particular selection. “As long

as they thought it out, I have no problem if they chose a different pitch than I would have called,” Anderson says. “I may say, ‘Let’s look at it from a different perspective,’ and tell them what I would have done in that situation.”

Tracy Brumfield, Head Coach at Cabell Midland High School in Ona, W.Va., advises coaches to show trust in their catcher and remain calm after a poor decision. “Tell him that it’s natural for people to make mistakes,” says Brumfield. “Tell him, ‘I’ve been there before.

You’ll learn from your mistakes.’”

And mistakes will be made, regardless of who calls the pitches. “To me there’s no exact science to calling a game. It’s all a matter of feel,” says Bradley. “There’s no blueprint for exactly how you’re supposed to do it.”

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Circle No. 110

COVER STORY

down—the pitcher, catcher, the pitching coach, and myself—and go over the game and make sure everybody has a chance to talk about what was good or bad and what we can do to get better,” says Anderson. “It’s a formal process, verbal and written, where we ask the catchers to evaluate how the pitchers threw and we ask the pitchers to break down how the catchers performed and how they called the game.

“I think a big mistake coaches often make is not talking to the kids enough—we don’t ask for their input often enough,” he adds. “They’re on the front lines and have a lot more to offer than you think.”

Eyes on the Batter While getting your catchers and pitchers on the same page is important, perhaps the tougher lesson is learning what to throw to opposing batters. Though scouting reports help, they aren’t always in abundance at some levels. That means the catcher needs to be able to pick up on hitters’ tendencies, strengths, and

weaknesses. Unfortunately, this skill is not gained overnight.

Robinson, for example, struggled with reading hitters in his first year behind the plate. But after a year of watching batters and learning what to look for, Robinson improved markedly.

“Over the last two years he probably played more than 200 games between our season and summer ball. He learned a lot just by being out there and doing it,” says Brumfield. “Through summer ball, he was familiar with more of the hitters in our area.”

Robinson also learned the value of watching opponents’ batting practice.

“He would watch the tendencies of the hitters, whether they were inside-out swingers, whether they dove into the plate, that kind of thing,” says Brumfield.

“I would stand next to him and we would talk about those things. And he would ask a lot of questions.”

Minnesota’s Jake Elder, drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks this year, knew his responsibilities included watching opponents’ BP. “He sat next to me,

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watched the hitters, and developed his own game plan,” says Anderson. “He knew we had confidence in him by giving him that responsibility, and that he was accountable to the rest of the team to do the job.”

With two freshmen in the program backing up the senior, Anderson instructed the newcomers to sit with Elder as he watched the opponents’ BP and explained what he was looking for. “We want the older guys to pass along the routines and processes to the younger guys so they’re prepared to take over when that guy leaves,” Anderson says. “And when those more experienced players graduate, we’ll invite them back and have younger guys pick their brains about what they’ve learned at the next level.”

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

COVER STORY

Most pitch-calling training takes place during fall practices and in summer leagues. “If we’re having a scrimmage during fall ball, we’ll let the catchers call the games,” says Marconi.

“If I see a catcher call a pitch that I strongly disagreed with or felt was inappropriate for a particular situation, I’ll pull him aside and ask why he decided on that pitch. Then I’ll explain why that wasn’t the best pitch to call and what would be better.”

Coaches with limited time to spend with their athletes can ease their catcher into pitch-calling duties during the season. At Midd-West, Keister slowly integrates them. Early in the season, Keister typically handles the pitch calls for the first few innings, then hands it over. As the season progresses, Keister does less and less until the catcher is calling the game from beginning to end. When his team has a big lead, Keister automatically turns over the pitch calling.

If the catcher has difficulties, Keister doesn’t hesitate to step in and call a few pitches. “For example, if I see that

they’re relying on one pitch too much, I’ll call time-out and say, ‘That’s not what we want in this situation,’” says Keister.

“Then I’ll tell them, ‘Watch me,’ and I’ll call the next couple pitches. Then they’ll take over from there.”

For a younger catcher who may not be quite ready to call a full game, Keister picks his spots for when he’s comfortable giving the catcher free rein to call the shots. “I have a younger catcher right now, and I still call most of his pitches,” says Keister. “But every so often I’ll just look away and force him to make the call. Then we analyze his choices between innings. I’ll say, ‘You did a fine job,’ or, if it didn’t work out well, I’ll tell him how I would have called it.”

Jumping In Ultimately, turning over pitch calling is hard for many coaches because it requires a leap of faith—in both a young man’s growing knowledge of this complex game and one’s ability to teach it. Letting a catcher fly on his own

Circle No. 112

is a test of both, and that can be as scary as it is necessary.

“There’s only one way for your kids to learn it: You just have to trust them and let them do it,” says Bradley. “There might be some pitches that you disagree with, but there are a lot of times a coach calls a pitch that doesn’t get the guy out.”

And once you turn the keys over to your catcher, you might find that his style looks familiar. “If coaches give their catchers a shot, I think they’ll find that the kids have a pretty good idea of how to do it,” says Anderson. “They’ll probably call the game similarly to how you did it because that’s who they learned from.”

“For coaches who are considering it, I think it’s like skydiving: Just close your eyes, take the plunge, and talk about it afterward,” says Bradley. “I trust my kids—I trust the hitters to hit in 3-0 counts, I trust my base runners to steal bases when they think they can, and I trust my pitchers and catchers to work together to do this.” ■

COACHING MANAGEMENT

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STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

HIGH SCHOOL MOVES

D

BY VERN GAMBETTA

AP/WIDE WORLD PHOTOS

Most coaches understand that agility is an important component of athletic achievement. But how do you begin to train agility at the high school level?

efined as the ability to recognize, react, accelerate, change direction, and stop quickly, agility is a very important component of athleticism. In baseball, these actions need to occur in about four seconds, which puts a premium on quickness and precision of movement.

Furthermore, the ability to start and stop quickly and change direction under control go a long way toward preventing many common injuries.

Agility can be significantly improved through a systematic development program, and given the adaptability of the high school age athlete, there is a great deal of potential for improvement.

However, there are some unique challenges to training agility in this age group.

The prime one is that agility can vary greatly from one player to the next.

So how do you train for agility in this age group? To start, see to it that athletes have a good base in other areas.

Without a good foundation of basic strength, core strength, balance, and body awareness, athletes will soon reach the point of diminishing returns with agility training.

Think Long-Term For high school athletes, it is important to think long term. Improvement Vern Gambetta is the President of Gambetta Sports Training Systems in Sarasota, Fla. He is a frequent contributor to Coaching Management and can be reached through his Web site at: www.gambetta.com.

COACHING MANAGEMENT

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STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

can happen quickly, but there should be a well-planned progression—a freshman and a senior should not have the same training protocol.

Developing this plan requires discussion among sport coaches, strength and conditioning coaches, and athletic trainers about the priorities of an agility training program. If everyone is not on the same page, progress will be hampered.

The first area to look at is the age of the athletes, but chronological age and developmental age can be very divergent. There is a big difference between a 14-year-old boy who has gone through puberty and a 14-year-old boy who has not. The difference in physical maturity is dramatic. Emotional and cognitive development must also be considered.

Without some degree of maturity and an ability to take instruction, a young athlete will find it difficult to progress.

A Master Plan If you are starting with freshman athletes, begin by building a strong foundation. This means a strength-

training program that requires athletes to handle their bodyweight before adding any significant external resistance.

The strength-training foundation should also emphasize triple-extension of the ankle, knee, and hip for starting motions, and the ability to bend or break down at the ankle, knee, and hip for stopping motions.

Another aspect of the strength-training program should be core development in postures similar to those that occur on the field. Therefore, no more than 20 percent of core work should be done in a seated or lying position, but rather with the athlete standing or moving. This will carry over to the varied postures required in agility movements.

The third aspect to address early is balance, body control, and awareness.

Make the exercises playful. Try games like “red light, green light,” with the rules modified so that the stop must be on one leg. I like to use balance activities as active rest activities and schedule them between strength-training exer-

cises. I have also developed a simple circuit with three or four balance activities that the athletes need to negotiate at various times during the workout.

For the first three months of the athlete’s introduction to the high school training program, these components should be the focus. The only agility work that should be done during this time is very basic movements with the emphasis on teaching proper form.

(See “Baby Steps” on page 25.)

As the athlete progresses, agility should be developed parallel with strength gains (along with maturity).

Near the end of the first year, the higher-speed, higher-force component of plyometrics should be introduced. Over subsequent years, as the athlete gains proficiency and mastery of the other components, the work on this explosive quality can be increased.

There are definite motor learning factors that must be considered. I believe that it is necessary to strive for perfect practice. Some people feel this is unrealistic, but I think it should be

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

the goal. This approach raises the bar in terms of intensity and concentration, and the drive for perfect practice ensures that training sessions will approach game intensity, which carries over to sport-specific movements. I would rather have the athlete do a few drills he can handle with speed and efficiency than have a large number of drills poorly executed.

To achieve perfect practice, technique must be taught in a step-by-step progression. Begin with closed-skill drills, where the outcome is known, and progress to open-skill drills, which are unplanned and emphasize reaction. Once mastery has been achieved, add unusual and unexpected conditions. Add crowd noise, different surfaces—anything realistic that adds stress to the drill.

It is very important to add a reaction component. Reaction puts the finishing touches on the program, leading to significant improvements in speed, force, and muscle involvement.

BABY STEPS When a high school athlete is introduced to agility training, the work should consist of only very basic movements with the emphasis on learning.

For example: ■

Start with “step and stick” in all three planes. Have your athletes step forward onto one leg and stick the landing. Repeat to the side. Also include a step back at an angle to stress the transverse plane.

■

Progress to a quarter eagle, which consists of a 90-degree jump to the right and a jump immediately back to the starting position. Repeat to the left. When athletes can do that, have them run out at the conclusion of the drill. Then add a stop.

■

Next, have them run forward, then turn 360 degrees, and keep running forward. Repeat this three to four times in 40-yard increments.

■

Have your athletes run forward, bend, and touch the ground with their right hand. Repeat with the left hand.

It is also important to remember that agility work is not conditioning work. It is speed-development work, and should be practiced in a non-fatigued state, with high intensity, and plenty of recovery between repetitions.

Individual Attention The biggest challenges with high school athletes often come with discrepancies in their abilities to improve. How can you keep the naturally agile athlete motivated without neglecting the athlete who has poor motor skills?

The key is to individualize the workouts as much as possible. Divide the group into sub-groups based on specific needs and abilities. For example, an athlete can be placed in an advanced group for footwork drills and in a basic group for drills in changing direction.

Players with very poor agility may need a remedial program. First, try to figure out the cause. Consider perceptual motor ability, leg strength, and core strength as factors. If there are no underlying problems, then agility exercises should simply occupy a larger share of their training until that skill is brought up to an acceptable level.

For the athlete more agile than his peers, measure and time him more frequently, or create a handicap to keep him in synch with his teammates.

The idea is to to create a competitive challenge.

Examples With a master plan in place and ideas for individualizing programs, the next step is devising drills that will work in your setting. Most importantly, each drill must have a specific purpose and lead to the next step in the progression. The basic progression should go like this: 1. Basic skill.

2. Basic skill with variation.

3. Basic skill with reaction.

4. Basic skill with opposition.

5. Basic skill incorporated with advanced sport-specific skill.

For example, a good change of direction progression is to start with gentle curves to emphasize shifts in body weight. Then progress to vectors off a straight line, run at about 70-percent intensity. After that is mastered, progress to sharper angles and harder cuts at higher intensities.

The drills should, of course, address

the different components of agility (see “Breaking It Down” on page 26), but remember that each drill will usually address multiple components.

Therefore, it’s not necessary to have a drill for each component, as long as you make sure all the areas are being covered through the drills you choose.

Equipment can help but is not necessary to effectively train agility. The only piece of equipment that I use on a regular basis is the ABC ladder for footwork development. Tag and chase games improve agility skills in a competitive environment. Whatever game motivates a particular group of athletes and works on agility at the same time is a good one to use.

What drills are not good? The common tendency in agility training is to get caught in the activity trap, where athletes do a large menu of drills, many of which are redundant. In that scenario the athlete gets tired, but does not get better. Avoid the activity trap by knowing why you are choosing each drill: What it will accomplish? Where does it fit in the master progression?

How often should agility be trained?

In the off-season, some aspect of agility work should be accomplished in every training session. It should receive a major emphasis on two training days each week, although those days should not be consecutive. A non-emphasis day should incorporate two drills and an emphasis day should have four to five drills. The range should be three to five sets of each exercise.

In-season, agility work should be incorporated into two of the training days. Obviously, the volume is significantly reduced in-season, as agility work is included in most practices.

Ideally, agility work should be scheduled for when the athlete is fresh, immediately following warm-up. This will ensure the quality necessary to have the drills transfer to performance. I have also found that one or two low-volume agility drills at the start of a training session help tune up the nervous system.

Is It Working?

To assess whether your agility workouts are accomplishing your goals, establish baseline performance levels early on. Game video is an excellent assessment tool. You can use it to provide objective feedback of the agility compoCOACHING MANAGEMENT

25

STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

BREAKING IT DOWN The following list outlines the components of agility that determine the training content.

Most of the components do not occur in isolation, so look for logical combinations when devising drills.

Recognition: This is game and situation awareness. It follows a pattern.

of control, because it is necessary when changing direction or stopping.

Reaction: Athletes should spend the majority of time practicing with the primary stimulus that occurs in the game, which in baseball is visual or auditory.

Deceleration and Reacceleration: These are key components to controlling speed and the ability to get the body in proper position to make a play.

Start: The goal is to overcome inertia and get the body moving in the correct direction.

Footwork: The relationship of the hips to the feet is critical.

First Step: A positive shin angle imparts force against the ground and achieves triple extension. A relatively short first step will ensure a proper shin angle.

Acceleration: In straight-ahead sprinting, acceleration is to top speed. In agility, it is to optimum speed, which has an element

Change of Direction: The key here is getting the center of gravity outside the base of support in order to change the position of the body.

Stopping: This is the moment of truth where the athlete must be able to make a play. It requires tremendous eccentric strength and body control.

nents addressed during training.

The other aspect of your program to assess is whether your athletes continue to be motivated. If your athletes are not motivated by their agility drills, they will not improve. Providing a variety of exercises and challenges to your athletes are keys to motivation. However, variety must have a purpose—it should progress the athlete toward the next step.

Results also motivate. When athletes see the results of the training transfer to a game, motivation is increased. Have them watch the game video footage and talk to them about how the agility training relates to their abilities on the field.

Most athletes enjoy agility training because it easily translates to improvement in their sport. Just remember to start with a sturdy foundation and have a detailed master plan. The dividends— improved performance and injury prevention—will show up quickly. ■ Another version of this article has appeared in Training & Conditioning, a sister publication to Coaching Management.

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

COACHING LIFE

BY LEM ELWAY

A FRESH START

Y G CORONADO/PBP/ZUMA/US PRESSWIRE

OU’VE JUST FINISHED UP

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 worked your tail off for the team and all you got in return were complaints.

If you don’t look forward to the first day of practice every year— and all that goes with it—it might be time to step back and ask yourself whether you need new challenges, to coach elsewhere, or to just reassess how you work.

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 have a season like that? Most coaches have. 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 Lem Elway just completed his first year as Head Baseball Coach at Black Hills (Tumwater, 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.

COACHING MANAGEMENT

27

COACHING LIFE

rookie head coach in a new school with more energy than I’ve had in years.

What Went Wrong?

There are many reasons a coach might want to resign. Sometimes it is because a painful situation arose with parents. Maybe the time commitment has become too overwhelming. For some, lack of support from administration or a shrinking budget is the impetus. Others just feel they’ve lost their passion for coaching.

Before you write that resignation letter, it’s important to reflect on why you are thinking about quitting. 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, working with athletes’ parents was not an issue. Parents rarely dared to ques-

who break school or team rules. One reason I left my former school was that I was verbally attacked (as were members of my family) after the administration disciplined five seniors from my team who were caught breaking the team no-drinking rule. Some parents were relentless in trying to get me fired.

Although the administration backed me and I stayed at the school for another five years (and we continued to have a winning program), the negativity took its toll. I needed a fresh start to preserve my enthusiasm for coaching.

School Climate: A coach I know relocated after seeing his budget cut year after year and the administration withholding the support he needed. He joined 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

Some schools are better at supporting their coaches than others. If your current administration lacks procedures for parent questions and does not back you up in parental disagreements, you might want to look for an administration that will. tion a coach and were quickly told to mind their own business if they did.

Today, working with parents is a big part of the job and can run even a veteran coach ragged.

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

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

This issue can be especially sensitive when it comes to disciplining athletes 28

COACHING MANAGEMENT

good time. If that’s more pressure than you want, 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 school’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 learn how to 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. Maybe you neglected to ask for help. Maybe your practices weren’t focused enough.

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 you can avoid the same problems by doing some things differently next year, 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?”

Think about what you want in a job, as well as about your coaching goals.

I N T E RV I E W Q U E S T I O N S

COACHING LIFE

What has your current school taught you about what gives you job satisfaction? What has it shown you about finding a suitable work environment?

What have you learned about the qualities to look for in your next athletic director? How has your experience prepared you to take the next step?

Some coaches consider the college level. Advantages include teaching moreskilled athletes and becoming a parentaway-from-home, having more assistants and administrative help, and few if any in-class duties. On the other hand, college coaching requires more time commitment and travel, and break-in salaries can be lower than that of many new scholastic teacher-coaches.

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 handled, what type of students attend

Here are eight questions you should be prepared to answer as a coaching candidate: ■

Why should anyone hire you?

■

How are you different from other candidates?

■

What can you offer to make a program better?

■

What are your strengths?

■

What are your weaknesses?

■

How do you handle problems with parents?

■

How do you deal with conflict?

■

What is your coaching philosophy?

the school, whether the coaches on staff get along, and the history of the sport at the school.

Next, get your resume and a list of personal recommendations in order.

Review your interview skills, and talk to others who have recently gone through the process 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.

This will give you interview confidence.

(See “Interview Questions” at left.)

New Coach on the Block Once you have secured a new position, plan to work hard in that first year 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.

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

■ 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 might be 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 for information.

■ Attend and be visible at 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. For example, understand why the former coach left and what people liked or 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 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 lead individual booster clubs, then do so. If they are supposed to follow the lead of a booster club president, then don’t step on anyone’s toes.

Here are some other things to find out: ■ Do the good athletes specialize or 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 is the expectation level of the 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, it’s great to have a veteran coach of another sport work as your assistant to help you with the details of the program. If you’re hiring all new assistants, conduct thorough interviews and check references. Beware of candidates who have children or relatives in the program or those who seem to have their own agenda.

Find out the history of the sport at the school ...

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.

With some background knowledge, 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. Most important is to communicate everything well. As a new coach, your rules might contradict the past, and so you must use positive and diplomatic skills to make the transition smooth and constructive. Pick your battles carefully.

Starting a new program means selling your procedures, expectations, and philosophy, which can’t be rushed.

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, when I took over here at Black Hills, I’d always allowed CD play-

COACHING LIFE

ers on the bus, but not on the bench.

Players brought them on the bench without my knowledge at first, and I was surprised. However, instead of getting angry, I quickly set the rules straight and explained why I banned CD players on the field and bench.

Another example is the role of seniors on a team. Some new coaches like to work only with the younger players and think toward the future. Here at Black Hills, I elected to work with the seniors and make them the leaders.

Seniors often have a high level of anxiety with a new coach. My attitude was that, as long as they hustle, provide enthusiasm, and are coachable, I would find a playing spot for them. My top priority was to change the attitude of the program (which will eventually lead to higher performance levels) and I felt it would work best if the seniors could help me do this. Whatever you decide to 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 procedures. This can easily become the most important meeting for your program and your leadership. It puts you in a proactive mode and opens the lines of communication. Parents must be relaxed and encouraged to ask questions, and they should receive good, clear answers. Parents can only support those policies they know and understand.

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. ■

Batting Tunnels Protective Screens • Field Equipment Custom Netting • Outfield Screen 8410 Wolf Lake Drive, Suite 106 Memphis, TN 38133-4049

800-244-4457

Circle No. 118

1 Versions of this Untitled-1 article have appeared in other editions of Coaching Management.

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.

Circle No. 119 COACHING MANAGEMENT

31

Team Equipment Jump Stretch, Inc. 800-344-3539 WWW.JUMPSTRETCH.COM The goal at Jump Stretch is to provide equipment that simulates actual game conditions to improve performance, such as anaerobic training. Most sports require short bursts of explosive power.

Squats and squat

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

Circle No. 501 New Balance WWW.FINALLYWIDESPIKES.COM A player’s feet are his base: crucial to power, traction and the ability to cut. Surprisingly, very few cleats are made in multiple widths—until now.

New Balance is proud to be the first athletic shoe company to redesign its cleats to accommodate all athletes’ feet. Available in Spring Training 2006, New Balance cleats will range from D-width on the regular-width to 2E- and 4E-widths on the wider bottom, creating more comfort and higher performance and helping athletes achieve their best.

Circle No. 502 Power Systems, Inc. 800-321-6975 WWW.POWER-SYSTEMS.COM Develop dynamic strength and rehabilitate the upper body through the throwing motions of weighted Power Throw Balls™. These durable balls are official MLB-size and are available in three weights: seven, 14, and 21 ounces.

Power Throw Balls are color-coded by weight and consist of a rugged vinyl shell and filling. An instruction manual and VHS or DVD are available, as are softball-size Power Throw Balls. Contact Power Systems for more information on other products and programs.

Circle No. 503 Power System’s Baseball Power Program is a 12-week training program designed to bolster the performance of baseball athletes. The package provides the necessary equipment to develop the speed, agility, and explosiveness needed to excel in this very competitive sport. The program includes the Pro Agility Ladder™, the six-pound Power Med Ball™, the Lateral Stepper™, the VersaDisc™, the Power Chute™, a Power Throw Ball™ Set, a nylon carry bag, Power Program Manual, and your choice of VHS or DVD training video. Contact Power Systems for more information on other products and programs.

Circle No. 504

Circle No. 120

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

Team Equipment Russell Athletic WWW.RUSSELLATHLETIC.COM Russell Athletic is introducing a fresh update to the classic jersey, the “Wave”.

The Wave features the innovative lightweight DriPower fabric that offers athletes the ultimate in wicking moisture-management technology. The jersey is available in eight colors, all with contrasting textured Baseball Grey sleeve inserts, neck, and front piping.

Circle No. 505 Russell Athletic’s new Dugout Jacket is 100-percent nylon on the outside and warm and soft on the inside. It has a quilted lining with a diamond pattern that keeps the athlete warm. It is available in eight colors and can be tackle-twilled with

team names, mascots, or logos. Go online to find out more.

Circle No. 506 Schutt Sports Group 866-4-SCHUTT WWW.SCHUTTSPORTS.COM Schutt®’s Burst™ Series Chest Protectors are brand new for the 2006 season. These protectors are engineered to be lightweight and comfortable for optimal performance.

This new series of chest protectors uses memory foam to ensure excellent rebound characteristics. The ultra lightweight mesh foam covering and Coolmax® layer on the backside keeps athletes cool during the game. Players can’t expect to win without the right equipment, so give Schutt Sports a call today.

Circle No. 507

Schutt® innovation and technology are now in the palm of players’ hands.

Made of superior U.S.A. steerhide, Schutt Gloves are soft, lightweight, and ready for use right off the shelf. Every glove features a palm pad and Velcro® Finger Sizer for comfort and a great fit. At every position on the field, Schutt makes the glove that makes the game.

Circle No. 508

Check out

www.AthleticBid.com to contact these companies.

Home Run, LLC d/b/a

HOOSIER BAT COMPANY Fast becoming THE name for bats.

We have what the players want!

WOOD FUNGO +++ Guaranteed +++ Never Flakes • No Taping Required The Hands Back Hitter from SWINGBUSTER teaches players how to get to the “torque position” in time to swing the bat. Enough fun and challenge to be ranked the number one trainer for youth ball practice and camps with enough science built in to be used in D-1 programs across the country. Extremely well built, easy assembly (no tools), guaranteed durability.

Same unit assembles for RH and LH for fastpitch and baseball. This patented pitching machine/batting tee hybrid totally controls the swing sequence. Taking those swings is no longer boring and unproductive. Find out why Mike Epstein uses this trainer with students at his training camps and coaching certification programs.

Receive e-mail brochure with special fall pricing, additional info, and benefits through Coaching Management.

877-4 BAT AWAY 877-422-8292

GAME BATS Major League Stock • Minor League Stock

WOODFORCE 2000 Hickory Hitting Area- No Taping Required Game Use Approval for Short Season A and Rookie League NCAA BESR Certified 28 B.P. 3-Piece Bat for One Hand, Soft Toss and T drills

ORDER YOURS TODAY Fax 219-465-0877 • e-mail:baseball@netnitco.net 1-800-BAT-ERUP (228-3787)

www.hoosierbat.com Mention this ad for FREE Laser Engraving or Key Chain Circle No. 121

Circle No. 122 COACHING MANAGEMENT

33

Testimonial

More Profits with Less Effort

“The magazine sale is the easiest fundraising project I have ever been involved with. There is no money to collect, no product to deliver, and it is an easy sell. The magazines offered cover a wide range of interests and age groups. I watched our profits grow almost daily!”

Laurie Williams Director Cortland Youth Hockey Mites “We have been raising funds for our school teams for 20 years, and the online magazine fundraiser has proven to be one of the most effective programs we have found. It’s easy to administer and it really fits today’s hightech world. It should be an integral part of any group’s fundraising arsenal.”

John Butterworth Coach Penfield High School Boys Soccer “Each year we are taxed with a very large budget for National Competition and other various squad expenses. This year we incorporated eFundraising’s online magazine and scratchcard campaigns. By combining these two campaigns together, we were able to reach friends and relatives locally and anywhere in the United States. They were an efficient use of our time.”

Pam Wilson President CPHS Cheer Booster Club

Team Equipment Xvest 800-697-5658 WWW.THEXVEST.COM “I have found the Xvest to be an excellent tool for providing overloads in plyometric, strength training, conditioning, and rehabilitation programs. The fit and adaptability are excellent.

The Xvest allows freedom of movement and doesn’t interfere with any of the agility, bounding, or running programs that I write for a wide variety of athletes—collegiate and professional. The Xvest has proven itself in my programs.

Thank you for all your efforts and help in improving my capability as a strength and conditioning specialist.”

—Donald A. Chu, Ph.D., PT, ATC, CSCS, author of Jumping Into Plyometrics Circle No. 509 Xvest has a new weight configuration, and it’s heavy: 84 pounds of heavy. The new Xvest, known as the Fire Fighter model, was developed especially for fire fighters and their rigorous training. It has the same basic design as the original Xvest, but internally it has a new weight configuration that allows for 84 pounds of weight. Because of its ability to adjust weight like the original Xvest, everyone from bodybuilders to military personnel is buying them. For more information on all the Xvest models, call the company or visit its Web site.

Circle No. 510 Zensah 305-984-6436 WWW.ZENSAH.COM

eFundraising.com 205 W. SERVICE RD. CHAMPLAIN, NY, 12919 800-561-8388 INFO@EFUNDRAISING.COM WWW.EFUNDRAISING.COM

34

COACHING MANAGEMENT

As athletes push the limits of the human body, the need for enhancement gear takes on greater importance.

Zensah™ is the pioneer of enhancement apparel, creating an innovative seamless garment designed to be a true second skin that provides athletes

greater performance, comfortability, and mobility. This revolutionary design consists of an ultra-breathable moisturewicking fabric that draws away sweat, keeping athletes cool and dry while reducing muscle fatigue and eliminating chafing.

Circle No. 511 Markwort Sporting Goods 800-937-4824 WWW.MARKWORT.COM Markwort’s Original Practice Glove teaches the fundamentals of fielding the ball properly. It promotes two-handed play by forcing the athlete to be centered on the ball. It also helps develop a quick transition from catching to throwing. This nine-inch leather glove doesn’t bend, doesn’t have a pocket, and won’t repel the ball.

Circle No. 512 Impact Innovative Products 724-864-8440 WWW.ZOOMBANG.COM The Zoombang™ Conformal Impact Gear™ line of protective apparel from Impact Innovative Products includes gloves. These confidence-building gloves incorporate the advanced reAsorb polymer, a fluid-like material that behaves as a solid upon impact. The gloves are designed for comfort and protection for the hand in baseball, football, and basketball.

The reAsorb substance is strategically located on the back of the hand or the palm area, and custom gloves can be made to your unique specifications.

Circle No. 513

Wood Bats

Testimonial

“The Best Dollar-Value Training Aid for Youth Baseball Players.”

BWP Bats 814-849-0089 WWW.BWPBATS.COM Custom Features: Various models, colors, and personalization available. Superior wood quality, quick delivery, and economical pricing.

Approved by: NCAA, Major & Minor Leagues Type of Training and Fungo Bats: Training bats for swing mechanics and overall hitting skills. Pro Fungo available in 33” and 37” lengths and in team colors. Made of silver maple for excellent feel and balance.

Circle No. 515 Hoosier Bat Co. 800-228-3787 WWW.HOOSIERBAT.COM Custom Features: Colors are black, natural hickory, and burnt orange. Top quality ash or wood force 2000 has an ash handle and hickory hitting area.

Approved by: NCAA, NFHS, MLB and Minor League Baseball Type of Training and Fungo Bats: Wood fungo with no taping required on barrel.

28” B.P. for strength and hitting skills.

Circle No. 516 Old Hickory Bat Company, Inc. 866-PROBATS WWW.OLDHICKORYBATS.COM Custom Features: All Custom Pro bats are cut to player’s specs: model, length, weight, color, cupped or solid end and personalization. Approved for play at all professional levels.

Approved by: MLB, NCAA Type of Training and Fungo Bats: Training bats are available for use with bunting and hitting drills. Also offered are maple fungo bats, 34” to 36” long. Bats may be customized to team colors and personalization.

Circle No. 517

Wood Bats Company

Model

Type of Wood Lengths

Handle

BWP Bats

BWP-73

Rock Maple

32-34”

BWP-Nasty

Maple

Ratio

Warranty

15/16” w/ L extra flare

-2 to -3

No

32-34”

15/16” w/flare

XXL

-2 to -3

No

BWP-110, Rock Maple 141, 271, 243

31-34”

Various

Various

-2 to-3

No

BWP-271

Ash

32-34”

15/16”

Medium

-2 to-3

No

Hoosier Bat Co. HB105

Ash

32, 33, 34”

15/16”

2 13/32” -3

HB235

Ash

32, 33, 34”

15/16”

2 1/2”

-3

HB325

Ash

32, 33, 34”

1”

2 1/2”

-3

Wood Force

Ash/Hickory/ 32-34” Maple

1”

2 1/2”

-3

Barrel won’t flake

Maple/Ash

up to 35”

Thin

Medium

-3

No

Maple/Ash

up to 35”

Thin

Medium

-3

No

PWB1

Maple/Ash

up to 35”

Thin

Medium

-3

No

P100

Maple/Ash

up to 35”

Thin

Medium

-3

No

Old Hickory Bat KG1 Company, Inc. J154

Barrel

“The Personal Pitcher has been a significant factor in my son’s success at the plate. Last season he had the highest batting average on his American Legion team (.479) and led in home runs, doubles, and RBIs.” Rod Rupert Springfield, MO “I have owned the HS Personal Pitcher since ‘95. I bought it in San Diego, CA, and now live in Nazareth, PA. It’s logged in hundreds of hours of use and is still going strong. Thanks!”

Kirk Jensen Nazareth, PA “We are making many special training aids available to our players that were previously unheard of in this area. At the core of these aids, I am proud to promote the Personal Pitcher as the best dollar-value training aid for youth baseball players.”

Karl Cunningham Knapps Station Baseball Norwood, NY

Sports Products Consultants 7734 ARJONS DR., STE. B SAN DIEGO, CA 92126 800-474-8243 SALES@PERSONALPITCHER.COM WWW.TIMIT.COM COACHING MANAGEMENT

35

Hitting & Pitching Aids Aer-Flo, Inc. 800-823-7356 WWW.AERFLO.COM The Bunt Zone™ Infield Protector doubles as the perfect target-training system for bunting practice. It uses three color-coded zones: Yellow is the buntfor-hit target area; green is the sacrifice bunt zone; and red is the bad bunt zone—never go into the red zone for hit-and-run or pull-hitting situations.

Players get instant feedback at every practice. Tough nine-ounce vinyl-polyester mesh survives spike traffic. The Bunt Zone (patents pending) provides maximum turf protection while improving team bunting skills. Ground staples are included. Call Aer-Flo toll-free, or visit online.

Circle No. 520 BPHL Sports 888-865-1736 WWW.PITCHERSPLATE.COM The Ultimate Pitcher’s and Catcher’s Plate™ is a new training aid being used

by top professional, collegiate, high school and youth baseball programs across the country. The plate provides a great visual aid for pitchers by highlighting the corners, while at the same time acting as a positioning tool for the catchers. The plate makes bullpen sessions more meaningful and productive.

Circle No. 521 Glove Radar® 888-542-9246 WWW.GLOVERADAR.COM Turn any ball glove into a radar gun with Glove Radar® from Sports Sensors, Inc., now featuring improved sensitivity.

Glove Radar aids in developing players’ throwing skills.

It easily attaches to a baseball or softball glove and is worn by the receiver of the ball, or by multiple partners in non-game situations. It utilizes Doppler radar like conventional hand-

held radar speed guns—but performs accurately at any throwing distance.

Glove Radar “sees” through the glove and measures the speed of the ball as it approaches the glove.

Circle No. 522 Grand Slam Pitching Machine 800-GRAND SLAM WWW.AGRANDSLAM.COM The Grand Slam is unmatched for developing a hitter’s hand-eye coordination.

Its self-feeding reservoir shoots golf ballsized Wiffle® balls every six seconds that are guaranteed to hit the strike zone in varying locations.

Hitters standing 1620 feet away can experience pitches over 90 mph. (Pitch speed is adjustable.)

The pitching machine is great for indoor and outdoor station work. The Grand Slam is endorsed by professional hitting instructor Mike Epstein and Tennessee Baseball Coach Rod Delmonico. Included are 48 golf ball-sized Wiffle balls and a lifetime guarantee.

Circle No. 523

IT’S A DOPPLER RADAR DOUBLE PLAY! Developing Hitting and Throwing Skills Has Never Been So Convenient or Affordable!

GLOVE RADAR ® is the ideal aid for developing the throwing skills of infielders, outfielders, pitchers, and catchers. Use it for training, tossing, warming-up, or just having fun!

Easily attached to virtually any baseball or softball glove, GLOVE RADAR’s accurate to within 1 mph of radar guns costing considerably more.

Its low cost, compact design, and remarkable versatility make GLOVE RADAR ® the smart choice for teams and individual players.

From the inventors of the Glove Radar,®the NEW Swing Speed Radar ™ determines your optimum swing speed for your best distance, quickness and bat control/ball contact. You can determine swing and bat characteristics that achieve the best results. The Swing Speed Radar ™ features simple one-button operation and a large LCD display. Rugged, compact design makes it convenient to carry and use.

It’s not how hard you swing, but how well you swing!

SPORTS SENSORS, INC. P.O. BOX 46198 CINCINNATI, OH 45246-0198

Circle No. 123

36

COACHING MANAGEMENT

Works great for golf, too!

For more information, call toll-free: 1-888-542-9246.

Or, visit our websites at: www.swingspeedradar.com or www.gloveradar.com

Circle No. 124

Hitting & Pitching Aids Master Pitching Machine, Inc. 800-878-8228 WWW.MASTERPITCH.COM The “Iron Mike” pitching machine features a throwing arm that lets batters see a full wind-up before the ball is pitched, allowing them to better develop the fundamental skills used when facing a live pitcher.

This capability makes the “Iron Mike” the preferred pitching machine of professional and amateur players and coaches. All machines are self-feeding, include a remote control, and carry a manufacturer’s warranty.

Circle No. 524 Quickswing, Inc. 877-467-9464 WWW.QUICKSWING.COM Give your swing the edge. The Quickswing’s innovative design promotes a short, quick, compact swing, which is essential for effectively hitting a baseball or softball. The Quickswing improves hand-eye coordination, reflex-

es, muscle memory, and timing.

It can be used indoors or outside and can be adjusted to varying degrees of difficulty and heights. The Quickswing is used by Joe Mauer of the Minnesota Twins and endorsed by Hall-of-Famer Paul Molitor.

Circle No. 525 Sports Attack 800-717-4251 WWW.SPORTSATTACK.COM The Hack Attack baseball pitching machine’s exclusive visual arm-action design signals batters to stride and shows them the angle of release.

This in effect provides a lifelike sense of timing and location. By simply changing the speed with three dials, the Hack Attack throws unmatched Major League pitches including right- and left-handed fastballs, breaking balls, curveballs,

Circle No. 125

sliders, and more. The Hack Attack pivots in any direction, instantly setting up for fungo work or catching drills with grounders, long fly balls, deep line drives, towering pop-ups, and more.

Circle No. 526 The Junior Hack Attack Baseball Pitching Machine by Sports Attack is the Major League quality-training tool designed to develop serious young players. Its unique features include a patented threewheel design that allows hitters to experience a live arm sense of timing and location.

Pitches—such as curveballs, sliders, right- and lefthanded breakers, and more—can be quickly dialed with the three-speed knobs. Lightweight and extremely portable, the new Junior Hack Attack is the machine that will develop your dedicated players into the pros they want to be.

Circle No. 527

Hitting & Pitching Aids Sports Products Consultants 800-474-8243 WWW.PERSONALPITCHER.COM The Personal Pitcher™ helps players at any level develop muscle memory, bat speed, and hand-eye coordination.

Because it mounts on any standard camera tripod and is safe to use indoors or outside, it is the perfect tool for pre-game warmups, hitting stations, and extended batting practices. The machine holds up to 40 golf ballsized Wiffle™ balls that are automatically pitched at six-second intervals.

Circle No. 528 The new, patented Timit RadarWatch™ from Sports Products Consultants measures the speed of a pitch from any location on the field or in the stands—even on someone warming up in the bullpen. With a default distance up to 60 feet, it eliminates the need to position oneself behind the catcher as a person would with a radar

gun. The Timit RadarWatch keeps pitch counts, displays the runner’s time to first or the catcher’s release time to second, and captures the speed of a pitch in mph, all at the same time.

Circle No. 529 Sports Tutor 800-448-8867 WWW.SPORTSMACHINES.COM The HomePlate machine from Sports Tutor is the first programmable pitching machine designed for both batting cage and onfield use. The HomePlate machine simulates almost any pitch batters are likely to face with only seven seconds between pitches. Up to eight different pitches— including fastballs, curveballs, change-ups, sliders, and more— can be stored in eight different programs.

The programmed pitches can be thrown sequentially for specific hitting drills, or randomly to simulate game conditions.

HomePlate models start at $2,995.

Circle No. 530 Batting Tutor by Sports Tutor is the battery-powered pitching machine built for true portability. It is available in both

baseball and softball models, and throws real or dimpled baseball and softballs up to 65 mph. Batting Tutor is a valuable training tool for schools without accessible electricity on the field as well as being ideal for youth league practices and machine pitch leagues.

Circle No. 531 Stalker Radar 888-STALKER WWW.STALKERRADAR.COM/ SPORTS.SHTML The ultra-high performance Stalker Sport radar gun precisely measures the speed of a baseball as it leaves the pitcher’s hand, and also reads the speed as it crosses the plate. These speeds can differ by up to 12 mph. The Stalker Sport is three times more powerful than any other sports radar gun and can accurately clock pitches from over 300 feet away. A new double-capacity battery handle is available, providing up to 40 hours of

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• Measures Acceleration Times • Graphs Speed, Time, Dist., & Accel.

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2495

Stalker Radar

WWW.STALKERRADAR.COM

Phone (972) 398-3780 • Fax (972) 398-3781

Circle No. 126

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

Circle No. 127

AMERICAN EXPRESS

SM

ä

ä

MasterCard ä

S-80

2609 Technology Dr. Plano, TX 75074-7467

Toll Free 1-888-STALKER

Hitting & Pitching Aids use between charges. All Major League baseball teams use the Stalker Sport.

Circle No. 532 Swift Stik 877-845-7845 WWW.SWIFTSTIK.COM Swift Stik is a lightweight training bat that allows the hitter to take hundreds of extra swings through underloading. Swift Stik sharpens hand-eye coordination, builds muscle memory, helps increase bat speed, and teaches the hitter to hit the “sweet spot” of the bat. Swift Stik is endorsed by professional hitting instructor Mike Epstein and Tennessee Baseball Coach Rod Delmonico.

Swift Stik is packaged with an instructional video and four golf ball-sized Wiffle® balls. Players are guaranteed to get results fast.

Circle No. 533 SwingBuster 877-422-8292 WWW.SWINGBUSTER.COM The Hands Back Hitter from SwingBuster teaches players how to get into the “torque position” with enough

fun and challenge that it’s ranked the number one trainer for youth ball practices and camps.

This patented pitching machine/batting tee hybrid controls the swing sequence for righties and lefties. It is well-built, easy to assemble (no tools required), and its durability is guaranteed. Find out why Mike Epstein uses this trainer with students at his training camps and coaching certification programs.

Contact SwingBuster for its fall pricing.

Circle No. 534 Swing Speed Radar™ 888-542-9246 WWW.SWINGSPEEDRADAR.COM The new Swing Speed Radar™ from Sports Sensors, Inc., is a small, inexpensive microwave Doppler radar velocity sensor that measures the swing speed of baseball and softball players. The Swing Speed Radar helps players to develop opti-

mum bat speed for distance, quickness, and bat control for consistent ball contact. The Swing Speed Radar provides real-time velocity feedback that assists players, coaches, and instructors in measuring performance improvement and trouble-shooting swing mechanics.

This product is also great for golfers.

Circle No. 535 Zingbat™ 866-ZINGBAT WWW.ZINGBAT.COM Zingbat™ has introduced the new “trainer” series of the Zingbat line. This economically priced version of the regular “pro” series Zingbat is ideal for youth players.

The trainer series allows the batter to learn basic swing mechanics. The “composite Zingbat trainer” comes in one length and weight (30 inches, 17 ounces), while the aluminum “pro” series can be customized to meet specific length and weight requirements. Call today for a free instructional CD or video.

Circle No. 536

NOW YOU CAN HAVE YOUR OWN PITCHING MACHINE! SAVE $130 ON THE PRO TRAINING SPECIAL! Featuring Our Exclusive “Pitch Isolation Training”™ What You Get....A Complete Training Package Without Comparison!

• Personal Pitcher Pro® w/Fast Balls, Curve Balls, Sliders, Autofeed, & a 2 Year Warranty!

• Hitmaster Grobat® Training Bat w/Variable Length & Weight (feels like your game bat, but with a Sweetspot Simulator™) • Tripod, 4 Dozen Balls, 4-Hour Battery, AC Adapter/Charger • Pro-Style Batting Gloves & FREE Webglovs (catching practice)

AND Finally, Something NO ONE ELSE HAS! Pitch Isolation Training™ Chris Richard, MLBPA, the first user of the Personal Pitcher, hit his first ML pitch for a HR in 2000. He’s been instrumental in approving these products GUARANTEED to improve your game!

Only the PRO Personal Pitcher allows you to accurately control the type and location of the pitch, so you can ISOLATE your problem pitch and ELIMINATE it!

Visit Our Website to Order: www.personalpitcher.com SPORTS PRODUCTS CONSULTANTS, INC.

or Call 800-4PITCHER (800-474-8243)

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA

Circle No. 128 COACHING MANAGEMENT

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Aer-Flo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Bannerman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Beacon Athletics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 BetterBaseball . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 BPHL Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 BWP Bats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Challenger Industries . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Diamond Pro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Disney’s Wide World of Sports . . . . 19 eFundraising.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Evergreen Synthetic Turf . . . . . . . . . 46 Game-On Field Conditioner . . . . . . 24 Gatorade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Glove Radar/Swing Speed Radar . . 36 Heying Company (Infield-Drag) . . . . . 44 Hoosier Bat Company . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Impact Innovative Products . . . . . . 32 Jaypro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC Jump Stretch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Kodiak Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 M.A.S.A. Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Master Pitching Machine . . . . . . . . . 42 Old Hickory Bats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Partac/Beam Clay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 PIK Products. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Pro’s Choice Field Products . . . . . . . 8 Promats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Quickswing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Red Diamond RBI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Redfield by Country Stone . . . . . . . 29 Russell Athletic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IBC Schutt Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BC Seating Services, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . 41 SPI Nets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Sports Attack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Sports Products Consultants . . . . . 39 Sports Tutor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Stalker Radar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 SwingBuster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Turfco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Vantage Products Int’l. . . . . . . . . . . 31 Xvest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Zingbat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

PRODUCTS DIRECTORY CIRCLE # COMPANY

520 . .

540 . .

541. . .

542 . .

543 . .

544 . .

521. . .

515 . . .

545 . .

546 . .

567. . .

570. . .

571. . .

547 . .

549 . .

550 . .

572. . .

573 . .

522 . .

548 . .

516 . . .

513 . . .

552 . .

551 . . .

501 . .

553 . .

554 . .

555 . .

512 . . .

524. . .

502 . .

517 . . .

556 . .

523 . .

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Aer-Flo (Bunt Zone Infield Protector) . . . 36 Aer-Flo (Wind Weighted tarps) . . . . . . . 41 Bannerman (Ballpark-47) . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Bannerman (Diamond Master) . . . . . . . 41 Beacon Athletics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 BetterBaseball . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 BPHL Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 BWP Bats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Country Stone (Infield Topdressing) . . . 42 Country Stone (Warning Track Mix) . . . 42 Diamond Pro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Disney’s Wide World of Sports . . . . 48 eFundraising.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Evergreen Synthetic Turf . . . . . . . . . 42 Game-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Game-On (Red) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Gatorade (Endurance Formula) . . . . . . . 48 Gatorade (Nutrition Shake) . . . . . . . . . 48 Glove Radar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Heying Company (Infield-Drag) . . . . . 43 Hoosier Bat Company . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Impact Innovative Products . . . . . . 34 Jaypro (Dry Line Field Markers) . . . . . . . 43 Jaypro (Little Slam Batting Cage) . . . . . . 43 Jump Stretch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Kodiak Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 M.A.S.A. Products (Batter’s Box Chalker) . . 44 M.A.S.A. Products (Cleat Cleaners) . . . . . 44 Markwort Sporting Goods . . . . . . . 34 Master Pitching Machine . . . . . . . . 37 New Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Old Hickory Bats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Partac/Beam Clay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 PIK Products (Grand Slam) . . . . . . . . . 36

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CIRCLE # COMPANY

533 . .

504 . .

574 . . .

503 . .

558 . .

557 . .

560 . .

559. . .

525 . .

562 . .

561 . . .

506 . .

505 . .

507 . .

508 . .

563 . .

564 . .

526 . .

527 . .

528 . .

529 . .

531. . .

530 . .

532 . .

535 . .

534 . .

566 . .

565 . .

568 . .

509 . .

510 . . .

511 . . .

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PIK Products (Swift Stik) . . . . . . . . . . .

Power Systems (Baseball Power Program) . .

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

Power Systems (Power Throw Balls) . . .

Pro’s Choice (Pro Mound®) . . . . . . . .

Pro’s Choice (Soilmaster Select) . . . . . .

Promats (digital graphics) . . . . . . . . . .

Promats (pads) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Quickswing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Red Diamond (CC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Red Diamond (RBI) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Russell Athletic (Dugout Jacket) . . . . .

Russell Athletic (“Wave”) . . . . . . . . . .

Schutt Sports (Burst Chest Protectors) .

Schutt Sports (Gloves) . . . . . . . . . . . .

Seating Services, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . .

SPI Nets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sports Attack (Hack Attack) . . . . . . . .

Sports Attack (Junior Hack Attack) . . . .

Sports Products (Personal Pitcher). . . .

Sports Products (RadarWatch) . . . . . .

Sports Tutor (Batting Tutor) . . . . . . . . .

Sports Tutor (HomePlate) . . . . . . . . . .

Stalker Radar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Swing Speed Radar . . . . . . . . . . . . .

SwingBuster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Turfco (Edge-R-Rite) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Turfco (Mete-R-Matic XL) . . . . . . . . . . .

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

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

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

Zensah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Zingbat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

39 32 48 32 45 45 45 45 37 46 46 33 33 33 33 46 46 37 37 38 38 38 38 38 39 39 47 47 47 34 34 34 39

Baseball Facilities Aer-Flo, Inc. 800-823-7356 WWW.AERFLO.COM Wind Weighted™ baseball-softball tarps are virtually windproof. These patent-pending covers for the mound, home base, and bullpens have a steel chain in their edge hem, so they stay down in windy conditions. No stakes or sandbags are necessary. The installer device allows installation in 25 seconds by only two people. The tough, waterproof 14-ounce vinyl-polyester fabric is treated against UV and mildew exposure. Wind Weighted tarps and installers take the drudgery out of the game.

Circle No. 540 Bannerman Ltd. 800-665-2696 WWW.SPORTSTURFMAGIC.COM When your players’ safety comes first, look to Bannerman Ltd., manufacturers of groomers that are used to shape,

level, and care for baseball diamonds.

The B-BP-4 Ballpark-47 (shown) and the B-BP-6 Ballpark-67 models have five tools: a ripper blade, a rake, a leveler, a roller, and a brush.

Available accessories include a wing brush kit, a top link kit, a 50-gallon water tank kit with spray nozzle, and the new highway transport kit.

Circle No. 541 Restore your diamond’s luster in 20 minutes or less. Bannerman Ltd. manufactures groomers that can level and care for baseball diamonds, warning tracks, and walking trails. The B-DM-6 Diamond MasterŽ has five grooming tools: a ripper blade, a rake, a leveler, a roller, and a finishing brush. Available options include an extension wing brush kit, a

hydraulic tractor top link, a 50-gallon water tank with spray nozzle, a longtine “fluffing� rake, and a new highway transport kit.

Circle No. 542 Beacon Athletics 800-747-5985 WWW.BEACONATHLETICS.COM Beacon Batting Cages are made from the same heavy, galvanized-steel pipe used to build backstops. Off-set units dropped into posts, and pre-sized steel cables support Beacon’s own cage nets, which are made with extraheavy end panels and lead rope-bottom hems. Single or multiple units are available in both standard and custom sizes. Add the unique multi-station sock net option for tee and soft toss work.

Circle No. 543

3TADIUM #HAIRS "LOW -OLDED OR )NJECTION -OLDED 0(/.% &!8 WWW SEATINGSERVICES COM

Quality Stadium Chair Manufacturer Circle No. 130

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Baseball Facilities BetterBaseball 800-997-4233 WWW.BETTERBASEBALL.COM BetterBaseball is a total baseball supply house, specializing in nets and batting cages that are custom-cut to any size you want.

The company provides quick, friendly customer service.

BetterBaseball supplies everything, including bases, plates, mounds, gear, and hardware, and it can all be found at BetterBaseball.com or by calling the company.

Circle No. 544 Country Stone, Inc. 260-837-9049 Redfield Infield Topdressing incorporates well with calcined clays, and addresses moisture control by allowing excessive water to quickly drain while maintaining sufficient moisture at the playing surface. This combination alleviates infield compaction issues and

aids teams in achieving true ball play and easy maintenance.

To apply, add evenly to the infield and use either a tooth drag or mat drag to mix into the existing infield soil. Redfield Infield Topdressing is currently available in bulk and in 50-pound bags for nationwide delivery from several distribution points.

Circle No. 545 Pro teams use Redfield Warning Track Mix from Country Stone for its superior performance in stability, drainage, and aesthetic appeal. Many teams incorporate the warning track mix into other areas such as backstops, on-deck circles, and in front of dugouts.

To apply, ensure the base is properly sloped for drainage, then add one and one-half to two inches of Redfield. The warning track mix is

currently available in bulk for delivery nationwide from several distribution points.

Circle No. 546 Evergreen Synthetic Turf, LLC 800-798-1056 WWW.TURFMILL.COM Evergreen Synthetic Turf introduces three new CMC tufting machines.

With their efficient double-stack creel racks and striation eliminator technology, these state-ofthe-art machines produce high-quality products unmatched in the industry. Evergreen applies its 30 years of manufacturing experience to help certified general contractors and turf builders keep their focus on athletic construction sites, making sure sports fields at every level receive the attention they deserve from start to finish.

Circle No. 547

The Ultimate Pitcher·s and Catcher·s Plate

TM

LOCATION – DOMINATION • Purchased & used by 2005 Division I Baseball National Champions • Purchased & used by 2005 Division I Softball National Champions MAKE BULLPEN SESSIONS MORE • Used by 4 of the top 5 teams PRODUCTIVE!! in the Final 2005 Div. I Baseball National Rankings www.pitchersplate.com • Used in 2005 Professional BPHL Sports, LLC Spring Training 1-888-865-1736 The Pitcher·s Plates are a must for developing pitchers. We use them everyday in our bull pen sessions. The Plates give the pitchers an exact spot to focus on and the catchers an exact area where to set up. These plates are portable, great for using in our “short box” drills and when we travel.

Jamey Shouppe, Associate Head Baseball Coach, Recruiting Coordinator & Pitching Coach, Florida State University Our team was among the Àrst collegiate programs to use the Pitcher·s Plate. Its impact was seen immediately. In my 20 years as a college coach, never have I had a better instructional tool for pitchers and catchers. The Pitcher·s Plate gives pitchers a clear idea of where (and where not) to pitch. Catchers can easily develop good habits in regards to setting-up for pitches by using this marvelous instructional tool. We use it daily, and I recommend it to everyone.

Scott Whitlock, Head Softball Coach, Kennesaw State University Circle No. 132

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Circle No. 133

Baseball Facilities Heying Co. 712-756-8847 WWW.INFIELD-DRAG.COM Restore and maintain infields easily with the PR72 Pro Groomer™. This groomer keeps your granular infields level, wellgroomed, and in safe-playing condition. It saves labor by mixing in new material, breaking up hard-compacted surfaces, and removing weeds. The groomer works with a variety of towing machines, with no need for hydraulics, a three-point hitch, or tools to adjust. The PR72 Pro Groomer is six feet wide and available in a manual or electric lift. More information is available online.

Circle No. 548

is constructed of two-inch heavy-wall aluminum, making it easy to fold and to collapse to just five feet high. To reduce rebound and frame damage, the batting cage includes a weathertreated nylon net and ricochet cushion.

The Little Slam transports easily on three pneumatic turf wheels. Visit Jaypro’s Web site for more information.

Circle No. 551

Jaypro’s Dry Line Field Markers provide crews precision control needed for twoinch or four-inch lines. The field markers include 11-gauge steel containers, handle-mounted control levers for instant on/off capability, half-inch steel axle bushings and drive shafts, oversized foam-rubber hand grips, and an 18-month warranty. Available in a 25-, 50-, and 65-pound capacity. The heavy-duty models are available in 50and 100-pound capacity.

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Game-On 888-593-0395 WWW.HAYDITESOILCONDITIONERS.COM WWW.HAYDITEGAME-ON.COM Game-On is a new sports field soil conditioner that will not break any team’s budget, but it will provide excellent results.

It’s a lightweight, expanded-shale product that absorbs over 20 percent of its weight in water. Game-On is more durable than clay and does not break down into fine particles. Game-On is manufactured in Cleveland, Ohio, and is available in bags or in bulk.

Circle No. 549 Game-On Red, the newest product by Game-On, is an infield topdressing with a brick-red color that gives your field a finishing touch for that Major League look. This topdressing gives balls a more consistent bounce, and the deep red color allows infielders to see the ball more easily. Game-On Red is available in bags or in bulk.

Circle No. 550 Jaypro Sports, LLC 800-243-0533 WWW.JAYPRO.COM Jaypro’s Little Slam Batting Cage offers heavy-duty construction with a full line of features. Designed for collegiate and high school use, it measures 17’6”W x 12’D x12’H. The batting cage Circle No. 134 COACHING MANAGEMENT

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Baseball Facilities Kodiak Sports 303-632-9334 WWW.KODIAKSPORTS.COM Kodiak Sports, LLC, provides high-quality, foam-padded sports turf for use at indoor baseball, soccer, lacrosse, and multipurpose training facilities.

Its foam-backed turfs are manufactured according to the highest quality standards in the industry, providing teams with a great look and superior quality.

Kodiak Sports also provides nationwide installation services for its line of synthetic turf products.

Circle No. 553 M.A.S.A., Inc. 800-264-4519 WWW.MASA.COM The E-Z Batter’s Box Chalker from M.A.S.A., Inc., allows crews to mark a regulation batter’s box in less than a minute. Fill the trough with chalk, line up

with home plate, bump the ground, turn around, repeat the process, and they’re finished. The E-Z Batter’s Box Chalker features durable, lightweight aluminum construction that will last for years.

Available for regulation baseball and combination softball/youth baseball sizes. Call M.A.S.A., Inc., for a free 96-page catalog today.

Circle No. 554 Finally, a solution to cleaning all athletic shoes with cleats. Cleat Cleaners from M.A.S.A. quickly remove mud and dirt, improve footing and mobility, reduce injuries, and promote cleaner dressing rooms.

Whether players are pitching, fielding, or running the base paths, clean, lightweight cleats give athletes the

firm secure footing they need for quick starts and stops, particularly when playing on a muddy field.

Circle No. 555 Partac®/Beam Clay® 800-247-BEAM WWW.BEAMCLAY.COM Partac®/Beam Clay® is a supplier to every Major League Baseball team and over 150 Minor League teams, more than 700 colleges, and thousands of towns and schools from all 50 states and from countries around the world.

Partac/Beam Clay makes special mixes for infields, pitcher’s mounds, home plate areas, red warning tracks, infield conditioners, and drying agents. The company also offers over 200 other infield products, including regional infield mixes blended for every state and climate from bulk plants nationwide.

Circle No. 556

Infield “Pro Groomer”

TM

www.Infield-Drag.com Keep fields level, well-groomed and in safe playing condition with the PRO GROOMER. Use on Infields, warning tracks, granular running tracks, etc. Cut off high areas, keep material mixed, fill in low areas, and break up hard-compacted surfaces all with one machine! Also use to spread new material. Saves labor, reduces water puddling, weeds, etc.

Steel welded construction.

6 ft. wide.

PR72 “Pro Groomer”TM

Electric or manual lift.

Available with manual or electric lift. Easily adjusts to different towing machines. Very functional with great features including “No tools needed to adjust”. Drag Mat attachment option also available.

Complete info. available on our web site.

Also check out our ALL STAR CHISEL-DRAG. Breaks up hardcompacted surfaces and has numerous optional attachments available. It’s the only functional option on the market for ineffective nail and bolt tooth drags.

PR72-E,25,b Complete Info. at: www.Infield-Drag.com Heying Co. 515 6th Ave. Alton, Iowa 51003 Ph. (712) 756-8847

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Circle No. 136

Baseball Facilities Pro’s Choice 800-648-1166 WWW.PROSCHOICE1.COM For premium performance and a color that will set your field apart, choose the Soilmaster Select Series from Pro’s Choice. It’s scientifically engineered to meet daily maintenance challenges, giving your field a professional look.

Soilmaster Select is available in four distinct colors—red, green, brown, and charcoal—and its uniform granules manage moisture to alleviate compaction, keeping your field in top playing condition. Pro’s Choice delivers a full line of field products for conditioning soil and infields to help topdress infields, quickly dry puddles, and revitalize turf.

Circle No. 557 Pro Mound® packing clay from Pro’s Choice® is the choice of professional teams, universities, municipalities, and youth leagues worldwide. When used on the mound and in the batter’s box area, the clay forms a solid subsurface foundation that allows the pitcher and batter to dig in and establish firm footing without creating large wear holes. Pro Mound installs quickly, and more importantly, it lasts. Experience safer playing conditions and reduced mound and batter’s box maintenance by choosing Pro Mound. For more information, call Pro’s Choice.

Circle No. 558 Promats® 800-678-6287 WWW.PROMATS.COM New Promats pads utilize SKYDEX cushioning technology—the same super-high impact material used by Nike, Burton, and Airwalk—to create the best footwear on the planet. SKYDEX materials are engineered using highly durable thermo-plastic polymers molded into spring-like shapes.

No foams, gels, pressurized air, or encapsulated air bags are used to create

SKYDEX cushioning. This is the highest level of player protection of any field wall padding on the market today.

Circle No. 559 Promats, the most innovative name in the wall padding industry, is proud to present its new line of photo-quality digital graphics.

Schools can show their team spirit with clarity like never before with photo-quality logos up to 40

feet wide. And, with a cost significantly lower than traditional graphics, Promats can provide breathtaking logos to suit any budget. Contact Promats about its new Digital Graphics CD-ROM to view more examples of its work.

Circle No. 560

Check out

www.AthleticBid.com to contact these companies.

Better Baseball

TM

Your Complete Baseball Supply Headquarters We specialize in secure online sales of sporting goods and sports equipment for individuals, teams, and schools.

• Netting • Baseballs • Bags • Bats • Gloves • Field Equip.

• Mounds • Softballs • Bases & Plates • Batting Cages • Pitching Machines • Training Aids/Books/Videos

Quick service and quality products are our trademark.

We have been in business since 1993. We have 10,000 customers, and we would be honored to add you to our list! We ship by UPS and get most orders out in 24 hours, so come join our team, and help us play BetterBaseball!

1-800-997-4233 www.betterbaseball.com Circle No. 137 COACHING MANAGEMENT

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Baseball Facilities Red Diamond by Moltan Company 800-264-5826 WWW.MOLTAN.COM Red Diamond RBI Conditioner® and Drying Agent® are manufactured to meet the needs of professional groundskeepers, college and high school coaches, and parks and recreation sports turf managers.

The Quantum Turf Technologies’® manufacturing process creates 100-percent natural earth with dark red professionally-sized conditioners. Red Diamond RBI Conditioners provide unrivaled surface coloration, promote safety, and improve the moisture management of any infield-skinned surface or mound and home plate areas.

Circle No. 561

infield-skinned surface. The Quantum Turf Technologies’® manufacturing process transforms a unique blend of 100 percent natural clays into premier professionally sized calcined clay conditioners. These conditioners are used throughout the sports turf industry for the daily maintenance of infield-skinned surfaces, but may also be used in any new construction or major renovation project, as well.

Circle No. 562 Seating Services 800-552-9470 WWW.SEATINGSERVICES.COM

For every level of baseball and softball fields, from youth to the professional leagues, Red Diamond CC Conditioner® and Drying Agent® provide a safe, professional, and playable

Seating Services, manufacturer of quality stadium chairs, introduces the Cardinal Model Series 3500 gravity tip-up chair for use in settings with narrow row spacing—as narrow as 27

inches. Because they have no springs or pins, the chairs are less expensive to manufacture, install, and maintain. They are designed for installation on concrete or steel/aluminum grandstands. Seat widths can range from 18-22 inches.

Many available colors and options make these an excellent way to seat more fans in a limited space.

Circle No. 563 SPI Nets, Inc. 866-243-6387 WWW.SPINETS.NET SPI Nets is a full-service net building facility. The company carries a complete line of quality practice nets for baseball and softball training, all of which are produced in the U.S. The company makes quality nylon batting cage nets, protective practice screens, impact netting, and barrier netting, all fully customizable. SPI Nets also offers full-service installation and accessories to complement your practice nets.

Circle No. 564

Who is tackling your turf ?

1) Sub-base 2) Turf Manufacturing 3) Turf Installation

There are experts in every aspect of synthetic turf construction.

Evergreen has thirty years worth of manufacturing expertise to help speciÀcally design turf to your sub-base and sport. General contractors choose Evergreen so they can put more focus on your job site, and not have to worry if the turf is built to last. When you choose Evergreen you will get fact based answers to all your questions and put the focus back where it belongs.

• Georgia based manufacturer founded in 1976 • Exclusive certiÀed contractors and installers • UV and deterioration based warranties

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Circle No. 139

Baseball Facilities Turfco Manufacturing 800-679-8201 WWW.TURFCO.COM The Turfco® Mete-R-Matic® XL towtype topdresser offers increased hopper capacity to cover larger turf areas on sports fields. It combines Turfco’s patented Mete-R-Matic chevron belt design and ground drive system to ensure even distribution of topdressing materials, regardless of moisture content or vehicle speed. As a result, the MeteR-Matic XL is the easiest to use, most consistent large-area topdressing available. With a hopper capacity of 2.25 cubic yards (1.72 cubic meters), it can carry a load of up to 6,000 pounds.

Circle No. 565 Unlike traditional rotary edgers, the Turfco Edge-R-Rite’s unique oscillating blade cuts turf without throwing debris, making it cleaner and safer to use in high-traffic areas. It eliminates spade or shovel edging and leaves a professional-

looking edge. The right-angle blade edges baseball diamonds, golf course bunkers, and flower beds. Additional blades can be added to edge sidewalks, curbs, and driveways, and to make cuts for drainage or other sorts of edging. Depth control can be easily adjusted up to four inches. The EdgeR-Rite is built with a solid-steel frame and a traction-assist drive.

Circle No. 566 TXI/Diamond Pro 800-228-2987 WWW.DIAMONDPRO.COM Diamond Pro offers a complete line of professional groundskeeping products: infield conditioners, calcined clay, mound and home plate clay, bricks, marking dust, and infield and warning track mixes.

The company offers fast and convenient delivery. Diamond Pro’s vitrified red clay infield conditioner is available in

bulk nationwide, and is easy to handle and to apply. Truckloads are available in 10-, 15-, and 24-ton loads that save you both time and money. Create an all-around safe and professional infield playing surface for your team.

Circle No. 567 Vantage Products Intn’l 800-244-4457 WWW.VPISPORTS.COM VPI now offers the Big Bubba Professional Portable Batting Cage. The Big Bubba is the premium choice for high school, collegiate, and professional baseball programs—at considerable cost savings.

The heavy-duty aluminum construction, easy portability, and collapsible design make it the perfect backstop for any level. It is 18’W x 22’D x 12’H and collapses to only five feet high. Its unique dolly assembly at the rear and 16-inch pneumatic wheels make relocation simple.

Circle No. 568

Do you have ENOUGH BANDS for your team?

WVU does! Shown here is just one of three rubber-band rooms at West Virginia University.

For information on setting up a band room in your facility, call us at 1-800-344-3539.

Stay ahead of your competition with Flex Bands...the best-kept secret in pro sports! Used by the Giants, Jaguars, Raiders, Ravens, Angels, Padres, Red Sox, and many more, Flex Bands have been improving athletic performance since 1980!

Jump Stretch, Inc. 1230 N. Meridian Rd. Youngstown, OH 44509 www.jumpstretch.com 1-800-344-3539 Fax: 1-330-793-8719 Circle No. 140 COACHING MANAGEMENT JumpStretchAdForTC1505v3.indd 1

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Testimonial

Wind-Proof Tarps Pass Storm Test Wind Weighted® Baseball Tarps by AerFlo, Inc., have steel chains built into their outer edge, preventing wind from getting underneath and eliminating the need for stakes or sandbags.

In 2004, Hurricane Ivan blew through Georgia as a tropical storm, hitting the Atlanta area with winds up to 65 miles per hour. Paul Pierce, Head Baseball Coach at Collins Hill High School in the Atlanta suburb of Suwanee, GA, tells this story:

“Looking at our baseball facility the morning after the storm was a shock.

Our field was a mess. All our signs were blown away. Parts of the outfield fence were bent over, and the windscreen was torn completely off all of the fences. A big pile of metal debris behind the field blew away, and we never saw it again. Then I noticed that our new Wind Weighted Baseball Tarp was still on the mound. Though hard to believe, it hadn’t moved an inch during the storm. Looking under it, we found that the covered part of the mound was basically untouched by the wind and rain. Needless to say, we’re very satisfied with our Wind Weighted rain covers. They work just like the ads say they do.”

More Products Disney’s Wide World of Sports® 407-938-3802 WWW.DISNEYWORLDSPORTS.COM Prepare your team for the 2006 Baseball Season by visiting Disney’s Wide World of Sports® Complex in Florida. Disney’s Baseball Spring Warm-Up provides athletes with a start that will set them apart from the competition.

Programs include onfield practice time, use of weight room, games with officials, hotel and theme park packages for all team members, and more. For additional information, visit Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex online, or call to speak with a member of the baseball team.

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

Gatorade Nutrition Shake is a balanced nutritional supplement that’s ideal for use as a high-energy meal replacement, or a pre-event or between-meal snack.

Gatorade Nutrition Shake contains vitamin C, calcium, and iron, so it’s great for athletes who want to perform 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.

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eFundraising.com 866-825-2921 WWW.EFUNDRAISING.COM 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.

Circle No. 571 The Gatorade Co. 800-88 GATOR WWW.GATORADE.COM

Aer-Flo, Inc. 4455 18TH ST. EAST BRADENTON, FL 34203 800-823-7356 WWW.AERFLO.COM

nearly twice the sodium (200mg) and three times the potassium (90mg) of Gatorade Thirst Quencher to more fully replace what athletes lose in sweat when fluid and electrolyte losses become substantial.

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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 fiveelectrolyte blend containing

Catalog Showcase Power Systems, Inc. 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. The company prides itself in being the one resource for all of 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 has over 700 products and dozens of items available exclusively from Power Systems. You get premium products at great prices, fast delivery and superior customer service. Visit Power Systems online, or call toll-free for more information on all Power Systems’ products and programs, to request a catalog, or to place an order.

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THE FIRST ONE TO HIT THE SHOWERS WILL BE THE LAST ONE TO HIT .400.

The biggest success comes to those who have been working for it their whole lives. Athletes who know that are Russell Material. Just like the 500 NCAA® Division I teams we outfit.

Visit us at www.russellathletic.com.

©2005 Russell Athletic, a division of Russell Corporation.

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