Coaching Management 15.2

Coaching Management VOL. XV NO. 2

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Coaching Management Baseball Edition Preseason 2007

CONTENTS

Vol. XV, No. 2

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LOCKER ROOM

COVER STORY

Bulletin Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

One for the Team

North Dakota outlaws metal bats …

Keeping athletes’ online profiles in check … New high school rules this season … Utah player perseveres through disability … Out-of-control booster club … Tinted contact lenses hit the market

Q&A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Gene Schultz of Kee High School in Iowa discusses how he became high school baseball’s winningest coach.

On the cover: Jon Willard, a reserve outfielder for the University of South Carolina, celebrates with teammates after a timely pinch hit. Story begins on page 18.

Publisher Mark Goldberg Editor-in-Chief Eleanor Frankel Associate Editor Dennis Read Assistant Editors R.J. Anderson, Kenny Berkowitz, Nate Dougherty, Abigail Funk, Greg Scholand, Laura Ulrich Art Director Pamela Crawford Photo Research Tobi Sznajderman Business Manager Pennie Small Special Projects Dave Wohlhueter

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Whether they start or come off the bench, role players often hold the keys to a successful season. Developing roles starts with discussing and acknowledging their importance to the team.

LEADERSHIP

Practice Makes Perfect

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Getting players to focus will help your team get the most out of its practice time. Here’s how to make it happen.

STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

Core Values

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Marketing Director Sheryl Shaffer Marketing/Sales Assistant Danielle Catalano Circulation Director Dave Dubin Circulation Manager John Callaghan Production Director Don Andersen Assistant Production Director Jim Harper Production Assistant Jonni Campbell Prepress Manager Miles Worthington IT Manager Julian Cook Administrative Assistant Sharon Barbell

TEAM EQUIPMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 PRACTICE AIDS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 MORE PRODUCTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 ADVERTISER’S DIRECTORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Advertising Sales Associates Diedra Harkenrider, (607) 257-6970, ext. 24 Rob Schoffel, (607) 257-6970, ext. 21 Ad Materials Coordinator Mike Townsend Business and Editorial Offices 31 Dutch Mill Rd., Ithaca, NY 14850 (607) 257-6970, Fax (607) 257-7328 info@MomentumMedia.com Mailing lists for Coaching Management Baseball are provided by the Clell Wade Coaches Directory.

The Coaching Management Baseball edition is published in February, September, and December

by MAG, Inc. and is distributed free to college and high school coaches in the United States and Canada. Copyright © 2007 by MAG, Inc. All rights reserved. Text may not be reproduced in any manner, in whole or in part, without the permission of the publisher. Unsolicited materials will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Coaching Management is printed by Banta Publications Group, Kansas City, MO. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Coaching Management, P.O. Box 4806, Ithaca, N.Y. 14852.

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LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD The Crack is Back When the 2007 season begins this spring, high school coaches in North Dakota will hear a long-forgotten sound echoing across their baseball diamonds. “Crack” will replace the familiar “ping,” following a state law banning aluminum bats in high school baseball.

The law was spurred by the death of an 18-year-old American Legion pitcher from Montana who lost his life in 2003 after a ball hit with an aluminum bat struck him in the head. In response, North Dakota legislators made their state the first to outlaw aluminum bats at the high school level. And more states may follow suit.

In June, after taking an aluminum bat-propelled line drive

off his chest, a New Jersey Little League pitcher went into cardiac arrest, lost oxygen to his brain, and lapsed into a coma. The resulting brain damage left the 12-year-old blind and unable to speak.

The tragic incident prompted New Jersey lawmakers to craft a bill they hope to have on the governor’s desk by spring that would ban metal bats from all levels of youth baseball, including high school.

Some individual leagues across the country have outlawed metal bats on their own. This spring, several school districts in the Illinois High School Association will enter a pilot program to test wood bats at the interscholastic level. In 2003, the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association briefly banned non-wood bats during its 2003 state tournament, but later rescinded the rule.

Most calling for the change consider wood or wood composite bats a safer alternative because they allow pitchers and infielders more time to react to line drives, and reduce the force of impact when players are hit. A 2002 Brown University study found that balls came off aluminum bats at an average speed of 93.3 mph, compared to 86.1 mph for wood bats. It also found 37 percent of balls hit using metal bats exceeded 100 mph, compared to only two percent when using wood bats.

Dave Silbernagel, Head Coach at Steele-Dawson High School in Steele, N.D., acknowledges that a team’s hitting statistics may suffer after discarding the metal bats, and realizes that coaches may be forced to alter their strategies. “You don’t get as many flair hits using wood, and outfielders can also play a

little shallower,” says Silbernagel, adding that small ball may become more popular with the re-introduction of wood and wood composite bats.

“We play our share of small ball anyway, so it won’t drastically change my approach to coaching. But we may spend a little more practice time working on bunting, stealing, and hit-and-run plays.”

Silbernagel, whose team won the 2006 Class B North Dakota state championship, says hitters may have to work more on their batting mechanics and learn to utilize the smaller sweet spot on wood bats.

Pitchers, on the other hand, may discover a whole new weapon to get hitters out. “I guarantee pitchers will throw to the inside corner a lot more this season,” says Silbernagel.

“They won’t have to worry as much about getting hurt on the inside pitch against wood.”

The cost of acquiring and maintaining an arsenal of non-metal bats is a point of concern for some coaches.

Silbernagel was initially worried about the expense of restocking his bat rack, but after exploring his options, he’s on board with the change.

“Once you get past that first year, I don’t think the costs will be too high,” says Silbernagel, who spent about $1,000 on seven wood composite bats for 2007. “If they decided to allow only wood, I would have been worried about the amount of breakage and a smaller school’s ability to replace those bats. But because we can use composite bats, which are made of a heavier material and don’t break as easily, I don’t think it will be a problem.

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

JOHN M. STEINER

This season, North Dakota high schools will no longer be permitted to use metal bats. Dave Silbernagel, Head Coach at Steele-Dawson High School, says small ball may become more popular as a result. Above is Steele-Dawson’s Dan Schwab at the 2006 North Dakota State Class B Baseball Tournament.

To view past articles on the metal vs. wood bat discussion, go to: www.athleticsearch.com and type “bats” in the search window.

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LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD “I’ve talked to a lot of college coaches, and they say breakage with the type of bats we ordered is minimal,” Silbernagel adds. “But no matter what happens, we’ll adjust. If you have a good program with good kids, you can adjust to any changes that come your way.”

Thinking Inside the Box High school base coaches who stray too far down the first or third base lines during a pitch could consequently find themselves sitting on the bench. An NFHS rule change, one of 12 proposed by the Baseball Rules Committee and approved by the Board of Directors in July, will require coaches to remain in the coach’s boxes from the time a batter steps into the batter’s box until the pitch is delivered. The rule is intended to keep coaches from distracting pitchers or glancing at signals as they wander along the base lines.

The rule marks a change for coaches used to taking liberties around first and third base. “Coaches have always had free rein to walk around those areas, but we found it was being taken advantage of,” says Elliot Hopkins, NFHS Assistant Director and liaison to the Baseball Rules Committee. “I’ve even heard of some coaches moving around and attempting to distract the pitcher to initiate a balk, especially with a runner on third.”

To view the full NFHS press release on baseball rules changes, go to: www.nfhs. org and select “Baseball” from the “Sports” headline.

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

“There is going to be some wiggle room, but you can’t not make a call because the lines aren’t painted on,” says Hopkins. “It makes it harder for the umpires to do their job, but if they see a coach behind the left ear of a righthanded pitcher, they know he’s gone too far.”

which in the past led to escalating unsportsmanlike incidents.

“I think defensive players saw this type of conduct being allowed and started exploiting it,” Welter says. “Then the offense was encouraged to come back and spike the kid, and things would escalate.”

Other rule changes include: Allowing teams forced to drop down to eight players during a game the chance to return to nine within the same game. Hopkins says this will benefit smaller teams that lose a player for a few innings due to injury. After being treated and cleared to play, a player may re-enter the game at any time after he’s been taken

■

Another rule change cracks down on defensive players who initiate malicious contact with base runners. Any such contact—like hard swipes to the face—will result in a dead ball, ejection of the offending player, and the umpire ruling which base to award the runner.

out. Previously, teams that dropped to eight players were given an automatic out when the vacated position came up to bat.

■ If a pitcher brings his throwing hand to his mouth and then does not make a distinct effort to wipe it before pitching, the batter will be awarded a ball in the count. In the past, not wiping a hand was seen as a balk.

Coaches Face Facebook When North Central College baseball players held a team bonding event last summer that involved freshmen playing baseball in their underwear,

Hopkins says the rules have always defined penalties for runnerinitiated contact, but haven’t been so clear for contact initiated by the defense. “Under the old rule, if a runner was about to round third when the contact occured, he would have to stay on third,” Hopkins says. “We’ve seen instances where a kid maliciously contacts a runner, and the runner freezes. At times the defense has used this to its advantage.”

Dale Welter, Head Coach at Chaska (Minn.) High School, and a member of the American Baseball Coaches Association’s High School Rules Committee, says he’s seen defensive players purposely interfere with runners, knowing any contact would likely be called on the offensive player. He says he’s glad the rules have been tightened against defensive malicious contact,

The NFHS has tightened rules against defensive players who initiate malicious contact with base runners, any display of which will result in a dead ball, ejection of the guilty defender, and the umpire awarding a base of his ruling to the runner.

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The rule’s implementation could be difficult for teams whose fields have no white lines designating the coach’s boxes. Hopkins says it’s not possible to ask all teams— especially those with limited

resources or using community parks—to paint the lines, so it will still be up to umpires to use their judgment when enforcing the rule.

drinking, and sporting women’s lingerie, they thought it was harmless fun. No one was laughing, however, when photos of the event were posted online for everyone, including school administrators, to see.

After an internal investigation, 17 players and three coaches were suspended for the first three games of this season.

While North Central is the latest, it’s certainly not the first school to have athlete misconduct exposed on the World Wide Web. Most often, the vehicle for the institutional embarrassment is a socialnetworking site many of your athletes probably visit daily called Facebook.com. Facebook boasts nearly 10 million members (including more than seven million U.S. college students), who create profiles containing all kinds of personal information and photos for others to view. More than 2.3

million new images are posted on the site every day.

Nationwide, college athletic departments have dealt with the site in various ways. Kent State University, for instance, took a hard line last year after a female athlete was stalked through her Facebook page— the school told all athletes to delete their profiles and stay off Facebook entirely. But students complained, and with help from the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, administrators found an acceptable middle ground.

At the University of Michigan, the Facebook profiles of every student-athlete are checked once a semester for inappropriate content by department personnel. Shown here is Head Coach Rich Maloney with senior outfielder Brad Roblin.

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“Our policy now is that athletes can be on Facebook, as long as they set it up so that our coaches and counselors can view their profiles,” says Laing Kennedy, Athletic Director at Kent State. “Everyone seems to be comfortable with that. The athletes know we’re concerned about their safety

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LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD and the image they’re presenting of themselves and our programs. Someone on the coaching staff or an academic counselor keeps an eye on each team’s profiles and talks to the athletes if there are any problems.”

The University of Michigan takes monitoring a step further. Once a semester, athletic department personnel comb the Facebook profiles of all 800 Wolverine student-athletes looking for inappropriate comments and photos or anything that could put athletes at risk—cell phone numbers, detailed daily schedules, or other personal information.

And to keep such content from showing up in the first place, coaches talk to their teams about using common sense online.

“We discuss having respect for the university and how impor-

tant it is to represent yourself the right way at all times,” says Michigan Head Coach Rich Maloney. “Sometimes I’ll bring in articles about studentathletes from other schools getting into trouble because of something posted on the Internet. We discuss the mistakes they made and why it’s important for us to make smart decisions, and that helps drive home the message about responsibility to themselves and the program.”

Michigan also invited Purdue University Associate Dean of Students Pablo Malavenda to speak to its athletes and coaches about basic dos and don’ts when using social-networking sites. A self-styled Facebook expert, his advice boiled down to a simple concept: Remember that it’s called the World Wide Web. “Some students think it’s only

their friends reading their profiles, so they’re surprised and upset when they find out other people are keeping an eye on them,” Malavenda says. “I tell them that’s like taking all the information in your life, putting it on a bulletin board in the middle of campus, and then getting angry when people stop to read it.”

Many problems can be avoided, Malavenda says, simply by telling athletes to think before they post. “One thing I always say is to not post late at night or after a party, when you may not be thinking clearly,” he advises. “Wait until the next morning to decide if you want to post those thoughts or put those pictures on your profile. Would you be willing—or able—to explain those photos or things you wrote to a reporter, your coach, or your mother? That’s the real test.”

Overcoming the Odds It would be a nice, inspirational story if a high school baseball team made room for a player with a physical disability—let him sit in the dugout, join in practice, play an occasional inning, and boost team morale. But at Wayne High School in Bicknell, Utah, Porter Ellett’s on-field play is what inspires his teammates.

Despite having only one useable arm, the junior first baseman and pitcher is a starter, playoff MVP, and one of the team’s stars.

Ever since a farming accident when he was four years old, Ellett has had no feeling or movement in his right arm.

Born right-handed, as a youngster he taught himself to do everything lefty, including play baseball. A natural

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athlete, Ellett has always found creative ways to work around his handicap. “When Porter was in youth baseball he played catcher, and opposing coaches would routinely tell their runners to steal second thinking he’d never get the ball out of his mitt in time,� says Scott Ellett, Porter’s cousin and Head Coach at Wayne. “So he learned to flip the ball out of his mitt, toss off his glove, catch the ball barehanded, and make a very quick throw.

He’s gotten so good at it, he can now exchange the ball as fast as most players who use two hands. As our starting first baseman, he turns double plays with the best of them.�

Wayne High School junior Porter Ellett was born right-handed, but after a farming accident at the age of four caused loss of feeling in his right arm, he taught himself how to throw left-handed.

Ellett’s unique glove work served him well this past season, as did his strong left arm.

He pitched a four-hitter in the Utah 1A tournament semifi-

nal to help pave the way to a state title, and the Deseret Morning News named him MVP of the playoffs.

The elder Ellett says there’s nothing difficult about coaching Porter—he takes part in all the same drills as his teammates, and only on rare occasions does he require special instruction. “Since he bats one-handed, he used to have trouble catching up to fastballs,� Coach Ellett explains. “He held the bat with his hand underneath his chin, and after observing his mechanics, I told him to try starting the bat a little further back to eliminate wasted motion. He’s got a very quick bat now, and he generates a lot of speed and power using his hips.�

Coach Ellett recalls a game last season when an opponent learned just how much power a one-armed batter can have.

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LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD “The first time Porter came up to bat, the other coach yelled for his outfielders to move in closer,” he says. “Porter took a great swing and the ball carried all the way to the right field fence—an inside-thepark home run. The next time he came up to bat, the coach yelled to his outfielders again, but this time he was telling them to back up.”

His baseball prowess aside, Porter’s biggest contribution to the team may be intangible—the effect on teammates who see someone persevering and succeeding in the face of adversity. “He’s got a very positive attitude and a great work ethic, which rubs off on everybody around him,” Coach Ellett says. “He works very hard, but he has baseball in perspective because he’s overcome a lot tougher things in life. And during games, we never think of Porter as dis-

abled. Out on the field, he’s just like everybody else.”

Boosters Turn on H.S. Coach Ask Dan Caponi, Head Coach at Baldwin-Whitehall High School in Pittsburgh, for advice on working with booster clubs, and you will hear a long, frustration-filled story. When he gets to the end, the take-home message will be clear: Make sure your school covers all its bases when it comes to booster club oversight.

Caponi’s story began in September 2005, as he entered his 13th season with the team.

That summer, he had gifted the baseball booster club $3,500—earnings from the summer camps he hosted at the school—earmarked for field improvements. But when he requested those funds to buy

soil mix for the varsity baseball diamond at the booster club’s first fall meeting, he was turned down by a 7-6 vote.

At the next meeting, a discussion over whether to buy the team hooded sweatshirts or jackets turned contentious, with Caponi, the club president, its treasurer, and about half the members eventually storming out. The remaining members immediately voted in a new president and vice president.

The ugliness escalated in the days that followed, culminating in a $25,000 lawsuit filed by the club’s new leadership. They claimed the former treasurer and Caponi’s wife sabotaged the remaining boosters by calling a local bank that housed the booster club’s account to cast doubt on the new leadership’s financial standing. In response, the bank froze the

booster club’s account, leaving nearly $8,000 in limbo.

The lawsuit was thrown out of a local court, but the plaintiffs have since appealed to the state Supreme Court and are awaiting a response.

Caponi believes all the bad blood can be traced back to recent personnel decisions he made affecting several club members’ sons. “I think it came down to three or four members who don’t like me on a personal level and wanted to make life difficult for me,” he says.

With the relationship between Caponi and the new club leadership all but severed, the athletic department had a hard time cleaning up the mess because there wasn’t a formal policy addressing the booster club’s chain of command.

When questions arose as to who had final say over the

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LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD money—the head coach or the boosters—then-Athletic Director Lou Angelo told boosters their job was to support the coach, but he could not point to policy stating that.

Baldwin-Whitehall High School Head Coach Dan Caponi had a run-in with the high school’s booster club last year that has resulted in the termination of the club, a $25,000 lawsuit filed by former club leadership, and almost $8,000 of funds left frozen in the booster club’s bank account. Shown at bat is Baldwin-Whitehall senior Dave McCarthy.

Eighteen months later, although the booster club has been dissolved, Caponi is still dealing with fallout from the failed relationship, especially since the court appeal remains outstanding. “I’ve never had a problem with boosters before this,” says Caponi. “Usually the president of the club would call me up after the elections and ask me for a list of what I wanted. This time the boosters were telling me how they wanted to spend the money. I feel that no matter what I had asked for, they would have said no.”

How might Caponi have avoided the booster trouble? Dave Hunter, recently

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retired Athletic Director at Brookwood High School in Snellville, Ga., says bylaws that clearly define a booster club’s pecking order are key to avoiding problems. “You want to keep the bylaws simple, but there has to be a structure in place that recognizes the coach as the club’s authority figure,” says Hunter, who lends his services to high schools nationwide through Hunter Athletic Consulting.

“The club members should start by answering to a president or treasurer. But the coach should have final say in how money is spent.”

Eyeing an Edge If you see players with ambertinted eyes this season, don’t be alarmed. But you may want to ask those players if the contact lenses they’re wearing are helping their game.

Last year Nike introduced MaxSight contact lenses, which feature an amber tint that’s supposed to make a baseball’s seams “pop,” especially on sunny days. The daily-use lenses are available with or without a prescription for about $20 per pair.

MaxSight lenses after FDA approval last summer, but the technology isn’t exactly new. Ten years ago, Pacific University Professor of Optometry Dr. Alan Reichow approached Pacific’s Head Coach, Greg Bradley, about having his team experiment with Reichow’s new tinted invention.

Bradley tested the lenses himself first, and as soon as he put a pair in, he gave Reichow the go-ahead and encouraged his players to try them. Pacific players became the unofficial

we tried, right?’ It’s neat to have been a part of it since early on.”

There are some who question whether the lenses create an unfair advantage, but Bradley and Catania don’t think they fall under the category of performance enhancement. Neither does the NCAA or NFHS, as both governing bodies consider the lenses similar to sunglasses. “My stance is that they’re available and our athletes should have the chance to try them,” Bradley says. “I’ve had guys who absolutely love

If disagreements do arise, Hunter says the bylaws need to include a chain of command for airing grievances. “If there’s a problem between the coach and the club, the athletic director should step in and solve it,” he says. “And if that doesn’t work, the bylaws need to dictate that the principal has the final say in any booster club matter.”

JAIME VALDEZ

When a booster club is drawing up bylaws, Hunter says the coach must take an active role in the process. “Most clubs have an executive committee that consists of the president, the coach, and one or two other people,” he says. “The coach has to be part of that executive committee in order to keep a finger on the pulse of the club.”

Hunter says a policy also needs to give the athletic director latitude for disciplining boosters who misbehave.

“Is there an iron-clad rule for what deserves a suspension? No,” says Hunter. “But if a booster is causing problems and hurting the program, the athletic director has to be able to say, ‘enough is enough’ and suspend that person from the club. If all else fails, there needs to be a protocol for disbanding a booster club that proves to be harming the program it’s supposed to support.”

Pacific University’s Kyle Shimizu wears Nike’s MaxSight contact lenses. The amber-tinted lenses are supposed to make the red seams of a baseball “pop,” especially on sunny days. Pacific University players were the first to test the lenses 10 years ago.

Matt Catania, a shortstop at Dickinson College, wore the lenses last season and was quickly sold on them. “I could pick up spin on the ball a little bit better and it was easier to recognize off-speed pitches,” he says. “They’re just like a great pair of sunglasses, only more convenient.”

Nike partnered with Bausch & Lomb to manufacture

guinea pigs for the lenses, trying different tints at different times of the day, in various weather conditions, and with or without prescriptions.

“We’ve had as many as 20 out of 28 of our players wearing the lenses at a time,” Bradley says. “Since they became available last year, I’ve had players come back and say, ‘Coach, those are the things

them, and I’ve had guys who just can’t get used to contacts and opt not to use them.”

Catania, who plans to wear the lenses again this season, shares Bradley’s view. “They aren’t like steroids or something you obtain illegally,” he says. “They’re legal, easily available, and it’s a player’s decision to wear them or not.”

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Q&A

Gene Schultz Kee High School, Lansing, Iowa

It may come as a surprise that Gene Schultz, who works at a school with a total enrollment of 165 students, has become the winningest head coach in high school baseball. In a five-decade career at Kee High School in Lansing, Iowa, Schultz has established a baseball legacy, compiling a career record of 1,484318, good for an .825 winning percentage.

He started coaching in 1969, when Iowa played three seasons of baseball each year, and is still going strong 37 years later.

Iowa high schools now play baseball in the summer, and under Schultz, Kee holds the state record for summer tournament appearances (15), summer tournament championships (9), victories in a season (53), shutouts in a season (22), and consecutive wins (59). If you add fall titles—Iowa discontinued spring baseball in 1981 and fall baseball in 1985—Schultz has collected 11 state championships at Kee.

CM: How has your approach changed over the last 37 years?

Schultz: When I first arrived, the players were already very enthusiastic because they had been through a good Little League program in New Albin. As soon as local kids were strong enough to hold

Schultz grew up in Winona, Minn., and played baseball and basketball at Winona State University. Graduating in 1969, he moved to Lansing, where he was hired to teach physical education and coach baseball and boys’ basketball, arriving one week before the start of the fall baseball season.

In June 2006, Schultz retired from fulltime teaching, though he continues to substitute and coach. In this interview, he talks about the challenges of coaching two very different sports, inventing a high-energy baseballsoftball hybrid called Strat-o-ball, and being the winningest coach in high school baseball.

a bat, they were practicing on a daily basis and playing year-round. With Iowa’s three-season schedule then, we could play between 60 and 80 games a year.

We only play in the summer now, but the challenges haven’t really changed a great

deal. We still concentrate on the little things, because if you succeed at those, the big things will come. We primarily work on the basics of having patience at the plate, being able to lay down a bunt, and playing solid defense.

You learn the most from playing, so we always have a full schedule. Our players get a lot of game experience that way.

We’re limited to 40 games in about five and a half weeks, and that’s how many we play, while most schools play between 20 and 30 games.

What are your biggest challenges today?

Baseball is a game where you can be great one day and lousy the next, so we work hard to take nothing for granted— you’ve got to battle every day. We’ve been lucky to have ballplayers who can do that, and that’s made us successful.

As a team, our challenge is to always stay in the game. We’re a 1A team in a conference where nine of the 11 schools are bigger than us. Mainly, we play 2A teams, but we can hold our own against 3A and 4A teams. Sometimes that creates mismatches, but baseball is a game where you don’t need a 6-foot-10 center or a 200-pound running back to succeed. If you throw strikes and play good defense, you have a chance to win every time.

In Iowa, the only state where high school baseball is a summer sport, Kee High School has won nine summer championships under Head Coach Gene Schultz. Above, Jordan Duffy pitches for Kee at the Iowa 1A state championship tournament.

How have you created a baseball dynasty at a school with under 200 students?

We play small ball, which is how I was brought up—get a guy in scoring position and drive him home. Other than that,

COACHING MANAGEMENT

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we try to stay out of trouble by avoiding mental and physical errors. In any sport, if you concentrate on defense and fundamentals, you’ll probably stay competitive.

Defense is the backbone of everything we do, and it’s one area a lot of schools don’t focus on enough. We don’t take a lot of

Your basketball team has compiled a 366-368 record. Why haven’t they been as successful?

In a lot of ways, I approach both teams the same way, working on fundamentals, consistency, and never taking anything for granted. We’ve had some good years in basketball, but our guys don’t play

“We play bocce, too. Whenever we go to a tournament, we take bocce balls along to play between games. Everybody gets a partner—usually the bus driver and I are a team—and we’ve spruced up the rules to make it more exciting. The kids love it.”

batting practice as a team because the kids usually do that on their own. Instead, we spend a lot of time on defensive strategies and finer points, like knowing how to fake a throw to get somebody out. Those things have really paid off for us.

a lot in the off-season because they’re playing baseball, and I think baseball is always in the back of their minds. We’ve had great basketball players, but we’ve run into some really tough competition, and I think a lot of it has to do with size.

What do your athletes learn by playing Strat-o-ball?

In college, I played fastpitch softball, and I always thought it put right-handed batters at a disadvantage because lefties could beat out a ground ball to the pitcher or to any of the infielders. I thought, “Why can’t right-handers do the same thing and run to third?” That is the premise of Strat-o-ball, which I invented right out of college.

In Strat-o-ball, when a batter hits the ball, he can run either to first or third. He can even start running to first, change his mind, and cut across the diamond to third.

You score one point by reaching home, but if you cross second base more than once, it doubles the points you score. If you’re on second, you can steal first, then steal second again, and if you reach home, you get two points. Or you can get to second, steal first, second, first, and second again—that quadruples your points. But it’s a risk because if you’re left on base when the inning ends, you get nothing.

It’s really a fun game, and we play it sometimes in practice. We also play it during a 100-inning game fundraiser we

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Q&A hold, just to keep people on their toes.

It’s another way for players to express themselves, and a fun way to teach baseball skills because it keeps everyone focused on the ball and the runners.

We play bocce, too. Whenever we go to a tournament, we take bocce balls along to play between games. Everybody gets a partner—usually the bus driver and I are a team—and we’ve spruced up the rules to make it more exciting. The kids love it.

What do they gain from playing bocce?

Camaraderie, competition, and teamwork. For me, it goes back to teaching phys. ed., where if you always play by the same rules, kids get bored. We want them involved, because if they’re just standing around, something is wrong.

What have you learned by coaching your own children?

Having kids was a real eye-opener for me as a phys. ed. teacher. All of a sudden, I started wondering, “Would I be doing this with my own children? Would I want my kids to be taught this way?” My wife and I had two girls and then two boys, one who’s a junior on my team right now

and one who’s playing at the University of Northern Iowa. It’s given me a completely different perspective. You get to hear some of what the players are saying to each other through your kids. Thankfully, my sons are good athletes, which makes it easy to give them playing time, but sometimes they can also be the hardest to coach, telling me, “You don’t know what you’re talking about!”

You’ve won more than 80 percent of the baseball games you’ve coached. What’s it like to be the winningest coach in high school baseball?

It’s a nice title, but a little hard to believe.

I give credit to the kids who’ve come through this program. For me, it’s like being the jockey on a very good horse. When I hit 1,200 wins, somebody said, “You have to go for 1,500.” And I said, “I don’t know if I can stay that long.” Now I’m getting close to 1,500, and it’ll be interesting to see if we end up reaching that. Wins don’t come too fast—we were lucky in those early years to have an extra 15 games in the fall and a bunch more in the spring.

One time I got a call from the secondwinningest coach, who’s from Lubbock, Texas, and he said, “How can you play

that many games in Iowa? Iowa has snow!”

Playing in three seasons was quite a luxury.

When did you know you wanted to be a coach?

My high school coach was my mentor, and I never thought about doing anything else. I still can’t believe people go into anything other than education. I’m trying to get our kids to go into teaching, telling them how they’ll have summers off and great opportunities to work with people. I don’t think I’ve convinced them yet.

Do you think about retiring?

When I came here, I thought I’d stay maybe five years, then move on. But I like it here. Sometimes, I can’t believe I’m still in the same place, because I’ve had invitations to move to the college or junior college levels, but I stayed here and I’m happy I did. We’ve had entire families go through this program, and by now I’ve coached my players’ kids. It’s not just a high school team, it’s a community team.

It’s the one thing everyone in this area has in common. I love baseball. As long as I can throw batting practice, hit flies to the outfield, and enjoy what I’m doing, I’m going to keep coaching.

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Jon Willard, a reserve outfielder for the University of South Carolina, celebrates with teammates after another timely pinch hit. Despite getting most of his opportunities while coming off the bench, Willard is one of USC’s most powerful hitters. His success can be traced to Head Coach Ray Tanner’s emphasis on developing role players.

COVER STORY

Whether they start or come off the bench, role players often hold the keys to a successful season. Developing roles starts with discussing and acknowledging their importance to the team.

ONE FOR THE TEAM

BY NATE DOUGHERTY TRAILING MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY BY THREE RUNS IN THE BOTTOM OF THE 11TH INNING IN A GAME LAST APRIL, University of South Carolina Head Coach Ray Tanner summoned junior reserve outfielder Jon Willard from the Gamecocks’ dugout. With two outs and two runners on base, Willard, the team’s top pinch hitter, blasted a deep home run, propelling his team to victory.

Despite logging only 10 starts and 51 plate appearances, Willard was one of the Gamecocks’ most powerful hitters in 2006, finishing third on the team in home runs with seven. Playing behind three talented starting outfielders, most of Willard’s production came as a pinch hitter, a role Tanner says Willard understood, embraced, and ultimately thrived at.

Whether it’s to provide a timely hit, late-inning defense, or a few strong innings at crunch time, having productive bench players like Willard often means the difference between winning

and losing. Giving non-starters more opportunities to contribute to team goals also goes a long way toward improving morale and cohesiveness. The challenge for coaches is identifying these players, then training them to stay sharp for those critical moments when the game is on the line.

Filling Roles For role players to be most effective, they must understand exactly what is expected of them. This starts with meetings and evaluations in the fall, when coaches decide who fills what roles on the team.

Rutgers University Assistant Coach Rick Freeman says his team identifies role players as those who excel in one area but need game experience to become more well-rounded. As a bullpen coach, Freeman uses pitchers who are still working to develop third and fourth pitches as specialty relievers who come in during short-relief situations to gain experience.

Nate Dougherty is an Assistant Editor at Coaching Management. He can be reached at: nd@MomentumMedia.com.

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The same evaluation is made of Rutgers’ position players. A young infielder with plenty of raw speed but who’s unsure of himself in the field will see time as a pinch runner, and a promising outfielder who has not yet adjusted to college pitching will come in as a defensive replacement.

“Often with young players, the game moves too fast for them, and they have to learn to adapt,” Freeman says. “You can see that their motors are always running but you need to slow down the game for them, and once they’re more comfortable they can take on bigger roles.”

Some coaches let the athletes themselves have a hand in assigning roles.

Each fall for the past 38 years, Mississippi State Head Coach Ron Polk has asked his players to rank everyone on the team—from starters to the last bench player—based on a stat sheet containing each player’s batting average, base-running times, and production rating, which tracks how hard the player hit the ball during fall games. Polk tallies the results and hands out copies during individual meetings in the fall.

After seeing exactly how their teammates evaluated them, each player talks about ways they can contribute to the team and what role they will be expected to fill. According to Polk, the peer rankings help players understand where they fit on the team, especially if roles will change. “We had a situation where two veterans ranked lower in the evaluation than two new guys who were coming in,” Polk says. “Their skills hadn’t decreased, but the newcomers passed them by.

Their roles became smaller than in the past, and seeing their ranking helped them accept that.”

Polk says problems can arise when a player enters the season believing he should start, but ends up stewing on the bench. By letting players know months in advance where they stand, they have time to accept and embrace their places on the team.

“Without these evaluations, every player would go into their off-season workouts thinking they’re going to start,” Polk says. “If a player knows where he stands after the fall, we can eliminate

most of those problems. And if he’s not a starter, he knows what it will take for him to earn more playing time.”

Buying In Trust between players and coaches is essential if players are to accept roles.

When players fully understand that coaches have the team’s best interests in mind, being told they’re not a starter is much easier to take. Bill Holowaty, Head Coach at Eastern Connecticut State University, starts building this trust during the first meeting held in the fall.

“After I give each player his assessment in their individual meeting, I ask him if he trusts me,” Holowaty says. “They all say yes. Then I ask them if they think I trust, respect, and like them, and the answers vary. I want them to know that trust is a two-way street, and that means they need to accept my decisions about what roles are best for them and the team. I make sure they understand the area they’re responsible for, whether they’re a primetime player, regular starter, or role player off the bench. I want to teach them how

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COVER STORY

B

ecause bench players who fill selfless, necessary roles don’t normally get the same accolades as starters, many coaches find special ways to acknowledge role players and keep them motivated. This can mean anything from creating an award for a role player’s contribution to taking the team’s focus away from personal stats and records.

“They will accept their role if you show them it is valuable and appreciated,” says Jeff Janssen, sports consultant and author of Championship Team Building. “For instance, awards can be given out to acknowledge those intangibles or someone who really helps generate team chemistry.”

At Sheehan High School in Wallingford, Conn., Head Coach Matt Altieri gives out a “Nails and Glue” award to the player who makes the underrated contributions that help hold his team together. The trophy is just as big as the one given to the team MVP. And the selfless contributions of his role players—a well-executed sacrifice bunt or a few innings of stellar defensive play—are the first things he acknowledges in postgame talks.

“The first thing I’ll do is point out a contribution one kid made that most of the players didn’t even notice,” Altieri says, “like the pinch hitter who came in and bunted two guys over. Maybe someone else came in and drove those runs home, but the runners never would have been in scoring position if it wasn’t for the pinch hitter.

“The kids who are doing really well have their own sense of reward,” Altieri adds. “They get their names in the paper and are recognized by fans. But you have to sit down with your role players after each practice and tell them they’re doing a great job.”

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COVER STORY

to do the little things well, like pinch hitters making contact and getting good at-bats. We’re not asking players to hit the ball out of the park, just to do the simple things. I tell them if they can do those, we’re going to do very well.

and author of Championship Team Building, suggests short, interactive exercises.

“One great idea is to have everyone sit down after practice early in the season and talk about a couple different players each day,” Janssen says. “Rather than the

“The best role players work hard in hopes of becoming every-day players, and keeping them in the proper mindset is the most important part. They need to think, ‘Okay, I’m not a starter, so the next best thing I can do is come off the bench and contribute. What can I do to make that happen?’”

“Framing it that way gives every player the confidence that they’re not just some nobody on the bench,” Holowaty continues. “Everyone in our program is treated the same way. But they need to know that if they don’t buy into our team concept, they’re not going to make it.”

Once roles are established, coaches should continue to reinforce their importance throughout the season. To accomplish that, Jeff Janssen, sports consultant

player himself standing up and saying what he means to the team, put it in the hands of his teammates and ask, ‘What do we need from John for our program to be successful?’ And everyone says three things the team needs from him.

If the person’s a starter, it may be more obvious, but if the player is a reserve or a role player, now you’ve got everyone acknowledging exactly what John needs to do to help the team.

“For a pinch runner, they may talk about coming in and being aggressive and smart on the base paths,” Janssen continues. “For a relief pitcher, they may talk about the mindset needed to come into a tough situation with guys on base and get us out of the inning. Teammates say, ‘Whatever your role is, we need that for our success.’”

Training To Start Just because a player is currently a pinch hitter or short reliever, that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t aspire to one day earn a starting position. Tanner says some of the best role players he’s ever coached viewed their limited playing time as a kind of audition.

“I tell my players they don’t have to just accept being backups,” Tanner says.

“The best role players work hard in hopes of becoming every-day players, and keeping them in the proper mindset is the most important part. They need to think, ‘Okay, I’m not a starter, so the next best thing I can do is come off the bench and contribute. What can I do to make that

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happen?’ Even if they haven’t had a lot of at-bats or innings pitched lately, they’ve got to be prepared for any situation.”

Holowaty also tells his role players to view every play as a chance to make an impression. For instance, last season, Eastern Connecticut’s starting third baseman went down with an injury early in the year. To replace him, Holowaty called up sophomore Will Moran, a defensive specialist from the j.v. team who the coaches originally ranked last in the program in overall talent. He’d been providing nearly flawless defense while on j.v., so after other replacements didn’t work out, Holowaty hoped he could at least play solid in the field. But Holowaty says Moran ended up providing much more—the spark the team needed to turn its season around and make a deep postseason run.

“This was a kid who I never thought would play varsity ball for us, but he came in and did a great job and ended up being our most improved player,” Holowaty says. “He was a competitor, a hard worker, and he accepted his role. He was responsible for turning 16 double plays in the postseason.”

role players. “Coaches have to first make a list of exactly what each player needs to work on to help the team,” he explains.

“Then find time before or after practice to work with them on those areas. This is also a good time to talk about the skills they need to improve if they want to start or see more playing time.”

Not using role players enough early in the season or only calling on them in a few specific situations can leave them ill prepared for when games matter more, Tanner says. He believes it’s best

to get bench players as much experience as possible early on in a variety of situations, even if it means less time for starters who are performing well.

“If we’re having a good game and winning by four or five runs, I’ll put in the guys who I know I’m going to need to call on later in the year,” he says. “I’ll even put them in when the situation doesn’t necessarily call for a change. If a starter is 2-for-4 and coming up for his fifth at-bat, I might sub in a pinch hitter who I know I’m going to have to count

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“I’ll even put them in when the situation doesn’t necessarily call for a change. If a starter is 2-for-4 and coming up for his fifth at-bat, I might sub in a pinch hitter who I know I’m going to have to count on later in the season. I’ll let my starters know beforehand that I’m doing it to help our role players get ready for when we really need them.”

Preparing role players like Moran to perform when called upon begins in practice. Coaches who neglect their bench players during practice are making a big mistake, says Janssen. “There are some coaches who still hold starters-only practices,” he says. “That sends a terrible message to reserves and role players that they’re not even worth your time.”

Instead, Janssen recommends coaches write out specific practice plans for their

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COVER STORY

on later in the season. I’ll let my starters know beforehand that I’m doing it to help our role players get ready for when we really need them.”

At Sheehan High School in Wallingford, Conn., Head Coach Matt Altieri makes sure bench players have an opportunity early in the year to face highpressure situations. The strategy served

reliever—a junk-ball pitcher—to come in and stop the bleeding. The reliever pitched three strong innings and picked up the win.

“There are times early in the season when I’ll throw our fourth starter or a reliever into a tough situation even if I’m not positive he’ll have success,” Altieri says. “You’ve got to have the guts to put

When a certain situation calls for a specialist, Tanner says you can’t simply look down the bench, point to a player, and expect him to be prepared right away. Instead, he tries to think a few innings ahead, letting players know when he might call upon their skills ... While contemplating upcoming moves, he starts a dialogue with the players he’s considering putting in the game. him well during the 2006 state semifinals, when his number-one pitcher fell apart in a game against the top-ranked team in the tournament. With his ace faltering, Altieri turned to his bullpen for a junior

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those guys in against a good team and tell them, ‘We’re going to depend on you later in the season, now go out there and just give it everything you have.’ If you don’t call on them until the league

championship game, they won’t be prepared to handle the pressure.”

When a certain situation calls for a specialist, Tanner says you can’t simply look down the bench, point to a player, and expect him to be prepared right away. Instead, he tries to think a few innings ahead, letting players know when he might call upon their skills.

“I try to keep them abreast of what I’m thinking throughout the game so there are no surprises,” Tanner says. “I’ve got some older guys on the bench who I’ve called on often enough that they understand and look for those situations themselves. I’ll see them starting to stretch or warm up before I even call on them.”

Tanner also keeps his role players ready by involving them in his coaching process. While contemplating upcoming moves, he starts a dialogue with the players he’s considering putting in the game.

“If I have two left-handed hitters due up fourth and fifth in an inning during a close game, and the other team has its bullpen cranking, I’ll start

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to talk with my pinch hitters about the possibilities,� Tanner says. “If they have a righty and a lefty going, I’ll tell my right-handed pinch hitter that I’m probably going to call on him if they go to the lefty for that four and five spot. I always try to give him a heads-up so he has time to prepare. “It’s the same with a pinch runner,�

Tanner adds. “At the start of an inning I’ll tell the pinch runner that if a certain batter reaches base, he’s going to run for him. I’ll say, ‘When you get on base, you’ve got the green light—steal on the second pitch.’ It should never be a cold call to your role players. You should try to anticipate when to use them as much as you can.�

Freeman says while playing time is the best way to forge role players’ skills and confidence, it’s not always possible to give them as much as they need. So at Rutgers, the team does the next best thing—re-creating game situations as closely as possible in practice. “While nothing can take the place of an actual game and there’s no substitute

for when your heart is racing and the fans are in the stands, we try to simulate as much as we can,� Freeman explains. “During our bullpen sessions, we’ll have them work on things like getting ahead with the first pitch in an at-bat, what they would do facing a righty or a lefty, set-ups, and put-aways. We script all of our bullpen sessions so they know what pitches they’re going to throw. We tell them to visualize the mental imagery of a given situation. That way, when they do face a situation where they need to throw a good 0-2 pitch, they can think, ‘I’ve practiced this so many times. I’ve been here before.’�

Working For Chemistry Looking back on his 39 years of coaching, Holowaty has been at the helm of some powerful and talent-filled rosters. But his teams that went the deepest weren’t the ones chock full of all-conference superstars—they were successful thanks to those players who were willing to fill the under-the-radar roles. That’s the atmosphere he tries to

create each year: a group of players who would just as soon lay down a perfect sacrifice bunt as hit a home run. “I’ve been around a long time and won four national championships,� Holowaty says. “Our best teams, talent-wise, never won the World Series, but some of our weaker teams did simply because all the kids accepted their roles.�

Tanner has a favorite saying with his players: “You play for the name on the front of the jersey, not the name on the back.� And while he knows it’s important for all players to put team success ahead of personal achievement, he’s found that his words don’t go nearly as far toward fostering team chemistry as the examples set by good role players. “That attitude permeates throughout the team, and when a player is a little too focused on himself or his accomplishments, he’s almost embarrassed when he looks around and sees how unselfish the other players are,�

Tanner says. “Our role players are the consummate team-first guys, and that’s infectious.â€? â–

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LEADERSHIP

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

DON R. WHIPPLE

E

very coach has his own way of doing things. You may like to focus on game strategy while others place more importance on team cohesiveness. Some coaches are strict disciplinarians, and others like to keep their players loose.

But one thing all coaches agree on is the importance of quality practice as a necessity for your team’s improvement.

Whether you do a lot of drill work or concentrate more on situational scrimmaging, every coach wants to get the most out of every minute of practice.

Getting players to focus will help your team get the most out of its practice time. Here’s how to make it happen.

BY BRIAN CAIN

In this article, I’ll share some ideas we use at North Country Union High School in Newport, Vt., as well as some techniques that have been very successful with collegiate teams, to improve the quality of practices. They are based on the latest trends in mental training and have proven effective for our team.

Clearing The Water Many players arrive at practice with what I call cloudy minds. They are thinking about schoolwork, their social lives, or the latest tunes they want to down-

load. But for the next two hours of practice you don’t want them thinking about the past or the future, just the present.

How can you help them find this focus in less than two minutes? We use a drill called “clearing the water,” which provides a mental image for quieting Brian Cain, CAA, is Athletic Director at North Country Union High School in Newport, Vt. He is also an Instructor in Sports Psychology at the University of Vermont and a consultant in sports and performance enhancement. He can be reached through his Web site at: www.briancainbaseball.com.

COACHING MANAGEMENT

27

LEADERSHIP

the mind. To start, we ask our athletes to shut their eyes and imagine their minds as a glass of water fresh from the tap, cloudy with air bubbles. Next, they are instructed to inhale deeply through their nose, drawing air into their bellies.

They then exhale slowly through the nose, imagining that with each exhale their minds become clearer and clearer, just like the glass of water does as the air bubbles disperse.

This process takes just a minute or two and pays large dividends in improving the quality of practice. It’s a short exercise that encourages both your players and yourself to focus on the here and now.

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Player Of The Day A tool we use to help increase motivation is the Jolly Rancher Player of the Day Award. After every practice and game, our coach stands in front of the team and announces who he feels deserves the award (along with giving the athlete a Jolly Rancher candy). At the end-of-the-year banquet the coach tallies the number of daily awards and gives out a Jolly Rancher Player of the Year Award (for this a whole bag of Jolly Ranchers is presented).

The criteria for winning the award can change daily, vary periodically, or remain consistent the entire season.

Criteria could include hustle, attitude, effort, leadership, responding to adversity, or performance. It often works well to vary the criteria based on what you want to emphasize that particular day or week.

We found that recognizing athletes’ efforts on a daily basis is extremely important. An athlete’s season and career are really a sum of their “todays.”

We emphasize that there is no factor more important in determining our success than the quality of practice every day.

Drill Purpose Cards Do you ever watch a drill and wonder why the athletes don’t seem to be giving their all, or why they are not particularly focused? It may be because they don’t understand the purpose of the drill.

When your players do not grasp the meaning of a drill, they are more apt to just go through the motions.

One way to address this problem is through “drill purpose cards.” If a prac-

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tice is not going well, we’ll stop, hand out index cards, and give our athletes a short written quiz that asks them to identify the purpose of the drills we are doing. Sometimes, we are very surprised at their answers, and we realize that we need to better communicate the whys of a drill before we explain the hows.

On Tape Many coaches show their teams videos of elite athletes to provide an example of how to do something “the right way.” We use videotape in another way: to boost athletes’ self confidence. We develop a personal highlight tape from practices or games that shows our own players having success. This then gives them positive images that boost their self esteem.

Many times when a player is in a slump or struggling with a certain area of their game, if you ask them to picture themselves performing well, they can’t get a clear image. But if they can look at a video of themselves performing well, they can more easily regain their earlier form.

For example, let’s say a pitcher is having a hard time locating his fastball over the inside part of the plate. Take video clips from when he was successful in making that pitch and play the clips over and over, at different speeds if possible.

You can also add cue words to the video such as “get inside” or “dominate the inside.” You can even add the athlete’s favorite music in the background so he hears and sees himself in a way that gets him feeling good and excited to play. By watching himself succeed in making the pitch, his confidence will improve and so will his chances of being able to make that pitch on a consistent basis.

Throw In Some Monkeys We do a lot of work to prepare our athletes for the intensity felt in game situations. We like to teach our athletes how to overcome adversity by “throwing in the monkeys.” We tell our athletes that there will be adversity and unfair calls in games no matter what, and we simulate dealing with these issues during practice. In essence, we let them fail so they can practice reacting to it. They can respond to an unfair call by pointing fingers and losing focus, or by coming together and succeeding in spite of the adversity.

LEADERSHIP

Another way we “throw in the monkeys” is to play soft or classical music during practices, which can make a person feel mellow, relaxed, or sleepy.

Our athletes say, “How can you expect us to focus during practice when you play

constantly set goals and work to reach them. Thus, a good way to encourage and monitor improvement is to measure and record their efforts during drills and exercises. An athlete’s best effort while running sprints is very subjective

If we sense a lapse in focus, we ask the athletes to give us 20 seconds of their undivided attention and become consciously focused on what the coach is saying. Afterward, we ask each player to notice how the energy level in the group changed from what it was 20 seconds earlier.

Beethoven?” We tell them, “The same way I expect you to focus when we are in extra innings and you are dog tired, when you come to bat for the first time in the game, or when all the fans are cheering for our opponent.”

Measurement Matters If you want your athletes to continually practice with high intensity, they must

and instructing them to run “all-out” provides zero context and minimal motivation.

On the other hand, trying to beat a personal-best record of 7.1 seconds for a 60-yard sprint is very objective and motivating. You can measure times of agility runs, velocity of a medicine ball thrown with a radar gun, or number of plays made successfully in a row.

You may be thinking: “How do I have the time to keep track of all that?” One solution is to have student managers and injured athletes measure and keep track of the data. Sometimes, these players and managers don’t feel like a part of the team, especially if they don’t have much responsibility during practice. But if you place emphasis on data collection and measurement, it gives them important and tangible reasons to show up every day and contribute as a member of the team.

Give Me Twenty Having a group of athletes who give their undivided attention at all times is a coach’s dream. But it doesn’t have to be just a dream. When we feel our athletes are not giving us their full attention, we use the “20-second drill.”

If we sense a lapse in focus, we ask the athletes to give us 20 seconds of their undivided attention. At the word “go,” the athletes “lock in” and become consciously focused on what the coach is saying.

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LEADERSHIP

PROCESS CARDS

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then you should place more emphasis on the process than the end result. If your athletes play well on a consistent basis, winning takes care of itself. You can’t control winning, you can only control how well you play the game. Winning is a byproduct of playing well.

34 12

9 10 78 56 4 3 12

Above is an example of a Process Performance Card for a pitcher. If a pitcher can grade himself highly on these questions, he is giving himself the best chance to pitch successfully.

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COACHING MANAGEMENT 1/29/07 3:37:32 PM

LEADERSHIP

A great way to emphasize the importance of the process is to give your athletes “Process Performance Cards” after a practice or competition. These cards get the athletes to think about how they played and what elements are within their control.

They also open the door for productive communication about performance between the coach and the athlete. If the athlete is being too hard or too easy on himself, it will show on the cards.

Afterward, we ask each player what he did to turn it around. We also ask them to notice how the energy level in the group changed from what it was 20 seconds earlier. We explain that this is what quality practice is all about: Catching yourself when you drift and returning your focus to the present.

A Cue From The Blue After the U.S. Navy Blue Angel pilots fly an exhibition and entertainment show, they hold a debriefing. Spending two or three times the length of the flight show, they critique everything from the way they marched toward the planes to the nuances of each aerial maneuver.

And when they debrief, it is not only pilots who share their input, but also Blue Angel staff members who sit in the crowd watching the show. The Blues are wide open to criticism and constructive feedback because they know it is the only way to improve.

Our coaches try to do the same thing after every practice here at North Country Union. They ask the players,

“What is one thing you learned today that can help you get better?” From that evaluation, they decide what to focus on in the next practice session.

A lot of coaches review their practices, but most don’t ask for input from their athletes. Including athletes in practice planning gives them more ownership of the program and lets them know their opinions matter. Athletes understand that the quality of their practices determines the quality of their game performances, and they often have good ideas on what can be improved. They also may have suggestions on how to make things more fun.

Mental skills training is a large piece of the puzzle necessary for a quality practice. And you don’t have to be an expert in the field to use its techniques.

Try some of the above ideas, and you’ll realize that just a little attention to the mental aspect of training can go a long way. ■ A version of this article appeared in our sister publication, Athletic Management.

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STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

CORE VALUES

S

Want to develop better fielders, pitchers, and batters all at the same time? A strength regimen focused on the core muscles can help you do that, and more.

SCOTT BRUHN PHOTOGRAPHY

BY DR. LARRY JUDGE

trength training has come a long way since the time when coaches used a small group of standard exercises and lifts that varied little whether the athlete was training for baseball, football, or wrestling.

Now, strength programs are specifically designed for each sport, often even for individual positions.

While specialized training provides great benefits to many athletes, any effort to enhance power can be severely hampered if general strength parameters, mobility, and posture are ignored.

To avoid this trap, the development

of a strong core should be a primary training goal for all sports. Poor mobility, left-right or upper-lower imbalances, overuse injuries, and a lack of general coordination can often be traced back to strength deficits in the mid-torso.

The objective of a core-training program is to enhance the function of the critical torso muscles in a way that spares the spine from damage. In this article, Larry Judge, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Physical Education at Ball State University. He has coached more than 100 NCAA Division I All-Americans, including eight Olympians.

He can be contacted through his Web site: www.CoachLarryJudge.com.

COACHING MANAGEMENT

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STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

I explain my multi-faceted approach to core training, which includes medicine ball work, body-weight circuits, controlled movements, weighted abdominal exercises, dumbbell circuits, Olympic lifts, and ballistic release work.

At The Core As its name implies, the core is at the center of almost every athletic movement. One of its main functions is to transfer force from one part of the body to another, which places great demands on the musculature of the core, especially when rapid accelerations are involved.

For example, when swinging a bat or throwing a ball, the trunk stabilizers are called on to transfer force symmetrically from the lower extremities to the upper extremities. In other cases, the force is transferred asymmetrically, like when taking off from a standing start to steal a base.

The core also plays a critical role in the maintenance of posture, which is one of the most important—yet most neglected—variables in athletic performance. A prerequisite to efficiency, high performance, stability, and elastic energy production in almost all sports, posture can be divided into two areas: postural stability and postural alignment.

Many of the movements athletes make, including the basic act of running, require postural stability. Movements based on applying force in one direction to generate reactive forces that create displacement must be applied from a stable base if they are to be efficient.

If the trunk does not provide adequate stability during these activities, kinetic

energy will be dispersed, leading to poor functional performance, wasted motion, and even increased potential for injury.

Aligning the core of the body, particularly the head and pelvis, is equally important. Improper alignment of the head can impair function of the shoulders and arms, hinder balance, and prevent relaxation. Pelvic misalignment reduces efficient function of the legs, prevents proper rotation, and undercuts elastic energy production.

As a result, the development of a strong mid-torso should be a primary training goal of all sports. Poor mobility, strength imbalances, overuse injuries, and a lack of general coordination can often be traced to postural faults. I have found that the introduction of highly specialized, event-specific training stimuli can be the source of tremendous frustration and recurring injury patterns if these foundational areas have not been developed in a variety of conditions, thresholds, and environments.

The Exercises The main target of a core workout should be the abdominal muscles, with the back and hips also receiving attention. Strengthening abdominal muscles requires forcing them to do more work than they are used to through overloading, and working from a variety of angles so all the muscle fibers are used.

It’s best to start with the lower abdominals and work your way up through the external obliques and upper abdominals—since most upper abdominal and oblique exercises work both the upper and lower abdominals, you must work

the lower abdominals first if you want to isolate them.

My favorite abdominal exercises include three-position crunches, V-ups, V-ups with a twist, seated twists with a dumbbell, plate walks, dumbbell leg raises, back hyper-extensions, Russian twists, and delivery lifts with dumbbells. For optimal strength increases, repetitions of these exercises must not exceed 20 and should be performed with resistance.

Start athletes with a weight they can do for 10 reps and use that load until they can perform 20 reps. Then, increase the weight to a point where they can perform only 10 reps, and restart the cycle.

Stay away from abdominal exercises where the psoas come into play, such as straight-leg sit-ups, incline board sit-ups, and roman chair sit-ups. The psoas magnus and the psoas parvus run from the front of the legs up through the pelvis, connecting to the lowest six spinal vertebrae. They pull the trunk toward the legs, as do the abs. When the abdominals tire, you will see the athlete’s back start to arch, and the psoas will take over as the primary mover, putting unnecessary strain on the vertebrae and lower back.

Therefore it’s critical to correct athletes who are arching their backs and using their psoas during abdominal exercises.

While I like to use a lot of isolation work to strengthen the abdominals, I avoid it when working on the lower back and hips because of the potential for overtraining these areas. The only exceptions are back hyper-extensions with weight or elastic bands.

One good way to train the hips is through a dynamic flexibility series,

GENERAL STRENGTH CIRCUITS Here are two sample general strength circuits used to strengthen the core. The first is designed for use in open areas while the second is designed for the weightroom.

34

COACHING MANAGEMENT

OUTDOOR CIRCUIT

WEIGHTROOM CIRCUIT

Crunches x30 Clap push-ups x10 Leg toss x20 Push-ups x15 V-ups x20 Leg scissors x20 in & x20 out Push-up toe walk x10 Side crunch x10 each side Decline push-ups x10 Wrestler’s bridge x5 Single-leg squats x10 each leg

Hanging leg raise x30 Chin-ups x10 Roman chair sit-up x20 Dips x15 Russian twists x20 Lunge walk 10 steps

STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

which includes leg swings, trail-leg windmills, lunge exchanges, side bends, donkey kicks, and leg whips. I also use several hurdle drills, such as walkovers with constant lead leg, walkovers with alternating lead leg, and multidirectional walkovers, where athletes walk forward over two hurdles and then backward over one.

Otherwise, the hips and back are developed largely through Olympic lifts, especially squats, and general strength building exercises, which also help develop the abdominals. General strength circuits strengthen the core while also developing coordination and body awareness (see “General Strength Circuits” on

page 34). Physioballs can be added to many of the general strength exercises to place additional demands on the core musculature as the athlete adapts.

Medicine ball exercises can be utilized for a wide range of functional movements that strengthen the core (see “Medicine Ball Exercises” below).

ME DI C I N E BALL EX ER CISES Workout A is a short in-season set of medicine ball exercises.

Workout B is a more extensive set used during the preparation phase.

Athletes should complete 10 reps of each exercise, starting with a three-kilogram ball and increasing the weight once they can perform each rep under complete control.

WORKOUT A

WORKOUT B

Catch and throw Back-to-back partner pass Over-and-under pass Sit-ups Seat-side throw

Hip catch-toss MB good morning MB V-sit Catch and throw Hurdle reach Partner-exchange hip Prone catch-and-toss Knee toss Seated roll Arm-add-abs

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STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

We usually start with some very general non-ballistic medicine ball exercises and progress as the athlete advances in the training cycle.

Dumbbell circuits are a great way to build core strength while also conditioning your athletes during the differ-

joint total-body movements that combine external resistance with body weight.

Keep in mind that this type of training should be periodized and correlated with the other types of training.

I have designed four circuits that are cycled through the training program

After an athlete can consistently maintain efficient postures while performing very simple motor tasks, we find they are able to develop advanced skills more quickly. At the same time, the risk of long-term repetitive injury patterns—many of which result from improper posture—is reduced. ent phases of training. They offer great mobility and flexibility since they can be done almost anywhere, even when your team is on the road. Dumbbells are also less intimidating than other free weights, and great for training through injuries.

Each dumbbell circuit is designed with a specific purpose and uses multi-

(see “Dumbbell Circuits” on page 37).

Typically, I’ll have athletes perform two of the four circuits every other day and switch the circuits every three to four weeks as they adapt. These circuits include Olympic lifts and their derivatives, which are the best movements for developing speed and power. They also

offer an opportunity for unilateral training, which is important in many sports.

The first circuit, named Coffee, is designed to be a morning conditioning circuit or part of a warmup prior to other activities. The Nirvana circuit is designed to stimulate the nervous system while working the core, and includes some ballistic Olympic movements that build speed. The Abzilla workout is a specialized circuit for abdominal emphasis. Arnold is a standard body building circuit. The weight of the dumbbells and the number of repetitions should be adjusted for each circuit based on when it is performed—strength building should be mostly reserved for the off-season, while maintenance and conditioning should be performed in-season.

Program Design My core-training program is broken down into phases. Through the training year, we sequence exercises from high volume to low volume and from less sport-specific to more. Following a basic preparation phase, we alternate accumu-

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D UMBBELL C I RC UITS Each of the following dumbbell circuits is designed for a specific purpose and rotated through the training program. Weights and reps will vary based on the athlete’s training schedule.

COFFEE

NIRVANA

ABZILLA

ARNOLD

(WARMUP)

(NERVOUS SYSTEM)

(ABDOMINALS)

(BODY BUILDING)

Bent rows Twists behind the back High pulls Seated twists Squat presses Plate walks One-arm snatches Jerks Side bends Cleans

Shrugs High pulls Jump shrugs Squat presses Snatches Clean-and-jerks One-arm snatches One-arm jerks Step ups Push jerks

Seated twists Twists behind the back Wavings Antennas Releases Plate walks Swings Good mornings

Bent rows Curls Upward rows Tricep extensions Squats Standing calf extensions Shrugs Side bends

lation, which emphasizes strength gains, and intensification, which emphasizes power and speed.

The first phase of our core-training

program is designed to build strength endurance through static sustained contractions, and it serves as the foundation for later postural strength and speed

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STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

PEDES TAL W ORK My core-training program begins with pedestal exercises that maximize trunk stability.

Beginning athletes should start by holding each position in perfect alignment for 10 seconds. Once that is accomplished, athletes should progress to doing 10 reps of 10 seconds for each position.

Prone elbow stand, single-leg raise Supine elbow stand, single-leg raise ■ Prone hand stand, single-leg raise ■ Supine hand stand, single-leg raise ■ Lateral elbow stand, single-leg raise

Lateral hand stand, single-leg raise Prone flexed knee, elbow stand, hip lift ■ Supine flexed knee, hip lift ■ Crunch, low reach ■ Crunch, low reach with twist

■

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■

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The mid-torso musculature consists of postural muscles with a high percentage of slow-twitch muscle fibers. Part of their function is to maximize trunk stability by holding contractions for extended periods, so we first focus on training these muscles to do just that. We emphasize the importance of keeping the body in perfect alignment while holding each position.

After an athlete can consistently maintain efficient postures while performing very simple motor tasks, we find they are able to develop advanced skills more quickly. At the same time, the risk of long-term repetitive injury patterns—many of which result from improper posture—is reduced.

Once the athlete can perform acceptable slow isotonic mid-torso exercises, additional exercises that demand balance can be introduced. For the beginner, I start the transition with body-weight exercises and movements. A vast repertoire of activities can be used to enhance

functional postural integrity and, subsequently, latent power resources. One of my favorites is the pelvic tilt. In this exercise, the athlete lies on his or her back and contracts the abdominals until the lower back presses into the floor. The contraction should be held for three to six seconds, followed by three to six seconds of rest, and repeated for a total of one full minute.

Weight for these exercises should be increased in a controlled progression.

Overload is a big part of the training program and is present in each phase.

The body is adaptable, but only when presented with unfamiliar stimuli. The demands of training must grow over time to produce increased strength and fitness levels.

The second stage is the precompetitive stage, when the focus turns to building strength. Various training schemes using sprint drills, throws, and jumps are implemented with volumes, intensi-

ties, and rest-to-work ratios influenced by training age, time of the season, medical factors, and skill parameters.

The sprint drills emphasize horizontal movements through space where limbs are worked through various ranges of movement under different thresholds of velocity and force. Multiple-throw and multiple-jump exercises involve various rotations, flexion/extension factors, and both intra- and inter-muscular coordination. (See “Precompetitive Stage” below.)

Explosive speed strength training is the final ingredient in the core-development program and coincides with the beginning of the sport season. In addition to the sprint drills, throws, and jumps, I’ll add sport-specific release movements that force core stabilization during high-velocity activities. I also use specific medicine ball exercises that mirror the release parameters in each of the throws. Heavy weights (20 or 25 pounds) are used for power and lighter weights for speed. In addition to the speed strength gains, these exercises also develop postural integrity.

Whether it’s transferring energy from one area of the body to another or maintaining stability and balance during use of the extremities, the core is under nearly constant stress. A multi-faceted approach combining medicine ball work, body-weight circuits, controlled movements, abdominal exercises, dumbbell circuits, and Olympic lifts can provide physiological and biomechanical advantages that enhance performance in almost any sport. ■ A version of this article appeared in our sister publication, Training & Conditioning.

PREC O MPET I T I VE STAG E Sample sprint drills, throws, and jumps workouts are listed below.

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SPRINT DRILL

MULTI-THROW EXERCISES

MULTI-JUMP EXERCISES

Skip with cross arms forward and back Windmill skip forward and back Crossover skip Alternate side shuffle Carioca Strides

Overhead back Between the legs forward Toe board chest pass explosion Releases right-handed and left-handed

Star jumps 180-360 jumps Speed skater Line hops Dynamic step-ups Single-leg butt kick

COACHING MANAGEMENT

NEW Product Launch RBK Vector LSI

Professional Groundskeeping Product Line

Unique features: • Revolutionary LSI internal Benefits threaded locking system for the utilizes composite carbon user: fiber material in the • Patent-pending handle and distancedesign reduces enhancing VR950 vibration and delivers Opti-Performance maximum handle stiffaluminum alloy ness while allowing barrel in the hitting flex for excellent energy area. transfer and performance • The VR950 Opti-Performance aluminum alloy delivers one of the highest weight-strength ratios on the market

Unique features: • Contains a higher clay content than Diamond Pro’s reddish-brown clay • Available in yellow 50-pound bags (40 bags per pallet)

Reebok 888-405-TEAM www.reebok.com

Diamond Pro 800-228-2987 www.diamondpro.com

Benefits for the user: • Designed for higher-end fields and fields where establishing firmness in high-stress areas is a priority • Can be used in conjunction with other Diamond Pro products, or by itself for everyday maintenance • Numerous lab and field tests have been conducted to ensure quality and durability

Circle No. 500

Circle No. 501

Tuff Screens Pro-Red Premium Red Topdressing Unique features: • Color won’t wash away • Durable granules with uniform size • Dust-free field conditioning

• • • •

Unique features: • Made of two-inch (diameter) galvanized steel tubing that’s powder-coated Available options include wings (shown) and additional frame padding Ricochet padded hip protector Large pneumatic wheels for easy mobility 8’ x 8’ Fungo screen or pitcher’s L-screen

Benefits for the user: • Maintains its rich red color • Provides the professional look of World Series fields • Keeps infields smooth, safe, and resilient

Benefits for the user: • Tough enough for all levels of play • Constructed of highly durable netting and other top-quality materials

Pro’s Choice 800-648-1166 www.proschoice1.com

Beacon Athletics 800-747-5985 www.beaconathletics.com

Circle No. 502

Circle No. 503 COACHING MANAGEMENT

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Infield Mixes & Additives Country Stone, Inc. 309-787-1744 www.countrystone.com

Crimson Stone, Inc. 800-354-5663 crimsonstone.com

Redfield Infield Topdressing/Conditioner

Ultimate I Infield Conditioner Uitimate I provides excellent wet-weather playability, easy maintenance, low abrasion, and a dark crimson color.

People love the maroon color Redfield offers, but the biggest selling points are its ability to break up hardpan conditions, allow drainage, and keep its firmness.

Warning Track Mix From Little League to the Major Leagues, baseball fields coast to coast rely on Redfield’s warning track mix for excellent aesthetics, top-notch drainage, and easy maintenance.

Customer Portfolio Philadelphia Phillies Traverse City Beach Bums, MI Sam Suplizio Field, CO Berl Huffman Complex, TX John O’Donnell Stadium, IA

Circle No. 504

DiGeronimo Aggregates, LLC 888-593-0395 www.hayditegame-on.com Game On Soil Conditioner Blend Game On into your infield soil for increased drainage and reduced compaction.

Ultimate II Warning Track Material Ultimate II is screened and blended to provide exceptional drainage, rich crimson color, and consistent size, making your field safe and beautiful.

Game On Red Topdress your infield at 1/4 to 1/2 of an inch for a consistent playing surface and a deep red color.

Ultimate Sand Clay This 60/40 sand/clay blend provides a firm, rock-free playing surface suitable for athletes at any level.

Game Dry Apply Game Dry to puddles for quick absorption, and blend it into your infield after it dries.

Ultimate Mound & Plate Mix This premium clay can be packed firm to reduce mound and home plate maintenance.

Game On Warning Track Install this mix at your preferred depth for a professional-looking warning track.

Customer Portfolio St. Louis Cardinals New York Yankees St. John’s University Florida State University University of Florida

Customer Portfolio Ohio Dominican University Upper Arlington High School, OH Osceola Softball Complex, FL Chicago Sports Fields, IL Ashland University, OH

Circle No. 505

Circle No. 506

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

BEAM CLAY® 800-247-BEAM (2326) www.beamclay.com BEAM CLAY® Baseball Diamond Mix This premium infield mix provides a consistent playing surface that’s firm yet soft, with great drainage and color.

BEAM CLAY Regional Infield Mixes These mixes are blended at bulk plants nationwide to meet the unique needs of every state and climate.

BEAM CLAY Pitcher’s Mound Mixes These are extra-firm, all natural mound clays, available in red, orange, brown, and gray. Mound and batter’s box bricks are also available, along with red polyurethane pads that give the feel of natural clay.

BEAM CLAY Red Warning Track Surfaces Use these materials for premium long-lasting warning tracks—firm yet crunchy with low maintenance, great drainage, and excellent color.

Customer Portfolio New York Yankees New York Mets Philadelphia Phillies Cleveland Indians Toronto Blue Jays

Circle No. 507

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

Pro’s Choice 800-648-1166 www.proschoice1.com

Pro’s Choice Red Designed to meet the challenges of wet, dry, or compacted infields, this product manages moisture for maximum playability.

Pro’s Choice Select This premium infield conditioner has a unique particle size blend to give your facility the look of a professional ballpark.

Pro Mound® Packing Clay Get all-star performance on the mound and in the batter’s box by creating a solid, highly durable subsurface that players can really dig into.

Rapid Dry® This drying agent quickly wicks away excess water and improves soil consistency—just pour it on and get back in the game.

Customer Portfolio Chicago White Sox St. Louis Cardinals Detroit Tigers Florida Marlins Colorado Rockies

Circle No. 508

Turface Athletics 800-207-6457 www.turface.com Turface Quick Dry By eliminating puddles and standing water, Turface Quick Dry rids infields of muddy, slippery conditions—just apply it and rake it into the ground for long-lasting performance.

Turface ProLeague Red The first and only patented red clay conditioner, ProLeague Red combines rich color with proven infield conditioning benefits to create an excellent sliding and fielding surface.

Turface MVP Turface MVP absorbs more water per pound than its competitors, improving drainage, reducing bad ball hops, and helping keep athletes safe.

Turface ProLeague Used as a topdressing, ProLeague saves games and turf by preventing the slick and muddy conditions that destroy turf and make fields unsafe and unplayable.

Customer Portfolio Seattle Mariners Arizona Diamondbacks Boston Red Sox Baltimore Orioles

Circle No. 509

Infield Mixes & Additives Southern Athletic Fields 800-837-8062 www.mulemix.com

Stabilizer Solutions, Inc. 800-336-2468 www.stabilizersolutions.com

Mulemix Field Conditioners Conditioners are used to reduce compaction and absorb moisture. Mulemix Field Conditioners reduce the tackiness of a field’s clay to keep your games on schedule.

SAF Coat Infield Topdressing This crushed red rock is used primarily as a percolation product—it allows water to percolate and helps athletic fields dry more quickly.

Mar Mix This screened red infield mix is compactible, yet it allows water to percolate. It’s great for use with Mulemix Conditioners or SAF Coat, and features a natural blend of approximately 70 percent sand and 30 percent clay.

Mar Mound Clay This screened red mound and home plate clay is ideal for pitcher’s mounds, batter’s boxes, and high-wear areas. It’s compactible, easy to use, and available in bags or in bulk.

Customer Portfolio Atlanta Braves Houston Astros Louisville Bats Louisiana State University Ohio State University

Stabilizer

Circle No. 510

Stabilizer is a natural soil binder that produces a firm, resilient playing surface while reducing dust and retaining moisture.

Hilltopper Mound and Home Plate Clay Hilltopper combines lasting polymers and natural clays to make your mound and home plate areas flexible and stable. No water is needed—just tamp and play.

Stabilizer Pro Gold Infield Mix Stabilizer Pro Gold adds life and resiliency while reducing dust and mud. It creates a long-lasting surface that requires little maintenance.

Hilltopper Infield Mix This revolutionary infield surface is dustless, waterless, and mudless. It substantially reduces maintenance and down time.

Customer Portfolio Philadelphia Phillies Pittsburgh Pirates California State University-Fullerton University of Arizona University of Kansas

Circle No. 511

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

Diamond Pro 800-228-2987 www.diamondpro.com

EP Minerals, LLC 800-366-7607 www.epminerals.com

Infield Conditioner This vitrified clay product can be applied to skinned areas to enrich color, prevent rain delays, reduce compaction, and improve safety.

Calcined Clay Topdressing, Professional Grade, and Drying Agent These calcined clay products are used as conditioners on the infield. The professional grade has a more uniform particle size, and the standard topdressing has a larger particle size.

Mound/Home Plate Clay This screened clay has a rich color and is easy to use. It binds into holes and low areas for greater durability and consistency.

Warning Track Mix Several mixes are available for creating a safe, well-drained warning track.

Customer Portfolio Texas Rangers Kansas City Royals Atlanta Braves Little League World Series Rosenblatt Stadium, NE

PlayBall!® Infield Conditioner PlayBall! is made from 100-percent calcined diatomaceous earth for maximum durability.

Its low density, large pore space, and 10percent-by-volume application rate allow you to effectively condition more field for less money. PlayBall! is highly absorbent, taking in up to 130 percent of its weight in water. Use it in your infield mix to permanently reduce compaction, increase drainage, and create a more playable surface, or use it as a topdressing to control puddles and eliminate rainouts.

AXIS® Premium Soil Amendments Use AXIS in your turf root zones to increase porosity, air and water holding capacity, and plant available water for a healthier and more resilient turf grass system. Its unique shape and large pore size allow irrigation savings of up to 30 percent.

Customer Portfolio Baltimore Ravens Louisiana State University National Baseball Stadium, Panama Felix Bolleart Stadium, France Oregon State University

Circle No. 512

Circle No. 513

Testimonial

The Hack Attack Continues to Win Fans “The Hack Attack’s three-wheel design eliminates the delays caused by pivoting the throwing head when changing pitches. You can instantly dial in great curve balls over 70 mph, sharp sliders over 80 mph, and fastballs over 90 mph.”

John Savage Head Baseball Coach UCLA “My coaches used to resist using pitching machines and relied on live throwing arms. However, the Hack Attack is a great training tool for our hitters and catchers. The Hack Attack is as good as live pitching with its vision and timing. It throws accurate breaking pitches, it’s indestructible, and it is easy to operate and move. We use the Hack Attack in our practices and camps year-round.”

Paul Mainieri Head Baseball Coach Louisiana State University “I have been coaching professional baseball for over 30 years, and I have used this machine every day for both offensive and defensive work. It is by far the best machine on the market.”

Joe Maddon Manager Tampa Bay Devil Rays

Sports Attack, LLC P.O. Box 1529 2805 U.S. 40 Verdi, NV 89439 800-717-4251 Fax: 775-345-2883 info@sportsattack.com www.sportsattack.com COACHING MANAGEMENT

41

Nets & Cages Beacon Athletics

Gourock

800-747-5985 www.beaconathletics.com See ad on page 29 Circle No. 514

800-248-7295 www.gourock.com See ad on page 46 Circle No. 515

Primary Advantages: Beacon’s batting cages and netting systems are custommade to meet specific needs. Since the company has experts with real experience, it can provide free consultation and guidance in product selection, ensuring that you get the right products for your facility.

Primary Advantages: Gourock provides reliable, commercial-strength netting applications featuring top-notch craftsmanship and excellent service. Fast turnaround and multiple twine/mesh size combinations are available. The company specializes in providing high-quality materials and expert design and production. Its products can be customized to any dimensions.

Customer Portfolio: East Carolina University Arkansas State University Lee County Parks and Recreation, FL Massarelli Baseball School PRODUCTS: Indoor Tensioned Batting Cage This indoor batting cage goes up in 10 minutes. With its unique threepulley system, the cage can be raised and tensioned as needed.

Custom Netting Beacon Athletics designs and manufactures custom netting systems to meet the individual needs of its customers.

Customer Portfolio: University of Alabama-Huntsville Eastern Illinois University Siena Heights University

Beacon Outdoor Batting Cage This cost-effective, heavy-duty batting cage comes in singleand multiple-sided versions.

Tuff Pitchers “L” Screen This L-screen is extremely tough.

It is 8’ H x 8’ W and made with heavy-duty #72 knotted nylon net.

Duke University Middle Georgia College

PRODUCTS: Batting Cage Nets These nets feature commercialstrength DuPont® 66-728 nylon and can be built to any dimensional requirements.

Soft-Toss/Impact Nets American-made DuPont® 66-728 nylon impact nets feature high abrasion resistance, multi-sport adaptability, and custom sizing.

Barrier Nets High-quality DuPont® 66-728 nylon is used for these customized barrier nets in several twine/mesh combinations.

Protective Screens Commercial-strength protective netting screens are built pillowcase-style and can be customized to fit existing frames.

A COACHES BEST FRIEND The best in artificial turf for your next baseball, softball or other sport facility.

Call for a Free Catalog Toll Free: (866) 243-6387 • • • •

•

Batting Cages Protective Screens Back Stops & Barriers Nets Pitching Machines Custom Sizes Available

Catalog Image

Shop Online at: www.spinets.net South Padre Island Nets, Inc. 2001 Amistad Dr. San Benito, TX 78586 USA

800-959-1844 • 888-566-8966 www.diamondturf.net

Tel: (956) 276-9598 Fax: (956) 276-9691 Toll Free Fax: (866) 421-9691

Affordable Quality Products to Play Hard Circle No. 136

Circle No. 135

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COACHING MANAGEMENT 9/26/06 10:26:19 AM

Nets & Cages Jaypro Sports, LLC

M.A.S.A., Inc.

800-243-0533 www.jaypro.com See ad inside back cover Circle No. 516

800-264-4519 www.masa.com See ad on page 8 Circle No. 517

Primary Advantages: Jaypro is an industry leader in high-quality equipment for baseball, softball, and athletic field maintenance. Whatever equipment needs you may have, the company can meet them, while exceeding your expectations for service. From protective equipment to permanent and portable backstops, Jaypro has got you covered.

Primary Advantages: M.A.S.A. has improved and expanded its selection, offering five grades of netting to meet the demands of every level of play and prices to meet any budget. Regardless of which grade you choose, rest assured you will be getting the highest quality.

PRODUCTS: Little Slam Batting Cage Designed for collegiate and high school use, this cage measures 17’6” W x 12’ H x 12’ D and is constructed of two-inch heavy wall aluminum. It is easy to fold and collapses to just five feet high.

Professional Portable Backstop This top-quality backstop features heavy-duty rear wheels that swivel for easy mobility over grass and dirt.

Retractable Baseball Batting Cage This versatile product isn’t just Professional Pitcher’s Safety for baseball—it can be used for Protector golf, tennis, soccer, and other This versatile 7’ x 7’ L-shaped sports that need to come in net accommodates left- and from the cold. The cage is easright-handed pitchers and works ily raised and lowered by a drive well with both pitching machines shaft powered by an electric and live-arm delivery. winch.

Customer Portfolio: M.A.S.A. nets and cages are used all over the U.S. at youth, high school, college, and professional facilities. Go online or call the company for expert help in choosing a net or cage that is best for your organization and budget.

PRODUCTS: Pitcher’s L-Shaped Screen The framing of this screen is constructed of 1/2-inch heavygauge steel tubing, and assembly is very easy.

Pro Model Backstop Batting Cage Flo-coated steel construction makes this giant backstop extremely durable. Use the quicklift crank for easy transportation.

Pro Series Batting Tunnel This pro industry workhorse is constructed from #36 nylon that’s undergone a 320-pound breaking test.

Batco Batting Cage The unique design of this product means excellent portability and storage. It weighs just 45 pounds.

It’s Time For A Change By Warning Track Mix

Athletic Field Division

Topdressing and Infield Conditioner Deep colored REDFIELD improves moisture control and field compaction issues while achieving true ball play and providing easy maintenance. Works in conjunction with calcined and vitrified clays.

Used by Pro teams for its superior performance in stability, drainage and aesthetic appeal with a natural color that will not fade.

Phone: (309) 787-1744 Fax: (309) 787-2755 CountryStone.com

Call Country Stone or your local distributor for more information Circle No. 137 COACHING MANAGEMENT

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ADVERTISERS DIRECTORY CIRCLE NO.

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Aer-Flo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 ATUUM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Axis/Play Ball! (EP Minerals) . . . . . . . . 30 Bannerman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Beacon Athletics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Beam Clay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 BetterBaseball . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Biz Z Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Brawler (Western Industries) . . . . . . . . . 37 BWP Bats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Crimson Stone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Diamond Pro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 DiamondTurf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Earth & Turf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 eFundraising.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Fair-Play Scoreboards . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Game-On Field Conditioner . . . . . . 16 Glove Radar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Gourock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Heying Company (Infield-Drag) . . . . . 53 I-ON Eye Trainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Jaypro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IBC K&K Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 M.A.S.A. Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Markwort Sporting Goods . . . . . . . 24 Master Pitching Machine . . . . . . . . . 30 Memphis Net & Twine Co. . . . . . . . 45 Mojo Pitching Cage . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

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Aer-Flo (Bunt Zone) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Aer-Flo (Wind Weighted tarps) . . . . . . .

ATUUM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Bannerman (Ballpark-4) . . . . . . . . . . . .

Bannerman (Diamond Master) . . . . . . .

Beacon Athletics (nets and cages) . . . .

Beacon Athletics (product launch) . . . .

Beam Clay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

BetterBaseball (baseball supply house) .

BetterBaseball (Easy Auction) . . . . . . .

Big Z Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Brawler (Western Industries) . . . . . . . . .

BWP Bats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Country Stone (Redfield) . . . . . . . . . .

Crimson Stone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Diamond Pro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Diamond Pro (product launch) . . . . . . .

DiamondTurf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

EP Minerals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Earth & Turf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . eFundraising.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Fair-Play Scoreboards (7200 series) . .

Fair-Play Scoreboards (baseball) . . . .

Game-On (DiGeronimo Aggregates) . . .

Glove Radar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Gourock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Grand Slam Pitching Machine . . . . .

Heying Company (Infield-Drag) . . . . .

I-ON Eye Trainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Jaypro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

K&K Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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

Markwort Sporting Goods . . . . . . .

Master Pitching Machine . . . . . . . .

May Publishing (More Than ERA) . . . . .

Memphis Net & Twine Co. . . . . . . .

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More Than ERA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Old Hickory Bats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 On Deck Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 PIK Products. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BC Plus5 Field Marker (Imerys) . . . . . . . . 46 Power Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Pro’s Choice Field Products . . . . . . 20 Promats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Redfield by Country Stone . . . . . . . 43 Reebok . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-3 ScorePAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Seating Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Southern Athletic Fields . . . . . . . . . 54 SPI Nets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Sports Attack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Sports Tutor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Stabilizer Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Stalker Radar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Swing Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Turface Athletics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 VPI Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC WeatherBeater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 White Line Equipment . . . . . . . . . . 31 World-Sport Tours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 WSI Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Xvest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Zingbat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

PRODUCTS DIRECTORY

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Mojo Pitching Cage . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Old Hickory Bats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

On Deck Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Plus5 Field Marker (Imerys) . . . . . . . .

Power Systems (NRG Ball System) . . . .

Power Systems (Series 7 Hurdle) . . . . .

Pro’s Choice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Pro’s Choice (product launch) . . . . . . .

Promats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Reebok (Pro Ballgloves) . . . . . . . . . . . .

Reebok (product launch) . . . . . . . . . . .

Reebok (Vector LSI) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

ScorePAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Seating Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Southern Athletic Fields . . . . . . . . .

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

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

Sports Attack (Junior Hack Attack) . . . .

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

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

Stabilizer Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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

Swift Stik . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Swing Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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

Turface Athletics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Vantage Products Int’l. (nets/cages) . . . .

Vantage Products Int’l. (pitching machine) WeatherBeater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

World-Sport Tours . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

WSI Sports (Arctic Microtech) . . . . . . .

WSI Sports (Two-Tone Microtech shirt) .

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

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

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

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Nets & Cages Memphis Net & Twine Co., Inc.

On Deck Sports

800-238-6380 www.memphisnet.net See ad on page 45 Circle No. 518

800-365-6171 www.ondecksports.com See ad on page 37 Circle No. 519

Primary Advantages: Memphis Net & Twine manufactures its products in the United States—custom-made batting cages and backstops that are produced to meet customers’ exact specifications. Call the company or visit its Web site to request a free 48-page catalog.

Primary Advantages: On Deck Sports’ nylon nets are UV-protected from the inside out combining the superior breaking strength and environmental protection the company’s customers demand.

The nets are hand-sewn at every mesh and hung on the square, not the diamond, for a better, cleaner hang.

Customer Portfolio: U.S. Naval Academy University of New Haven Fordham University Quinnipiac University College of William and Mary

PRODUCTS: Batting Cages Three different twine sizes are available to meet any budget, and custom cages can be manufactured to customers’ exact specifications.

Backstops Three different twine sizes are

available to meet any budget, and custom backstops can be manufactured to customers’ exact specifications.

Protector Nets These protector nets are manufactured to customers’ exact specifications.

PRODUCTS: Custom Netting Batting Cages and Backdrops Custom Netting Calculator, available on its Web site, provides instant prices on all netting styles, for any cage or panel.

L-Screen (3’ x 3’ cutout) with Frame Padding This screen features a galvanized, powder-coated green frame and #36 pillowcase twisted knotted nylon net with a rope border.

Premium Batting Cages (12’ H x 14’ W x 35’, 55’, or 70’ L)

Memphis Net & Twine Co., Inc.

Call 800-238-6380

Atec Pro Portable Backstop (17’6” W x 12’ H x 18’ D) This backstop features an aluminum frame, nylon netting, a full-wrap skirt, a 48-foot deflector sleeve, and three wheels. It folds to just five feet high. Special pricing is available.

PITCHERS: You'll Never Throw A Pitch That Counts Without A Batter In The Box...

So Why Practice That Way?

See our Web Site at: www.memphisnet.net Memphis, TN 38108

Free Catalog

These cages are #36 twisted knotted nylon netting, with a lead-core rope border, a flap door, and a 12’ x 14’ backdrop net.

Join these top teams that train with a DH in the box:

Our top quality nets are custom made to your specifications.

• Baseball Cages, Backstops, Protector Nets & Pitching Machines • Golf Driving and Barrier Nets • Soccer and Tennis Nets • Lacrosse Backstop Nets, Windscreens and much more!

- Safer Than Having A Player Stand In The Batter’s Box - Develop Confidence To Face Any Type of Hitter: L, R, Crowds the Plate - Improve Ability To Pitch Inside By Practicing Throwing At Game Intensity With The Inside Pitch Target - Flat Surface, Beveled Edges Eliminates Pitch Deflections - Easily Transportable at 38 lbs

Three Sizes Starting at Only $299.95 plus S/H Mention This Ad & Receive FREE Our Pitching Training Booklet, “Location Mechanics” A $20 Value.

To Order, Call 405.373.3253 or visit www.PitchingPractice.com/coach

See our Web Page at: www.memphisnet.net Or e-mail us at: memnet@memphisnet.net

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Nets & Cages SPI Nets

Vantage Products International

866-243-6387 www.spinets.net See ad on page 42 Circle No. 520

800-244-4457 www.vpisports.com See ad inside front cover Circle No. 521

Primary Advantages: SPI Nets offers a full range of nets for your training needs.

The quality and excellent pricing is matched only by SPI’s outstanding service. The company’s products and customer service are carefully monitored to ensure that you receive maximum value for your dollar.

Primary Advantages: VPI’s nets are hung on the square like a tennis net, which virtually eliminates sagging. The company now offers the Big Bubba Professional Portable Batting Cage, a premium choice for all levels, at considerable cost savings. The heavy-duty aluminum construction, easy portability, and collapsible design make it the per fect backstop for any field. A unique dolly assembly with 16-inch pneumatic wheels at the rear makes one-person maneuvering easy.

The unit is 10’ W x 22’ D x 12’ H, and collapses to just five feet high for easy storage.

Customer Portfolio: SPI Nets are used all over the United States at youth, high school, college, and professional facilities.

PRODUCTS: Premium Batting Cage Nets SPI Nets premium cages offer top quality, lots of features, and the best prices available.

Deluxe Practice Screens SPI Nets practice screens are among the highest-quality

screens in the business, and they’re available at very competitive prices.

Custom Netting SPI Nets can fully customize your nets to meet your exact specifications at an affordable price.

PRODUCTS: Big Bubba Pro Batting Cage This cage (pictured) is a popular choice for high school, collegiate, and professional baseball teams. It measures 18’ W x 22’ D x 12’ H. Protective Screen This screen’s heavy-duty 1 1/2inch square galvanized steel is

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covered with slip-on #36 poly netting for quality and durability.

The screen is 7’ W x 7’ H. Batting Tunnel Net This “no sag” net system features heavy-duty polyethylene. It is 100-percent waterproof, and 12 stock sizes are available for immediate shipment.

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Baseball Facility Equipment Aer-Flo, Inc. 800-823-7356 www.aerflo.com Wind Weighted™ baseball tarps from Aer-Flo are virtually windproof. These rain covers for the mound, home plate, and bullpens have steel chain in their edge hem, so wind cannot get underneath them. They stay down, even in high winds, without stakes or sand bags. The tough, waterproof 14-ounce vinyl-polyester fabric is treated for UV and mildew. The tarps now feature a three-year factory warranty. They are patented, and other U.S. patents are pending.

Circle No. 522 Bannerman Ltd. 800-665-2696 www.sportsturfmagic.com When player safety comes first, look to Bannerman. The company manufactures groomers that shape, level, and provide maintenance care for baseball diamonds and softball fields.

The B-BP-4 Ballpark-4® (shown) and the B-BP-6 Ballpark-6® models each 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 a spray nozzle, and the new highway transport kit.

Circle No. 523 Restore your diamond’s luster in 20 minutes or less. Bannerman manufactures groomers that can level and provide maintenance care for softball diamonds, warning tracks, and walking trails.

The B-DM-6 Diamond Master® 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 a spray nozzle, a long-tine “fluffing” rake, and the new highway transport kit.

Circle No. 524 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. All team equipment needs can be found easily online, or you can call the company toll-free for more product information.

Circle No. 525 Colorado Lining 888-546-4641 www.weather-beater.com Protect your field with WeatherBeater’s athletic covers. The company’s products include field covers, sideline covers, infield shields, windscreens, event flooring, gym floor covers, custom logo printing, and more. WeatherBeater, by Colorado Lining, has over 28 years and half a billion square feet of experience converting plastics for various industries.

For literature and more information, call today or visit the company online.

Circle No. 526 Earth & Turf Products, LLC 888-693-2638 www.earthandturf.com The Earth & Turf MultiSpread 200 spreads a variety of materials—topdressing for lawns, golf courses, and athletic fields; infield mix for baseball infields; chips for pathways; and saltsand or grit for sidewalks and driveways. It has a 15-cubic-foot capacity and a spread width of up to 60 inches.

Available with ground drive or hydraulic drive, the MultiSpread 200 can be pulled by a variety of towing vehicles, including ATVs. An optional loading chute facilitates loading with buckets up to 66 inches wide, and an available wing kit for the rear shield allows for easy control of spread pattern, width, and direction. It’s another example of an Earth & Turf “simple, well-built” design.

Circle No. 527 Fair-Play Scoreboards 800-247-0265 www.fair-play.com When it comes to baseball, reading the situation is an integral part of the game. Fair-Play’s line of baseball scoreboards was designed with one principle in mind: providing vital game information to fans and participants alike.

High-contrast digits and wide viewing angles ensure that everyone on the field and in the stands knows exactly what’s going on. Whether you’re considering a scoreboard for a Little League field or a large complex, FairPlay has a size and style to fit your needs.

Circle No. 528 Fair-Play baseball scoreboards vary in size and in what game information they provide. Models for high schools are generally between 14 and 20 feet long, and are found in the company’s 7200 series.

Larger high schools and colleges often opt for a 7100 series board that’s between 20 and 36 feet in length. Electronic team names are an option on all boards longer than 14 feet, and all boards between 20 and 36 feet have inning-by-inning run display.

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Baseball Facility Equipment Heying Co. 712-756-8847 www.infield-drag.com Restore and maintain your infields quickly and easily, and keep your granular infields level, well-groomed, and in safe playing condition. The PR72 Pro Groomer™ levels infields, warning

tracks, granular running tracks, and other surfaces by cutting off high spots and filling in low areas. It can be used to mix in new material or to break up compacted surfaces. It saves labor, reduces puddling, removes weeds, and more. The unit is six feet wide and does not require hydraulics or a three-point hitch. It can be pulled using a variety of towing machines, and no

tools are needed to make adjustments.

The PR72 Pro Groomer is available with a manual or electric lift.

Circle No. 530 Imerys 800-552-9671 www.plus5linemarker.com Plus5 is an all-American athletic field marker. It is preferred by coaches and groundskeepers and is licensed as the official marking material of the NFHS. There are five good reasons to choose Plus5: it is economical, easy to apply, good for turf, harmless to skin and clothing, and produces a bright white line. For more information, go online or call Imerys today.

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Promats 800-678-6287 www.promats.com Promats has introduced a revolutionary new foam core for its Proethylene field wall padding. Say goodbye to spongy, water-logged polyurethane and say hello

to Proethylene. It provides over 90 percent more shock absorption than typical wall padding for maximum safety, and closed-cell construction for extra durability. The material simply doesn’t absorb water—in fact, its absorption rate is below .2 percent. With its very affordable pricing, Proethylene wall padding is a great choice for any field.

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BOOST INCOME POTENTIAL! Add quality stadium chairs to your outdoor facilities. Generate added income by selling “The Best Seats in the House” at a premium!

Ultimate I (Infield Conditioner) Ultimate II (Warning Track) Ultimate Mound & Plate Mix (Pitcher Mound & Batters Box) Ultimate Bricks (Pitcher Mound & Batters Box) Ultimate Infield Mix (Specialty Blends) Ultimate Base (Sand/Clay Blends) Ultimate Series (Drying Agents) The Ultimate Series Products were developed to help coaches and groundskeepers solve many of the problems in maintaining high performance infields, warning tracks, and pitchers mounds.

For over a decade the Ultimate Series has been the choice of professional, college, high school, and recreational organizations.

800-354-5663

www.crimsonstone.com

Huron High School Huron, OH

Stadium Chairs: Blow Molded or Injection Molded PHONE: 800-552-9470 FAX: 716-549-9011 www.seatingservices.com

QUALITY STADIUM CHAIR MANUFACTURER Circle No. 144

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Series 3000 Stadium Chairs Both Floor and Tread Mount

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Baseball Facility Equipment Seating Services, Inc. 800-552-9470 www.seatingservices.com

Western Industries, Inc. 800-488-3592 www.westernindustries.com

When Huron High School in Ohio wanted to convert its bleachers into grandstands with self-rising stadium chairs, they chose Seating Services’

Brawler field covers are made with the highest-quality polyethylene and feature Western Industries’ unique freefloating handle system.

Not only is deployment quick and easy, but the special green and white coloring adds protec-

tion, durability, and attractiveness.

All Brawler tarps are heat-sealed and hemmed. You’ll never find sewing on a Brawler cover, because the company knows that can weaken polyethylene material.

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Check out

www.AthleticBid.com to contact these companies.

Tread Mount and Floor Mount Series 3000 Cardinal Model. There were only 24 inches of space per row, but with some slight alterations to the planking, the seats were a perfect fit. The gravitytipped, blow-molded chairs meet safety codes while providing excellent comfort.

This project was completed on aluminum, but the chairs are also ideal for wood, steel, or concrete. Seat widths can vary from 18 to 22 inches. Use them to create VIP seating for a great fundraiser.

Circle No. 533 DiamondTurf www.diamondturf.net Supreme DiamondTurf 36 is designed to withstand pivoting steel spikes for

optimum performance and outstanding durability. Its monofilament polypropylene surface is ideal for baseball and softball because it has no pile direction, resulting in more consistent ball roll. Supreme DiamondTurf 36 comes with an optional five-millimeter foam pad, and can be enhanced with custom inlaid logos and colors. The turf carries an eight-year warranty and is available through Collegiate Pacific (888-5668966), Tomark Sports (800-959-1844), and VPI Sports (800-244-4457).

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Team Equipment BetterBaseball 800-997-4233 www.betterbaseball.com Want to save even more on great products at the BetterBaseball Web site?

Try the new Easy Auction feature. Each item up for bid is described in detail and a product image is shown.

Get fantastic deals on everything from bats and gloves to windscreens and practice balls. Go online to learn more, and you’ll be placing bids in no time.

Circle No. 536 BWP Bats 814-849-0089 www.bwpbats.com BWP’s Pro Select hard maple bats are made with a unique drying and wood-procuring process that enables the company to provide some of the finest maple bats on the market. BWP prides itself on manufacturing a consistent bat at an affordable price. The Pro Select is used by professional baseball players and is available in four models: BWP-271, BWP243, BWP-110, and BWP-14.

Choose from five different color schemes, three different sizes (32, 33, and 34 inches), and cupped or noncupped ends. BWP products are available at over 350 retail locations throughout North America.

Circle No. 537 Markwort Sporting Goods 800-937-4824 www.markwort.com The Markwort Speed Sensor nine-inch baseball provides an easy, accurate way to measure pitch speed up to 120 mph. Just press start, throw the ball, and the LCD indicator displays the speed in mph upon impact. It’s the same official size and weight as a regu-

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lation baseball, and it can be used as a training aid for athletes of any age or skill level.

GripSense technology begins to record the speed automatically at the moment the ball is released. This ball is not designed for contact with bats or other hard surfaces.

Circle No. 538 May Publishing, Inc. 805-491-3379 www.morethanera.com More Than ERA™ software can manage your pitching charts and provide valuable information to help you improve your pitchers’ mental game.

The software is a teaching tool that can emphasize what being an effective pitcher really means.

It can also produce reports for you to review with pitchers and catchers after each appearance. If you face the same teams multiple times, charts from previous games can help you prepare for both the pitchers and the hitters your team will face.

Circle No. 539 Old Hickory Bat Co. 866-PRO-BATS www.oldhickorybats.com Old Hickory Bat Co. produces top-quality bats cut from professional-grade maple and ash. Old Hickory uses a unique “boning” process to ensure that its products are among the hardest, most durable bats available. The company’s bats are approved for players at all levels. Old Hickory also cuts training bats, fungo bats, commemorative bats, and gift bats. Team and league pricing is available.

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Reebok 888-405-TEAM www.reebok.com RBK Pro Ballgloves are hand-crafted using only the most luxurious leather, deer skin finger linings, Texas cowhide lacing, and 100-percent wool lining for a butter-soft feel with maximum performance and longevity. Reebok believes a glove should feel like it is part of the player’s hand, so that each athlete can be confident their RBK glove will allow them to reach their maximum potential. Major Leaguers who use RBK gloves agree.

Circle No. 541 Bats are all about performance, and the Vector LSI from Reebok delivers.

Its revolutionary LSI internal threaded locking system utilizes composite carbon fiber material in the handle and distanceenhancing VR950 Opti-Performance aluminum alloy in the hitting area. This patentpending design reduces vibration and delivers maximum handle stiffness while allowing barrel flex for excellent energy transfer and performance. The VR950 Opti-Performance aluminum alloy has one of the highest weight-strength ratios on the market.

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Need help fundraising for your team?

Check out the new source for fundraising tips, support, and suppliers:

www.fundraisingforsports.com

Team Equipment WSI Sports 651-994-9945 www.wsisports.com If you’re looking for shirt as warm as any on the market, WSI has the answer

with its new Arctic Microtech. The Arctic Microtech acts as an insulator while also protecting the wearer from wind. With its form-fitting design, it is light, functional, and very warm. The Arctic Microtech is available in up to 15 custom colors. Contact WSI for more information, and remember that you receive six free coaches’ shirts with any $500 order.

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weight like the original Xvest, everyone from body builders to military personnel is buying them. For more information on all the Xvest models, call the company or visit its Web site.

Circle No. 545 “I have found the Xvest to be an excellent tool for providing overloads in plyometrics, 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, both 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. 546

The Two-Tone Form Fit Microtech shirt from WSI Sports offers moisture management and a unique customized

appearance. Choose from a mix of 15 different colors to get exactly the look you want. There is a 20-piece minimum for customized Microtech shirts.

Contact WSI to learn more.

Circle No. 544 Xvest 800-697-5658 www.thexvest.com 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 Circle No. 146 COACHING MANAGEMENT

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Practice Aids Aer-Flo, Inc. 800-823-7356 www.windweighted.com The Bunt Zone™ Infield Protector doubles as the perfect target-training system for bunting practice. It uses three colorcoded 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 go online to learn more.

Circle No. 547 ATUUM 800-538-6428 www.atuum.com The best way for players to develop their swing is by using their own bat.

The True Swing enables hitters to develop a compact and powerful swing with their own bat by providing immediate feedback for incorrect swings. When a player loops his swing, he hits the foam pole and neither the bat nor the player gets hurt. Use it with all your hitting drills, including tee work, soft-toss, and pitched balls.

Circle No. 548 Zingbat 866-ZINGBAT www.zingbat.com Zingbat™ offers its Trainer Series product line. This economically priced version of the regular Pro Series Zingbat is ideal for youth players. The Trainer Series teaches batters basic swing mechanics. The Composite Zingbat

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Trainer is available in one length and weight (30 inches, 17 ounces), while the aluminum Pro Series can be customized to meet your team’s specific length and weight requirements. Call today for a free instructional CD or video.

Circle No. 549 Big Z Sports 405-373-3253 www.pitchingpractice.com The Designated Hitter Pitching Training System (the DH) is a silhouetted batting figure. Tough and durable, it stands in the batter’s box during pitching practice. Safer than live stand-in batters, the DH improves performance by allowing pitchers to practice in a more game-like setting.

The DH stands as a left-handed or righthanded batter and can even crowd the plate. Three sizes are available, and they’re ideal for all levels of baseball and fastpitch softball.

Circle No. 550 Swing Speed Radar™ 888-542-9246 www.swingspeedradar.com The new Swing Speed Radar™ from Sports Sensors is a small, inexpensive Doppler radar velocity sensor that measures the swing speed of baseball and softball batters. The Swing Speed Radar helps players develop optimum bat speed for distance and 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 troubleshooting swing mechanics.

Circle No. 551 Glove Radar® 888-542-9246 www.gloveradar.com The Glove Radar® is a small, inexpensive, and accurate microwave Doppler radar device that attaches to the back of

virtually any baseball or softball glove.

It “sees” through the glove and measures the speed of a ball thrown from any distance, just before the ball is caught. The Glove Radar can withstand softball impacts of more than 75 mph and baseball impacts up to 100 mph. Take it from Ken Griffey, Jr.—the Glove Radar is the ideal aid for developing the throwing skills of infielders, outfielders, pitchers, and catchers.

The Glove Radar is a big hit among coaches, players, and parents, and it costs much less than most radar guns.

Circle No. 552 I-ON Eye Trainer 877-3-HIT NOW www.i-ontheball.com The I-ON Eye Trainer improves performance at the plate. Developed by an optometrist, the I-ON adjusts to block peripheral vision during softtoss and tee work. The feedback and results are immediate—athletes experience improved muscle memory, better hand-eye coordination, and development of the less-dominant eye. This product is endorsed by Todd Helton and comes with an instructional DVD containing recommended drill work.

Circle No. 553 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,

Practice Aids speed, build muscle memory, and isolate the bat’s sweet spot. Swift Stik can be used with Wiffle®, tennis, or soft-foam balls. Use Swift Stik during practice with any drill so batters can take more swings before muscle fatigue sets in, or use it before a game to lock in hand-eye coordination. Visit Swift Stik’s Web site to see how it gets fast results.

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include a remote control, and carry a manufacturer’s warranty.

Circle No. 554 Mojo Sports 661-822-5840 www.mojopitchingcage.com Take a closer look—the Mojo Pitching Cage is the world’s first pitching cage and was unveiled at the ABCA convention in Januar y.

This is the ultimate pitching target, designed to provide the most realistic practice environment possible for pitchers by presenting a real mitt to throw to (held by a catcher mannequin) with a stand-in batter mannequin for reference. The Mojo Pitching Cage: real practice for real pitchers.

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Power Systems 800-321-6975 www.power-systems.com Perform traditional and non-traditional strength, core, and stability movements with the unique NRG Ball System. Available as a five-, seven-, or nine-pound unit, the NRG Ball increases training options— including sport-specific applications—by integrating medicine ball and barbell workouts into one unit. It

Grand Slam Pitching Machine 800-GRAND-SLAM www.agrandslam.com

WWW.ATUUM.COM

Grand Slam is one of the most effective pitching machines for working batters’ hand-eye coordination. Its selffeeding reservoir holds over 60 golf ball-sized Wiffle® balls and allows batters to take 50 swings in five minutes. Each pitch is guaranteed to hit the strike zone.

It’s ideal for indoor training or outdoor use—all you need is 16 to 20 feet of free space. Forty-eight balls and a lifetime warranty are included.

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THE

consists of a medicine ball and two interchangeable 12-inch foam-contoured handles. An optional golf handle is also available. An instructional video, exercise guide, and chart are included.

Circle No. 558 The new Series 7 Hurdle from Power Systems delivers seven levels of training challenge in one lightweight, foldable, portable steel hurdle. Use it for dynamic warmups and then quickly adjust the springloaded pins on the crossbar to make plyometric bounding and hurdle walks challenging and intense. The hurdle adjusts in threeinch increments from 24 inches to 42 inches. Combine multiple height configurations to produce enhanced knee lift, increased flexibility, and more intensity during agility drills. Series 7 Hurdles are not intended for use as track hurdles.

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| 800-538-6428

TRUE SWING

The True Swing is a hitting aid designed to develop quick and powerful swings to all fields by providing immediate feedback for looping swings.

No more fence drills - Adjustable height and flexible material protects batters and their bats Use with a Tee, Soft-toss, or Pitched Safety Balls Adjusts in seconds for: • Left and right handed batters • ALL heights of batters • ALL strike zone locations

Looped Swing

Corrected Swing

Endorsed by Bernie Walter 2007 ABCA Hall of Fame Inductee World Champion, 2-time National Champion 10-time Maryland H.S. State Champion Coach

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Infield Drag Use to Maintain, Restore & Build Infields!

Swift Stik 877-845-7845 www.swiftstik.com Swift Stik is one of the most versatile training bats on the market. Batters can improve handeye coordination, increase bat

PR72-E,166,b

www.Infield-Drag.com

PR72 Pro GroomerTM The perfect machine

Manual or electric lift available.

for everyday maintenance of Infields, Warning Tracks and much more! Keeps infields level, well-groomed and in safe playing condition for athletes.

Controls Weeds, Deters Water Puddling, & Saves Labor!

Levels, Smoothens, Mixes, and Breaks Up Hard Infields.

Complete info at www.Infield-Drag.com

Heying Co. 515 6th Ave. Alton, IA 51003 Ph. (712) 756-8847 Circle No. 148 COACHING MANAGEMENT

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Practice Aids Sports Attack 800-717-4251 www.sportsattack.com The Junior Hack Attack baseball pitching machine is a Major League-quality training tool designed to develop serious young players. It features a patented threewheel design that allows hitters to experience a live-arm sense of timing and location.

Pitches, including cur veballs, sliders, right- and left-handed breakers, and more, can be quickly dialed up using the knobs. Lightweight and extremely portable, the new Junior Hack Attack can help develop your players into the pros they want to be.

Circle No. 560 The Hack Attack baseball pitching machine’s exclusive visual arm-action design signals batters to stride, show-

ing them the angle of release.

This provides a lifelike sense of timing and location. By simply changing the speed with three dials, the Hack Attack from Sports Attack can throw an impressive variety of Major League pitches, including right- and left-handed fastballs, breaking balls, curveballs, 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.

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You can store up to eight different pitches—including fastballs up to 90 mph, cur veballs, changeups, sliders, and more—in eight different programs, with only seven seconds between pitches. The programmed pitches in the HomePlate can be thrown sequentially for specific hitting drills, randomly for game conditions, or in a way that simulates an opposing pitcher. Choose the 80-ball auto-feed model at $6,495, or the hand-feed model at $5,250.

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Sports Tutor 800-448-8867 www.sportsmachines.com

The Batting Tutor by Sports Tutor is an easy-to-use portable pitching machine for baseball and softball. Its electronic controls allow you to adjust ball speed and pitch height with the touch of a button—there’s no struggling with mechanical adjustments. The baseball model throws fastballs up to

The HomePlate pitching machine from Spor ts Tutor is the first programmable pitching machine designed for both batting cage and on-field use.

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Practice Aids 65 mph with a unique two-wheel design for better accuracy and truer spin than onewheel machines. An optional external battery pack can operate the Batting Tutor for more than eight hours.

Batting Tutor models start at $1,495.

Circle No. 563 Stalker Radar 888-STALKER www.stalkerradar.com Stalker Radar manufactures a wide variety of high-quality radar products, including Stalker Sport Radar, Stalker PRO Radar, and the

Stalker Acceleration Testing System.

Stalker radar is used by all Major League Baseball teams.

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youth players who are at least five feet tall. Visit Absolute Swing Bat online for more information.

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Swing Science 888-SWING-08 www.swingscience.com

Vantage Products International 800-244-4457 www.vpisports.com

Condition your hitters for improved strength, muscle memory, and coordination with the Absolute Swing Bat. This unique training device comes with an instructional DVD that offers tips and drills to help your players experience maximum performance improvement.

High school and college athletes nationwide have benefited from the Absolute Swing Bat. All models come with a protective carrying case, and the 28-inch adult version is designed for adults and

Vantage Products has introduced the Titan Curveball-Pitching Machine.

The Titan’s urethane pitching wheels eliminate air pressure problems that can occur with standard pitching machines, allowing ball speeds to range from 40 to 95 mph. Leather and dimpled balls can be thrown as curves, fastballs, sliders, sinkers, and knuckleballs. The Titan comes with a five-year limited warranty and a 24hour quick-ship guarantee.

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Coaches Travel Free The Ultimate Road Trip

Choose a country, select your players, pack your bags and GO! World-Sport does all the work. Airline and hotel reservations, ground transportation, meals, sightseeing and, of course games and tournaments.

Programs in:

· Australia · Belgium · England · France · Germany · Hawaii · Holland · Italy · Sweden

You coach the team and World-Sport does the rest. Openings available now.

Call, fax or e-mail today for details on your Ultimate Road Trip!

Call the Tour Hotline at

(800) 496-TOUR

CST# 1017810-40

or visit us online

www.worldsport-tours.com Circle No. 151

Circle No. 152 COACHING MANAGEMENT

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Calling Cards

More Products eFundraising.com 866-235-9660 www.efundraising.com The new ball and glove lollipops from eFundraising are a delicious, fun, and easy way to make up to 50-percent profit for your team or league. The minimum order is just one case for these go-anywhere fundraising champions, so they’re perfect for groups of all sizes. eFundraising’s lollipops are available in a variety of sports and holiday shapes.

Carousel Rounds and Color Blasters are also available.

Circle No. 567 K&K Insurance 800-426-2889 www.kandkinsurance.com K&K Insurance offers coverage for a variety of amateur and professional sports organizations and activities, including teams, leagues, camps/ clinics, events, instructors, officials, stadiums, arenas, and sports and fitness facilities.

For over 50 years, K&K has been providing superior coverage and ser vice for the unique needs of the sports and recreation industr y. Call today to find out how K&K Insurance can help your organization.

Circle No. 568 ScorePAD Sports, Inc. 678-270-4001 www.scorepad.com

called ScorePAD. With ScorePAD, you can score baseball and softball games on a Palm OS device or Windows-based PC. You can also create and post personalized Web pages for your team’s player statistics, box scores, scorecards, play-by-play narratives, and spray charts. You can even print reports containing more than 300 statistics and share them with players and their family members.

Circle No. 569 World-Sport Tours International 800-496-8687 www.worldsport-tours.com World-Sport is an innovative company that coordinates exciting travel programs for all kinds of sports teams.

Regardless of athletes’ age, skill level, or sport, World-Sport takes care of all the details, leaving the coach free to plan strategy and enjoy the sights— simply choose a destination and WorldSport does the rest.

Along with quality competition, your team will experience once-in-a-lifetime sightseeing and cultural activities. Lunch at the Leaning Tower of Pisa? No Problem. A team photo with kangaroos and koalas? No worries, mate. Players, coaches, parents, and boosters all enjoy outstanding tours as you travel the globe with World-Sport.

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Here’s what these companies are most known for:

Providing top-quality field materials, maintenance equipment, and technical assistance. www.beaconathletics.com

Dedicated to manufacturing grandstands and bleachers for more than 40 years. www.edstands.com

Fair-Play designs and manufactures quality scoreboards, message centers, and accessories. www.fair-play.com

Helping players get the most out of their swing. swingscience.com

Tough Tarps...No Bull www.westernindustries.com

ScorePAD Sports is a software company whose signature product is a system

Need help fundraising? Check out the resources available at

www.FundraisingForSports.com 56

COACHING MANAGEMENT

An excellent strength-enhancing, power-producing conditioning tool. www.thexvest.com

Gymnasium Athletic Equipment • Volleyball • Basketball • Soccer • Baseball • Football • Parks & Recreation

Physical Education • Tennis • Field & Floor Hockey • Lacrosse • Ball Carriers • Wall Padding • Field Maintenance

The Quality And Value You Expect From Jaypro!

With more than fifty years of experience in the sports equipment manufacturing business, Jaypro™ provides a full line of products for competition or recreational play. From aluminum bleachers and soccer goals, to ceiling suspended backstops and divider curtains, we adhere to the highest standards of quality and service in the sports equipment industry. For all your athletic equipment needs, when the game is on the line think ...Jaypro!

For more information see your local Jaypro dealer or to order a free catalog, contact Jaypro at 800-243-0533 or visit us at www.jaypro.com.

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The ULTIMATE Training System Used by the top collegiate programs nationwide! GUARANTEED results!

ENDORSED BY: Mike Epstein Professional hitting instructor & former MLB player

Sharpen hand-eye coordination Build muscle memory Increase bat speed Learn to hit the sweet spot Prevent lunging Prevent over swinging Get hundreds more swings

“These are, without a doubt, the BEST training tools that I have used.”

Throws a strike every time Great for indoor/outdoor use Control pitch speed Great for hand-eye coordination Includes 48 golf-size Wiffle® balls LIFETIME GUARANTEE

Rod Delmonico University of Tennessee Head Baseball Coach

“This is the best training system for sharpening hand-eye coordination and building good mechanics.”

Contact your local team dealer or call 1-877-845-7845 www.SWIFTSTIK.com I www.AGRANDSLAM.com Circle No. 154