Coaching Management 15.3

Coaching Management VOL. XV NO. 3

BASKETBALL

POSTSEASON

FRESH AIR Reaching new heights with your bench players

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Landing an Interview Core Strength

EDITION

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2007

Circle No. 100

Coaching Management Basketball Edition Postseason 2007

CONTENTS

Vol. XV, No. 3

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LOCKER ROOM

COVER STORY

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

Fresh Air

NBA plans youth academy for 2008 ...

How should the NCAA treat text and instant messages? ... Michigan high school coaches take a time-out ...

Curbing negative recruiting ... Reality television ... Ohio rewards good sportsmanship.

Q&A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 After retiring in 2000, Isaiah Peterson returned to take Coahoma County High School to consecutive Mississippi state championships. In this interview, he talks about discipline, instilling selfworth in his players, and counseling his most heavily recruited athletes.

On the cover: With nine players averaging more than 10 minutes a game, the Pitt Panthers apply relentless pressure on their opponents for the entire game.

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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16

Using more players in your rotation can lift your program to new heights.

YOUR CAREER

Creating A Buzz

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25

The days of simply sending in your application are long gone. To land an interview in today’s highly competitive job market, coaches need a systematic and dynamic strategy.

STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

Core Values

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33

Mid-torso strength underlies every move your players make. That’s why you need a multi-faceted approach to training the core.

TEAM EQUIPMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 BASKETBALL FACILITIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 MORE PRODUCTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 ADVERTISERS DIRECTORY

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

WEB NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 COACHING AIDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 STRENGTH TRAINING & CARDIO . . . . . . . . . .45

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Advertising Sales Associate Diedra Harkenrider, (607) 257-6970, ext. 24 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 Basketball are provided by the Clell Wade Coaches Directory.

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The Coaching Management Basketball edition is published in July and March 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.

Printed in the U.S.A.

COACHING MANAGEMENT

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LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD NBA Plans Youth Academy In the six months since NBA Commissioner David Stern publicly called for the reform of youth basketball, plans to create a national basketball academy continue to inch forward. In December, Stern and NBA Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver toured IMG Academies in Florida, which train elite tennis, soccer, and basketball athletes and has been suggested as a template for the national academy.

athletes from ninth to 12th grades. Academy athletes would be bused to one or more high schools in the area to complete their academic coursework. Funded by NBA athletes and corporate sponsors, the academy would field two teams of players chosen by a selection committee and play a national schedule with televised games.

Although he is no longer working for Reebok, Vaccaro still hopes to open a basket-

For a group of collaborators who have yet to publicly discuss their plans, that isn’t a lot of time. “There are many supporters [of the academy], including Myles Brand and the NCAA,” says Bob Williams, Managing Director of Public and Media Relations at the NCAA. “But in terms of the youth basketball issue at heart, an academy is a very narrow approach to a very broad problem. Academic and athletic balance is a problem going all the way back

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

Criticizing the current state of youth basketball as severely flawed, NBA Commissioner David Stern announced his intentions to create a national basketball academy. ball academy. The NBA and NCAA have been much less specific about their plans.

Brand has indicated the NCAA would work with the academy to ensure its graduates’ academic eligibility and Stern has talked about modeling the academy after its European counterparts, which share some of the basic structure of IMG and Vaccaro’s vision.

“We’re not kidding around here,” Stern told the Times, adding that he’d like to see the academy up and running as early as 2008.

to grade school. We need to reach athletes in those early grades and say, ‘Hey, it’s great that you’re a good basketball player, but you need to worry about academics, too.’”

The NABC’s Haney agrees that the academy is a small piece of the solution, if one at all.

“When you think in terms of how many athletes are identified as potential professional players,” he says, “the number is so small that the academy approach is a pretty narrow piece of the big picture.”

During the January Council meeting, the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee spoke out against the intrusiveness of text and instant messaging. “It’s new and it’s technically hip, but it’s not necessary,” Anna Chappell, the Division I SAAC Chair and a former University of Arizona student-athlete, told the NCAA News. “There are a lot of other ways to make a personal connection.”

Under the more moderate proposal, written by a subcommittee of the NCAA Academics/ Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet, coaches would have only been allowed to text recruits from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends. “The NCAA has been struggling with how to regulate computer-mediated communications,” says Jacqueline Blackett, Associate Athletic Director at Columbia University and a member of the subcommittee. “We need to see this issue through the eyes of student-athletes and address the problems we’ve been hearing about.”

ANDREW D. BERNSTEIN/NBAE VIA GETTY IMAGES

Sonny Vaccaro, who stepped down as Reebok’s Director of Grassroots Basketball in January, has long advocated setting up a national academy with rotating leadership from all of the major sneaker manufacturers. In a 2006 interview with the Washington Post, he envisioned an academy that would house several dozen

Faced with a pair of proposals to restrict text messaging from coaches to recruits, the NCAA Division I Management Council defeated a plan that would have prohibited texting during the school day. Instead, it forwarded a more radical proposal to eliminate all instant and text messaging.

Like faxes and e-mail, instant and text messages are currently classified as letters, with no limit to the number a coach may send to recruits.

But some administrators feel unlimited text messaging has become unmanageable, compelling coaches to contact prospects constantly while distracting recruits and their families with around-the-clock communications.

In an interview with the New York Times, Stern expressed his disappointment with the United States’ performance in international competition and its development of young players, describing it as a severely flawed system that exploits young athletes. “I think we could do a better job of rounding and grounding those kids so the adjustment to a professional life is a happy one,” he told the Times. “I’m serious about attempting to improve the overall situation.”

In September, Stern met with NCAA President Myles Brand, NFHS Executive Director Bob Kanaby, National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Executive Director Jim Haney, and representatives from the Amateur Athletic Union, sneaker companies, and USA Basketball to discuss the state of American youth basketball. In the months following the summit, adidas, Nike, and Reebok announced plans to revamp their summer programs with a greater emphasis on basketball fundamentals.

Management Council Debates Text Messages

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LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD In the more radical plan, proposed by the Ivy Group, coaches would be forbidden to use text and instant messages to communicate with recruits at any time during the recruiting process. Along with opposition from the Football Issues Committee, the Men’s Basketball Issues Committee, and the Women’s Basketball Issues Committee, the proposal is unanimously opposed by the Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet, which would prefer “reasonable restrictions that will promote efficiency in the recruiting process and control the intrusion factor.”

The Management Council will again debate the issue at its April meeting. In the meantime, Council members are asking administrators to respond to the Ivy Group proposal. To read the proposal, go to: www.ncaa.org. Click on “Legislation & Governance,” “Rules & Bylaws,” and “Divi-

sion I” under “Proposed Legislation.” The proposal number is 2006-40.

Taking a Time Out Basketballs will still bounce and nets will still swish this summer in Michigan gyms, but for one week during the three-month vacation, the sound of high school coaches giving advice to their players won’t be heard at all. Beginning this year, the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) will institute a seven-day “dead period,” during which coaches won’t be permitted to have contact with their players in an athletic setting.

Jack Roberts, Executive Director of the MHSAA, says mounting pressure on high school student-athletes necessitated the break. “We’re trying to respond to increasing concern about the loss of fam-

ily time for coaches and athletes, as well as the decline of multi-sport athletes,” he says.

“Whether the demands are subtle or direct, student-athletes are pressured to focus on one sport for most of the year, if not the whole year. A coach can directly or indirectly require students to play over the summer if they want to make the team, and we want to relieve that pressure.”

The dead period doesn’t keep student-athletes from playing, it just forbids coaches from practicing with their athletes.

“We try not to tell individual students what they can or can’t do,” Roberts says. “If kids want to play during the dead period, they may, but no one can tell them they have to.”

Just as in many other states, summer AAU leagues are popular in Michigan and high school head coaches often double as AAU coaches. It’s

Beginning this summer, Michigan high school-aged basketball players will have a seven-day “dead period” free from contact with their school coaches. Here, Marysville High School Head Coach Tom Valko leads his team in a December victory against Lake Shore High School.

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

common for them to have their own high school players on their AAU team, so in essence, they coach their players yearround. Under the new rule, for at least one week, any Michigan AAU coach who coaches his or her own players will have to hand the reins over to an assistant or cancel practice.

“My players could play in one of the big AAU tournaments over the Fourth of July weekend, and as long as I’m not with them, it’s fine,” says Tom Valko, Head Coach at Marysville High School. “Some AAU tournaments and summer team camps are going to have to adjust because most schools are picking the July 4th week to have the dead period. I usually take my team to a camp right around July 1, so we’ll have to adjust accordingly.”

Valko, who is also on the Board of Directors of the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan, has no problem making the adjustment, and says he believes a lot of schools already give their athletes a break over the summer. “What the MHSAA did was formalize it as a rule,” he says. “The rule will only hold as well as the schools enforce it, though.

It’s a matter of self-policing. If a high school has a strong athletic director and good coaches, the dead period will be supported, managed, and followed. And if not, it won’t.”

The MHSAA decided to let each high school choose which seven consecutive days would constitute its dead period, and most schools have opted for the Associationrecommended week that includes the Fourth of July.

“A large segment of our membership wanted to mandate the same seven days for everybody, but we wanted to give schools a choice,” Roberts says. “We will survey the schools next year about the dead period, and if that week was chosen overwhelmingly, we may mandate it statewide.”

Curbing Negative Recruiting College coaches can be pretty direct when trying to convince potential student-athletes to choose their school. But some do a lot of whispering about the sexual orientation of coaches or athletes at competing schools. Aiming to curb this kind of negative recruiting, the NCAA and the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) held a Think Tank on Homophobia in Sport last October, bringing together NCAA staff, athletic directors, coaches, student-athletes, and conference commissioners to brainstorm solutions.

The group’s discussions focused on issues like how to address romantic relationships between teammates and answer parents’ questions

about coaches or players.

Group members are now in the midst of forming a “roadmap to action,” with participants bringing the discussion back to their respective NCAA committees for brainstorming.

“We need to get everyone on the same page to begin with, so we’re working on a definition of negative recruiting based on perceived sexual orientation,” says Helen Carroll, Sports Project Director for the NCLR. “The think tank wanted to look at what can be done about it and put together information to educate coaches and recruits.”

Rather than introducing legislation to stop the practice, the NCAA and NCLR are developing a “Best Recruiting Practices” paper, which is being written by a group of think

tank participants, led by Pat Griffin, Director of the It Takes A Team! Education Campaign for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Issues in Sport through the Womens Sports Foundation. When finished, the paper will be made available to prospective studentathletes and their families.

The think tank also suggests that conferences add policies against negative recruiting to their codes of ethics. “A lot of institutions and conferences already have ethics codes that address discrimation based on sexual orientation, and the NCAA has a policy of nondiscrimination that includes sexual orientation,” says Karen Morrison, NCAA Vice President for Educational Services and think tank participant.

“The strategy of the think tank was to discuss the issues, talk about the good things that

Working with the NCAA, Helen Carroll, Sports Project Director for the National Center for Lesbian Rights, helped assemble a think tank to address homophobia in recruiting.

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LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD come from positive recruiting, frame some best practices, and then disseminate those ideas to a wide audience.”

While the covert nature of negative recruiting based on perceived sexual orientation makes it difficult to track, Carroll says she believes it’s used frequently in women’s sports and is growing in men’s. As education programs become more common through the NCAA and coaches’ organizations, the practice will begin to subside, she says.

Morrison says the NCAA will also find ways to disseminate the information to potential student-athletes and their families through the NCAA’s online publications. “Many student-athletes don’t consider this to be an issue that would make them decide where to go to school, but there may

still be parents who have concerns about it,” Morrison says.

“We will have some points of education that will focus on the prospects as well as their families.”

Reality Show Matt Fine, Head Coach at Muncie (Ind.) Central High School does not want his MTV. In November, Fine and building-level administrators at Muncie Central turned down an offer that would have cast Bearcat players as stars of a new reality TV program modeled after the MTV hit show “Two-A-Days,” which debuted last fall and chronicled Hoover (Ala.) High School’s pursuit of a 2005 football state championship. Muncie Central was one of two East Central Indiana Schools to formally decline the invitation, with

New Castle High School also saying no thanks.

Boasting a rich basketball history that includes the most state titles in Indiana boy’s high school basketball history, stateof-the-art playing facilities, and a talented roster, Muncie Central was an obvious choice for the part. At the start of the 2006-07 season, two players had already signed to play at NCAA Division I schools, three more were expected to reach that level, and the team was favored to win another state championship.

Taking these factors into account, Humidity Entertainment, the show’s production company, contacted the school and spent a day on campus interviewing players, cheerleaders, and administrators.

Intrigued by what they saw, the producers sat down with

Fine, Athletic Director Tom Jarvis, and Principal Dick Daniels to discuss a preliminary proposal to build a reality TV show around the Bearcats. After that meeting, Fine, Jarvis, and Daniels spent a couple of hours weighing the offer.

“As we examined the pros and cons, we all agreed that the project would be too intrusive on our kids,” Fine says. “We felt that having cameras focused on those kids for several hours a day would interfere with their academics, family lives, and basketball.”

In shaping his opinion, Fine asked a number of his coaching friends for advice, especially those who had navigated the media frenzy that comes with coaching high-profile recruits. “Almost overwhelmingly,” he says, “they told me, ‘No way, Coach. You don’t

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want to mess with that. It’s not worth it.’”

To get a better idea of the project, Fine also watched a few episodes of “Two-ADays.” “Even though I felt [the football version] was very well done, I realized that it was a reality show and reality shows

transformed Hoover High School football players and Head Coach Rush Propst into nationally recognized celebrities. In addition to the $20,000 MTV paid the district for filming rights, school officials say Hoover High has turned a large profit from team merchandise sales. To

says Fine. “But ultimately, we decided that you can’t put a price tag on the disruption the cameras could have caused to not only the basketball program, but to everybody in our school.”

As the season progressed, MTV moved its search to Kentucky, first approaching Lexington Catholic and then Elizabethtown High School, where preliminary filming has begun.

If MTV and EHS reach an agreement, the program could be aired this spring or fall.

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Muncie (Ind.) Central High School’s Brandon Jenkins takes the ball downcourt—with no television cameras following him. are based on creating drama,” says Fine. “I just didn’t think that kind of drama would be good for our team.”

By declining the offer, Fine knows Muncie Central is probably missing out on a swell of publicity and a financial windfall. With over 46 million viewers, “Two-A-Days”

meet the national demand, the school even had to set up an online store.

Fine, however, refused to let dollar signs sway his thinking.

“The money we could have received from MTV, along with increased attendance and merchandise sales, would have helped our bottom line,”

“Teaching sportsmanship to others starts with how you act yourself,” says Tom Petty, Head Boys’ Basketball Coach at Bloom-Carroll High School in Carroll, Ohio, who was given the 2005-06 OHSAA Sportsmanship, Ethics, and Integrity Award, which is presented annually to one coach in each sport. “In high school, I played for a coach who wasn’t assessed a single technical foul in his entire career. I have never forgotten the way he respected officials and handled himself with class during games. When I became a coach, I knew that was how I wanted to conduct myself, too.”

Now closing in on three decades at Bloom-Carroll, Petty hasn’t quite repeated his mentor’s flawless record, but he’s come close—in 27 years, he’s received just five technical fouls. He believes keeping cool under pressure can be learned and frequently discusses sportsmanship with his players. “I teach them how

to treat officials,” he says. “I ask, ‘Are you going to play a perfect game today? Probably not. And just like you, the officials may make mistakes.

That’s just part of the game.’

I stress that if they don’t like a call, they shouldn’t react.

And if they do, they may find themselves on the bench.”

Like Petty, Bruce Schlabach, winner of the 2005-06 OHSAA Sportsmanship, Ethics, and Integrity Award for girls’ basketball, sees his team’s performance as a direct reflection of its coach. “The first step is making sure you display sportsmanship in your own actions,” says Schlabach, who coached at Triad High School in North Lewisburg, for 20 years before becoming the school’s athletic director this year. “If you screw up, make sure your team sees you apologize to the ref and talk with your athletes about why your actions were wrong.”

Schlabach has another strategy for teaching players to respect referees. “I have players take turns greeting the officials when they arrive,” he says. “They shake hands, welcome them to our school, make sure they have any drinks or snacks they need, and show them to their locker room. When we get out on the floor, it really helps that our players have that opportunity to see the refs as people, not just as striped shirts.”

At Springfield South High School, Athletic Director Greg Newland has taken the idea of welcoming one step further.

The school has hosted sportsmanship luncheons, inviting its crosstown rivals to share a meal a few days before a big game. “Springfield North is just four miles away, so you can imagine the rivalry,” he says. “We were looking for ways to diminish the tension prior to our big games, and sitting down to eat together really worked well.”

COACHING MANAGEMENT

9

LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD Organizers carefully designed the seating arrangement to promote interaction between teams. “We seated the South starting point guard next to the North starting point guard, and so on right around the table,” says Newland, whose school has been given OHSAA’s Harold A. Meyer Sportsmanship Award nine years in a row. “After the meal, guest speakers talked about sportsmanship. Players get to see each other as people, not as adversaries, and everyone has agreed it makes gameday much more positive.

“Teaching sportsmanship to others starts with how you act yourself,” says Bloom-Carroll High School Head Boys’ Coach Tom Petty, who was given the 2005-06 Ohio High School Athletic Association’s Sportsmanship, Ethics, and Integrity Award for boys’ basketball.

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“High school coaches need to keep addressing sportsmanship in both big ways and little ways,” continues Newland.

“Our kids often have very visible role models for poor sportsmanship, so we need to make sure they’re hearing the right message, too.”

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ISAIAH PETERSON Coahoma County High School, Clarksdale, Miss.

By the time he retired in 2000, Isaiah Peterson had put together a long and successful resume. In 33 years coaching boys’ basketball at Broad Street High School in Shelby, Miss., he’d won more than 700 games, including the 2A state championship in 1989.

Then, days before the 200102 season began, Peterson came out of retirement to take over a struggling program at Coahoma County High School in nearby Clarksdale, Miss.

He started by cutting 13 players at his first practice and establishing himself as a strict disciplinarian. He also lost his first game by 52 points.

Within four years, Peterson revived the program, and sparked by the play of point guard Terrence Calvin and forward Ravern Johnson, the Red Panthers won back-to-back 2A state championships in 2005 and 2006.

Peterson is second in wins among Mississippi’s active high school basketball coaches and is within shouting distance of his 900th career victory. In this interview, Peterson talks about instilling discipline and self-worth in his players, counseling his most heavily recruited athletes, and reaching his career goal.

What made you want to coach?

Back in the late 1960s, when I finished college, that was about the only option I had—teaching and coaching. So I took a job teaching at Broad Street High School.

Later that year I added head boys’ basketball coach to my title, and I’ve been coaching ever since.

How has your approach evolved over time?

It’s changed a lot—there ain’t no two ways about it. In my first year of coaching we did a lot of running and gunning. Five years later, when my team reached the state tournament, I thought I was a great coach. But I soon realized we didn’t know when to stop running, play conservatively, or talk about Xs and Os. In our last game, we had a nine point lead with two minutes on the clock and ended up losing by one.

Q&A here, this team had lost 64 of its last 65 games. Everyone told me I was crazy for taking this job, and I thought maybe I was crazy too. But with discipline I got the kids to begin believing in themselves and within five years we won two state championships.

How did you turn this program around?

I came in with a philosophy that there is no such thing as “I can’t.” If kids didn’t want to participate and didn’t want to do what I said, I got rid of them. We have a slogan we say at the beginning and end of every practice: “We are one team. We believe in ourselves.”

Every time a kid isn’t working hard or every time somebody says, “I can’t,” they pay for it with either 100 pushups or 25

I didn’t understand the game. I didn’t understand how to win. That summer, I went to some basketball camps, talked philosophy with a lot of college coaches, and put it all together. The next season, I changed my basketball strategy from run and gun to more Xs and Os, and I’ve been doing that ever since.

What’s your play-calling philosophy?

I like to move the basketball, work for high-percentage shots, and get the ball inside as much as possible. If we have a lead, I like to spread the floor, make people come out to play us, and take it to the basket one-on-one. Those are my goals from year to year, but in high school, you’ve got to keep changing strategy to make the most of the players you have.

Like this year, we have some super talent and height—a starting lineup that’s 6’7’’, 6’6’’, 6’4’’, 6’4’’, and 6’3’’—but we’re missing a true point guard to lead the team.

How does that affect your strategy?

We’re trying hard to get everyone involved in ball handling, get more movement on the floor, and take the responsibility off our inexperienced guards by having everyone play part of that role.

We’re using a pass and move, motion offense, and we’ve got one of the top ballplayers in the state, Ravern Johnson, who was named Mr. Basketball in 2006.

He’s 6’7”, and my leading scorer.

You have a reputation as a disciplinarian. Is it deserved?

No doubt about it. I think discipline is the key to any good team. Before I came

Heavily recruited forward Ravern Johnson dunks the ball to lead Coahoma County to its second straight 2A Mississippi State Championship in 2006.

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laps. If they do something wrong in the classroom or come late to practice, they pay for it. There are no excuses, and when they realize they are going to pay for their mistakes, they make sure not to make them again.

What do you do to emphasize academics?

That is the number one priority here. Basketball is number two. The state association says as long as you pass your courses you can play, but I don’t like Ds. My rule

Do you have your players set goals?

Before the season starts I have them write team and personal goals. I take copies of their personal goals and lock them in a file cabinet. They take a copy and put it above their beds, and every day before they come to school they read their goals. At the end of the season, I take out my copy and we see how close they came to achieving them.

What’s the biggest challenge of coaching at a small school?

“If coaches are going to recruit my kids, I want them to go through me. Last year, Ravern Johnson had four shoeboxes full of mail, and I held it all until the end of the season. That way, he didn’t have to think about it, and he stayed focused.” is that if they can’t maintain a C average, they can’t play basketball for Coahoma County. I tell my kids that athletes should be leaders of the community. They should be the top students in school, and I push them to be the best.

I don’t have an assistant coach, although the junior high boys’ basketball assistant sits on our bench during games. He keeps track of turnovers and fouls, and watches the point guards and the big men. Whenever we’re up against a big

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school with three coaches on the bench, we just have to work harder.

What is it like coaching a high-profile player like Ravern Johnson?

Ravern is just a good ol’ country boy.

With so many people writing about him and all the coaches calling to recruit him, he could have easily let it go to his head.

Everybody on the team understands that in order for us to succeed it can’t all be about Ravern Johnson, it has to be about the whole team. I preach that every day.

That’s the kind of club we have.

What role did you play during Johnson’s recruitment?

I had a long talk with his mother and father, who told me from day one they did not want him going too far away from home. They both worked and wanted him to be close enough that they could go see him play. At one point, it looked like every school in the United States was recruiting Ravern, and my job was to help find a school that would be a good fit for him.

He’s the type of kid who doesn’t like talking on the phone. He said, “Coach, I just want to play basketball. You talk to them

Q&A for me.” So we only gave coaches my number, and if they wanted to reach him, they had to talk to me. Right before he decided on Mississippi State University, he accidentally put his phone number out. That night, I must have gotten 35 or 40 calls, and he got about 20 more.

I told him, “If I were you, I’d narrow it down to five schools. We’ll put it on the Internet, and hopefully some of those others will back off.” He said, “I like Mississippi State, that’s where I want to go.”

He was sure about his decision, so we put it on the Internet and next day we got two calls from coaches asking, “Why isn’t Ravern coming to my school?” And I said, “Because of people like you.”

gram and had a great season, losing only two games. Then, the next September, I got a call from Coahoma County saying, “Our kids don’t have a coach. Could you please come help them?” I told them no.

They kept calling and calling until finally I said I’d help out, but just for one year.

And that one year has now become six.

But I enjoy it. It’s part of me. I’ve been coaching all my life, and I really love it.

What’s next for you?

I read in the newspaper that I rank fifth in wins among all high school basketball

Are you that involved with all of your players who are being recruited?

I’ve had top-notch ballplayers before and I handled it the same way. If coaches are going to recruit my kids, I want them to go through me. Last year, Ravern had four shoeboxes full of mail, and I held it all until the end of the season. That way, he didn’t have to think about all the phone calls and the mail, and he stayed focused.

After coaching at Broad Street for most of your career, what was it like to win your 800th game in their gym?

My fans from Coahoma County brought a big cake and chicken and all the fixings.

At the end of the game they announced I’d won my 800th game and we had a little celebration. It was special, really special.

coaches in Mississippi with 862. The coach in front of me has 864 and the next has 865. The top two coaches have 904 and 905 wins, but only the top one and me are still coaching. I’m the only black coach in the state to have 800 wins, and before I go out, I’d like to have 900. I didn’t do it this year, so I’ll have to come back next year. It’s important for me because I’m setting an example for my players, especially the ones who want to become coaches themselves. That’s my number one goal: to move up to second place in wins in the state of Mississippi.

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How hard was it for Coahoma to repeat as state champions?

It was a lot harder winning the second time, no doubt about it. And this year, after winning back-to-back titles, it’s been even harder. In the locker room, I tell them they need to play their best every time, because if they don’t someone’s going to knock us out.

In 2006, when your team returned to the gym where they won the state championship for a regular-season game, you told your players to get dressed in the same spots. Was that to motivate them?

Or was that superstition?

We were in the same dressing room and I said, “All you guys who are returning go to the same locker, get in the same spot, and let’s do it again.” It worked—we won. Later that year, I took a suit to the championship game, but when I got there I decided to wear the same shirt, pants, and shoes I’d worn all season. I don’t think it’s superstition, just something I believe in as a coach.

What made you come out of retirement?

When I retired from Broad Street, I had no intention of ever coaching again. A year after I left, my son took over the pro-

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COACHING MANAGEMENT 15 12/27/06 8:11:55 PM

FRESH AIR Using more players in your rotation can lift your program to new heights.

BY R.J. ANDERSON

W

HEN UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH Head Men’s Coach Jamie Dixon describes his 2006-07 team’s deep, talented bench, he never uses the term “role players.”

Instead, he talks about the play of his “nine starters.”

“Every guy in our nine-man rotation was good enough to start,” says Dixon. “Even though we were only allowed to begin each game with five players on the court, we considered the four guys coming off the bench good enough to be starters.”

With nine players averaging more than 10 minutes per game, Pitt’s rotation helped maintain a pressure defense that left its opponents—who typically relied on seven-, or eightman rotations—gasping for breath. By bringing wave after wave of able bodies off the bench, the Panthers finished games fresher and usually with more points than their opponents.

While not every coach has nine elite athletes at his or her disposal, most have the resources to build an effective rotation. The benefits of using more players will be apparent from the get-go. Whether you’re keeping key players fresh for a long, grinding season, giving younger, less-seasoned athletes more time on the court, or improving team morale, using more players provides both immediate and lasting positive effects for your team.

Building a rotation, however, involves more than just knowing how to dole out playing time. Assigning roles and convincing experienced players to accept fewer minutes can take a velvet touch. Integrating young, inexperienced talent into your rotation takes guts—along with a well thought-out strategy and an effective sales pitch. But once your players’ buy-in is complete, the added depth gives you a tactical edge of greater flexibility, energy, and teamwork.

Strength In Numbers At Northern Arizona University, a 10-man rotation is a necessity for Head Men’s Coach Michael Adras. Playing home games 7,000 feet above sea level, NAU dressed 13 players 16

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With nine players averaging more than 10 minutes a game, the Pitt Panthers apply relentless pressure on their opponents for the entire game.

and gave regular playing time to 10 in 2006-07. “We’re usually an up-and-down team that plays a lot of man-to-man defense,” says Adras. “At our pace and this altitude, we not only run the other team into the ground, we can also run ourselves into the ground if we don’t play enough guys.”

Putting more players into the game also improves athletes’ preparation. “If people know they’re going to get playing time, they’re much more motivated in practice,” Adras says. “They’re more focused when we go over scouting reports and videotapes because they have personal responsibility for the next game.”

At NCAA Division III Williams College, the nationally ranked women’s team plays a defense-driven up-tempo style that relies on nine or 10 players to make it work. With conference games typically scheduled on back-to-back nights Friday and Saturday, Head Women’s Coach Pat Manning divides minutes so that no starter plays more than 30 in a game. In 200607, seven Ephs averaged double-figure R.J. Anderson is an Assistant Editor at Coaching Management. He can be reached at: rja@MomentumMedia.com.

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COVER STORY

minutes, with four playing over 22, three between 14 and 16, and two around eight minutes per game.

Along with getting fresh legs on the court, Manning uses her rotation to help force the tempo, especially early on.

“Usually about four minutes into each half, I’ll bring in two or three subs to make us a little quicker and a little more defensive-minded,” says Manning, who typically employs two guards and a post player as her first players off the bench.

This past season, Manning counted six seniors among the top eight in her rotation. Knowing that next season she will lose over half of her top players, she manipulated her rotation to get younger athletes playing alongside experienced veterans—especially early in the season—to build their confidence and prepare them for more significant roles later on. “I wanted them feeling comfortable and experiencing success when they were on the floor,” she says.

At NAU, Adras incorporates a similar philosophy of using the rotation to benefit younger players.

“We don’t have McDonald’s All-Americans who come in and light the gym on fire as freshmen, so we typically have to develop young players into key contributors,” he says. “Our rotation is built on having five bench players back up the starting five.

It’s like a buddy system with each starter tutoring the guy behind him.”

Adras feels that by assigning younger players a specific position to learn and giving each a mentor, they can more easily acclimate to NAU’s offensive and defensive systems. “I’ve found that freshmen are typically able to identify with one role and understand one position,” he says. “If I throw them into a second position, they get lost on the court.”

In Adras’s system, each starter averages between 13 and 16 minutes a half, with the sixth man playing 10 and the other backups seeing four to seven minutes. The key is to find playing time for the ninth and 10th players, says Adras, because “at some point we’re going to need those guys to come up with a huge play or to log extended minutes when our main guys are in foul trouble. It’s a lot

easier for athletes to come in and contribute 18 minutes if you’ve consistently given them seven or eight minutes a game.”

Assembling The Pieces Before cooking up a rotation system, coaches need to select the ingredients that will give it the best flavor. Often, the process starts with finding combinations of players who work best together during practices, early-season scrimmages, and non-conference games.

Lorenzo Romar, Head Men’s Coach at the University of Washington, gives his players plenty of opportunities to work their way into the eight- or nine-man rotation he uses during conference play.

In addition to encouraging players to

“We really try to give everybody an equal opportunity to make their case for being in the rotation,” says University of Washington Head Men’s Coach Lorenzo Romar. “I like to give them time to show me their game. That gives me a chance to gauge non-statistical contributions and see how the team plays with certain guys on the floor.”

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prove themselves during practice, Romar distributes minutes during the team’s early-season non-conference games by using a 10- or 11-man rotation.

“We really try to give everybody an equal opportunity to make their case for being in the rotation,” says Romar. “I like to give them time to show me their game.

That gives me a chance to gauge nonstatistical contributions and see how the team plays with certain guys on the floor.

“A player may not stand out when you watch him individually,” he continues. “But maybe he’s always in the right place on the court, helping out defensively, making the extra pass, or consistently getting the guys around him to play harder. Stuff like that is difficult to measure, but when someone consistently does it, you notice. We’re looking for those glue guys who make us better every time they step out on the floor.”

With so much talent to choose from, Dixon follows both his gut and objective

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evaluations to assemble Pitt’s rotation.

He and his assistants film and keep statistics at every practice. In addition to charting deflections, charges, and loose balls, Pitt’s stat charts have a separate column to track wins during live drills and scrimmages to evaluate how well different combinations of players work.

“Everything we do in practice is competitive and whoever is on the winning team gets a W in their personal win column,” Dixon says. “That stat really sticks in my head when I’m trying to determine which combinations work well. It usually reveals which guys have the intangibles to help us win—because at the end of practice, they’re the ones with the most W’s.”

In setting up a rotation, NAU’s Adras makes sure to keep some firepower on the bench, even if his team’s five starters are not necessarily its five best players.

“Some guys are good enough to start, yet we like to bring them off the bench because we don’t want a drop-off in the

level of play from our first five to our second five,” says Adras. “Last season I had a center who statistically probably should have been the starter at that position, but he’s very good coming off the bench and getting into the flow of things. Most nights he probably played more minutes than the starting center.”

The Same Page Once a rotation is decided, the next step is to convince some players to accept smaller roles or fewer minutes than they’d hoped for. At Pius XI High School in Milwaukee, Wis., Head Boys’ Coach Joel Claassen says the key to getting both males and females to accept roles is open communication before, during, and after the season.

“I hold individual meetings with each kid in the preseason and postseason to tell them where they stand and what we need from them for our team to be successful,” says Claassen, who is currently

Looking for a way to energize your ball club and fire up the crowd? Do you have five or six players with athletic ability anchoring your bench? If the answer is yes, you could try some scrambled eggs.

When he wants to jump-start the pace of a game, Joel Claassen, Head Boys’ Coach at Pius XI High School in Milwaukee, Wis., inserts five players he calls his Scrambled Eggs. Taken from the playbook of legendary Marquette University Head Men’s Coach Al Maguire, the Scrambled Eggs are five defensive-minded players who rotate off the bench and play a full-court trapping defense that Claassen describes as “manic” and “psycho.”

“The Scrambled Eggs are hustle guys who come in for a few minutes to get steals and transition buckets,” says Claassen. “Their goal is to get the tempo back to where we want it and leave the floor having scored more points than they’ve given up. Their play usually gets the starters juiced and the crowd all jacked up, and provides a real game-changing, momentum-turning force.

“I only give them a minus-four cushion, so if we’re down four and they get to where we’re trailing by eight, I pull them out,” he continues. “But if they haven’t given up four points, I leave them in until I feel they’ve done their job.

in his third year with the Pius XI boys’ team after 18 years (and 14 state championships) coaching the girls’ team.

“I’m bluntly honest with my kids and tell them exactly where I see their talents fitting into our team approach. They may not embrace that role right away, but they know where I stand, and they know my door is always open if they want to discuss how to expand their role.”

Though it can be difficult to sell a sixth man role to a talented athlete, Claassen has succeeded by emphasizing the importance of the position. “My ideal sixth man is an energy guy who hits the floor running and brings a lot of energy,” says Claassen. “Last year’s sixth man had started the season before and I knew he was expecting to start again. So I talked about his strengths and how much it would help the team for him to bring that energy off the bench.

“I said, ‘You’re not going to start, but you’re always going to finish the game

I equate it to how a line plays in hockey—they can’t last very long if they’re going full out. So we don’t usually keep them on the court for more than four minutes.”

Teaching the Eggs to scramble is something Claassen does gradually during his practices. Spending 10 minutes per practice, he works the unit once during the second week of the season and twice during the third. By the fourth week he has the group up and running and playing in games. “We don’t spend that much time teaching them specifically because the whole team runs our full-court trapping defense—these guys just run it a bit quicker,” says Claassen.

Just as he does in games, Claassen uses the Scrambled Eggs to breathe life into practice. “As the season gets into the dog days and our defense is dragging, I’ll put that squad in and have a 10- or 12-minute competition against the starters to get things going,” he says.

By adding the Scrambled Eggs to his eight-man rotation, Claassen has 13 players getting regular playing time. Not only do the Scrambled Eggs help build team morale, but they also improve the bottom line. “I tell those guys that at some point during the course of the season, they’re going to make the difference that gets us the win,” says Claassen. “And every year, like clockwork, they do.”

A SIDE O F S CR AMBL E D E GGS 20

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Getting players comfortable with their place in a substitution pattern starts at practice. At the University of Pittsburgh, rotation combinations practice together in similar sequence to the way they’ll be used in a game. “We try to make our practices as game-like as possible, with plenty of substituting,” says Pitt Head Men’s Coach Jamie Dixon. “We have pre-practice planning sessions to get those rotations down, which gets everybody involved and paying attention.”

To keep his 10-man rotation sharp at practice, especially a day or two before a game, Northern Arizona University Head Men’s Coach Michael Adras likes to use the entire unit together in scrimmages and live drills. “We work on our substitution waves by going against a third team we call ‘the gold team,’” says Adras. “They’re a scout team made of the last three players on our bench, assistant coaches, and team managers. To make the drills and games more competitive, sometimes we let the gold team play with six players on the court.

“But five-on-five is especially productive because our top 10 players have success and build confidence,” he adds. “Winning drills and doing well in practice helps players learn how to win.”

M A K I NG I T W OR K

because I want you on the floor when it counts,’” he continues. “By selling the finish instead of the start, kids are more accepting of their roles. And that’s how it worked out: He had at least as many minutes as the starting guards and he usually played the last four minutes of the game.”

Williams’s Manning is also a big proponent of individual meetings. “I hold 20-minute meetings with each player at the beginning of the season and in early January when we return from winter break,” she says. “I start by asking if they have any concerns, then I talk about what I feel their role is and how they’re progressing toward filling it.

“I’ve had kids who don’t like their role and want something different,” she continues. “So I’ll say, ‘Keep working and that may happen,’ or ‘This is what the team needs from you right now.’”

To persuade players to buy into their assignments, Romar allows team chemistry to begin jelling before finalizing athletes’ specific roles. “We practice for several weeks and play a couple of games

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COVER STORY

before I say, ‘This is your role. Here’s how you can get playing time on this team,’” he says.

“For example, a couple years ago Will Conroy was a three-year starting point guard for us,” continues Romar. “Will was a good playmaker, but a lot of times he looked to score instead of running the team. I told him, ‘If you’re looking to score, then we’ll judge you based on how you compare to the other scorers on the team—you’re probably only our fourth best scorer. The role we need you to fill is to run the team—you’re number one at doing that. If you fill the playmaking role, you’ll start. If you want to be a scorer, you won’t play very much.’”

Ready To Rotate As the pieces fall into place, the coach’s next challenge is figuring out how to best utilize a rotation during games. Dividing up playing time and knowing when to substitute bench players is no easy task, and at Pius XI, Claassen uses a big-picture approach to analyze his players’ time on the court.

Before the season begins, he breaks down his roster, estimating how many minutes each player should log per game. He then multiplies that number by the team’s 20-game regular season.

For example, a starting point guard playing 22 minutes a game should total around 440 minutes for the season.

Then, throughout the course of the season, Claassen reviews the totals from each game to make sure his players are hitting those targets.

“My ideal number for the top players is between 400 and 440—if they play more than that they become too fatigued,” says Claassen. “If you’re going to give a kid 500 minutes or more over the course of a 20-game season, he’s going to lose his legs in March when he needs them the most.”

When making in-game decisions about his rotation, Dixon likes to get the ball rolling by scripting who will play during the first part of each half.

Having a set rotation not only takes the guesswork out of how he plans to sub during the game, but also allows players to anticipate when they’ll be used.

“Before each game, I put a chart together that details how I want to sub early in the first half,” says Dixon. “Our rotation is pretty set. I’m trying to get 10 minutes in each half for the guys in the

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COVER STORY

rotation and I want them to anticipate the order and situations I’m going to put them in. Then we adjust according to fouls and how individual matchups are playing out.

“About halfway through the first half I have a pretty good idea of who is going to be playing for the rest of the game and how much,” he continues. “At halftime, my assistants and I regroup and forecast what should happen in the second.”

Claassen takes this idea one step further, choreographing the plays his team will run to start each quarter.

“We have three plays for the first quarter and three for the second. Then at halftime we assess what is working and decide which plays we’ll run in the second half,” he says. “We prep everyone before the game and before each quarter so if we sub someone in, that player will know exactly which play we’re about to run.”

When he can, Claassen substitutes specific players combinations at once.

“For instance, this year we had two post

players who came off the bench together to play the four and five,” he says.

“We usually played them as a tandem because they had such good chemistry.

“Those two changed the flow of the game because they were both tough, physical post players who we we’d put in to replace two athletic, finesse post players,” Claassen continues. “By bringing in those two, we went to an entirely different defensive setup based on their skills.”

Carrying Over How a coach decides on the makeup of his or her rotation varies from year to year and is largely dependent on the talent of their roster. However, using a deep rotation and finding roles for eight to 10 players can provide a competitive edge for the current season, and also help develop next year’s contributors At Washington, Romar is doing just that. He uses the sixth man role to develop talented freshmen and sophomores such as future NBA players Tre

Simmons and Brandon Roy, and starting shooting guard Ryan Applebee. He has also had great success developing less talented players by giving them significant roles within his rotation.

Hans Gassner, who saw minimal time as a freshman and sophomore, has worked his way up through Washington’s rotation the last two years, averaging 10 minutes a game as a junior and 12 as a senior. “Now, Hans understands our system as well as anyone,” says Romar. “That wasn’t always the case, but over the years he’s worked hard to move up in our rotation and improved enough to become one of our team’s main contributors.”

Romar says it’s important not to bury players like Gassner on on your bench.

“We call it ‘keeping them alive,’” says Romar. “You keep a player alive by giving him a few minutes here and there and get them in with the starters when you have a comfortable lead. By keeping players alive throughout the season, they’ll be ready when you do need them to play big minutes in a pressure-packed game.” ■

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RULE YOUR JUNGLE. Circle No. 116 1 MANAGEMENT 24xubi_001.indd COACHING

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YOUR CAREER

CREATING A BUZZ

CHRIS MURPHY

The days of simply sending in your application are long gone.

To land an interview in today’s highly competitive job market, coaches need a systematic and dynamic strategy.

You’re reading the morning newspaper or casually scanning the coaching job boards, and you see it: your dream job. You’re at a point in your career when your experience and skills fit all the requirements. You’re excited.

You think about picking up the phone to tell the school’s athletic director that you’re the perfect person for the job.

But then you ask yourself: Is that the right way to go? How do you land an interview for a coaching job you desperately want?

The competition for coaching positions can be fierce, and getting noticed is not easy. For some jobs, hundreds of resumes will arrive on an athletic

director’s desk, and only a handful of applicants will be interviewed. How you proceed over the next few days is critical.

Your goal is to create a buzz about yourself with the athletic director and hiring committee members. You want to gather momentum so the committee will be excited to learn more about you.

To do that, you need to follow a systematic approach to keeping your name in front of decision-makers throughout the application process.

Initial Contact The number one factor in landing that interview is how you present yourself. The trick is being aggressive while

BY WILL REECE also showing that you’re a team player.

You want to stand out from the crowd as a go-getter, but not as a loudmouth. You want to follow directions given, but also show that you can exceed expectations.

That’s why the first step in the process is to learn exactly how to apply for the position. No matter how you found the job opening, always check the institution’s Web site for the official Will Reece is the Founder, President, and CEO of Next Level Consulting, which assists coaches at all levels in personal branding and communications. He is also a former coach and athletic administrator, and can be reached through his Web site, at: www.nextlevel.us.

COACHING MANAGEMENT

25

YOUR CAREER

posting. This description will tell you where to send your resume and provide any special instructions, like whether they’re willing to receive e-mails or phone calls. If the posting says no phone calls and you call anyway, you are definitely not starting out on the right foot.

If phone calls are permitted, you should contact the athletic director (or appropriate hiring person) as soon as possible. Prepare a 30-second pitch that quickly highlights why you are a good candidate for the job. Tell them who you are, what position you currently hold, one or two highlights of your career, and your intention to apply for the job. If the person on the other end of the line is receptive, ask how long the process will take, then close with a positive, confident statement. If you can’t reach the athletic director by phone, then leave a 30-second pitch on his or her voicemail or send a brief e-mail.

Here’s an example of an appropriate phone message: “Mr. Smith, this is Bill Jones. I am currently the assistant coach at State , and I am calling to let you know of my interest in your head basketball coaching position. We have been very successful at State. This past year we won the conference championship and

graduated all of our seniors. We have consistently recruited the top studentathletes in the state. I am sending my resume and references, which should reach you later today. I look forward to having an opportunity to share my vision for Southwestern U football with the search committee.”

What are some tips for this initial conversation? You want to be positive and upbeat but not obnoxious. You should come off as confident but not cocky.

And you want to be honest—if things work out, this athletic director will be your next boss, so represent yourself truthfully throughout the process.

The day you make contact with the hiring school, fax or e-mail a copy of your resume. Follow that up by sending any additional materials, with another copy of your resume, via overnight mail. The value of sending overnight (or second-day delivery) is that recipients generally turn their attention toward overnight deliveries before opening regular mail. And by sending a printed resume, you can be assured everything will look the way you want—rather than being blurred by lines on an old fax machine or jumbled because an administrator opened your Word file with the wrong program.

Each hiring process is different from the next, and some can be downright quirky.

At one school, coaches may be hired solely by the athletic director who is eager for as many references as possible. At another school, a hiring committee may be used, with very strict rules on what information is allowed.

To deal with the nuances, try to find out as much information as possible about the process. What is the timetable? Who are the members of the interview committee? How will the decision be made? What type of coach is the school looking for? Why did the former coach leave?

Getting this information is not as difficult as it may sound. Usually, you can find an inside connection who will be able to provide you with answers. You may know a coach who knows a coach at the school. You may be able to call the coach who is leaving. Or one of your references may be able to ask these questions for you.

If not, it helps to establish good communication with the athletic director’s staff. Generally, you will have contact with them in the follow-up process. If handled

26

COACHING MANAGEMENT

professionally, these people can be a great source of information.

Check the tracking information, and three days after your materials arrive, make a follow-up contact. Send an e-mail inquiry asking whether your materials have been received and letting the search committee know they can call with any questions. E-mail is instant and the contact person can read it as their schedule permits. It also opens up an easy line of communication if they have any additional questions for you. If you call instead, keep your conversation brief while communicating the same message.

Presenting Yourself on Paper Traditionally, applying for a job requires you to send in your resume and a list of references. However, in today’s world of coaching hires, that isn’t enough. To make yourself stand out, you need to present a polished description of your philosophy and accomplishments. The best way to do this is by compiling a portfolio.

Today’s athletic directors want coaches with a vision and a professional image, so that’s how you need to present yourself. You need to accurately communicate your successes and beliefs. You need to come across as a multi-dimensional coach with a personal brand.

DO YOUR HOMEWORK

It’s especially important to find out how the hiring decision will be made. For example, if studentathletes’ parents make up a good chunk of the search committee and have a final vote, you’ll want to include something about working with parents in your philosophy statement. If the departing coach was let go due to poor academics by his athletes, add something about your student-athletes’ academic achievements in your portfolio’s highlights section, or even directly on your resume.

Since coaches are used to competition, many spend a lot of energy trying to find out who else is applying for the job. This is not a good use of your time—and it’s certainly not as important as finding out about the search process. All it leads you to is trying to discredit another candidate, which will ultimately reflect poorly on you.

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YOUR CAREER

Your portfolio should be broken down into three sections: biographical information, career highlights, and coaching philosophy. Strive to make your information clear, well organized, and easy to read, and make sure there are no grammatical mistakes or typos.

Biographical Information: This is the section that most resembles a traditional resume. It should contain: education, playing experience, coaching experience, other related work experience, memberships in professional organizations and on committees, and any significant volunteer work. It usually works best to list your information chronologically, starting with the most recent position.

First and foremost, be absolutely certain that the information in this section is accurate and truthful. There have been several highly publicized cases in recent years of coaches “beefing up” their information and subsequently losing their jobs when the truth came out.

Today we live in a society where information travels around the world in the time it takes to click a mouse. The chances of

getting away with misrepresenting yourself are slim.

If you have an established career and track record, you should simply list your past positions and dates. However, if you have limited work experience, add a couple of lines describing the duties and responsibilities at each of the positions you have held. This will impress upon potential employers that even though you may not have extensive work experience, you have had the opportunity to start building a quality skill set.

You should be aware that including personal information is not required. In fact, employment law prohibits those hiring from asking candidates about their personal lives. Personal items include your birth date, marital status, family background, health issues, etc. You can include information about your personal life in your portfolio, but employers are not permitted to ask follow-up questions relating to it and cannot use it to make their hiring decisions.

Career Highlights: In this section you list your professional accomplishments.

Include individual and team honors, awards, records, and other important information. Some coaches say they are reluctant to list honors because it will seem like they are tooting their own horn. But the truth is, if you’re not highlighting your accomplishments, nobody else will. Rest assured that listing these achievements in the portfolio is informative and not conceited.

The first step in formulating your highlights section is to compile an exhaustive “brag” sheet. List every piece of positive recognition you have received throughout your playing and coaching career. Then, include those honors in your portfolio that are most relevant to the position you are seeking.

Also, be sure to include the accomplishments of your players. If you had a player named conference MVP, you as a coach played a role in developing (and possibly recruiting) that player.

Think about how to “spin” your achievements. To be clear, you should never include information that is not true, but sometimes you can present

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YOUR CAREER

the facts so that they have maximum impact. For instance, you may have led your basketball team to a respectable 16-14 record in your first season. But you can also compare that record to previous years to show improvement. Let’s say the team finished 4-26 the season before you got there. That means you accomplished a 400-percent improvement in your first season.

You can also use this section to fill any holes in your resume. For example, if you have only worked at the NCAA Division III level and you are applying for a job in Division I, include some information on how your experiences have prepared you to work at a Division I school.

Philosophy: No matter what sport you coach, it is important to have a coaching philosophy that is detailed, organized, and well written. I suggest breaking down your philosophy into technical and program approaches. A technical philosophy consists of how a coach feels the game should be played. This may include offensive and defensive strategies, practice philosophy, and strength and conditioning. A program philosophy includes all the factors that go into building and maintaining a championship program, such as motivating athletes, team-building, academics, fundraising, recruiting (at the college level), discipline, and public relations.

The position you are applying for will dictate whether to include your philosophy in your portfolio. Generally, if you are applying for a head coaching position, it is appropriate to include an explanation of your philosophy. If you are applying for an assistant coaching position, it’s not appropriate to include your personal philosophy. As an assistant coach you will be expected to implement the head coach’s philosophy.

Extra Touches: If you have the resources, you can add visual elements to make your portfolio stand out. Using the coaching example above, you might include a bar graph showing four wins before you arrived and 16 wins the next season. This gives readers a visual image that jumps off the page.

Photos are another way to highlight your accomplishments. Let’s say you’re an assistant basketball coach at the NCAA Division I level and have recruited several All-American athletes, including one who reached the NBA. To send a powerful message, you could include a full-page picture of this athlete with a tagline that

says: ‘Recruited to State by Coach Smith, Mike Jones went on to be a three-time All-American and NBA starter.’”

If you have written recommendations from well-known coaches, it can be effective to add a section of quotes from these people. You could even add small photos of the coaches to accompany their quotes.

Bringing In the Big Guns Once you’ve made initial contact and sent in your portfolio, it’s time to bring

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in the big guns! These are the coaches who are respected by other coaches and administrators, and may include your current boss, a former boss, a coach for whom you played, or a coach you met through networking.

You should ask two or three of these people to call the athletic director (or whomever is the contact person) to recommend you for the position. Arrange these calls to come on consecutive days so the contact person is hearing about

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

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Simplify & Speed your Product Research on the Internet Use links and tools on AthleticBid.com AthleticBid.com is a free service designed to help you research products and contact companies in an easy-to-use format.

Looking for a specific product?

You can use the Buyer’s Guide to search “By Product” and locate prospective suppliers. Each of the suppliers has a listing that can be reviewed. Some listings include basic contact data, but others have additional information to help you learn about the products or services and their company.

Another option available on AthleticBid.com is to place an RFP. When you already know your specs and are looking for price quotes from a variety of vendors, this is a great tool. Input your information and within three days you will receive e-mailed responses from all interested suppliers.

Finally, if you’re just interested in reviewing some of the new products that have been introduced on the market—check out the “Product Connection” section with brief descriptions and photos of products and contact information for the companies that sell them.

Learning More About Suppliers and their Products As mentioned earlier, a number of the company’s have enhanced listings that include additional resources to help you better evaluate them and their products.

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information. The information is stored as PDF files so you can view them on-line or print them out for easy reference Read a profile or description of the company or a company representative.

Request to be contacted by the company using an e-mail link direct to the company.

Ask for a catalog and sales literature from the company—again using an e-mail link direct to the company.

Take advantage of the wealth of information and resources available on AthleticBid.com to increase the information you gather, while also saving valuable time.

It used to take hours to contact dozens of companies to research products and plan purchases. But by using AthleticBid.com, it now only takes minutes.

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YOUR CAREER

you each day. And be sure to send a copy of your resume to these folks so they can refresh themselves on the details of your career before they call.

Selecting those who will call is of the utmost importance. Many young coaches approach “big name” coaches they might have had a 10-minute conversation with at a clinic and ask them to call. This generally backfires. The coach doesn’t know you well enough to answer questions the athletic director might ask about you. Many times he or she may actually end up recommending another candidate with whom he or she has a personal relationship!

Choose coaches or administrators who know and respect you. If there are specific points you would like them to bring out, talk about them with your callers in advance. For example, if this would be your first head coaching job, ask them to talk about your leadership skills and how you are ready to take on a higher profile position.

Also think about anyone who would strike a chord with the contact person.

If you know a coach who has a relationship with the hiring athletic director, you have an ideal scenario. If the contact person is not an athletic administrator (a principal or dean or vice president), then it may be beneficial to have a noncoach call on your behalf. It could be helpful for the contact person to hear from someone in a similar position at your current institution.

High school coaches often ask me what it takes to jump to the college ranks. To be honest, this is a tough move to make.

So in this situation especially, bringing in the big guns is critical. Of course, it takes a lot of networking beforehand. Working camps, attending clinics, and volunteering at events are all important steps to build relationships with college coaches.

When networking, look to build authentic relationships. If you are trying to make friends just to move up, you will only end up hurting yourself.

This type of jump often necessitates more than two or three phone calls from successful coaches who can recommend you. And, in addition to their

phone calls, you should have a long list of references available by mail, e-mail, or fax.

Playing It Cool As you make your way through this process, there are two more tips to keep in mind. One, make sure to time your approach: Make contact, send in your portfolio, follow it up, and bring in the big guns in that order. This timetable ensures decision-makers will be hearing your name throughout the process.

Two, don’t become a stalker. If you call too many times or use everyone you know as a reference, you run the risk of inundating the decision-makers.

Although being persistent is a great trait for a coach, being overly persistent could be a real turn-off.

Play it cool and use a systematic approach that keeps your name in front of the search committee, while respecting their time and the job they have to do. Play up your strengths and come across as a confident, savvy coach who knows how things should be done. ■

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Circle No. 122

STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

S CORE VALUES

BY DR. LARRY JUDGE

Mid-torso strength underlies every move your players make. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why you need a multi-faceted approach to training the core.

TRENGTH TRAINING HAS come a long way from the time when coaches used a small group of standard exercises and lifts to help develop stronger athletes. Now, strength programs are specifically designed for each sport and often for different positions within a sport.

While specialized training provides great benefits to many athletes, any enhancement of power can be severely restricted if general strength parameters, mobility, and posture are not also addressed. I have found that highly specialized, event-specific training can be the source of tremendous frustration and recurring injury patterns if these foundational items arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t also developed for a variety of conditions, thresholds, and environments.

To avoid this trap, the development of a strong core should be a primary training goal for all sports. Poor mobility, strength imbalances, overuse injuries, and a lack of general coordination can often be traced back to 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, I explain my multi-faceted approach to core training, which includes medicine ball work, body-weight circuits, slow controlled movements, weighted abdominal exercises, dumbbell circuits, Olympic lifts, and ballistic release work.

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

33

STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

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 them from a variety of angles so that all the muscle fibers are used. When working the abdominals, 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 hyperextensions, Russian twists, and delivery lifts with dumbbells. For optimal strength increases, repetitions on these exercises must be kept at or below 20 and should be performed with resistance. Start athletes with a weight they can do for 10 reps and keep it the same until they can perform

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

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

MEDI C I NE 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.

34

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

COACHING MANAGEMENT

20 reps. Once they can perform 20 reps, increase the weight again to the point where they can perform only 10 reps.

Stay away from abdominal exercises where the psoas come into play, such as straight-leg situps, and incline board 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 back start to arch, and the psoas will take over as the primary mover, putting unnecessary strain on the vertebrae and lower back.

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 exception is back hyper-extensions with weights or elastic bands.

The hips receive a lot of attention in a dynamic flexibility series, 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 a constant lead leg, walkovers with alternating lead leg, and multidirectional walkovers, where athletes walk over two hurdles forward and then one backward.

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 build the core while also fostering coordination and body awareness.

(See “General Strength Circuits,” left.)

Physioballs can be added to many of the general strength exercises to put 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,” left.) We usually start with some 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 different phases of training. They offer great mobility and flexibility since they can be done almost anywhere, even when the athlete is traveling for games and events.

Dumbbells are also less intimidating

STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

than other free weights and great for training through injuries.

Each dumbbell circuit is designed with a specific purpose and uses multijoint total body movements that combine external resistance with bodyweight.

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.

(See “Dumbbell Circuits” on page 36.)

Typically, I’ll have the 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 activities.

sport-specific to more. Following a basic preparation phase, we alternate accumulation, 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 serves as the foundation for later postural strength and speed training. We start with pedestal work as part of the warmup. (See “Pedestal

Work” on page 37.) These exercises are very similar to Pilates.

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.

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Dumbbell circuits are a great way to build core strength while also conditioning athletes during the different phases of training. They offer great mobility and flexibility since they can be done almost anywhere, even when athletes are traveling for games and events.

Speed Balance Flexibility Kettlebells Plyometrics Jump Ropes Core Training Medicine Balls Tubing & Bands Power Programs Agility & Quickness

The first circuit, named Coffee, is designed to be a morning conditioning circuit or part of a warm-up prior to other activities. The Nirvana circuit is designed to stimulate the nervous system while working the core. Included in this circuit are some ballistic Olympic movements that build speed. The Abzilla workout is a specialized circuit for abdominal emphasis. Arnold is a body building circuit. The weights of the dumbbells and number of repetitions should be adjusted for each circuit based on where the athlete is in his or her 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 Untitled-9 1

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STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

After an athlete has developed the ability to maintain efficient postures while performing very simple motor tasks, we find they are able to develop more advanced skills at a quicker rate. 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 wide repertoire of activities can be used to enhance

D U MBBELL 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

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STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

using sprint drills, throws, and jumps are implemented with volumes, intensities, and rest-to-work ratios influenced by training age, time of the season, medical, and skill parameters. The sprint drills emphasize horizontal movements through space where limbs are worked through various ranges of movement

under varying thresholds of velocities and force. Multiple throw and multiple jump exercises involve various rotations, flexion/extension factors, and both intra- and inter-muscular coordination.

(See “Precompetitive Stage” on page 38.)

Explosive speed strength train-

PED ESTAL WO R K 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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functional postural integrity and as a result latent power resources. One of may favorites is the pelvic tilt. In this exercise, the athlete lies on his or her back and contracts the abdominals until the low 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 duration of a minute.

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

Athletes begin by using a weight they can handle for 10 reps, then increase until they are able to use that same weight for 20 reps. The weight is then increased to where they can only complete 10 reps. Overload is a big part of the training program and is present in each phase. The body is adaptable, but will only adapt to a stimulus that it is unaccustomed to. The demands of training must increase over time if increased fitness levels are to be gained.

The second stage is the precompetitive stage, when the focus turns to building strength. Various training schemes

STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

ing is the final ingredient in the coredevelopment program and coincides with the beginning of the competitive stage.

In addition to the sprint drills, throws, and jumps, I’ll add sport-specific release movements that force core stabilization of 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 types of exercises also develop postural integrity.

As its name implies, the core is at the center of most sports movements.

Whether it’s transferring energy from one area of the body to another or maintaining stability and balance while using 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 most every sport. ■ An earlier version of this article appeared in Training & Conditioning, our sister publication.

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

SPRINT DRILL

MULTI-THROW EXERCISES

MULTI-JUMP EXERCISES

Skip with crossed 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

Ever wonder where the pro teams get those GIANT rubber bands they use for stretching?

Look no further!

Jump Stretch has been supplying the large continuous-loop FlexBands® to high school, college, and pro teams since 1980.

We have a total of seven sizes, but most teams use either the Light or Average bands for stretching. For more information, visit our website at www.jumpstretch.com or call 1-800-344-3539.

Jump Stretch, Inc. 1230 N. Meridian Rd. Youngstown, OH 44509 www.jumpstretch.com 1-800-344-3539 Fax: 1-330-793-8719 Circle No. 127

38jumpstretch62v0v3.indd COACHING MANAGEMENT 1

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Team Equipment Active Ankle® 800-800-2896 www.getchameleon.com Ankle protection isn’t black and white anymore. With the new All-Sport Chameleon™ from Active Ankle®, athletes can choose from eight bright interchangeable strap covers that come with each brace. The solid U-shaped frame ensures maximum strength, while the molded, fabric-lined EVA padding provides lightweight comfort. The All-Sport Chameleon offers great style with the same great protection that has made Active Ankle one of the top brace manufacturers in the industry. For more information, visit the company online.

Circle No. 500 Is heel pain a problem for your athletes? The Dorsal Night Splint by Active Ankle is an effective way to comfortably relieve the painful symptoms of plantar fasciitis.

Designed to hold the foot in a neutral position, it prevents contracture, supports the arch, and allows for proper healing. It’s easy to wear, so your athletes will wear it for longer periods of time. As a result, they’ll experience better results more quickly, and soon be back to performing at their best.

Circle No. 501 Pro Look Sports 800-PRO-LOOK www.prolook.com For 2007, Pro Look Sports has introduced a new line of custom basketball uniforms for men and women. Take advantage of Pro Look’s One Price Promise, unlimited embroidery, unlimited design, and unlimited twill with no minimum order on all game gear.

Circle No. 502

In addition to custom uniforms, Pro Look Sports also offers a variety of polos, travel gear, warmups, bags, Tshirts, and sweatshirts for men and women. Each quality item is available in an array of colors and can be custom embroidered with your school’s logo or mascot at no extra cost. Several items are also available in dry-weave fabric for all-weather use.

Circle No. 503 Stromgren Supports 800-527-1988 www.stromgren.com The model 329 from Stromgren Supports offers complete heel-lock ankle protection without tape, yet it has outstanding compression and moisturemanagement features.

A Spandex sock applies comfortable and even compression to the entire foot complex, yet stays cool and dry because of the moisture-wicking properties of the fabric. Permanently attached heel-lock straps help control severe eversion and inversion of the ankle complex. This support fits both the left and right foot and is available in black or white. Contact your local team dealer or sports medicine distributor, or go online to check out Stromgren’s complete line of protective performance apparel and sports medicine products.

Circle No. 504 Stromgren’s Basketball Girdle is a compression short with FlexPad™ protective pads for the hip, tailbone, and thigh areas.

FlexPad protective pads are lightweight, closed-cell, impact-absorbing EVA foam pads that are laundered into the fabric to provide a unique combination of

protection and performance. Also known as the “Bangin’ Machine,” this girdle is designed to help reduce injuries from aggressive play by absorbing impact, while also providing maximum compression and moisture management. As a new feature for 2007, it now features antimicrobial fabric.

Circle No. 505 Xubi Sports, Inc. 800-983-9824 www.xubisports.com Everything at Xubi, from materials to embroidery to workmanship, is topnotch—guaranteed. There are no upcharges with Xubi products, so you can spend your time designing your dream uniform, not deciding which “extras” will fit into your budget. Studio X, Xubi’s state-of-the-art 3D drafting tool, allows you to design your uniform online. Visit the company’s Web site and see for yourself why Xubi is one of the fastest-growing custom uniform manufacturers in the country.

Circle No. 506 Antibody, Inc. 410-581-0900 www.antibodywear.com The BodyGuard compression shorts

by Antibody prevent and accommodate lower-body injuries to the groin, hamstrings, quadriceps, hip flexors, and hip pointers. Because of their inner surface and custom design, they attach to the wearer and transfer their stored elastic energy to the muscles, creating torque and assisting with muscle flexion and extension. The shorts also provide constant compression, strain distribution, impact absorption, heat circulation, and absorption of fatigue-inducing muscle vibrations caused by repetitive use.

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Great Ideas For Athletes...

ADVERTISERS DIRECTORY CIRCLE NO.

Knee Strap

COMPANY

PAGE NO.

COMPANY

PAGE NO

117 . . . Active Ankle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

130. . . Perfect Jumper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BC

107. . . Airborne Athletics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

122. . . Power Lift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

124 . . . BallQube. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

123. . . Power Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

115 . . . Bison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

121 . . . Powermate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

128. . . Cho-Pat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

129. . . Powernetics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IBC

105. . . Courtclean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

101. . . Pro Look Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-3

104. . . eFundraising.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

118 . . . Promats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

102. . . FieldTurf Tarkett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

120. . . Shoot-A-Way . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

119 . . . Five-Star Int’l. Basketball Camp . . . 28

112 . . . Spalding Basketball Equipment . . . 19

109. . . Fox 40 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

100 . . Sportstec . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC

114 . . . Human Kinetics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

108 . . SpringBoost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

127 . . . Jump Stretch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

103. . . Stromgren . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

111 . . . K&K Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

125. . . Wiffletree World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

113 . . . LRSSports Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

116 . . . Xubi Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

106. . . M.A.S.A. Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

126. . . Xvest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

110 . . . OPTP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

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

Sizes: XS - XXL • Colors: Black and Tan

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

Stabilizes and strengthens the joint while allowing full mobility.

Sizes: Sm - XL

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

www.cho-pat.com 1-800-221-1601

PRODUCTS DIRECTORY CIRCLE NO.

COMPANY

PAGE NO.

500 . . Active Ankle

(All-Sport Chameleon)

501. . . Active Ankle

(Dorsal Night Splint)

523 . . Airborne Athletics

(Dr. Dish)

522 . . Airborne Athletics

(iMake) .

COACHING MANAGEMENT

. . . 39

CIRCLE NO.

COMPANY

PAGE NO

534 . . Perfect Jumper

(Perimeter Pro 1).

. . . . 44

. . . . 39

543 . . Power Lift (Performance Training Station) . . . 45

. . . . . . . 43

544 . . Power Lift (Six Post Modular Power Rack) . . . 45 545 . . Power Systems

(Landmine) .

507 . . Antibody . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

546 . . Power Systems

(Vertical Jump Tester).

518 . . . BallQube. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

527. . . Powermate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

. . . . . . . . 43

510 . . . Bison

(Baseline 180) .

511 . . . Bison

(Unbreakable Backboard)

. . . . . . . . 45

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

548 . . Powernetics

(Power Trainer).

. . . . . . . 41

549 . . Powernetics

(The Dominator) .

. 45

. . . . . . . . 46 . . . . . . . 46

519 . . . Cho-Pat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

503 . . Pro Look Sports

(accessories) .

512 . . . Courtclean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

502 . . Pro Look Sports

(custom uniforms)

520 . . eFundraising.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

516 . . . Promats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

514 . . . FieldTurf Tarkett (Omnisports) . . . . . . . . 41

547. . . Rogers Athletic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

513 . . . FieldTurf Tarkett (Performance hardwood) . 41

536 . . Shoot-A-Way

(Rebounder)

524. . . Five-Star Basketball . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

537. . . Shoot-A-Way

(The Gun)

539 . . Fox 40

(LazerCoachPen) .

538 . . Fox 40

(Pro Clipboard Combo Pack) .

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

. . . . . . 39 . . . 39

. . . . . . . . . 44

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

508 . . Spalding

(extensive product line) .

509 . . Spalding

(Slam-Dunk Pro Goal) .

. . . . . 41

. . . . . . 41

540 . . Jump Stretch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

529 . . Sportstec

(CODA software)

521. . . K&K Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

528. . . Sportstec

(Gamebreaker/Sportscode)

525 . . LRSSports

(Gamer) .

526. . . LRSSports

(GamerEZ)

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

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

505 . . Stromgren

(Basketball Girdle).

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

504 . . Stromgren

(Model 329 Ankle Support).

. . . . . . . 39 . 39

515 . . . M.A.S.A. Products (basketball facilities) . . 41

517 . . . The Stadium Chair Company . . . . . 42

533 . . M.A.S.A. Products (Training Aids) . . . . . . 44

530 . . Wiffletree World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

542 . . OPTP

(BOSU DSL Trainer) .

541. . . OPTP

(Swiss ball DVDs)

535 . . Perfect Jumper Circle No. 128

40

CIRCLE NO.

. . . . . . . . . . 45

. . . . . . . . . . . . 45

(Free Throw King) .

. . . 44

506 . . Xubi Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

550 . . Xvest

(Don Chu)

551 . . . Xvest

(TurboBells)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Basketball Facilities Spalding 800-435-DUNK www.spaldingequipment.com Spalding has a long histor y of providing quality products to athletes around the world, from high school to the pros. The company’s extensive product line includes portable and ceiling-suspended basketball backstops, backboards, rims, basketballs, pads, training equipment, balls, and accessories. For a free product catalog, please call toll-free.

Circle No. 508 The Spalding Slam-Dunk Pro Goal is ideal for collegiate and high school play. This performance breakaway goal is factory-calibrated to meet rebound elasticity requirements, and it includes a continuous rim for easy net installation. The Slam-Dunk Pro Goal meets all NCAA and NFHS specifications and comes with a five-year warranty. For a free product catalog, please call today or visit the company’s Web site.

Circle No. 509 Bison, Inc. 800-247-7668 www.bisoninc.com Bison offers a breakaway goal with true 180-degree deflection. From the left, the right, down the lane, or any other direction, the Bison Baseline 180 offers smooth flexibility.

This goal also has the popular positive lock release mechanism. A field-adjustable pressure release ensures preferred feel throughout the life of the goal. The Bison Baseline 180 meets all NFHS,

FIBA, and NCAA regulations, including the NCAA Division I rebound-elasticity standard. It comes with a seven-year limited warranty.

Circle No. 510 Bison has introduced a 48” x 72” backboard designed to virtually eliminate the potential for board breakage on older structures built for 48inch backboards. The Unbreakable Tall Glass Backboard features aluminum extrusion framework with a heavy-duty rear steel structure that absorbs over 98 percent of the stress from player contact. The goal is mounted to the rear frame without touching the glass at any point. Bison is so confident in the durability of this unbreakable backboard (BA48XL) that the company backs it with an unconditional lifetime warranty.

Circle No. 511 Courtclean 800-900-2481 www.courtclean.com Are slippery gym floors and wrestling mats a problem? Courtclean is the answer. It’s fast, easy, safe, and affordable.

With the Courtclean system, one person can easily damp mop your floors or disinfect your mats in less than five minutes, and play can start immediately. Satisfaction is 100-percent guaranteed.

Circle No. 512 FieldTurf Tarkett 800-724-2969 www.fieldturftarkett.com No matter the facility, FieldTurf Tarkett has your surface covered. Featuring lighter, cleaner, and denser northern maple, FieldTurf Tarkett’s Performance hardwood courts provide more shock absorption and better ball rebound. All Performance courts meet or exceed MFMA guidelines and feature a more

consistent grading and longer average board length. Upholding FieldTurf Tarkett’s dedication to innovation, the Performance hardwood product is

designed with new SmartSlide technology. This provides athletes with both the frictional resistance required to stop on a dime and the frictional release needed to slide for a loose ball.

Circle No. 513 FieldTurf Tarkett’s line of synthetic indoor surfaces includes a newly redesigned Omnisports product. Intended

for activities requiring moderate performance characteristics, Omnisports is durable and cost-effective, and it comes in a wide range of colors. With Omnisports, no recoating or refinishing is necessary, making it a virtually maintenance-free alternative to wood.

Designed for performance, built by innovation, and backed by a FieldTurf Tarkett warranty, the company’s new line of indoor surfaces are engineered for excellence.

Circle No. 514 M.A.S.A. 800-264-4519 www.masa.com M.A.S.A. offers a wide variety of topquality products for basketball facilities, including complete portable goal systems, backboards, adjustable systems, goal height adjusters, youth basketball goals, stationary and side-swing systems, wallmount systems, padding, and much more. Go online or call today to learn more about these products, and to request your free copy of the M.A.S.A. catalog.

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Basketball Facilities

More Products

Promats 800-678-6287 www.promats.com

BallQube, Inc. 800-543-1470 www.ballqube.com

eFundraising.com 866-235-9660 www.efundraising.com

Tired of the same old logos and letters on your gym walls? Promats has introduced a new line of high-resolution

When you have a collectible sports item, you want to preserve its appearance, keep any autographs intact, and display it for all to see. BallQube has an entire line of sports display cases just for you. Whether you want to put your item on a shelf or hang it on a wall, you’ll find the right UV-protected sports memorabilia case for the job. BallQube cases look great in your home, office, or athletic department display area. Visit the company’s Web site today to learn more.

Circle No. 518

eFundraising’s Scratchcards offer a rare profit opportunity of up to 100 percent, and they can be customized for your team or league.

Here is just one of many success stories: “The first-rate customer ser vice and immediate deliver y enabled us to raise more than $4,000 in only two weeks,” says Coach Marcel Galligani. “With this large sum of money we were able to purchase warmups and travel bags for our entire team.”

Circle No. 520

Cho-Pat 800-221-1601 www.cho-pat.com

K&K Insurance 800-426-2889 www.kandkinsurance.com

Cho-Pat’s patented Dual Action Knee Strap provides an extra dimension of relief for painful and weakened knees.

First, it applies pressure to the tendon below the knee to reduce patellar subluxation and improve patellar tracking and elevation. Then, by adding pressure to the tendon above the knee, the strap further strengthens and provides an additional level of support and stability to the joint. The fabric-covered neoprene construction allows full mobility.

Contact Cho-Pat for more information.

Circle No. 519

Protect your organization with K&K’s insurance programs for sports camps, clinics, teams, leagues, associations, and events.

K&K offers coverage for both amateur and professional activities, with plans designed specifically for the sports industry. Sign up with the leader in sports, leisure, and entertainment insurance today—K&K’s credit card plan makes payment easy. Visit the company’s Web site for more information.

Circle No. 521

digital graphics. Now, Promats offers the best in protective wall padding and amazing photo-quality graphics. You provide the photo or tell the company what you want, and Promats works up several design ideas for you. With this new innovation, the only limit is your imagination. Go online today to see examples of the company’s graphics.

Circle No. 516 The Stadium Chair Co. 888-417-9590 www.stadiumchair.com The SidelineChair is among the best seats on the market in its price range, with the durability and quality you’d expect from higherpriced products.

It features two- or three-inch pads covered with quality vinyl that provide two large imprint areas. The extrasturdy powdercoated frame comes with dual-reinforced steel support bars on the back legs, and carries a 10-year limited warranty.

Circle No. 517

Web News See WissTech’s Portable and Indoor Drinking Solutions Online WissTech Enterprises manufactures the Hydration Station portable drinking fountain. Pictures of all five models of the Hydration Station can be viewed on the company’s Web site, along with an up-to-date price list, warranty details, and a statement about the company’s commitment to athletic trainers, coaches, and exercise professionals. Quick contact links are available for customers who need information about portable drinking fountains. Specifically for the basketball market and other indoor sports programs, there is information on the no-drip Hydration Station Drinking Cart. This product provides a drinking solution for gymnasiums that keeps the floor dry and eliminates the need for disease-spreading water bottles.

www.wisstechenterprises.com

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

Coaching Aids Airborne Athletics, Inc. 888-887-7453 www.imakebasketball.com

LRSSports 888-LRS-0001 www.LRSSports.com

iMake is to existing basketball training machines what the iPod is to a tape player. iMake is loaded with innovative, technologically advanced features that make it functionally much more robust than many existing machines. These features include electronic touchpad control, wireless remote operation, fully adjustable ball tempo and speed, and fully adjustable rotation range and speed. iMake throws one to 50 balls to as many as 21 different spots. iMake comes loaded with 10 pre-programmed drills and can save 50 of your customdesigned drills. An adjustable net and optional “shots made” counter are available.

Circle No. 522

LRSSports’ Gamer® video editing systems for basketball can be used on a single laptop or in a network with coaching and viewing stations. They can also be used over the Internet or an intranet that uses a View2Win™ product. Gamer offers filtering, so coaches and staff can quickly find clips of their next opponent. Other features include text overlay, drawing capabilities, and zoom options. Visit LRSSports online and find out why its customers call Gamer a slam dunk.

Circle No. 525

Traditional shooting machines are stuck on the sidelines or under the basket, and simply toss the ball out to the perimeter. Dr. Dish is different. Dr. Dish operates from anywhere on the court and simulates game passes from game spots at game speeds. Whether delivering post-entry passes or shooting for rebounding, game-position training, or perimeter work, “train like you’re in the game” with Dr. Dish. Call for a free DVD to learn more.

Circle No. 523 Five-Star Basketball 914-964-6540 www.five-starbasketball.com Five-Star now offers two new summer programs: the Coaching Academy and the Broadcast School. The company is a leader in basketball education, providing guidance, mentorship, and opportunities for coaches, parents, and players. Take advantage of a full line of summer camp programs geared toward players from ages nine to 18. An extensive collection of instructional DVDs, books, and other materials from Five Star’s vast network of coaching experts is also available.

Circle No. 524

Gamer®EZ from LRSSports is a digital video editing system that ever y team can easily afford, and now you can see its benefits for yourself with free trial software.

GamerEZ is flexible enough to meet the diverse needs of both team and individual sports.

Check out the GamerEZ online demo, and then find out just how easy it can be to add LRSSports software to get the winning edge.

Circle No. 526 Powermate, LLC 866-478-6876 www.powermate-llc.com Powermate offers products made by coaches, for coaches. The Rip Through is a resistance training tool that forces players to begin moves in an aggressive manner and prepares them to face pressure defenses. It trains your team so that your possessions end in shots, not turnovers.

To learn more, visit Powermate online.

Circle No. 527 Sportstec 805-383-9693 www.sportstec.com Sportstec’s Gamebreaker and Sportscode are revolutionary video

analysis tools that utilize digital technology to identify and analyze any combination of plays throughout a game.

Designed especially for coaches, Sportstec’s pointand-click interface simplifies capturing, game breakdown (live or after the game), and reviewing of game footage.

Sportstec’s powerful analysis tools for a single game or several games can help separate your team from the rest and help you turn your team into a champion.

Circle No. 528 Sportstec can provide your team with a complete digital solution, and the Sportstec vision can make the difference in winning championships.

Get what you want when you want it—Sportstec’s CODA software allows you to break down video from a handheld PDA wherever and whenever the action is. For deeper analysis of your team and individual performances, Sportstec’s TRAK Performance analyzes movement, efficiency, and production to give coaches necessary data to make championship decisions. Complement Sportstec video analysis software with VideoEX and you’ll get high-quality digital game films over the Internet very quickly. Reward your loyal fans with STREAM, which allows you to broadcast your championships over the Web. Circle No. 529 Wiffletree World, LLC 817-460-3530 www.wiffletree.com Video Hoops software is a video editing system that’s designed and built specifically for basketball. Video Hoops allows you to log your game information, create a collection of game-situation clips for viewing or building into a file, create statistical and graphical game repor ts (including shot char ts), build a playbook, and much more. Visit Wiffletree online and discover why this great product is a great deal at just $950.

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Coaching Aids Better Basketball, Inc. 800-238-8372 www.betterbasketball.com

available, so your athletes can work on their ball handling, passing, and rebounding skills.

Circle No. 533

Hall of famer Nancy Lieberman and seven-time all-star Jason Kidd add their expertise to Better Basketball’s newest video examining the most under-studied skill in the game: playing offense without the ball. Scoring Without the Ball dissects the techniques involved in reacting to a teammate’s penetration, breaking a denial, using screens, working from the weak side, and much more.

If you’re looking to stay on the cutting edge of instruction, visit Better Basketball’s Web site to learn more about this exciting video.

Experience the winning difference with Perfect Jumper’s ultimate shooting training system, the Perimeter Pro 1.

This easy-to-use system produces exciting results for players at all levels. Use it to help your players increase their accuracy, confidence, and overall shooting skill from all over the court. Call today or go online to learn more.

Circle No. 534

Better Basketball has introduced a revolutionary new tool for coaches who are dedicated to furthering their knowledge of the game.

The BB Online Magazine provides daily improvement features produced by experts in their fields—successful coaches at all levels, professional players, referees, and PhDs. To take your team to the next level, check out Better Basketball’s Web site for all the details.

Whether you want to improve your players’ consistency with free throws, layups, or bank shots, the Free Throw King from Perfect Jumper is a smart choice. It forces athletes to put the ball in the right spot, and provides instant feedback to help make them more consistent. When the game is on the line, you’ll be glad your players trained with the Free Throw King. Call today or go online to learn more.

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M.A.S.A. 800-264-4519 www.masa.com

Shoot-A-Way, Inc. 800-294-4654 www.shootaway.net

M.A.S.A. wants to help make your basketball practices more productive, so the company offers a variety of effective training aids. Among them are rebounders designed to help athletes improve balance, timing, and coordination under the rim, and the Three Point Shooter Ring, which reduces the size of a standard rim to help players improve their shooting accuracy.

Several models of tossbacks are also

The Shoot-A-Way Rebounder is the rebounding machine that teaches players to rebound with power and control by forcing them to pull the ball down through arms of resistance. An adjustable ball height of seven to 11 feet makes this rebounder versatile enough for almost any team.

The optional block-out pads allow a player to block out into

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

Perfect Jumper, LLC 877-759-9474 www.perfectjumper.com

spring-loaded pads, then rebound with authority.

Circle No. 536 Dependability and simplicity best describe the Gun from Shoot-A-Way. It has people excited about shooting again. The Gun zips out passes from 15 to 35 feet.

Multiple settings allow it to throw to the same spot consistently, or to throw as it rotates to a series of spots around the perimeter. The fast-paced workout forces players to shoot and move, catch quickly, and get their shots up. Call Shoot-A-Way for more information and a free demonstration video.

Circle No. 537 Fox 40 International 888-663-6940 www.fox40whistle.com The Pro Clipboard Combo Pack comes with Fox 40’s wipe-on/wipe-off Pro Clipboard in the sport of your choice and a dry-erase marker. The board features a full field or court on one side, and a closeup half field or court on the other. Also included is a black Fox 40 Classic whistle and lanyard. The board measures 10” x 16”, and custom sports and boards are available to meet your exact needs. The clip is durable enough to hold your most important paperwork.

Circle No. 538 The LazerCoachPen™, developed and patented by Fox 40, is a multi-functional tool that will enhance the way you teach your athletes. Use the dry-erase marker on one end of the pen to illustrate plays on the Fox 40 Pro Clipboard, and then utilize the laser pointer on the other end to demonstrate positions and player movement. The LazerCoachPen can help you take your team to the next level.

Circle No. 539

Strength & Cardio Equipment Jump Stretch, Inc. 800-344-3539 www.jumpstretch.com

Power Lift 800-872-1543 www.power-lift.com

“Don’t Ice that Ankle Sprain!” is the new book co-written by Jump Stretch founder Coach Dick Hartzell and Dr. Michael Shimmel. It details a technique for treating ankle sprains that gets the athlete up and running significantly faster than traditional methods.

The technique utilizes four FlexBands® (three mini and one average). The book is currently available as an eBook, and the print version is due out in March.

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The Performance Training Station is the latest rack and platform design offered by Power Lift.

This unit features a nine-foot power rack, a multi-angle dumbbell bench, an Olympic lifting platform with extension, and a 10foot, 600-pound adjustable cable column.

Standard features for the Performance Training Station include weight storage, band attachments, rotating chin-up handles, cable column attachment storage, dual vertical bar storage, Rhino Hook bar catches, safety spot bars, and a rack dip attachment. Contact Power Lift for more information on the Performance Training Station.

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OPTP 800-367-7393 www.optp.com/ad Adam Ford is a certified fitness trainer and neuromuscular therapist. Having worked with the Swiss ball since 1995, he is proud to release his three latest DVDs in the new OPTP catalog.

Swiss Ball–Upper Body demonstrates a workout focused on muscle integration rather than isolation. Swiss Ball–Abs & Core is an outstanding workout DVD. Swiss Ball– Lower Body helps athletes train for powerful and precise movement. For more information on these DVDs or to request a free OPTP catalog, call the company or visit its Web site.

Circle No. 541 The new BOSU DSL Trainer has revolutionized fitness balls. It contains a total of five pounds of weighted beads and has a sixsided design for enhanced function, resistance, and technique development. This new design makes for ideal stability when athletes are working out. It moves little or not at all when pushed, and it adds fun and variety to everyday exercise. The DSL Trainer comes with a workout DVD and a ball pump. For more information or a free OPTP catalog, call the company or visit its Web site.

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Power Lift’s Six Post Modular Power Rack is a unique lifting rack that provides space for three lifters to perform upper-body, lower-body, and Olympic lifts at the same time. The design of this rack allows ample spotting space for all three lifting stations.

Standard features include two pairs of Rhino Hook bar catches, one dual-grip chin-up handle, two pairs of safety spot bars, weight storage, and bumper plate storage. Optional attachments for the Six Post Modular Power Rack include Lever Action benches, Olympic lifting platforms, rack dip attachments, technique trays, rotating chin-up handles, and rack step-up platforms. Unique vibration-dampening mounts are placed between the racks to reduce vibration from one rack to another.

Circle No. 544 Power Systems 800-321-6975 www.power-systems.com With the Landmine™ from Power Systems, athletes can perform totalbody ground-based rotational training to develop an athletic base that easily transfers from the weightroom to the playing

field. Users can perform explosive one- and two-arm movements and other rotational exercises simply by inserting any Olympic-size bar into the 12-inch pivoting sleeve in the Landmine’s base.

The solid steel Landmine features a non-skid rubber bottom and an attached transport handle. A T-bar handle for rows and a combat handle for shoulder, core, and hip work is also available.

Circle No. 545 The new Wall-Mounted Vertical Jump Tester from Power Systems offers a quick, easy, and affordable way to train and measure your athletes’ vertical jump and reach. The solid steel board with magnetic markers allows for single- or doublefoot jumps and measures jump and reach from one inch to 48 inches in halfinch increments. The 48inch retrieval rod allows the magnets to be quickly reset. The unit includes a testing board, a retrieval rod, and two magnets for marking jump height and reach.

Circle No. 546 Rogers Athletic Co. 800-457-5337 www.rogersathletic.com Rogers Athletic, known for football training equipment, has applied its years of expertise in athletic skills training to strength and conditioning equipment with the introduction of the Brute Rack System. This system, equipped with Monster Arms, provides your athletes with a closedchain freeweight training experience. The Brute Rack System’s workstation enables athletes to per form multiple exercises that typically require four to six exercisespecific machines. Call Rogers Athletic toll-free for more information.

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

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Strength & Cardio Equipment Powernetics 800-829-2928 www.powernetics.com Powernetics offers the Power Trainer, which for more than 10 years has made the power clean a safe exercise for athletes from junior high to the collegiate level. The Power Trainer enables an athlete to not only do cleans safely, but also to reverse the clean. The unit can be used to perform seven different exercises: the clean, reverse clean, dead lift, lift jump, high row, bench press, and shoulder press.

The Power Trainer has proven over the years to be among the safest and most effective tools used to perform the power clean.

Circle No. 548 Powernetics also offers a line of strength-training machines that develop power by providing a consistent ratio of speed, resistance, and intensity. The Dominator builds strength in one unbro-

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

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

Circle No. 549 Xvest 800-697-5658 www.thexvest.com “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. 550 Adjustable Xvest TurboBells are a new product from the maker of Xvest. They replace a room full of dumbbells and are engineered so the weights can be adjusted from five pounds to 60 pounds in just seconds, giving athletes complete control of their workout. The economical Xvest TurboBells have large easy-grip rubberized handles and come with a specially designed stand. The manufacturer is offering an introductory price of $349, plus free shipping—saving you more than $270.

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Testimonial

Coaches Sing the Praises of Digital Scout “Digital Scout is an awesome statkeeping product that any program can use. It’s easy, accurate, and saves a tremendous amount of time. I can now focus on some other important things, because Digital Scout allows me so much extra time. It’s just great.”

Coach Vince Wilson Patrick Henry High School Ashland, VA “I use Digital Scout to scout other teams. Showing our team an opponent’s shot chart gives us a great idea of what to expect. Getting accurate statistics can be quite a chore and worry for a coach—but with the handheld computer, people actually like to keep stats for us.

I can show parents or assistants how it works in a few minutes, and by the next game they are volunteering to keep the stats.”

Coach Todd Benzinger The Seven Hills School Cincinnati, OH “Digital Scout has given our whole program an increased sense of professionalism—from the coaches on down to the players and the assistants.”

Coach Randy Cottingham Believers Academy Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools 1A State Champion, 2002 and 2003 “Digital Scout is by far the best statkeeping product on the market today.”

Coach K. Menard Burroughs High School Ridgecrest, CA

Digital Scout, Inc. 3248 W. Henderson Rd., Ste. 104 Columbus, OH 43220 800-249-1189 info@digitalscout.com www.digitalscout.com

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Testimonial

Experts in Fundraising For more than 10 years, eFundraising has been creating powerful fundraising teams for groups just like yours, using the company’s wide variety of proven products and programs. Their latest combination involves quick and easy Scratchcards and the Online Magazine Fundraiser for a profit potential of over 100 percent.

“After attempting various forms of fundraising in the past, we decided to tr y the Scratchcard fundraiser. This by far has been our most successful fundraising event yet.”

Dwan Lee Capitol Athletic Basketball “We have been fundraising for our school teams for 20 years, and the Online Magazine Fundraiser has proven to be one of the most effective programs we’ve found.”

John Butterworth Boys’ Soccer Coach Penfield High School (a New York state champion) “This year we incorporated your MagFundraising and Scratchcard campaigns. We were able to reach friends and relatives locally and all over the United States. The fundraisers were an efficient use of our time. There were no orders to take and there was nothing to deliver.”

Pam Wilson CPHS Cheer Booster Club Sand Springs Schools

eFundraising.com 205 West Service Rd. Champlain, NY 12919 866-235-9660 info@efundraising.com www.efundraising.com

Calling Cards Here’s what these companies are most known for:

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

A leading provider of sports and recreation coverage. www.kandkinsurance.com

Suppliers of quality tools and resources for more than 30 years. www.optp.com/ad

“Creating a safer place to play” with protective wall padding. www.promats.com

Building equipment for champions for 35 years. www.rogersathletic.com

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

THE ORIGINAL In existence since 1981

Explosive Exercises:

The SUPER CAT is in basketball and athletic programs all across America. The Super Cat has been proven to be the most effective machine in developing the “Power Potential” of athletes.

Other machines don’t come close to the Super Cats durability and safe operation to outlast any strenuous workout regiment. We are recording the highest vertical jump on athletes in weight training history.

• Quarter squat jumping • Angle squat jumping • Angle squats School colors available 7-year warranty

The SUPER CAT will give your program the edge in vertical jump and quickness to take you to the next level.

Develops the “POWER POTENTIAL” of every athlete.

The Super Cat will dramatically increase the speed, quickness and vertical jump of your athletes.

Coachs call TODAY for your FREE instructional video!

Visit our NEW website for more information about The Super Cat and our entire line of equipment at www.powernetics.com.

Box 329 Riverside, TX 77367 1 (800) 829-2928 www.powernetics.com Circle No. 129

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