Coaching Management VOL. XV NO. 5
VOLLEYBALL
FINDING THEIR FIGHT
How to teach competitiveness ■ ■
Career Moves Training the Core
PRESEASON
EDITION
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$7.00
2007
Circle No. 100
Coaching Management Volleyball Edition Preseason 2007
CONTENTS
Vol. XV, No. 5
29
23
2 LOCKER ROOM
COVER STORY
Bulletin Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Finding Their Fight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
NCAA Division I may ban text messaging in recruiting … Alabama high schools switch to new playoff format … Duke setter mixes sport with medicine … Libero to serve in high school play … Division II athletes enjoy sports festival … Triad risk starts in high school, says new research report … Program for minority coaches expands.
Female athletes can struggle with unleashing their competitive drive. The best coaches know how to help them turn it on.
YOUR CAREER
Creating a Buzz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Looking to climb the coaching ladder? To land a job interview in today’s highly competitive market, you need a systematic and dynamic strategy.
Q&A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
STRENGTH & CONDITIONING
Patty Giannattasio is the first coach at the Coast Guard Academy to ever take a team to the quarterfinals in NCAA Division III play.
Core Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
TEAM EQUIPMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 VOLLEYBALL COURT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 ADVERTISERS DIRECTORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
On the cover: Dani Mancuso and the Nebraska Cornhuskers put on a clinic in competitive play this past fall, winning the NCAA Division I title and finishing the season 33-1. Story begins on page 14.
Mid-torso strength underlies every move your players make. That’s why you need a multi-faceted approach to training the core.
Publisher Mark Goldberg
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The Coaching Management Volleyball edition is published in April and November 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.
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LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD Turning Off Texting If a group of administrators gets its way, college coaches who want to get in touch with high school recruits will have to delete text messaging from their communication choices. At the NCAA’s annual convention in January, the Division I Management Council voted to forward to the membership for feedback an Ivy Group proposal banning all text and instant messages from the recruiting process. This came after a proposal to simply place time restrictions on texting was defeated. Like faxes and e-mail, instant and text messages are currently classified as letters, and there is no limit to the number coaches may send to recruits. But some administrators feel unlimited text messaging from college coaches is getting out of hand, and some studentathletes agree.
Jeanne Colpus, President of Matchpoint Volleyball, Inc., a club based in Columbus, Ohio, which sends many players to Division I and II schools, says text messaging can make things very hard on a recruit. “As the parent of a high school athlete, I would not want college coaches texting her,” Colpus says. “Even if there were time limit restrictions, there will always be bad apples who spoil the bunch and create huge distractions for the athletes.” The original proposal called for limiting text messaging to between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends, but the Management Council decided more discussion was needed on the topic of texting. “The NCAA has been struggling with how to regulate computer-mediated communications for a long time,” says Jacqueline Blackett, Associate Athletic Director at Colum-
bia University and member of the NCAA Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet, which drew up the initial legislation. “We feel we need to see this issue through the eyes of student-athletes and address some of the problems we’ve been hearing about.” Some college coaches, however, are arguing against the proposal to eliminate texting. Mike Hebert, Head Coach at the University of Minnesota, says he believes all forms of communication should be allowed in recruiting and doesn’t see text messages as harmful to recruits. In fact, he believes that with more high school players committing to colleges prior to their senior year, text messaging should be allowed to take on an even bigger role in recruiting. “Because commitments are coming in so early, sometimes text messaging seems to be
During the council meeting, the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee spoke out against what it feels is an intrusive practice. “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.” High school coaches complain that college coaches often go too far when sending text messages to recruits, overloading them during school hours. “For a 17- or 18-year-old athlete, it can be a little overwhelming,” says Frances Crapet, Head Coach at John Carroll Catholic High School in Birmingham, Ala. “It almost seems like they’re taking parents out of the equation and attempting to more directly influence students. Choosing a college needs to be a family decision, and texting doesn’t always allow parents to be as actively involved as they want to be.”
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COACHING MANAGEMENT
the only method of communication available to us,” Hebert says. “We can’t make phone calls to recruits until July 1 prior to their senior year, so we’ve got a cottage industry of high school and club coaches relaying messages back and forth between recruiter and prospect. That’s not illegal, but why not just allow text messages?” The Management Council will review the issue at its meeting in April. If passed, the legislation can go into effect as early as Aug. 1. To read the full proposal, go to: www.ncaa.org. Under the “Legislation & Governance” tab, click on “Rules and Bylaws.” Then under “Proposed Legislation” click “Division I”. The proposal number is 2006-40.
Alabama Adopts New Playoff Format “Sometimes people are hesitant to change, but in this case, I think it’s really worked out for the best.” That’s how Wanda Gilliland, Assistant Director of the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA), describes her state’s new playoff format, which helped boost attendance and improve competition last season. Previously, the tournament began with a full day of round-robin competition to determine seeding for the rest of the championship. The next day, teams were placed in double-elimination brackets, and all matches were best 2out-of-3 using rally scoring.
University of Minnesota Head Coach Mike Hebert disagrees with a new NCAA Division I proposal to eliminate text messaging in the recruiting process. “Because commitments are coming in so early, sometimes text messaging seems to be the only method of communication available to us,” he says.
Under the new format, roundrobin play was eliminated and all matches were singleelimination, best 3-out-of-5. In addition, an extra “sub-state” round was added, allowing a greater number of teams to play in the tournament.
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LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD the middle of this really great speech,” he recalls. “Suddenly this guy came out of nowhere and lowered a camera into our huddle, and I went ... uhhh. But that’s something you get used to I guess.”
Career Head Start Several years ago, Henry Friedman, a neurosurgeon at Duke University’s Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center and an avid Blue Devils fan, made a unique connection. He realized that many of the attributes that make successful college athletes—poise under pressure, energy and drive, teamwork and leadership skills, a commitment to excellence—are the same ingredients that make successful doctors.
Gaston High School reached the finals of this fall’s Alabama 1A state championships, which were run under a new format this year. Above, Gaston players successfully block a spike vs. Southside High.
JON GARDINER/DUKE PHOTOGRAPHY (RIGHT)
“Volleyball was the only sport in Alabama that held a day of competition just to seed the brackets, so these changes brought us more into line with other sports,” says Gilliland. “Before this season, teams wouldn’t know their playoff schedule far enough in advance to publicize their match times, organize transportation for fans, and get people excited about attending the contests.” Along with larger crowds, Gilliland says the new format helped increase media coverage. State final matches were shown on tape-delayed television broadcasts for the first time, and excitement about the new format was partly responsible. “Our TV coverage was wonderful, and it was definitely a positive step for volleyball in our state,” she says. Jim Bogle, Head Coach at Gaston High School in Gadsden, Ala., took his team to the finals of the 1A state tournament this past fall, and he says his players enjoyed the
new system. “I was initially skeptical about single-elimination, but I think the 3-outof-5 format helps offset that change by letting teams have a couple of bad games without getting knocked out,” he explains. “Also, the competition in those single-elimination matches was great.”
So Friedman began an informal mentoring program to assist Duke’s female studentathletes who are also premedical students, taking on the challenge of entering a field where women are histori-
cally underrepresented. Today, that program has evolved to become the Collegiate Athlete Pre-Medical Experience (CAPE) program, which allows female student-athletes to experience the world of a physician. In partnership with Duke University Medical Center and the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center, Friedman and the Duke athletic department created the program specifically for athletes in its 12 women’s varsity sports. Forty young women currently participate in the program, which includes shadowing physicians while they care for patients and perform surgeries, indepth summer internships, lectures by renowned physicians, and hands-on experiences. Ali Hausfeld, a junior setter for the Duke volleyball team, began participating in CAPE this school year after Head Coach Jolene Nagel encouraged her to get involved. The school record-holder for most assists in a season, Hausfeld
To prepare his team for the new do-or-die atmosphere, Bogle ratcheted up the competitiveness of his practice drills. “We added a lot of winner-loser activities in practice, like scrimmages between the j.v. and varsity teams where the j.v. side started with a 150 lead,” he says. “Varsity had to overcome that deficit and win the game, and it would get pretty intense—the lesson was that no matter what the score is, you’ve got to fight, because if you lose one match in the tournament, you’re done.” One thing Bogle wasn’t as prepared for, though, was the extra media attention. “During one game, I had all the players around me and I was in
Duke University setter Ali Hausfeld is getting a head start on her medical career through the school’s Collegiate Athlete Pre-Medical Experience (CAPE) program, which allows female student-athletes to experience the world of a physician.
COACHING MANAGEMENT
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LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD says the program has helped clarify her goal of becoming a physician. For an hour each week during the school year, Hausfeld follows doctors in different disciplines as they do their clinical work. Eventually, CAPE participants learn to take patient histories and report to attending doctors. This summer, Hausfeld will shadow Friedman through a special internship. She’ll also meet other doctors and explore their specialties, watch surgeries, and join them in doing their clinical work. Another benefit of membership in CAPE comes from twicemonthly dinners the program offers. At “role model dinners,” an accomplished doctor speaks about his or her work and answers student-athletes’ questions. At “journal club dinners,” members discuss scientific articles they’ve read. CAPE touches on topics beyond the classroom as well. “We’ve had female physicians talk to us about balancing a job in medicine with being a mother and a wife,” Hausfeld says. Between practices, competitions, and her pre-med courses, Hausfeld already had a full plate. But she believes making time for CAPE has been worth the effort. “It’s not hard for me to fit CAPE in because I enjoy it so much,” she says. “This program has helped me clarify my career path, and it’s definitely given me a jump start in becoming a doctor.”
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DII Athletes Enjoy Fall Festival Volleyball teams that made it to the quarterfinals of the 2006 NCAA Division II Championships had something extra to celebrate last season: the opportunity to participate in the first NCAA Division II Fall Sports Festival. A concept that has proven successful for spring sports, it allows student-athletes to experience an Olympic festival atmosphere.
Tony Graystone, whose team played in the quarterfinal round of the championships before bowing out to the University of North Alabama. “I really liked the events the NCAA had planned for us and the feel of the whole weekend.” Events with other athletes were a highlight for Graystone’s players. Although a rainy first day cancelled some activities, athletes enjoyed a street festival with games and vendors, Habitat for Humanity building projects, and a student-athlete dinner. “When we were doing those festi-
The NCAA’s goal of boosting attendance was definitely evident. “When we played Lock Haven University, they had one of their other fall sports teams there and the University of Tampa had their soccer team in the stands,” Graystone says. “We even had a group from West Texas that traveled over. Compared to a neutral site championship tournament we attended a few years earlier, there was much better fan support at the festival.” The NCAA hosted a successful Spring Sports Festival for its Division II championships in
For four days in November, athletes in six fall sports—women’s volleyball, field hockey, men’s and women’s cross country, and men’s and women’s soccer—vied for NCAA championship trophies. But the gathering, held Members of the Ashland University volleyball team help with a Habitat for in Pensacola, Fla., wasn’t just Humanity Project during the NCAA Division II Fall Sports Festival, where women’s about winning volleyball, field hockey, men’s and women’s cross country, and men’s and women’s national titles. It soccer teams vied for NCAA titles within an Olympic festival atmosphere. was also geared toward increasing awareness and exposure 2004, and based on positive val activities I think it felt like for Division II sports, boosting feedback from its student-atha pretty big event,” Grayattendance and enhancing the letes and coaches, hopes to stone says. “All of the athstudent-athlete experience. continue both the spring and letes stayed in the same hotel fall festivals every four years. together and there were mixThe Fall Festival’s first year saw “Like anything else, the more ers for them to attend with 800 athletes on 70 teams parthe NCAA does these events, the other sports teams. But ticipate in opening and closing the better they’ll get at it,” when we were back in our ceremonies, community service Graystone says. “This was a rooms, at practice, or scouting opportunities, and activities pretty cool deal and hopefully opponents, they did a good to meet other athletes. “It’s a in four years we’ll be able to job of treating it like a normal great concept,” says West Texdo it all over again.” road trip. It didn’t interrupt as A&M University Head Coach our preparation at all.”
NCAA PHOTOS/JAMIE SCWABEROW
Hausfeld also feels that she has a better understanding of how the skills she’s developed as a student-athlete will benefit her as she enters medical school. “As volleyball players, we have all learned how to deal with the challenge of being both students and athletes,” she says. “We’ve survived the times when we have an organic chemistry test the next day, but our coach holds us late in practice to run sprints. The big-
gest challenge facing medical students isn’t necessarily the material that has to be mastered, but the stress. Studentathletes already know how to deal with stress, and we absolutely know the meaning of dedication.”
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LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD Study Shows Triad Starts Early The symptoms of female athlete triad syndrome—disordered eating, menstrual irregularities, and low bone mass—have been a concern among college athletes for many years. But recent research suggests high school girls, too, should be wary of the risks. A study published last year by researchers at San Diego State University found that among 170 female high school athletes from eight different sports, 20 percent exhibited at least one symptom of the triad. In the sample, 24 percent experienced menstrual irregularities, 22 percent had low bone mass, and 18 percent showed signs of disordered eating. “The results are a wake-up call for physicians, physical therapists, athletic trainers, and coaches who work with female athletes,” study coauthor Mitchell Rauh, Profes-
sor of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences at SDSU, told the San Diego State Universe. “These conditions may happen earlier than realized and these professionals should start to encourage positive behaviors now.” To help female athletes avoid the triad, which can lead to stress fractures, osteopenia (a precursor to osteoporosis), and full-blown eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia, experts say coaches should keep an eye out for early warning signs. “Any time there’s a significant, unexplained drop in a female athlete’s performance, that’s cause for concern,” says Caroline Hodges, Nutrition Counselor at the Elmira (N.Y.) Nutrition Clinic, who works with both high school and college athletes. “Other red flags include slow healing and recovery times, stress fractures, and any significant preoccupation or obsession with food.” Hodges says coaches are often in the best position to observe triad symptoms. They
can recognize performance changes during training and competition, and even notice abnormal eating habits, since most teams share meals when they travel. “Younger athletes, in particular, don’t always know how to fuel their bodies adequately,” Hodges explains. “Girls today start dieting at a very young age, and that results in guilt when they do eat, which in turn leads to food restriction.” If you’re concerned that an athlete in your program is showing signs of disordered eating, broaching the subject can be difficult. For coaches, a smart approach is framing the discussion around performance. “Saying, ‘I don’t think you’re eating adequately, and I know you could do better if we got your food on track,’ is a very non-threatening way to start a conversation,” Hodges advises. “Then, you can recommend they see a nutritionist or tap into any other resources that are available.”
Starting next season, in all states that follow NFHS rules, the libero will be able to serve in one position in the serving order. At right, Amber Ricart, a libero at Pickerington (Ohio) High School North, gets under a ball during sectional tournament play. For more info, visit: www.nfhs.org. JEFF BREHM/SPORTSPIX
COACHING MANAGEMENT
The program title says it all: “Volleyball: Live It! Love It! Coach It!” For the past four years, the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) has been offering seminars by that name in an effort to encourage minority women to enter the volleyball coaching profession. The number of participants has grown each year, and the program in Washington, D.C. this past September saw its biggest turnout to date—55 attendees. Since 2003, the AVCA has been holding a Live It! Love It! Coach It! workshop in conjunction with its annual convention, gradually expanding to other sites around the country. This academic year is the first time four seminars will be held. “The response over the years has been outstanding,” says Sharon Clark, Head Coach at Butler University and a member of the AVCA’s Minority Coaches Committee. “We’ve learned through coaches’ feedback that there is a huge need for more training and access to information for minority coaches. “Our hope is to keep the flow of minority coaches coming in to the collegiate ranks, and the only way to do that is to start with new coaches,” Clark continues. “We need club, middle school, high school, and junior college coaches to grow and become better at their craft. That’s how we’ll build a portfolio of minority coaches to pull from for the college ranks.”
High School Libero To Serve
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Encouraging Minority Coaches
Every seminar includes advice on how to teach skill development like blocking and setting, as well as information on how to plan a practice, prepare your team before a match, and deal with parents. But Clark and other organizers also try to tailor each program to the host area.
“For instance, when we were in D.C. in September, the coaches had a big need for the basic fundamentals of coaching,” Clark says. “At other clinics, the coaches grasp fundamentals at a higher level and need information on how to prepare themselves professionally, like how to find an assistant position at the next level.”
Kentucky State University Head Coach Nedra Brown attended the “Live It! Love It! Coach It!” seminars in December and encourages coaches at every level to attend future sessions.
Nedra Brown, Head Coach at Kentucky State University, spent a lot of time at the Live It! Love It! Coach It! seminars at the AVCA convention in December. Even as a college head coach, Brown found the seminars helpful. “I think coaches at every level should go at least once during their career,” she says. “I’m glad to hear there will be more seminars in other parts of the U.S. throughout the year. I certainly found it beneficial to have
a review of skills and I’m sure the other coaches in attendance felt the same way.” Coaches who attend the seminar receive a one-year membership to the AVCA to help them stay connected to the coaching community. “Another good thing about the clinic is that it’s an opportunity for coaches to do a lot of networking and meet people in the industry,” says Jason Jones, Director of Marketing and Education at the AVCA. “Building contacts and having those relationships is crucial.” For more information on “Live It! Love It! Coach It!” programs, go to: www.avca.org and type “Live It” into the search window.
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Patty Giannattasio United States Coast Guard Academy For two seasons, United States Coast Guard Academy Head Coach Patty Giannattasio couldn’t quite get her team over the hump. In 2004 the Bears won the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) regular season championship, but fell in the conference tournament’s championship game after holding match point. The next season they suffered a similar fate, losing again in the title game. But in 2006, Giannattasio led her team not only to a win in the conference championship over Springfield College, but into the NCAA Division III Tour-
nament’s Elite Eight, further than any Coast Guard team had ever advanced in national championship play. There, they bowed out to eventual national champion Juniata College, which did not lose a match against Division III teams all year. In her 10 seasons as Head Coach at Coast Guard, Giannattasio has amassed a 185-96 record while overcoming the difficulties of recruiting athletes who must pass the strict admissions guidelines of a military academy. In this interview she talks about coaching motivated but overscheduled athletes, starting a volleyball program at Mitchell College, and getting the most out of inexperienced players.
CM: What is your coaching philosophy? Giannattasio: My mission is to teach my players to compete with competence, confidence, and class. That encompasses all parts of their development as athletes and that’s what we work toward both on an individual and team basis.
To compete with competence, confidence, and class, we also want to develop the attitude of a competitor. We talk about what it looks like to really compete, whether it’s match point in the conference finals or the first point in a regularseason match we should win.
I definitely feel that it’s my job to not only teach physical skills but also the emotional and mental parts of the game. And I see competition as a measuring stick for how we’re doing on the continuum of individual and team development.
Do you get a different character of athletes at Coast Guard? The girls set very high standards for themselves and the team, which is great, but sometimes they need to learn to relax a little bit. I never have to tell them to work harder. However, they don’t always realize that recovery is important and that more is not always better. I have to teach them that their bodies and minds need to recover, and sometimes it’s all right to have downtime.
Coaching at the Academy, part of my job is to also help my athletes excel in this tough field they’ve chosen. I work with my players a lot on teamwork and leadership because that’s eventually what their work in the Coast Guard will be centered on. What do you do in practice to bring out those qualities? We start with developing confidence, which is critical for them to be leaders of the nation one day. That can be a challenge when they’re still learning how to accept compliments and attain the skills it takes to be an athlete and an officer. Competence comes through developing our skills during drills and then applying what we’ve learned to game situations. Class is something that we talk about often. How are we going to behave if we defeat an opponent badly, or if we lose a close match? In practice we talk about how to respond to different situations—what to do when we shake hands after a game or when an official makes a questionable call.
Q&A
But the way the Academy is structured, I don’t get a lot of opportunity to teach that mindset. They’re very scheduled in and I don’t have a lot of time with them. I see them during practice, pregame and match time, and a few minutes after the match, then not again until the next practice. I’ve never seen kids disperse as quickly as they do at the end of practice or after a meeting. The Academy is very rigorous academically and students take their studies very seriously. What did you do to take your team to the next level this year? We’d been building toward it for the past few years. This year’s juniors and seniors were freshmen and sophomores when we lost in the NEWMAC Finals the first time. We had match point a couple times in that game and eventually lost, and that was heart wrenching. Then, in
Coast Guard senior captain Christine Rostowfske and sophomore All-American Nicole Gurr go for a block against Juniata College during the quaterfinals of NCAA Division III championship play.
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2005, we lost in the finals on the road to a team we’d beaten in the regular season. So, this year, the girls were willing to do just about anything to win the tournament. I just kept them focused and they did the rest.
What did you say to them before facing Elite Eight opponent Juniata College? It was the elephant in the room. All season long our focus was to compete with competence, confidence, and class on every point, and we wanted that focus to remain, no matter who our opponent was. But we were facing a team that hadn’t lost to another Division III team all year, and I felt we had to talk about that.
How did you prepare your players for the NCAA tournament? Because the girls are used to such a strict time schedule, when we went to
“We need to make sure our athletes love the game as much as when they started, and have memories they can take with them for a lifetime. When they walk away from our program, I want them to say, ‘That was worth it.’” Also, our players were incredibly excited about being at the championships [the quarters, semis and finals were held in Salem, Va.] and the support we received from alumni, many of whom drove hours to come and cheer us on. There were recent alumni who drove from Washington, D.C., to watch the game and had to drive back
Boston for regionals, we kept them on their normal routines. We woke them up at the same time they’d get up at the Academy, ate breakfast at the same time, and had study time when they would have been in class. It was good for them because it was familiar and kept them comfortable.
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afterward to report for duty. There was one woman who played volleyball in the ’80s who cried when the team came out because she was so happy. It was overwhelming to see that kind of support. Is it difficult to recruit athletes to Coast Guard? It’s like finding a needle in a haystack. We look for excellent student-athletes who can compete at the Division I or II level but also have a desire to serve their country. They need to be in the top 10 percent of their high school class academically, interested in technical majors, and have the desire to be in the military. It’s a challenge to find all those traits in one person. We send informational packets and e-mails to girls who compete at Junior Olympic Nationals, AAU Nationals, various sports festivals, and one or two regional and national qualifiers. That’s thousands and thousands of letters. When I first started here I was pretty much working off the admissions database, but I no longer limit myself to that pool. Now, I go after volleyball players
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COACHING MANAGEMENT
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Q&A and educate them about the Academy to see if they’re interested. And I find that many are. Some say they didn’t know Coast Guard had an Academy and are interested to know more, or they knew someone who went here but didn’t know about our volleyball program. Once they apply, they have to pass the medical and physical tests. It’s a long process. What was it like to start a program from scratch at Mitchell College, a junior college in New London, Conn., where you coached from 1993 to 1997? On the positive side, Mitchell College went about it right. They brought me in and let me choose all the equipment and supported me completely. That gave the team legitimacy because we looked good and had everything we needed. But it was difficult to find athletes at first. To get students to join the team, I had to show them we were building something special. I had to work hard with those first classes to get them to feel like it was all worthwhile—to go to practice every day and get in a van to drive somewhere and be beaten, then do it again the next weekend.
How did you schedule practices around a mix of experienced and inexperienced players? I would make up cards with notes on each player and talk to them about what skills I wanted each of them to develop. Then I would design drills that would at some point address each individual’s needs. My goal was to have each player improve on something by the end of each practice. I think that helped them feel like the practices were worthwhile. Even though the entire group was doing the drill, each girl knew exactly what she was working on. What do you think is the biggest issue facing collegiate volleyball today? I’m concerned that coaches aren’t always taking the best care of their athletes. I want two things for my players when they leave this program: I want them to still be physically healthy and still have a love for the game. As coaches, we can get so focused on outcomes that we may ask too much of our players—it’s so easy to ask them to take one more swing at practice. We also need to make sure our athletes love the game as much as when they
started, and have memories they can take with them for a lifetime. When they walk away from our program, I want them to say, “That was worth it.” What motivates you as a coach? When I started coaching, I needed to prove to myself that I could win, and do so with integrity. I’d seen coaches who were very successful but whose teams were coming apart at the seams and whose players didn’t have a passion for the game. I also saw coaches who I really liked but their teams weren’t successful. I want to win, but I make a habit of asking myself at the end of every practice, “If my daughter was on the team and I was watching, would I be pleased?” Now, I am motivated to provide women opportunities to be exposed to volleyball and find out what a great sport it is. I also want to help new coaches learn about the sport, and how to work with young women, whether it be at the high school or college level. I’ve had to learn a lot of different things on my own, but if I can make just one coach’s path a little easier, I would love to do it.
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COVER STORY
A reserve player in 2005, Nebraska’s Dani Mancuso found her competitive edge in a big way this past postseason, recording double digits in kills in four of six NCAA tournament matches to help the Huskers win the Division I title.
FINDING
THEIR FIGHT
Female athletes can struggle with unleashing their competitive drive. The best coaches know how to help them turn it on.
BY KENNY BERKOWITZ
I
N 2001, AFTER SEVEN YEARS of coaching boys’ and girls’ high school volleyball, Leanne Ulmer took the reins at NCAA Division III Carthage College. The program was in desperate need of an overhaul: In its four previous seasons, the Lady Reds had continually finished in last place in their conference, recording one victory in their last 28 league games. The athletes were demoralized, their performances sloppy, and their expectations low. Worst of all, they didn’t know how to compete. To turn them around, Ulmer immediately restructured practices to bring out her athletes’ sense of competitiveness. She set concrete goals for every drill and refused to accept anything less than their best. “I think of myself as a winner, and from the start, that’s what I expected out of this program, too,” says Ulmer, who’s
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since led the team to a 162-57 record with 23 consecutive conference wins and three straight conference championships. “Everything we did in practice was about being competitive, exuding a sense of self-confidence, and seeing ourselves as winners. They learned to be competitors.” What does it take to bring out a “we’ll do anything to win” attitude in your players? How do you light a fire under them? In this article, we’ll provide drills that teach competitiveness, explain the competitive cauldron, and discuss the psychological side of the issue. Outside Their Comfort Zone From a young age, most boys are trained to be competitive. By the time they reach high school, male athletes are ready and willing to compete at just about anything. But for many young women, even elite female athletes, the experience of growing up has been very different.
In her book, Gender and Competition: How Men and Women Approach Work and Play Differently, AVCA Executive Director Kathy DeBoer writes about some of those differences. At the pre-teen level, she explains, male athletes compete from the moment they enter the gym, while female athletes sit on the bleachers, waiting for their friends to arrive before picking up a ball and engaging in cooperative play. Even in elite international play, she’s found that females spend far more time perfecting their technique and far less time in competitive drills than their male counterparts. The solution, says DeBoer, is for coaches to keep pushing female athletes out of their comfort zones, teaching women to set aside cooperative play in exchange for hard-fought competiKenny Berkowitz is an Assistant Editor at Coaching Management. He can be reached at: kb@MomentumMedia.com.
UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA ATHLETICS
COVER STORY
tion. Instead of assuming female athletes know how to compete, coaches at the high school and college levels need to make competing a regular, disciplined, and evaluated part of every workout. After coaching both males and females, Ulmer agrees completely. “You don’t have to teach guys to be competitive,” she says. “They compete at everything—whether they’re warming up, playing in a game, or just hanging out together. But female athletes tend to have issues with self-esteem or feeling afraid they won’t be liked if they play too hard. As coaches, we have to train them to step outside the group and take charge in competitive situations.”
spending less time on safe, no-stakes drills and instead places his female athletes in competitively charged situations every day in practice. Many of his drills are, in fact, do-or-die scenarios, like his “first kill” drill. “This is a six-on-six drill where we’re feeding balls in and the offensive team can’t rotate until every player in the front row has a kill,” Dill explains. “Every time, it will come down to one player who hasn’t made a kill. Everybody knows the set is going to her, and it places tremendous pressure on her. “It can lead to a lot of frustration and a very tense atmosphere, but that’s what I want,” he continues. “This player has to
“We do whatever drills will make our kids compete with everything they’ve got. It could be as simple as a relay race or a game of tag, as long as there’s a winning team that receives praise and a losing team that faces the consequences ... Any time you give your athletes a drill that doesn’t have a goal and any time you forget to talk about the results, you’ve lost an opportunity.” In one early demonstration of the issue, Ulmer asked athletes at Carthage to pick their own three-on-three teams. The result? The most competitive players chose each other, while the least competitive players picked their friends, regardless of skill. For Ulmer, the message was clear: Before they could win, the Lady Reds needed to rethink their competitive strategy. “Guys would have tried to form teams that would win,” she says, “while the girls were content to just pick their friends, even if they didn’t stand a chance of winning.” Drilling Intensity Paul Dill, Head Men’s and Women’s Volleyball Coach at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has witnessed a similar dynamic with his teams. When his men’s team hits the gym for practice, they have one question: “Coach, when are we going to play?” His female athletes, on the other hand, are eager to work tirelessly on honing their skills and are less comfortable competing with one another. That’s why one of Dill’s top priorities with his women’s team is to bring out their competitive drive. He does this by 16
COACHING MANAGEMENT
beat her teammates to get out of the situation, and if she can find the grit to push herself in a practice situation, she’ll find it in a match. I tell my women’s team to expect our practices to be just as competitive as our matches, if not more so.” At St. John’s University (N.Y.), Head Coach Joanne Persico-Smith also runs very competitive practices. Every drill has a winner and a loser, with clearly understood consequences—generally sprints, pushups, sit-ups, or volleyball skill drills. That way, says Persico-Smith, every athlete knows why she’s competing, and it becomes clear which players are more competitive than others. Persico-Smith also pays close attention to what will or won’t motivate her team to be competitive. “For example, if your team loves to run sprints, you can’t make that the punishment for losing a scrimmage,” she says. “You need to offer incentives and disincentives that will challenge them as a team. They need to see the whole group improving to feel the sense of accomplishment that comes along with it.” Ulmer keeps her practices competitive with constantly shifting two-on-two and three-on-three drills, creating an atmo-
sphere where every athlete is expected to give her full concentration. “We do whatever drills will make our kids compete with everything they’ve got,” says Ulmer. “It could be as simple as a relay race or a game of tag, as long as there’s a winning team that receives praise and a losing team that faces the consequences. And with every drill, they know exactly what we’re looking for and we talk about the results afterward. “The more competitive drills you give your athletes and the more you talk to them about the end result, the sooner they’ll learn to compete,” she continues. “If you want your athletes to be more competitive, everything you do in your program has to be about competition. Any time you give your athletes a drill that doesn’t have a goal and any time you forget to talk about the results, you’ve lost an opportunity.” She makes sure the team’s scrimmages are hard fought, too. “If they scrimmage, we’ll give them lots of challenges along the way, like shaking up the rules so they can’t rotate until they get two sideouts in a row,” says Ulmer. “If we don’t keep coming up with different nuances, the team will lose focus and the scrimmage will stop being competitive.” Chris Catanach, Head Coach at the University of Tampa, adds a layer of competitiveness to his team’s practices by scoring every drill, then keeping a tally of each day’s wins and losses. “Everything we do is scored, because every time we emphasize scoring, we’re training for competition,” says Catanach. “To make players more competitive, everything has to revolve around scoring points. Athletes have to stay focused on that end result.” Catanach emphasizes this point by asking athletes to tell him the score in the middle of a drill or scrimmage—with an extra task to be completed for wrong answers. “Winning isn’t everything,” he says. “But if athletes don’t play to win every time they hit the court, they’re not being competitive.” Along with walking the walk, Catanach expects his players to talk the talk. “We want to hear competitive banter during practice,” he says. “When you watch a typical men’s practice, there are usually some pretty heated exchanges over scores, points, or just about anything. We want some of that same competitive
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A M E R I C A Circle No. 108
COVER STORY
intensity on our team, so we’re happy to see players arguing over a drill—anything but walking away.” Inside the Cauldron Some coaches take the idea of scoring drills to another level: They use the totals to determine who will start. Modeled after a system invented by Anson Dorrance, Head Women’s Soccer Coach at the University of North Carolina, the competitive cauldron gives athletes a score for every practice drill. Then, using a system of multipliers that weighs six-on-six scrimmages more heavily than general fitness exercises, those points are tallied into a single number. A running total is kept over a certain number of days, which is used to determine the starting lineup of each match. Carl McGown, a coach and consultant at Gold Medal Squared Volleyball Camps and Clinics and former Head Men’s Coach at Brigham Young University, is a big believer in the system. “With the competitive cauldron, we’re objectively evaluating every athlete’s
performance and strictly assigning playing time according to merit,” he says. “It holds every athlete accountable for every aspect of his or her performance. All it takes is a spreadsheet and about 15 minutes after practice.” In McGown’s version of the cauldron, athletes are scored in group drills, tournaments against other players in their position, and six-on-six scrimmages with shifting rules and teammates. The scores are totaled every day after practice, the results are posted for everyone to see, and the leading scorer at each position earns a starting role in the next match. “When athletes know they’re being graded, it makes the practice much more competitive,” McGown says. “It creates a training intensity you won’t otherwise get.” Though the cauldron has its critics, McGown counters that with its emphasis on scoring, the system lends itself perfectly to volleyball, especially women’s volleyball. “People say that girls can’t withstand the pressure,” he says. “But in fact, we know lots of teams where
females work very well with this kind of competition. As coaches, we have to teach them it’s okay to compete.” University of Utah Head Coach Beth Launiere has adapted some of the ideas of the cauldron on the way to making the Utes a top-20 squad. “If you want your team to be competitive in games, they need to be competitive in practices,” she says. “There are definitely times when you have to teach skills, like in the offseason or even during the fall when athletes need to work on reps. But we score virtually every drill we do in practice, track who’s winning and losing, and accumulate those scores over a 10-day period. It’s not about keeping statistics. It’s about keeping track of who’s really competing from one day to the next.” However, Launiere does not emphasize who is beating whom. “We let them know individually where they stand, but we don’t publicly post rankings of one through 12, because I don’t think women want to feel they’re always competing against their teammates,” she explains. “No matter how hard they
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COACHING MANAGEMENT
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COVER STORY
compete, they need to know they’re part of a team.” The key, says Launiere, is to find the right mix between creating chemistry and training competitiveness. “One of the most important things in women’s athletics is to strike a balance between the two,” she says. “Athletes have to understand that you’re trying to make them into the best team they can be. That’s why they have to compete so hard in practice and why you need to make sure you’re putting your best players into a match. At the same time, they have to buy into the greater good of the team and believe they’re working towards a common goal. On this team, everyone understands the group comes first and the way we will reach our team goal is for everyone to compete as individuals in practice.” Launiere also believes there’s such a thing as making practices too competitive, so the team occasionally conducts a practice or two without scoring. “When they need a rest from competing, we work on sharpening skills,” says
A
Launiere. “When they can get a break, they come back refreshed.” Easing Into It Making your players more competitive won’t happen overnight, and in fact, coaches say it shouldn’t. Because most females have not had intensely competitive practices, it’s important to slowly introduce them to your players. And it’s important to talk to them about what you’re doing. “I spend a lot of time explaining to my women’s team why I want a competitive focus in practice,” says Dill. “I tell them the goal in competing hard is to make their teammates better, not to embarrass them. After we do a drill that makes them uncomfortable, we talk about it. I ask them how it made them feel, and we work through it together. “Another key has been creating the right atmosphere to make this level of competitiveness tolerable,” he continues. “Early on, I only focused on making them competitive, and I saw a lot of play-
T THE UNIVERSITY OF TAMPA, Head Coach Chris Catanach tells the story of setter Gretchen Naruta, who spent most of her first two years sitting on the bench. But by the time she graduated, she’d not only learned how to compete—she’d become captain of the team.
“Setters sometimes have the problem of directing the ball equally around the court instead of making the choices that win games,” says Catanach. “They’re thinking more about keeping their friends happy than they are about succeeding. As a coach, if you see that in practice, you have to keep reinforcing the mental part of their game, stopping the drill to ask, ‘Who’s your go-to person? Who’s going to help you win this drill?’” Day after day, Catanach talked to Naruta about her choices on the court, pulling her aside to ask why she’d made a particular decision and what other options she had instead. “She needed to realize this was about winning matches, not keeping everyone happy,” he says. “She eventually learned what made the team succeed, and as she grew more confident in her choices, her skin grew thicker. That made it much easier for her to make decisions, because she could look back to proven success, instead of worrying about people getting mad at her. When she reached the point where she was thinking competitively, she realized she’d already earned the respect of everyone on the team. “For her first couple of years, I wasn’t sure she could become competitive enough to be a leader,” continues Catanach. “Ultimately, she became the best captain we’ve ever had.”
SETTING EXPECTATIONS 20
COACHING MANAGEMENT
ers become frustrated. I learned that to focus this hard on competition with women, you need an underlying team culture that’s very supportive. They need to know that even though they just went through a drill that completely exposed them, everyone on the team still cares about them and no one is mad at them. In that environment, they’re not afraid to make mistakes, and that allows them to compete as hard as I want them to.” At Campolindo High School in Moraga, Calif., which won the Division III Girls’ State Championship in 2006, Head Coach Scott Bishop feels another key to making female athletes more competitive is to help them overcome the fear of failure. “Not knowing how to handle failure can make it very hard for females to stay competitive when they’re struggling,” says Bishop. “Their selfesteem is wrapped up in their current performance, so the worse they play, the worse they feel about themselves. “When my players are caught in a vicious circle like that, I tell them that all good teams struggle, but it’s the great teams that can bounce back,” continues Bishop. “Over the course of a tough match, they need to expect that every member of the team is going to be challenged, but it’s how they deal with it that is going to make the difference between winning and losing. So I ask them, ‘If you make a mistake, will you be able to put it behind you? What will it take before you can move on to the next point?’” Bishop takes the shame out of making mistakes by encouraging athletes to play hard, take chances, and challenge themselves. “As long as we’re moving in the right direction, I’m glad to see a lot of positive, aggressive errors,” he says. “It’s like John Wooden said: ‘Winners make the most mistakes.’ If they’re pushing themselves to improve their technique, I don’t mind the errors. Ultimately, it is making them more confident and competitive.” Ulmer agrees that it’s crucial for the losers in practice situations to not internalize the wrong message. “There are always consequences to winning and losing, and everyone has to face that fact,” she says. “As coaches, our job is to help the girls deal with a loss in a way that they don’t walk away thinking they’re losers because they didn’t get the point. Most guys don’t have that kind of internal self-talk, but a lot of girls do.
COVER STORY
“To keep outcomes from getting personal, coaches need to turn every exercise into a lesson about why everyone has to work on a particular technique and why the choices we make are so important,” continues Ulmer. “You can’t just talk about how great one athlete is. After each drill, talk about why some people succeeded and others didn’t.” Understanding that female high school athletes can also have a difficult time competing against teammates, Bishop plays up the idea of competition being an inner struggle. “We take the focus off competing against other people and put it on competing against yourself,” he says. “We’re trying to establish a mindset where athletes stop comparing themselves to the person next to them. Their first priority is the only thing they solely control: their own effort. And the only comparison that matters is with the best they’ve been able to play in the past. So I’ll ask, ‘Are you trying to surpass that? Did you play to the best of your ability? Did you give your maximum effort?’” Life Lessons While teaching athletes to be competitive on the court can rack up more wins, coaches also emphasize how it will help them succeed in life. “We think we’re training our athletes to be better volleyball players, but really our job is to help them grow as human beings,” says Persico-Smith. “It’s about making good decisions under pressure.” “As coaches, the most important thing we can do is develop our players,” adds Ulmer. “To keep moving forward, females need self-esteem. Stay positive with them and let them know there’s nothing they can’t do if they work hard enough. “Teach them not to be afraid of competition and not be afraid to go after a goal that seems out of reach,” continues Ulmer. “As much as we want to win, what really matters is making a positive impact on our athletes’ lives. If you can keep everything in perspective, you’ll have a positive program and a winning program.” ■ To read a more in-depth discussion of coaching different genders, see Kathy DeBoer’s article, “A Balanced Attack,” in Athletic Management’s Feb/March 2007 issue, which can be accessed at: www.AthleticManagement.com.
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“Steel is great in cars or buildings, but when the University of Arizona volleyball team practices in the Wildcats basketball arena, we get tired of hauling the heavy systems in and out. I’d never considered aluminum systems because of negative comments from other coaches. I am now a firm believer that weight alone is not the measure of a quality volleyball system. While Centerline Elite aluminum standards won’t make our team better, it has made our equipment managers happier.” Dave Rubio Head Women’s Volleyball Coach University of Arizona
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YOUR CAREER
CREATING A BUZZ
CHRIS MURPHY
Looking to climb the coaching ladder? 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
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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 Jane Jones. I am currently the assistant coach at State, and I am calling to let you know of my interest in your head volleyball coaching position. We have been very successful at State. This past year we won the conference championship and
were ranked in the top-20 in the nation. We have consistently recruited the top student-athletes 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 your volleyball program 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 text 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
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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.
Circle No. 114
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
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
Think about how to “spin” your achievements. For instance, you may have led your team to a 16-14 record in your first season. Let’s say the team finished 4-26 the season before you got there. That means you accomplished a 300-percent improvement in your first season. 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 26
COACHING MANAGEMENT
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 the facts so that they have maximum impact. For instance, you may have led your 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 300-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: 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 mentioned, 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 volleyball coach at the NCAA Division I level and have recruited several All-American athletes. To send a powerful message, you could include a full-page picture of one of these athletes with a tagline that says: “Recruited to State by Coach Jones, Jana Smith went on to be a three-time All-American.” 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 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 rec-
YOUR CAREER
ommend you for the position. Arrange these calls to come on consecutive days so the contact person is hearing about 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 or your references call too many times, 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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COACHING MANAGEMENT 27 3/21/07 10:07:00 AM
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CORE VALUES
JAMIE SCHWABEROW/NCAA PHOTOS
STRENGTH & CONDITIONING
Mid-torso strength underlies every move your players make. That’s why you need a multifaceted approach to training the core.
BY DR. LARRY JUDGE
S
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 aren’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 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.
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STRENGTH & CONDITIONING
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. 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.
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-ups 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.
30
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
My favorite abdominal exercises include three-position crunches, V-ups, V-ups with a twist, seated twists with a dumbbell, plate walks, dumbbell leg raises, back hyper-extensions, Russian twists, and delivery lifts with dumbbells. For optimal strength increases, repetitions 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 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,” at 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
STRENGTH & CONDITIONING
Ball Exercises,” at 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
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.
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 ... The exercises are very similar to Pilates. 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 than other free weights and great for training through injuries.
I have designed four circuits that are cycled through the training program. (See “Dumbbell Circuits” on page 32.) 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. 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 sport-specific to more. Following a basic
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STRENGTH & CONDITIONING
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,” below.) 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. 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
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
PEDES TAL W ORK My core-training program begins with pedestal exercises that maximize trunk stability. Beginning athletes should start by holding each position in perfect alignment for 10 seconds. Once that is accomplished, athletes should progress to doing 10 reps of 10 seconds for each position. Prone elbow stand, single-leg raise Supine elbow stand, single-leg raise ■ Prone hand stand, single-leg raise ■ Supine hand stand, single-leg raise
Lateral elbow stand, single-leg raise Lateral hand stand, single-leg raise ■ Prone flexed knee, elbow stand, hip lift
■
■
■
■
■
■
Supine flexed knee, hip lift Crunch, low reach ■ Crunch, low reach with twist
PREC O MPET I T I VE STAG E Sample sprint drills, throws, and jumps workouts are listed below.
32
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
COACHING MANAGEMENT
STRENGTH & CONDITIONING
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 functional postural integrity and as a result latent power resources. One of my favorites is the pelvic tilt. In this exercise, the athlete lies on his or her back and contracts the abdominals until the 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 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,” at left.) Explosive speed strength training 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. ■ A version of this article has appeared in our sister publication, Training & Conditioning, and in other editions of Coaching Management.
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COACHING MANAGEMENT 33 3/14/07 1:22:54 PM
Circle No. 119
Team Equipment Active Ankle Systems, Inc. 800-800-2896 www.activeankle.com 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. 500 Active Ankle Systems, Inc. 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. 501 Cho-Pat 800-221-1601 www.cho-pat.com Cho-Pat’s patented Dual Action Knee Strap® provides an extra level of relief for painful and weakened knees. It applies pressure to the ten-
don below the knee to reduce patellar subluxation and improve tracking and elevation. It also puts pressure on the tendon above the knee to provide added support and stability. The Dual Action Knee Strap allows full mobility. Circle No. 502 Cramer Products, Inc. 800-345-2231 www.cramersportsmed.com Cramer’s AS1 ankle brace combines the support of a heel-lock strapping system with excellent value when compared to other ankle braces. The brace is constructed with an 840D nylon shell, with a soft neoprene liner for comfort and feel. Non-stretch straps lock the heel in place, and steel spring stays on each side of the brace provide additional support. Circle No. 503 Cramer Co-Stretch non-adhesive stretch tape is an innovative choice that beats traditional stretching and self-adhering tape. It has excellent tensile strength, tears clean, and features a “no-slip” grip, making it superior to many traditional tapes. It’s excellent for use as an anchor for tape applications or compression bandages. It contours easily to the body, allowing you to effortlessly wrap any appendage. Circle No. 504 Dimensional Software 877-223-8225 www.ace4vb.com The TapRecorder version 2 for Palm and Pocket PCs adds functionality and Pocket PC-compatibility to this revolutionary handheld software tool from Dimensional Software. Combined with PracticeStats™ templates for volleyball, the TapRecorder is an excellent tool for recording and
summarizing information right on the court. Customized TapRecorder applications quickly and easily record the data you need. This flexibility allows you to track counts and ratings. It also lets you monitor performance on practice drills and selected stats during scrimmages. Circle No. 505 Volleyball Ace version 6.10 for Palm and Pocket PC handhelds adds several new features to this popular volleyball stats program from Dimensional Software. It includes per-game and summary stats, box scores, serve and pass ratings, points per rotation, and hit charts. New features include desktop setup of rosters and matches, automated data uploads for NAIA and NJCAA reporting, scrollable play-by-play logs, and beaming to share rosters and stats. The stats automatically upload to a Windows PC or Macintosh for printing and further analysis. Circle No. 506 Power Systems 800-321-6975 www.power-systems.com Challenge focus, agility, and foot speed in the gym with the new Power Systems Indoor Agility Ladder. This heavy-duty nylon ladder has small iron rod slats encased in nylon webbing to keep it in place on smooth surfaces and deliver sensory feedback when stepped on. Lightweight (only two pounds) and durable, the 15foot Indoor Agility Ladder comes with a carrying bag for easy, tangle-free transport. Circle No. 507
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COACHING MANAGEMENT
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Great Ideas For Athletes...
ADVERTISERS DIRECTORY CIRCLE NO.
COMPANY
116 . . . Aalco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 103. . . Active Ankle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 119 . . . Assoc. of Volleyball Professionals Tour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 112 . . . Bison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 115 . . . Blazer Mfg. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 110 . . . Centaur Floor Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 120. . . Cho-Pat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 113 . . . Cramer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 104. . . Jaypro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 117 . . . LeverKnot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 106. . . Mateflex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 118 . . . Power Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 121 . . . Precision Passer (RI Blast). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 109. . . Rip Tide Volleyball . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 108. . . Schelde North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 122. . . Smack Sportswear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IBC 123 . . . Spalding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BC 100 . . Spike Volleyball . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC 101 . . . Sports Attack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 114 . . . Sports Imports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 107 . . . Sports Tutor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 111 . . . The Volleyball Market . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 105. . . Volleyball ACE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 102. . . Worldwide Sport Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Knee Strap
PRODUCTS DIRECTORY
Cho-Pat’s Original Knee Strap is designed to alleviate certain knee discomforts due to overuse syndromes, arthritis, and other forms of degeneration. Nearly two million sold! Sizes: XS - XXL • Colors: Black and Tan
Dual Action Knee Strap Patented device offers an extra level of pain relief and protection from knee degeneration and overuse syndromes. Stabilizes and strengthens the joint while allowing full mobility. Sizes: Sm - XL
Achilles Tendon Strap This patented device will reduce stress upon the Achilles Tendon and provide effective relief from pain and discomfort associated with Achilles Tendonitis. Sizes: Sm - Med - Lrg
www.cho-pat.com 1-800-221-1601 Circle No. 120
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COACHING MANAGEMENT
CIRCLE NO.
COMPANY
PAGE NO.
523. . . Aalco (Spikeline system) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 522. . . Aalco (Swingline) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 501. . . Active Ankle (All-Sport Chameleon) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 500 . . Active Ankle (Dorsal Night Splint) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 525. . . Bison (Lady CarbonMax system) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 524. . . Bison (portable volleyball system) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 526. . . Blazer Mfg. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 502 . . Cho-Pat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 503 . . Cramer (AS1 ankle brace) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 504 . . Cramer (Co-Stretch Tape). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 505 . . Dimensional Software (TapRecorder). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 506 . . Dimensional Software (Volleyball Ace) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 527. . . Jaypro (Flex Net system) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 528. . . Jaypro (Floor Sleeve/Cover Plate) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 529 . . LeverKnot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 530 . . Mateflex (ProGym) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 531. . . Mateflex (TileFlex) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 507. . . Power Systems (Agility Ladder) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 508 . . Power Systems (Power Program) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 509 . . Precision Passer (RI Blast). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 532 . . Rip Tide Volleyball . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 534 . . Schelde North America (Carbon Pro net system) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 533 . . Schelde North America (Collegiate 4000 system) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 510 . . . Smack Sportswear (custom apparel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 511 . . . Smack Sportswear (Flip short) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 536 . . Spalding (NFHS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 535 . . Spalding (Solo Elite volleyball system) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 512 . . . Spike Volleyball (ball cart system) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 513 . . . Spike Volleyball (Vertical Challenger) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 515 . . . Sports Attack (Attack II Volleyball Machine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 514 . . . Sports Attack (Attack Volleyball Machine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 537. . . Sports Imports (Senoh net systems) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 516 . . . Sports Imports (Vertec) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 517 . . . Sports Tutor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 519 . . . The Volleyball Market (Asics) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 518 . . . The Volleyball Market (Budget Saver) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 520. . . Worldwide Sport Supply (Target Challenger) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 521. . . Worldwide Sport Supply (Volleyball Pal) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Team Equipment Power Systems 800-321-6975 www.power-systems.com The Volleyball Power Program by Power Systems is a 12-week training program designed to improve the performance of volleyball athletes. The package includes the necessary equipment to develop the speed, agility, and quickness needed to excel in this very competitive sport. The program includes a Pro Agility Ladder, a six-pound Power Med-Ball, a Lateral Stepper (intermediate), a VersaDisc, a four-pound Power Grip Ball, an Economy Power Jumper, a nylon carrying bag, a Power Program Manual, and your choice of a video cassette or DVD. The video shows the proper way to use the equipment, and the training manual takes you step-by-step through the program. Circle No. 508 RI Blast, Inc. 401-932-9106 www.precisionpasser.com The Precision Passer is a net-suspended target that offers big advantages over its competition. It’s lightweight but durable, setup is simple, and the collapsible frame allows for easy storage and transport. The Precision Passer hangs on the net rather than sitting on the ground, making it a safer choice for your players. For budget-conscious coaches, the biggest advantage may be the price—the Precision Passer is available at a fraction of the cost of other targets. Circle No. 509
custom volleyball apparel that’s uniquely stylish, comfortable, functional, and durable. Smack Sportswear has outfitted athletes from all over the world, including Olympians, top-ranked college teams, and AVP pros, as well as hundreds of clubs and school teams. For more information or to design your own custom uniforms, call or go online today. Circle No. 510 Smack Sportswear offers some of the most comfortable shorts your athletes will ever wear. The new Flip short, made of moisture-wicking material, is customized to fit a young woman’s body perfectly. The lined horizontal crotch panel provides maximum comfort and does not ride up. The Flip short is a low-rise short available in multiple lengths. The thick waistband can be “flipped” by the wearer to create an even lower rise, if desired. Circle No. 511 Spike Volleyball 800-SPIKE-IT www.spikenashbar.com Spike Volleyball offers a revolutionary ball cart system that provides the easy transportation of a ball bag with the characteristics and function of a sturdy ball cart. It holds up to eight volleyballs, which can be easily secured using the mesh zip cover. A clear plastic sleeve on each side of the
unit can be customized with your team name and color. The ball cart system is now in stock at Spike Volleyball—your source for everything volleyball. Circle No. 512 Spike Volleyball is your source for volleyball training equipment. Get a jump on the competition with one of the newest, most affordable, and most accurate vertical-jump measuring devices on the market. The Vertical Challenger is a must-have for every school team, club program, and training facility. Circle No. 513 Sports Attack 800-717-4251 www.sportsattack.com If the jump serve is a problem in your game, the Attack Volleyball Machine is the solution. It offers extreme ball control at international-level speeds. National teams, college teams, and club teams can all benefit from the Attack’s powerful game-simulating repetition delivered from a realistic over-the-net (men’s) release point. Don’t count on “air” to get you there. The precision and speed of the Attack Volleyball Machine from Sports Attack can do it. Circle No. 514
Smack Sportswear 866-SMACK-88 www.smacksportswear.com Smack Sportswear was born on the sands of Manhattan Beach, Calif., in 1994. Since then, the company has focused on creating
401-932-9106 Circle No. 121 COACHING MANAGEMENT
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Team Equipment Sports Attack 800-717-4251 www.sportsattack.com The Attack II Volleyball Machine from Sports Attack has a unique design that provides complete ball control, unlimited spins, and professionallevel speeds. All types of drills—from floaters to jump serve receiving, digging, spiking, passing, and setting—can incorporate a realistic over-the-net (women’s) release point and a non-stop game tempo. As a result, you can make every minute of every practice effective. The Attack II is a leading seller among volleyball machines worldwide. Circle No. 515 Sports Imports 800-556-3198 www.sportsimports.com Virtually all professional and college sports teams and the NFL Scouting Combine use the Vertec jump-training system, distributed by Sports Imports. It is one of the best ways to evaluate and improve jump reach and lower-body explosive power. The Vertec jumptraining system challenges athletes to improve their vertical leap through instantaneous feedback and recognition. The process is simple, offering a true vertical target, visual motivation, and an immediate, accurate measure of success and growth. A wall-mounted version is now available. Circle No. 516 Sports Tutor 800-448-8867 www.sportsmachines.com Both the Gold and Silver models of the Volleyball Tutor can vary ball trajectory and speed to produce any desired set or pass while delivering serves at speeds up to 60 mph. The Gold model
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can automatically throw six volleyballs at intervals ranging from five to 20 seconds. The unit is completely portable and is available with either AC or battery power. The Silver model’s release point is 5-1/2 feet high, and it features a separate dial to control the amount of topspin and underspin. Volleyball Tutor models start under $1,000. Circle No. 517 The Volleyball Market 866-999-3004 www.VolleyballMarket.com The Volleyball Market’s exclusive Budget Saver custom teamwear program has been expanded for 2007. For as little as $9.97 per player, you can outfit your team in two-color Match Ts featuring the team name and individual player numbers. Team or practice T-shirts run as low as $3.97 for a onecolor print on a white body, $4.97 on a gray body, or just $5.97 on a colored body. Team fleece hoodies are available for just $19.47. Circle No. 518 The Volleyball Market has joined with Asics America to present the Asics Fall 2007 volleyball line. It features three new volleyball jerseys for women (Setter BT850, Assist BT851, and Salima Long Sleeve BT750), two new jerseys for men (Rotation BT801 and Attacker BT802), and two new volleyball shoes (GEL-Sensei 2 and GEL-1120V) for both genders. Call to learn more, and ask about introductory team pricing, the exclusive free sample evaluation program, and the free practice T-shirt program. Circle No. 519
Worldwide Sport Supply 800-756-3555 www.wwsport.com The Target Challenger is the ultimate in target technology. Its adjustable pole height and target ring make it a multipurpose training tool that can accommodate any sport. The sturdy net collects balls for easy retrieval. The Target Challenger includes a 22-pound weight for stability and two wheels for easy portability. It is adjustable to 12 feet, and the target ring measures 30 inches. This product is ideal for passing, setting, or shooting. Circle No. 520 The Volleyball Pal from Worldwide Sport Supply allows an athlete to practice for hours without the help of another person. It consists of a Velcro® strap that is secured around the waist, a neoprene pouch that holds the volleyball, and an elastic connecting cord. The smooth action of the cord guides the ball back to the player every time. Athletes can use it to practice serving tosses or swing technique without having to chase the ball. Circle No. 521
Need help fundraising for your team? Your source for fundraising tips, support, and suppliers:
www. FundraisingForSports .com
Volleyball Court Aalco Mfg. 800-537-1259 www.aalcomfg.com Swingline custom-designed ceiling-suspended volleyball systems are available with electric operation or a wall-mounted manual winch. Internal net height adjustments and convenient folding for overhead storage make this an ideal system for any single- or multi-court facility. A safety catch is standard on all Swingline systems. Custom colors are available, and the system is protected by a 25-year structure warranty. Visit Aalco’s Web site to learn more. Circle No. 522 The patented Spikeline system from Aalco allows you to adjust the net while it is at full tension. An internal bevel gear drive mechanism ensures exact net height with the turn of a handle, and the safe, simple worm gear winch design achieves proper net tension every time. The winch post weighs 48 pounds, and the end post weighs 40 pounds. The Spikeline system features an outer telescoping design and an anodized aluminum finish. Go online to see this and other quality Aalco volleyball products. Circle No. 523 Bison, Inc. 800-247-7668 www.bisoninc.com No floor sockets in your facility? The Bison Arena freestanding portable volleyball system needs absolutely no floor anchors, loose ballast, or extended framework. The Arena is totally self-contained, with built-in ballast that allows superior net tensioning and a 100-percent guarantee not to slide on any common court flooring. The posts and 26:1 worm gear winch have lifetime limited
warranties. The complete system includes two bases, a built-in official’s stand, a competition net, a net bag, antennae, net rope covers, and safety padding with lettering. The Arena meets all NCAA, NFHS, and USVBA standards. Circle No. 524 Bison’s Lady CarbonMax system sets up at seven feet, 4-1/8 inches (women’s height) only. Its composite carbon fiber standards are incredibly lightweight at only 19 pounds (nonwinch end), yet they equal the rigidity of steel posts that weigh as much as 60 pounds. The standards and 26:1 machined worm gear net tensioning winch have lifetime limited warranties. The complete system includes standards, a winch, a Kevlar top rope net, a net bag, antennae, net rope covers, floor sockets, safety padding, and padding lettering. Circle No. 525 Blazer Mfg. Co. 800-322-2731 www.blazerathletic.com Blazer offers a full line of volleyball products. The company’s most popular steel and aluminum power volleyball standards are long-lasting and easy to set up. Other great products include Blazer’s Quik N’ EZ Velcro antennae. The Mega cart is strong, durable, and includes a side pocket for storage of your clipboard and other necessities. The Net Winder stores four nets and two pairs of antennae easily and without letting them get tangled up. Circle No. 526
Jaypro Sports, LLC 800-243-0533 www.jaypro.com Jaypro believes your time should be spent practicing and coaching, not struggling to set up your net. The patented Flex Net system has no extra cables, straps, or tie-offs, so setup is quick and easy. Jaypro manufactures a full line of lightweight aluminum volleyball standards that offer infinite height adjustments and powder-coat finishes to match your school colors. The company also offers classic steel net systems with pin-stop height adjustments, and systems suitable for elementary or intramural use. Circle No. 527 The Jaypro Basketball Floor Sleeve and Hinged Cover Plate offer a unique locking feature to prevent basketball dead spots. The sleeve has a 3-1/2-inch inner diameter and is 10 inches deep. The lockable hinged cover plate has a 7-1/2-inch outer diameter and is made of heavy cast brass. A 10-inch sleeve with a three-inch inner diameter is also available. Circle No. 528 LeverKnot, LLC 256-880-3636 www.leverknot.com Give your players a chance to play balls off the net. The easy-to-use, tangle-free, non-stretchable VB-6 side tensioning system keeps your net tight for days of practice and competition. Nets with a quarter-inch bottom rope can easily be upgraded with the VB-BR2C bottom rope system, which comes with unique covers that won’t get lost. The patented LeverKnot systems are durable and easy to use for coaches and players of all ages. Circle No. 529
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Volleyball Court Matéflex 800-926-3539 www.mateflex.com Matéflex offers a unique interlocking modular surface for volleyball flooring needs. ProGym™ features a solid-top design for indoor sports applications. It has a smooth, solid surface for player safety and excellent traction. It is available in 16 standard colors for good court definition. Made from a specially formulated highimpact polypropylene, ProGym provides outstanding resiliency and durability. It is manufactured by the oldest American maker of modular sports tiles, and comes with a 10-year warranty. Circle No. 530 Matéflex, a leading manufacturer of modular flooring, offers the TileFlex™ solid-top tile for basketball, aerobics, and multi-use sports facilities. TileFlex is unique because its high-quality luxury vinyl tiles fit neatly into a base module to form a single snap-together unit. A popular wood grain look is available for gymnasium applications. The base features a specially designed raised rim that protects the insert from chipping and other damage. TileFlex is made of high-impact polypropylene and has hundreds of support pegs that raise the tile above the existing floor to allow for airflow. Circle No. 531 Rip Tide Volleyball, Inc. 888-288-5993 www.hoopspike.com The Hoop-Spike by Rip Tide Volleyball is a spiking device designed for volleyball players at all levels. A player or team can train with the device anywhere there is a basketball hoop. Repetition with
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Hoop-Spike strengthens players’ footwork, timing, and arm swing. The device is lightweight and sets up quickly, making it convenient for coaches at school and players at home. Call or go online for more information. Circle No. 532 Schelde North America 888-SCHELDE www.scheldesports.com The Collegiate 4000 telescopic volleyball system represents the latest refinements in Schelde innovation. Springassisted telescoping posts allow you to quickly set the net height for various levels of play while keeping the net aligned with the top of the posts. This unit includes Schelde’s exclusive fully sheathed beveled-gear winch and four-point net connection system. It is designed to be set up by one person in five minutes or less. Call or go online to request a copy of Schelde’s new catalog. Circle No. 533 Schelde’s new Carbon Pro volleyball net system is constructed with a wound carbon fiber tube that provides maximum rigidity for a super-tight net with minimum weight (similar to Schelde aluminum posts). This system features spring-assisted telescoping posts with an adjustable base and preset net height settings. It includes Schelde’s exclusive beveledgear winch and four-point net connection system, and is designed to be set up by one person in five minutes or less. Circle No. 534 Spalding 800-435-3865 www.spaldingequipment.com The new Spalding Solo Elite volleyball system is intended for use on the most competitive courts. Lightweight and incredibly rigid, the unique oval design of the Solo Elite allows for
maximum stiffness with minimum weight. From threeto four-inch sleeves and everything in between, the expandable base makes setup and teardown easier than ever. Spalding’s complete volleyball product line includes systems, uprights, referee stands, pads, nets, and accessories. Spalding is the official volleyball equipment supplier to the NFHS and USA Volleyball. Circle No. 535 Spalding has entered into a three-year partnership agreement with the NFHS to be the federation’s official sponsor for volleyball equipment, basketball equipment, and foam-backed carpet for cheerleading. Spalding manufactures a complete line of quality-driven volleyball, basketball, and cheerleading equipment, including basketball backstops, backboards, and goals, volleyball systems, protective padding, foam-backed carpet, and all kinds of accessories. Circle No. 536 Sports Imports 800-556-3198 www.sportsimports.com Sports Imports is the exclusive North American distributor of Senoh volleyball, tennis, and badminton net systems. A recognized authority in national, international, and Olympic competition, Senoh makes some of the most durable and reliable volleyball equipment on the market. Ninety percent of Division I volleyball programs use Senoh, and it is the only net system endorsed by the FIVB, the NCAA, and the AVCA. Circle No. 537
Custom Voll eyball Apparel Since 1994
What if I could design my team’s uniforms?
Go to SmackSportswear.com with your design ideas
Choose a style, colors, unique prints and specs
“Thanks, Coach! I love my SMACK uniform!”
Visit SmackSportswear.com to place your custom order today! Smack Sportswear, the leader in custom designed volleyball apparel, is now the only apparel company in the world that also offers lettering, numbering, screen-printing & embroidery, as well as balls, shoes, and other related volleyball gear - we truly are your One Stop Shop!!
www.SmackSportswear.com – Toll-free 866-Smack-88 Circle No. 122
Circle No. 123