Coaching Management 15.6

Coaching Management VOL. XV NO. 6

BASKETBALL

PRESEASON

EDITION

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FROSH PERSPECTIVE Preparing freshmen to contribute right away

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Balanced Coaching

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In-Season Strength

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Circle No. 100

Coaching Management Basketball Edition Preseason 2007

CONTENTS

Vol. XV, No. 6

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LOCKER ROOM

COVER STORY

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

Frosh Perspective

D-I addresses text messaging …

Michigan changes girls’ seasons …

College seniors showcase their skills …

Reaction to mercy rules … Caltech documentary … NFHS co-hosting tourney.

Q&A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Dave Magarity of the United States Military Academy (Army) discusses his transition to coaching women and taking over a team in mourning.

TEAM EQUIPMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 BASKETBALL COURT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 SCORING TABLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 COACHING AIDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 STRENGTH & FITNESS EQUIPMENT. . . . . . . .44 PRODUCT LAUNCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 MORE PRODUCTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

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More and more freshmen are being counted on to play leading roles in both the college and high school ranks. Here, several top coaches talk about how to help them grow up quickly.

LEADERSHIP

A Balanced Attack

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Most coaches want to teach their athletes both skills and competitiveness.

Depending on which gender they coach, most end up focusing on only one.

STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

A Strong Season

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An in-season strength program is fraught with scheduling challenges. At the University of Wisconsin, the men’s team uses a focused but flexible plan to keep its players strong all season long.

ADVERTISER’S DIRECTORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 On the cover: Last season, as a freshman, D.J. Augustin was the starting point guard at the University of Texas and was an Associated Press honorable mention All-American. Augustin and fellow freshman Kevin Durant were the team’s co-MVPs. Story begins on page 16. Photo by Jim Sigmon/UT Athletics

Publisher Mark Goldberg

Marketing Director Sheryl Shaffer

Editor-in-Chief Eleanor Frankel

Marketing/Sales Assistant Danielle Catalano

Associate Editor Dennis Read

Circulation Director Dave Dubin

Assistant Editors R.J. Anderson, Kenny Berkowitz, Nate Dougherty, Abigail Funk, Greg Scholand, Laura Ulrich

Circulation Manager John Callaghan

Art Director Pamela Crawford

Production Assistant Jonni Campbell

Photo Research Tobi Sznajderman

Prepress Manager Miles Worthington

Business Manager Pennie Small

IT Manager Julian Cook

Special Projects Dave Wohlhueter

Administrative Assistant Sharon Barbell

Production Director Don Andersen Assistant Production Director Jim Harper

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

The Coaching Management Basketball edition is published in July and March by MAG, Inc. and is distributed free to college and high school coaches in the United States and Canada. Copyright © 2007

by MAG, Inc. All rights reserved. Text may not be reproduced in any manner, in whole or in part, without the permission of the publisher. Unsolicited materials will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Coaching Management is printed by RR Donnelly, Kansas City, MO. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Coaching Management, P.O. Box 4806, Ithaca, N.Y. 14852.

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LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD D-I Addresses Text Messaging Just as the use of text messaging in college recruiting was reaching new heights— to both praise and criticism from coaches and players—in April, the NCAA banned Division I coaches from sending text messages to recruits.

Though the measure went into effect Aug. 1, enough schools requested an override of the rule, forcing the Division I Board of Directors to reconsider it at its Aug. 9 meeting.

tion, such as message boards and social networking sites like Myspace and Facebook, is also prohibited. As a result, technologies that have not yet been developed are banned until they receive specific approval from the NCAA. Shortly after the first Board of Directors’ vote, NCAA VicePresident Jim Berst told the Associated Press that despite approving a ban on text messaging, the board remained open to other ways of deal-

ing with the issue. “They recognized we had a dilemma where student-athletes suggested there were some problems with text messages whereas coaches and assistant coaches wanted it to continue,” Berst said. “I think it recognized there may be other ways of monitoring communications in the future, so it’s open to proposals.”

Although Jim Haney, Executive Director of the National Association of Basketball

Unless the board voted to change its initial approval, the rule will remain in place until a vote by Division I members at the NCAA’s annual convention in January. (The board’s meeting was held just after Coaching Management went to press. For updated information, please visit our Web site at: www.coaching-managment. com.)

COACHING MANAGEMENT

“But some kids were getting message after message after message during school hours or late at night, and it was causing a heavy financial burden on some,” Barker continues. “Because of the abuses, something had to be done by the NCAA.”

An NCAA Division I rules change may prohibit coaches from text messaging recruits like New Hanover (N.C.) High School senior Ty Walker. Here the heavily recruited Walker blocks a shot during the 2007 North Carolina High School Athletic Association Class 4A championship game.

Still, Barker is not convinced that an outright ban is necessary. “I’m anxious to see what some of the new proposals may look like,” he says. “Will they allow it only at certain

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“We surveyed our Division I head coaches about the proposal to ban text messaging,” Haney says. “We had 45 percent in favor of the proposal, 45 percent opposed, and 10 percent with no opinion. And when we asked about a proposal that would have put in restrictions on when coaches could send text messages, 47 percent were in favor, 38 percent were opposed, and 15 percent had no opinion. We didn’t have a consensus, so as an association we took no official position on either proposal.”

High school coaches appear just as mixed in their feelings as their college counterparts.

Wayne Barker, Head Boys’ Basketball Coach at Bluffton (Ind.) High School and President of the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association, sees both good and bad in the use of text messaging. “Some high school athletes find it less intrusive than a phone call because they can continue with whatever they’re doing at the time and send a quick message back to the coach later,” he says. “And some players just don’t like speaking on the phone.

While coming to its initial decision, the Division I Board of Directors was lukewarm in its support of the ban, and there are strong feelings both for and against text messaging held by college and high school coaches. Concerned about the negative effect unlimited text messaging was having on some high school athletes, including financial costs for those who had to pay for each text message they received, some high school coaches, parents, and college administrators started calling for its regulation by the NCAA in late 2005. A proposal to ban text messaging eventually won out over a competing proposal to allow it with some restrictions.

The new rules go beyond text messaging by limiting allowable electronic correspondences—which are not regulated in time or number—to e-mails and faxes. This means contacting recruits using any other form of electronic communica-

Coaches (NABC), expects new proposals that would allow restricted text messaging, his group won’t be leading the charge. While some coaches complained loudly about the ban, collectively NABC members were firmly planted on the fence.

times or limit it to one per week?”

Even if there is a ban in Division I, text messaging will still be part of the recruiting picture for many high school athletes since there is no limit on its use in Division II or Division III. Both, however, will consider new regulations, including a possible ban, during the next year.

Michigan Girls to Switch Seasons Back in 1977, Don Palmer became the Head Girls’ Basketball Coach at Milford High School in Highland, Mich. A year later, he was also named the school’s Head Boys’ Basketball Coach. For three decades since, Palmer has been able to hold both posts, thanks to Michigan’s nontra-

ditional fall season for girls’ basketball. This winter, however, Palmer—and countless coaches like him who have filled dual coaching roles—will have to make a tough choice: coach the boys or coach the girls.

This April, the U.S. Supreme Court elected not to hear an appeal brought by the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) in its nine-year legal battle with Communities for Equity, a parent group which sued the association in 1998, alleging that Michigan’s nontraditional seasons discriminated against girls and violated Title IX. A series of lower courts ruled in favor of Communities for Equity, prompting a string of appeals by the MHSAA. By refusing to hear the last of those appeals this spring, the Supreme Court exhausted the

In response to a Title IX lawsuit, Michigan’s girls’ teams will play in the winter instead of the fall this season. Milford High School’s Don Palmer, who was Head Coach of both the boys’ and girls’ teams, had to choose one team over the other.

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LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD MHSAA’s legal options, and the association announced it would switch girls’ basketball to the winter beginning in 2007-08, while also moving girls’ volleyball, golf, and tennis and boys’ golf and tennis to new seasons.

In bringing its case, Communities for Equity claimed that nontraditional seasons limited Michigan high school girls’ opportunities to be seen by college recruiters and sent the message that girls’ sports are less important than boys’. The MHSAA, on the other hand, claimed that the nontraditional seasons actually benefited girls by making scarce resources and facility space go further. It also pointed to the state’s high rate of girls’ athletic participation and scholarships earned, as well as results from surveys of coaches and athletes that consistently showed a majority

favored keeping the non-traditional seasons.

This winter, Palmer will step down as Boys’ Head Coach to stay with the girls’ team.

“It was a tough decision,” he says, “but girls’ basketball provided me my first head coaching opportunity when I was just 26 years old. It seems appropriate to finish where I started.”

Letting go of his boys’ team wasn’t easy, though. “I had a couple of seniors who have been on varsity since they were sophomores,” he says.

“I won’t be with them during their senior season, and that’s the hardest part.

“I’m definitely not the only coach in this position,” he adds. “I’m a little unique because I coached both varsity teams for so long, but

I have a lot of colleagues who coached girls’ varsity and boys’ j.v., for example.

They’re facing the same tough choice I am.”

The coaching crunch is one of several effects Michigan is coping with as a result of the change. An anticipated shortage of officials is another.

“Most programs have freshman, j.v., and varsity teams, so in a regular week with two games each, we needed officials for six games,” Palmer says. “With boys and girls playing in the same season, we’ll now need to cover 12 each week. Since we’ve had fewer people getting into officiating because of sportsmanship issues, I do expect problems.”

The MHSAA anticipates them, too, and has ramped up its efforts to recruit referees. It’s distributing materials to every

graduating basketball player, billing officiating as a way to stay involved with their sport.

The association is also waiving registration fees for officials from other sports who are willing to add basketball to their workload.

High schools, meanwhile, are figuring out how to fit twice as many games and practices per week into their facilities.

And with many fans now having to choose which game to attend, some fear girls’ programs will see fewer supporters in the stands.

“Our league has decided to play the boys’ and girls’ games on the same night, but at opposite sites,” Palmer says. “I really don’t like this idea, because it keeps our teams from being able to support each other. With the old system, our girls’

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team was always at the boys’ games and vice versa. I’m going to lobby our league to change its scheduling plan next year.”

instead, and athletic directors around the state are spending the summer working on the same logistical issues facing Michigan.

Another state will also be grappling with season changes in the wake of the Michigan decision. In Hawai’i, girls’ basketball will move from spring to winter, softball will move from winter to spring, and boys’ volleyball will go from fall to spring.

Despite reservations about the changes in his state, Palmer is optimistic about the future.

“There are going to be big bumps in the road, especially the first year,” he says. “But I believe as coaches we all need to stop complaining, watch to see where the problems are, and figure out how we can make it better in the second year.”

Once Michigan was forced to move to traditional seasons, Hawai’i was left as the only state playing girls’ basketball in a season other than winter. The Hawai’i High School Athletic Association Executive Board initially voted to realign its seasons starting in 2008-09, but threats of lawsuits prompted them to make the changes effective this fall

CBI Gives College Seniors Exposure At last April’s inaugural Collegiate Basketball Invitational (CBI), Indiana University of Pennsylvania Head Coach Joe Lombardi was one of

Last April’s inaugural Collegiate Basketball Invitational featured 60 of the top seniors in NCAA Division II, Division III, and the NAIA. Above Reggie George from Robert Morris College defends Midwestern State University’s Eric Dawson.

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LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD six coaches who lent his expertise to a three-day double elimination tournament featuring 60 of the top seniors in NCAA Division II, Division III, and the NAIA. Televised on ESPNU, the event allowed players who might not have had a lot of media exposure during their college days to display their skills in front of scouts and coaches from the American Basketball Association (ABA) and various European leagues, as well as a host of professional agents.

Calling it a very successful weekend, Lombardi says he came away from the event extremely impressed with how each player bought into the team concept. “This was not just an opportunity to showcase themselves, but to be part of a team in a winning atmosphere,” he says. “For them, this was also an opportunity to meet people and network. It put them in a position where they are no longer student-athletes, but professional young men.”

The CBI is the brainchild of John McCarthy, President of McCarthy Sports, a company he formed to put on the event.

As then-Athletic Director at Lynn University and a former Chair of the NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Regional Advisory Committee for the south region, McCarthy was involved in the creation of the 2006 Division II all-star game, which was held as part of Division II’s 50th anniversary celebration. “That game was a fun time for the players,” he says. “And the next thing I knew, 12 NBA teams had requested a tape of the game.

“Now with the expansion of the NBA’s Developmental League, the re-launch of the ABA, the rise of the European leagues, and developments in Asia, there are more opportunities for student-athletes to extend their playing careers,” McCarthy continues. “I thought the CBI would open some eyes to the talent level at NCAA Division II, III, and the NAIA. I think we’ve really found a niche.”

McCarthy and his staff spent the past year signing up sponsors, finding host families for the players, and working with the city of Wadsworth, Ohio to finalize a venue for the tournament.

These responsibilities also included filling out the rosters. “I thought selecting the players was going to be the fun part,” McCarthy says. “And while in the end it was, it was also an extremely challenging task. I was part of a 12-coach selection committee—four each from Division II, Division III, and the NAIA— that viewed numerous games, watched a ton of submitted tape, and spoke to coaches interested in getting their players invited. I already have lists started for next year and the year after that.”

While all the players and coaches stayed together at a local hotel, families volunteered to adopt players for the weekend, picking them up at the airport, taking them out to eat, and attending the games to cheer them on. “In exchange for hosting, families received tickets to all of the games and social events, including the tip-off banquet,” McCarthy says. “I’ve heard from some of them already that they want to host again next year.”

For more information on the Collegiate Basketball Invitational, go to: www.mccarthysports.com.

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Mercy Rules Catching On Featuring a nine-player roster and only one returning athlete with varsity experience, the Barberton (Ohio) High School girls’ basketball team regularly lost games by more than 50 points last season. When firstyear Head Coach Carolyn Mair was asked halfway through the season why she hadn’t invoked Ohio’s voluntary mercy rule, she explained game experience was the only way her team would get better.

But by the end of the season, Mair had changed her mind.

In a game against the area’s top-ranked team her squad was getting blown out, so she called a time-out and asked to have a running clock (time keeps ticking unless there is a time-out, free throw, or injury on the court) implemented for the rest of the game. It marked the first time she had used the mercy rule. “At first I thought the experience of playing through a loss was important,” she says. “But toward the end of the season the kids got frustrated and it’s almost like they started to give up.”

Ohio is one of several states that has taken the advice of the NFHS, which recommended in 2003 that state associations put mercy rules in place. Some states like Idaho, Missouri, and Ohio have an optional rule—if the point spread reaches a predetermined gap (usually 30 to 35 points), the losing coach can call a time-out during the second half to ask the referee for a running clock for the remainder of the contest.

Other states, including Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and most recently Tennessee, have a mandatory rule— after the first half, if the point spread reaches the predetermined number, a running clock is automatically instituted.

The Lake Howell High School boys’ team of Winter Park,

The Lake Howell (Winter Park, Fla.) High School boys’ team (pictured in blue) had the mercy rule invoked in 18 of its victories last season. In Florida, once the point spread reaches 35 points after the first half, a running clock is automatically instituted.

Fla., had the mercy rule invoked in 18 of its victories last year. “For me, that rule was a blessing,” says Head Coach Steve Kohn. “The games got out of hand really fast. I take my players out when I feel it’s the proper time, and if my kids have a problem with not getting playing time, I tell them, ‘We don’t run the score up on anybody.

After you graduate I still have to play these teams.’ Plus, it gives our reserves a chance to play. And even sometimes after doing all that, we still beat teams by a lot, but what else can I do?”

Idaho coaches had the option of a mercy rule for the first time last season. John Billetz, Executive Director of the Idaho High School Activities Association (IHSAA), says he’s already heard a motion to make the rule mandatory, but has mixed feelings about the potential change. “A mandatory rule would cut down on playing time for everyone— both starters and bench players,” he says. “I also think this is something that can be dealt with at each individual school.

If an athletic director or superintendent is having an issue with their coaches not invoking the rule or running up the score, they need to talk to those coaches.”

While the IHSAA won’t make any changes to its mercy rule for at least another year, the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) is struggling with the decision to put one in place at all. “We have some issues with one-sided games,” says MSHSL Associate Director Kevin Merkle. “The more we deal with lopsided scores, the more I think something should be done about them.

I hate to take away participation opportunities, but speeding up play can eliminate some of the problems.

“I’ve been a coach myself, and on the winning end you can’t tell your kids to stop playing,” Merkle adds. “It’s unsportsmanlike to quit trying. But you can take your starters out and tell them to pass the ball and not shoot every time they have a chance. And if you’re a coach on the losing end, do what you can to not delay the

game. Don’t take more timeouts than you need, tell your kids not to foul unnecessarily, and keep telling your kids to stay positive.”

National Tourneys Spark Discussion The idea of elite high school teams traveling across state borders to compete in corporate-sponsored tournaments has always had its critics, but one such tournament has an unlikely backer. For the second year, the NFHS is cosponsoring the T-Mobile Invitational, a tournament which will feature six top boys’ and girls’ teams as well as two “host schools” in a nationally televised tournament.

The tournament, which will take place Dec. 28 and 29 in Albuquerque, will include teams from the USA Today Super 25 rankings. Travel accommodations are funded

by T-Mobile, but teams are not paid to play. During the weekend of the tournament, teams will participate in community service projects and hear from

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LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD guest speakers. Judy Shoemaker, Marketing Director for the NFHS, says the tournament was purposely scheduled during what is a vacation week for most high schools.

Last year’s event marked the first time the NFHS has ever sponsored a basketball tournament. “We’re not just in it to put on a high school basketball tournament,” says Shoemaker. “We want to promote the value of participation in high school sports and activities, which is a priority for the NFHS. It’s not necessarily about winning the tournament, it’s about the lessons students learn while they participate—teamwork, goal setting, and community service.”

There are still those who believe high-profile, travelintensive tournaments— especially those that are televised—place too much pressure on young athletes and take away from the true spirit of competition. For example, the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) voted in April to restrict long distance travel of the state’s varsity teams.

Teams will now only be allowed to make one trip per season outside of Wisconsin or neighboring states Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, and Michigan. There is no limit on the number of games teams may play out of state, so holiday tournaments will still count as one trip.

The move is intended to fight what WIAA Executive Director Doug Chickering calls the “collegiate model” of athletics that is taking a stronger hold on the high school level.

“I’ve been in this position for 21 years and if there’s been a recurring complaint, it’s that we should not let the collegiate model be imposed on high school athletics,” Chickering says. “To me, that model means putting undue pressure on athletes and requiring them to travel many miles and miss class time. There are a lot of coaches and administrators from the high school ranks who share those concerns.”

The proposal, which was approved 259-86 by WIAA member schools, was created largely based on the concerns of the state’s coaches. By limiting the number of times teams can travel outside the state, the WIAA also hopes to break down some of the barriers that exist between Wisconsin public and private schools and promote more competition between these teams. In addition, Chickering hopes the rule will take away the peripheral recruiting advantage gained by teams playing in highly visible national tournaments.

Cameras Capture Caltech’s Season The men’s basketball team at the California Institute of Technology hasn’t won a conference game in 22 years, and it’s racked up 259 losses along the way. And until last January, when they topped Bard College 81-52, the team hadn’t beaten an NCAA Division III opponent since 1996.

This season the NFHS will again co-sponsor the T-Mobile Invitational, a nationally televised tournament featuring six of the country’s top boys’ and girls’ teams and two host teams.

Above, St. Elizabeth (Wilmington, Del.) High School’s Joy Rutland battles Erin Nicol from Issaquah High School (Wash.) during last year’s event.

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It’s the kind of record that attracts media attention for all the wrong reasons. So when Head Coach Roy Dow was asked for permission to film a documentary profiling the 2005-06 season, he could easily have said no. But he agreed

to the filmmaker’s proposal, and two years later, after attending the premiere of Rick Greenwald’s “Quantum Hoops,” he’s glad he did.

“Anything that presents an honest picture of who our student-athletes really are and what our men’s basketball program is all about is very welcome publicity,” says Dow. “After the first screening on campus, a faculty member who follows our program came up to talk to me. He’s a Nobel Prize-winning physicist, and he said, ‘Roy, this film reminds me why I’m at Caltech.’ And he’s right. It’s an incredible piece of work that truly captures the essence of the school and our program.”

Greenwald, whose prior experience includes work as an editor on Fox Sports Net’s biographical “Beyond the Glory” series, approached Dow in the middle of the 2005-06 season and received the go-ahead from the university in time to shoot the last three games of the year. One of those games, a heartbreaking twopoint overtime loss, became the centerpiece of the movie, sandwiched between interviews with present and former members of the team and sideline footage of Dow motivating his athletes.

Since its premiere on Caltech’s campus last November, “Quantum Hoops” has been shown at the Santa Barbara Film Festival and at a benefit for a local high school student-athlete. While Greenwald puts the finishing touches on the voice-over narration and searches for a company to distribute the film, Dow continues to prepare his team for the 2007-08 season. Though the Beavers finally broke their Division III losing streak a year after the film was shot, and though they continue to narrow the margin of defeat in many of their games, the longer in-conference winless streak remains in effect.

It’s easy to see why winning games is such a challenge at Caltech. Less than a quarter of Dow’s athletes started for their high school teams, and most didn’t play at all before coming to play for Dow. Players are frequently tired from pulling all-nighters, regularly study 14 hours a day, and work hard enough on academics to maintain a team GPA of 3.7.

During the 2005-06 season, Caltech Head Coach Roy Dow allowed a documentary filmmaker to chronicle his team, which hadn’t beaten an NCAA Division III opponent in over 10 years.

Last November, the film, “Quantum Hoops” held its premiere on the Caltech campus.

Now in his sixth year at Caltech, Dow (who built a winning program from scratch as Head Coach at Wheaton (Mass.) College and tallied successful seasons as an assistant coach at Colby College, College of the Holy Cross, and Chaminade University) continues to drill the fundamentals and emphasize the positive.

“Being part of this film reminds me how far we’ve come as a team,” he says. “Every year the program becomes more

legitimate, and like every other team, we focus on playing to our strengths and improving on our weaknesses.

“Other people might think this film is about not giving up,” continues Dow. “At some point, everybody loses, right?

But really, the lesson is about finding that balance between athletics and academics. The key is to define success within the larger mission of the school, which is to educate its students. To work as the head coach at one of the most incredible academic institutions in the world and be able to make an impact in the lives of the young people here makes everything worth it.”

For more information on “Quantum Hoops,” go to: www.quantumhoops.com.

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Q&A

Dave Magarity United States Military Academy (Army)

Before coming to the United States Military Academy, Dave Magarity spent more than 30 years as a college basketball coach, including 18 as Head Men’s Coach at Marist College and five as Head Men’s Coach at his alma mater, St. Francis University.

He’d been named Coach of the Year four times by the Northeast Conference and once by the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC). But all his success came at the helm of men’s teams.

That changed in 2005, two seasons after Magarity thought he’d ended his coaching career. Having served brief stints as an assistant commissioner at the MAAC and the Mid-American Conference (MAC), Magarity became Assistant Women’s Coach at Army, working alongside 28 year-old Maggie Dixon in her first head coaching job.

That season was the most successful in Army women’s basketball history, earning the team its first NCAA Division I Tournament berth. The good feelings quickly turned to despair, however, when Dixon died of heart arrhythmia on April 6, 2006, leaving Magarity in charge of a program deep in mourning.

Magarity consequently led the team to a school record 12-game winning streak and a 24-5 regular season.

For his efforts, he was named Patriot League Coach of the Year. In this interview, Magarity talks about working alongside Dixon, coaching at a military academy, and the lessons he’s learned in 32 years as a coach.

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CM: What have you taken away from all your years in coaching?

Magarity: The biggest lesson is that coaching basketball is the same whether you’re working with males or females. As a young coach, I was fortunate to get into NCAA Division I basketball right away and work with head coaches who gave me freedom, flexibility, and confidence.

They gave me the guidance I needed, pointed me in the right direction, and let me learn from my mistakes.

What mistake has taught you the most?

Early on, I learned the importance of being completely honest with young athletes, especially during the recruiting process. When you’re trying to convince an athlete to attend your school, you have to be up front about what you see in their basketball ability, where they may fit into your program, and where they could potentially be at the end of their college career.

How have you adjusted to working with female athletes?

I had to tone down my intensity a little, which is one of many reasons having my daughter on staff is incredibly valuable.

Other people might have been reluctant to approach me, but because of her personality, she’s able to take me aside and say, “You’ve got to back off.”

What went into your decision to leave the coaching profession?

I had been at Marist for a long time, and the year-to-year expectations were starting to bother me. If you stay that long at one program, you’re going to be tested by other people’s expectations.

A long time ago, just before I took my first head coaching job, Frank Layden,

There was a time when I found it very easy to gloss over the deficiencies that some kids had. You don’t want your student-athletes to think you were ever less than completely forthright with them.

Here at West Point, we have to be absolutely clear about what commitments they must make and that basketball is just a small piece of it.

How have you adjusted to working at a military academy?

I don’t tell a lot of people at West Point this, but I did serve in the Navy. I’ve been through boot camp, so I have some understanding of what these cadet-athletes are going through. When I think about the daily demands they face, I’m in awe. It’s not like a private institution, where student-athletes may have days with only one class and can come into the gym for hours of individual development sessions.

There’s very little flexibility in our athletes’ schedules and the demands on them are enormous. Time is so precious here that we need to take advantage of every second we have together. Another challenge here is it’s such a male-dominated environment that when these young ladies get together for basketball practice, they want to let their hair down and relax the front they have to keep up everywhere else. But for us to maintain a competitive edge, I can’t really let them do that.

A junior last season, Army’s Cara Enright repeated as a first-team All-Patriot League selection. Her 15.3 points per game average tied for first in the conference.

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who coached at Niagara University for years, told me, “Dave, you’re going to make a lot of friends in your first four or five years as a head coach. After that, you’re going to make a lot of enemies.”

How did you get back into coaching?

The assistant coaching job at Army came so quickly, so unexpectedly. It was a huge leap, and when I look back, it was probably the toughest professional decision of my life.

Ultimately, the most important quality in any coach is loyalty, and by 2004, when I left Marist, I felt I had shown a tremendous amount of loyalty to people who

Central Michigan was playing Army in football, and my boss at the MAC asked me to cover the game and represent the league. When I called West Point for cre-

I met with Maggie the next day, then again two days later, after the football game. But for some reason, it didn’t feel right, and I distinctly remember saying to her, “I get the sense I’m being shoved down your throat.” She replied that wasn’t the case and that she really needed somebody with experience to help her through the first year. She said she talked to a lot of people we both knew, and that she thought I would be a great fit.

“For the team to perform as well as they did was incredible. We won 24 regular season games this year, and we did it with class and dignity. I’ve coached a lot of great kids over the years, but I’ve never been more proud than I am of that group.”

How did it all work out?

We went on to have a great relationship and an amazing year. Everything surrounding the program was magical, and Maggie was just such an incredible person to be around. Even though I thought it might be hard for me to be an assistant coach again, I was very comfortable in that role because Maggie had a great feel for the game and was so easy to work with.

didn’t return it. So it was time for me to move on, and the logical landing spot was athletic administration. After doing some thinking and separating myself from the things that had bothered me at Marist, I came to the realization of how much I really missed coaching.

Why did you stay?

When I met with Maggie after the 2006 NCAA Tournament, I’d been thinking about moving on to the NBA to work with one of my closest friends. Maggie and I only agreed on a one-year commitment, and I was pretty sure I was going

dentials, one of my contacts said, “While you’re here, I want to talk to you about something.” Then, when I got to West Point, they explained the recent hire of Maggie Dixon to take over the women’s basketball team and how they were looking to fill out the rest of her staff.

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COACHING MANAGEMENT 1/31/07 12:23:20 PM

Q&A to leave. It was then that Maggie asked how I would feel if she replaced me with my daughter Maureen. I felt awful about leaving, but I was thrilled with the prospect of Maureen being able to work with Maggie. Days later, Maggie collapsed.

For the team to perform as well as they did was incredible. We won 24 regular season games this year, and we did it with class and dignity. I’ve coached a lot of great kids over the years, but I’ve never been more proud than I am of that group.

When I was approached about taking the job, I was still stunned. Front and center in my mind was, “If I stay here, how can I ever replace Maggie?” The answer was clearly that I can be the head coach, but I’m never going to replace her. When I took a step back, I realized this is where I want to be and this is where I belong.

What parts of her routine have you continued?

We’ve kept some quirky passing drills she had the team do for warmups. Maggie also had these little sayings we repeated before each game, called the “we wills.”

They were things like, “We will play smart, tough Army defense” and “We will play unselfishly.” There are nine or 10 of them, and the first time I heard the team do the “we wills,” I thought it was taking forever to get through them all.

But it gave the team a chance to mentally prepare for the game, so I kept the “we wills,” and they’re still part of our pregame routine. Maggie had a huge impact on this place, and her imprint will always be on this program. It’s my responsibility to keep her memory alive, and using her warmups is one way to do that.

What was it like coaching a team that was in mourning?

Throughout this year, there were a lot of things that reminded us of Maggie.

Something would happen, or someone would say something, and we would all think back to the year before. Why wouldn’t you want to keep her memory alive, when every memory you have is a great one? We did a good job perpetuating her memory in everything we did, and for me, that goes back to what I learned from her.

Why did the team do so well?

They bought into every challenge I threw at

them and believed in themselves. We began the season with a loss to Ohio State—a very tough opener. Then we won 17 of our next 18 games, and they were good wins, too—at St. John’s, Long Beach State, and Cal-Irvine. We set the school record for road wins and had the longest winning streak in school history with 12 in a row.

It wasn’t easy. I looked at that team and saw a lot of deficiencies: We didn’t have a true point guard or a consistent inside scorer. There were a lot of things the team didn’t have, but we never dwelled on negatives. People stepped up when they needed to, and we always seemed to push the right buttons. In previous years, this team was not a confident group, but Maggie gave them a tremendous amount of confidence and in close games, they believed they were going to win.

What’s next for you in your career?

I’d be very happy to finish it here at West Point. If we can get back to the NCAA Tournament, it would be great. There’s no reason we can’t do it again. If I can lead a team that consistently challenges for the championship, I’ll feel I’ve stayed true to Maggie’s legacy.

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Circle No. 110 Untitled-8 1

COACHING MANAGEMENT 15 8/2/07 3:12:38 PM

COVER STORY

H S O R F E V I T C E P S R E P roles in y leading la p to n o ral top g counted l ranks. Here, seve in e b re a hmen uickly. h schoo more fres grow up q e and hig g m e e ll o th c More and lp e both th ow to he lk about h ta s e h c a co

BY DENNIS READ

BY THE CHINESE CALENDAR, 2007 IS THE YEAR OF THE PIG. HOWEVER, MOST COACHES WILL REMEMBER IT AS THE YEAR OF THE FRESHMAN.

New draft rules closed off an immediate NBA career for elite members of the high school class of 2006, forcing them to spend at least one year on a college campus. And what a year they had, with freshmen Greg Oden, Mike Conley Jr., and Daequan Cook leading Ohio State University to the national title game and University of Texas freshman Kevin Durant taking collegiate player of the year honors.

Since regaining NCAA varsity eligibility in 1973, freshmen have been a significant, if erratic, part of college basketball. After all, Carmelo Anthony helped Syracuse to a national title in 2003, and there was the Fab Five at Michigan in the early 1990s.

On high school courts, every season brings numerous 14 year-old phenoms to a varsity squad of upperclassmen.

But succeeding as a freshman at any level requires more than raw talent. Even

16

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the best players can have trouble adjusting to a higher level of play and new teammates and coaches. In this article, college and high school coaches explain how they’ve helped their outstanding freshmen by evaluating each player’s strengths, enlisting the aid of returning players, and preparing them for the wall that all freshmen eventually hit.

Off On The Right Foot The process of getting a freshman ready for a big role often begins well before they set foot on campus. Whether it’s analyzing whether a 14 year-old is ready to compete at the high school varsity level (see “Are They Ready?” on page 20), or getting an 18 year-old college freshman ready to play right away, coaches agree it’s never too early to start preparing.

Dennis Read is an Associate Editor at Coaching Management. He can be reached at: dr@MomentumMedia.com.

D.J. , freshman Last season the starting as Augustin w at the point guard Texas and f o University ss ociated Pre earned Ass ntion Alle m honorable to by onors. Pho American h T Athletics. /U Jim Sigmon

COVER STORY

Last season, for the first time in his 20plus years as a high school head coach, Rich Boyce of Edison High School in Huntington Beach, Calif., had two freshman starters—one of whom, guard Kyle Boswell, lead the team in scoring. To prepare his two young players for what lay ahead, Boyce spent a lot of time over the summer talking with both about the importance of fitting in.

“I told them, ‘Your teammates have been in the program for two or three years, and you’re getting to play in your first year,’” Boyce says. “‘So there will be times when you should defer to the older guys—even if you don’t quite see things their way.’

“Kyle, in particular, had played a lot of high quality basketball, but I told him, ‘You still need to listen to what these guys say,’” Boyce continues. “‘They know our system and what we do. If you have questions, you don’t always have to come to me, you can go to them, too. By doing so, they’ll see that you want to learn and be part of the team.’”

Larry Hunter, Head Men’s Coach at Western Carolina University, says one of the keys to assimilating freshman Nick Aldridge (who ended up leading the team in scoring and earned All-Southern Conference honors) and his classmates was having them on campus during the

play. “Our returning players could see senior’s. So when they’re not playing hard, these freshmen were pretty good and you have to point that out to them.”

After often being the go-to guy in that we were going to need them to win games,” he says. “And when the seniors high school, it can be tough for a colwould take the freshmen out for pizza or lege freshman to get used to being just to a movie, they saw that they were good another player. Hunter addresses this kids, too. After a while the freshmen by telling his freshmen to worry about started joking around and having fun, what they’re doing on the floor—not and in about three weeks it didn’t mat- where they stack up when competing for ter if someone was a senior or a fresh- playing time. man—they were all just Edison basketball players.”

At Texas, Head Coach Rick “I tell younger players, ‘Don’t Barnes knew there would be panic if you’re not first in every little time for a feeling out prodrill or running with the first unit cess last season since he knew early on that at least five of immediately. Those are things his freshmen would likely be you have to earn. Just have conin the Longhorns’ regular rotafidence that if you work hard, tion. “The first thing I told my coaches was that we’re never good things are going to hapgoing to mention to these guys pen for you.’” that they’re freshmen,” Barnes says. “We decided we weren’t “I tell younger players, ‘Don’t panic if going to allow anyone to use their age or lack of experience as an excuse. They you’re not first in every drill or running came here to play right away and we were with the first unit immediately,’” Hunter giving them that opportunity. It was our says. “‘You have to earn those things. Just have confidence that if you work hard, job to get them ready.” good things are going to happen.’”

A common trait among successful On The Court Once practice starts, the intensity turns players, regardless of age, is that they up several notches for both the freshmen don’t shrink away from challenges. and the coaches who are trying Most, in fact, want to do more than they to get them ready. With so many should, and it’s up to the coach to make freshmen and no experienced sure they’re not asked to do too much.

“The first thing I told my coaches For Boyce, this meant playing Boswell junior or senior leaders on last was that we’re never going to year’s team, Barnes and his at two-guard instead of putting him at mention to these guys that they’re assistants spent more time than the point. “He certainly could have run freshmen. We decided we weren’t usual teaching the ins and outs the point, and he probably will a lot the Texas program. Barnes more next season,” Boyce says, “but we going to allow anyone to use their of talked with his freshmen about didn’t want to put the responsibility of age or lack of experience as an everything from big picture running the offense on his shoulders concepts like leadership and right away.” excuse. They came here to play Niekamp, meanwhile, did start a being a good teammate, to how right away and we were giving to get ready for a game—what rookie at point guard. However, he also to do at the pregame meal, the worked a sophomore point guard into them that opportunity. It was our procedure for pregame warm- his regular rotation so freshman Marcus job to get them ready.” ups, and how to read scouting Parker wouldn’t have to carry the load by himself. reports. summer. “We had a senior who was kind “It was important that we weren’t askMany coaches believe the first step of like a big brother to our freshmen,” is getting freshmen used to much more ing Marcus to play 38 minutes a game,” Hunter says. “He spent a lot of time with demanding practices. “In a lot of ways, Niekamp says. “When he struggled, I them, showing them how to work hard in just learning how to practice is a big thing could pull him out and let him watch the weightroom, and studying and social- for young players because they’ve never from the sidelines. That way he could izing with them. He was always there for before had to play at a high level on a get a better perspective on what was them, which was very helpful.” consistent basis,” says Ron Niekamp, Head happening on the floor and I could talk At Edison, Boyce used summer league Men’s Coach at the University of Findlay. with him about it. Plus, having someone games to introduce his freshmen both to “Initially, they don’t realize their definition challenging him for playing time kept their new teammates and a new style of of playing hard is much different than a him focused.”

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Circle No. 111

COVER STORY

Even though he had the freshman calling the plays, Niekamp made it clear that he didn’t expect Parker to be the team leader. “We don’t expect a freshman to have the same leadership qualities our juniors and seniors have, because a lot of those things extend off the floor—in the locker room, classroom, and in social settings,” he says.

“That really comes with maturity, and a lot of times 18 year-olds just aren’t equipped to lead like that yet.”

Able To Adjust For Barnes, much of October and November was spent addressing players’ roles. “We made sure the guys understood where they fit into our team, but we also had to make them understand that roles sometimes change,” he says.

That even held true for Durant.

“Kevin started the season not really having a back-to-the-basket game, but by the end of the season he had it all,” Barnes says. “Early on, we fed into what he did well, letting him trail the break and face the basket. Then, through individual work, we saw there was much more he could do. For instance, he knew how to pivot and he passed well, so we decided to put him in other areas of the floor where he could succeed. We also knew that if opponents double teamed him, he’d find the open man, and he did.”

Barnes also says the Longhorns went with a much smaller lineup than he initially expected after another freshman— guard Justin Mason—played so well in practice that the coaches felt obligated to give him more time on the floor. “Just like players have to know their roles can change, as coaches we have to be able to adapt our thinking, too,” Barnes says. “I don’t believe it’s smart to ask people to do things they’re not capable of, so every year we adjust our system to our players.”

With five freshmen in his rotation, Barnes went into the season expecting the young Longhorns to experience some growing pains, and he was right. “We knew we were going to make mistakes early and that we had to be patient,” he says. “For instance, although it’s a skill we stress heavily during practice, we lost one game early in the year simply because we didn’t block out after a free throw. Then we lost a game at Tennessee because of poor clock management. We were up by six or eight points, but our guys got caught up in the crowd noise and the way Tennessee was playing, and we lost the game.”

Still, Barnes refused to let his team use youth as an excuse for their mental errors. “Afterward, I never told them I’d give them the benefit of the doubt because they’re young. When I went into the film room the next day, I simply said,

I

F A SUCCESSFUL HIGH SCHOOL OR COLLEGE track record provides no guarantee of future success, imagine trying to ascertain the on-court potential of 14 year-old basketball players hoping to join the high school varsity club. Rich Boyce, Head Boys’ Coach at Edison High School in Huntington Beach, Calif., has been coaching basketball for more than two decades. In that time, he’s seen numerous teams push their latest freshman phenom up to the varsity level, which often turned out badly. But last season, Boyce selected two freshmen to play for his team—a first for his career.

“It takes a special kind of kid to play varsity as a freshman,” Boyce says. “And our two freshmen were special kids. They’re mature for their age, not just physically, but emotionally.

ARE THEY READY ?

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

‘This can’t happen again,’” he says. “And the great thing about that group is they didn’t make the same mistake twice.”

The Longhorns coaches also kept the playbook limited—especially early in the year—to avoid overloading their freshmen with too many different offensive and defensive sets. “I don’t think we’ve ever been really complicated, but last year we definitely pared it down even more,” Barnes says. “As the season went on, we added a wrinkle here or there, but overall we kept it very simple.”

Bill Harris, Head Men’s Coach at Wheaton College (Ill.), on the other hand, doesn’t change much even if a freshman is playing a big role. “We don’t shorten our playbook a lot,” he says.

“Most of the time, we’ll say, ‘This is what we do, and as soon as you’re ready to do it, you’ll find yourself on the floor. But until then, you’ll be watching.’ This usually helps them learn quickly.”

Someone To Look Up To No man is an island, and even the best players will only go as far as their teammates let them. The actions and attitudes of teammates can often determine a freshman’s success or failure.

“We teach our guys that there’s a difference between a collection of talented players and a good team,” Niekamp says. “If your veteran players have a

They’re mentally tough and they understand their place in the world and in our basketball program.”

Boyce says that while playing ability is an obvious prerequisite for any freshman varsity candidate, it’s just the starting point.

“There have been two or three kids before whom I thought had the talent to play varsity for me,” he notes, “but they didn’t because they were unreliable—they were freshmen. It really takes a freshman probably until the second half of the school year to understand that they have to grow up a little bit. And at this level of basketball, you’re asking them to grow up pretty fast while playing against guys who are bigger and stronger.”

Boyce had a feeling, though, that these two freshmen would be different. “I told them, ‘If I tell you something the first time and you mess up, that’s okay. But if I have to tell you a third or fourth time, that’s like your dad telling you to take out the trash and you don’t do it,’” he says. “Other kids in the past have said, ‘I don’t want to be yelled at if I make a mistake.’

But when I mentioned to these two that I’m going to be tough but I’m fair, they said that’s all they really wanted.”

COVER STORY

lot of character and can accept young players as equals, things tend to fall in place quickly. Having supportive older teammates permits a younger player to develop more rapidly and be have more success at a younger age.”

“When things don’t go well, it’s one thing to hear about it from the coaches, but when you have players reinforcing those same things it means a lot more. After a young player is chastised a bit, it can mean a lot to that player if an upperclassman puts his arm around him and says, ‘Hey, I went through that.

Coach is just trying to help you understand what you need to do to get better.’”

Upperclassmen can also be an invaluable resource in helping freshmen deal with adversity. “When things don’t go well, it’s one thing to hear about it from the coaches, but when you have players reinforcing those same things it means a lot more,” Hunter says. “After a young player is chastised a bit, it can mean a lot to that player if an upperclassman puts his arm around him and says, ‘Hey, I went through that. Coach is just trying to help you understand what you need to do to get better. You just have to listen, and hang in there and good things will happen.’”

Boyce believes having two freshmen on the varsity team made it easier for both players. “The seniors took them a lot of places, but there are things seniors are allowed to do that freshmen aren’t,” he says. “Having each other to hang out with helped a lot. There was always somebody there who understood how hard it was to be a freshman on the varsity team.”

Against The Wall If there’s one universal factor in the freshman experience, it’s hitting the proverbial wall. Playing a longer season with longer games against much tougher opponents eventually takes its toll on freshmen, but good luck convincing

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COVER STORY

them of that beforehand.

“You can tell them it’s a much more physical game than they’re used to and that it’s going to have an effect on them,” says Janet Berry, Head Women’s Coach at Buena Vista University. “They’ll smile and nod their head, but they don’t really believe you. Then, sometime around the first week of February, you see some of them begin to drop off.”

In addition to stressing the importance of proper nutrition, sleep, and hydration,

Barnes took several other steps to keep his five freshmen from hitting the wall.

First, he changed his practice schedule so the team typically had three days on followed by one day off, a major departure from previous years. Occasionally, he even gave them two days off after a game.

Days off usually meant little, if any, basketball work, although players did receive massage therapy treatments.

They were expected to use the time to

rejuvenate their minds and bodies and catch up on school work if needed.

Some heeded the message better than others.

“Guys like Kevin Durant and D.J. Augustin were really hard workers who wanted to stay in the gym late, and on days off they always wanted to come in and shoot or do something,” Barnes says. “We eventually had to tell them, ‘We don’t want you guys coming over here. Just get off your feet.’”

The physical and mental demands on freshmen also seem to increase right at the time those players begin to wear down. For example, conference opponents who overlooked a new freshman during the first meeting may key on him the second time around.

“It’s always a difficult transition, but when we find a kid who is good enough to come in and play as a freshman it’s worth the extra effort.

We know we’re going to have a great player at that position for three more years, and that’s a great feeling for a coach to have.”

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“I think Kyle learned that although he was a big part of the team, he would have to fight through some rough patches along the way,” Boyce says. “I told him, ‘Kobe Bryant scores 30-plus night after night, but he still has games when he gets 14.’ To help Kyle work through those rough patches, we watched a lot of film and tried not to be too hard on him. It wasn’t easy, but I think he’s going to be better for it. By the time he’s a senior, he will have already seen everything there is to see.”

And perhaps the best part of having a freshman starter is the years that follow.

“It’s always a difficult transition, but when we find a kid who is good enough to come in and play as a freshman it’s worth the extra effort,” Harris says. “We know we’re going to have a great player at that position for three more years, and that’s a great feeling for a coach to have.” ■

7/19/07 2:53:28 PM

LEADERSHIP

JEFFREY A. CAMARATI/UNC COMMUNICATIONS

BY KATHLEEN DEBOER “I’d rather coach women in practice settings any day, but if we are talking about coaching in competition, I’d prefer coaching men.”

If you have been around coaching for any period of time, you have heard this statement or a variation of it from your fellow coaches who have worked with both female and male teams. This pat-

Most coaches want to teach their athletes both skills and competitiveness. Depending on the gender they coach, most end up focusing on only one. tern in preferences is certainly not universal, but it is common enough that it cannot be attributed to isolated coaches or particular teams.

Coaches who make these types of statements will probably also tell you that female athletes listen better, are more interested in “doing it right,” and want to know their specific role and position in team patterns. “Was that ball

mine?” “Is that player mine?” “Am I in the right spot?” Since most coaches find the details of technique and strategy fascinating, this interest on the part of their athletes is very affirming.

The reason some coaches tend to prefer working with males in competitive situations is that male athletes “just play.” They are not easily distracted by extraneous issues, they take initiative in

Kathleen DeBoer is Executive Director of the American Volleyball Coaches Association and a former Senior Associate Athletics Director and Head Women’s Volleyball Coach at the University of Kentucky. Her book, Gender and Competition: How Men and Women Approach Work and Play Differently, is published by Coaches Choice. She can be contacted through her Web site at: www.kathydeboer.com.

COACHING MANAGEMENT

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LEADERSHIP

making things happen, and they never question the value of winning.

So what causes these differences? Do our athletes come to the gym with a hard-wired inclination to prefer training or competing? Or, are coaches training them to respond differently to practice and competition? The answer is “yes” to both questions.

Patterns of Behavior One way to analyze the issue is to look at how athletes choose to behave when they are not being coached. A friend of mine has taught eighth-graders how to play volleyball in co-ed physical education classes for over 25 years.

He describes these patterns of behavior when the students enter the gym: The

reported to me that this pattern of gendered behavior has not changed over the two and a half decades he has been teaching volleyball to his classes. When choosing unsupervised interaction, most males choose competitive play, and most females choose cooperative play.

What happens when athletes are being coached? The 1990 Olympic Sports Festival was held in Chapel Hill, N.C., where Bill Neville, a veteran coach with broad experience working with both male and female volleyball players, was the head of the volleyball delegation. He watched the four men’s and four women’s volleyball teams train and made the following observation about the practices: The women’s teams spent most of their practice time on technique and position-

There are girls who will choose competitive behavior over socializing, and there are boys who would rather engage one another or the girls than join the game, but these children are the exceptions rather than the rule. first boy who comes into the gym grabs a volleyball off the rack and either shoots baskets with it or tosses it up and hits it against the wall. The first girl who enters the gym sits down on a bleacher to wait for her friends.

The next boy who enters the gym generally engages with the first boy.

They start playing short court over the volleyball net or a game of one-on-one at the basketball goal. The second girl who enters the gym may get a ball off the rack and sit down next to the first girl or she may sit down in a different place on the bleachers. As more boys enter the gym, the games they are playing either expand or multiply. After a number of girls have arrived in the gym, they get in a circle and pass and set the ball around the circle, laughing and talking as they exchange the ball.

This differentiation is not universal.

There are girls who will choose competitive behavior over socializing, and there are boys who would rather engage one another or the girls than join the game, but these children are the exceptions rather than the rule. The teacher 24

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ing drills, while the men’s teams spent most of their practice time in competitive, game-like drills.

Intrigued by Neville’s observations, I started to more closely watch whether the same training trends happened among my coaches at the University of Kentucky, where I was then an athletic administrator. Since most of our coaches had spent all of their time coaching either men or women, they were unaware that this difference in training methods was so prevalent.

When I asked the coaches of the women’s teams to reflect on the difference, the most common speculation was that the female athletes did not have the same physical skills in terms of movement, jumping ability, and power as the male athletes, and therefore, good technique was more critical to their success in playing their respective sports. When I questioned the coaches of the men’s teams about this difference, the most common theme I heard was that, while the coaches would have preferred to do more technique work, it was too hard to keep the athletes focused on it. To keep

the practice intensity up, they reverted to competitive drills.

Shortly after these conversations, I went to watch a friend coach his sixyear-old son’s basketball team. When we entered the gym the boys were engaged in a variety of activities. Some were competing with each other by shooting long shots from outside the three point line, some where playing H-O-R-S-E, and others were trying to dribble without having another child steal the ball.

The coach started the organized part of the practice with a few dribbling drills.

The boys engaged in these exercises so lackadaisically that the coach stopped the drill and scolded them, pointing out that dribbling was an essential skill to playing the game and they should pay attention to their method.

Next he introduced a shooting drill.

My friend began by explaining how to hold the ball, where to position it in relation to their body, and how their hands should look on follow-through.

During this explanation the boys fiddled and nudged each other, rarely looking at the coach. As soon as he gave them the go-ahead to practice this technique, they ran to the baskets and immediately started playing a game to see who could make the most baskets in the shortest period of time.

About 15 minutes into the 60-minute workout the coach divided the boys into teams for competitive drills, scrimmaging first in three-on-two fast break situations and progressing to five-on-five drills. These six-year-olds had no skills or movement abilities whatsoever, yet they spent most of their practice time in competitive, game-like progressions.

My next opportunity for field research was at the Women’s Volleyball World Championships in Sao Paolo, Brazil. I accompanied our national team as an advisor. Our practice times frequently overlapped with those of the other women’s teams. During the course of the two weeks I watched the eventual silver medalist Brazilian team and several of the Asian teams in training sessions. These were the best women’s volleyball teams in the world, full of elite athletes with 15 to 20 years of high-level training and competition experience.

Their practices, however, were amazingly technique oriented. They worked for long periods on footwork drills for blocking and transitioning from defense

LEADERSHIP

to offense. They spent considerable time on serving and passing drills. Only occasionally, for a few minutes at the end of a training session, did I observe anything that resembled a scrimmage or competitive exchange.

training did not prove true. In reality, coaches train their teams in these gender-differentiated patterns because they are more cooperative and easier to deal with when engaged in activities in which they are comfortable.

technique and skills—should we be more diligent in teaching this to our male athletes?

To make a female team more competitive, coaches must practice competing. They must accept the fact that

To make a female team more competitive, coaches must practice competing. They must accept the fact that the “me versus you” nature of a contest can be difficult for female athletes. Competitiveness must be taught and rehearsed.

It will not develop by itself. Male athletes must be taught by their coaches to train and cooperate for success. These critical team skills do not “just happen.”

My observations of a beginning boy’s team engaged mostly in game-like activity and elite women’s teams engaged mainly in technique training made me question the rationalizing lore I had been given by my peers to explain gender differences in training regimens.

The idea that women need more skill

That leads us to the following questions: Are we short-changing our athletes by allowing them to spend most of their training time in their comfort zone? Is it not also an important part of our responsibility to teach female athletes how to compete? And what about the discipline needed to learn

the “me versus you” nature of a contest can be difficult for female athletes.

Competitiveness must be taught and rehearsed. It will not develop by itself.

On the other hand, the usual male paradigm does not reinforce the discipline necessary to engage in repetitive drilling or cooperative tactical maneu-

Circle No. 114 Untitled-12 1

COACHING MANAGEMENT 25 8/1/07 4:22:06 PM

LEADERSHIP

vering. Male athletes must be taught by their coaches to train and cooperate for success. These critical team skills do not “just happen.”

There are examples of top players on any team who are exceptions to these stereotypes—athletes who are both rigidly disciplined and insanely competitive.

Yet I venture you could make a much longer list of those who lack one or the other and that the list breaks mostly along gender lines.

Changing Practices Like athletes, coaches do not easily want to leave their comfort zones. The first question you will likely have to ask yourself is: How much competing do you put into your training if you are coaching women, and how much drilling do you demand if you are coaching men?

My observation is that the younger the athletes, the lower their tolerance for unpleasant situations. Too much focus on competition between members of a team

able, and evaluated part of a workout.

They also verbally deconstruct the inevitable conflicts that result from forcing their athletes into the uncomfortable situation of battling against each other.

Finally and very importantly, they study and respect the level of anxiety within their team. They have learned to recognize the signs that their team is ready to blow apart and they know when to back off and transition into practices heavy on comfortable, process-oriented drills.

Those who fail at teaching competitiveness generally plunged their women’s teams into a competitive caldron without warning, explanation, or debriefing. The resulting anxiety and disruption of team chemistry is disastrous to relationships, both among the players themselves and with the coach.

Training males in repetitive, technique-specific, non-competitive sequences must also be done with careful planning.

Louisville University Head Men’s Coach Rick Pitino is the coach I have observed

The coaches of female teams who have the most success with teaching competitiveness are verbal and straightforward about what they are doing and why. Instead of assuming their athletes know how to compete, they make the practice of competing a regular, predictable, and evaluated part of a workout. will cause stress among young girls who are generally very “in-group” focused.

Too much skills repetition will feel boring to young boys who want action and to prove themselves against their peers.

More mature athletes realize that periods of stress in training are part of the process in pursuing athletic excellence.

I’ve also seen that a sudden shift away from current practice makes athletes edgy and confused about the goals of training.

Therefore, coaches should make incremental changes in their training rhythms.

The coaches of female teams who have the most success with teaching competitiveness are verbal and straightforward about what they are doing and why. Instead of assuming their athletes know how to compete, they make the practice of competing a regular, predict26

COACHING MANAGEMENT

who had the most success with this type of training. First, he separated his technical training from his team training.

His morning sessions were individual (one or two athletes at a time), short (20 minutes), and frequent (four times per week). The focus was completely on technique—shooting the three, cross-over dribble, stutter step and accelerate, head or ball fake and shoot, free throws, and so on. Athletes were corrected each time they performed a technique incorrectly regardless of the result of their efforts.

I observed one session where a player missed 90 percent of his shots. The coach running the drill stood where he could only see the player’s form, not whether he made the basket. The coach’s comments were directed at the prescribed shooting form, which was

correct most of the time. The coach said nothing about the misses.

The main reason for the success of this training regimen is the individual nature of the sessions. The athlete is working only to satisfy the coach and the sole focus of the coach’s feedback is the technical accuracy of a particular movement. The absence of rivalry and belittling feedback—which was very common in the team practices—allowed for concentration on method rather than outcome. The effectiveness of the method was proven by the results: Pitino’s teams won and were noteworthy for their consistent shooting, solid technique, and disciplined tactical execution.

Must Be Taught In this analysis I have intentionally avoided references to the gender of the coach. In my observation, the coach’s gender does not correlate with the style of the training. Male coaches of female athletes are just as likely as female coaches to spend the majority of their practice time in technical and tactical regimens.

The key is that coaches tend to structure their practices for immediate success. So they continue to repeat drills that are successful, as determined by the participants. Most coaches understand that they need to sometimes push athletes outside their comfort zones, but what they don’t usually realize is that these comfort zones have dictated how they structure practices. Coaches who acknowledge and address this dynamic and alter their practices to overcome it, will ultimately be more successful.

Training complete athletes does not happen automatically. It takes purposeful attention by the coach to the component of success that is difficult for their athletes.

Females must be taught to be comfortable with head-to-head competition. Males must be taught the benefits of repetitive sequences focused on technique and tactics. Concentrating on only one side of the equation shortchanges both male and female athletes—and may be hindering your team’s overall success. ■ A version of this article was originally published in the Spring 2006 edition of Olympic Coach magazine, which is a free publication of the United States Olympic Committee, and in our sister publication, Athletic Management. To subscribe or view past issues of Olympic Coach, visit the magazine’s Web site at: www.usoc.org/12688.htm.

Circle No. 115

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Basketball Strength and Conditioning Program Miklos Horvath, CSCS It was not long ago that basketball coaches would not dream of "ruining their players’ shots" by lifting weights.

Fortunately, this and many other similar myths have been dispelled as coaches and players have become more educated about strength training's benefits. Strength training for basketball players is more important than ever before. As athletes become bigger, faster and stronger, physical training becomes less of an extra and more of a necessity. This evolution is evident when you look at the players and teams that dominate modern day basketball. Even though basketball is considered a "non-contact sport", players take as much abuse as some "contact sports". To stay competitive players must be able to sustain a high level of performance in an ever-increasing physical game. Athletes that participate in a supervised strength program primarily see changes like increased athletic performance and durability, but the benefits are not limited to physical. An improvement in self-confidence is also a common occurrence.

Coaches who wish to dominate in all aspects of the game of basketball must incorporate strength training to have a truly complete basketball program.

Not all programs are created equal. There are three components to a good strength program for basketball. The first is the appropriate exercise prescription. Like a physician's prescription, the strength program must be appropriate for its target audience. The second component of a sound program is inclusion of the appropriate types of exercises. Exercises should be chosen to train athletes for the specific demands placed upon their bodies during practice and games. Injuries are always a major concern for athletes and coaches, which is why injury prevention is the final component.

In strength and conditioning, the exercise prescription includes the number of sets, repetitions, and weights for each exercise, the recovery times between sets, and the frequency, intensity, and duration of the workouts. Because of the demands placed on the athlete by practice sessions and games, the strength program should be intense, short and infrequent.

On most strength exercises athletes should try to reach momentary muscle failure, in other words, the point at which they can no longer move the weight. This is the type of intensity that will bring about positive changes. Short workouts are one hour or less. Sessions that last longer than one hour will have little benefit and may even contribute to overtraining the athletes. Lastly the workouts should be infrequent. This is accomplished by using a total body program done two or at most three times per seven-day period. This will allow ample recovery between workouts so that a high level of intensity can be maintained from one workout to the next.

Basketball involves repeated bouts of high intensity jumps and sprints. Type IIB (fast twitch) muscle fibers are primarily responsible for these explosive movements. At the same time the anaerobic (short term) energy system provides most of the power supply. To prepare for this use a multiple set approach with a heavy resistance. A resistance that can only be lifted for three to eight repetitions will bring about the best results. For most exercises a weight of 70% RM or higher should be used.

Using a heavy resistance in this repetition range will stimulate the Type IIB, fast twitch, muscle fibers. There will always be some exceptions such as certain isolation exercises and injury

prevention exercises. Recovery times should allow adequate recovery of ATP to perform subsequent sets with the same intensity. Depending upon the exercise, recovery times can range anywhere from 90 seconds up to three minutes or longer.

A basketball strength program should include exercises that train all major muscle groups with special emphasis on those muscles used in specific basketball movements. Compound, closed-chain movements should be done to strengthen the lower body. This can include Leg Presses, Squats, Deadlifts and Split Squats or Lunges. The major focus of the strength program should be on the lower body, since it performs most of the body's movements. However, the upper body training cannot be left out of the program. The upper body should be trained using compound movements like Chest Presses, Shoulder Presses, Lat Rows, Pull Ups, and Pulldowns. Additional exercises including, hip flexion, calf raises and shoulder raises can compliment the compound movements. These more traditional types of exercises should make up the bulk of the program.

There are some additional exercises that should be included to train explosive type movements. Olympic lifts can be a great help in getting athletes to develop power movement patterns.

The two Olympic lifts, the Clean and Jerk and the Power Snatch, are relatively difficult and time consuming to learn. Therefore, variations of these movements, which are much easier to learn, can be incorporated. Exercises like power cleans, push presses, high pulls and push jerks will help to develop explosiveness as well as movement patterns that simulate explosive motions.

These exercises can be done using a standard Olympic bar or a piece of strength equipment that mimics the same actions.

These Olympic style exercises should not be done to the point of failure, as this would compromise the ability to perform the movements at a high rate of speed. Instead, the focus should be on a quick, explosive movement with a lighter weight.

Although it is difficult to determine how much you can prevent or lessen the severity of injuries, there is no doubt that a strength program has an important role in injury prevention.

When trying to reduce the occurrence of injuries, the first thing to check is the muscular balance of the players. Any imbalance can contribute directly or indirectly to an injury. There are many types of muscular imbalances to be aware of. A difference between opposing muscle groups (the quadriceps and hamstrings), between two sides of the body, or between the upper and lower halves of the body should all be addressed. Time should be spent assessing each athlete’s overall balance to determine what changes need to be done to their individual programs. To improve muscular balance between opposing muscle groups, make sure that the program contains exercises for both.

A program that has five pushing exercises for the upper body and only one pulling exercise does not make sense. For better muscle balance between the two halves of the body, free weights and/or machines that allow independent movements between limbs can help. This will ensure that the non-dominate side is forced to move as much resistance as the other side.

Lastly, make athletes perform exercises for the upper and lower body. Resistance training for many young athletes immediately conjures up images of lifting weights for the upper body.

Placing emphasis on the lower body, while still training the upper body, will produce the best overall effect.

Circle No. 116

With a school-record 30 wins and the first No. 1 ranking in school history, the 2006-07 season was a historic one for the Wisconsin men’s team.

Alando Tucker, the program’s career scoring leader, was just one of the Badgers who benefitted from the team’s inseason strength program.

STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

F

BY SCOTT HETTENBACH

An in-season strength program is fraught with scheduling challenges.

At the University of Wisconsin, the men’s team uses a focused but flexible plan to keep its players strong all season long.

30

COACHING MANAGEMENT

Big Picture The first things Head Men’s Coach Bo Ryan and I talk about before the season are the overall philosophy of the program and what his priorities are. From there, we develop a strategy specific to strength and Scott Hettenbach is entering his 13th year as Strength and Conditioning Coach for men’s basketball at the University of Wisconsin.

He has worked with 15 different sports while at Wisconsin and can be reached at: seh@athletics.wisc.edu.

DAVID STLUKA

A STRONG SEASON

or most basketball teams, in-season strength training is anything but routine.

Because each week’s schedule of competitions and travel is unique, not to mention each player’s academic responsibilities, scheduling a training program during the season is like trying to hit a moving target.

Here at the University of Wisconsin, our 2006-07 non-conference schedule had the team playing on any given day of the week in November and December.

During one stretch, we played seven games in 16 days. After our conference games started, we varied between playing on Tuesday or Wednesday nights and Saturday or Sunday afternoons.

This type of schedule makes it difficult to construct a consistent in-season performance-training program for our student-athletes. Communication, along with some creative program design, are the keys to keeping the changing schedule “routine.”

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STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

conditioning, focused on making players successful on and off the court. This year, our plan was based on four goals: 1. Reduce the incidence of basketball-related injuries.

2. Improve performance in the weightroom that transfers to the court.

3. Build self-esteem and confidence in our student-athletes.

4. Ensure that academics are a priority when scheduling workouts.

Part of the team’s philosophy is to hold student-athletes to a high standard in the classroom, on the court, and in the weightroom. We expect them to be on time for scheduled workouts, and they are only permitted to wear team-issued practice gear. They are also required to have their shirts tucked in at all times and no jewelry, cell phones, or iPods are allowed. We also demand that they bring a great attitude and a desire to improve, just as they do for a practice or game.

that we often use 25 to 30 seconds of each possession before finding the highest percentage shot. Because this style involves continuous movement by our players, it is important for them to have a high level of conditioning.

On the defensive end, we are predominantly a half court man-to-man team, which means very little down time while the players are on the floor. They need to be able to maintain an athletic defensive posture for long stretches, and generate explosive strength even while in a fatigued state.

In-Season Plan Every design starts with a yearly plan, and we break ours into four distinct time periods: developmental, pre-competitive, in-season, and regeneration.

The goals of our in-season performance program are to: 1. Have zero starts missed due to injury for the entire season.

I think it is extremely important to be early, organized, and upbeat. If a workout is scheduled for 6 a.m., I want our athletes to walk into a weightroom full of energy. Even the best-designed strength programs will fall short if athletes don’t bring a certain level of intensity to their workouts.

These are simple concepts, but it’s amazing what happens when everyone is on the same page and buys into the routine.

Coach Ryan and I both believe that intensity and consistency are the keys to great training, and that’s at the foundation of everything we do on the court and in the weightroom. He follows a specific routine each day at practice. The drills he uses change, but the flow of the practice remains very consistent. Our players know what outcomes to expect, but each practice may present a new approach on how to accomplish them. I try to mimic that philosophy in the weightroom.

I think it is extremely important to be early, organized, and upbeat. If a workout is scheduled for 6 a.m., I want our athletes to walk into a weightroom full of energy, not a dark building with no one around.

Even the best-designed strength programs will fall short if athletes don’t bring a certain level of intensity to their workouts.

A team’s style of play is also part of the big picture and must factor into the performance training program design.

We run the swing offense, meaning

32

COACHING MANAGEMENT

2. Maintain body weight, with specific goals for each athlete.

3. Increase lean muscle mass.

4. Increase functional range of motion and flexibility.

5. Maintain approximately 88 to 94 percent of single-rep max strength in our preseason tested lifts (hang clean, front squat, bench). Redshirt athletes are tested in December and March for strength gain goals.

6. Consistently train two or three days each week.

7. Keep the intensity high while reducing the volume accordingly as the season progresses.

8. Enjoy the process, while also making it challenging for our student-athletes.

The trick is to make all of this happen while working around the practice, academic, travel, and competition schedules of our team. We plan two to three months ahead, and as each week approaches, the coaching staff communicates if any schedule changes or conflicts that have arisen. I’ve found it pays to write everything in pencil and stay

flexible, because almost every week during the season we end up having some type of change or scheduling conflict.

During the season, the team practices at a high level every day with a lot of fullcourt possessions and situational drills.

Post-practice sprint sessions are rarely part of our routine as most in-season conditioning work is integrated into practice.

I believe there is no better agility and conditioning format for basketball athletes than having them compete in high-intensity, high-demand situations and react to the unscripted movements that occur during the flow of the sport.

This is difficult to duplicate by setting up some cones or running a series of agility drills at the end of a practice session.

Scheduling I prefer to separate our strength training workouts from our practices whenever possible during the competitive portion of the year. Our routine is to train early on Monday mornings when our schedule allows—unless we play that day or the next. Ideally, I prefer to have a 36- to 48-hour break between a strength workout and a competition, and 72 hours between strength sessions. This schedule works well when we have two or fewer competitions in a week and if they are spaced three or four days apart.

For example, if we play on Wednesday and Saturday, our lifting days that week would be Monday morning and Thursday morning. This is the routine we try to maintain, but we are at the mercy of our game schedule. If we are competing Tuesday and Saturday, we lift Sunday and Wednesday. If we play three games in a given week, it may not be beneficial to do any strength training during that span, especially with those athletes logging the majority of the minutes on the court.

Depending on academic schedules, we will either bring the team in together or in groups of four to six athletes. There are benefits to both—the team dynamic of having everyone together works well with our Monday early morning workout, while the smaller groups allow the athletes more scheduling flexibility and individualized work with coaches.

One exception to this setup involves student-athletes who are taking a redshirt year. For them, we treat a home game day as a strength and conditioning day, usually taking them through a weightroom workout immediately following

STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

our morning or early afternoon shoot around. Our redshirt athletes continue to train two or three times each week during the entire competitive season, and each one has his own unique goals. For some it may be integration back into strength training along with continued rehabilitation while recovering from an injury, while for others it may be increasing strength and adding lean muscle mass to prepare for next year’s season.

Because most of the team trains only two days per week, we conduct full-body workouts for both training days. We organize the workout around four to six exercises each day, varying them every two to three weeks (depending on our schedule) and then follow with an “unload” week.

We repeat this cycle for most of the competitive season, lifting some of our heaviest weight near the end of the season but with very low volume by that point. We focus on the quality and intensity of effort during these workouts, not the quantity of work done. Most sessions last between 50 and 60 minutes during the first three quarters of the competitive

season, then reduce to approximately 30 minutes once we start the second half of our conference schedule in February.

I like to pair up exercises during this phase, in which we train the upper body immediately after the lower body and vice versa, with little rest in between. With this strategy, we accomplish more in a shorter period of time, at a point in the year when efficiency is a top priority.

An Individual Approach Each of our student-athletes has an individualized card for his week’s workout. They all have nicknames on their cards, along with a weekly quote. This helps players stay focused on the goal for the week while having some fun along the way. We try to educate them on the benefits of becoming internally motivated when practicing, playing, or training, and that we are in this together to succeed as a team.

During our in-season training, approximately 30 percent of the program is individualized with each student-athlete’s plan based on his position, minutes played,

and individual needs (injury rehab, muscle imbalances, redshirt, etc). Our style of play dictates that all our athletes perform many different movements while executing our offensive or defensive schemes during practice or competition. But within these movements, each position has greater tendencies while on the court.

For example, our perimeter players tend to make more rotational chest passes, whereas our post players perform more overhead movements while rebounding or passing. We take this into consideration while designing their individual programs. This might mean that medicine ball work with perimeter players would focus on using rotational throws, while post players focus on overhead throws.

Also, we conduct preseason functional movement screening. Through this process, we may uncover mobility or flexibility issues that require additional attention.

These deficiencies are addressed within the workout, with the help of our athletic training staff. For example, we may alter or limit overhead Olympic lifts with a par-

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STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

ticular athlete if he has mobility restrictions or a history of shoulder injuries.

Instead, we may substitute loaded box jumps or squat jumps, along with specific prehab shoulder exercises during that portion of the program.

ankle strengthening and stabilization exercises, as this accounts for the highest percentage of our injuries.

Next, we move to core exercises, because from completing a pass to grabbing a rebound to changing direction defensively, basketball athletes are continuously making rotational movements.

We use the concept of the vertical core, meaning that 90 percent of our core

The Workouts We begin each workout with a period of foam rolling to aid in our overall

Each of our student-athletes has an individualized card for his week’s workout. They all have nicknames on their cards, along with a weekly quote. This helps players stay focused on the goal for the week while having some fun along the way. warmup. Then we move into dynamic movement exercises that mimic the movements our athletes do later. The focus is on increasing core body temperature and blood flow to the major muscles.

From there we perform several prehab exercises specific to fit each individual athlete’s needs. We also emphasize

exercises are performed on our feet rather than lying down. We include a wide variety of medicine ball rotational movements and throws, along with rotational pull-presses.

The Olympic movements we incorporate include the snatch, clean, rack clean, and push/split jerk. During the

A version of this article appeared in our sister publication, Training & Conditioning.

For a sample week of in-season workouts, go to: www.training-conditioning.com and type “Wisconsin Basketball” into the article search window.

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second session of the week, we always use a dumbbell variation of these to change the stimulus and reduce the overall load on our athletes following a game.

The body of the program then includes four exercises paired together with a different emphasis every two to three weeks.

We usually do a max effort lower-body movement on Day One and a max effort upper-body movement on Day Two. The combination changes depending on each player’s minutes played, position, training objectives, and level of fatigue. Then, following each lift and practice, we spend time static stretching, hydrating, and taking a nutrient recovery supplement. As with most successful programs, ours is always a work in progress. ■

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Boathouse Sports offers everything your team needs to look its best, from high-quality uniforms to warmups, training and travel suits, multiple styles of team jackets, and even classic sweats.

Primary Advantages: Choose from three different fabrics: Tech-Mesh for light-weight and maximum moisture transfer; Clima-Guard for loose-fitting performance without restriction or interference; Sport-Dazzle for that high-sheen, old-school look.

Circle No. 500 girls got game 800-554-2779 www.girlsgotgame.com Delivery Times: Practice uniforms ............... Ship immediately Stock uniforms .................. Ship immediately Custom uniforms ............................ 4 weeks Semi-custom uniforms ..................2-3 weeks Shooting shirts/Warmups ................ 0-4 weeks Travel suits........................ Ship Immediately Footwear ........................... Ship immediately You believe in women, and so does girls got game. The company offers performance-driven products for women’s basketball players who take their game seriously. These products include uniforms, footwear, practice gear, fundamentals, bags, and warmups. In-stock items ship the next business day, and customized items ship in two to four weeks. See the quality for yourself: Order a sample from girls got game today.

Primary Advantages: girls got game offers innovative styles, top-quality branded products, uncompromising performance, fit, and function, and service that’s second to none. girls got game is the choice for top competitive women’s teams across the country.

Circle No. 501 Reebok 800-939-0633 www.rbkuniforms.com Delivery Times: Practice uniforms ............................ 4 Stock uniforms ............................... 4 Custom uniforms .......................... 12 Semi-custom uniforms .................. 12 Shooting shirts ............................... 4 Warmups........................................ 4

weeks weeks weeks weeks weeks weeks

Reebok has game and practice uniforms for women and youth. The company offers everything from stock basics to

36

COACHING MANAGEMENT

high-end custom models. Reebok outfits many colleges and youth leagues alike, offering a 12-week turnaround time on finished custom products. Reebok is proud to offer top-tier products at excellent prices along with the prestige of a major brand.

Primary Advantages: Reebok offers the flexibility of manufacturing in this hemisphere, with fabrics from the U.S. Its logo carries a tradition of quality that is known worldwide.

Circle No. 502 Russell Athletic 678-742-8750 www.russellathleticteamsports.com In 2006, Russell introduced a new solution to an old problem with women’s basketball uniforms. As company designers worked with teams like Georgia Tech, they noticed the players kept tucking the shoulders of their basketball jerseys under the strap of their sport bras. This continued during practices and games--players tugging and pulling at their jerseys to get them out of the way.

Primary Advantages: The Russell Racerback jersey solved the problem, and outsold every other Russell uniform in its line (both men’s and women’s) in 2006. It might do the same in 2007. A little innovation can go a long way.

Circle No. 503 XUBI Sports 800-983-9824 www.xubisports.com

Delivery Times: Custom uniforms ..........................3-5 weeks Shooting shirts .............................3-5 weeks Warmups......................................3-5 weeks XUBI Sports provides premium men’s and women’s basketball uniforms, shooters, and warmups at great prices. At XUBI, goodies like tackle twill, custom embroidery, and long jersey tops are standard, not up-charges. There are no minimums for re-orders, and order turnaround time is just three to five weeks. Rush ordering is also available.

Primary Advantages: Get your uniforms before the season starts, without breaking the bank. Call or visit the company online to request a free catalog.

Circle No. 504

Team Equipment Antibody 877-546-2639 www.antibodywear.com The BodyGuard Compression Ankle Brace is designed to add comfort, stability, and performance enhancement to the sprained ankle. In the uninjured ankle it reduces the incidence of sprains, strains, and impact trauma, while adding stability and performance enhancement. As with all BodyGuards, it provides compression, support, heat circulation to the muscles and tendons, strain distribution, and impact absorption.

Circle No. 505 The BodyGuard compression shorts

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

Circle No. 506 Better Basketball, Inc. 800-238-8372 www.betterbasketball.com Better Shooting 2, J.J. Redick’s first instructional shooting video, contains ever ything a player needs to build a high-percentage shot with no wasted motion.

Plus, in a 48-minute bonus section, learn the shooting secrets that made Redick the greatest shooter in college basketball histor y. To purchase this DVD and learn about others in the Better Basketball collection, visit the company’s Web site.

Cho-Pat 800-221-1601 www.cho-pat.com Knees really take a beating. Cho-Pat’s patented Dual Action Knee Strap continues to be a leading tool for athletic trainers to help relieve knee pain and discomfor t. It applies pressure on the patella tendon below the knee to reduce subluxation and improve tracking and elevation. It also adds pressure on the patella tendon above the knee to fur ther strengthen and provide extra suppor t and stability for the joint. It’s easy to apply, comfor table to wear, allows full mobility, and is available in various sizes to provide specific and effective results.

Circle No. 507 Reebok 888-898-9028 www.reebok.com Rbk Cover to Core Technology™ combines the industry’s top-end cover materials and construction methods to make the ultimate player’s ball.

The Rbk Total Control Composite cover provides a soft shooter’s touch with consistent handling. The molded butyl bladder, concave channels, 3,200 meters of blended nylon/polyester windings, and a layer of soft foam create a ball with maximum durability.

Circle No. 508

Russell Athletic 678-742-8750 www.russellathleticteamsports.com Russell has launched a new line of performance apparel for Fall 2007 under the brand name NXT (Next Xtreme Technology). It includes sleeveless, short-sleeve, long-sleeve crew, and long-sleeve mock models. To round out the line, Russell went over the top (literally) with a longsleeve compression hoodie. NXT is designed to benefit athletes with full compression to control muscle and blood flow before, during, and after training. NXT offers Ventilator technology for increased air flow to keep the body cool, Dri-Power technology to keep the athlete dry, and Stretch-Power technology that offers full range of motion.

Circle No. 509 Save-A-Tooth 888-788-6684 www.Save-A-Tooth.com Every year, 800,000 teeth are knocked out during sports and only 10 percent of athletes consistently wear mouthguards. Knocked-out teeth begin to die within 15 minutes. Save-A-Tooth can preserve and nourish knocked-out teeth for up to 24 hours. Save-A-Tooth

is a scientifically proven system with a cell-preserving solution and a suspension basket that protects and saves tooth root cells. Protect your athletes by keeping a Save-A-Tooth on hand.

Information about knocked-out teeth and Save-A-Tooth can be obtained at the Save-A-Tooth Web site or by calling the company.

Circle No. 510

COACHING MANAGEMENT

37

Basketball Court Aalco Mfg. Co. 800-537-1259 www.aalcomfg.com

Bison, Inc. 800-247-7668 www.bisoninc.com

Clarin Corp.

800-323-9062 www.clarinseating.com

Architects and facility owners who demand quality workmanship, superior performance, and aesthetically pleasing design depend on Aalco for custom interior and exterior athletic equipment.

Family owned since 1946, Aalco has more than 100,000 installations worldwide.

Ceiling-suspended basketball structures, electronic height adjusters, ceiling-suspended volleyball systems, gymnasium divider curtains, ceiling-suspended batting cages, and ceiling-suspended wrestling mat hoists can all be operated simultaneously with the touch of a button.

Circle No. 511

Bison now offers the 48” x 72” Unbreakable Tall Glass Backboard (BA48XL) to virtually eliminate backboard breakage on older structures built for 48-inch backboards.

The heavyduty rear support system absorbs more than 98 percent of stress from player contact. The goal is mounted to the rear steel frame without touching the glass at any point. Bison is so confident this board will not break, the company offers a $250 installation reimbursement on any broken BA48XL backboard replaced under the unconditional lifetime warranty.

Circle No. 512

Clarin’s 3400 Boxx Seats support a winning atmosphere in any gymnasium or arena. These colorful portable logo chairs feature a time-tested steel X-frame design, a comfortable vinylcovered seat and back cushions, and a unique rubber foot to prevent damage to floors. Try creating your own custom design with your school colors and logo using Clarin’s online Virtual Design Tool, available on the company’s Web site.

Circle No. 513 Clarin’s locker room stools create a winning atmosphere in any locker room. They give your athletes padded comfort and your locker room a striking way to exhibit your team logo

Factory Direct Wholesale Pricing!

Baseball Holders start at 79 cents!

Football Holders start at $8.95 Basketball Holders start at $9.95 Preserve those cherished memories BallQube display cases for game memorabilia give you more for your money. The solid wood base has a mirror bottom and a rich mahogany finish with room for a plaque. Maximum UV protection standard in most sizes. Inset top and rubber feet helps prevent display from sliding. The GS Football, Basketball and Baseball cases feature a clear Ball Cradle.

ise money A great way to ra partment: de for your athletic lls in BallQubes! ba d ne ig Sell team-s

(800)543-1470

Made in the USA

www.ballqube.com www.sportsqube.com bqsales@ballqube.com

Celebrating 20 years as the Leader in the manufacturing of Display Cases World Wide!

Circle No. 123

Circle No. 122

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COACHING MANAGEMENT

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Basketball Court and colors. The company’s rugged, time-tested locker room stools are available in several different models with varying heights and seat styles.

Circle No. 514 Courtclean 800-900-2481 www.courtclean.com Are slippery gym floors and wrestling mats a problem? Courtclean is the answer. It’s fast, easy, safe, and affordable. With the Courtclean system, one person can easily damp mop your floors or disinfect your mats in less than five minutes, and play can start immediately. Satisfaction is 100percent guaranteed.

Circle No. 515

Fair-Play Scoreboards 800-247-0265 www.fair-play.com Fair-Play provides basketball programs with complete scoring and timing solutions from baseline to baseline, including a complete line of indoor accessories.

LED goal lights plug directly into shot timers for accurate timing. Goal lights are a visual indicator for the end of a period or shot-clock sequence, and help players and officials make decisions about last-second shots. LED goal lights are powered by the MP-70 basketball scoreboard control system.

Catch the spirit of Fair-Play.

Circle No. 516 Want the total package to go along with your gymnasium’s new scoreboard?

Your team will hit the hardwood running

with a complete inventory of indoor accessories from Fair-Play Scoreboards.

Shot and game timers are available in one-sided or threesided designs.

Models are available with a shot timer incorporated into the game clock. Shot timers can be mounted onto a backstop or a wall. Packages include ST-1400 or ST-1410 control systems. Catch the spirit of Fair-Play.

Circle No. 517

Need help fundraising for your team?

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

www.fundraisingforsports.com

Video Hoops Digital Video Editing for Basketball Easy to Learn, Easy to Use & AFFORDABLE! PRICE: $950 CAPABILITIES: Custom Terminology • Create custom terminology • Easy report review with color coded results • Assign grading factors for category terminology Video Logging • Track team possessions • Track individual statistics • Track individual performance On-Demand Cutups • Create game situation tapes • Define unique reports • Create highlight tapes On-Demand Reports • View and print team and individual statistical information • View and print performance information • View and print points off turnovers • View and print player game time Playbook Tools • Diagram, save and print plays • Display full or half court Video Player and Drawing Tools • Control video play with mouse buttons and wheel • Illustrate on top of game video

Call Today: 817-460-3530 www.wiffletree.com Wiffletree World, LLC 1908 Rockbrook Drive, Arlington, TX 76006 Fax: 817-460-3584

Show Your Colors!

Best Bestsideline sidelinechair chairmade. ade.

Guaranteed.

Guaranteed.

Now choose between our popular PAD-1 sideline chair and our new deluxe sideline chair, DSL-1 (not pictured).

Both have extended frame warranties. (PAD-1 -10 yrs., DSL-1- 15 yrs.) The PAD-1 TDSL-1 DSL-1 is guaranteed to seat anyone. (600 lbs. drop test). The TDSL-1 seat is 3” higher allowing more “leg room” for the bigger players. Slip covers available

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

Also great for fundraisers!

888-417-9590 • stadiumchair.com Circle No. 125

Circle No. 124

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ADVERTISERS DIRECTORY

Great Ideas For Training...

CIRCLE NO.

COMPANY

PAGE NO.

CIRCLE NO.

COMPANY

PAGE NO

121 . . . Aalco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

106. . . M.A.S.A. Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

. . . . . . . . . 22

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

123. . . BallQube. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

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

Knee Strap

112 . . . Bison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

108 . . Promats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

100 . . Boathouse Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC

119 . . . QB-Tee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

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

126 . . . Cho-Pat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

101. . . Reebok . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-3

104. . . Clarin Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

107. . . Russell Athletic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

109. . . Courtclean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

105. . . Shoot-A-Way . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

122. . . eFundraising.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

103. . . Showtime Basketball . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

102. . . Fair-Play Scoreboards . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

111 . . . Spalding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

127 . . . Five-Star Basketball . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

130. . . Sportstec . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BC

115 . . . girls got game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

125. . . Stadium Chair. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

117 . . . Human Kinetics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

118 . . . VertiMax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

120. . . JV Pro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

124 . . . Wiffletree World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

116 . . . Life Fitness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

114 . . . Xubi Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

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 - Md - Lrg

Bicep/ Triceps Cuff This patentpending device affords protection from overuse injuries for individuals performing repetitive lifting in activities such as weight training. Sizes: Sm - XXL

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

113 . . . Antibody

PRODUCTS DIRECTORY CIRCLE NO.

COMPANY

PAGE NO.

511 . . . Aalco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

505 . . Antibody

(ankle brace)

506 . . Antibody

(compression shorts) .

. . . . . . 37

547. . . BallQube®, LC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

CIRCLE NO.

COMPANY

538 . . OPTP

PAGE NO

(Thera-Band Soft Weights) .

. . . . . 44

539 . . Power Systems

(Power-Plyo Box) .

540 . . Power Systems

(Weighted Vest)

. . . . 44

. . . . . 44

. . . . . . . . 44

541. . . Powernetics

(Power Trainer)

542 . . Powernetics

(The Dominator) .

. . . . . . . 44

512 . . . Bison

(backboard)

543 . . Bison

(product launch)

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

520 . . Promats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

524. . . Bison

(scorer’s tables).

. . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

530 . . QB-Tee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

500 . . Boathouse Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

508 . . Reebok

(Cover to Core) .

507 . . Cho-Pat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

502 . . Reebok

(uniforms) .

. . . . . . . . . . . 37

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

. . . . . . 38

509 . . Russell Athletic

(NXT)

. . . . . 38

503 . . Russell Athletic

(uniforms)

513 . . . Clarin Corp.

(3400 Boxx Seats)

514 . . . Clarin Corp.

(locker room stools)

515 . . . Courtclean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

. . . . . . . . . . . . 37 . . . . . . . . . 36

510 . . . Save-A-Tooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

544 . . CytoSport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

550 . . Showtime Basketball . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

525 . . Daktronics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

551 . . . Showtime Basketball (Slam Down Under) . 46

548 . . eFundraising.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

522 . . Spalding

(extensive product line)

. . . . 39

521. . . Spalding

(Slam-Dunk Pro Goal) .

516 . . . Fair-Play

(scoring/timing solutions)

517 . . . Fair-Play

(shot and game timers)

. . . . . 41

. . . . . . 41

. . . . . . 39

532 . . Sportstec

(CODA software)

518 . . . Gared Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

531. . . Sportstec

(Gamebreaker/Sportscode)

501. . . girls got game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

523 . . Stadium Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

527. . . Human Kinetics

(Conditioning) .

528. . . Human Kinetics

(Skills & Drills)

. . . . . 43

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

545 . . Taraflex® by Gerflor . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

. . . . . . 43

534 . . VertiMax

(PLUS series).

526. . . JV Pro, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

535 . . VertiMax

(V6) .

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

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

. . . . . . 44

533 . . Wiffletree World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

. . . . . . . . 44

552. . . Wish Publishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

536 . . Life Fitness

(9500XXL Lifecycle)

537. . . Life Fitness

(Summit Trainer)

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

(basketball facilities)

. . . . . . . 41

504 . . Xubi Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

529 . . M.A.S.A.

(training aids) .

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

546 . . Xvest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

(Axis foam rollers) .

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

549 . . OPTP Circle No. 126

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Basketball Court Gared Sports 800-325-2682 www.garedsports.com

Promats 800-678-6287 www.promats.com

The Stadium Chair Co. 888-417-9590 www.stadiumchair.com

Gared Sports has proudly introduced the Hoopmaster™ series, a new line of portable competition basketball systems. The Hoopmaster system is an ideal solution for collegiate main courts, side courts, and recreational settings. This portable series features a spring-operated mechanism, a regulation-size glass backboard, a premium breakaway goal, and backboard padding. Gared Sports is the official supplier of backboards and rims to NBA arenas. Call or go online for complete information.

Circle No. 518

Nothing makes a bold statement in your gym like new digital graphics wall padding from Promats. The old days of

The SidelineChair is one of the best seats on the market in its price range, with the durability and quality you’d expect from higher-priced products.

It features two- or threeinch pads covered with quality vinyl that provide two large imprint areas.

The extra-sturdy powder-coated frame comes with dual-reinforced steel support bars on the back legs and carries a 10-year limited warranty.

Circle No. 523

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

The Spalding Slam-Dunk Pro Goal is ideal for collegiate and high school play.

This performance breakaway goal is factory-calibrated to meet rebound elasticity requirements, and it includes a continuous rim for easy net installation. The SlamDunk Pro Goal meets all NCAA and NFHS specifications and comes with a five-year warranty. For a free product catalog, please call today or visit the company’s Web site.

Circle No. 521

M.A.S.A. offers a wide variety of topquality products for basketball facilities, including complete portable goal systems, backboards, adjustable systems, goal height adjusters, youth basketball goals, stationary and side-swing systems, wall-mount systems, padding, and much more. Go online or call today to learn more about these products, and to request your free copy of the M.A.S.A. catalog.

Circle No. 519

Check out

www.AthleticBid.com to contact these companies.

“sketches” or caricatures depicting your mascot or school logo are long gone.

Now, the only limitation is your imagination. These photo-quality images are printed directly on the full height and length of your wall padding. See more examples of digital graphics at the Promats Web site.

Circle No. 520 Spalding 800-435-3865 www.spaldingequipment.com

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

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Scoring Tables Bison, Inc. 800-247-7668 www.bisoninc.com

Daktronics, Inc. 800-325-8766 www.daktronics.com

JV Pro, Inc. 800-962-2440 www.jvpro.com

Bison’s 16-inch-deep scorer’s tables combine school spirit and safety with full-color photo graphics on two-inchthick padding. Styles are available for floor or bleacher use, and each style seats four people.

The tables feature 110-volt receptacles, drink holders, non-marking transport casters, and narrow storage width.

Plus, they come with a free possession arrow. Provide your own digital layout, work with Bison to customize graphics, or choose a Bison QwikPrint (shown).

There is no art charge with QwikPrint.

Scorer’s tables and wall padding can be coordinated.

Circle No. 524

Promote athletes, show real-time statistics, and generate sponsorship revenue with a Daktronics ProTable display. The table shows an endless variety of full-color graphics and messages in high resolution for clear images. All Daktronics scorer’s tables feature a durable polycarbonate sheet in front of the LEDs to protect the displays. The ProTable was used in the 2006 and 2007 NCAA men’s and women’s Final Four events.

Circle No. 525

JV Pro offers custom-made, freestanding, and convertible bleacher-mounted scorer’s tables. Standard options include an LED possession arrow with bonus indicators, illuminated shatterproof lexan panels, heavy-duty soft rubber casters for easy movement, and collapsibility down to 16 inches for easy storage. JV Pro also offers heavy-duty courtside chairs in school colors featuring your logo or mascot to complement your scorer’s table. These products create the perfect image for your sports program.

Circle No. 526

Calling Cards Here is what these companies are most known for:

A leading manufacturer of innovative pain-reducing sports medicine products. www.cho-pat.com

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

Low-impact, pneumatic resistance equipment for the elite athlete. www.keiser.com

For reservations, contact Choice Sports Travel. www.choicesportstravel.com

Manufacturer of portable drinking systems and high-pressure misting systems for more than 10 years. www.outdoorboss.com

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

Affordable, time-saving coaching tools since 1995. www.digitalscout.com

A premier publisher of basketball books and DVDs. www.humankinetics.com

Your team, your uniform, your way.

XUBI: RULE YOUR JUNGLE. www.xubisports.com

42

COACHING MANAGEMENT

Coaching Aids Better Basketball, Inc. 800-238-8372 www.betterbasketball.com J.J. Redick earned the distinction by many basketball experts as being the greatest shooter in college basketball history, leaving as the ACC’s all-time leading scorer.

Now, he has chosen Better Basketball to reveal how he built his shot, his shooting secrets, and what he’s working on now with his shot.

His video, Better Shooting 2, is three hours and 33 minutes long. It’s a musthave for any coach serious about player development. To learn more about this and other DVDs from Better Basketball, visit the company online.

Human Kinetics 800-747-4457 www.HumanKinetics.com In Complete Conditioning for Basketball, coaches and players can access the tests, drills, exercises, and programs proven most effective in maximizing on-court performance.

This comprehensive book and DVD package provides not only 71 basketballspecific conditioning drills, but also information to shore up any physical shortcomings and build on players’ natural tools.

Sample workout sessions and training programs are combined with on-court demonstrations to make this the total training package.

Circle No. 527 More than 100 years of combined coaching experience comes together in the third edition of Basketball Skills & Drills, available from Human Kinetics. It offers clearer instruction and more than 400 photos and illustrations, plus 33 new drills, 57 revised drills, and a DVD that brings the drills to

life. Essential topics such as positioning, ball handling, shooting, passing, defense, and rebounding are all covered in a format that makes it easy to learn or teach.

Circle No. 528 M.A.S.A. 800-264-4519 www.masa.com M.A.S.A. wants to help make your basketball practices more productive, so the company offers a variety of effective training aids. Among them are rebounders designed to help athletes improve balance, timing, and coordination under the rim, and the Three Point Shooter Ring, which reduces the size of a standard rim to help players improve their shooting accuracy. Several models of tossbacks are also available, so your athletes can work on their ball handling, passing, and rebounding skills.

Circle No. 529 QB-Tee 330-750-0086 www.QB-Tee.com The QB-Tee helps players stay focused and provides motivation and feedback.

It also helps improve timing and skills.

The coach can focus on the player and not the stopwatch. The player can perform more reps with greater intensity. Athletes can work on objective goals on their own.

The player removes the ball from the cradle, triggering the timing mechanism.

If the buzzer sounds before the ball is released, the play is dead. The timer can be programmed to tenths of seconds. The QB-Tee is made of helmetgrade plastic.

Circle No. 530 Sportstec 805-383-9693 www.sportstec.com Sportstec’s Gamebreaker and Sportscode are revolutionary video analysis tools that utilize digital technology to identify and analyze any combination of plays throughout a

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

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

Circle No. 531 Sportstec can provide your team with a complete digital solution, and the Sportstec vision can make the difference in winning championships.

Get what you want when you want it—Sportstec’s CODA software allows you to break down video from a handheld PDA wherever and whenever the action is. For deeper analysis of your team and individual performances, Sportstec’s TRAK Performance analyzes movement, efficiency, and production to give coaches necessary data to make championship decisions. Complement Sportstec video analysis software with VideoEX and you’ll get high-quality digital game films over the Internet very quickly. Reward your loyal fans with STREAM, which allows you to broadcast your championships over the Web. Circle No. 532 Wiffletree World, LLC 817-460-3530 www.wiffletree.com The Combo computer program keeps track of the game score and time with respect to combinations of players on the floor to show who is contributing and who is not. The Combo’s stats feature keeps track of changes in the score with different player combinations in the game. It shows a coach how any given group of five players is doing together, and also breaks things down to an individual basis.

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Strength & Fitness Equipment Genetic Potential 800-699-5867 www.vertimax.com A leading low-load, velocity-specific training program is now available for ultimate force development.

The VertiMax PLUS series is a revolutionary advancement in functional, sport-specific, total-body training.

It’s unique because it is capable of applying multiple loads at multiple body locations, including the ankles, knees, hips, shoulders, and arms, while the athlete is performing explosive lower- and/or upperbody training. The VertiMax PLUS series is strongly endorsed by many NFL, NBA, and NCAA Division I head coaches. Visit VertiMax’s Web site for more details and customer testimonials.

Circle No. 534 The VertiMax V6 represents a revolutionary advancement in functional, sport-specific, total-body training. It is capable of applying asynchronous loading to the arms and shoulders while athletes perform explosive lower-body training.

The V6 is strongly endorsed by many NFL, NBA, and NCAA Division I head coaches. Visit VertiMax’s Web site for more details and to read testimonials from satisfied customers.

Circle No. 535 Life Fitness 800-634-8637 www.lifefitness.com The 9500XXL Lifecycle exercise bike from Life Fitness is ideal for amateur athletes and athletic fitness facilities.

As the first Lifecycle exercise bike designed for taller individuals, it accommodates athletes ranging in height from 5’ 6” to 7’—a full seven inches more than other Lifecycle upright exercise bike models.

It is equipped with 25 levels of resistance and a wide variety of programming options to challenge even the fittest athlete.

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Life Fitness has added to its world-class lineup of cardiovascular equipment with the Summit Trainer, an intuitive machine that combines the best of total-body crosstraining and climbing with an upper- and lower-body workout that simulates a trek in the mountains. The Summit Trainer lets users define their own stride length, from short, quick strides to deep lunges, and its maximum stride length of 26 inches offers an extensive range of motion. The Summit Trainer features 21 exercise programs, LifePulse digital heart rate monitoring hand sensors, and an optional 12.1-inch integrated LCD screen.

Circle No. 537 OPTP 800-367-7393 www.optp.com/ad Designed with a soft cover and pliable filler so they’re free of any hard edges, Thera-Band Soft Weights are four inches in diameter, making them comfortable to hold with one hand or two.

They start at 1.1 pounds (half a kilogram) and progress in 1.1-pound increments up to 6.6 pounds (three kilograms). For more information and to request a free OPTP catalog, call the company or visit its Web site.

Circle No. 538 Power Systems 800-321-6975 www.power-systems.com Save time and space without sacrificing quality with the updated Adjustable Power-Plyo Box from Power Systems. Now with longer, improved sides for safety and a large nonslip surface (30” x 27”), this box accommodates athletes of all sizes. The height adjusts from 26 to 42 inches in two-inch increments, and each unit is constructed of 11-gauge, two-inch steel for years of durable performance. The built-in wheels and handle make for easy portability.

Circle No. 539 Add resistance to training programs without compromising biomechanics when you add up to 40 pounds of weight with

the Power Systems Weighted Vest. The vest now has more customizing options to help you achieve your training goals.

It’s available in three sizes (10, 20, and 40 pounds) to help strengthen the lower body and increase stamina, endurance, and performance.

All vests are adjustable by adding or removing individual weighted sand bags. The unique design lets you add or remove the one- to twopound bags without removing the vest.

Made of padded nylon, it easily slips over your head to position the weight evenly around your torso, while Velcro™ straps secure it in place. Depending on the model, Weighted Vests will fit chest sizes from 28 to 62 inches.

Circle No. 540 Powernetics 800-829-2928 www.powernetics.com Powernetics offers the Power Trainer, which for more than 10 years has made the power clean a safe exercise for athletes from junior high to the collegiate level. The Power Trainer enables an athlete to not only do cleans safely, but also to reverse the clean.

The unit can be used to perform seven different exercises: the clean, reverse clean, deadlift, lift jump, high row, bench press, and shoulder press. The Power Trainer has proven over the years to be among the safest and most effective tools used to perform the power clean.

Circle No. 541 Powernetics also offers a line of strength-training machines that develop power by providing a consistent ratio of speed, resistance, and intensity. The Dominator builds strength in one unbroken line from the feet to the hands. The machine’s groundbased torquing motion works both sides of the body, while also providing an explosive chest punch. The unit will more than double strength in the 90-degree torso rotation.

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NEW Product Launch Unbreakable Tall Glass Backboard (Model BA48XL)

Muscle Milk Energy Bars

Unique features: • Dimensions: 48” x 72” • Designed to virtually eliminate backboard breakage on older structures built for 48-inch-tall backboards • Heavy-duty rear support system absorbs more than 98 percent of stress from player contact • Goal is mounted to the rear steel frame without touching glass at any point

Unique features: • No trans fat • No lactose • 25 grams of protein • Available in chocolate, peanut, caramel, and vanilla toffee crunch flavors

Benefits for the user:

Benefits for the user: • Ease of use • Healthy, sustained energy source

• Backed by an unconditional lifetime warranty—Bison even offers a $250 installation reimbursement on any broken BA48XL backboard replaced under the lifetime warranty

Bison, Inc. 800-247-7668 www.bisoninc.com Circle No. 543

CytoSport, Inc. 888-298-6629 www.cytosport.com Circle No. 544

TurboBells Taraflex® Evolution Unique features: • Innovative hybrid sports floor with superior resiliency and patented foam • DIN-certified subfloor made with the hardest plywood available • Subfloor is designed for stability—it’s unaffected by temperature and humidity fluctuations

Benefits for the user: • Resilient vinyl surface delivers performance, shock absorption, and accurate ball bounce • Surface is durable, versatile, and hygienic • Users enjoy increased comfort and stamina

Taraflex® Sports Flooring by Gerflor 800-727-7505 www.gerflortaraflex.com Circle No. 545

Unique features: • Engineered so the weights can be adjusted from five pounds to 60 pounds within seconds • Large, easy-grip rubberized handles • Comes with a specially designed stand Benefits for the user: • TurboBells replace a room full of dumbbells • Athletes have complete control of their workout • Introductory price of $349—plus free shipping— saves buyers more than $270

Xvest 800-697-5658 www.thexvest.com Circle No. 546

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Testimonial

A Basketball Surface Engineered for Competition “When it came time for us to replace the hardwood basketball court inside Coe College’s Eby Fieldhouse, I was

faced with the challenge of finding a new quality hardwood surface that would accommodate our basketball team for many years to come. I met with several different hardwood companies, but at the end of the day FieldTurf Tarkett provided us with a premium hardwood sports surface at a price we could afford.

“After reviewing the numerous hardwood systems offered by FieldTurf Tarkett, we ultimately decided that the Performance system best suited our needs.

More Products BallQube®, LC 800-543-1470 www.ballqube.com

Showtime Basketball showtime@basketball.com www.showtimebasketball.com.au

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

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Showtime Basketball offers a range of services to help you get the best from Australian women’s basketball. Its scouting service provides reviews from Australia’s major tournaments and profiles the best college recruits available.

Showtime can also assist your program with attending events in Australia and coordinate a summer tour of the beautiful land down under for your team. Visit the company’s Web site to learn more.

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

“FieldTurf Tarkett is a world leader in sports surfaces for a reason. It was clear to us from the start that the company really stood behind its product.

In addition to FieldTurf Tarkett’s own Certified Installer Program, the company supplied us with an industry-leading 10-year warranty.

eFundraising’s Scratchcards are one of the easiest and most profitable fundraising products in the U.S., offering a rare profit opportunity of up to 90 percent.

Check out the company’s special offers and fundraising tips online, and find out how this fundraiser can be customized for your team or league. “You have helped our organization reach our goals,” says Dwan Lee of Capitol Athletic Basketball.

“After attempting various forms of fundraising in the past, we decided to try the Scratchcard fundraiser. This has been by far the most successful fundraising event we have participated in. Thanks.”

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“We are looking forward to many years of success on our new FieldTurf Tarkett Performance hardwood system, which really does look as good as it plays.”

OPTP 800-367-7393 www.optp.com/ad

“Our new FieldTurf Tarkett Performance system was engineered for competition.

It provides our players with a safe and reliable surface that has ideal shock absorption, consistent ball bounce, and appropriate levels of surface friction.

John Chandler, Director of Athletics Coe College Cedar Rapids, IA

FieldTurf Tarkett 8088 Montview Rd. Montreal, QC H4P 2L7 Canada 800-724-2969 info@fieldturftarkett.com www.fieldturftarkett.com

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Available exclusively from OPTP, Axis foam rollers are cylindrical in shape, lightweight, and made of high-quality foam for outstanding durability. The one-foot and three-foot long models are available in six-inch round and half-round shapes. Foam rollers can also be used for selfmassage, balance, and core stability exercises. Call OPTP or visit the company’s Web site to learn more.

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The Slam Down Under is an NCAA-certified tournament being held in Australia from Sept. 28-30, 2007. Featuring great talent from down under that’s available for the 2008 and 2009 recruiting classes, the Slam Down Under is conducted over the fall academic year evaluation period, allowing coaches to travel to Australia for this event and possibly to make home visits to prospects afterward—all during the NCAA contact period. It’s a unique opportunity for all collegiate programs.

Visit Showtime Basketball online for more information.

Circle No. 551 Wish Publishing 800-296-0481 www.wishpublishing.com In The Female Athlete: Train for Success, six experts in the field of strength training and athlete development have come together to create a comprehensive and user-friendly guide to enhancing female athletic performance. The book includes chapters on coaching and motivating the female athlete in the weightroom, the principles of strength development and strength training for the multi-sport athlete, and much, much more.

Circle No. 552

Company Q&A

Q&A With Genetic Potential’s Michael Wehrell Michael Wehrell was a college athlete at the University of Florida. He holds a master’s degree in engineering and is dedicated to developing specialized sports training equipment that provides optimum results as efficiently as possible. At Genetic Potential, he combines engineering and sports sciences to design innovative equipment that addresses the needs of athletes.

VertiMax provides a high-speed, zeroinertia, constant-resistance workout with balanced vectoring.

Is it true that VertiMax is making a name for itself with coaches and athletes?

I’ll say. We now have 12 NBA teams using it, and three out of this year’s four NCAA Division I Final Four teams.

In fact, the University of Florida and Ohio State University each own multiple units. On ESPN Radio last month, a first-round NBA draft pick was quoted as saying that in preparation for the strength testing day at the combine, he trained on VertiMax for just five weeks and his vertical jump went from 35 inches to 40 inches.

With this type of training, athletes exercise under loads, but at the high speeds necessary to recruit the fasttwitch type B fibers that create explosiveness. When using weights, due to the mass and inertia, athletes cannot achieve the required speeds to recruit those type B fibers.

Are there any other advantages?

Definitely. VertiMax is a functional training system. Athletes do sport-specific moves on it, so there is maximum “training transfer.” In other words, the results of VertiMax training show up where it counts—during competition.

Why are coaches choosing VertiMax? We all know great coaching and superior athletes will take a team to the playoffs, and coaches are realizing that VertiMax will give them a much better athlete to work with.

What do you mean by “a much better athlete?”

First-step quickness and playmaking moves are the things that win games.

These capabilities can be summed up in four words: lowerbody reactive power.

We at Genetic Potential believe that VertiMax training is the absolute best way to increase lower-body reactive power.

Genetic Potential 4710 Eisenhower Blvd., #A-6 Tampa, FL 33634 800-699-5867 Fax: 813-600-4040 www.vertimax.com

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Most coaches already have their players lifting weights and doing some kind of speed drills. Is VertiMax just more of the same?

Not at all. It represents a new and separate type of training called Light-Load, High-Speed Training.

Heavy resistance training builds absolute strength, and you need some amount of that, so you have to do weight training. But the key to superior moves on the court is not how much force an athlete can generate, but rather how fast he can generate it. And that’s what you get with VertiMax: A marked increase in the rate of force development.

Is VertiMax what readers may remember as a standard bungee-cord platform trainer?

Thanks for asking: The answer is a definite no. VertiMax is unlike any platform trainer ever made. It’s designed differently, it’s built differently, and it functions differently. Essential kinetics are provided by 80 feet of cabling on a network of pulleys under and over the platform. Precise loading can be instantly set for any athlete. And once set, resistances are maintained at a non-varying level throughout the entire movement.

In the case of vertical jump training, this means there are no slack cords at the bottom, and there’s no yank-back at the top. Also, using VertiMax, athletes can do a wide variety of resisted basketball drills off the platform.

THE ORIGINAL In existence since 1981

Explosive Exercises:

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

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

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

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

Develops the “POWER POTENTIAL” of every athlete.

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

Coachs call TODAY for your FREE instructional video!

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

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

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