Coaching Management 16.4

Coaching Management VOL. XVI NO. 4

F O O T B A L L

P R E S E A S O N

E D I T I O N

JUDGMENT CALLS Helping players make good off-field choices ■

Landing a Job Interview

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An Unlikely State Title

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Circle No. 100

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Coaching Management Football Edition Preseason 2008

CONTENTS

Vol. XVI, No. 4

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LOCKER ROOM

COVER STORY

Bulletin Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 New rules tighten N.J. preseason …

Handling the media frenzy after Trinity’s miracle play … Ex-Harvard QB develops helmet with new concussion protection … Going for it on fourth—every time … FBS postseason discussions continue.

Creating a Buzz

Assistant Editors R.J. Anderson, Kenny Berkowitz, Nate Dougherty, Abigail Funk, Greg Scholand Art Director Pamela Crawford Photo Research Susan Morello Business Manager Pennie Small

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STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

The Right Speed

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Football speed training should entail more than trimming 40 times. Here are ways to help players be quicker where it really counts.

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HIGH SCHOOL CHAMPIONS

Winning Them Over

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Following a popular coach is never an easy task. Leading the program to its first state title makes it a bit easier.

ADVERTISERS DIRECTORY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 On the Cover: The University of Georgia employs a character education coordinator to help its football players learn how to make the right decisions off the field. Story begins on page 14.

Marketing Director Sheryl Shaffer Marketing/Sales Assistant Danielle Catalano Circulation Director Dave Dubin Circulation Manager John Callaghan Production Director Don Andersen Assistant Production Director Jim Harper Production Assistant Jonni Campbell Prepress Manager Neal Betts Special Projects Dave Wohlhueter

COVER PHOTO: RADI NABULSI/BULL MOOSE PHOTOGRAPHY

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

CHAMPIONSHIP SOLUTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 GUIDE TO SYNTHETIC TURF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 FOOTBALL FACILITY EQUIPMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 STRENGTH & CONDITIONING AIDS . . . . . . . . . . 54 INJURY PREVENTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 TEAM EQUIPMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 COACHING AIDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 WEB NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 TECHNOLOGY PRODUCTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 MORE PRODUCTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Publisher Mark Goldberg Editor-in-Chief Eleanor Frankel Associate Editor Dennis Read

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YOUR CAREER

Pete Fredenburg left NCAA Division I to start a new program at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and loves being in Division III.

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Judgment Calls

Successful coaches talk about helping players learn how to make good decisions off the field, not just on it.

Q&A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

NEXT STOP: WEB SITE

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The Coaching Management Football edition is published in November and March by MAG, Inc. and is distributed free to college and high school coaches in the United States and Canada. Copyright © 2008

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Mailing lists for Coaching Management Football are provided by the Clell Wade Coaches Directory.

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LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD N.J. Heat Rules Coolly Received

fall sports and resulted in less practice time going into the season opener.

Football coaches spend hours trying to account for all the possible scenarios they may face in their jobs. But even the most well prepared high school coaches in New Jersey felt blind-sided when the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) handed down a set of recommendations last season that tightened the preseason practice calendar for many teams.

The recommendations, put in place to help prevent heatrelated illnesses, applied to all

“I don’t think there’s a football coach in this state who is unaware of the dangers,” says Ben LaSala, Head Coach at Colonia (N.J.) High School and President of the New Jersey Football Coaches Association (NJFCA). “We’re all educated about heat problems, and we take steps over the course of the summer to make sure our kids are ready for those August practices. I can’t see one coach saying they’re going to go out there and try to kill their kids

today—nobody wants to do that.”

The NJSIAA’s Medical Advisory Committee developed the guidelines, which call for a three-day acclimatization period, a limit of five hours of total practice time per day (including warmup, stretching, conditioning, and weightroom work), a ban on consecutive days with more than three hours of practice, and at least two hours of recovery time between practices. These mirror restrictions put in place by the NCAA a few years ago.

“As a group, we were insulted that they said this was the way it was going to be without consulting us,” LaSala says. “You can’t compare a high school football program to a college program, and that’s what happened here.”

NJSIAA Executive Director Steve Timko defended the recommendations. “A lot of the conferences have adopted the guidelines and think they are very good, and yet some other coaches have thought that they are too stringent and that we are not giving them enough credit,” Timko told the Asbury Park Press in July. “I don’t think we are telling them how to coach. We are just looking out for the health and safety of our kids.”

Although some coaches felt the guidelines were too harsh, most of the complaints came because they were just that: guidelines, and not rules. It was left to the conferences and schools to determine whether the guidelines would be adopted.

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LaSala was especially concerned about losing practice time in full pads. When he could run consecutive double sessions, he would sometimes take the pads off for the second session, something he felt he couldn’t afford to do last year.

“By the time we put our kids in full pads on the fourth day, we never wanted to take them out,” he says. “We have kids who don’t know how to tackle, don’t know how to block, and don’t know what it feels like to be in full pads—I just felt like we were always being rushed to meet the new timetable.”

LaSala says a spring meeting has been set up between the NJFCA and NJSIAA, at which he and the other executive officers will voice coaches’ concerns in an effort to enact a few changes before the 2008 season starts. “We all want our kids to be safe, but we also want the rules to be applied fairly,” he says.

Laterals Lead To Limelight Call it the Mississippi Miracle.

Call it the laterals heard ’round the world. Call it the play of the year, the decade, or even the century. Faced with a twopoint deficit and two seconds on the clock, Trinity University scored a game-winning touchdown against Millsaps College with a forward pass, 15 laterals, and one lucky bounce.

Within hours, the video reached ESPN, and through the power of cable TV and the

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Many high school players in New Jersey, including these from West Morris Mendham High School and Chatham High School, saw their preseason routines change in 2007 due to new state association guidelines that limit daily activities to five hours per day and eliminate double sessions on consecutive days.

“Some schools adopted them and some didn’t, and that created an unfair advantage for schools that didn’t follow the rules,” LaSala says. “The other problem was that there was no enforcement procedure. At Colonia, we followed the guidelines exactly, but we found out other teams in our own conference didn’t do the same.”

As for the rules themselves, LaSala says most coaches agreed that cutting back on consecutive days of double sessions was a good idea, but felt other areas of the rules were unfair. “Coaches were upset that weightroom time was counted,” he says. “Our weightroom is air conditioned, so should that time really be counted toward our hours?”

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LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD Internet, the 62-second play had been viewed by millions before the end of Monday.

Time magazine even named it the No. 1 Sports Moment of 2007, and Pontiac tabbed it the Game-Changing Performance of the Year, awarding Trinity $100,000 for scholarships.

To Trinity Head Coach Steve Mohr, the play provided an important lesson about working with the media, especially at a program that’s frequently overshadowed by high-profile neighbors. “For a small college to get this type of publicity is just incredible,” he says. “In 32 years of coaching, this is the most attention I’ve seen paid to Division III. We played in the Stagg Bowl [Division III National Championship] five years ago, and that coverage didn’t even come close to this.

To schedule interviews, Mohr worked with Sports Information Director Justin Parker, who also coordinated media requests for players and the play-by-play announcer, a sophomore English major who had decided to cover the game at the last minute. Mohr spent much of Sunday and Monday talking on the telephone with reporters across the country. Though he would have preferred to focus on preparing for the upcoming game, he felt it was important to capitalize on the media attention.

“I was definitely more energetic on the first interview than I was on the last,” says Mohr.

“As the day wore on, I felt I wasn’t getting my work done because I hadn’t been able to watch any film on our upcoming opponent. But it’s not often

tant to give him your undivided attention. There are a hundred other stories he could cover, but he’s taking the time to talk to you and deserves to be treated respectfully.”

Many of the same questions were repeated again and again over the course of the two days: What were you thinking?

Did you plan this play? Did you practice it? How did this happen? And though Mohr found himself giving many of the same answers, he also used the interviews to deliver his own message: However miraculous it may seem, the play demonstrates the importance of never giving up.

“Regardless of what level you’re at, football is played the same way,” says Mohr.

“Our kids really believed that

ated from the program. Looking back at the whole phenomenon, Mohr is grateful for the chance to shine the spotlight on the team and reconnect with the old friends who called to congratulate him.

And though he expects the video to last forever, he has no illusions about next season’s media coverage.

“This was such a freak thing,” says Mohr. “If it’s nominated for an ESPY award, the publicity might kick up again. But once next season starts, it’s going to be back to normal.”

Ex-QB Behind New Helmet Being a good quarterback is as much mental as it is physical.

So it makes sense that former Harvard University signal-caller Vin Ferrara, MD, is helping to make sure quarterbacks—and all other players—can keep using their heads after violent collisions by developing a new type of helmet.

In light of endless reports on the dangers of concussion, Ferrara and other researchers have been hard at work developing new ways to decrease the severity and rate of head injuries. Today, coaches and players are seeing the fruits of those labors with the development of more sophisticated helmets and safety equipment.

Trinity University Head Coach Steve Mohr conducts one of many television interviews that followed his team’s game-winning 15-lateral play, which gained national attention for the NCAA Division III school.

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an opportunity like this comes along. It’s been great publicity for the school, and I felt it was important to really concentrate on each interview.

“As a coach, you have to remind yourself that the person on the other end of the phone isn’t just doing a job,” he continues. “He’s asking questions because he’s genuinely interested in your story, so it’s impor-

something good was going to happen. They weren’t just going through the motions.

They were giving it everything they had and playing as hard as they could until the final whistle.”

For Mohr, the real heroes of the story are the two videographers, who continue to webcast Trinity football games years after their sons gradu-

JOSHUA MOCZYGEMBA/TRINITY UNIVERSITY

“When we came back from the national championship, there wasn’t a reporter in sight,” continues Mohr. “But when we touched down at the airport the day after the play, we were mobbed. To get that kind of attention can be a little overwhelming, but our players ate it up, and rightly so.

They’re intelligent young men, and they handled the limelight extremely well.”

One such example comes from Xenith LLC, a four-yearold Boston company founded

by Ferrara, who says he experienced a handful of concussions as the Crimson’s starting quarterback in the mid-90s.

The helmet is called the X1, and instead of using traditional foam or urethane, it incorporates 18 thermoplastic airfilled shock-absorbing disks in the helmet’s padding system.

Upon impact, these disks compress and absorb the force by releasing air to stabilize the skull and soften brain-jarring blows.

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LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD The Revolution IQ HITS model incorporates both these additions along with the Head Impact Telemetry System.

Sensors placed inside the helmet record the force of blows received during a game or practice. This information is then transmitted to a computer where it can be analyzed for possible injury causing impacts.

The helmet, which received certification from the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) in October 2007, has drawn positive reviews from physicians and concussion researchers around the country. Robert Cantu, Chief of Neurosurgery Service and Director of Sports Medicine at Emerson Hospital in Concord, Mass., says the X1 represents a leap in helmet safety.

A Bold Approach To Fourth Down

“It’s thrilling to see a whole new technology,” Cantu told the Harvard Crimson.

“The helmet tests out far better than existing models.”

Designed by a former Harvard quarterback to help protect players from Cantu, one of the concussions, the Xenith helmet features air-filled plastic disks that release nation’s foremost air on impact to help absorb the force of heavy blows. The helmet is still in experts on concusthe development stage, but is expected to be available for the 2008 season. sion, is serving as an informal advisor to Ferrara, and has no financial may find the product cost progames,” Ferrara says. “They stake in the company. hibitive, Ferrara says the comused them for three or four The X1 has not yet been game-tested, but Ferrara says he expects the helmet to be available for the 2008 season, with colleges having access to it in time for spring workouts. “We have a list of close to 50 schools that have agreed to try the helmet this spring,” says Ferrara, a graduate of Columbia University’s medical and business schools. “Initially, we’re only going to distribute adult-size large helmets, which will fit the majority of high school and college players. We’ll roll out the rest of the sizes in time for the 2009 season.”

The helmets were tested last fall by two high schools—one in New Jersey and one in Michigan—and also by the Harvard team. “We gave each school 15 helmets for about a week to wear during practice, but not

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practices, then we passed their feedback on to our design and engineering teams. This helped us decide what components we wanted to use in the helmet.”

In addition to the innovative shock absorbers, Ferrara feels the helmet is also breaking new ground with its adaptive fit system. “The shock absorbers are imbedded in a flexible bonnet, and a cable courses from the back of the helmet through the bonnet,” says Ferrara. “It also runs through the chinstrap cup so when a player pulls on his chinstrap, the cable tightens and pulls the cup around his chin, making the flexible bonnet snug around the player’s head. It basically eliminates the need for air pumps.”

Ferrara says $350 is a fair “neighborhood price figure” for the X1. Realizing that some cash-strapped high schools

pany will also market it to individual players and parents and distribute the helmet through sporting goods dealers.

Other companies and helmet manufacturers are also injecting technology into the concussion discussion: The Schutt DNA helmet uses a thermoplastic urethane liner to absorb energy generated by a collision and features foamfilled air bladders to provide a better fit.

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Riddell has come out with two new models of its Revolution helmet, which was originally released six years ago.

The Revolution IQ introduces a new liner system that uses specially molded inflatable padding to provide a secure fit. It also includes a new quick release system for the face mask.

■

When it’s fourth-and-long, most players know what play follows. But not at Pulaski Academy in Little Rock, Ark., where come fourth down, the Bruins may run or pass, but they won’t punt.

Five years ago, Head Coach Kevin Kelley abandoned punting almost completely after reading two studies that showed the effectiveness of going for the first down. “I’d rather us be on the offensive than our opponents,” says Kelley, whose team punted only once last season. “You have to sell your team and coaches on the idea, and the defense can’t be mad when we have to defend a short field. But once you can convince them of the benefits and they see the results, it works great.”

While the math sold Kelley on the idea of going for it on fourth-and-whatever, seeing the demoralizing effect fourth-down conversions have on opposing defenses helped solidify the decision. “There are other factors that make this effective beyond simply having an extra down to make 10 yards,” Kelley says. “It keeps opposing defenses on the field longer and wears them down physically and psychologically.

When it’s fourth-and-five, most defenses think they’ve already succeeded by stopping us on third down. When we convert on fourth, it deflates them.”

Mickey Thompson, Head Coach of Stone Bridge High

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LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD School in Ashburn, Va., also believes in the go-for-it philosophy, kicking only a handful of times each season. “If you feel good about your offense, there’s no reason to punt,” Thompson says. “The risk of getting a kick blocked or returned is high, not to mention all the practice you have to put into it. Because we punt from our normal single-wing formation, we don’t have to worry about working on a separate punt team, which helps in practice. And when you make punting the surprise on fourth down, the opponent usually doesn’t have anyone back to return it, so the punt becomes a very effective weapon.”

Fourth down runs were a common sight for Stone Bridge High School in Ashburn, Va. The Group AAA Division V state champion Bulldogs rarely punted, preferring to go for first downs regardless of the distance needed.

Though the approach works well now—the Bulldogs won a state championship last season—there was no shortage of doubters early on. “I had people tell me I was being fool-

ish,” Thompson says. “The first season we started going for it, we were 3-7 and might have been 5-5 if I had been more conservative. But it takes time to teach that way of playing. I sacrificed a few wins that first year to establish an aggressive mentality in our program.”

After a few seasons of the go-for-it philosophy, Kelley’s team has gained a reputation among opposing coaches as being difficult to prepare for.

“Everyone hates playing us,” Kelley says. “The whole week before the game they have to change so many things to get ready for us. On third-andlong, teams can usually put out a pass defense because they know their opponent needs to convert on that down, but not against us. They get used to doing certain things in certain situations, but when they play us, they’re forced to change

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their whole approach to down and distance.”

NCAA Looks at FBS Postseason While Louisiana State University settled the question of who would wear the BCS crown with a title game win over Ohio State, the question of how to best determine future champions remains open to discussion. The topic of a possible playoff for the top level of college football was introduced at the NCAA Convention in January, but those hoping to see a Football Bowl Subdivision bracket in the near future were left with little cause for optimism.

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University of Georgia President Michael Adams tried to get the ball rolling with a proposal for an exploratory committee to look into the possibility of a playoff. But the Division I Board of Directors (of which Adams is a member) chose not to act on the proposal, instead forwarding it to the Bowl Championship Series Presidential Oversight Committee. Board members said they would like time to involve university presidents and BCS conference officials before substantive discussion of a playoff occurs.

As long as the conferences have a voice, any playoff proposal is unlikely to gather momentum. The Big Ten, Pac10, Southeastern, and Big 12 conferences have all come out publicly against a playoff, and they’ve worked to maintain solidarity on that point among their membership.

For instance, after University of Florida President Bernie Machen expressed support for a playoff to the media and at the SEC convention last year, conference Commissioner Michael Slive said the idea was rejected by all of the SEC’s presidents—including Adams.

Machen has since dropped his playoff push.

For Adams, discussions at the convention meant progress, though he acknowledged the process is moving slowly. “I don’t know that I immediately thought everybody was going to agree with me on just the specific way to [change the football postseason],” he said.

“I think there’s considerable concern out there among my colleagues, among institutions, among various other entities … that will probably ultimately lead to some sort of tweaking.

But I’m not really sure right now exactly what form that will be in.”

Although a Bowl Subdivision playoff is not in the immediate future, the NCAA will be taking a closer look at the state of postseason play, as the Board of Directors called for a new presidential task force to examine, among other things, student-athlete welfare and commercialization in postseason football. Specifics on the

task force, including its membership, have not yet been announced.

In other Division I convention news, the much-discussed text messaging ban, which prohibits coaches from sending text or instant messages to high school students during the recruiting process, faced an override vote. The attempt failed by more than a three-toone margin, leaving the existing ban in effect.

Divisions II and III, meanwhile, enacted their own text messaging bans, which will take effect Aug. 1. The Division II rule allows text messages only after an athlete has signed a National Letter of Intent.

High school coursework was also on the Division II agenda as the division’s Academic Requirements Committee recommended increasing the number of core courses

required for initial eligibility from 14 to 16. The committee cited research showing that existing D-II requirements didn’t align with most institutions’ admissions criteria, and noted that the requirements were lower than most U.S. high schools’ graduation standards.

Finally, the convention included discussions about the future of Division III and whether the creation of a fourth division is in the association’s best interest. The Division III Working Group on Membership Issues, formed last year to examine the possibility of a D-III split, presented data to support its contention that the division’s growth has caused the emergence of two differing philosophies on how athletics should be governed.

The group cited voting patterns and sport sponsorship rates as evidence that two distinct perspectives currently exist within Division III.

The Bowl Championship Series title game winner, which was Louisiana State University last season, will continue to be the nation’s No. 1 team as playoff proposals have not gained traction. The NCAA has formed a group to study Football Bowl Subdivision postseason issues such as commercialization.

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Q&A

Pete Fredenburg University of Mary Hardin-Baylor After his coaching career took him to three different schools in five years during the mid-1990s, Pete Fredenburg was ready to leave his traveling history behind and find a permanent home for his family. He discovered one at a school that, football-wise, had no history of its own— the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor.

He accepted the job as the school’s first Head Coach in 1998 and in just three seasons, he had the team in the NCAA Division III playoffs. Over the next five years, the team won the American Southwest Conference Championship four times, and in 2005, the Crusaders reached the Division III national championship game, also known as the

Stagg Bowl. In his nine seasons at UMHB, Fredenburg has amassed a 75-25 record and been named a national Coach of the Year runner-up once and regional Coach of the Year three times.

Fredenburg began his career coaching at a series of high schools in Texas, then spent 13 seasons as Defensive Coordinator and Assistant Head Coach at Baylor University. From there, he spent one season as an assistant coach at Louisiana State University before moving to Louisiana Tech University for three years.

In this interview, Fredenburg talks about his approach to recruiting student-athletes, delegating responsibility to assistants, and how he and his staff emphasize the importance of academics.

CM: What brought you to UMHB? Fredenburg: Because of job changes, my wife, our youngest son, and I had lived in Waco, Baton Rouge, and Ruston, all in less than five years. More than anything else I wanted to stabilize life for him, but I had also become enamored with Division III football after my oldest son played at Austin College. I liked the idea of going to a Division III school, and the position at UMHB developed at the same time that my wife finished her doctorate and was offered a job nearby. Initially, I thought I would coach here for a few years, then get back into Division I, but I have absolutely fallen in love with the game at this level.

hard to make sure our players understand those expectations and know that if they can’t meet them, they will no longer be part of our program.

What is it about Division III football that you love?

It’s such a pure form of competition. All the teams are on a level playing field because there are no athletic scholarships. The student-athletes are playing simply because they love to play, and their commitment is incredible. It’s been a great experience to see how well our student-athletes respond to our program and what it stands for.

But wherever you go, there are unique challenges to recruiting. When I was at Baylor, I thought if I could go to a school like LSU where they can recruit whoever they want, it would be so much easier.

Then I went to LSU and found we were still competing for recruits, just at a different level. No matter what level you’re at, though, you want guys who love to play the game and have a tremendous strength of character.

Do you have to take a different approach to coaching in Division III than Division I? I think so. In Division I, there’s a scholarship you can hold over a player’s head, and that gives a coach more control. The reality in Division III is we have very little control over our players. The only things we can control are the way we choose to run our program and our expectations of the student-athletes. We have to work

How do you help your players handle academics?

So many guys come from backgrounds that didn’t have a lot of structure, so we try to give them that structure. There’s

Throughout your career you’ve gained a reputation as a strong recruiter. What is your approach to attracting players to Division III? It’s really not much different than what I did in Division I. As a Division III school, we go after a certain pool of players, but we try to extend ourselves to get the best athletes we can. So we’re often recruiting kids who are also being sought after by scholarship schools.

a specific time they have to be in study hall, and they always have to follow our team rules. We check their grades and class attendance on a bi-weekly basis.

We really want to help guide them and bridge the gap between the time they

The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor was 12-2 last season and third in the final national rankings. Both losses came to NCAA Division III champion University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

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Q&A leave home and the time when they can take care of themselves academically.

themselves by dropping a demerit when they go a week without a problem.

If they misbehave or get into problems academically, they get a demerit. When they have three demerits they sit down with our Unity Council, made up of the team’s leaders, to talk about their situation, and when they reach four demerits we talk with both the athlete and his parents. If they get to five, they miss a game.

But we also want to reward them when they’re doing well, so they can redeem

What was it like to start a program from scratch?

It was difficult because all we could do was sell a vision. What we had was a wonderful school with a great reputation in the middle of Texas, and that made it an easier sell. The investment the university has made into the program has been critical and the support we’ve received has really helped create a strong program.

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How would you describe your coaching philosophy?

The prevailing philosophy here is to help our student-athletes grow and develop as they’re getting a college education while also making them the best football players they can be. It’s important to me that my players are treated with a lot of respect and held in high esteem.

Football-wise, we build from the same basic structures each year. On offense, we try to develop the run first and use a power-oriented offense with some option, then build our passing game off those plays. Defensively, we’re a man-to-man team that likes to generate a lot of pressure on the opponent.

What do you look for in assistant coaches?

I try to find guys who fit into my offensive and defensive philosophies and can expand on those ideas. It’s a lot easier to make those year-to-year adjustments when everyone is working on the same page to begin with.

When I was an assistant coach, I loved having the ability to work independently, so I give my coaches the same freedom. They understand that they need to stay within the framework of our overriding philosophy, but they have the latitude and ability to coach with their own style. They know they can add whatever input they feel is necessary. I also leave it to each position coach to determine playing time.

How do you find a work-life balance?

While it is important for coaches to put in hours, we have to keep our own families in mind, too. It was very important to me when my children were younger that I had an opportunity to spend time with them. All the assistant coaches here have families, and I want them to have that same opportuity.

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It’s moving so fast, but there’s nothing more important to me than the utilization of audiovisual aids to enhance our teaching. One of the reasons our program has been so successful is that each coach has his own monitor and a computer to play digital video. Almost every step our players take on the practice field is being recorded, which gives them a great opportunity to grow and develop.

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COVER STORY

David Wetzel, Head Coach at Ronald Reagan High School in San Antonio, Texas, is a hands-on coach with a reputation for running a clean program that develops well-behaved young men.

During an interview for this article, Wetzel, who is also the school’s athletic director, was driving home and talking to us on his cell phone. Halfway through the conversation he pulled his vehicle to the side of the road and asked us to hold on for a minute.

As he stopped his car, Wetzel lowered his phone, and called out to a couple of his players he saw walking on the sidewalk. “Hey Joseph, what’s going on?”

Wetzel said. “How did you get home so fast?”

The player told Wetzel that he had ridden the bus home. “Does your mom know where you are?” Wetzel asked.

Joseph politely answered yes. “Okay then,” Wetzel replied. “You guys be careful.”

It may have only been a short exchange, but what Wetzel did that day is an example of a coach having a presence in his player’s off-field decision-making process. Wetzel may or may not have caused the player to rethink his plans for the afternoon, but taking the time to check up on his players and remind them he is keeping an eye on them is one of many things a coach can do to encourage good decision-making.

Whether they’re committing felonies such as assault, theft, or possession of narcotics, or relatively minor offenses like underage drinking, more and more of today’s student-athletes are making headlines for the wrong reasons. No matter the crime or misdeed, there is usually one common denominator when athletes get in trouble: poor decision-making.

Since players will inevitably make mistakes off the field, coaches are always looking for ways to help them build a better foundation for value-based reasoning. We talked with four coaches about their approach to addressing problematic behavior and keeping student-athletes in the game, both on and off the field.

Guitar Hero Wetzel hasn’t had many off-field problems during his time with the Rattlers, and he thinks part of the reason is a proactive approach to character development. “Every day during the off-season, we do a five-minute character lesson,” says Wetzel, who by state association rules is allowed to meet with his team for a 40-minute period each school day outside the season. “Our lessons are designed to help players make good decisions off the field. It can be R.J. Anderson is an Assistant Editor at Coaching Management. He can be reached at: rja@MomentumMedia.com.

BY R.J. ANDERSON

JUDGMENT 14

CoachingManagementOnline.com

The University of Georgia enjoyed great success on the field last season and finished as the nation’s secondranked team. Head Coach Mark Richt emphasizes the importance of players doing well off the field as well.

PHOTO BY RADI NABULSKI/BULL MOOSE PHOTOGRAPHY.

CALLS

Coaching is more than teaching players who to block and where to run. Successful coaches talk about

helping players learn how to make good choices off the field, not just on it.

COVER STORY

as simple as me or an assistant coach telling a short story about alcohol or counseling them about sex-related topics, academics, conducting themselves with adults, and how they act around their friends—we go through a little bit of everything.”

Wetzel isn’t afraid to use unconventional tactics to drive a point home. “I think the way a message is delivered really makes a difference in how effectively it’s received,” he says. “For example, one week we were covering the dangers of alcohol abuse so I brought my guitar and played the song “Alcohol” by Brad Paisley. The song talks about the perils of drinking and parodies the stupid things people do when they’re under the influence of alcohol. The kids really paid attention to that one.”

One of Wetzel’s ongoing lessons reminds players of the importance of conducting themselves well in public.

“We tell our kids that they are Reagan

Rattler football players even when they’re off the field. As a result, they are held to a higher standard, and they will be watched,” says Wetzel. “I use myself as an example: When I go into a restaurant, someone there will know who I am and have certain expectations for my behavior. If look or act like a slouch, that’s the impression they’ll have about our entire program. The same holds true for our players. It may not be fair, but that’s how it is.”

The classroom and field aren’t the only settings where Wetzel makes his presence felt. In addition to holding team barbeques and swim parties, Wetzel likes to keep a watchful eye on his players’ off-field activities. “We keep our ears to the ground so we can take steps to head off things like parties or kids running away,” says Wetzel. “We also try to be involved in the community and encourage our players to be involved in other activities than just playing sports.

As Dan Hawkins, Head Coach at the University of Colorado, hits the recruiting trail, he looks for student-athletes who bring as much to the table morally as they do athletically. Hawkins, who was brought in to clean up the Buffaloes after a string of high profile off-the-field scandals, knows he has very little margin for error and he can’t take chances on those with questionable character.

“I’m huge on character, in fact that’s the first thing on the list,” says Hawkins. “If we feel a player has too many issues, we’re quick to move on.”

To make sure players are a good fit for his program, Hawkins probes recruits and their parents to gauge their values. “We spend a lot of time trying to recruit parents and players who have certain beliefs and philosophies about what’s important in life so that we’re all on the same page when they get here,” says Hawkins. “I’m very much into personal excellence and developing kids. If that’s not important to the student-athlete or their parents, then they’re probably not a good fit for us.”

Dogged by incidents during the summer of 2007, University of Texas Head Coach Mack Brown faced hard questions about his approach to recruiting. Critics wondered if in the interest of bringing the best players to Austin, Brown and the Longhorns had become more willing to overlook an elite athlete’s off-field character issues.

Though he disagrees with the assessment that his standards dropped, Brown says he and his staff have taken a harder

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We want them to be visible, positive members of the community.

“Discipline isn’t about screaming and hollering,” he adds. “It’s about young men having trust and knowing why we’re asking them to do certain things. If we can establish trust, and communicate that we care about them off the field, we can reach them, teach them, and guide them.”

Character Study To Mark Richt, Head Coach at the University of Georgia, teaching life lessons is simply part of the territory when dealing with college athletes. “I think college is the most volatile time for any person, and we need to help our players through this turbulent period,” Richt says. “This is the time when they first start making decisions independently— which can lead to both good and bad choices. We have to coach them to make the right ones.”

line on bringing in high-character recruits—especially during the latest recruiting cycle. “We wanted to make sure we got the highest level of character we could,” says. “This year’s class probably has the best academics of any class we’ve ever signed. We also felt like we turned down some really good players who didn’t meet the character criteria we set.”

Brown says recruits’ academic abilities are great indicators of their character and that Texas takes a hard look at each player’s class rank and core GPA. “Standardized test scores can be all over the place with kids,” says Brown, “but if they’ve been competitive in their environment with the core curriculum, it’s a sign of discipline.”

Brown also looks for players who come from successful high school programs. “Guys who have won at that level usually have been held more accountable,” says Brown.

“And they have more confidence, which is a trait we’ve been concentrating on a lot lately. If a guy is insecure or shy, this place may eat him up.

“Lastly, we want players who are happy and smile,” Brown continues. “We need to like them as people because if we don’t like them, they’re probably not going to like us.”

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COVER STORY

To help players improve their decision making, Georgia hired Bobby Lankford, who is entering his sixth year as the team’s Character Education

Sport (E.T.H.I.C.S.) at the University of Idaho, and a partner with Lankford in a company called Winning with Character.

In addition to Georgia, Stoll designs

“YOU HAVE TO TEACH THEM WHY WHAT THEY DID WAS WRONG AND WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO DO THINGS RIGHT. IT’S A COMBINATION OF PUNISHMENT, EDUCATION, AND LOVE.” Coordinator. Lankford, who players view as an assistant coach, is with the team at every practice and game and is continually encouraging and counseling the team about living moral lives.

Lankford also coordinates the classroom component of Georgia’s character education program, which involves 43 interactive lessons. The program’s curriculum is designed by Dr. Sharon Stoll, CEO and founder of the Center for Ethical Theory and Honor In Competition and

character-specific lesson plans for more than 40 high school programs and the Atlanta Braves farm system.

At Georgia, players are grouped by class level and meet with Lankford, Richt, and other coaches for a half hour each week to talk about values such as honesty, fairness, and responsibility. Coaches are encouraged to talk about their past experiences and explain decisions former athletes made in similar situations.

“The coaches serve as facilitators and

ask questions that get the kids talking,” says Lankford. “The discussions cover tough issues like sex, STDs, drugs and alcohol, respecting and honoring women, and unplanned pregnancies.”

Richt, who leads Winning with Character classes for the team’s seniors, makes each player on the team aware of the role good decision making plays in their development. “I ask players what their goals are and what they picture themselves doing after they leave school,” says Richt. “Then I tell them that everything we do here is geared toward helping them achieve those goals. I also tell them that if they do something that keeps them from reaching those goals, we’re going to hold them accountable. But we’re also going to try to correct their mistakes and get them pointed in the right direction.”

Still, Richt and countless other coaches know no matter how many character-building programs you put in place, there are going to be episodes of negative behavior. “Let’s face it, everybody makes mistakes—we’re all human,”

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says Richt. “If a kid makes a mistake and admits to what he did, is remorseful, and wants to make it right, we can deal with him. If he can’t take responsibility for his actions, or it happens again, then we have a problem and it might be time for him to go somewhere else.

Global Approach When Dan Hawkins took over as Head Coach at the University of Colorado two years ago, he inherited a program stained by multiple controversies driven by poor decision making. National news stories were ripping the school and its football

“THERE ARE A LOT OF LAWS IN OUR COUNTRY, BUT THERE’S NO LAW ABOUT BEING NICE, OR BEING COURTEOUS, OR BEING GENEROUS. THOSE TYPES OF THINGS ARE IMPORTANT, BUT THEY’RE IMPOSSIBLE TO ADDRESS IN A CONDUCT OR BEHAVIOR CODE.” “We discipline our players because we love them,” Richt continues. “Every form of discipline I use incorporates an element of punishment and an element of education. You have to teach them why what they did was wrong and why it’s important to do things right. It’s a combination of punishment, education, and love.”

team for using alcohol and sex to lure recruits.

For Hawkins, the goal of accruing wins was secondary to cleaning up the program and getting the team back on track morally. This meant spending as much time coaching his players off the field as on it. But for Hawkins,

those demands meshed perfectly with his approach to the profession.

“I do way more parenting and mentoring than I do Xs and Os,” says Hawkins.

“I like that part of my job—it’s a huge part of what coaching is about.”

Hawkins was hired at Colorado not just due to his impressive winning record, but also because of his reputation for running clean programs based on developing players with strong character. Though the skill levels of his student-athletes varied as Hawkins went from high school to NAIA to NCAA Division I, his approach to discipline has been consistent.

“You have to set guidelines and standards for what you expect in every area, including conduct,” says Hawkins. “You also have to build a philosophical foundation that helps players meet those expectations. For me, that means creating an environment that fosters excellence and success at a global level—the student-athlete experience needs to be enriching on the academic, athletic, and personal level.

“When that ball gets rolling and play-

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COVER STORY

ers buy in, it perpetuates better behavior and decision making,” Hawkins adds.

“You have to lay your foundation for success and let those principles guide and bring players along.”

Developing an overriding culture is key, because Hawkins feels that simply giving athletes a set of rules and ordering them not to screw up doesn’t work. “Just enforcing rules like ‘Johnny Hardguy’ might work at first,” says Hawkins. “But once the fear factor wears off, it usually won’t be very successful if the right culture isn’t in place.”

For that reason, Hawkins also has little use for signed codes of conduct.

“Part of their message is okay to some degree,” he says. “But to me contracts just ask guys to adhere to minimum expectations. I’m not into minimums.

“Plus, you can’t legislate morality,” Hawkins adds. “There are a lot of laws in our country, but there’s no law about being nice, or being courteous, or being generous. Those types of things are important, but they’re impossible to address in a conduct or behavior code.”

Hawkins instead prefers that coaches model the behavior they expect. “Players have to see that behavior over and over in different situations until it becomes something they understand and believe in,” Hawkins says. “Most of what we do

understanding, and a true belief in one another,” says Hawkins. “When there is discipline involved, it doesn’t mean that you don’t care about them, because you do. But sometimes you have to do some hard things because you know the long-

“IN BETWEEN THOSE TWO SETS OF NUMBERS THERE’S A DASH—THE SYMBOL BETWEEN THE DATE OF BIRTH AND DATE OF DEATH—AND WE WANT OUR PLAYERS TO LEARN HOW TO CONTROL WHAT HAPPENS DURING THAT DASH.” involves hiring people who exude the values we’re looking for in our players.”

For all the talk of policies and procedures, Hawkins says the key to helping players keep out of trouble is straightforward, though not always easy. “I don’t care if you’re in the NFL or junior high, coaching is about developing trust, love,

term lessons that accompany that discipline are extremely important.”

Dash Of Life Coming off a depressing 3-8 season in 2007, which culminated in the dismissal of the head coach and the athletic director tendering his resignation, Florida A&M

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COVER STORY

University was at a crossroads. The school was looking for someone with the coaching skill and integrity to return the onceproud program back to respectability.

With a reputation for running a tight ship that recruits and develops well behaved student-athletes, Joe Taylor was heralded as a natural fit when Florida A&M asked him to fill its vacant Head Coach position this winter.

During his distinguished coaching career, including 16 years as Head Coach at Hampton University, Taylor developed his own blueprint for developing high-character student-athletes. His plan for restoring Florida A&M to glory is heavily dependent on getting his players to buy into that blueprint, including his beliefs and philosophies for behaving on and off the field.

“There’s a direct correlation between discipline on the field and discipline off the field,” says Taylor. “To call yourself a teammate, you have to be accountable in everything you do.”

To drive home his message, Taylor implemented regularly scheduled meet-

ings that focus on character development. Every Wednesday evening for about an hour, Taylor stands in front of his players and shares lessons from current events and tells parables he’s picked up along the way. Among those lessons is a homespun acronym he constantly references as a reminder to work hard and make good decisions.

“Every person starts with four numbers: the year they are born. And those are numbers they have no control over,” says Taylor. “Then there are four more numbers that symbolize when a person expires, which they have only some control over. In between those two sets of numbers there’s a dash—the symbol between the date of birth and date of death—and we want our players to learn how to control what happens during that dash.”

For Taylor, the letters in the word dash all have significant meaning: ■ D is for discipline ■ A is for attitude ■ S is for sacrifice ■ H is for habits.

“We use the term ‘Control your DASH’ as a tool to help create better decisionmakers,” says Taylor. “D is for discipline and it’s a simple reminder for them to do the right thing. We have signs throughout the football facilities telling athletes, ‘Do the Right Thing!’”

For attitude, Taylor tells his players that they aren’t measured by what happens to them, but how they respond to an incident or situation. And for Taylor, sacrifice means that people were put on Earth to serve, not to be served.

To spell out the importance of good habits, Taylor tells players that man does not decide his future. Instead, man decides his habits and his habits decide his future. “Let’s says someone tells me he wants to be a doctor,” Taylor says. “If I hear he’s out drinking every night, his habits tell me he wants to be an alcoholic, not a doctor.

“We tell our players there is no magic dust I can sprinkle around or magic pill to become successful,” Taylor says. “But if they follow our blueprint, they will become men—very successful men.” ■

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YOUR CAREER

CREATING A BUZZ

CHRIS MURPHY

Looking to climb the coaching ladder?

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

You’re reading the morning newspaper or casually scanning the coaching job boards, and you see it: your dream job. You’re at a point in your career when your experience and skills fit all the requirements. You’re excited. You think about picking up the phone to tell the school’s athletic director that you’re the perfect person for the job.

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

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

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

Your goal is to create a buzz about yourself with the athletic director and hiring committee members. You want to gather momentum so the committee will be excited to learn more about you. To do that, you need to follow a systematic approach to keeping your name in front of decision-makers throughout the application process.

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

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

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

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

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YOUR CAREER

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

If phone calls are permitted, you should contact the athletic director (or the appropriate hiring person) as soon as possible. Prepare a 30-second pitch that quickly highlights why you are a good candidate for the job. Tell them who you are, what position you currently hold, one or two professional accomplishments, and your intention to apply for the job.

If the person on the other end of the line is receptive, ask how long the process will take, then close with a positive, confident statement. If you can’t reach the athletic director by phone, then leave a 30-second voicemail message or send a brief e-mail.

Here’s an example of an appropriate phone message: “Mr. Smith, this is John Jones. I am currently an assistant coach at State, and I am calling to let you know of my interest in your head football

coaching position. We have been very successful at State. This past year we won the conference championship and were ranked in the top-20 in the nation.

We have consistently recruited the top student-athletes in the state. I am sending my resume and references, which should reach you later today. I look forward to having an opportunity to share my vision for your football program with the search committee.”

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

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

The day you make contact with the hiring school, fax or e-mail a copy of your resume. Follow that up by sending any additional materials, with another copy of your resume, via overnight mail. The value of sending overnight (or secondday delivery) is that recipients generally turn their attention toward overnight

deliveries before opening regular mail.

And by sending a printed resume, you can be assured everything will look the way you want—rather than being blurred by lines on an old fax machine or jumbled because an administrator opened your text file with the wrong program.

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

Presenting Yourself on Paper Traditionally, applying for a job requires you to send in your resume and a list of references. However, in today’s world of coaching hires, that isn’t enough. To make yourself stand out, you need to pres-

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YOUR CAREER

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

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

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

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

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

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

DO YOUR HOMEWORK

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

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

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ent a polished description of your philosophy and accomplishments. The best way to do this is by compiling a portfolio.

Today’s athletic directors want coaches with a vision and a professional image, so that’s how you need to present yourself.

You need to accurately communicate your successes and beliefs. You need to come across as a multi-dimensional coach with a personal brand.

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

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

First and foremost, be absolutely certain that the information in this section is accurate and truthful. There have been several highly publicized cases in recent years of coaches “beefing up” their information and subsequently losing their jobs when the truth came out. Today we live in a society where information travels around the world in the time it takes to click a mouse. The chances of getting away with misrepresenting yourself are slim.

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

You should be aware that including personal information is not required. In fact, employment law prohibits those hiring from asking candidates about their personal lives. Personal items include

your birth date, marital status, family background, and health issues. You can include information about your personal life in your portfolio, but employers are not permitted to ask follow-up questions relating to it and cannot use it to make their hiring decisions.

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

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

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

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had a player named conference MVP, you as a coach played a role in developing (and possibly recruiting) that player.

Think about how to “spin” your achievements. To be clear, you should never include information that is not true, but sometimes you can present the facts so that they have maximum impact.

For instance, you may have led your team to a respectable 6-4 record in your first season. But you can also compare

es, you can add visual elements to make your portfolio stand out. Using the coaching example mentioned, you might add a bar graph showing two wins before you arrived and six wins the next season.

Photos are another way to highlight your accomplishments. Say you’re an assistant at the NCAA Division I level and have recruited several All-American athletes. To send a powerful message, you could include a full-page picture of one

If the contact person is not an athletic administrator, then it may be beneficial to have a non-coach call on your behalf. It could be helpful for the contact person to hear from someone in a similar position at your current institution. that record to previous years to show improvement. Let’s say the team finished 2-8 the season before you got there. That means you accomplished a 200-percent improvement in your first season.

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

Philosophy: It is important to have a coaching philosophy that is detailed, organized, and well written. I suggest breaking down your philosophy into technical and program approaches. A technical philosophy consists of how a coach feels the game should be played.

This may include offensive and defensive strategies, practice philosophy, and strength and conditioning. A program philosophy includes all the factors that go into building and maintaining a championship program, such as motivating athletes, team-building, academics, fundraising, recruiting (at the college level), discipline, and public relations.

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

Extra Touches: If you have the resourc30

CoachingManagementOnline.com

of these athletes with a tagline that says: “Recruited to State by Coach Jones, Jim Smith was a two-time All-American.”

Bringing In The Big Guns Once you’ve made initial contact and sent in your portfolio, it’s time to bring in the big guns! These are the coaches who are respected by other coaches and administrators, and may include your current boss, a former boss, a coach you played for, or a coach you met through networking.

You should ask two or three of these people to call the athletic director (or whomever is the contact person) to recommend you for the position. Arrange these calls to come on consecutive days so the contact person is hearing about you each day. And be sure to send a copy of your resume to these folks so they can refresh themselves on the details of your career before they call.

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

Choose coaches or administrators who know and respect you. If there are specific points you would like them to bring out, talk about them with your callers in advance. For example, if this

would be your first head coaching job, ask them to talk about your leadership skills and how you are ready to take on a higher profile position.

Think of anyone who would strike a chord with the contact person. If you know a coach who has a relationship with the hiring athletic director, you have an ideal scenario. If the contact person is not an athletic administrator, then it may be beneficial to have a noncoach call on your behalf. It could be helpful for the contact person to hear from someone in a similar position at your current institution.

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

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

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

This type of jump often necessitates more than two or three phone calls from successful coaches who can recommend you. And in addition to their phone calls, you should have a long list of references available by mail, e-mail, or fax.

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

Two, don’t become a stalker. If you or your references call too many times, you run the risk of inundating the decision-makers. Although being persistent is a great trait for a coach, being overly persistent could be a real turn-off.

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

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At San Jose State University, speed training is designed to help players move faster in all directions. Here, Spartans receiver Kevin Jurovich eludes Idaho tacklers.

THE RIGHT SPEED Football speed training should entail more than trimming 40 times.

A college strength coach explains how he trains players to be quicker where it counts—on the field.

D

uring the 1960s, San Jose State University earned the nickname “Speed City.” At the time, the school was producing a series of world-class sprinters, who would eventually account for four gold medals and three world records at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City.

Four decades later, the school no longer has a track and field team, but the

BY CHRISTOPHER HOLDER legacy of speed has been revived in the Spartans football program. Since our linemen are average sized and our skill players could be considered undersized, we have to bring something to the table that our opponents don’t. That something is speed—our ability to accelerate and change direction more quickly than they can.

After going 3-8 the year before, the 2006 Spartans finished with a 9-4 record

and beat the University of New Mexico, 20-12, in the inaugural New Mexico Bowl—the school’s first bowl victory since 1990. And part of the reason was the off-season speed-training program we implemented.

I would gladly share our workout calendar with drills for each week of the training season, but I don’t have one—I rarely follow a preset script for how the weeks will fall. Instead, I try my best to

Christopher Holder is the Director of Strength and Conditioning at San Jose State University. A graduate of Eastern Kentucky University, where he was starting center on the football team, Holder has also been a strength coach at EKU, Appalachian State University, and Cal Poly. He can be reached at: chris.holder@sjsu.edu.

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STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

get to know my athletes’ bodies and adjust the “plan” based on how they are responding. In this article, I’ll give you a little insight into what we mean by speed, the importance of strength in building speed, and the guidelines I use to select the drills that will help us continue the tradition of speed at San Jose State.

Football Fast With all this talk of track and field, you might think I’m a proponent of training

football players on the track. That isn’t the case—in fact, the only thing that bothers me more than football players doing track workouts is football players doing heavy bouts of jogging. Both train attributes that a football player will rarely, if ever, use during a game.

Any good track coach will tell you that top speed during a 100-meter sprint is reached at the 40- to 50-meter mark.

But a receiver, running back, or kick returner can reach this speed only after

he has broken through all defenders en route to a long touchdown. For most teams, this sort of big play happens maybe four or five times a year. Most long runs are filled with cuts and moves that prevent the runner from ever reaching full sprinting speed.

So expending lots of effort working on sprint speed is a waste of time. More importantly, if track workouts are your primary speed and conditioning tool for football, the moment your players go to change direction or make an explosive cut using those straight-line trained muscles in a lateral manner, the likelihood of injury increases greatly.

Simply put, my philosophy at SJSU is to build speed that can actually be used on the football field. This involves training athletes to accelerate, change direction, and accelerate again, even if it means losing a couple of tenths on straight sprints. And making this happen means making them stronger runners as well as better runners.

Strength Before Speed Although we spend a lot of time teaching players the right way to change direction and accelerate, it’s not all about mechanics. Everything else being equal, the runner who can produce the most force while his foot is in contact with the ground will accelerate more quickly every time. And the stronger athlete will produce more force.

Building speed requires not just strength, but the right kind of strength.

Look at almost any good speed coach’s program and you will find a lot of multijoint freeweight exercises that focus on the hips—squats, deadlifts, Olympic pulls, cleans, snatches, and glute/ham raises.

These bread-and-butter exercises will quickly translate into increased force production when the runner’s feet strike the ground. So these lifts form the core of our weight-training work.

After the heavy lifting is done, I also like to add kettlebell work as a finisher. Using multiple swing variations

For a list of common speeddevelopment drills used at San Jose State, send an e-mail to author Christopher Holder at: chris.holder@sjsu.edu.

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STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

not only assists in power development and increases leg drive, it also provides anaerobic conditioning.

Since football obviously requires more than just lower-body strength, we do our share of upper-body work as well. I focus on lifts that translate to the field, such as pull-ups and non-machine-based rowing for major back work, shrugs, shoulder exercises that don’t focus entirely on presses, and whatever chest work I feel is necessary.

While core and ab work are current buzz phrases, I give my guys specific exercises for their abs only on rare occasions, typically to work them to exhaustion before a weekend. Instead, we teach athletes how to pressurize the abdomen in lifting and how abdominal activation is the only way to ensure safety and back stability during heavy lifts. If they’re doing their base lifts correctly, their abs will do plenty of work.

follow a traditional periodization scheme.

As our resistance work in the weightroom goes through hypertrophy, strength, and strength/power phases, our running work follows a similar pattern.

During the hypertrophy phase of the resistance program, our running is very limited. Because of the microtears brought on by the weight work as well as central nervous system fatigue, the likelihood of injury dramatically increases during this period, so running intensity is generally kept below 80 percent of an all-out sprint. Although the bulk of our limited running is straight-line work, I will introduce some instructional changeof-direction drills at very low intensity.

Once the lifting transitions into the strength phase, we start turning and never look back. One of the most amazing things I have encountered in my coaching career is that 99 percent of the players who come to me out of high school don’t know how to turn—and many of them are unbelievably gifted athletes. They’ve simply never learned turning mechanics and how to change

Running Matches Weights Although I do not script an entire training schedule from start to finish, I do

direction in the most powerful, energyefficient way possible.

As a result, I spend more time coaching turning techniques on the grass than I do on lifting techniques in the weightroom. In fact, I coach every nuance of turning to almost every player during every training session.

We begin with subtle turn drills that focus on proper acceleration, deceleration, heel placement, and outside foot drive. This is also where I begin to work on the mechanics of turning by introducing the concept of “running with your eyes.”

One of the fastest ways to increase a football player’s speed and running efficiency is to get him to run with his eyes. The head acts as an anchor if the eyes aren’t first looking at the target.

This forces a runner to get out of position when he changes direction, causing the shoulders to line up improperly and affecting body orientation. So we stress that when players set a foot to turn, their eyes should immediately find the target.

This simple cue can fix some of the most

COACHING CUES The following are points we insist on every time we run. There are many ways to teach football speed, but this is what has worked best for me.

■

First, and most important, the initial movement of any drill is a very hard acceleration step or series of steps.

We never jog—ever. We enter each drill with great enthusiasm and even greater effort.

■

All drills require great arm action. We are talking about acceleration, and a runner with dead arms can’t accelerate to the best of his ability. We use cues like “fight to full speed!” “Fight” is a word that immediately cues the players to have violent arms, and it works almost every time.

■

When approaching a turn, no matter the degree, the runner needs to gather his feet and lower his center of gravity. Simply sticking his foot out to stop is not only ineffective, but also puts the knee, hip, and ankle in a compromised position. I constantly tell our players, “Get low, chest over your toes, and load your hips!”

36

■

I teach players to plant their heels on their final step in deceleration and use a heel-to-toe drive to change direction. First, it is the most powerful foot position you can have, with the glutes and other large muscle groups of the hip fully activated. Second, when we are on grass, a heel-to-toe drive will get all the cleats into the ground and provide surer footing.

■

When driving off their base leg, encourage runners to drive their hips toward their next target. The first rule in open-field tackling is to zero in on your opponent’s hip/pelvis. Wherever the pelvis points is where the runner is going, regardless of the head fakes or jukes. I tell athletes to drive the hips open and point their pelvis at their next target.

■

The golden rule of change-of-direction drills is to always cut off of the outside leg. No exceptions or allowances are allowed on this one. The best part about this cue is that it’s self-correcting. Nine times out of 10, if the runner cuts off of his inside leg, the grass will give, and he will end up on his butt.

When one of my players falls, we yell “Inside foot!” as a group and go on to the next rep.

■

Many younger runners have a tendency to “step outside of themselves.”

They will go to drive off of their outside leg to change direction but they have stepped so far outside their base that when they push, they have little to no hip flexion or knee bend resulting in a weak drive. So we constantly remind our players that when they come to the point of redirection, they should have a solid base and their feet should be underneath their body, not outside of their frame.

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STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

complex problems in running mechanics. (See “Coaching Cues” on page 36 for more teaching points.)

Once we move to the strength/power phase in the weightroom, we begin the heavy lateral work that is the essence of our football speed program. The bedrock of this work is change-of-direction drills that help teach the players how

This phase is also when I introduce position-specific metabolic sprints. Defensive backs, for example, will back pedal as fast as they can for five to 10 yards, and then open their hips and “chase” for 20 yards.

I develop a list of 18 sprints for every position group, each ending with a 10-yard finish. Once through the

I consider many factors when choosing and developing drills, but I always observe one hard and fast rule: Keep the drills intense! Anything short of an all-out effort is not good enough. Fast is fast. Strong is strong. If you train fast, you will get fast. If you train slow, you will be slow. to cut and accelerate. These drills basically upload motor programs into the athlete’s brain, so repetition, repetition, and more repetition are required to make the patterns stick.

list is one quarter. We start with one quarter and as the summer wears on add more sprints until we reach four full quarters followed by a nine-sprint overtime.

Drill Master The drills and sprints I use to develop football speed vary from year to year and even from session to session. While I have a long list of standard drills that I routinely use, I also create many new ones—or adapt existing ones—to meet specific needs.

I consider many factors when choosing and developing drills, but I always observe one hard and fast rule: Keep the drills intense! Anything short of an all-out effort is not good enough. Fast is fast. Strong is strong. If you train fast, you will get fast. If you train slow, you will be slow.

So we spend all of our time working in bouts of very intense drills lasting no longer than 15 seconds. If drills run longer than that, athletes will pace themselves and reduce their intensity due to their desire to finish the drill. Or, even worse, they will work as hard as they can for as long as they can, putting themselves in danger of a muscle pull. We want full effort on all sprints and change-of-direction work, and we obviously want to

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prevent injuries, so we always keep the duration brief and the intensity through the roof.

We also want to replicate the physical demands players will face on the field, so we keep a close eye on recovery time. We aim for about 20 seconds of rest between repetitions to match the typical recovery time between plays.

The volume is dictated by the nature of the drill. A simple drill like a proshuttle can go as high as 20 repetitions.

A drill with five to 10 very complex turns should be limited to 10 reps or fewer. We pay close attention to the athletes’ condition at the end of the drills and adjust the volume accordingly.

There are far too many good drills out there to cover them all. The key when choosing or designing drills is to remember that football speed is the ability to change direction and accelerate quickly, not how quickly someone can run a 40-yard sprint. We focus on the drills that will develop fast-twitch lateral movement not those that will increase straight-line speed.

When doing cone drills, we keep the cones approximately five to 10 yards apart. These distances ensure enough room for the athlete to accelerate and decelerate into the next turn.

Occasionally, I will bump some drills to 15 yards, but these are absolute back breakers, so I use them sparingly.

I also prohibit runners from putting their hands down to the ground while performing their drills. This is a habit that needs to be broken during running drills, not encouraged. If one of my players puts his hand down during a play, he’s probably beat. Players need to be able to run and change direction without touching the ground with their hand, so that’s how we drill it.

It is also very important to determine your team’s greatest weaknesses and make them the focal point of your efforts. For instance, once you know whether you need to focus on planting and changing direction, acceleration, or developing efficient running mechanics, you can choose or design drills that will improve that area.

And don’t forget to continue your analysis. The idea is to improve enough in one area so you can move on to the next area of weakness.

Regardless of the drills used, it’s important to remember that constant drilling of these complex turns will develop a level of conditioning unmatched by straight-line running. Performing 20 repetitions of the NFL pro-shuttle is demanding on a neuromuscular level that could never be duplicated by straight-line running and will develop the conditioning needed to win games in the fourth quarter.

After spending a summer on changeof-direction drills, any football player will find that most of the movements and cuts in a game will not only be easier, but also easier to perform play after play. And this, after all, is the purpose of off-season training. ■ A version of this article appeared in our sister publication, Training & Conditioning.

More articles on strength and conditioning can be found at: www.training-conditioning.com.

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S P E C I A L A D V E R T I S I N G F E AT U R E

Performance Points

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Focus on Injury Prevention With Joshua Stoner, MS, CSCS, SCCC, USAW, Director of Strength and Conditioning, University of Missouri

How do you approach injury prevention in your football strength program?

We are constantly evaluating our program to find areas where we need to improve the players’ strength or movement abilities. Our strength program focuses on the hang clean, squat, and bench, and we do all the compound movements and ground-based training exercises, but we know there’s more to football strength training than that.

It’s also about targeting specific muscle groups where weakness can make a player more prone to injury.

Can you give an example?

This year we added a barefoot warmup to our workouts because we realized that when athletes are wearing shoes, the musculature in their feet isn’t being adequately trained.

Stronger foot muscles help reduce ankle and knee injuries, and also improve players’ overall mobility and balance.

When our players first did the barefoot work, they were surprised by how much more challenging basic movements were. During a standard forward lunge, some of them couldn’t keep their balance once they took a step. They weren’t used to making their feet activate and grip, so they didn’t have the same base of support as when their shoes were on.

We keep the barefoot movements very basic. A typical warmup might include the forward lunge, backward lunge, and even a simple heel-toe walk, making them hit the heel and roll up on the ball of the foot. We also take the carioca or a shuffle and have them do it slowly—and it’s surprising how many guys almost fall over when first trying it.

Some players have told us that after doing the barefoot warmups for a while, they feel a lot better coming out of their turns during our running drills, and they have better balance. I’m confident that it has also helped us avoid some foot, ankle, and knee injuries.

How do you evaluate movements to look for deficiencies that may make players more injury prone?

We’re currently implementing a movement screen for several of our teams. Essentially the goal is to identify some areas that are particularly important for mobility and injury prevention—like the shoulders, knees, hips, and ankles—and come up with a series of basic movements that we can put our guys through in five or six minutes to evaluate their movement patterns.

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For example, one part of the movement screen is a simple standing-in-place backward lunge while holding a stick behind the back (one hand at each end). If an athlete’s rear leg goes out to the side during the lunge, we know he’s compensating. It might be a gluteus medius firing problem, so we’ll evaluate him further and prescribe an exercise such as a seated band movement: You wrap an elastic band around the knees while the athlete is seated, then he assumes a squat stance and opens his knees to activate the gluteus medius. Or we might have him stand up and do a walking band exercise.

The point of the movement screen is to identify inefficient or deficient movement patterns, and we’ll come up with individual solutions to address any problems.

What other areas are important to address for injury prevention?

The shoulders take a beating during football games, and they’re also worked very hard during our strength training.

So it’s essential that athletes are strong and flexible in this area.

We use a basic three-day split for shoulder and scapula work. Day one is a rotator cuff circuit that incorporates internal and external rotation, empty-can style. The next day we do a scap circuit, with retraction, protraction, depression, and elevation to engage the scapulae. The third day is a rotator cuff circuit with upward and downward rotations, 90-degree internal/external rotation, and a bent-over shoulder extension.

One area where we really see the benefits of this shoulder work is the bench press. Our players are better able to hold their position and keep their back tight. A lot of guys come in without adequate strength in the upper back and scapula region, so they become “arm pressers,” and the next thing you know their shoulders hurt. By addressing shoulder strength and flexibility, we make them better lifters in the weightroom, and more importantly, better players on the field.

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We didn’t design these racks. You did. We’ve forged your ideas with our experience and commitment to quality. You asked for top band pegs for overspeed training and pull-up handles with multi-grip angles for a variety of pull-up and chin-up options. You got ‘em.

You wanted an always-centered locking bench.

No problem. You decide what you want each rack system to accomplish–and we make them fit your precise needs. That’s the power of Hammer Strength Heavy Duty Racks. The only racks big and bold enough to carry the Hammer Strength name.

To add more muscle to your weightroom, call 800.634.8637 or visit hammerstrength.com for more information.

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©2008 Life Fitness, a division of Brunswick Corporation. All rights reserved. Hammer Strength is a registered trademark of Brunswick Corporation. USV-014-08 (02.08)

HAMMER STRENGTH HEAVY DUTY RACKS. THE HAMMER STRENGTH OF RACKS.

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HIGH SCHOOL CHAMPIONS

WINNING THEM OVER

BY ABIGAIL FUNK

Following a popular coach is never an easy task. Leading the program to its first state title makes it a bit easier.

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HIGH SCHOOL CHAMPIONS

RODNEY PITTS & RON BURGIS/GLORY DAYS SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY, LOUISVILLE, KY

Imagine taking over a team from a beloved head coach who was credited with turning a downtrodden program into a conference powerhouse and legitimate playoff contender.

The players you meet on the first day of practice have never seen a different face behind the clipboard—you and your entire coaching staff are seen as imposters, and the task of getting them to trust you seems nearly impossible.

That was the exact situation Ty Scroggins, Head Coach at Central High School in Louisville, Ky., walked into last season. After Central’s head coach resigned following the 2006 season, Scroggins brought in five assistants from his previous high school and three from other area schools—he kept none of Central’s previous coaching staff.

“It hurt the seniors the most,” Scroggins says. “It wasn’t quite the entire year, but it took them a good long while to get to know us and believe in us.”

Winning the Class 3A Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) state title—the first in the program’s history—probably didn’t hurt. “We really may not have won those kids over until the state championship game,” Scroggins says. “A lot of things were different for them this season, including fast-paced practices, more yelling from coaches than they were used to, study halls every day, and punishment for not doing well in class. We took some getting used to.”

It may have been a season of adjustments for the players, but a state title was the ultimate reward. And for Scroggins, the first African-American coach to win a KHSAA football championship, it was the result of sticking to his values.

Scroggins, previously the head coach at nearby Doss High School, also in Louisville, knew he was going to apply for the Central coaching position as soon as it opened up. “The Central job is an attractive one,” he says. “It’s the only inner-city school in Louisville and the only black school in the city, and some of these athletes have Division I

talent. I badly wanted the opportunity to coach them.”

But Scroggins was forced to make a tough decision—his boss at Doss wanted him to resign before applying for the job at Central. “Long story short, I said I wasn’t going to resign, and my contract was not renewed,” Scroggins says. “My assistant coaches and I were in limbo for about six weeks as I went through the interview process at Central. It was a long and stressful time, but it was worth it.”

To make Scroggins’s first season at Central even tougher, the team lost its first two games and then three more before the playoffs rolled around. “Our schedule was brutal,” Scroggins says.

“It was set before I got here, and when the athletic director showed it to me I said, ‘If we can make it through the regular season without any major injuries, we’ll have a shot.’ As tough as it was, that schedule prepared us for the playoffs.”

Among Central’s opponents were several large school powers, including the eventual Class 5A state champions and the state’s second-ranked team, Highlands High School in Fort Thomas, third-ranked St. Xavier High School, and sixth-ranked Dupont Manual High School, both in Louisville. “Those were some hard losses, but the kids handled them well,” Scroggins says. “Our first loss, against Manual, was the worst of all. They had beaten us three times in the summer passing leagues, so the kids wanted that one the most. But they knew the big picture was the 3A playoffs, and I think they kept that in mind.”

Hardened by the arduous regular season schedule, Central rolled through its first four playoff games before meeting 14-0 Belfry High School, the 2003 and 2004 state champs, in the title game at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium in Louisville. Although Central prevailed 27-17, Scroggins says the game was excruciating. “I bit every nail off,” he says. “We were up 21-17 with four minutes left, but Belfry had the ball, third-and-eight on our 12 yard line.

They were getting ready to score.

“Our senior captain Terryl Wadlington broke through the line and made an unbelievable tackle,” Scroggins continues. “They fumbled on that play and we recovered. Belfry

School: Central High School, Louisville, Ky. Head Coach: Ty Scroggins 2007 Season: 10-5, Class 3A Kentucky High School Athletic Association Champions Notes: The five teams Central lost to finished the regular season with a combined record of 45-5 and included the class 5A champion and 6A runner-up … Central had 20 straight losing seasons from 19741993 … Central’s title is its first football title since joining the KHSAA 52 years ago… Ty Scroggins is the first African-American football coach to win a KHSAA state championship.

Assistant Coaches: Norman Alvis, Defensive Backs; Bryan Beeler, Offensive Line; Jon Harris, Quarterbacks; Deion Patterson, Player Advisor; Terry RiceLocket, Defensive Coordinator; James Simpson, Safeties; Brian Stidham, Director of Operations; Leland Taylor, Defensive Line. called two timeouts, and I told the guys we just needed to get first downs. A few plays later [senior] Darrell Taylor broke a long run to give us that last touchdown. The score says one thing, but it was not an easy game for us.”

After the win, Scroggins couldn’t believe how much attention he, the coaching staff, and the players received.

“For a while I just wanted to be another coach who won a state championship,” he says. “But as the weeks went by, I started to realize that my grandkids’ grandkids will be able to say that their great, great grandfather was the first African-American football coach to win a Kentucky state title. To do that at a black school really means something to everyone connected with Central.” ■ Abigail Funk is an Assistant Editor at Coaching Management. She can be reached at: afunk@MomentumMedia.com.

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HighSchoolSports.net is the #1 high school sports site in the country, and it’s the #1 online home for your school’s teams. Powered by Schedule Star™ — the authority in athletics scheduling solutions — HighSchoolSport.net has all the online tools you and your fans are looking for — in one place!

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Unmatched team schedules for all sports, levels and genders Email and text alerts for game changes or cancellations and new scores Scores and stats tools for easy input and automatic delivery to local media Custom team pages to showcase your season, your players and their results The Bleachers game photo and video gallery with over 500,000 photos to date

So as you start preparing for next season, make sure you add some online talent, speed, depth and agility to your roster with HighSchoolSports.net! For more information, call (800) 258-8550 or go to www.highschoolsports.net.

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HIGH SCHOOL CHAMPIONSHIP SOLUTIONS

Don Bosco Preparatory High School, NJ New Jersey Non-Public Group 1 Champions (three of the last five years) Need: Don Bosco needed a state-of-the-art playing surface to match the level of excellence the Ironmen have delivered in football year after year. The school wanted a safe, consistent surface that could withstand the weather variations in New Jersey.

Grandview High School, CO 2007 Class 5A Football State Champions Need: Justin Lovett, Head Strength and Conditioning Coach, needed equipment that would allow large groups to strength train within Grandview’s facility.

Solution: FieldTur f, a world-leading brand of artificial tur f, is engineered to play and feel like natural grass. On FiedTur f, players perform with confidence and never experience the accelerated fatigue and muscle/joint stress associated with lightweight rubberfilled systems. Since 2003, FieldTur f has provided Don Bosco with nothing short of a championship-caliber sur face.

Solution: Power Lift worked with Coach Lovett to devise an equipment list and room layout that would optimize his available space. “As a strength and conditioning coach, when working with large groups of more than 100 athletes at a time, equipment versatility is key to being able to implement and facilitate different programs efficiently and effectively,” says Coach Lovett.

FieldTurf Tarkett 800-724-2969 Fax: 514-340-9374 www.fieldturftarkett.com Circle No. 500

Power Lift 800-872-1543 Fax: 515-386-3220 www.power-lift.com Circle No. 501

Barrow High School, AK 2007 Playoff Team Need: The Barrow Whalers hosted their first football game above the arctic circle in 2006 on a gravel field. Polar bears, permafrost, and cold weather added to their hardship.

Solution: ProGrass installed GameTur f, a monofilament field sur face, in 2007. The Whalers won their first game playing on the field and ultimately made it to the state playoffs.

ProGrass, LLC 866-270-6003 Fax: 412-391-2270 www.prograssturf.com Circle No. 502

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

Look no further!

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

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

Jump Stretch, Inc. 1230 N. Meridian Rd. Youngstown, OH 44509 www.jumpstretch.com 1-800-344-3539 Fax: 1-330-793-8719 Circle No. 130 jumpstretch62v0v3.indd 1

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Guide to Synthetic Turf

A-Turf, Inc.

FieldTurf Tarkett

Mondo

www.aturf.com 888-777-6910

www.fieldturftarkett.com 800-724-2969

www.mondousa.com 800-361-3747

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Using well-conditioned natural grass as its model, A-Turf offers shock absorption and consistent playability: two key characteristics of a superior playing surface.

With the most fiber strands per square yard, A-Turf’s infill stays put, providing greater consistency and durability. A-Turf specializes in custom design. Some field markings are tufted into the rolls of synthetic grass during the manufacturing process. Logos, numbers, and game lines are inlaid by A-Turf’s installation team.

Painted markings are also an option.

Background: A-Turf produces and installs an outstanding line of synthetic grass systems for athletic fields. Along with its sister company, Surface America, it produces high-performance surfacing systems that have been industry leaders since 1993, utilizing recycled tire rubber material in the components and systems. A-Turf’s nationwide network of certified installation crews and its commitment to customer service provide great value in synthetic athletic fields.

Recent Installations: Franklin & Marshall College DuBois High School, PA Alfred State College Lancaster Mennonite School, PA Massachusetts Maritime Academy Middletown High School, DE Web Site Includes: – Field images and project details – Customer testimonials – Product specifications and turf options – Company history and financial information

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See ad on page 7 Circle No. 504

See ad on page 17 Circle No. 505

Aesthetically superior to even good natural grass, many older FieldTurf fields look the same as they did the day they were installed. A long-term, ongoing testing program has proven that FieldTurf is safer than any other turf system and equal to, if not better than, natural grass in most critical areas of player safety. No other company can make such a claim. Independent safety tests and in-house performance testing have been an integral part of FieldTurf’s business philosophy since the very first field was installed.

Ecofill, Mondotur f’s infill, is a factor y-manufactured patented polyolefinbased granule that delivers the appropriate amount of shock absorption and energy return for optimal natural grasslike athletic per formance. It retains less heat than traditional black rubber granules, so it reduces the potential for premature fatigue among athletes.

It is environmentally safe and virtually odor-free, even in hot, humid climates.

Ecofill is a thermoplastic compound, so it is completely recyclable, unlike traditional infill granules.

Background: In addition to its world-renowned FieldTurf and Prestige brands of artificial turf, FieldTurf Tarkett provides an equally impressive range of products that includes synthetic and hardwood basketball, volleyball, and gymnasium flooring; squash and racquetball courts; floor protection and covering systems; weightroom flooring; track surfacing; and golf and playground surfaces.

Background: Mondo is a global leader in the sports flooring market, manufacturing floor surfaces for virtually every sport. More than 1,000 of the company’s tracks are installed around the world. Mondo has manufacturing facilities in North America and Europe and sells its products in more than 134 countries.

Recent Installations:

Recent Installations:

Ohio State University Marshall University Columbia University Texas Tech University Harvard University University of Illinois-Chicago Web Site Includes: – Video highlights – News stories – In-depth product information – Installation map and photos

Gustavus Adolphus College Niles North High School, IL Poly Prep Country Day School, NY Midland High School, TX Indiana Tech Mission Recreation Park-City of Kelowna, BC Web Site Includes: – Company news and updates – Downloadable product specs – Sample and literature requests

Guide to Synthetic Turf

Polytan USA

ProGrass, LLC

TurfSavers

www.polytan-usa.com 678-733-3933

www.prograssturf.com 866-270-6003

www.turfsavers.com 866-245-9310

See ad on page 29 Circle No. 506

Polytan strictly follows the philosophy of processing only monofilament PE fibers. The company’s research and development department engineers these fibers to provide beautiful aesthetics and optimal player comfort and safety. Polytan artificial tur f combines smooth, soft fibers with outstanding resilience and some of the highest durability values in the industr y. The specialized Polytan energy pad offers defined biomechanical values over the complete lifetime of the field.

Background: Since 1975, Polytan has been laying sports surfaces all over the world.

The company follows the highest standards for quality of materials, product technology, and sports physiology. All Polytan products come from a single-source supplier and are tailored to the specific requirements of each sport.

Recent Installations: Amherst College Austin Peay State University Brigham Young University Kingston High School, WA Mount Holyoke College Web Site Includes: – Company profile and FIFA 2-Star certifications – Case histories and match images – Installation technology

See ad on page 12 Circle No. 507

Harsh weather and overuse can destroy a natural grass field. ProGrass field surfaces allow excellent drainage and offer consistent GMAX ratings. This can reduce the number of rotational injuries and concussions. ProGrass provides a turnkey operation and will assist customers in designing the most eye-pleasing and cost-efficient field possible.

The company has a special team that produces logos for installation.

Background: ProGrass is a relationship-driven company specializing in the design, manufacturing, installation, and service of synthetic turf systems.

Recent Installations: Barrow High School, AK Palma High School, CA Hidalgo ISD, TX Lemont High School, IL Whitmer High School, OH City of Mercer Island, WA Web Site Includes: – Detailed product listings, including specs and ASTM testing results – Product installation video – Client map with installations – Promotional and testimonial videos

See ad on page 48 Circle No. 508

TurfSavers was developed by the STC-certified manufacturer Evergreen Synthetic, based in Dalton, Ga. It was created to help schools and installation companies utilize the latest technologies to clean and build synthetic turf fields. Evergreen believes its new equipment will help improve the quality of synthetic fields from start to finish.

Background: TurfSavers maintenance equipment is designed to follow the “CPR” synthetic turf management method.

The CLEAN program is to be incorporated into weekly scheduling, with machines that can groom and sweep the field. To PROTECT the field, you must prevent bacteria, mold, and mildew from taking over. To REPAIR your turf, you need the right equipment. The proper application of TurfStat EPA disinfectant/fungicide will help not only prevent discoloration of the turf, but also protect your school from health problems.

Recent Installations: Jackson Academy, TN Chaparral High School, AZ Liberty Bowl, TN Superdome Sports, NJ Fredericksburg Field House, VA All Saints Episcopal, TX Web Site Includes: – Downloadable product specifications – Field maintenance tips – Customer testimonials and references

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Football Facility Aer-Flo, Inc. 800-823-7356 www.aerflo.com

The Cross-Over Zone™ track protector from Aer-Flo resists and cushions against steel-tipped cleats. Its breathable polypropylene fabric allows rain to drain

Cleats cannot penetrate the Bench Zone™ sideline turf protector, but rain, sports drinks, and body fluids drain through—they’re not absorbed like with geotextile mats that can triple in weight

and develop odors. Vipol Matrix material lets air and sunlight penetrate and does not compact grass. Simply hose it off to clean it. The Bench Zone is digitally imprintable in multiple colors, and is available in several sizes: 15’ deep x 50’, 75’, 100’, 125’, or 150’ long.

Custom colors and sizes are available.

This product is used by major college and NFL teams, and it ships quickly.

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through while protecting modern track surfaces from crossing traffic. A steel chain inserted in the edging keeps the protector in place without stakes. Choose white or gold vinyl edging for durability and safety. The Cross-Over Zone is 7.5 or 15 feet wide and 30, 40, or 50 feet long.

Custom sizes and multi-color printing are also available. This product is easy to install and remove, and it ships quickly.

Hundreds are already in use.

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Austin Plastics & Supply 800-290-1025 www.athleticrecordboards.com Athletic record boards are effective tools for motivating your athletes to do their best. Visit Austin Plastics’ Web site to view examples of footballrelated boards, such as offseason strength and conditioning record boards, player-ofthe-week boards, goal boards, and football record boards. Engraved record nameplates are available, or you can print your own using perforated card stock supplied by the company. Custom boards are also available.

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NEW SPRAY ATTACHMENT

Does your

• Patented Grooming Equipment

Synthetic turf need to be

rescued?

• Full Service Maintenance Technicians • Installation Equipment • Turf Stat Disinfecting Spray

TURF

SAVERS

BRINGING YOUR TURF BACK TO LIFE

www.turfsavers.com • (866)245-9310

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Football Facility Fair-Play Scoreboards 800-247-0265 www.fair-play.com

Outdoor full-matrix scoreboards from Fair-Play are an ideal choice for facilities that entertain multiple sports or

From the locker room to the end zone, Fair-Play has all the accessories to put the finishing touches on any facility.

Fair-Play field timers enhance the game environment by adding a professional

look that fans and players will appreciate. Fair-Play field timers are shipped in a set of two and run up to 99 seconds with 30-inch numerals. Get the total package for your football facility today.

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host a number of home teams in one sport, such as football or soccer.

Different from traditional scoreboards, full-matrix offers the versatility of a message display with virtually unlimited scoring and timing options. Display digital advertising signage with the touch of a button. Incorporate team and sponsor logos, text, graphics, and animations on the same scoreboard.

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Fitnessrubber.com 888-894-0204 www.fitnessrubber.com Fitness Rubber is a new Web fitness resource that offers “Manufacturer Direct Pricing” for all your fitness rubber needs. The company’s products include Kraiburg Solid Rubber Weight Plates, KraiburgSportec Rolled Rubber Flooring, Kraiburg-Sportec Interlocking Fitness Tiles, and FLEXGARD RubberCoated Cast Iron Weight Plates, to name a few. Make it a point to visit Fitness Rubber’s Web site and receive immediate savings of up to 45 percent. Act now and receive a $20 discount on your first Web site order over $100.

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Hydrate Your Athletes www.onsperformance.com

play within the rules!

TM

Hydrate Cart

Hydrate A-Frame

50-gallon tank with 8 drinking stations 8” opening at the top of the tank allows ice/water to be easily loaded Two battery-operated pumps Custom-built four-wheeled aluminum cart, built-in hitch All components FDA approved NO ASSEMBLY REQUIRED

Simply attaches to a water source (spigot) Provides unlimited water supply Water pressure controlled by easyflow nozzles A-frame legs adjustable/removable without tools Improved drinking nozzles with “never lose” tips and levers Lightweight -only 20 pounds

Banned Substance Control Group Certified (BSCG) Meets Collegiate-Compliancy Guidelines Permissible by University Coaches & Athletic Trainers Supports Nutritional Needs of Athletes* Facilitates Recovery From Exercise*

LIFETIME WARRANTY 407-694-1034

Call Us Toll-Free 1-800-817-9808

jack@hydrate1.com

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* The statements on this advertisement have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration.

This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.

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Football Facility Humane Mfg. Co., LLC 800-369-6263 www.humanemfg.com

Jaypro Sports, LLC 800-243-0533 www.jaypro.com

Rubber mats and flooring provide excellent protection for your equipment as well as the floor beneath it. Humane Loktuff

The Portable Air Cooling Fan has an outstanding misting system. This 20inch fan features patented valved nozzles for mist regulation, so there are no more spitting waterfalls. A self-contained 15-gallon tank allows for six to eight hours of running time.

An aircraft aluminum frame makes this unit ideal for indoor and outdoor use, providing important cooling up to 100 feet away.

It has a foldable handle for easy storage and transport, and is available in standard and folding models.

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mats are totally non-absorbent and provide a vibration/noise barrier as well as dust reduction. With a tensile strength of up to 1,000 psi and a durometer rating of 63, Humane mats are stronger and softer than many traditional mats—so let the company be the “foundation of your success.”

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Motivate Your Football Players Use Athletic Recognition Boards to help your players perform at their very best

The Stackmaster™ shoulder pad rack from Jaypro can transport and store 60 to 80 shoulder pads on its deluxe fourwheeled cart.

This all-steel unit moves easily on four heavy-duty nonmarking casters. Its dimensions are 24” W x 48” L x 60” H. Circle No. 517 M.A.S.A., Inc. 800-264-4519 www.masa.com www.sportsadvantage.com M.A.S.A. carries a large selection of economical sideline turf protectors that come in two grades of durability to meet any budget. All of the company’s protectors are constructed using a durable, breathable polypropylene that will stand up to cleat traffic and protect your turf. All tarps are light gray in color

www.wizardsports.com 1UALITY 3PORTS %QUIPMENT +ICKING .ETS &IELD %QUIPMENT 'OAL 0OSTS +ICKING 3HOES #USTOM &OOTBALL "AGS &OOTBALLS

We offer boards for: • Depth Charts • Players of the Week • Offensive & Defensive Goals • Strength & Training Records • Team Award Winners

Since 1984

Austin Plastics & Supply, Inc. (800) 290-1025 www.athleticrecordboards.com Circle No. 135

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Wizard Sports, Orange, CA

1-888-964-5425 Circle No. 136

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Football Facility and feature brass grommets every three feet along the edges. They’re

now available with optional lettering and logos to make your field stand out.

Custom sizes and shapes are available.

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

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aluminum construction as PlayersGoal’s other goal products.

When they’re combined with the patented SG2S® goal safety system (also included), you will enjoy unmatched safety benefits and the flexibility to handle almost any game-day situation.

Circle No. 519 Profile Products, LLC 800-207-6457 www.profileproducts.com

PlayersGoal™ 866-651-4625 www.playersgoal.com PlayersGoal™ manufactures the GoalPak® football/soccer combination goal. Rather than just retrofitting existing products, this combination has been specifically designed to work together or apart on any multi-use field. The goals feature the same premium-grade all-

Field & Fairway Emerald, from the maker of Tur face, is a porous ceramic soil amendment specially designed for tur f.

Applied as a topdressing, it prevents

slipper y, wet conditions and extensive wear and tear. Poured directly onto muddy, wet areas, it instantly absorbs excess water, making the sur face dr y, safe, and playable. The emerald color disguises worn areas until new tur f grows back.

Circle No. 520 Turface MVP from Profile Products stands up to intense athletic traffic, providing solid, safe footing throughout the season. It is ideal for native soil fields because it absorbs excess water to prevent muddy, torn-up turf.

It also conditions the soil to resist compaction and adds permanent water- and air-holding space to prevent turf damage and aid in turf recovery. Turface MVP also works for topdressing and maintenance, and as an amendment to poor soils during construction.

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ACADEMY kicking instruction and talent search for kickers, punters and long snappers

the place to go to improve your kicking game...

During the 2007 season alone, over 150 Ray Guy|Prokicker.com alumni have won starting positions at colleges across the country... many earning scholarships and even reaching nationally ranked positions. For more information regarding the program and to register online visit our website: or call 606.327.0051

www.prokicker.com

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Football Facility Qualite Sports Lighting, Inc. 800-933-9741 www.qualite.com

GearBoss by Wenger Corp.

800-4-WENGER www.gearboss.com

When Gonzaga University needed a lighting system for its new baseball stadium—located in a neighborhood

The TranSport Cart from Wenger Corp. is ideal for moving athletic gear around a facility, out to the field, or when on the road. It easily hauls up to 1,000 pounds over uneven terrain. When not carrying gear, the TranSport Cart quickly transforms into a sturdy multi-purpose table. It can be pulled manually or towed behind vehicles such as Gators or golf carts. Four 10-inch pneumatic wheels offer easy mobility and feature rugged outdoor tire tread. An optional mesh wrap quickly snaps on to secure more than 36 cubic feet of cargo.

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with a strict no-glare ordinance—the school turned to Qualite. The company’s highly trained professionals installed a system that provides outstanding, uniform light coverage without adversely affecting the surrounding cityscape. Gonzaga was so impressed, the school is now having Qualite install lighting for its main soccer stadium and practice area.

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The GearBoss Mobile Kiosk helps increase sales of team logo/spirit wear and boost revenue for athletic departments.

Schools find that the eyecatching Mobile Kiosk significantly outsells traditional options.

This self-contained cart can be easily wheeled almost anywhere fans go.

During storage and transport, inventory is kept secure with one padlock. Panels easily open to provide nearly 40 square feet of vertical display space.

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Need help fundraising for your team?

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

www.FundraisingForSports.com

Develop your quarterbacks’ quickness and timing in the off-season • Objective goals when you cannot be there • Excellent for 7 on 7

Toll Free Order Line 1-877-902-2485

• Perfect for Flag and Touch Football

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NEW Product Launch The Stadium Seat

Heavy Duty Racks

Unique features: • Spring-loaded latches fit snugly and easily to any size bleacher • Durable welded-steel construction lasts season after season • Vivid, rub-resistant custom logos to match any design

Unique features: • Adjustment racks are externally mounted to the frame to ensure overall strength and integrity • 3” x 3”, 7-gauge steel tubing is pre-treated against rust for outstanding durability • Replaceable wear strips protect the bar from metalto-metal contact to preserve the frame’s finish

Benefits for the user: • A new level of padded and portable bleacher comfort • Collapsible handle for easy carrying • Ideal for school or team fundraising and gifts

Benefits for the user: • ASTM/EN957-certified to guarantee the ultimate in performance and strength • Offers variety, efficiency, and simplicity for training large groups of athletes with the most advanced performance training techniques

Clarin www.clarinseating.com 800-323-9062

Hammer Strength www.hammerstrength.com 800-634-8673

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Cougar Drive Sled Unique features: • Two urethane weight horns standard for additional weight/resistance • Slide pan standard on bottom of runner to allow for use in sand/dirt pits • Eyebolts standard for attaching pulling harness

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Athletic Lockers Unique features: •More than 1,000 different configurations (sizes, features, and colors) • Durable, easy-to-clean wood laminate with antimicrobial technology • Drying system in the foot locker and overhead topper

Benefits for the user: • Engineered to allow for multiple grips • Approved for use on artificial turf • Backpedal drills made possible by frame’s forward design

Benefits for the user: • Customization options enhance program pride • Airflow improves sanitation and player comfort

Rogers Athletic Co. www.rogersathletic.com 800-457-5337

GearBoss by Wenger Corp. www.wengercorp.com 800-4-WENGER

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Strength & Conditioning Aids Genetic Potential/VertiMax 800-699-5867 www.strengthcoach.us A new low-load, velocity-specific training program is now available for the ultimate in force development. VertiMax is the optimal plyometric training device to improve vertical jump and first-step quickness.

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 upper-body 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. 529 The new VertiMax V6 is a revolutionary advancement in functional, sportspecific, total-body training. It is the optimal plyometric training device to improve vertical jump and firststep quickness.

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. 530 Jump Stretch, Inc. 800-344-3539 www.jumpstretch.com “Don’t Ice that Ankle Sprain!” by Jump Stretch founder Dick Hartzell and Dr. Michael Shimmel will introduce you to the FlexBand Ankle & Strengthening Traction Technique, which is designed to

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reduce pain and swelling and to speed recovery time from ankle injuries. You will never deal with a sprain the same way again. The book is 85 pages long, includes a companion DVD, and covers horizontal traction, vertical traction, deferred pain, and more. It also includes testimonials from athletes and healthcare professionals.

Circle No. 531 Legend Fitness 866-7-LEGEND www.legendfitness.com Legend Fitness manufactures the Louie Simmons line of strength equipment, designed especially for elite weight-

lifters and training facilities. The Louie Simmons Grappler is the perfect piece of equipment to build shoulder, upperback, and upper-body strength. At only 80 pounds and now on sale for $250 (regularly $350), the Grappler is both manageable and affordable for conditioning in any sport. It’s made in the U.S.A. and available direct from the manufacturer, Legend Fitness.

Circle No. 532 Hammer Strength 800-634-8673 www.hammerstrength.com The rugged new Hammer Strength Heavy Duty line features racks, platforms, and accessories built to optimize team training. Developed with the help of coaches and athletes, Hammer Strength Heavy Duty racks offer the variety, efficiency, and simplicity to train large groups of athletes with the most advanced performance training techniques. Call today or go online for details.

Circle No. 533 Life Fitness 800-634-8637 www.lifefitness.com Life Fitness combines form and function with its sleek new 95X elliptical cross-

trainer. Part of the new Elevation™ Series, the 95X is offered with three unique options: the Engage™, Inspire™, and Achieve™ consoles, which deliver the company’s latest entertainment and motivational features, such as iPod compatibility, USB connectivity, and a virtual trainer. For more information, call Life Fitness or go online.

Circle No. 534 ONS Performance 800-817-9808 www.onsperformance.com ONS Performance’s Critical Reload™ is a great-tasting, quick-dissolving, collegiate-compliant recovery shake designed to meet the nutritional needs of athletes. Fortified with complex carbohydrates and whey proteins, Critical Reload is a clear and effective choice for facilitating muscle protein synthesis (growth and recovery) while optimizing and replenishing glycogen (energy) stores. Contact ONS Performance today for discount team pricing and to learn more about the company’s entire line of collegiate-compliant products.

Circle No. 535 Power Lift 800-872-1543 www.power-lift.com Power Lift’s Full Body Squat is the latest addition to its lower-body strength training equipment line. The design of the Full Body Squat allows a broader range of motion through the hips than traditional leg presses. Users can perform explosive movements due to the low inertia created by the four-bar linkage design.

Adjustable shoulder pads allow users of all heights to properly align themselves

Strength & Conditioning Aids in the unit. Single-leg movements can be performed as well by lowering the single-leg isolator to the proper position. Standard features include weight storage, four-weight loading horns, band attachments, the single-leg isolator, and an oversized angled footplate.

Circle No. 536 Power Systems 800-321-6975 www.power-systems.com For ground-based rotational training that works the entire body, the Landmine from Power Systems delivers. Athletes can perform explosive oneand two-arm movements and other rotational exercises by inserting any Olympic-size bar into the

12-inch pivoting sleeve at the unit’s base, or they can use a four-inch sleeve to hold standard one-inch bars. Wide and narrow handles are available for targeting the shoulders, core, and hips.

Circle No. 537 Improve speed by training two athletes’ stride length and frequency simultaneously. With the Speed Harness from Power Systems, the front athlete receives resistance training while the back athlete receives overspeed training.

The fully sheathed resistance tubing provides a smooth, consistent pull for both athletes while offering maximum safety. This unit is available with a swivel waist belt or a shoulder harness.

Circle No. 538

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. 539

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

There’s no substitute for firstquality products from Adams USA. www.adamsusa.com

Daktronics is a world-leading designer and manufacturer of scoreboards and displays. www.daktronics.com

Local-dealer service at factory prices. www.gear2000.com

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

MET-Rx provides collegiatecompliant products, including the new Brownie Bar, to schools across the country. www.met-rx.com

Use what the pros use: the Pro’s Choice family of products. www.proschoice1.com

The most specified sports field equipment since 1989. Coach friendly... player tough! www.playersgoal.com

Toro provides reliable, productive, and versatile turf management equipment. www.toro.com

GearBoss offers specialized storage and transport solutions for athletics. www.gearboss.com CoachingManagementOnline.com

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ADVERTISERS DIRECTORY

“I have used them for years...

There is nothing like them on the market...”

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

Dual Action Knee Strap Patented strap provides relief from knee pain caused by degeneration and overuse. Easy to use, comfortable, allows full mobility.

Sizes: Sm - XL

Shin Splint Compression Sleeve Cho-Pat’s unique approach to help alleviate the pain and soreness caused by shin splits Sizes: Sm - L

Bicep/Triceps Cuff Patent-pending device affords protection from overuse injuries for individuals performing repetitive lifting.

Sizes: Sm - XXL

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

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Active Ankle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Adams USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Aer-Flo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Austin Plastics & Supply . . . . . . . . . 50 California University of Pennsylvania . . 20 Cho-Pat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Cramer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Cutters Gloves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BC CyberSports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Fair-Play Scoreboards . . . . . . . . . . . 18 FieldTurf Tarkett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Fitnessrubber.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Gearboss by Wenger . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Hammer Strength . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 HighSchoolSports.net . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Humane Manufacturing. . . . . . . . . . 20 Hydrate, LLC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Jaypro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Jump Stretch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 K&K Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Lebert Equalizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Legend Fitness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 M.A.S.A./Osborne . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 MAXX Football . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

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Active Ankle (All-Sport Chameleon) . . .

Active Ankle (Volt ankle brace) . . . . . .

Adams USA (A4 Elite II helmet shell) . . .

Adams USA (Bac-Shield) . . . . . . . . . . .

Aer-Flo (Bench Zone) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Aer-Flo (Cross-Over Zone) . . . . . . . . . .

Austin Plastics & Supply . . . . . . . . .

California University of Pennsylvania . .

Cho-Pat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Clarin Seating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Cramer (Power Lacer ankle brace) . . . . .

Cramer (Powerflo 50) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Cutters Gloves (Wrist Coach) . . . . . . .

Cutters (GreatCatch) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CyberSports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Fair-Play (field timers) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Fair-Play (outdoor full-matrix scoreboards) .

FieldTurf Tarkett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

FieldTurf Tarkett (Championship Solution) .

Fitnessrubber.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

GearBoss by Wenger (Athletic Lockers). .

Gearboss by Wenger (Mobile Kiosk) . . .

Gearboss by Wenger (TranSport Cart) . .

Hammer Strength (Heavy Duty line) . . .

Hammer Strength (Heavy-Duty Racks) .

HighSchoolSports.net . . . . . . . . . . .

Humane Manufacturing. . . . . . . . . .

Hydrate, LLC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Jaypro (Portable Air Cooling Fan). . . . . .

Jaypro (Stackmaster) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Jump Stretch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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

Legend Fitness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Life Fitness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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

MAXX Football . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Mondo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 ONS Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 PlayersGoal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Polytan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Power Lift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Powernetics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IBC ProGrass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 QB-Tee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Qualite Sports Lighting . . . . . . . . . . 21 Ray Guy/Prokicker.com . . . . . . . . . . 51 Reebok . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC Riddell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Rogers Athletic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Samson Weight Equipment . . . . . . . 34 Save-A-Tooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Stromgren . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Turface Athletics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 TurfSavers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Under Armour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 VertiMax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Waterboy Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Wizard Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Xvest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

PRODUCTS DIRECTORY

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Mondo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 ONS Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 PlayersGoal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Polytan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Power Lift (Championship Solution) . . . . 45 Power Lift (Full Body Squat) . . . . . . . . . 54 Power Systems (Landmine) . . . . . . . . . 55 Power Systems (Speed Harness) . . . . . 55 Powernetics (Bulldog/Attacker) . . . . . . 57 Powernetics (Power Trainer). . . . . . . . . 55 PrepsCentral.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Profile Products (Field & Fairway) . . . . 51 Profile Products (Turface MVP®) . . . . . 51 ProGrass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 ProGrass (Championship Solution) . . . . . 45 QB-Tee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Qualite Sports Lighting . . . . . . . . . . 52 Reebok (NFL Burner Speed M3). . . . . . . 60 Reebok (NFL Ferocious D3). . . . . . . . . . 60 Riddell (Revolution IQ HITS™) . . . . . . . . 59 Riddell (Revolution®) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Rogers Athletic (Combo Passing Net) . . 61 Rogers Athletic (Cougar Drive Sled) . . . 53 Rogers Athletic (Drive Sled) . . . . . . . . 57 Samson (Belt Squat) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Samson (Combo/Decline bench) . . . . . . 57 Save-A-Tooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Stromgren (1541HTP Compression Girdle). . . 59 Stromgren (1551HTP Compression Girdle) . . 59 TurfSavers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Under Armour (HeatGear UA Metal Full) . 60 Under Armour (UA Proto Speed) . . . . . . 60 VertiMax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 VertiMax (V6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Waterboy Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Wizard Sports Equipment . . . . . . . . 60 Xvest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Strength & Conditioning Aids Powernetics 800-829-2928 www.powernetics.com Powernetics offers many products for the strength-training needs of your players, including the Bulldog and the Attacker.

The Bulldog isolates the hamstrings and glutes without putting stress on the knees and back.

It also offers an explosive hack jump exercise that develops power in the hamstrings, glutes, and quads—all from one exercise. The Attacker allows the athlete to fire and roll his hips while moving up and out into a full hand separation. Because of the intense movement, power is developed from the feet through the hands.

Circle No. 540 Rogers Athletic Co. 800-457-5337 www.rogersathletic.com The new Drive Sled from Rogers is the only drive sled that puts the hands in the correct inside position to train stamina, quickness, and power.

Multiple grips work different muscle groups and accommodate athletes of various sizes. Two urethane weight horns are standard for additional weight/resistance—just add your plates. Drill two athletes at a time by harnessing one up front and having the other push on the back to train quickness. This product is safe for use on tur f.

Circle No. 541 Samson Weight Training Equipment 800-472-6766 www.samsonequipment.com The new Samson Belt Squat is yet another way Samson Equipment is leading the way in custom, heavy-duty weight training equipment. The brand new design limits the amount of floor space needed for this unique piece, and it’s easy for athletes of all sizes

to use. It features adjustable handles, a unique load release that brings the athlete’s hands closer together while performing the exercise, an adjustable yoke that allows each athlete’s hips to stay in their natural range of motion, and an adjustable chain with three belts of different sizes (included).

Circle No. 542 The Samson Combo/Decline bench is one of the newest and most comprehensive utility benches on the market today. This revolutionary new addition to Samson’s bench line gives your athletes the ability to perform a decline press by making a few simple adjustments. Perform the bench press, incline, military, decline, and even situps all from the same bench. Utilize your weightroom with the best in quality and design from Samson Equipment.

Go online for details.

Circle No. 543 Xvest 800-697-5658 www.thexvest.com Adjustable Xvest TurboBells are a new product from the maker of Xvest. They replace a room full of dumbbells and are engineered so the weights can be adjusted from five pounds to 60 pounds in just seconds, giving athletes complete control of their workout. The economical Xvest TurboBells have large easy-grip rubberized handles and come with a specially designed stand. The manufacturer is offering them at an introductory price of $349, plus free shipping—saving you more than $270.

Circle No. 544

Testimonial

Functional, First-Class Lockers “We wanted lockers that were very functional and met our players’ needs,” says Jimmye Laycock, Head Football Coach at The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Va. The school has the first installation of new GearBoss lockers from Wenger.

“Facilities are one of the things players judge you by today, and we wanted to demonstrate that we’re first class,” notes Laycock.

“Our new GearBoss lockers say that.”

Each locker features a lighted name plate that can be easily personalized. The fold-out seat has W&M’s Tribe logo, and the college logo adorns the front fan plate, which is part of the unique air-circulation system.

Keeping garments dry is critical for player comfort and essential for a sanitary locker room. Fans in the foot locker create a drying chamber for shoes, socks, gloves, and undergarments.

Fans in the shoulder pad and helmet topper help dry those items.

GearBoss lockers are constructed of a durable, easy-to-clean wood laminate incorporating antimicrobial nanosilver technology. “While we don’t anticipate any problems, having antimicrobial sur faces is a great selling point,” remarks Laycock.

The GearBoss locker design offers almost unlimited flexibility. All lockers will be configured to fit a program’s specific needs and wish list.

GearBoss by Wenger Corp.

555 Park Dr. Owatonna, MN 55060 800-4-WENGER Fax: 507-455-4258 www.gearboss.com CoachingManagementOnline.com

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Injury Prevention Active Ankle Systems, Inc. 800-800-2896 www.activeankle.com

Check out Adams USA’s new helmets at your local sporting goods dealer.

Circle No. 547

The new Volt ankle brace from Active Ankle is engineered to include the latest carbon fiber technology. The polypropylene shell is reinforced with carbon fiber—the same highperformance material used in racing cars and bicycles. It also features a molded bearing-design performance hinge for smoother range of motion, strengthening ribs for a thinner profile, and fabric-backed EVA foam pads for durability and comfort. Call today for more information.

Circle No. 545

Athletic facilities, equipment, apparel, towels, and playing surfaces are excellent host environments for odor-causing bacteria, fungi, mold, and mildew. BacShield™ from Adams USA “fills the gap” and makes your hygiene program more effective by inhibiting the reproduction of harmful microbes between cleanings and disinfections. The active ingredient in Bac-Shield, chitosan, has a long history of safe, effective applications. Use it for laundry, locker rooms, surfaces, mats, and practically anywhere else bacteria is present. Convenient pint, gallon, and five-gallon sizes are available.

Circle No. 548

Ankle protection isn’t black and white anymore. With the All-Sport Chameleon from Active Ankle, athletes can choose from eight bright interchangeable strap covers that come with each brace. The solid U-shaped frame ensures maximum strength, and the molded, fabriclined EVA padding provides lightweight comfort.

Get great style and the same great protection that has made Active Ankle an industry leader. For more information, visit www.getchameleon.com.

Circle No. 546 Adams USA 800-251-6857 www.adamsusa.com The A4 Elite II helmet shell with the A3 fit system produces one of the lightest, most comfortable helmets available anywhere.

It’s made for high school, college, and pro teams.

There’s no replacing or adjusting an air liner, and the helmet features a “once fit, always fit” design.

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Cho-Pat 800-221-1601 www.cho-pat.com Cho-Pat’s newest product, the Bicep/ Triceps Cuff, affords protection from overuse injuries for individuals performing repetitive lifting in activities such as weight training.

The patent-pending device applies dynamic circumference pressure to the upper and lower portions of the bicep and triceps muscles, particularly at the tendon attachments. This action spreads out the stress and direct pull on the muscle attachments, which helps reduce the likelihood of developing bicipital and tricipital tendonitis or tendonosis. Contact Cho-Pat for more information.

Circle No. 549 Cramer Products, Inc. 800-345-2231 www.cramersportsmed.com Cramer Products offers three portable hydration units to help hydrate athletes:

the Powerflo, the Coil Cool, and the new Powerflo 50.

The Powerflo 50 offers an impressive 50 gallons of portable hydration. Cramer’s hydration units are constructed of 100percent FDA-approved materials for drinking water.

Circle No. 550 The Power Lacer ankle brace from Cramer Products features unique YShaped vertical stabilization straps to offer unprecedented control over both the forefoot and the heel in a lace-up brace. Total-control lacing allows for an even pull throughout the body of the brace, creating a better fit for a variety of foot shapes. Four spring steel stays (two on each side of the ankle) help support the ankle and prevent heel release by supporting the body of the brace. The circumferential strap helps stabilize the brace, preventing unwanted slippage and providing a comfortable fit.

Circle No. 551 Hydrate, LLC 407-694-1034 www.hydrate1.com The Aquapus by Hydrate is a 50-gallon hydration system that allows up to eight players to quickly and easily replenish vital fluids lost during practice and competition. The car t has a builtin hitch for easy transpor tation and is protected by a lifetime warranty. With newly improved drinking nozzles, a quick-drain tank, and no assembly required, it saves athletic trainers and coaches valuable time, so they can be on the field with their athletes.

Circle No. 552

Injury Prevention Riddell 800-211-7115 www.riddell.com Today, the Riddell Revolution® is the standard against which all helmets are measured. After an extensive three-year study by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, the finding published in the February 2006 issue of Neurosurgery, researchers reported that players wearing the Riddell Revolution football helmet were 31 percent less likely to suffer a concussion than athletes who wore traditional or standard football helmets. Now the best just got better. Introducing the Riddell Revolution IQ™—a combination of an Advanced Fitting System and Quick Release™ Face Guard System that allows rapid and easy player access.

Circle No. 553 The Riddell Revolution IQ HITS™ is the first individual helmet system that has all the benefits of the Riddell Revolution IQ™, plus monitors and records every significant incidence of head impact sustained during a football game or practice.

The patented Head Impact Telemetry System (HITS) measures the location, magnitude, duration, and direction of head acceleration. Head impact data is transmitted wirelessly to a desktop or laptop PC and analyzed with a Web-based application. Parents, players, athletic trainers, or physicians are then alerted to “suspect” impacts and given a clear “call to action” to help determine if a concussion has occurred and to seek proper treatment for the injury.

Circle No. 554 Save-A-Tooth® 888-788-6684 www.save-a-tooth.com Without proper care, a knocked-out tooth begins to die in 15 minutes. The SaveA-Tooth emergency tooth preserving

system utilizes Hank’s Balanced Salt Solution (HBSS) to not only preserve, but also reconstitute many of the degenerated cells.

The patented basket and net container are designed to protect tooth root cells.

This is the only system that keeps tooth cells alive for up to 24 hours.

Circle No. 555 Stromgren Supports 800-527-1988 www.stromgren.com Stromgren’s model 1551HTP Padded Football Compression Girdle is a fivepocket, moisture-wicking girdle offering maximum compression. It features permanently attached hip and tail pads, and its antimicrobial fabric has been improved to provide better comfort and protection to the iliac crest. Plus, the new two-inch waistband allows the hip pads to be positioned half an inch higher on the athlete’s hips to maximize comfort. The 1551HTP is protected by a two-year warranty if it is only air-dried and not put into a clothes dryer.

Circle No. 556 Stromgren’s model 1541HTP Compression Girdle has the same features as the 1551, except the thigh pad pockets are attached to the outside of the girdle leg for easy insertion of thigh pads.

This maximumcompression, moisture-wicking girdle has antimicrobial fabric and a new two-inch waistband that allows the hip pads to be positioned half an inch higher on the athlete’s hips. The 1541 is protected by a two-year warranty if the garment is only air-dried and not put into a clothes dr yer.

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Waterboy Sports, Inc. 888-442-6269 www.waterboysports.com Waterboy Spor ts offers an extensive line of fans, misters, tents, and hydration units designed to meet the price demands and specific needs of the athletic training community. Visit the company online to see its complete product line.

All Waterboy Spor ts products are built to withstand the punishment of constant use and any abuse an angr y athlete can exhibit. Call today to find out more about how Waterboy Spor ts can provide your team’s hydration and climate-control solutions.

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YEAR-ROUND SAVINGS

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Company News

View Brand New Nutrition Products and Old Favorites Online Go online to check out MET-Rx’s new products, such as protein pancake mix, microwaveable brownies, and energy shots.

You can also read about your favorite athletes and download workout tips. In addition, METRx’s site features the popular Collegiate Series.

The MET-Rx Collegiate Series provides trusted nutritional products made according to guidelines established by the most recognized governing body of collegiate athletics.

The products contain no banned substances, and they provide superior nutritional content, convenience, and taste.

Take care of your student BODY by putting MET-Rx on your team.

MET-Rx Engineered Nutrition 2438 Wolf Glen Pl. Fairfield, CA 94534 800-996-3879 Fax: 949-276-5254 www.met-rx.com

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Team Equipment Cutters Gloves 800-821-0231 www.cuttersgloves.com

Under Armour 888-7-ARMOUR www.underarmour.com

The 197 Triple Playmaker Wrist Coach is made with C-FLEX™, Cutters Gloves’ exclusive “fits like a glove” technology, for optimal comfort and fit. It includes three windows for easy reference, allowing you to store up to 300 plays at once. It’s available in 11 team colors. Visit the Downloads section of the Cutters Gloves Web site for free blank play card templates.

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The fastest players on the field need the fastest, lightest cleats. The UA Proto Speed provides extremely lightweight per formance without sacrificing suppor t and comfor t.

The lightweight Pebax outsole provides superior traction for explosive cuts.

The microfiber upper with a suppor tive TPU cage provides outstanding fit and terrific suppor t as your players fly around the gridiron.

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Reebok 888-405-TEAM www.reebok.com

The HeatGear UA Metal Full from Under Armour takes HeatGear compression to the next level. The blown-out mesh back and underarms make this shirt a leader in heat dispersion, keeping athletes cooler, drier, and lighter than the competition. Flatlock seams are rolled off the shoulders and hips to prevent chafing. A grippy logo on the back ensures a secure fit. This product offers unmatched stretch and recovery, and raglan sleeves for enhanced mobility. Pair it with the HeatGear UA Metal Compression Short for comfort in the hottest conditions. It is made of an 80-percent PolyArmour/20percent elastene blend.

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Reebok-engineered two-piece plates are an innovative approach to reducing cleat weight while providing superior torsion, rigidity, and flexibility.

By incorporating Bi-Fit insole boards, Reebok is able to reduce the weight of the outsole, making the NFL Burner Speed M3 one of the lightest cleats on the market. A Play Dry lining within the cleat wicks sweat away from the foot, helping to further reduce weight by not allowing moisture to collect.

Circle No. 560 The NFL Ferocious D3 from Reebok is constructed much like the Burner Speed M3, but with features that suppor t heavier players at the line of scrimmage.

A foam Achilles and ankle suppor t structure has been integrated to provide superior fit for lateral movement. With the two-piece plate construction and the inclusion of Bi-Fit insole boards, Reebok has reduced the weight of this cleat but maintained the structural rigidity required by the athlete.

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Wizard Sports Equipment, Inc. 888-964-5425 www.wizardsports.com Since 1984, Wizard Sports has been manufacturing and designing quality football kicking products, including the “Easy Hold” football holder, kicking shoes, tees, kicking nets, snapping targets, and much more. Make sure you check out Wizard’s newly designed football kicking and punting shoe: the 2008 Kangaroo Skin +3 Kicking Shoe.

It gives your kicker or punter that extra level of confidence. Wizard Sports also stocks the popular Spotbilt Square Toe Kicking Shoe.

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Coaching Aids Cutters Gloves 800-821-0231 www.cuttersgloves.com

Rogers Athletic Co. 800-457-5337 www.rogersathletic.com

Cutters GreatCatch teaches players how to properly catch a football by putting all the focus on their fingertips.

The palms and heels of the hands cause bobbles and drops—with Cutters GreatCatch, the fingertips do all the work for proper catching technique. As a result, players develop soft, reliable hands and fingertip control, resulting in fewer bobbles and drops.

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The Combo Passing Net is two nets in one: a drop-in net to sharpen fade routes, and a target net with three adjustable targets for passing rep training.

The target net adjusts in height for high-release training. This unit has a full floor for transporting balls, practice gear, and training aids, a hitch for towing, and a handle for one-person towing. The wheels are foam-filled for “never flat” convenience.

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QB-Tee 877-902-2485 www.QB-Tee.com QB-Tee can help your quarterback improve his three-, five-, and sevenstep drop and develop better timing during the off-season. Athletes can work on objective goals without the coach present, and perform more reps with greater intensity. QB-Tee is also great for passing drills and seven-on-seven.

The player removes the ball from the cradle, triggering the timer. If the buzzer sounds before the ball is released, the play is dead. The timer can be programmed to tenths of seconds.

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Thirsty?

MAXX Football 800-294-4654 www.maxxfootball.com This off-season, while your opponents are lifting, you will be putting the intensity of football into your workouts.

MAXX provides a lifelike dummy and a durable weight machine with state-of-the-art computer technology.

The LED board gives your players instant feedback on their speed off the ball and the power of their punch while they work to increase strength and perfect football technique.

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Need help fundraising for your team?

Hydration is our only Passion.

It’s everything we do!

For a free brochure

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

www.waterboysports.com

888.442.6269

www.fundraisingforsports.com

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Web News Let Fitnessrubber.com Do the Heavy Lifting For You Fitnessrubber.com is a one-stop solution offering a wide selection of weightroom equipment. Go online to read about the company’s weight plates, dumbbells, Kazan kettlebells, weight bars, accessories, and flooring products. You can sign up for a newsletter, order a gift certificate, and view a page of online specials offering outstanding values. You can even read testimonials from satisfied customers. Go online today to see why Fitnessrubber.com is an industry leader.

www.fitnessrubber.com Read About Innovative Football Padding Online Z-Cool shoulder pads offer football players lightweight comfort. They also help prevent heat illness by keeping the wearer cooler.

Visit Gear 2000’s Web site to see these innovative pads and the company’s other outstanding football equipment. The Z-Cool line of products includes everything from shoulder pads to thigh guards to knee pads, all designed for comfort, safety, and performance. On the site, you can view product photos and read about how Z-Cool can help you take your team to the next level.

www.gear2000.com Need Specialized Insurance? Check Out K&K Online Visit K&K Insurance Group’s Web site for custom commercial insurance product information on more than 50 sports, leisure, and entertainment programs. K&K’s site provides detailed information for each unique program, including eligible operations, qualifying factors, and coverage information. Printable applications are also available online. K&K is the largest specialty provider of sports and recreation coverage for teams, leagues, events, camps, clinics, instructors, arenas, stadiums, sports complexes, and other related entities. Sign up with the leader in sports, leisure, and entertainment insurance today. K&K’s credit card plan makes payment easy.

www.kandkinsurance.com

INFORMATION TO HELP YOUR ATHLETES SUCCEED ON AND OFF THE FIELD Introducing a NEW Web site for coaches The latest and most innovative ideas on how to be a great coach in any sport:

Training Tips and Advice Instructional Video Clips Motivational Tools Student-Athlete Welfare Communicate and Learn From Other Coaches

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Technology Products CyberSports, Inc. 315-737-7150 www.cybersportsinc.com

HighSchoolSports.net 800-258-8550 www.highschoolsports.net

PrepsCentral.com 800-258-8550 www.prepscentral.com

CyberSports offers recruiting and compliance software that can help athletic departments optimize their recruiting and compliance processes, keep organized, and comply with all the rules of the NCAA and their league or conference. CyberSports was the first company to encompass all these features in its products, and offered the first recruiting and compliance software packages to meet all the needs of recruiting staffs and compliance offices. CyberSports allows athletic departments to monitor recruiting and compliance activities using any computer or phone, and the company’s products are backed up by 24/7 technical support.

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HighSchoolSports.net displays your school’s schedules, scores, stats, photos, and directions. Free schedule

PrepsCentral.com is a fast and easyto-use Web-based stats program that allows coaches and stats manag-

change notifications instantly alert parents, coaches, and athletes of schedule changes via phone or e-mail. Link HighSchoolSports.net to your school’s Web site to provide accurate information. Post announcements and athletic forms from within Schedule Star.

HighSchoolSports.net is included free with Schedule Star, the premier sports scheduling program.

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ers to enter stats for their athletic events. Now everyone can access box scores, game summaries, and individual leaders that instantly display on HighSchoolSports.net. Alert the media with the click of a mouse. Team rosters, game information, and schedules transfer automatically from Schedule Star. PrepsCentral.com is included free with Schedule Star, the premier sports scheduling program.

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More Products California University of Pennsylvania 866-595-6348 www.cup.edu/go

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

California University of Pennsylvania has helped build the character and careers of its students for more than 150 years.

Cal U’s dedication to providing high-quality, in-demand programs to its students continues through the University’s Global Online 100-percent online programs of study. Through an asynchronous format, Global Online allows students the opportunity to complete coursework anytime, anywhere. All that’s required is a computer with Internet access. Go online for more information.

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

K&K offers coverage for both amateur and professional activities, with programs designed specifically for the sports industry. Sign up with the leader in sports, leisure, and entertainment insurance today. Lower rates are now in effect for camps and clinics. K&K’s credit card plan makes payment easy.

Visit the company’s Web site for more information.

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Your athletes are counting on you!

800,000 teeth are knocked out each year during sports!

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Save-A-Tooth® Emergency Tooth Preserving System (888) 788-6684 or www.Save-A-Tooth.com Circle No. 144 CoachingManagementOnline.com Untitled-2 1

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OVERTIME

NEXT STOP: WEB SITE

Our editorial continues on www.CoachingManagementOnline.com Here is a sampling of the editorial now on our Web site:

Coaching Videos Drills and Skills: An NFL Special Teams Coach explains how he teaches kick return blockers the right way to drop back.

Attitude Adjustment:

Strength Training:

How to help your players develop a winning mindset for practices.

Deadlift technique by Allen Hedrick, former Head Coach of Strength and Conditioning, the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Off Field Issues: Strength & Conditioning

Boston College’s program for increasing its players’ flexibility.

Coaching Life

A look at five coaches who have developed innovative approaches to coaching.

Downtime: Blogs

by Lem Elway Catching the Runaway Train: How do we stop sport specialization? By taking a hard look at how we, as coaches, promote it.

Student-Athlete Educating your athletes about Welfare social networking Web sites.

Defining a Season: Okay, so we had a losing season.

That doesn’t mean it was bad. In fact, we all learned a lot.

Injury Prevention How to prevent a MRSA outbreak from happening to your players.

Resources: Links to clinics, coaching associations, polls, and rules changes.

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T H E F I E L D O F P L AY For the past 20 years The Bear has become an established part of many professional, university and high school training programs throughout the U.S. It has proven to be the most effective tool ever designed for developing maximum power in the vertical jump for explosive performance in the athlete.

The BEAR

Patented

The Dominator develops all the major muscles in the upper and lower torsos including the connectors and stabilizers in the hip area. The Dominator Radiates Power from your feet up through your hands in one continuous line. In this explosive torque and turn exercise your athletes will dominate on the field of play.

Dominator

Patented

Over 200째 rotation in the torque & turn exercise

"I love the Bear machine. For it has played a very essential role in our strength program. It enables us to do things which would not have been possible with conventional methods. I see the Bear as the King of the lower body exercise and the finest tool for achieving explosive development on the market today Mike Woicik, Strength Coach New England Patriots

Box 329 Riverside, TX 77367 1 (800) 829-2928 www.powernetics.com Circle No. 145

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