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Coaching Management VOL. XVI NO. 7

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Circle No. 100

Coaching Management Baseball Edition Postseason 2008

CONTENTS

Vol. XVI, No. 7

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LOCKER ROOM

COVER STORY

Bulletin Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Hitting The Books

New start date for D-I … Fundraising through basketball tourney … Study addresses mound height … 53-yearold on college roster … Scheduling in Indiana levels playing field.

Q&A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Britt Bonneau started his head coaching career at Abilene Christian University at a young age, but has turned the team into consistent conference and regional playoff contenders.

On the cover: Fresno State University’s Tommy Mendonca hits a home run during the 2008 College World Series. Fresno State not only captured the CWS crown this year, but also showed its prowess in the classroom by markedly improving its Academic Progress Rate score. Academic success is the topic of our cover story, which begins on page 14.

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Getting your players to hit home runs in the classroom as well as on the field isn’t always easy. Hear some successful strategies from coaches who put their players on the road to academic success.

LEADERSHIP

Tourney Time

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There are many benefits to hosting a tournament at your school, including the chance to garner media attention, fundraise for your team, and create great memories.

STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

Making Progress

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How can you push upperclassmen to keep improving once they’ve plateaued?

This article answers the five most important questions on motivation in the weightroom.

TEAM EQUIPMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 WOOD BATS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 COMPANY NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 HITTING & PITCHING AIDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

BASEBALL FIELDS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 ADVERTISERS DIRECTORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 MORE PRODUCTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 NEXT STOP: WEB SITE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Publisher Mark Goldberg Editor-in-Chief Eleanor Frankel Associate Editors Dennis Read, Greg Scholand Assistant Editors R.J. Anderson, Kenny Berkowitz, Abigail Funk, Kyle Garratt, Mike Phelps

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The Coaching Management Baseball edition is published in February, September, and December by MAG, Inc. and is distributed free to college and high school coaches in the United States and

Canada. Copyright © 2008 by MAG, Inc. All rights reserved. Text may not be reproduced in any manner, in whole or in part, without the permission of the publisher. Unsolicited materials will not be

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LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD Same Day Start When the NCAA instituted a common start date for Division I baseball, University of Georgia Head Coach Dave Perno was all for the idea. But he doesn’t imagine he will feel the same way next season, when a rules package designed to improve baseball’s academic progress rate (APR) is implemented.

After years of having no restriction on the opening of their season, Division I teams could not hold their first game of the 2008 season before Feb. 22—13 weeks before the NCAA Division I playoffs field would be announced. (The same formula will produce a Feb. 20 start next season.) In 2007, teams began practicing in early January with some holding their first game on Jan. 27. But this year, teams couldn’t begin full practices until Feb. 1, although players were still allowed eight hours a week for formal workouts and skills instruction during the offseason.

STEVEN COLQUITT/UGA SPORTS COMMUNICATIONS

While many of his colleagues, especially those in warmer climates, were quite vocal about their disdain for the changes, Perno thought the new rules were a good idea. The main objections resulted from having only 13 weeks to play 56 games and giving teams only three weeks to get ready for the season. Perno, however, says he enjoyed the challenge of playing five games a week and the changes to the preseason.

“We weren’t forced to cram everything into January,” he says. “Our guys got every weekend off in January. Then once February hit, everyone was in shape and we could have our own little spring training. They had their legs under them, and their arms were ready.

“I think a common start date is good for college base-

ball,” he continues. “It helps level the playing field among schools and forces coaches to play and develop their younger players a little more. But knowing the changes ahead of us, it just doesn’t make a lot of sense.”

The changes Perno worries about include the impact of scholarship and roster restrictions being phased in next year as part of the APR enhancement package. The new rules will limit teams to 35 players, including 27 on scholarship, by the 2010 season. In addition, players receiving scholarship money must receive at least 25 percent in aid and will have to be eligible in the fall to play the following spring. The one-time transfer exception has been eliminated, which will force players to sit a year if they transfer. The rules are intended to help baseball raise its APR and avoid a schedule cutback previously threatened by the NCAA Board of Directors.

“It’s the combination of the schedule rules and the new academic rules that’s going to be a problem,” Perno says. “Everyone is concerned about the academic progress of these young men, yet now we’re playing Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Plus, it’s going to be extremely challenging because I think we won’t have enough guys, especially pitchers. I had 36 scholarship players this season, and I had to use every one to make it through a stretch of six straight weeks of five games a week.”

With the upcoming roster restrictions, Perno says schedule changes are bound to come as teams try to reduce the number of times they have to play multiple mid-week games.

“We could see more fourgame weekends with Saturday doubleheaders coming back into the picture,” he says.

“I’m sure we can add another game during our spring break, and then play more midweek games after school ends, instead of during the semester. If we can do all that, we’ll be in better shape.”

Perno says the fall season, which consists of a 45-day practice period, will also see significant changes. “I would probably be a fan of letting

he’s sure coaches will find ways to deal with them. He’s most worried about the players he will never get to coach.

“From a coach’s standpoint, we’re going to figure this all out,” he says. “We’ve been dealing with 11.7 scholarships for a long time, and we’ve always had to pinch our pennies. But this is going to hurt walk-ons and small scholar-

University of Georgia Head Coach Dave Perno (far right) confers with Assistant Coach Jason Eller and second baseman Miles Starr during a game this past season. Perno supports the NCAA’s uniform start date for Division I teams, but is wary about its effect once baseball’s APR rules package is implemented next season. us play some games, say four or so, in the fall instead of the spring,” he says. “I think we’re going to run awfully thin playing against ourselves all fall in the future because we’re going to run out of arms.

This fall, we had 42 guys and 20 of them were pitchers, so we could play every day. We played 30 intrasquads in the fall and that’s a luxury we’re soon not going to have.”

Though Perno realizes there is little chance the new rules will be changed anytime soon,

ship guys who could be late bloomers. Unfortunately, it’s going to hurt their opportunities to come to a big school and have a chance to go to Omaha and play in the College World Series.”

For more on the NCAA’s Academic Progress Rate and ways coaches are helping their players succeed academically, check out our cover story, “Hitting the Books,” on page 14.

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LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD Hoops For Funds On the surface, a gym packed with middle school basketball players squaring off for a tournament crown might not have much to do with a high school baseball team. But the indoor batting cages on River View High School Head Coach Rod Lindsey’s wish list prove otherwise.

For nine years, the Warsaw, Ohio, school’s baseball team has hosted the Black Bear Invitational, a basketball tournament for fifth and sixth grade teams that takes place over two weekends—one for boys and another for girls. The tournament’s proceeds, which can total up to $8,000 over both weekends, go toward the River View baseball program.

To find the 15 to 20 teams that each pay a $100 entry fee,

Lindsey places notices in newspapers throughout the region, sends invitations to coaches who have brought teams in the past, and puts an announcement on the state high school coaches’ Web site. “There’s always been great youth basketball around the area for both boys and girls, so this tournament seems like a natural fit,” says Lindsey, who is also the school’s booster club president. “We’ve established it as a premier tournament, and now teams come from all over to participate.”

To save money, Lindsey calls on the school’s alumni, teachers, and coaches to help referee and staff the tournament, while trophies are paid for through sponsorships from local businesses. His athletes also play a large role, with each working two three-hour shifts during the two weekends.

“The players run the clocks, keep the scorebooks, and help run the concessions stands and clean up,” Lindsey says. “It’s great for them because they get to see the benefits of their hard work when the money comes back to our program. Right now we’re looking at building an indoor hitting facility with some of the money we’ve raised through the tournament.”

Because of the number of teams participating, each weekend is held to a tight schedule.

Games are slated 50 minutes apart on the gym’s side-by-side courts and feature four sevenminute quarters with a running clock. There is a five-minute warmup period between each game.

For Lindsey, the tournament is more efficient and much less time-intensive than traditional fundraisers. “I like this type

of fundraiser simply because it’s not something you have to go out and sell door to door,” he says. “If we get 20 teams for the boys’ weekend, that’s $2,000 in registration fees alone—we have the money and didn’t even do anything yet. And families and friends travel to watch young kids play, so we make even more when we add in gate receipts and concessions revenue.

“We’ve stumbled onto something pretty good here with a minimal amount of work,” Lindsey adds. “We basically have two weekends of work and then we’re done.”

Making A Difference Although he is old enough to be the father of any of his teammates, 53-year-old John

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LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD Higher Ground

Wilson refuses to act his age.

The Penn State-Altoona outfielder, the oldest player in college baseball this season, just completed his fourth year of NCAA eligibility on the Division III Lions’ roster.

As Team Physician for the Milwaukee Brewers and an orthopedic surgeon at the Medical College of Wisconsin, William Raasch noticed a curious trend among pitchers rehabbing after shoulder injuries. “It seemed when they started the throwing phase of rehab, they would be able to perform flat-ground throws quite well,” he says.

“But once they’d get on the mound, all of a sudden they would start having trouble again.”

“At 53, it feels great to be playing ball with these younger guys,” Wilson says. “On the field, I can help them learn to play the game the way it should be played. And off the field, I can help them learn about the importance of doing the right thing. Everyone on the team is free to talk to me about anything that’s going on in their lives.”

To investigate the cause, Raasch began looking into how mound height affects the biomechanics of pitching. Specifically, he wanted to learn how throwing from an elevated position impacts the forces placed on the arm and shoulder.

Head Coach Joe Piotti speaks highly of the senior nicknamed The Difference Maker. “Experience is the best teacher, and John’s experience has helped this team a lot,” he says. “When the other players look at John, they see someone who’s never given up. He’s taken some of the younger guys under his wing, and he’s been a positive influence on all his teammates, encouraging everyone to keep reaching for their goals.”

Piotti met Wilson in 1988, when they played baseball together in a municipal summer league in Altoona. They’ve been friends ever since, and when Wilson arrived as a college freshman in 2004, Piotti was happy to offer him a place as a volunteer first base coach and backup outfielder. In four years at Penn State-Altoona, Wilson has coached runners, pitched batting practice, shagged fly balls, and played in 13 games, collecting one RBI and scoring four runs. He finished his collegiate playing career by tallying three hits, including a double while walking once and scoring three runs in a doubleheader sweep of Franciscan University that closed the regular season.

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opment and family studies in 2009 and hopes to eventually find work as an addictions counselor in a correctional facility. Before attending Penn State-Altoona, Wilson, a recovered drug and alcohol addict, spent 13 years working as an addictions counselor and house manager at a pair of residential treatment programs in Pennsylvania.

He’s proud to know he’s made a difference on the team, and surprised that his story has been featured on Fox Sports’ “Best Damn Sports Show Period” and in USA Today. “I feel good physically, and as long as I’m able, I want to keep playing,” Wilson says. “Age is just

a number. What really matters is passion, so I try to stay upbeat, demonstrate a lot of enthusiasm, and keep everybody motivated. It’s all about having fun and contributing to the team any way I can.”

Piotti often talks about the time an opposing team gave Wilson a standing ovation, and 10 years from now, he expects to still be telling stories about Wilson’s impact on the program.

“There’s a sign on my office door that says, ‘You don’t quit playing when you get old, you get old when you quit playing,’” Piotti says. “Those are words to live by, and for me, John embodies that spirit both in baseball and life.”

By analyzing the data, Raasch found that throwing from a higher mound increases two specific types of stress on the shoulder complex: superior shear and adduction torque.

Superior shear is essentially the force created at the shoulder joint as the arm bone slides within the socket, and often contributes to labrum and rotator cuff tears.

Adduction torque is the rotational force generated as the arm is pulled downward, and is associated with injuries to the latissimus dorsi muscle.

Both forces were highest on

AP/WIDE WORLD PHOTO

This summer, Wilson plans to work as a baseball instructor at a nearby academy and play in the local adult league. He expects to receive a bachelor’s degree in human devel-

Penn State-Altoona outfielder John Wilson takes a swing during batting practice in February. Wilson competed for the Lions at the age of 53 this past season.

Using state-of-the-art kinematic analysis, his team of researchers examined the throwing motions of 20 Major League and NCAA Division I pitchers.

Each participant pitched several times from flat ground, then from six-inch, eight-inch, and 10-inch mounds (10 inches is baseball’s standard height) while wearing 43 reflective markers. Special cameras followed the pitchers’ movements and fed the data to a computer, allowing Raasch to determine how much force was generated at key points in the kinetic chain.

the 10-inch mound, lower on the eight- and six-inch mounds, and lowest on flat ground.

“But the drop also increases certain forces on the shoulder, so a greater dropping distance may contribute to a higher risk of injury.”

By high school, college, and pro rules, the mound should slope downward in front of the pitcher at a consistent rate of one inch per foot over a distance of 10 feet. When the mound is lowered, the slope lessens, so the pitcher’s body doesn’t drop as far between the start of each pitch and his landing. That less severe drop, Raasch says, accounts for the decrease in shoulder stress.

Raasch is quick to point out his findings don’t mean that baseball leagues should consider changing their mound height just yet—more research is needed before drawing firm conclusions about how pitchers are affected and what size mound would be ideal. But in the meantime, coaches can use this new information to help reduce the risk of shoulder injuries.

“Basically, when a pitcher ‘falls down the mound’ as he completes his motion, he transfers the energy from that drop to the ball, allowing him to generate more velocity. That’s why elevation gives pitchers an advantage,” explains Raasch.

“One take-home message from this study is that the condition of a mound—particularly the slope in front of the pitching rubber—matters a lot,” Raasch says. “Maintaining a consistent drop-off of one inch per foot is impor-

A Medical College of Wisconsin study recorded the force generated by pitchers throwing from different height mounds, and concluded that the higher the mound, the more stress placed on the shoulder complex. Here, a pitcher with reflective markers throws while a camera follows his movements.

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LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD tant. Our study also suggests that it’s a good idea to have pitchers throw more from flat ground in the bullpen and on off-days. You can reduce stress on the shoulder that way, and hopefully decrease the chances of an injury.”

Scheduling Levels Playing Field In an effort to emphasize the value of a balanced team over the contributions of one dominant pitcher, the eight members of Indiana’s newly formed Greater South Shore Conference (GSSC) implemented a unique schedule. In addition to holding all nonleague contests before any conference games, GSSC rules mandate that after April 26, teams play their conference schedules using only Saturday doubleheaders and

back-to-back games on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

“Because we have a statewide rule limiting a pitcher to no more than 10 innings in 48 hours, this schedule ensures that teams aren’t just pitching their number-one starter in every conference game,” says the idea’s originator, Eric Brauer, Head Coach and Athletic Director at Marquette Catholic High School in Michigan City, Ind. “This setup promotes having the best team win the conference, as opposed to the team with the best numberone starter.”

Brauer says the non-conference scheduling also brings greater competitive equity to the league. “By playing all 14 of our non-conference games first, we’re all focused on each other once we get into conference play,” he says. “We don’t

The Greater South Shore Conference in Indiana tried out a new scheduling rule in 2007-08 that forces teams to rotate through their pitching staff by playing conference games as doubleheaders or on back-to-back days. Here, a player from the conference’s Marquette Catholic High School returns to the dugout.

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have to worry about juggling our rotation for non-conference match-ups.

“Also, I think it helps teams in our league win more out-ofconference games,” Brauer adds. “Early in the season we have opportunities to catch non-league opponents in the midst of their conference schedules, so we can use our number-one and numbertwo starters when they might throw their number-three and number-fours because they’re saving their better pitchers for conference games.”

With two years to prepare for the league’s 2007-08 launch, each member of the GSSC was charged with developing schedules for two different sports. Brauer was given baseball and volleyball. When he submitted his scheduling proposal to the league’s oth-

er coaches, it received unanimous approval.

Having the extra time allowed each coach to line up nonconference opponents and fit those contests in before the start of GSSC play. “Taking two years to iron things out was the key to making it work,” Brauer says. “If we had waited until just before the start of this season, it probably wouldn’t have gone as smoothly as it did.”

A side benefit to the league’s schedule constraints is a decreased workload for a team’s star pitcher during the conference portion of the schedule, which should keep arms fresher for a postseason run. “If you run your number-one guy out there every fourth day, by the end of the year, he’s out of gas,” Brauer says. “In my first year here,

we had a first-team all-state pitcher who won nine games pitching on regular rest during the regular season, but was worn out when the playoffs started.”

With the current setup, Brauer is able to rely on at least four pitchers each week due to his deep bullpen. Not a big believer in having pitchers throw complete games because of the strain a high pitch count can place on a young player’s arm, Brauer usually has his starters go four or five innings before bringing in a reliever. “For us, four guys throw on Saturday and four throw between Tuesday and Wednesday,” he says.

“By dividing up the workload I keep everybody fresh.”

The only downside to the GSSC schedule is the potential for bad weather. Getting

rained out on a Tuesday and Wednesday could force a team to make up those games on a Thursday and Friday, conceivably setting up a stretch of four games in three days.

“Something like that would be tough on the entire team,” Brauer says. “But as long as mother nature cooperates, we’ll be fine.”

The GSSC schedule has drawn rave reviews from coaches and interested spectators in its inaugural season.

However, Brauer knows there will be times when not every coach loves the setup. “Who knows, I might actually hate this system a year from now when I don’t have as much pitching as I do now,” he says. “But at the end of the day, the system is set up to promote the best team winning, which is something we all want to see.”

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Q&A

Britt Bonneau Abilene Christian University When Britt Bonneau arrived on the Abilene Christian University campus in 1996, he was a 25-year-old assistant coach fresh off a professional playing career. Little did he know that just one year later, he would drop “assistant” from his title and take over as head coach.

The 26-year-old Bonneau wasted no time worrying about the monumental task of taking over a team that hadn’t made an NCAA postseason appearance in over 30 years.

He got straight to work and has since led the team to four Lone Star Conference championships and one Division II College World Series appearance.

An All-American outfielder at Lubbock Christian University in 1989, Bonneau played in the 1992 College World Series after transferring to the University of Oklahoma.

He then tried his hand in pro ball, competing in the minor leagues for the Chicago Cubs organization in 1993

CM: When you take over a program at such a young age, how do you earn the respect of administrators?

Bonneau: At the time, I didn’t really think about doing that—I was too busy learning everything I had to do as a head coach. It helped that we had a lot of older coaches, like Wes Kitley, who was the Head Track and Field Coach. Our track program had won 10 straight national championships, and Coach Kitley was willing to teach me about recruiting and help me figure out

and 1994 and in the Texas-Louisiana League in 1994 and 1995.

That fall, Bonneau returned to Lubbock Christian as an assistant coach, then moved to Abilene Christian with thenHead Coach Jimmy Shankle. Shankle retired one year later, and Bonneau inherited the program. Over the past 12 years, Bonneau has been named Conference Coach of the Year three times, accumulating more wins than any other baseball coach in the school’s history. He has also served as chairman of the Division II Baseball Selection Committee.

In this interview, Bonneau talks about developing a championship atmosphere, learning from other coaches, and what taking on the role of pitching coach has taught him.

a system that would work for me here at Abilene. It took four or five years to really build the program.

What was your goal at the time?

I was young, so I wanted to go to the College World Series every year and become the winningest coach in the history of baseball. But I learned that winning isn’t as important as building relationships with your players. And then I found that if you have good relationships,

the wins will come. That’s how we’ve been so successful here.

What was the first thing you changed?

I demanded a strong work ethic, which I’d learned in pro ball. I expected people to come in ready to work, with the passion to win and the commitment to improve every day. That wasn’t a plausible expectation for everybody who was here, so some people moved on. But the rest of the team bought into it—I give them all the credit because they set the tone and kept teaching the new guys as they came in.

We wanted to have a championship atmosphere, so from day one, we bumped up the intensity of our training. And we wanted to make sure faculty members understood we were serious about academics, so we had study halls and did grade checks. We made players accountable for everything they did, and when they messed up, they knew there would be consequences.

What’s your coaching philosophy?

I’m a guy who takes chances. I take chances on players who haven’t yet developed, and I take chances on the baseball field.

Abilene Christian outfielder Mike Elkerson was the 2008 Lone Star Conference Player of the Year and recently signed with the Atlanta Braves.

My approach also changes from one year to the next, depending on the type of team I have. Some years we’re good at hitting the long ball, and some years we play small ball, so I’ve learned to coach both. I try to find the best players I can, and once they’re here, I adjust my strategy to fit the talent we have.

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As a player, when I transferred from Lubbock Christian to Oklahoma, I went from being a number three hitter to a leadoff guy. I hit 19 home runs one year, and the next I was in the batting cage every day learning how to bunt. I was able to learn a different kind of game, and I was fortunate they wanted to teach me.

What recruiting strategies have been most effective for you?

We recruit a lot in Arizona, California, and Washington, where we get about 40 percent of our players, and the rest come from Texas. We try to build a foundation of good high school players who’ll be here for four years, develop over that time, and become our alumni base 10 or 15 years down the road.

And every other year, I bring in a lot of junior college players, guys who’ve played college ball for two years and can share what they’ve learned with their teammates. As a Christian institution, we also look for kids who will fit into the program spiritually. In some ways, that can be difficult, but in others, it’s a bonus because it’s something we offer that other schools can’t.

What do you tell players about your years in the minor leagues?

That baseball is a business. There’s a lot of joy that leaves the game when you go into the pros. If you’re a role player like I was, you’ve got to produce year in and year out, and sometimes that’s tough.

But I had a lot of great coaches, and their lessons have stayed with me. Sandy Alomar Sr. was my infield instructor, and he taught me a lot of drills that I still use.

I knew I wanted to be a coach if I didn’t make it in pro ball, so I kept taking notes and trying to learn from everyone in the organization.

feet. But there are technical aspects of pitching I still need to learn, and I hope over the next few years I can develop into a better pitching coach. The main thing I do now is show them how to compete on the mound. I know how hitters think, and if I can teach that to my pitchers, they’ll become much tougher competitors.

“When I make up my schedule, I want to play quality teams, but I also want to coach against quality coaches.

I want to mentor those coaches and have them mentor me ... Sometimes we can take wins and losses to an extreme, and that’s not healthy.”

You took over as pitching coach in 2007, and the team had one of its best ERAs. What have you learned from the additional role?

This is my second year as a pitching coach, which has been a good change. It’s allowed me to study another side of the game. As a hitting coach, I can easily break down a batter’s stance— hands, head, shoulders, waist, legs, and

After 12 years as a head coach, how do you continue to learn?

If I have a question for another coach, I ask it. I try to hang around veterans as often as possible, and I’m more than willing to just

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Q&A shut up, listen, and observe. Every time I have an opportunity to talk to somebody like Mike Kinnison at Delta State, I make sure to pick his brain on baseball. In the three years I was chair of the NCAA Division II Baseball Committee, Delta State was in the College World Series twice. So I sat behind home plate and studied Mike’s coaching style as closely as I could.

Why is it important to have good relationships with other coaches?

As coaches, we need to mentor one another because we all struggle with the same thing: failure. We need those relationships to get us through the tough times. When I make up my schedule, I want to play quality teams, but I also want to coach against quality coaches. I want to mentor those coaches and have them mentor me. Win or lose, if you’ve coached the game well, you can shake the other coach’s hand and say, “Great job.” And that’s important, because sometimes we can take wins and losses to an extreme, and that’s not healthy for us or our student-athletes.

Two years ago, you applied for the head coaching job at Division I Sam Houston State. How did you let your department know?

From the start, I made sure my administration knew where I stood with the ACU program and why I needed to pursue the position. Throughout the process, I stayed in close communication with them.

They’ve taken great care of me and my family, and I don’t hide anything from them. I’m in a very good situation here because I know my administration is completely behind me.

Do you still think about someday going to Division I? Sure, I think about it. But I keep seeing great Division I coaches fired because of one losing season. There’s not as much stability as there used to be.

You know what would be special? Staying here for 25 years. I want to continue bringing good kids to Abilene Christian and helping them grow into men of integrity. I want to be known for Abilene Christian baseball. I call my school home, and not many coaches can do that.

You went back to school at Lubbock Christian after playing pro ball. What do you tell players about finishing their degrees?

That earning a degree is the most important thing. Baseball is fun, but eventually everybody has to hang up their spikes, and you need something to fall back on.

We want to graduate every single kid we bring in—that’s our number-one priority.

In 2007, Abilene Christian built a new indoor batting facility. What has the facility done for your team?

It’s made the athletes more motivated to work on their skills. It’s a first-class, $275,000 facility that allows our team to get their work in every day. I have pitchers who drop by first thing in the morning and hitters who come by in the middle of the night.

We’re constantly improving all around.

I’ve also noticed that players are around each other a lot more. They’re spending more time together and developing relationships with each other, and that’s what teamwork is all about.

What is hosting a tournament like?

I’ve hosted nine tournaments and only won one. It can be stressful because you’re not just representing your school, you’re representing the NCAA, and you have to make sure you’re taking care of every team. At the same time, there are a lot of plusses. I’ve been able to interact with a lot of great coaches. It’s helped me get a closer look at how other teams play, and we get to play in front of our home crowd and showcase our program.

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Fresno State University’s Tommy Mendonca hits a home run in game two of the College World Series.

Fresno State not only captured the CWS crown this year, but also showed its prowess in the classroom by markedly improving its Academic Progress Rate score.

PHOTO: JAMIE SCHWABEROW/NCAA PHOTOS

COVER STORY

BASEBALL IS A GAME OF NUMBERS. THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN SOMETHING MAGICAL ABOUT HITTING .300 OR RECORDING 10 STRIKEOUTS IN A GAME. But at the high school and college level, the important numbers aren’t limited to the field of play. A low GPA can trump a low ERA, and even the best hitter is of little use when he’s forced to sit on the bench after flunking a class.

Most high school and college coaches have long preached balancing the demands of the field with the demands of the classroom, but increased attention paid to academic performance has raised the stakes.

For NCAA Division I coaches, poor academic performance as reflected by a team’s Academic Progress Rate (APR) can result in the loss of scholarships, playing dates, and even postseason play. This past school year marked the first time the NCAA dished out historically based penalties for sustained low APR scores.

High school coaches are also dealing with tougher rules governing academic eligibility for their players. Headlines declaring stricter GPA minimums for varsity athletes have been spotted in a handful of states, including Virginia, New Jersey, Minnesota, Florida, and Iowa.

Now, more than ever, coaches share responsibility for their players’ off-field performance, which means taking an active role in their athletes’ education.

HITTING

THE BOOKS Getting your players to hit home runs in the classroom as well as on the field isn’t always easy. Hear some successful strategies from coaches who put their players on the road to academic success.

BY DENNIS READ Fortunately, many of the strategies for helping with grades parallel those used on the diamond, such as setting the right tone, holding players accountable, and shoring up weaknesses. Coaches are also turning to faculty members and academic counselors for help, and together they are helping steer most student-athletes to academic success, allowing them to retain eligibility and showcase what they can do athletically.

performing well on the field is just a part of a player’s responsibilities. “Coaches set the priority for academic performance on their teams,” says Phil Hughes, Associate Athletic Director and Director of Student Services for Intercollegiate Athletics at Kansas State University. “They create the environment within the team that classwork matters. They set expectations for students to compete academically and graduate. Only coaches can do that.”

Setting The Tone If coaches want athletes to succeed academically, they must first make it clear that

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

CoachingManagementOnline.com

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COVER STORY

For Rodney Hennon, Head Coach at Georgia Southern University, this means taking an active interest in how players perform in the classroom. “The best thing you can do is show your players you have a genuine concern about their academic success and push them in that regard like you do on the field,” says Hennon, who was a two-time Academic All-American as a student-athlete at Western Carolina University. “We’ve always received regular academic progress reports, but recently we’ve begun having weekly meetings with each player to talk about what’s going on in their classes. This keeps the lines of communication open and lets us stay on top of things a little better.”

At Fresno State, Head Coach Mark Batesole has helped his team raise its APR score from 850 in 2004 to 963 for the 2007 season. “We made that kind of improvement with one main tool,” he says. “We became personally involved with our players’ academics.”

The Bulldogs coaching staff holds weekly meetings to review each player’s academic notebook, which includes

information about teachers, schedules, and graded materials for all their classes.

Batesole also has players keep a weekly log of what they do in each class session.

“For instance, it may say ‘Tuesday, 9:00, HS 170: Saw film,’ or ‘DS 70: Took a quiz,’” he explains. “It sounds like overkill—and it takes a ton of work on the part of the coaching staff to go over those things with each player. Sometimes it means we might miss a game or two recruiting-wise or we see one less pitcher on film. But we felt we really had to get a grip on what these guys were doing academically, and it has made a major difference.”

Setting academic standards is useless, though, if you’re not willing to enforce them. “You need to set your expectations and then put them in writing along with the consequences that will result if they aren’t met,” says Hughes, who is also President of the National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics. “What happens when someone doesn’t play the game the way you want it to be played?

They lose playing time, do 100 pushups, or run stairs. You have to back up your

expectations in academics the same way you do the ones on the field.”

That’s just what Hennon does at Georgia Southern. “When players aren’t putting forth the effort, whether that means missing class or not turning in an assignment, you have to discipline them—not only for their sake, but for the entire team’s,” he says. “Here, the first time a player runs into trouble, he’ll have some type of punishment, such as extra running. The second time, the penalty will double, and after that he could be suspended from the team.”

While the focus on test scores and GPAs has increased, Bucky Mieras, Head Coach at Orono High School in Long Lake, Minn., says establishing one numerical goal for all players can be a mistake. “More than anything else, we talk to our players about being the best they can be,” says Mieras, who served as Dean of Students at the local junior high school before becoming the high school’s activities director this summer.

“If a 2.8 GPA is the best they can do, then you have to be realistic about that.

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A kid who isn’t getting a 4.0 may still be learning a ton.”

Team Game While academics are largely a solo pursuit, the benefits of teamwork still apply. One way coaches can drive home the importance of academics is to show players that grades really are a team issue.

It’s harder for an athlete to sleep through an 8 a.m. class if they know that their teammates will also suffer the consequences.

Hennon stresses the “all for one” concept by assigning each new player a veteran teammate as a mentor. In addition to promoting team chemistry and providing younger players with a source of guidance, the pairings also provide accountability.

“If a freshman is missing a class or a meeting, not only is he required to run, but so is his mentor,” Hennon says. “And if it gets to a third or fourth offense, the entire team is punished with some form of discipline running. Because the

older guys don’t want to be punished for their partners’ mistakes, they’ll take them under their wing and say, ‘Here’s what you need to do to manage your time better.’ It reinforces the message that younger players hear from coaches and administrators about going to class, working hard in study hall, and getting help when they need it.”

says. “We’re not babysitters. We’re not hand holders. We’re not eligibility brokers. We don’t drag kids kicking and screaming toward academic progress.

“We educate them about the priority of an education and how to succeed in college, which is different from getting through high school,” he continues. “We talk about life after sports. We talk about

“If I get a report saying someone is doing C or D level work, I’ll be direct with him and say, ‘Okay, whatever we’re doing now isn’t working. I’ll give you 36 hours to talk to the professor and tell me how you’re going to approach things differently.’”

This brings in another team aspect to academics: the team of people who are there to help student-athletes. Most coaches and athletes have access to academic support staff, which can be an invaluable resource. “The first thing to know is that we are educators,” Hughes

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overcoming the challenges of college.

And that’s all tied to personal development, which involves motivation and taking responsibility for your choices.”

In Hughes’s view, the best way to foster that personal development is through a joint effort of the academic support

COVER STORY

staff and the coaching staff—preferably the head coach. “In some programs, the head coach assigns an assistant coach as the liaison for academics, and I understand why that happens,” he says. “But I encourage head coaches to receive the academic information themselves. That way they know what their players are doing on any given day and how seriously they’re taking their academics.

“And this means more than just grade checks,” Hughes continues. “They should be asking academic support personnel, ‘How is that student doing on quizzes or tests? Is he showing up for tutoring sessions? Does he seek advice about majors, degree programs, and developing a schedule?’”

Another source of assistance is faculty.

Simply by their vocation, most teachers will gladly help a student looking for extra assistance, as long as he’s willing to put in the effort.

“If I get a report saying someone is doing C or D level work,” says Paul Benim, Head Coach at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, “I’ll be direct with him

and say, ‘Okay, whatever we’re doing now isn’t working. I’ll give you 36 hours to talk to the professor and tell me how you’re going to approach this differently.’”

Coaches can also help bridge the gap between faculty and students. “We’ll often talk to professors to see what our players can do to turn things around,” says Robert Fisher, Head Coach at BaldwinWallace College. “We hope the players do this too, but a lot of times they’re a little intimidated.”

Mark Hey, Head Coach at Ankeny (Iowa) High School says approaching the teacher first is especially important in high school. “Sometimes student-athletes don’t have a good grasp of why they’re failing a class,” he says. “So I’ll talk to the teacher, who will often say the student just needs to come in for a little extra help. And then I facilitate that.”

Help doesn’t have to be limited to the formal academic structure. Although Benim starts by having struggling players talk with their professors, he also suggests they find a teammate who has done well in the same class.

“Sometimes a change in verbiage or hearing the material from a peer instead of an authority figure can make a big difference,” he says. “We have a strong engineering program here and the labs are very demanding. But there’s nothing better than seeing an upperclassman working with a freshman to help him learn a programming language or piece of online software.”

High school coaches have an additional card they can play, but it’s often a wildcard: parents. “Sometimes parents are unbelievably supportive,” Hey says.

“They’re willing to listen, think about improvement plans, and help implement them, whether that means creating a good study environment at home or setting aside an hour each night to monitor homework. For others, home life is a little chaotic, and in those cases, we may have to do more of their homework at school.”

In either case, Hey says you may have to walk a fine line between helping the student and enabling him. “We really try to encourage kids to get themselves

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to a place where they don’t have to be reminded every day to get their work done, hand in the assignments, and stay on top of their grades,” he says. “I’ve had kids who came in every night after school and sat with me so that I could make sure they did their homework. But eventually you have to tell them you’re not going to be there in college, and neither are their parents.”

The Reluctant Client In many cases, simply getting a player to reach out for help—and accept it—is the hardest part. Some players don’t want to upset coaches with bad news. Others are used to getting by without much effort and might find themselves struggling academically for the first time.

It’s often up to the coach to break through that protective layer. “The biggest thing is getting them to understand we’ve all been there and there are people who can help,” Hennon says. “We understand the demands they’re under as student-athletes. I tell them I’m not going to be upset as long as they put forth the effort, go to

class, and do their assignments.”

Hughes says that one of the best ways to overcome younger players’ reluctance to ask for help is to provide it to all the players, whether they need it or not.

“A coach should have mandatory study sessions for all new students,” he says.

“The students won’t like it, and some will say they study better by themselves, which may be true. But the point is to let students know we’re here and let the academic support staff see how they study.

Once student-athletes prove they can handle college, usually by meeting a set GPA, they’re no longer required to come to study table. But at least they’re familiar with the environment and know where they can go for help if they ever need it.”

Mandatory study sessions are only the first step, according to Hughes. He also suggests that players be required to meet with tutors. Again, part of the purpose is providing insight into a student-athlete’s academic abilities while exposing him to available resources, but just as important, mandatory tutoring can alter a student’s view of tutoring.

“We have to change the perception that tutoring is for dummies,” he says.

“You need to teach kids that tutoring is not a function of ability, it is a function of time. It’s for anybody who has restrictions on his time and that includes everybody on the team, from the A student to the F student.”

Even when athlete-specific academic resources are missing, coaches can still take important steps to help their players. “Find out what types of tutoring are offered on campus,” Hughes says.

“Are there peer tutoring groups in the engineering college? Does the chemistry department have structured student study groups as part of the intro to chemistry class? As you gain experience, you’ll know which courses are going to require tutoring. You may not always have the resources to assign a tutor to each kid for each course, but you might assign one tutor and see how the player responds.”

A Job Well Done While much of the discussion about academic performance centers on help-

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COVER STORY

Four years ago, most NCAA Division I baseball coaches only thought about APR when they were looking to buy a house.

Now, APR also means Academic Progress Rate and their teams’ score can eventually determine whether that coach will be able to keep their house.

Baseball has had some of the lowest average APR scores among NCAA sports, prompting a package of new baseballspecific rules that went into effect on Aug. 1. Teams that see their four-year APR fall below 900 could see their seasons limited to 50 games and 119 playing days per season, which is about 10 percent below the standard maximums.

The APR was implemented in 2004 to prod schools and teams to improve the academic performance of their student-athletes.

Teams that fail to meet an APR benchmark of 925, which represents a 50 percent graduation rate, face the loss of scholarships.

Prolonged failure to meet standards can result in teams losing playing and practice dates and even being banned from postseason play.

The introduction of the APR has forced coaches to change the way they approach academic performance, especially with players who plan to leave for the professional ranks before graduating, since APR is based on the academic eligibility and retention of student-athletes. Thus, when a player leaves while not in good academic standing, there’s a good chance the team won’t be able to replace his scholarship.

“We explain to those guys that not staying eligible could cost us a scholarship when they’re gone,” says Mark Batesole, Head Coach at Fresno State University, which raised its APR score 113 points between 2004 and 2007. “For the first couple of years of this APR, I don’t think the kids really grasped that—I don’t think coaches really grasped its magnitude either. But once players start understanding this isn’t just about them, they don’t want to cheat their teammates out of that scholarship. So they’re going to get themselves up out of bed for that 8 a.m. class and try to do well.”

Batesole points to Tanner Scheppers as an example. Scheppers began the season knowing he was a likely early-round pick in the MLB draft. “But he still got up and went to class because he knew it would

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COVER STORY

negatively affect his teammates if he didn’t,” Batesole says. “And you ought to see the way these guys played behind him, because they knew exactly how hard he worked in the classroom even though he didn’t have to do.”

But the changes aren’t being limited to professional prospects. Rodney Hennon, Head Coach at Georgia Southern University, says the rule requiring players be eligible in the fall to play the following spring will force more of them to skip summer baseball for summer school. “If a kid doesn’t get his work done during the regular academic year, we’re not going to take any chances,” Hennon says. “We’re going to keep him on campus and make sure he gets all his work done.”

ING

APR

ing those who are not making the grade, Hughes says that’s only half the picture.

Praise and reward should be as much a part of your toolbox as reprimands and punishment.

“It goes back to mirroring the athletic model,” Hughes says. “If someone hits a home run, everybody stands and cheers.

When someone performs at a high level, you should applaud it—whether it’s on the field or in the classroom.”

Fisher has long followed the same approach at Baldwin-Wallace. “We really try to build on all kinds of positive things, whether it’s a good at-bat in the eighth inning, a good inning pitched in relief, or a good grade received on a test,” he says. “If a student-athlete knows he’s being recognized for what he does well, he’ll keep trying to do it.”

There’s no limit to the ways coaches can recognize and reward players for doing well in class. “It can be a plaque for the student-athlete of the month or a special dinner for those kids who have done well,’ Hughes says. “You can get a scholar-athlete T-shirt or jacket. Some

of this may sound cheesy, but you’d be surprised. The kids eat it up.”

Hughes even suggests granting special privileges to those who do exceedingly well in class as an incentive for others to work harder. “Maybe they don’t have to prep the field before practice,” he says. “Or if a good student misses a class, I might let it slide the first time, while I would have a C student run.”

Exactly how you choose to reward good students isn’t as important as simply choosing to praise them for their academic successes. “The physical awards are nice, but sometimes the biggest thing to kids is knowing they were recognized for trying their best,” Mieras says. “They care about getting personal acknowledgements from their coaches. It can be as basic as saying ‘Keep up the good work.’ To a kid, that shows you care about them and their academic success.”

If coaches care, then athletes will care, too. And praise for the coach will soon follow. ■

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LEADERSHIP Horizon High School, in Scottsdale, Ariz., hosted the Cleats National Invitational Tournament this spring.

TOURNEY TIME

BY DR. DAVID HOCH

H

DEBI DANNER

There are many benefits to hosting a tournament at your school, including the chance to garner media attention, fundraise for your team, and create great memories.

ave you ever thought about hosting a holiday or seasonopening tournament, but weren’t sure if it was a good idea? As a former coach and current athletic director, I am always looking to make the student-athlete experience the best it can be, and I’ve found that there are many positives to this endeavor.

The biggest benefit is that it can become a very special part of the season for a team. When team members, coaches, and parents work hard to pull off a special event, the camaraderie and good feelings are long-lasting. I see a lot of pride in everyone’s faces at the end of a successful tournament.

Another positive is that a tournament provides good public relations for the school, the team, and individual athletes. It’s a chance to showcase your school’s facilities, hospitality, and organization. It also helps get you and your athletes in the local newspaper.

Some teams even turn the event into a fundraiser. Through entry fees, concession sales, and advertising sponsors, many schools make significant money from hosting a big event.

David Hoch, EdD, is the Athletic Director at Loch Raven High School in Baltimore County, Md. He is a past President of the Maryland State Athletic Directors’ Association and a former basketball coach. He can be reached at: dhoch@bcps.org.

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LEADERSHIP

Over the years, we’ve hosted a number of different tournaments at Loch Raven High School. At our most recent basketball tournament, one coach said as he was leaving, “We really enjoy coming here. We are treated so well, and it’s a great event.” And his team had lost earlier that evening. Without a doubt, planning a tournament takes some work, but it can be extremely rewarding.

Planning Ahead No matter what ideas you have for a tournament, your first step is to talk with your athletic director. There are a ton of logistics to think about, and you need his or her support before making a single move. In most cases, your athletic director will be happy to provide advice, but he or she will need to know that you are willing to organize and oversee the event with a minimal amount of supervision.

To start, the two of you should talk about the major tasks of planning the tournament and who can be enlisted to help. Here are some areas to consider: The Date: Setting a date is not as easy

as it may seem. First, think about what point in the season is ideal for a tournament. Holiday basketball tournaments work well since they are a natural break in the season, but you do need to avoid the days with religious significance.

Track or swim invitationals can’t conflict with qualifying meets. And baseball or softball events are best held early in the season before top pitchers are reserved for conference games.

Figuring out conflicts with other events is also key. There is the obvious: Are school facilities already booked?

Is there another big tournament that attracts the best teams? But there are smaller conflicts to consider: Are the SATs scheduled for that weekend? Is there a big community event going on?

Is that a bad weekend to ask parents or faculty members to help?

You also want to take into consideration establishing a make-up day in case of any postponement caused by inclement weather. If a snowstorm halts a basketball tournament or rain wreaks havoc on a baseball or softball tournament, what are

the alternate dates? The prospect of playing a day or a week later needs to be communicated very clearly to the other teams well in advance so they can make their own plans and schedule adjustments.

Invitations: Deciding whom to invite should be based on the goal of the event.

If fundraising is key, you’ll want to invite schools with large fan bases. If providing great competition is the goal, your guest list may need to change every year. In some cases, the event can serve as a way for local teams in different size classifications to play each other once a year.

Regardless of your goal, also consider the “problem quotient” involved with inviting some schools. Several years ago, the athletes, coaches, and fans from one school caused all sorts of behavior problems during one of our tournaments. A few days after the event, our principal called me in and asked, “Why would you want to invite a team and then spend time, effort, and money for security personnel to contend with problematic fans, athletes, and coaches? With 170-plus high schools in the metropolitan area, there

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LEADERSHIP

are plenty of others to choose from. Let’s invite someone else next year.”

Staffing: Along with your typical contest personnel and custodians, you will need some additional help, usually from volunteers, to host a quality tournament.

The exact needs will vary depending on sport, size of the event, and number of days it will run. For each setting, you want to analyze your needs and plan ahead, remembering to include ticket sellers, concession workers, and scorekeepers.

You will probably need to create shifts for both game personnel and volunteers.

A written schedule is an absolute necessity so that everyone knows when they are due to begin. It would also be wise to have a substitute system organized in case someone is ill or simply forgets to show up for a shift.

If you don’t normally have a PA announcer at your games, you will at least want one for the conclusion of the tourney. This person is vital because you should recognize the all-tournament selections and award the championship trophy to the winning team with some

fanfare. You may also need to graciously thank any sponsors for making the tournament possible. All of this can be optimized with the help of a good PA announcer.

Who should you ask to help with all these jobs? Your booster club or parents of student-athletes, as well as student-athletes themselves, should form the bulk of your volunteer corps. But also consider asking coaches from other sports and faculty members. You might want to try a reciprocal arrangement with coaches who host their own tournaments they may need help at. With a little charm and arm-twisting, many people are often willing to help a good cause, but only if you ask.

Security: Needs for security can be assessed basically the same way they are for regular contests. Here, we start by estimating the number of fans expected to attend the games, then factor in past history with the invited teams in terms of behavioral problems and considerations

for traditional or neighboring rivals.

After conferring with our school resource officer, we’ll come to a consensus of how many officers will be needed.

Provide local newspapers with the dates, times, and pairings of your contests well beforehand. Even if they don’t normally publicize your events, they can be coaxed to do so for a tournament.

Rules & Regulations: Find out if you need to secure sanctioning from your state athletic association for the event. In Maryland, for example, this is required and an absolute necessity in order to host a tournament. You also want to make sure that you’ve followed any applicable state procedures in order

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LEADERSHIP

to avoid problems or embarrassing situations. This may mean limitations on the cost of tickets or types of awards that can be given to the participating athletes.

Publicity: Provide local newspapers with the dates, times, and pairings of your contests well beforehand. Even if they don’t normally publicize your events, they can be coaxed to do so for a tournament. Sell the fact that you have a lot of teams from outside the area or that it’s one of the few times this many local teams will be together. You want to attract as many fans as possible in order to generate a healthy gate.

Also, make sure arrangements are ready to spread the word about any postponements. In our case, we post all changes as soon as they are known on our Internet scheduling site and alert our local media. We also put a recorded message on our athletic department’s answering machine and a notice on our school’s sign board in front of the school.

Budget: You can’t count on making money, or even breaking even, without a realistic budget. To start, determine

the fixed cost of officials, custodians, trophies, and security. Also consider any other expenses which may be unique and necessary in your setting.

With your costs known, think about your sources of revenue. Gate receipts and profits from concessions are the major ones. You may also find it necessary to bring in money from entry fees. Do some research to find out the going rate for entry fees at other tournaments in your area. Before you take another step, make sure the money balances. If you’re looking to make a profit, find a way to increase revenues or decrease costs.

After you’ve decided on the who’s, where’s, when’s and how’s, you can start a “to-do” list. It is vital to set up a written time line for all the details to be completed. For each new task, simply establish a completion date and determine who will accomplish it.

Making It Special Covering all the basics will ensure a well-organized event, but for it to stand out, consider some personal touches.

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This doesn’t necessarily mean spending money, but rather adding nuances that define your program.

One idea is offering a hospitality room for officials and coaches. This feature can be relatively simple. Take a classroom and turn it into a private room, with some sandwiches and bottles of water and soda. Offer a few computers with Internet access for the coaches, officials, and media members to use during their breaks.

At our two-day wrestling tournament, we put a lot of effort into our hospitality room, which is overseen by the athletes’ parents and the family of our head coach. They prepare an Italian buffet (homemade dishes of lasagna, baked ziti, eggplant Parmesan, meatball sandwiches, tossed salad, and more) and secure donations of drinks and supplies. During the tourney, at least one volunteer is always in the room to serve meals whenever an official or coach has a break. There is no doubt that teams return every year for this reason alone and referees actually contact the assigner of officials months ahead to ask to work our tournament.

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It is just as important to provide refreshments to spectators, although you’ll want to charge them for their food. Even if you don’t normally have concessions for regular season games, it is needed for a tournament setting where people may spend a full day on campus. The right type of food and drink will not only provide a service, but can usually turn a profit.

We extend our hospitality theme by communicating regularly with our guests. We share our sportsmanship expectations, ticket prices, and all other pertinent information with the other teams who will participate in our tournament well in advance. I feel it’s important that our guests are not surprised by any of our procedures.

For example, before hosting our first regional track meet we called our county athletic office and asked if it was okay for us to charge admission to the event.

As soon as they said yes, I sent a letter to all of the athletic directors and coaches involved. In this letter, we asked them to communicate the ticket prices to their parents and fans. We also posted several photocopies of this letter at our ticket booth to show parents that we did share this information with their schools.

Providing a tournament program for the fans, athletes, and coaches is usually an appreciated amenity and adds a nice touch. This can be accomplished by using a commercial printer or even by someone in-house, such as an assistant coach, art teacher, student, or parent.

Fortunately, we have a parent who does an outstanding job and is able to insert digital photos, cut and paste rosters, add articles, and even place ads into the final copy. She makes it look professional and we can either photocopy it at school or have it printed professionally.

If you decide to use an outside printing company, know that there are professional outfits who will even secure the advertising as part of their service, but you’ll want to see what they charge first.

Another way to make a tournament special is to make it unique. For example, in track and field, a co-ed or relays-only meet can be a lot of fun for the athletes.

For volleyball, consider a round-robin format with a different scoring structure.

In baseball, it can be exciting to pit teams from different leagues against each other: “Who’s Best: East or West?” How about a cheerleading competition combined with a basketball tournament? Or invite

schools with very different populations than your own to create a cross-cultural awareness event.

Turning A Profit While we don’t charge a large entry fee or aim to make a huge profit with our events, tournaments can be a good fundraiser if that’s your goal. Beyond entry fees and ticket sales, here are some ideas on making money: Find A Sponsor: This is probably the single most important consideration. If the sponsor pays for the officials, custodial coverage, and awards, this means that the gate and refreshment stand revenue can be counted as pure profit.

Clearly establish what the sponsor gets in return for its investment. It would be reasonable that they should be able to display signage for their company. Naturally, the name of the company could be incorporated into the name of the tournament and prominently displayed in the program.

But these issues cannot be assumed.

They have to be discussed and clearly stated, preferably in writing, to avoid any misunderstanding.

Consider having the sponsor provide T-shirts for the participants. Whether the sponsor’s name is placed on one of the sleeves or on the back of the shirt, these keepsakes become “walking advertisements” for years to come.

Add Advertising: Securing advertising in your tournament program will increase your profits significantly, and many are happy to be involved. We charge $125 for a full-page ad, $75 for a half, $50 for a quarter-page, and $25 for business card-size ads. But prices can vary greatly depending on your community and the size of the tournament.

Even though you might make a few additional bucks by selling the programs at your tournament, we found that offering them for free to the teams and fans was a better option. You’ve already made your money with the advertising and you want as many fans, athletes, and coaches to see the ads as possible.

Sell Mementos: Student-athletes love to have a commemorative item from a tournament they participated in, and T-shirts fit the bill perfectly. Parents

buy them, too. You do want to be careful how many you order, particularly if they display the date of the tourney on it, because this would restrict selling the leftovers the following year.

The Right Concessions: Offering items your clientele would prefer is the key to

As with most projects, you will want to make notes at the conclusion of the tournament of any improvements or changes for next year. You may find you had too much down time between contests, not enough volunteers for a certain task, or overestimated the amount of food needed. success. At our regional track meet, for example, we sell bottled water, sports drinks, oranges, bananas, and bagels, as well as healthy turkey sandwiches.

Considering the nature of the participants involved in the event, these items were very much in demand.

With a little extra work, you can even provide foods not normally found at a school sporting event and make a larger profit. With a group of ambitious parents, you might be able to have a chicken barbecue or sell homemade apple pies during a baseball tournament. You can even consider partnering with a local food vendor and splitting the profits.

Better Every Year As with most projects, you will want to make notes at the conclusion of the tournament of any improvements or changes for next year. You may find you had too much down time between contests, not enough volunteers for a certain task, or overestimated the amount of food needed for the concession stand. Write all those thoughts down before you forget them!

With a great organizational system in place and some special touches that make it unique, your tournament can gain a following fairly quickly. With a budget that turns a profit, you also have a fundraising source that can help your program grow and be more successful. ■ CoachingManagementOnline.com

27

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STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

MAKING PROGRESS

BY DR. JACK JOHNSON

How can you push upperclassmen to keep improving once they’ve plateaued? This article answers the five most important questions on motivation in the weightroom.

IT’S BEEN SAID BY COACHES—USUALLY AFTER A ROOKIE MISTAKE HAS COST THEIR TEAM DEARLY—THE BEST THING ABOUT FRESHMEN

AP/WIDE WORLD PHOTO

IS THAT THEY BECOME SOPHOMORES. A progression from inexperienced newcomer to seasoned veteran brings both challenges and opportunities for the athlete, the strength coach, and you.

Although there are exceptions, most freshmen are not ready to jump into a full-fledged college strength-training program their first day on campus. Even if they have the requisite physical ability, they usually have to learn proper technique and weightroom procedures before they even think of working out with the rest of the team. Add in the challenges of adapting to college life, and many freshmen have their hands full just making it through each day.

By the time they’re sophomores, though, athletes are usually ready to

Jack Johnson, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Physical Education at the Virginia Military Institute. He has also spent 12 years as a strength and conditioning coach at Radford University, Virginia Tech, and VMI. He can be reached at: JohnsonJB@vmi.edu.

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STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

accept any challenge and make great gains in strength and power. As they age and progress through the program, some athletes can begin to plateau as juniors or seniors if proper steps aren’t taken to keep them improving. Players’ needs and abilities change throughout the course of their college career. What works for a wide-eyed freshman may not yield the same results for a three-year starter.

For more than a decade, I have been fortunate to work with some very insightful and successful strength and conditioning coaches, and they have taught me there is more to it than sets, reps, and yelling. It is a combination of science and art that requires constant care and adjustment. In this article, I will explore five common questions faced by coaches as their athletes progress from rookies to seniors in the weightroom.

How do you keep athletes motivated over an extended period of time?

Motivating athletes is one of the most challenging duties coaches face. In a perfect world, every athlete would always be

eager and motivated to work hard in the weightroom. However, in the real world, athletes require varying degrees of motivational support at different times.

I feel motivation starts with trust between athletes and coaches. If an athlete believes the coach is looking out for his best interests, both parties have a chance for true success. The best motivator for almost any athlete is playing time, so if athletes realize that hard work in the weightroom can pay off for them on the field, half the battle is already won.

But trust doesn’t happen overnight.

Developing it takes time and effort. This starts by working with an enthusiastic strength coach who is energized about the strength-training program that he or she has developed. It also requires them being able to work hands-on with the athletes. Simply developing and overseeing workout routines isn’t enough—they must actually coach the athletes during each workout, making sure they’re using the right technique.

At the same time, you and your strength coach should concentrate on maintaining

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high energy levels. Make it known that you enjoy working with the athletes, and that will quickly motivate them.

Successful coaches also create expectations for hard work and accountability.

This can be as straightforward as enforcing each rule the same way for every athlete from the senior All-American to the freshman redshirt. It can also be as simple as requiring every lift or drill to be performed perfectly before moving on to the next.

One very effective way to motivate returning athletes is goal planning, and I believe this is one of the most important elements. To provide each athlete a voice in their strength and conditioning program by asking them what their goals are for the following season is one example. But make sure you direct your players to set realistic goals.

Goals meetings provide an opportunity for players to ask you and the strength coach questions about the program and discuss their performance within it. You will also learn a little more about what motivates each of your players, challeng-

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STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

es those who aren’t doing well, and have a chance to praise the ones who are having success. This is important because it’s easy to get caught up in the negatives and forget the positive effects than can come from praising athletes.

I’ve also held meetings with individual players at other times during the year when necessary. These extra meetings were typically called if the player became injured, saw a change in playing time, exceeded previous goals and needed new ones, was missing workouts, or was not putting forth the proper effort.

Recognition and incentives are another way to help motivate athletes.

Commemorative awards such as plaques and T-shirts for reaching certain goals can motivate athletes to keep working hard. It’s also a great idea for individual and team records to be posted in the strength facility.

How can healthy competition keep upperclassmen motivated?

Competition makes training sessions more intense and focuses players’ energy

in a positive manner. Successful athletes feed off competition and can push each other to higher levels than they would have reached alone.

Specially constructed competitive drills are a great way to keep things lively. At Virginia Tech, we ended each

acceleration, and deceleration involved, this drill closely mimics what players are called to do on the football field, and also resembles your baseball players’ base running.

One way to inject some life into an off-season program is to hold a strong-

There are plenty of other factors more important than age that should be considered when grouping athletes for lifting ... It’s common to break teams into groups based on position.

And backups can work a little harder during the week than starters. football conditioning session with a competitive drill. One of our favorites was a simple game called “Sharks and Minnows,” where two or three players stood in the middle of a 20-yard circle or square and filled the role of sharks.

We then sent other players into the ring who acted as minnows. The sharks tried to tag the minnows. With all the cuts,

man competition, using events such as a tractor-tire flip, truck push, stadium stair run, sumo wrestling, and tug-of-war.

Once a week, we’d conduct one event after our lifting session and keep track of scores throughout the summer. The events broke up the monotony of the off-season program and gave the athletes another avenue to enhance their

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performance outside of typical resistance training.

Should freshmen and upperclassmen have separate workout programs?

The quick answer is that usually,

tition. Having redshirted athletes in a separate program capitalizes on a window of opportunity for young athletes to make significant gains, which in turn helps keep them motivated. However, if a freshman works his or her way into a

There is some controversy over the testing of athletes while in a strength and conditioning program, but I believe that it is one of the best ways to measure a program’s success ... It’s hard to tell whether an athlete lifts well or plays well because he is naturally strong or because of gains made during a strength program. players don’t need to be divided into freshmen and upperclassmen because they’ll typically end up divided by other types of groupings. First, most freshmen are not able to step into a full-fledged strength program. Second, some freshmen may be redshirting and don’t have to worry about being ready for compe-

starting position and has mastered the lifts, there’s no reason to keep him from working with upperclassmen.

There are plenty of other factors more important than age that should be considered when grouping athletes for lifting. For example, it’s common to break teams into groups based on

position. And backups can work a little harder during the week than starters who need to be fresh for each game.

So it’s usually not necessary to deliberately segregate upperclassmen from freshmen. Conversely, there’s no reason to be concerned if this occurs naturally.

How do injuries, which can accumulate over the course of a career, affect strength and conditioning programs for my athletes?

By the time your players reach their junior and senior years they should have a good knowledge and understanding of exercise performance. Their fitness levels should allow them to do more specialized work that enhances their performance and helps prevent injury.

Each year, they should build on the gains made in the previous season.

However, many upperclassmen still have injuries from previous seasons that need to be considered. Depending on the exact nature of the injury, that player may need to avoid overworking an area that has suffered from chronic

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problems, or conversely, adjust his program to build up an area that is seeing injuries due to weakness. In either case, the strength coach and athletic trainer should be consulted to determine the proper course of action.

When athletes are dealing with a recent injury, the focus often shifts to rehabilitation rather than strength and power development, but this doesn’t mean those areas should be forgotten.

When athletes are injured, the challenge

is finding out what exercises they can still safely do. If it’s a lower-body injury, the player can probably still do a lot of upper-body work. If the injury is in the upper body, your strength coach will probably have to have the player skip the bench press and Olympic lifts.

At Virginia Tech, we developed specialized workouts for athletes with shoulder injuries, back injuries, wrist injuries, knee injuries, ankle injuries, and just about any other kind of injury we could

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think of. The idea was to have a workout ready for someone to use so they could continue as much strength training as possible during their rehab.

How do you assess whether your players’ strength and conditioning programs are working?

There is some controversy over the testing of athletes while in a strength and conditioning program, but I believe that it is one of the best ways to measure a program’s success. Without testing, we do not have a quantitative baseline to evaluate, making it difficult to measure performance gains. Without that baseline, it’s hard to tell whether an athlete lifts well or plays well because he is naturally strong or because of gains made during a strength program.

Testing offers other benefits as well.

It’s a key part of the goal-setting process described in the first question. It provides concrete evidence for the athletes that their efforts in the weightroom are making a difference. Testing also motivates athletes by serving as a constant reminder that their performances are being evaluated.

While it may appear that the ultimate assessment of a strength and conditioning program comes from on-field success, these results can be misleading. Very successful weightroom programs have been implemented before, yet the team does not fare well in wins and losses. Multiple factors have to come together for there to be success on the field—many of which are outside the weightroom, such as the quality of athletes, financial support from the institution, scheduling, and strategy.

Any strength program will appear to work when a team has superior athletes. At the same time, a team that is outmanned in terms of athletic talent will struggle regardless of how well its players are trained.

The bottom line for a strength program comes down to how hard your athletes work. Are you providing a sound and effective program that helps them progress from session to session and season to season? Are you pushing them to be the best athletes? These are the factors that we can, and should, control. ■ A version of this article previously appeared in our sister publication, Training & Conditioning. More articles from T&C can be found at: www.Training-Conditioning. com.

9/19/07 2:55:19 PM

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31–35”

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–

-1 to -4

Old Hickory Bat Company, Inc.

Superior Bat Co.

Handle

Barrel

Ratio

Hitting & Pitching Aids Aer-Flo, Inc. 800-823-7356 www.aerflo.com The patented Bunt Zone™ Infield Protector-Trainer features color-coded target areas built into a quality batting

practice turf protector. It teaches batters where to bunt successfully for hits or sacrifice plays, plus pull-hitting and hit-and-run targeting—never bunt into the red “pitcher’s triangle.” It gives instant performance feedback. Sizes are available for all infields, including softball and Little League fields. The industrial vinyl-polyester mesh is spikeresistant. Grommets and low-profile stakes are included.

Circle No. 512 BK Productions 316-978-3636 www.brentkemnitz.com Pitching the Mental Game, a 42-minute CD, offers insight into the mental aspects of pitching used by Wichita State Pitching Coach Brent Kemnitz.

In his 30 years as the Shockers’ pitching coach, Wichita State has developed a reputation as one of the nation’s top pitching schools. Kemnitz shares knowledge and techniques that you can incorporate into your program. Get motivated and let your mind be your biggest strength.

Circle No. 513 Zingbat 866-ZINGBAT www.zingbat.com Zingbat™ offers the Trainer Series product line. This economically priced version of the regular Pro Series

Zingbat is ideal for youth players.

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

Circle No. 514 GameMaster Athletic 859-746-9800 www.sluggerupm.com The Louisville Slugger Instructo-Swing was developed to help hitters improve swing mechanics and technique.

Included with the IS-5000 is a new drills DVD designed to showcase the power of perfecting the swing with the help of the Good Habit Bars and Angle Adjustment feature. Hitters can learn any hitting philosophy and use the Instructo-Swing to develop a swing that produces line drives, ground balls, and fly balls that carry.

Circle No. 515 Swing Speed Radar 888-542-9246 www.swingspeedradar.com The Swing Speed Radar™ from is a small, inexpensive Doppler radar velocity sensor that measures the swing speed of baseball and softball batters.

The Swing Speed Radar helps players develop optimum bat speed for distance and quickness, and bat control for consistent ball contact. The Swing Speed Radar provides real-time velocity feedback that assists players, coaches, and instructors in measuring

performance improvement and troubleshooting swing mechanics.

Circle No. 516 Glove Radar 888-542-9246 www.gloveradar.com The Glove Radar® is a small, inexpensive, and accurate microwave Doppler radar device that attaches to the back of virtually any baseball or softball glove. It “sees” through the glove and measures the speed of a ball thrown from any distance, just before the ball is caught. The Glove Radar can withstand softball impacts of more than 75 mph and baseball impacts up to 100 mph.

Take it from Ken Griffey, Jr.—the Glove Radar is the ideal aid for developing the throwing skills of infielders, outfielders, pitchers, and catchers. The Glove Radar is a big hit among coaches, players, and parents, and it costs much less than most radar guns.

Circle No. 517 Joyner Technologies, Inc. 770-867-1957 www.allstarbp.com Joyner Technologies received the American Baseball Coaches Association’s 2007 Best of Show award for its technologically advanced Allstar Ace 5000.

This programmable multi-pitch video simulator features Sports Tutor’s HomePlate pitching machine and SurePitch synchronization system, making it an ideal fastpitch training tool. Coaches can choose from a wide variety of pitch types with different speeds and different locations, and also film their own pitchers. This video simulator is easy to operate with a remote start/stop and simple setup. Attractive lease options are available to accommodate all budgets.

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Hitting & Pitching Aids Master Pitching Machine, Inc. 800-878-8228 www.masterpitch.com Watching the pitcher’s arm is a key to successful hitting. That’s why every pitching machine from Master Pitching Machine features the company’s exclusive Iron Mike pitching arm. With each pitch, the batter can see the Iron Mike pitching arm wind up and deliver the ball— just like with a real pitcher. These machines are among the only proven training devices that give you this advantage.

Circle No. 519 Muhl Tech 888-766-8772 www.muhltech.com Want to give your hitters instant feedback? Look no further than the Advanced Skills Tee (AST). The tee of

choice for more than 3,000 high school and college programs, the AST’s unique forward arm design and outside barrier give instant visual and physical feedback. Eliminate casting, looping bats and dropping shoulders with this portable and extremely durable batting tee. It comes with a two-year warranty.

Circle No. 520 Hitting for power? Try the Power Bag from Muhl Tech. It was designed to teach hitters to use their lower half when hitting the ball—not just to rotate the hips, but actually to use them as a power source when driving through

the ball. The Power Bag allows the hitter to power through contact and finish the swing. Use good point-of-contact mechanics and the bag will swing higher (visual reward). Use lazy hips, rolled wrists, or swing around the ball and the bag will not move nearly as much.

Circle No. 521 PIK Products, LLC 877-845-7845 www.pikproducts.com Safely develop proper throwing muscles for a stronger and more accurate throwing arm with the Arm Strong. Its patented Real Feel rotating ball handle combined with the light, medium, or heavy resistance tubes will help strengthen the proper muscle groups.

As a mechanics trainer, the Real Feel teaches proper full arm-circle throwing

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Hitting & Pitching Aids mechanics and provides instant error feedback. Use it indoors or outdoors to warm up before or during games.

Circle No. 522 RevFire 866-414-3040 www.revfire.com Easier to use than a radar gun, the RevFire measures the spin of pitches as well as the speed. Adopted by college teams and clinics across the countr y, coaches report dramatic results—pitchers throw a more effective breaking ball when they receive spin rate feedback. The RevFire is quickly becoming standard equipment among high school programs, private instructors, and serious pitchers. Go online to learn more.

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Sports Attack 800-717-4251 www.sportsattack.com The exclusive design of the Hack Attack baseball pitching machine allows the hitter to see the ball clearly all the way through the feeding motion, acceleration, and release, just like with a live pitcher.

The Hack Attack throws unmatched right- and lefthanded major league fastballs up to 100 mph, and all breaking pitches by simply changing the speed of the wheels with three dials. This eliminates the need for time-consuming adjustments of the throwing head.

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The Junior Hack Attack from Spor ts Attack is designed to develop serious young players using an exclusive three-wheel vision that allows the hitter to see the ball clearly all the way through the feeding motion, just like with a live pitcher.

In developing hitters, there is nothing more impor tant than timing and vision. With just a quick turn of the dials, the machine can throw fastballs and breaking pitches, including cur ves, sliders, split-fingers, and knuckle balls up to 70 mph.

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Hitting & Pitching Aids Sports Tutor 800-448-8867 www.sportsmachines.com The HomePlate pitching machine is the first programmable pitching machine designed for both batting cage and on-field use. You can store up to eight different pitches—including fastballs up to 90 mph, cur veballs, changeups, sliders, and more—in eight different programs, with only seven seconds between pitches. The programmed pitches in the HomePlate can be thrown sequentially for specific hitting drills, randomly for game conditions, or in a way that simulates an opposing pitcher. Choose the 80-ball auto-feed model at $6,495, or the hand-feed model at $4,995.

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Batting practice just got easier. Simply push a button on the TriplePlay pitching machine from Sports Tutor to choose the type of pitch you want. It can automatically throw fastballs, sinkers, curves, and sliders. The pitch speed is digitally displayed and adjustable from 40 to 90 mph in five-mph increments and it takes just 30 seconds to change pitches. Additionally, the baseball is visible from the time it leaves the feeder’s hand until it is pitched, allowing hitters to more naturally time the pitches. The TriplePlay uses a three-wheel pitching mechanism for greater accuracy.

Two large transport wheels make the TriplePlay easy to move.

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StrikeOut Strippz, LLC 877-688-7123 www.learn2pitch.com StrikeOut Strippz is the world’s first and only patented training glove for pitching and throwing. The system is guaranteed to improve speed, accuracy, and throwing mechanics. The glove can

be used indoors or outdoors and no catcher is needed. The easy-to-follow instructions blend rhyme and visual references to help master the mechanics of pitching and throwing. The glove and DVD provide simple 10-minute drills that enable an entire team to develop pitching and throwing skills.

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Company Q&A

Sports Field Products That Deliver Major League Performance How would you describe your typical field maintenance season?

We prepare the field in March for the start of the regular season in April.

Each year we level the infield for the upcoming season. We start by conditioning the field with Pro’s Choice soil conditioners. This gives us a solid base that we can maintain throughout the season.

Mark Razum began his 30-year career as a member of the Cleveland Indians grounds crew, working under the direction of Marshall and Harold Bossard.

He later worked for the Oakland Athletics, and since 1995 he has been the Head Groundskeeper for the Colorado Rockies.

What unique challenges do you face with your field?

In Colorado, volatile weather presents a big challenge. We deal with a lot of precipitation that could potentially prevent play. We use Pro’s Choice products to help us get the field back to a playable condition as quickly as possible.

Our team is a big draw for fans from neighboring states, who travel great distances to our games. So our ownership is ver y big on making sure our games are not rained out because we don’t want to disappoint our fans.

There have been several instances where we would have had to call the game without Pro’s Choice, but instead we were able to play because the field was in playing condition.

Denver’s climate is also very arid and dry in the summer. With little humidity, moisture retention becomes very important to us. Pro’s Choice soil conditioners are great at keeping moisture in the soil.

What is your history with Pro’s Choice products?

I’ve used Pro’s Choice products for more than 15 years. I started using them while working for the Oakland Athletics.

Oil-Dri Corporation of America 410 N. Michigan Ave., Ste. 400 Chicago, IL 60611 800 648-1166 Fax: 312-321-9525 proschoice@oildri.com www.proschoice1.com

We tried competitors’ products and were not happy with the results–they didn’t hold up very well or offer lasting color. We experimented with several brands before discovering Pro’s Choice.

We found it had truer, more natural color that did not fade over time or rub off. Pro’s Choice doesn’t break down like other products, which might look good initially but do not deliver in the long term. Pro’s Choice products last through the whole season.

Why have you stuck by the products?

We can count on Pro’s Choice products to condition our fields the way we like them. Our players enjoy playing on the material and we enjoy the benefits we get from using it.

The uniform particle size keeps our field consistent. Our players count on us to deliver a consistent playing surface every time they step onto the field. We make it our goal for the field to play the same on opening day as it does through the playoffs. The grounds crew’s contribution is to worry about the field, so the players can concentrate on the game. Last season, when the team set two Major League records–for the lowest number of errors and highest team fielding percentage–I know the crew directly contributed by providing a consistent playing surface that players were familiar with and could trust.

Any advice for young groundskeepers?

Keep learning as much as you can from people in the business. I started when I was 17 on a crew in Cleveland and absorbed all the knowledge I could from those around me.

Remember that your fields are your calling card. People will see your fields and comment on them. Scouts look at fields and make recommendations based on what they see.

As far as products go, experiment with the options available. If you have access to high school or Little League fields, see what works on those before implementing something in larger venues. Get opinions from players and coaches. That said, be sure to be consistent–players need to know they can trust that the field will play the same every game.

Any final tips?

Use infield conditioners to retain moisture and keep the field consistent.

If you have compaction issues, Pro’s Choice can help. I know I can trust the products and that using them makes my job easier. Last year we had some rain before the playoffs that many believed would result in canceled games. The umpires were surprised and commented on the playability—we owe that to Pro’s Choice products.

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Baseball Fields Aalco Mfg. Co. 800-537-1259 www.aalcomfg.com Baseball coaches and facility owners who demand quality workmanship, superior performance, and aesthetically pleasing design depend on Aalco for custom interior and exterior baseball equipment. Family owned since 1946, Aalco has more than 100,000 installations worldwide. The company’s ProWall and Batter’s Eye systems require little to no maintenance and can withstand the toughest conditions. Aalco’s GrandSlam batting cage is an industry leader used by top baseball programs around the country.

Circle No. 529 Aer-Flo, Inc. 800-823-7356 www.aerflo.com Wind Weighted® baseball tarps are virtually windproof. These rain covers for the mound, home plate, and the bullpens have steel chain in their edge hem, so wind cannot get under them. They stay down in high winds without stakes or sandbags. They’re also easy to install, remove, and store. The tough, waterproof vinyl-polyester fabric is treated for UV rays and mildew. These patented tarps are protected by a threeyear factory warranty, and they’re widely used by high schools, colleges, and even Major League teams.

Circle No. 530 BetterBaseball 800-997-4233 www.betterbaseball.com BetterBaseball is a total baseball supply house, specializing in nets and batting cages that are custom cut to any size you want. The company provides quick, friendly customer service. BetterBaseball supplies everything, including bases, plates, mounds, gear, and hardware. All team equipment needs can be found easily online, or you can call the company toll-free for more product information.

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Cages*Plus 866-475-9148 www.cagesplus.com Cages*Plus has been making full-size portable batting cages since 1998.

These cages are affordable and durable. All cages come with an L-screen, and they’re easy to put up and take down. With your players helping, they can go up in just minutes.

The company’s cages are great for indoor use as an extra hitting station.

A 60-foot cage is priced at $729, and all cages come with a one-year moneyback guarantee. Cages*Plus offers excellent customer service as well.

Circle No. 532 DiGeronimo Aggregates 888-593-0395 www.diagg.com Game-On is a spor ts field soil conditioner that will not break your budget and will provide excellent results. It is a lightweight, expanded-shale product that absorbs more than 20 percent of its weight in water. Game-On is more durable than clay products and tends not to break down into fine par ticles. The Game-On product line also includes Game-On Red topdressing, Game-On warning track mix, and Game Dr y dr ying agent. Game-On is available both in bags and in bulk.

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come in three standard sizes. They can be adjusted to fit custom net widths

and lengths. The netting tunnels are available in five grades and seven different tunnel sizes, and custom tunnels are available to fit your current frame.

Contact National Sports Products for a catalog, or go online to view the company’s full baseball product line.

Circle No. 535 EP Minerals, LLC 800-366-7607 www.epminerals.com PlayBall! infield conditioner is made from 100-percent calcined diatomaceous earth for maximum durability. Because of its low density, large pore space, and 10-percentby-volume application rate, you can effectively condition more field for less money. PlayBall! is highly absorbent, soaking up as much as 130 percent of its weight in water. Use it in your infield mix to permanently reduce compaction, increase drainage, and create a more playable surface. You can also use it as a topdressing for puddle control and protection against rainouts.

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Game-On from DiGeronimo Aggregates hits a home run with Game-On Red topdressing. Game-On Red has a brick-red color and gives your field that professional finishing touch. It offers a more consistent bounce, and the deep red color allows your infielders to see the ball more easily. Game-On Red is available in bags and in bulk.

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Use AXIS® premium soil amendments from EP Minerals in your turf root zones to add porosity, air and water holding capacity, and water availability for a healthier and more resilient turfgrass system. AXIS absorbs up to 142 percent of its weight in water. Virtually all of its water is made available to the turf roots as needed, reducing irrigation costs by 30 percent. Made from 100-percent calcined diatomaceous earth for strength, AXIS will not break down or float in the soil.

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National Sports Products 800-478-6497 www.nationalsportsproducts.com

Fuller Five 888-749-2880 www.fuller5.net

National Sports Products’ batting tunnels feature a durable steel frame and

Go online to view Fuller Five Landscape Supply’s line of high-quality Diamond

Baseball Fields Dirt products. The company also offers a variety of clay/sand blends for use as topdressing and in field build-up. While browsing, check out Fuller Five’s other product lines: golf sands, decorative stones, Fieldstone, Flagstone, pavers, wall systems, mulch products, D-Drain, and ground cover materials. You can also call the company for more information.

Circle No. 538 Heying Co. 712-756-8847 www.infield-drag.com The PR72 Pro Groomer™ Infield Drag levels infields, warning tracks, granular running tracks, and more by cutting off high spots and filling in low areas.

It keeps infields level, wellgroomed, and in safe playing condition. It can be used to mix in new material or to break up hard, compacted sur faces. The PR72 Pro Groomer saves labor, reduces water puddling, removes weeds, and more. It’s six feet wide and doesn’t require hydraulics or a three-point hitch. The unit can be pulled with a variety of towing machines, and no tools are needed to make adjustments. This product is available with a manual or electric lift.

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inch (diameter) wheels are included for easy transport.

Circle No. 540 Jaypro’s Grand Slam batting cage offers heavy-duty construction with a full line of features. Designed for semi-pro and collegiate use, it measures 17’ 6” wide x 18’ deep x 12’ high. Constructed of two-inch heavy wall aluminum, it’s easy to fold and collapses to just five feet high. It includes a climatized nylon net,

granada

a heavy vinyl-coated nylon skirt, and a ricochet cushion to reduce rebound and frame damage. The Grand Slam transports easily on three pneumatic turf wheels.

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Producing hitters for 45 years!

Go with a proven pitching machine to help your team at the plate. Our customers include numerous national champions and record-holders.

• Perfect for Indoor/Outdoor Use • No Nets Needed • Takes Away the Fear of Being Hit By the Ball

(800) 547-5032

www.battingpractice.com Circle No. 136

Jaypro Sports, LLC 800-243-0533 www.jaypro.com Professional Pitcher’s Safety Protector is a versatile 7’ x 7’ L-shaped unit that accommodates left- and right-handed pitchers. It works with pitching machines or live-arm delivery, and is constructed of heavygauge 1-5/8” O.D. galvanized steel tubing with a durable, attractive green powder-coated finish. Heavy-duty two-inch square galvanized legs provide extra rigidity, and the slip-on net is made of weatherproof #42 knotless black nylon (double-sided). Two eightCircle No. 137 granada1312.indd 1

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Baseball Fields M.A.S.A., Inc. 800-264-4519 www.masa.com www.sportsadvantage.com The revolutionary new Handozer is a complete infield grooming solution. It cuts maintenance time by up to 75 percent and gets professional results. Traditional grooming requires four steps: a nail drag is used to create loose dirt for smoothing, a leveling device levels the field, a roller is typically used for firmness, and a finishing drag mat makes the diamond sparkle. The new 30-inch-wide Handozer features all four tools on a compact frame designed for one-person operation.

Call or go online for more information.

Circle No. 542 M.A.S.A. has welcomed the new Fence Guard™ Lite to its family of fence guards. Fence Guard Lite is priced for the tightest budgets. It protects against chain-link fence injuries, increases fence

visibility, and can add beauty to any field. With the addition of Fence Guard Lite, M.A.S.A. now offers three grades of Fence Guard: Premium, Standard, and Lite. All three feature exterior-grade UV-resistant polyethylene construction that is maintenance-free and designed to last for many years. Call or go online today for more information.

Circle No. 543 Pro’s Choice 800-648-1166 www.proschoice1.com Pro’s Choice is proud to introduce Pro Red topdressing, the newest player on an allstar roster.

This infield topdressing boasts the company’s deepest red color to give your fields the look you want and the conditioning you need.

It’s specially formulated to provide longlasting red color and all the advantages you have come to expect from Pro’s Choice.

Circle No. 544 Pro’s Choice Red infield conditioner is designed to meet the challenges of wet, dry, or compacted infields. This league legend is the first choice of professional groundskeepers to build and maintain winning ballfields season after season. It manages the moisture on your field, keeping it in top playing condition. Pro’s Choice Red infield conditioner is the all-star veteran of the Pro’s Choice lineup.

Circle No. 545 Beam Clay 800-247-BEAM www.beamclay.com A supplier to every Major League Baseball team, more than 150 minor

Professional Maple Bats

(800) 841-7859 customerservice@promaplebats.com

www.promaplebats.com Circle No. 139

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Baseball Fields league teams, more than 700 colleges, and thousands of towns and schools from all 50 states and many countries around the world, Beam Clay® makes special mixes for infields, pitcher’s mounds, home plate areas, and red warning tracks, as well as infield conditioners and drying agents. The company also offers more than 200 other infield products, including regional infield mixes blended for every state and climate from bulk plants nationwide.

Circle No. 546 PlayersGoal 866-651-4625 www.playersgoal.com PlayersGoal leads the way in baseball equipment.

Offering a line of products that includes foul poles and ball safety netting systems, PlayersGoal has something for every baseball program.

PlayersGoal equipment is manufactured in upstate New York and is featured in stadiums and fields across the country.

When it’s time to put sports equipment on your fields, turn to PlayersGoal.

Circle No. 547 Promats Athletics 800-678-6287 www.promats.com A leader in protective padding since 1985, Promats Athletics has continued its market leadership position with EnviroZone™. This all-new product couples environmentally friendly pads and backer boards with the industry’s heaviest covering to produce an extremely durable and high-energy absorbing pad. The nontoxic backer board and padding are fully recyclable, while the covering is a unique tri-layered vinyl that provides exceptional tear resistance and a linen-like feel.

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Qualite Sports Lighting, Inc. 800-933-9741 www.qualite.com Qualite Sports Lighting systems feature some of the most efficient fixtures in the industry. The fixtures are pre-set to provide optimum uniform light with superb spill light control. Qualite’s patented reflector design is engineered for efficiency, beam spread, and control to fit any application. The patented Maintenance Diagnostic System (MDS) reduces lifetime maintenance costs and allows ground-level testing. With Qualite, you can enjoy low-cost installation and one of the best 10- to 25-year warranties in the business.

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Baseball Fields Seating Services Inc. 800-552-9470 www.seatingservices.com Seating Services, manufacturer of quality stadium chairs, offers the Cardinal Model Series 3500 gravity tip-up chair for use in settings with narrow row spacing— as narrow as 26 inches. Because they have no springs or pins, these chairs are less expensive to manufacture, install, and maintain. They are designed for installation on concrete or steel/aluminum grandstands. Seat widths can range from 18 to 22 inches.

Many available colors and options make these chairs an excellent way to seat more fans in a limited space.

Circle No. 550 SPI Nets, Inc. 866-243-6387 www.spinets.net SPI Nets’ full-service net-building facility offers top-quality nets at unbeat-

able prices. The company stocks and custom builds a wide variety of nylon and poly batting cage nets, protective screens, and deflective barrier netting products. All custom nets are guaranteed to be of the highest quality, and are built in the USA to meet all your needs. Call SPI Nets tollfree or go online to learn more.

Circle No. 551 TXI/Diamond Pro 800-228-2987 www.diamondpro.com Diamond Pro offers a complete line of professional groundskeeping products: infield conditioners, calcined clay, mound and home plate clay, bricks, marking dust, and infield and warning track mixes. The company offers fast and convenient delivery. Diamond Pro’s vitrified red clay infield conditioner is available in bulk nationwide, and is easy to

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handle and apply. Truckloads are available in 10-, 15-, and 24-ton loads that save you both time and money.

Circle No. 552 Universal Sports Lighting 217-648-5201 www.uslnet.com The baseball field at the LaPlata County (Colo.) Fairgrounds features a Universal Sports Lighting system that maintains 50 footcandles of light in the infield and 30 footcandles in the outfield.

Following IES design criteria, this field has a system that can provide consistent levels of light throughout its lifespan. The lighting system is environmentally sensitive—it includes internal controls that provide outstanding spill and glare control.

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ACE 3000 - $5,995 Just like facing a live pitcher…

Increase batting average Choice of Pros and Travel Teams Easy lease terms with no money down AWARDED BEST OF SHOW ABCA 2007

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Save-A-Tooth®

gives you time to treat more serious injuries and get athletes to the dentist or emergency room.

Call (888) 788-6684 or visit www.Save-A-Tooth.com for more information Circle No. 142

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Baseball Fields Susquehanna University is an NCAA Division III school and a member of the Landmark Conference. It is located in picturesque Selingsgrove, Pa. Susquehanna’s Lopardo Stadium/ Stagg Field features lighting by Universal Spor ts Lighting.

Two levels of light provide 50 footcandles during football games and 20 footcandles for intramurals and track use.

Circle No. 554 Soft Touch Bases 866-544-2077 www.softtouchbases.com Soft Touch “progressive release” bases are designed to flex and absorb energy as a player slides into the base. In the case

of uncontrolled slides, the “progressive release” action allows the base to flex until enough force is applied to “pop” the base free from its mount, unlike a stationary base.

Circle No. 555 Bannerman Ltd. 800-665-2696 www.sportsturfmagic.com Restore your diamond’s luster in 20 minutes or less. Bannerman manufactures groomers that can level and provide maintenance care for baseball diamonds, warning tracks, and walking trails.

The B-DM-6 Diamond Master has five grooming tools: a ripper blade, a rake, a leveler, a roller, and a finishing brush.

Available options include an extension wing brush kit, a hydraulic tractor top link, a 50-gallon water tank with a spray

nozzle, a long-tine “fluffing” rake, and the new highway transport kit.

Circle No. 566 When player safety comes first, look to Bannerman. The company manufactures groomers that shape, level, and provide maintenance care for baseball diamonds and softball fields.

The B-BP-4 Ballpark-4 (shown) and the B-BP-6 Ballpark-6 models each have five tools: a ripper blade, a rake, a leveler, a roller, and a brush.

Available accessories include a wing brush kit, a top link kit, a 50-gallon water tank kit with a spray nozzle, and the new highway transport kit.

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Athletic Surface Materials Diamond Dirt "ENHANCE" CALCINED In¿eld Conditioner

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Baseball Fields On Deck Sports 877-227-4824 www.ondecksports.com

lines and comes with a throw-down home plate. Go online today to learn more.

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production. Its products can be customized to any dimensions.

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On Deck Sports offers new and used artificial turf as well as field equipment and training equipment. The company’s custom netting calculator can price any size sports netting. On Deck Sports specializes in the design and outfitting of indoor and outdoor baseball facilities. Its Lined Batting Mat features a 6’ x 12’ section of heavy-duty turf with a five-millimeter foam backing. It is inlaid with white turf

Gourock 800-248-7295 www.gourock.com

Country Stone 309-787-1744

Gourock provides reliable, commercialstrength netting applications featuring top-notch craftsmanship and excellent service.

Fast turnaround and multiple twine/mesh size combinations are available. The company specializes in providing high-quality materials and expert design and

Redfield Infield Topdressing is used on the skinned areas of baseball and softball fields as a topdressing and conditioner.

Excellent for improving aesthetics, Redfield reduces compaction and crusting caused by the hardening of clay, silt, and limestone, especially in high-traffic areas. With its natural color, Redfield will not fade or permanently stain uniforms. It works well in conjunction with calcined and vitrified clays, and is available in bulk or by the bag.

Circle No. 558 When searching for a warning track that looks good, plays well, and is easy to manage, look no further than Redfield Warning Track Mix by Country Stone.

This 100-percent natural aggregate provides an excellent transition zone between the turf and the fence, making the ball more visible from a distance and serving as an effective warning for players. Redfield can improve the aesthetics, playability, and manageability of any field. Redfield Warning Track Mix is available in bulk.

Circle No. 559 Aer-Flo, Inc. 800-823-7356 www.aerflo.com

THE HOME OF SPORTSTURF MAGIC Circle No. 147

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www.sportsturfmagic.com

Available exclusively from Aer-Flo, the Tuffy windscreen offers the unparalleled durability of Micro-Web mesh fabric. It feels even tougher because more microfibers are interwoven.

This windscreen can be imprinted in vivid colors, either digitally or via Perfect-Painting. Both methods eliminate the need to overlay separate printed banners, making team logos or advertising easier to install and change, and offering strikingly improved appearance. Both the windscreen and the imprinting are quickship items. Each screen is protected by a four-year factory warranty.

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Case Study

Vision Training with the Pros Designing the Junior Hack Attack Joe Maddon, Manager of the young and rapidly developing Tampa Bay Rays, is highly experienced and has been very successful with vision training.

He made the following suggestions for the design of the Junior Hack Attack pitching machine: • Coach Maddon insisted on the importance of the Junior Hack Attack being able to throw not only the standard nine-inch baseball, but also the smaller 7.5-inch ball, which is ideal for vision training.

• Coach Maddon’s innovative approach to vision training also includes a drill that uses a machine at a very low release point—36 inches. Without the tripod legs, the Junior Hack Attack can sit only on its undercarriage and effectively throw the ball from this low angle, much like a low softball release point.

Training with the Junior Hack Attack Coach Maddon trains Major League hitters at a close 33-foot distance with a small ball coming up at an angle to the hitter at high speed. His theory is that the hitter needs to shorten his stroke to get the head of the bat to the ball in this drill, eliminating any loop in his bat prior to contact. Hard focus and quickness to the ball are the objectives.

Coach Maddon has used this drill successfully for two seasons. He believes hitters rapidly adjust their swing to make contact. “Their entire ‘hack’ improves without my having to say a word,” Maddon says. “It takes about three rounds, and then instead of the initial frustration, it’s a line drive.”

With the help of the Junior Hack Attack, Coach Maddon applies a truly novel approach for teaching high-profile hitters. This ingenuity makes him one of the best hitting instructors in the game today.

Sports Attack P.O. Box 1529 Verdi, NV 89439 800-717-4251 Fax: 775-345-2883 info@sportsattack.com www.sportsattack.com CoachingManagementOnline.com

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Create A Professional Memory Book for Your Team

Quickly & Easily

MomentumMedia , publishers of Coaching Management and Athletic Management magazines, is pleased to provide you with an easy, creative, affordable system to capture all of the great experiences from this past season. myTEAMBOOK features an innovative software package with specially designed templates for sports teams and online components that gives you all the tools you need to customize a printed team book.

Visit www.myTEAMBOOK.net or call (607) 257-6970,ext.11 for more information.

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

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

Aer-Flo (Tuffy windscreen) . . . . . . . . . .

Bannerman (B-DM-6) . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Bannerman (B-BP-4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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

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

BetterBaseball (nets and cages). . . . . .

BK Productions (Pitching by Brent Kemnitz) . .

Cages*Plus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

California University of Pennsylvania . .

Cocoa Expo Sports Center . . . . . . .

Country Stone (Infield Topdressing) . . .

Country Stone (Warning Track Mix) . . .

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

EP Minerals (AXIS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

EP Minerals (PlayBall!). . . . . . . . . . . . .

Extra Innings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Fuller Five (Diamond Dirt) . . . . . . . . . .

Game-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Game-On (Red) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

GameMaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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

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

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

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

Hoosier Bat Company . . . . . . . . . . .

Jaypro (Grand Slam batting cage) . . . . .

Jaypro (Pitcher’s Safety Protector) . . . . .

Joyner Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . .

M.A.S.A. (Fence Guard Lite) . . . . . . . . .

M.A.S.A. (Handozer) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Majestic Athletic (Cool Base jerseys) . .

Majestic Athletic (Gamer jacket) . . . . .

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Master Pitching Machine . . . . . . . . . 30 Muhl Tech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 National Sports Products . . . . . . . . 44 Old Hickory Bat Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 PIK Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 PlayersGoal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Pro Look Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Pro’s Choice Field Products . . . . . . 12 Professional Maple Bats (Superior Bat Co.) . . 44 Qualite Sports Lighting . . . . . . . . . . 21 Redfield by Country Stone . . . . . . . 38 RevFire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Ringor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Russell Athletic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Save-A-Tooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Seating Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Soft Touch Bases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 SPI Nets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Sports Attack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IBC Sports Tutor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Sportsfield Modular. . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 StrikeOut Strippz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Stromgren . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Universal Sports Lighting . . . . . . . . . 2 Wizard Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Zingbat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

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Muhl Tech (Advanced Skills Tee) . . . . . .

Muhl Tech (Power Bag) . . . . . . . . . . . .

National Sports Products . . . . . . . .

Old Hickory Bat Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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

PIK Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

PlayersGoal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Power Systems (Predator Belt) . . . . . .

Power Systems (Premium Speed Sled) .

Pro’s Choice (Pro Red topdressing) . . . .

Pro’s Choice (Red) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Promats Athletics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Qualite Sports Lighting . . . . . . . . . .

RevFire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Ringor (Diamond Streak spike) . . . . . . . .

Ringor (Performance Jacket and Pants) . .

Save-A-Tooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Schedule Star . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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

Soft Touch Bases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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

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

Sports Attack (Junior Hack Attack) . . . .

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

Sports Tutor (TriplePlay) . . . . . . . . . . .

StrikeOut Strippz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Superior Bat Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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

Universal Sports Lighting (LaPlata) . . . . .

Universal Sports Lighting (Susquehanna) .

Wizard Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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

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

Save-A-Tooth 888-788-6684 www.save-a-tooth.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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Without proper care, a knocked-out tooth begins to die in 15 minutes. The Save-A-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. 563 Schedule Star 800-822-9433 www.schedulestar.com

Cocoa Expo Sports 321-639-3976 www.cocoaexpo.com Cocoa Expo is one of Florida’s premier sports management and promotion companies. For 25 years, it has operated the Cocoa Expo College and High School Baseball Spring Training program.

In addition, Cocoa Expo hosts baseball tournaments and camps out of the Cocoa Expo Sports Center, a multi-sport complex located on the east coast of central Florida.

The facility features seven baseball fields, including the 5,000-seat Cocoa Expo Stadium, batting tunnels, an airconditioned gymnasium, a 100-room dormitory, and a cafeteria. Cocoa Expo’s Baseball Spring Training base has everything a team needs to conduct spring training like the pros.

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The interface between Schedule Star and TheArbiter.net allows a Schedule Star user to upload team schedules for home games directly to the offi-

cials assignors. The assignors who use TheArbiter.net will have schedules and schedule changes transferred to them directly from Schedule Star. Go to ScheduleStar.com, sign in, and click on Utilities to get started today.

Circle No. 564 HighSchoolSports.net 800-822-9433 www.HighSchoolSports.net The Coaches Clipboard on HighSchoolSports.net has free tools for coaches to showcase their teams all in one location.

Athletic directors can save time and give coaches the tools they need to stay ahead of the game. Add, postpone, or cancel events and practices, enter scores and stats, access your roster, and get cumulative player and team stats all on HighSchoolSports.net. Go to the site and click on Coaches Login to start saving time today.

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Where the Game Never Ends Batting Cages

Professional Instruction

Pro Shop

Franchise Opportunities Available Love baseball or softball ?

Want to run your own business?

Then play ball with Extra Innings!

For more info, log onto:

www.eifranchise.com This franchise is not being offered to residents of the following states: HI, KY, NE, ND & SD. This communication is not directed to any person in the states listed above by or on behalf of the franchisor or anyone acting with the franchisor’s knowledge. No franchise can be offered or sold in the states listed above until the offering has been registered and declared effective by the appropriate regulatory authority and the UFOC has been delivered to the offeree before the sale within the applicable time frame. This franchise is offered only by delivery of a franchise offering circular.

Extra Innings 978-762-0448 www.eifranchise.com

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Extra Innings is a premier name in indoor baseball/softball centers. Each location offers year-round indoor practice facilities for ballplayers of all ages and ability levels, professional instruction, and a nationally recognized pro shop that carries the top names in equipment and apparel at the lowest advertised prices. Love baseball or softball? Want to run your own business? Then play ball with Extra Innings.

To learn more about this winning franchise opportunity, go online today.

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Infield Drag

Use to Maintain, Restore & Build Infields!

PR72-E,166,b

www.Infield-Drag.com

1/22/08 10:14:21 AM

PR72 Pro GroomerTM The perfect machine

Manual or electric lift available.

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

Controls Weeds, Deters Water Puddling, & Saves Labor!

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

Complete info at www.Infield-Drag.com

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

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EXTRA INNINGS

NEXT STOP: WEB SITE

Our editorial coverage continues on www.CoachingManagementOnline.com.

Here is a sampling of what is on our Web site:

Coaching Videos: Pitching Balance:

Box Throwing:

Drills designed to help pitchers stay stable through their delivery.

Improving your catchers’ throwing skills.

Assisted Resistance:

Inside-Outside:

How resistance cords can improve team speed.

Using a tee to help players hit pitches on either corner.

Off-Field Issues: Strength & Conditioning Injury Prevention Coaching Life

Student-Athlete Welfare

Tips for improving your players’ flexibility and strength.

Keeping your players safe from MRSA.

A look at five coaches who have stepped outside the norm and developed innovative approaches to coaching.

A high school in Massachusetts has laid out in writing what it means to be a team o ccaptain.

Downtime: Blogs by Lem Elway Dealing With Administrators: A little understanding can go a long way toward keeping this important relationship positive.

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

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

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

www.CoachingManagementOnline.com

B A S E B A L L

P i t c h i n g

M a c h i n e s

BASEBALL

As REAL as it gets Hack Attack has complete ball vision from acceleration through release, just like a live pitcher!

D h unique i 3 h ld i h b lll clearly l l all ll the h way through h h Due to the 3-wheel design, you can see the ball the feeding motion, acceleration and release, just like a live pitcher.

The hitter sees when to stride and the angle of release, giving him an actual live-arm sense of timing and location.

Using 3 wheels, the Hack Attack throws all pitches - from major league fastball to right and left handed breaking pitches - all with a simple and immediate speed dial adjustment (No awkward or time consuming moving of the throwing head).

Extremely mobile; on and off the field with ease.

As proven by our extensive customer list of the top programs in the country, in a very short time the Hack Attack’s “complete-vision design” has made it the most valuable training tool on the market today.

P.O. Box 1529 | 28 2805 05 U U.S. S 40 | Ve Verd Verdi, r i N rd Nevada 89439 tf 800.717.4251 | ph 775.345.2882

H ACK AT TACK | J U NIOR HACK AT TAC K

www.sportsattack.com

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