Coaching Management 16.9 by Momentummedia

Coaching Management VOL. XVI NO. 9

S O F T B A L L

P O S T S E A S O N

E D I T I O N

ALL FOR ONE How to develop team spirit

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Hosting a Tournament

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Weightroom Motivation

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$7.00

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Coaching Management Softball Edition Postseason 2008

CONTENTS

Vol. XVI, No. 9

3 LOCKER ROOM

COVER STORY

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

All For One

New schedule limit awaits NCAA Division I teams … NFHS looking for input on an increased pitching distance … Alabama high school coach leads local all-star team against Russians … Putting travel perks to good use … Prosthetic leg doesn’t slow Illinois high schooler.

Q&A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Leaving her alma mater wasn’t easy, but Jo Evans parlayed her move to Texas A&M into a trip to the Women’s College World Series final. PRODUCT LAUNCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 SOFTBALL FIELD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 HITTING & PITCHING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 TEAM EQUIPMENT/APPAREL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 MORE PRODUCTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

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Great teams have a winning spirit, through thick and thin. But how exactly do you develop that camaraderie? Here are six ideas.

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

Stepping Up

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Getting your athletes to step up their game happens both on the field and off. Knowing how to motivate them in the weightroom is one key. ADVERTISERS DIRECTORY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 NEXT STOP: WEB SITE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 On the cover: En route to the NCAA Division II national title game, Barry University used team-building activities to develop squad unity. Story starts on page 16.

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 softball edition is published in October and December by MAG, Inc. and is distributed free to college and high school coaches in the United States and Canada.

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LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD NCAA Adjusts Scheduling Rules Beginning this spring, some NCAA Division I softball teams will be playing fewer games than they have in past years. Instead of operating under a limit of 56 playing dates that counted all tournament games played in a single day as one contest, a new NCAA rule limits teams to 56 regular-season games.

be allowed to miss class time for them. The fall season will be limited to 45 days over September, October, and November, and will count toward the 132 playing and practice days that teams are allotted over the course of the school year.

tions without hurting a team’s won-lost record. At the request of the NFCA Coaches Committee, which was formed in 2006 to give Division I coaches a greater voice in the legislative process, the NCAA also tweaked

“This change might be inevitable, but the committee feels it just doesn’t have enough information to make it yet,” says Mary Struckhoff, NFHS Assistant Director and liaison to the softball rules committee, which met in June. “We’re hearing a lot from a relatively small number of coaches who are very vocal about either making the change or keeping things the way they are. But we really don’t know how the majority of coaches feel about it. So we’ve asked the coaches on our committee to find out where their colleagues stand.”

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“Certainly there were coaches who liked playing 80 games in a season,” she continues. “But many others were asking ‘Why are we killing ourselves and our student-athletes by playing so many games?’”

As a result, teams are now allowed to play up to eight exhibition games in the fall that will not be included in the 56-game spring limit. These games will not count in the standings or record books, and student-athletes will not

Should the pitcher’s plate in high school softball be moved back three feet? Or should it stay where it is? The NFHS needs your help in making the decision. The group’s softball rules committee recently elected to keep the pitching distance at 40 feet, but not because it’s opposed to extending it. Rather, committee members want to hear from more coaches before making a final decision. Currently, the NCAA, International Softball Federation, and Amateur Softball Association use the 43-foot distance, leaving the NFHS as the only major governing body using the shorter distance.

“Coaches started pushing for this change in 1999, and it was finally approved last year,” says Lacy Lee Baker, Executive Director of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA). “The biggest problem was the wide range in the number of games that teams played in a year. Some teams played 80 games during the course of the season, while others played as few as 40. That kind of discrepancy made it very difficult to compare teams when it came time to make selections for the NCAA tournament, and when we determined individual awards, such as All-American honors.

The changes are not limited to the spring. Previously, fall contests counted against the 56-day limit, but coaches argued that doing the same with a 56-game limit would be a mistake. Despite supporting the 56-game limit, the NFCA opposed proposals that did not provide a separate window for fall games.

Going the Distance

Kaitlin Cochran led NCAA Division I champion Arizona State University in games played last year with 71 (61 before the postseason), but next season’s leader will likely play fewer. An NCAA rule change will limit teams to 56 regular season games beginning in 2009 instead of 56 playing dates. Baker says the NFCA was concerned that eliminating the tournament exemption while not providing for fall games would increase the geographic inequities faced by teams in colder climates, who often have better weather in the fall than in the spring. The association also feels that fall games help student-athletes try different positions in game situa-

the wording of the rule governing the season’s starting date. Rather than beginning on the second Thursday in February, which would have resulted in only 13 weekends being available for the 2008 and 2009 regular seasons, the new rule specifically allows 14 weekends of play before the Division I regionals. For 2009, the start date will be Feb. 5.

Although some people have promoted the change as a way to better protect pitchers from injury, Struckhoff says research shows it provides little advantage in avoiding a comebacker. “The additional time is a very small fraction of a second,” she says. “There are other reasons a pitcher gets hit by a batted ball, such as not being in a good fielding position.” The rule change is intended to put more balls in play and get more players involved in the game. Struckhoff says the committee’s biggest question

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LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD involves the impact the change would have on pitchers with average or below-average skill. “We know highly skilled pitchers will adjust, but we’re concerned about less-skilled varsity pitchers as well as subvarsity pitchers,” she says. “Some people feel these pitchers will struggle with the longer distance, but we just don’t know for sure.”

While the committee waits for more data to analyze, coaches have been asked to weigh in with their preferences through their state athletic association or state coaches association. “If a coach isn’t willing to get involved in the process, then he or she really can’t complain about the outcome,” Struckhoff says. “It’s really up to the coaches now.“ Although the rules committee declined to change the pitching distance, it did make the following changes for the 2008-09 season, focusing on pitching, uniforms, and equipment: The penalty for exceeding the 20-second limit before

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In Florida, high school pitchers now stand 43 feet from home plate instead of 40, but it is one of only two states to experiment with the longer distance. Above, Jaclyn Traina leads Naples High School to the 4A Florida state title.

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BILL SIMMONS/BRYN-ALAN STUDIOS

While Florida has experimented with the 43-foot pitching distance under NFHS auspices, the committee feels there isn’t yet enough data to evaluate the effect on less-skilled pitchers, in part because so many students in the state play year round. Massachusetts implemented the longer distance on its own in 2008, and Struckhoff hopes the committee will be able to analyze data from games played there. In addi-

tion, the NFHS is encouraging other state associations to experiment with the increased distance, but Struckhoff is unsure whether any will do so.

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LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD making a pitch is now a ball awarded to the batter.

play while wearing a different uniform for religious reasons.

The pitching windup is now limited to a maximum of one and a half clockwise revolutions.

The committee also designated three points of emphasis for the upcoming season: the pitching motion, interference/obstruction, and the designated player/flex rule. The DP/FLEX, which replaced the designated hitter rule before the 2004 season, provides coaches with more flexibility in making both defensive and offensive substitutions.

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A bunt attempt has been redefined as holding the bat in the strike zone. The bat would have to be withdrawn in order to take a pitch.

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Catchers’ eye shields must be made of a clear material.

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The committee clarified that exposed undergarments must be a solid color and that state associations can, on an individual basis, permit players to

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“Some coaches are using it basically as a designated hitter,” Struckhoff says. “But there’s a lot more to it than that, and we want to make sure coaches are using the rule to its full potential.”

A full list of the 2008-09 NFHS softball rules changes is available online at: www.nfhs.org by clicking on “softball” under the “sports” menu.

The minor changes to the playing rules come a year after a major change allowed metal spikes in high school softball

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for the first time. Although there were early anecdotal reports of injuries blamed at least partially on metal spikes, Struckhoff says the number of reported incidents declined as the season progressed. “I don’t want to downplay any injury, but overall we’re happy with the change,” she says. “Once players adjusted to the spikes, there were far fewer reports of injuries and things seemed to return to the status quo. It was a pretty radical change and some coaches weren’t comfortable with it, but we also heard from others who said it helped their players get better traction.”

From Russia With Glove Ronald Reagan, Rocky Balboa, and the 1980 U.S. Olympic

Hockey Team would be proud. This summer, C.J. Hawkins, Head Coach at Spain Park (Ala.) High School near Birmingham, put together a lineup of local college and recently graduated high school players that defeated the Russian National Team in both games of a doubleheader. Assembling the 17-member Birmingham Elite team started when the Alabama High School Athletic Association alerted Hawkins to the Russians’ desire to schedule games while traveling through the Southeast. Hawkins quickly committed to putting together a team and hosting the doubleheader at Spain Park’s field. “The Russians were really excited to have some competition,” Hawkins says. “They struggle to find teams to play against at home. They travel all year

As Hawkins called around, she quickly found she created an opportunity a lot of players didn’t want to miss. “It became a really big deal and very prestigious,” Hawkins says. “Each person I contacted immediately jumped at the chance to play. I later found out some players’ feelings were hurt because they weren’t selected for the team. Learning about that disappointment was the hardest part of the whole process.”

Spain Park (Ala.) High School Head Coach C.J. Hawkins put together a team of all-stars this summer to compete against the Russian National Team. The June doubleheader attracted 400 fans and Birmingham’s mayor threw out the first pitch. Above, the two squads pose for a photo. long—I think they come to the U.S. twice a year just to find opponents.” Hawkins did her part to provide competition with a roster that included NCAA Division I

performers and a few younger players headed to elite college programs. “It was the strongest team I’ve ever coached,” she says. “We weren’t quite Olympic-level, but we were definitely as

good as a top-tier NCAA Division I team. Our starting shortstop stars at Auburn and we had players from Mississippi State, Troy University, Jacksonville State, and the University of Pennsylvania.”

When she finally brought the team together, Hawkins saw a Birmingham softball version of a cold war thaw. “I coached eight of the players in high school, and the rest were from area schools we played against,” she says. “There are some really bitter rivalries between these schools. You would think some personalities would conflict, but the

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LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD players were all very unselfish and got along well.

their daughters play college ball every weekend.”

says. “As a result, they wanted to buy everything they saw.”

“It was so relaxing and enjoyable,” she continues. “There was no pressure, and the girls were so proud to represent our area.”

Birmingham Elite won the first game 9-1 and the second 80. Both games were played using the international and college distance between the pitcher’s rubber and home plate of 43 feet. “That was a challenge for some of the players who had just graduated from high school, because they’ve always played at 40 feet,” says Hawkins.

Hawkins and her assistants also stepped between the lines to experience the games’ international flavor. A former center fielder at Ohio State University, Hawkins flashed a little leather in center field for a couple of innings and even got a hit. “I only played after making sure all the kids got in,” she says. “But I wanted to show my players that I still have it.”

Played on a Thursday evening in June, the doubleheader drew about 400 fans. The night began with the playing of both national anthems, and the mayor of Birmingham threw out the first pitch. It was an opportunity for community members to see how area high school stars had developed at the college level. “It was kind of a homecoming for everybody,” Hawkins says, adding that a local company donated uniforms for the team. “The parents especially loved it because a lot of them aren’t able to travel to watch

The Russian team, which failed to qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, is made up of 18to 33-year-old players, whose fulltime jobs are playing softball for their country. Hawkins met with the Russian team a couple of days before the doubleheader and took them to a local sporting goods store. “They don’t have a lot of gear back at home,” she

Small Items, Big Impact Two ounces of shampoo or a miniature bar of soap may not seem like much, but to people who stay at homeless shelters and women’s shelters, those little comforts mean a whole lot. That’s why Jamie Trach-

sel, Associate Head Coach at North Dakota State University, started a program to collect unused hotel toiletries from traveling student-athletes and donate them to area shelters. “Most teams try to do community service in their off-season because once we’re inseason, time is really limited,” Trachsel says. “I thought this would be a good way for our team to give back during the season. It’s really easy since it takes almost no time to grab a shampoo bottle and throw it into a bin once you’re back on campus. “Our team stayed in hotel rooms for 31 nights this past season, and we filled 11 rooms each of those nights, which adds up to a lot of shampoo,” she continues. “We were paying for the items with our hotel stay anyway, so

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I figured if we’re not going to use all the toiletries, let’s bring them back and give them to people who can. It makes me happy to see kids making a conscious effort to help those less fortunate.” Trachsel’s idea originated years ago. When she was playing college softball, she’d grab the unused shampoo and soap bars from her hotel room during team trips and drop them off at shelters. At the beginning of last school year, Trachsel brought the idea to the softball team, but word spread and soon other coaches were asking how their studentathletes could also get involved.

At North Dakota State University, community service happens during every road trip, when players save their unused hotel toiletries and donate them to homeless and women’s shelters. Associate Head Coach Jamie Trachsel, far left, spearheads the program.

“I met with our athletic director, Lynn Dorn, and presented the idea during a women’s coaches meeting and everyone loved it,” Trachsel says. “I

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LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD thought it would just be our team doing this, but the soccer and volleyball teams and a lot of the men’s teams helped out, too. It really ended up taking off and turning into something bigger than I ever thought it would.” Over the course of the year, the teams at North Dakota State donated almost 1,000 bars of soap, over 700 bottles of shampoo, and almost 500 bottles of conditioner in addition to lotion, mouthwash, and shower caps, to a local homeless shelter and women’s shelter in the Fargo area. Trachsel bought large plastic bins for the locker rooms in the two campus athletic facilities. The equipment manager, with the help of several work-study students, helped her sort and keep track of everything. Trachsel was able to hand the

shelters a spreadsheet so they knew exactly what they were getting. “Coaches from all over have contacted me, wanting to do something similar,” Trachsel says. “I can’t tell anyone the best way to organize it for their individual facility, but a bin in each locker room worked well for us. You can get your Student-Athlete Advisory Committee members to help you with the sorting, and our Student Government Association has expressed interest in spreading the bins to general campus housing, too. “At first, I felt like the project was getting too much attention,” she continues. “But the recognition has given others some ideas, and every little bit matters. I hope people read this and think, ‘Gosh, our team can easily do that, too.’”

Leading By Example When Ken Lukawski, Head Coach at Byron (Ill.) High School, talks about 2008 senior Bryn Byers, he uses words like competitive, passionate, and hard-working. He doesn’t mention anything about a disability. In fact, despite having a prosthetic leg, Byers—also a cheerleader and basketball player at Byron—was a key contributor to the team’s 2008 conference championship. As a 13-year-old, Byers sustained a hairline fracture in her left heel during an ATV accident. After being sent home from the hospital in a cast, Byers developed an infection, which led to life-threatening complications and forced her to make a hard decision. Did she want to live a sedentary life with years of surgical pro-

cedures and intense physical therapy to rebuild her leg? Or did she want to continue playing sports with a prosthetic leg? On Sept. 25, 2003 her left leg was amputated six inches below the knee. Five months after the amputation, Byers was wearing a prosthetic leg and playing basketball on her eighth grade team. Less than a year later, she made her return to the softball field, playing at Polo (Ill.) High School. Two years later, Byers’s family moved to the Byron district. “The first time I even realized she had lost a leg was while watching her play in a girls’ basketball game during her junior year,” Lukawski says. “Despite restricted lateral quickness, Bryn’s competitive nature and anticipation allowed her to keep up with the other

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example of how to be a good teammate. “She was disappointed in her decreased playing time, but accepted her role and always did her very best,” Lukawski says. “Bryn’s attitude really rubbed off on the rest of the team.” To Lukawski, Byers’s biggest contributions transcended the diamond. “Whether we win or lose, it is not the end of the world,” Lukawski says. “There are a lot more important things in life. Just look at

Bryn’s situation: She’s lucky to be alive, and we should all feel that way.” Byers is attending Rock Valley College this fall and her goal is to become a nurse practitioner. Lukawski has no doubts that regardless of the career field she goes into, Byers will leave her mark. “She’s the most positive person you could ever meet,” he says. “She has taught us all that there’s more to life than just winning a ball game.”

Despite losing a portion of her leg five years ago, Bryn Byers contributed to the Byron (Ill.) High School squad as an outfielder and pinch hitter, and she spread a positive attitude throughout the whole team.

JOHN F. ELBERS II/ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR/COPYRIGHTED/USED WITH PERMISSION

girls. These traits also served her well on the softball field.” Though she lacks lateral quickness, Byers is very fast running straight ahead. “At the beginning of the season, we time each player running from home to first and from first to third,” Lukawski says. “She was the third-fastest player on the team.” In March 2008, Byers’s speed and hitting ability earned her the starting job in left field. Later in the season, she switched to designated hitter, and eventually was given a role as a pinch hitter and pinch runner. “We had a very competitive team and playing time was hotly contested,” Lukawski says. “Bryn could have started for any other team in our conference, but we had so many good players that she had to come off the bench. I never gave her an advantage over another player or treated her any differently than the other girls because of her prosthetic. And she appreciated that.” On the bench, Byers worked at finding different ways to contribute and set an Circle No. 109

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Q&A

Jo Evans Texas A&M University

In 1996, after five years as Head Coach at her alma mater, Jo Evans made the hardest decision of her career. She left the University of Utah for Texas A&M University, taking over a program with a lot of history but little recent success. Since then, Evans has led the Aggies to nine NCAA Division I tournament regionals, three super regionals, and back-to-back Women’s College World Series (WCWS) appearances the past two years. In May, the team fell to Arizona State University in the title series capping a 57-10 season while leading the nation in fielding percentage (.983). During her playing days, Evans earned All-America honors in 1982, when the Utes advanced to the WCWS. She began her coaching career as an assistant at Florida State University (1984-85) and served four

A finalist for the USA Softball National Player of the Year Award, Megan Gibson went 41-4 as a pitcher and hit .339 with 13 home runs last spring to help lead Texas A&M to the 2008 NCAA Women’s College World Series finals.

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years as Head Coach at Colorado State University (1986-89) before returning to Salt Lake City in 1990. With trips to the WCWS in 1991 and 1994, Evans’s Utah teams broke school records in virtually every category, including highest national ranking (seventh) and best winning percentage (.797). Evans has won seven conference coach of the year awards and teamed with Associate Head Coaches Mary Jo Firnbach and Joy Jackson as the 2008 National Fastpitch Coaches Association Midwest Region Coaching Staff of the Year. In this interview, Evans talks about leaving Utah, overcoming obstacles, and keeping her team loose.

injury?” We, as coaches, had a responsibility to get that part right so our players could go out and play the game.

CM: Why did you move from the University of Utah to Texas A&M? Evans: It was a tough decision because I love the University of Utah and never thought I’d leave. But Texas A&M called and said, “Why don’t you just listen to what we have to say?” And by the end of the conversation, I was interested. I talked to my athletic director, who said, “You need to look out for your own professional growth.”

How did you deal with the setbacks? We made sure we tackled problems head-on. We also had a sport psychologist who helped us manage ourselves and the team. He really helped me not get caught up in the fact that we didn’t have Amanda.

So I went down to A&M and saw what the school had to offer. I thought about the facilities, the budget, and the difference in the weather. I felt very emotionally attached to Utah, and I had to take a step back to make a decision. I eventually realized that for my professional growth, I needed to go to A&M.

Instead, we took a step back and said, “Let’s redefine everybody’s role.” We talked as a team and the players came up with roles for themselves with a new name for each person. For example, Amanda is a leader who’s willing to say what needs to be said, so they named her “The Voice.”

You were Big 12 champions last year and placed second in the WCWS. What are your thoughts looking back on the season? Coaching is a rewarding job, but last year was especially rewarding. We had the kind of injuries that initially look like setbacks, especially when our two-time AllAmerican Amanda Scarborough was lost for the year with a foot injury, but they turned out to really catapult us forward.

Every player took their name to heart. That helped them know their role on the team and the responsibilities they had to fulfill. We focused on what a great team we had, how our roles defined us, and how we were going to take that and run with it.

Last year helped me stretch myself in terms of being a leader, dealing with adversity, and building team dynamics. I had to ask myself, “How can I teach my players to handle the pressure of losing some of their strongest teammates to

Texas A&M was the underdog in the WCWS semifinals, but you beat the University of Florida. How did you prepare your team? We needed to make everyone feel comfortable and loose—not like a berth in the national championship game was on the line. So as we waited for the game before ours to end, we sat together on a hill behind left field and relaxed. Our

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players found a piece of cardboard and ended up sliding down the hill on it. They probably spent a good half hour just having fun, remembering what it was like to be kids. People wondered why we

Is that looseness something you try to instill in all your teams? I’m intense and competitive, no question about it, but I always try to have that looseness. As a coach, if you can stay

“As a coach, if you can stay calm in the heat of the battle and remember how much fun it is to play the game, the feeling is contagious. Our players don’t panic under pressure because they don’t see their coaches panic.”

weren’t on the practice field, but we had to find a way to bring out our own personality as a team. Once we got on the field, we were relaxed enough to play the game well and have a great time doing it. It was an incredibly competitive, well-played game, but there was a looseness in our players that made it very fun.

calm in the heat of the battle and remember how much fun it is to play the game, the feeling is contagious. Our players don’t panic under pressure because they don’t see their coaches panic. When I started my first head coaching job at Colorado State, I was scared to death. I remember leaving my house in tears. My brother stopped me and said, “Just be yourself.” It was a great lesson.

I still didn’t know what it would feel like to be a head coach, but I knew what it felt like to be myself. I’ve kept that with me through the years. In the times when I’ve gotten off track, I can always go back to being myself. What was it like to replace Bob Brock, who won three national titles at Texas A&M in 15 years? You can’t be somebody you’re not. I came to A&M at a time when they weren’t winning national titles, so for me it was a matter of trying to instill that championship attitude. The key was to recruit the caliber of athletes we needed to compete for a national title, and our focus became getting the best players in Texas. It took time, but as we progressed, we really started to take on that unselfish attitude that is Texas A&M. For me, it’s also critical the people closest to you believe in you, and believe in your plan. In my first year, I took a line drive in the head when I was coaching third base. I spent the next five weeks in bed just trying to survive. But I was confident my Assistant Coach, Joy Jackson, knew the culture that I wanted to implement at A&M.

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Q&A It also helped that I had an administration that hired me because they thought I could do a good job, and they stuck with me. That made all the difference in my coaching career. What is your coaching philosophy? I want to make sure I instill my love for the game in my players. I try to stay within the moment, never lose sight of what’s important, and let my athletes enjoy the game. If we believe in our process, focus on the positives, and don’t let fear get in the way, then ultimately we will have a good experience.

I’m not constantly thinking about next year’s lineup or talking to peers about drills. What are you most proud of in your career? Watching my players come in as freshmen and graduate as seniors. I’m proud of seeing who they become as people. Helping them grow and mature is probably the thing I love most.

What are your future plans for coaching? My goals don’t change. Every day I want to be a great coach. Every day I want to be loyal to my staff. Every day I want to compete for championships. Every time we enter a tournament, I expect us to win. I know that things won’t always go perfectly, but I expect to be good at what I do, and I surround myself with people who can help.

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How do you go about instilling that passion in your athletes? By showing it. We can all tell when coaches are faking it, and we can see it in their teams. As long as I genuinely and sincerely feel a love for the game, my players will take that on. As coaches, we’re responsible for modeling the kinds of behaviors we want our kids to emulate. Having passion has also become one of my focal points in watching athletes that we’re recruiting. Do they have a true spirit for the game, or are they just going through the motions? Because if they don’t love it, they’ll burn out in college. What is your best advice on recruiting? Early on, I often got discouraged and felt intimidated. When I went to a game while coaching at Colorado State or Utah and I saw a Pac-10 school that just won a national championship watching the same athlete, I’d instantly think “Great, I’m not going to get this player.” So the first thing I learned is you have to be able to handle rejection and not take it personally. When someone chooses not to come to your school, you have to accept it and move forward. At that point, my strategy for recruiting was to not get discouraged and to just keep plugging along. I soon found that there’s always someone who does want to go to your school and you have to match up those talents and personalities. At Texas A&M we sell the spirit of the 12th man, our history, and the unselfish attitude that permeates the University. It’s an easy sell. How do you balance work with the rest of your life? I don’t know any coach who feels they give equal time to both, but I’ve always tried to have a life outside softball. When I’m not in my office, I let it go. Circle No. 112 CoachingManagementOnline.com

ALL

FOR ONE Great teams have a winning spirit, through thick and thin. But how exactly do you develop that camaraderie? Here are six ideas. BY ABIGAIL FUNK

COVER STORY

Barry University’s Ali Perantoni (left) and Brittany Anderson congratulate each other on scoring the winning runs during the team’s win over Tampa University to capture the 2008 NCAA Division II South Region Softball Championship. During the previous fall, the squad participated in several team-bonding activities.

Even before fall ball started last season, Barry University Head Coach Danielle Penner knew cultivating team spirit would be a challenge. She was bringing in a large class of new players who would need to mesh with her veterans, so she anticipated battles over playing time and problems with team unity. “In any team sport, you worry about individualism,” Penner says. “It’s hard for talented student-athletes who aren’t playing as much as they feel they should. Rather than putting the team first, negativity creeps into their actions and spreads throughout the team. I wanted to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, but I also wanted to head off any trouble before it started.” So Penner met with members of Barry’s sport psychology department, including graduate psychology student helpers. On their advice, she set up teambuilding and focus exercises like the daylong ropes course her squad completed in the fall. “Everything we did was about building team spirit,” Penner says. “I felt these exercises were so important that I made them mandatory, and we sacrificed onfield practice time every week.” Abigail Funk is an Assistant Editor at Coaching Management. She can be reached at: afunk@MomentumMedia.com.

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The strategy worked. Building on the success of the previous year, the Buccaneers finished the 2008 season 448, advancing to the NCAA Division II national tournament and setting team records for winning percentage (.846), fielding percentage (.978), and consecutive wins (35). “Taking the extra time to develop unity was well worth it,” Penner says. “Bringing these girls together during the fall created a real sense of team spirit and was a big part of us having such a great year.” There are many ways to build team spirit, but most of all it takes a coach willing to put in the time and effort to make it happen. In this article, we talk to six coaches who have used a variety of approaches, both on and off the field, to keep athletes focused and spirits high. On the Ropes Of the many team-building exercises Penner planned for her squad, the one that had the most impact was a day-long ropes course. “What made it work so well was that the players had to put all their

trust in each other,” she says. “They were forced to overcome their fears, count on one another, and work toward a common goal at each activity.” The course started with some relatively simple exercises that were completed on or close to the ground. In one situation, players walked a foot off the ground as a group on a wire strung between logs standing six feet apart. “The logs were far enough apart that they couldn’t just jump from one to the next,” Penner explains. “The girls had to use one another’s balance and strength to stay upright, and they needed to communicate to move along the wires together. At each station, they were expected to successfully achieve their goal as a group, with no one left behind.” The exercises progressed further off the ground, including a tightrope walk. Each player was harnessed in and her teammates controlled the tension of the ropes holding her up. Penner says a few players learned that day they had a phobia of heights, but they used each other to complete even the highest-level activities.

After each exercise, the team sat in a circle to discuss how it went: what worked, what didn’t, and how they could use that information at the next activity. “At one point, the girls were having trouble trying to figure out how to complete one of the challenges,” Penner says. “The more vocal players were trying to take control, and it wasn’t working. Finally, one of the quieter players suggested what turned out to be the right approach. “From that experience, everyone realized that it’s important for each member of the team—whether she’s seen as a leader or not—to be heard,” Penner continues. “I loved seeing that realization sink in.” Penner is convinced that without the ropes course the Buccaneers wouldn’t have come close to achieving the success they did last season. “Up until that point in October, we had a rocky start to our relationships,” she says. “You can hit well, pitch well, and field well, but that isn’t always enough to win. There’s also an ‘X’ factor that is harder to control—unity and team spirit. I think we found those with the help of the ropes course.”

Even players who never take the field can contribute to team spirit.

“She was a part of the team before this happened, and she continued to be a part of the team.”

At Saddleback Community College, Kelli Larson was a starting center fielder for the Gauchos during her freshman year, and was looking forward to an even better second season in 2008. But as Larson went through her preseason physical, doctors detected an irregular heartbeat and sent her to a specialist who found a hole in one of her heart valves. Her season was over before it had even started.

Larson coached first base during games, scheduled her doctor’s appointments around practices, and took on her leadership role as a returning player. “It was a nobrainer to have her here,” Trani says. “She always has a smile on her face, and the other girls really look up to her as a positive role model.”

“Here’s this really active 19-year-old and all of a sudden she is told she literally can’t do anything,” Head Coach Nick Trani says. “Instead of playing softball, she was scheduling open-heart surgery.” But just because Larson wasn’t going to compete in the spring didn’t mean she was going to sit in her room and mope. “We got her a uniform for the team picture, and she wanted to attend practices and games, so I told her to come anytime she felt up to it,” Trani says.

Working with a roster of less than a dozen players by the end of the season, the Gauchos shouldn’t have performed as well as they did during the 2008 season, and Trani believes Larson had a direct impact on the team’s success. “We won our regional tournament, which was an overachievement,” Trani says. “We were a closeknit team with good chemistry and the players all got along really well. Any time my other players started feeling down, they looked to Kelli for inspiration. Psychologically, she was a huge asset to this team.”

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As One When Amy Johnson took over as Head Coach at New Castle (Pa.) High School less than six weeks before the start of the 2008 season, she inherited a program that had won only seven games over the previous three seasons. Johnson was happy to hear, however, that prior to her arrival, the team had instituted its own slogan: “As one.”

“But that slogan was about all they had,” Johnson says. “They were just words, and we needed to dig deeper to figure out what those words really meant. “So as a group we decided that ‘as one’ meant we did everything together—we won as a team, lost as a team, sacrificed our time as a team, and committed as a team,” Johnson continues. “I don’t think the girls had ever really thought deeply about the slogan before, and until we talked about it, it wasn’t doing anything to make them feel like a team.” Once they figured out the slogan’s true meaning, the players started taking those words to heart. “Before every practice we would get together to stretch and I would say a few words to get us focused, always reminding the girls that we work ‘as one,’” Johnson says. “We pushed that slogan hard in practice, talking about what it means to give everything up for the betterment of the entire team.”

“We decided that ‘as one’ meant we did everything together— we won as a team, lost as a team, sacrificed our time as a team, and committed as a team ... We pushed that slogan hard in practice, talking about what it means.”

Because the squad hadn’t been very successful before her arrival, the hardest part of making the slogan meaningful was demonstrating how it could help them win. “Getting every player to buy in completely was tough, especially early in the season,” Johnson says. “But once we won our first game, their attitude was more like, ‘We can do this, no problem.’” To reinforce teamwork during practice, Johnson matched upperclassmen with underclassmen and girls who didn’t generally speak with each together for drills. The Lady Canes extended their slogan to off-field events as well. The team stayed together outside of practices, attending high school baseball games and going to the town pool as a group. “High school-age players are still learning,” Johnson says. “They’re learning the game of softball, and they’re learning about themselves and each other. Sometimes they just need a little push to see what can be accomplished through hard work and doing every-

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thing together. Dissecting and putting our slogan back together brought our team spirit to another level.” Cheerleaders, Too Vocal displays of team spirit typically resonate with softball athletes. That’s apparent for the Humboldt State University Lumberjacks, where cheering from the dugout has become an important part of their approach to the game. Head Coach Frank Cheek has witnessed the impact of cheering firsthand, and believes his players when they tell him that cheers keep them focused in the moment. “I’ve been here for over 20 years, and they’ve been cheering since day one,” Cheek says. “It’s a special part of the sport, and the girls pass their cheers along each year, even writing them down for the next group. “And if the current team is not saying the cheers the right way, come time for our alumnae game, the alumnae will correct them,” Cheek continues. “One year, the alumnae showed up with the cheers all typed up so they could compare notes. Another year, our alumnae thought the players were too quiet and told them so. Everyone who has ever been involved with our program takes the cheers very seriously.” Cheek doesn’t participate in the cheers, but knows them well. On a full pitch count, the team chants, “We want a hit. We’ll take a walk.” In another cheer, dubbed the “Ding Dong” cheer, the team makes up different verses each year, with Cheek as the subject. The cheers are so constant that Cheek has occasionally asked his squad to stop long enough for him to relay a message to the batter. “Ninety-five percent of the time, the cheering doesn’t have an adverse effect on what I do as a coach,” he says. “The only thing I ask is that they’re not offensive to anyone.” Cheek recalls one time his team may have crossed the line. Hosting the University of California-Davis the day after UCDavis lost to San Francisco State University, the Lumberjacks played the song “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” over the loudspeaker and sang the verses. The UC-Davis squad didn’t appreciate the sting and a couple of weeks later, sent Cheek a letter. “Sometimes what they think is cute is offensive to someone else,” he says. “I showed them the letter, and we came to an agreement that they would be more responsible about what they were cheering or singing. “I always say to be a student of the game, to be paying attention even when you’re not up to bat or in the field,” Cheek continues. “If cheering makes them happy and they stay focused and in the moment, I’m all for it.” Spring Break At Cabrini College, Head Coach Lisa McGregor found that having her players compete with each other off the field helped them compete better as a team on the field. In 2008, McGregor organized a spring break trip that incorporated two tournaments—one in Virginia Beach and another in Maryland—but also left plenty of time for other activities. “Our schedule was set up so that we had tournament play at the beginning and end of the week, with three or four days of practice and downtime in between,” McGregor says. “We have a very competitive team, so we decided to do off-field activities that are also competitive.

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“We divided the team into groups that remained the same over the course of the week and did things like bowling and mini-golfing,” she continues. “It wasn’t just about winning the events, though. We were working on team bonding, even if the girls didn’t realize it at the time.”

When they returned to campus, the Cavaliers made it a point to continue the team bonding. They got together for team dinners, including a potluck before the winter holiday break. But McGregor was careful not to overdo it. “I didn’t want to push this idea to the point where we were doing something off the field every other day,” she says. “I want to get together often enough that it’s something special for them, not something they feel obligated to do. “One of the big things that transferred from our off-thefield gatherings was motivation to succeed on the field,” McGregor continues. “At the end of last season, I found out that some of the girls had been having issues with personal things like dorm roommates, but I never once saw that translate to the field. They knew to keep the problematic stuff off the field, and I think

“Much of the reason I wanted her jersey retired was to honor her, but it was also to generate a feeling of team spirit in the girls who play now. There was a playoff atmosphere that night right in the middle of the season, and everyone stepped up their game.”

our team building activities helped teach them how to do that.” Honoring Excellence Kayla Short, a 2005 graduate of Ashbrook High School in Gastonia, N.C., holds the school’s career records for pitching wins, strikeouts, shutouts, innings pitched, and complete games. She also ranks second in doubles, home runs, and RBIs, and third in batting average—all reasons why Short is the first softball player to have her jersey number retired at Ashbrook. Seeing her number retired was fulfilling for Short, but it also benefited Ashbrook’s current players. “It was a well-deserved honor for Kayla, but also a great way to get my current girls excited about what could be in store for them,” says Head Coach Rex Carnes. “Top players in other sports were in the department’s hall of honor, so I approached our athletic director about getting Kayla in there,” he continues. “He agreed, and we set up a special night to retire Kayla’s jersey. We wanted

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to hold the ceremony on a night that we played at home and also when Kayla’s college team was in town so she could attend. It worked out to be the night we played our biggest rival.” During the pregame ceremony, a frame containing Short’s jersey was unveiled, which now hangs in Ashbrook’s hall of honor. A vinyl replica was also unrolled on the outfield fence, where it stays as a reminder of her accomplishments. Carnes says the buzz on the field and in the stands was electric. “My players all look up to Kayla,” he says. “Much of the reason I wanted her jersey retired was to honor her, but it was also to generate a feeling of team spirit in the girls who play now. There was a playoff atmosphere that night right in the middle of the season, and everyone stepped up their game. “We have a couple of players here who have been moving up the school’s career totals lists,” Carnes continues. “And this gives them an even higher goal. As their coach, I’m always emphasizing goals, and trying to have your number retired is the ultimate one.”

Alumnae Connection When Maggie Calcaterra, Head Coach at Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis, was playing in college, alumnae weekend was always the part of the off-season she enjoyed most. As a coach, she wanted to develop the same feeling for her own squad, so she turned the annual fall alumnae game into an event that lasts the entire weekend, including a formal dinner and a postgame picnic. “My intention was to instill more pride and team spirit in our program,” she says. “It’s great for our current athletes to hear our alumnae talk about their teams and how playing softball has benefited their careers. Hearing encouragement and words of advice from successful former players is invaluable to my current players.” The alumnae weekend kicks off on Friday with a formal dinner held off-campus. A guest speaker—last year’s speaker was a player from the National Professional Fastpitch League’s Chicago Bandits—is the highlight, and alumnae get a

chance to re-connect and be introduced to the current players. Then on Saturday afternoon, players past and present compete in an on-campus game and enjoy a postgame picnic afterward. “By the end of the weekend, everyone is comfortable and talking to one another, but it really does take a whole weekend for that to occur,” she says. “In the beginning I initiate conversations and ask former players to talk to current players, but by the time Saturday afternoon rolls around, they’re all chatting up a storm. “Alumnae weekend made a difference on our team last year—we were a happier, more cohesive group—and I think it will make a difference again this year,” Calcaterra continues. “We just completed our 10th year in Division I, and before that we were competing in the NAIA, so it was neat to have both NAIA and NCAA players here to talk about the differences and the changes. There is team spirit in the fact that these girls now have a great sense of what’s in store for them and how playing softball will impact their future for the better.” ■

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LEADERSHIP

Summerville (S.C.) High School hosts the annual Azalea Invitational Tournament, which included 40 teams in 2008.

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BY DR. DAVID HOCH

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 ssure 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, con-

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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cession sales, and advertising sponsors, many schools make significant money from hosting a big event. 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

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 classifica-

Provide local newspapers with the dates, times, and pairings of your contests well beforehand ... 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 squads will be together. 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? 26

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tions 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 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 corp. 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 armtwisting, 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. 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 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 squads will be together. You want to attract as many fans as possible in order to generate a healthy gate.

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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 sign board in front of the school. Budget: You can’t count on making money, or 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. 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 ath-

letes’ 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. 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

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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

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

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. The name of the company could be incorporated into the name of the tournament. But these issues cannot be assumed. They have to be discussed. all of the athletic directors and coaches involved. In this letter, we asked them to share the ticket prices with their parents and fans. We also posted several photocopies of this letter at our ticket booth to show parents that we did communicate with their schools.

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 profes-

sional 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 softball, 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 for making money: Find A Sponsor: This is probably the single most important consideration. If

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the sponsor pays for the officials, cus- with a food vendor and splitting the for the concession stand. Write all those todial coverage, and awards, this means profits. thoughts down before you forget them! that the gate and refreshment stand revWith a great organizational system in enue can be counted as pure profit. Better Every Year place and some special touches that make Clearly establish what the sponsor gets As with most projects, you will want to it unique, your tournament can gain a in return for its investment. It would be make notes at the conclusion of the tour- following. With a budget that turns a reasonable that they should be able to nament of any improvements or changes profit, you also have a fundraising source display signage for their company. The for next year. You may find you had too that can help your program grow. ■ name of the company could be incor- much down time between contests, not porated into the name of the tourna- enough volunteers for a certain task, or This article has appeared in other sport-spement and prominently displayed in the overestimated the amount of food needed cific editions of Coaching Management. 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 Circle No. 125 depending on your community and the size of the tournament. 1 2/1/07 2:22:22 PM Even though you might make a Untitled-1 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 success. At our regional track meet, for example, we sell bottled water, sports drinks, oranges, and bananas, as well as healthy turkey sandwiches. With a little extra work, you can even provide foods not normally found at a school sporting event and make a larger profit. A group of ambitious parents can put together a chicken barbecue or sell homemade pies during a softball tournament. You can even consider partnering Circle No. 124 CoachingManagementOnline.com

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STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

BY DR. JACK JOHNSON

IT’S BEEN SAID BY COACHES—USUALLY AFTER A ROOKIE MISTAKE HAS COST THEIR TEAM DEARLY—THAT THE BEST THING ABOUT FRESHMEN IS THAT THEY BECOME SOPHOMORES. A progression from inexperienced newcomer to seasoned veteran is usually a welcome change. The same sentiment is felt in the weightroom. 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

DAVE KNACHEL/VIRGINIA TECH

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.

STEPPING UP

Getting your athletes to step up their game happens both on the field and off. Knowing how to motivate them in the weightroom is one key.

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STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

accept any challenge and make great gains in strength and power. The second year of strength training is almost always a productive one. In the junior and senior years, some athletes can begin to plateau and not make gains. This is when new steps must be taken to keep them improving. Just like they do on the playing fields, athletes’ needs and abilities change throughout the course of their college career in the weightroom. What works for a wide-eyed freshman may not yield the same results for a three-year starter. Below, I will explore five common questions faced by coaches as their athletes progress from rookies to seniors in the weightroom. Should freshmen and upperclassmen have separate workout programs? Most freshmen are not able to step into a full-fledged strength program, so they should be doing a very different workout than their experienced teammates. However, if a freshman has mastered the lifts in high school, there’s

no reason to keep her from working out with upperclassmen. There are also other factors more important than age to consider when grouping athletes for lifting. For example, it’s common to break teams into groups based on position. And those with certain weaknesses or injuries can be placed together. 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 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 her best interests, both parties have a chance for true success. But trust doesn’t happen overnight. Developing it takes time and effort. This starts by working with an enthusiastic

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son, then structuring her weightroom workouts to meet those goals. Goals meetings also provide an opportunity for players to ask about the program and discuss their performance within it. Another great thing about goals meetings is that you will learn a little more about what motivates each of your players and how to challenge those who aren’t doing well. It also affords the opportunity to praise those who are having success. 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 other ways to help motivate athletes. 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 football conditioning session with a competitive drill. One of our favorites was a simple game called “Sharks and Minnows,” where two or three athletes 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 were the minnows. The sharks tried to tag the minnows. With all the cuts, acceleration, and deceleration involved, this drill closely mimics what athletes are asked to do on the field. One way to inject some life into an off-season program is to hold a strongman competition, using events such as a tractor-tire flip, truck push, stadium

stair run, sumo wrestling, and tug-ofwar. Once a week, we’d conduct one event after our lifting session and keep track of scores. The events broke up the monotony of the off-season program and gave the athletes another avenue to enhance their performance outside of typical resistance training. Although the idea is used mainly for football teams, I feel it can work equally as well for softball squads. How do injuries, which can accumulate over the course of a career, affect athletes’ strength and conditioning programs? 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

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STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

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 problems, or conversely, the workout may need to be adjusted to build up an area that is seeing injuries due to a 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

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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 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. Testing gives us a quantitative baseline to evaluate athletes, making it possible to measure performance gains. Without that baseline, it’s hard to tell whether an athlete lifts well or plays well because she 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 second 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. Even very successful weightroom programs can not make winning teams. And any strength program will appear to work when a team has superior athletes. 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 they can? These are the factors that we can, and should, control. ■ A version of this article previously appeared in our sister publications, Coaching Management-Baseball and Training & Conditioning. More articles from T&C can be found at: www.Training-Conditioning.com.

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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 three-year factory warranty, and they’re widely used by high schools, colleges, and even Major League teams. Circle No. 504 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 and softball 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. 505 When player safety comes first, look to Bannerman. The company manufactures groomers that shape, level, and provide

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Softball Field economical power consumption. Ask about Fair-Play’s new line of wireless controls, and round out the package with field identification and display advertising. Fair-Play: It all adds up. Circle No. 512

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Circle No. 130

www.promatsathletics.com 800-678-6287 Circle No. 131 CoachingManagementOnline.com

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Softball Field Pro’s Choice 800-648-1166 www.proschoice1.com

Beam Clay® 800-247-BEAM www.beamclay.com

Pro’s Choice Red infield conditioner is designed to meet the challenges of wet, dry, or compacted infields. This

Beam Clay®, a supplier to ever y Major League Baseball team, more than 150 minor league teams, more than 700 colleges, and thousands of towns and schools from all 50 states and many countries around the world, makes special mixes for infields, pitcher’s mounds, home plate areas, and red warning tracks, as well as infield conditioners and dr ying agents. The company also offers more than 200 other infield products, including regional infield mixes blended for ever y state and climate from bulk plants nationwide. Circle No. 518

legendary product is the first choice of professional groundskeepers for building and maintaining winning softball fields 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. 516 Rapid Dry drying agent from Pro’s Choice quickly wicks excess water away from your softball field and helps

Promats® Athletics 800-617-7125 www.promats.com

improve soil consistency. It’s not a dusty powder, and its granules are perfectly sized for both stability and absorption. Rapid Dry’s sand-like texture even improves footing on slippery surfaces. Just pour it on any wet spots and get back in the game, fast. When you need a game-saver, you want Rapid Dry drying agent in the lineup. Circle No. 517

Promats® Athletics has taken innovation and technology a step further with EnviroZone™, offering a product that combines environmentally friendly design, improved durability (a five-year warranty is standard), and exceptional performance. EnviroZone features a new thermoplastic biocomposite backer board made from 98-percent recycled

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materials, 25-ounce tri-layer vinyl, and expanded-bead polyethylene foam. With a G-Max rating of 87, EnviroZone is a green product that will provide superb protection for athletes. Circle No. 519 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. Circle No. 520 SPI Nets, Inc. 866-243-6387 www.spinets.net SPI Nets’ full-service net building facility offers top-quality nets at unbeatable prices. The company stocks and custom builds a wide variety of nylon and poly batting cage nets, protective screens, and protective barrier netting products. All custom nets are guaranteed to be of the highest quality, and are built in the U.S. to meet all your needs. Call SPI Nets tollfree or go online to learn more. Circle No. 521 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

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Softball Field 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 handle and apply. Truckloads are available in 10-, 15-, and 24-ton loads that save you both time and money. Circle No. 522

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. Circle No. 523 Susquehanna University is an NCAA Division III school and a member of the Landmark Conference. It is located

games and 20 footcandles for intramurals and track use. Circle No. 524 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

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 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. 525 in picturesque Selingsgrove, Pa. Susquehanna’s Lopardo Stadium/Stagg Field features lighting by Universal Sports Lighting. Two levels of light provide 50 footcandles during football

Circle No. 133

Check out

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Circle No. 134 CoachingManagementOnline.com

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ADVERTISERS DIRECTORY

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With AthleticBid’s online Buyer’s Guide, you may: View the complete product lines of companies listed. View catalog pages or spec sheets from many of the top companies. Read a profile or description of select companies. Send an e-mail directly to a supplier or make a request to be contacted by a company representative. Request catalog and sales literature from companies.

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CIRCLE NO.

COMPANY

PAGE NO.

100 . . Adams USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC (Joyner Technologies) .

CIRCLE NO.

COMPANY

PAGE NO

123. . . GameMaster (Louisville Slugger UPM) . . . . 28

. . . . 20

102. . . M.A.S.A./Osborne . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

110 . . . Bannerman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

137 . . . Majestic Athletic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BC

125. . . Beam Clay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

134. . . Markwort Sporting Goods . . . . . . . 39

129. . . BetterBaseball . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

106. . . Muhl Tech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

118 . . . Cages*Plus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

117 . . . Nemo’s Speed Hitting Program . . . 22

119 . . . California University of Pennsylvania . . 23

127 . . . Pow’r Wrap

128 . . . Cocoa Expo Sports Center . . . . . . . 33

101 . . . Pro Look Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

104. . . Diamond Pro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

116 . . . Pro’s Choice Field Products . . . . . . 21

132 . . . Extra Innings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

131 . . . Promats Athletics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

130. . . Extra-Infielder.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

121 . . . Qualite Sports Lighting . . . . . . . . . . 27

105. . . Fair-Play Scoreboards . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

133. . . RevFire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

108. . . Fastball Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

114 . . . Ringor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

126 . . . Fuller Five

. . . . . . . . . . 32

112 . . . Soft Touch Bases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

111 . . . Game-On Field Conditioner . . . . . . 14

122. . . SPI Nets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

113 . . . girls got game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

136. . . Sports Attack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IBC

135 . . . Granada Pitching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

107. . . Sports Tutor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

120. . . HighSchoolSports.net . . . . . . . . . . . 24

103. . . Universal Sports Lighting . . . . . . . . . 5

109. . . Longstreth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

124 . . . Zingbat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

115 . . . Allstar Ace

(Diamond Dirt)

(Grand Enterprises West)

. . 32

PRODUCTS DIRECTORY CIRCLE NO.

COMPANY

PAGE NO.

CIRCLE NO.

COMPANY

PAGE NO

542 . . Adams USA (Chest Protectors/Leg Guards) . 44

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

(Fence Guard Lite) .

541. . . Adams USA (Trace 42000 Knee Guard) . . . . 44

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

(Handozer) .

526. . . Aer-Flo

(Bunt Zone) .

553 . . Markwort Sporting Goods . . . . . . . 45

504 . . Aer-Flo

(Wind Weighted tarps)

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

. . . . . . . . 37

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

. . . . . . . 36

533 . . Muhl Tech

(Advanced Skills Tee) .

543 . . Ballgirl Athletic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

532 . . Muhl Tech

(training equipment)

505 . . Bannerman

(Diamond Master)

506 . . Bannerman

(groomers) .

. . . . . 42

. . . . . . 42

. . . . . . . 36

534 . . Nemo’s Speed Hitting Program . . . 42

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

535 . . PIK Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

518 . . . Beam Clay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

546 . . Pow’r Wrap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

507. . . BetterBaseball

(Easy Auction) .

550 . . Power Systems

(Airope) .

544 . . BetterBaseball

(nets and cages).

549. . . Power Systems

(X-Ladder)

. . . . . . 36 . . . . . 44

508 . . Cages*Plus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

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

517 . . . Pro’s Choice

(Rapid Dry) .

. . . . . . . . . . 38

556 . . California University of Pennsylvania . . 47

516 . . . Pro’s Choice

(Red) .

500 . . Clarin Seating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

552. . . Pro Look Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

557. . . Cocoa Expo Sports Center . . . . . . . 47

501. . . Promats Athletics

522 . . Diamond Pro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

519 . . . Promats

558 . . Extra Innings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

520 . . Qualite Sports Lighting . . . . . . . . . . 38

545 . . Extra-Infielder.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

536 . . RevFire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

512 . . . Fair-Play

(10-inning scoreboard)

. . . . . . 36

551 . . . Ringor

(Diamond Gem) .

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

511 . . . Fair-Play

(softball scoreboard) .

. . . . . . . 36

502 . . Ringor

(product launch)

. . . . . . . . . . . . 35

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

(product launch)

(EnviroZone)

. . . 35

. . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

528. . . Fastball Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

559. . . Schedule Star . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

513 . . . Fuller Five

. . . . . . . . . . 37

503 . . Seating Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

509 . . Game-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

525. . . Soft Touch Bases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

510 . . . Game-On

521. . . SPI Nets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

(Diamond Dirt)

(Red)

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

529 . . GameMaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

537. . . Sports Attack

(Hack Attack)

555. . . girls got game

(performance-driven)

538 . . Sports Attack

(Junior Hack Attack) .

554 . . girls got game

(uniform styles)

. . 45

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

. . . . . . 45

540 . . Sports Tutor

(HomePlate)

. . . . . . . . . . 43

530 . . Granada Pitching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

539 . . Sports Tutor

(TriplePlay) .

. . . . . . . . . . 43

560 . . HighSchoolSports.net . . . . . . . . . . . 47

523 . . Universal Sports Lighting (LaPlata) . . . . . 39

531. . . Joyner Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

524. . . Universal Sports Lighting (Susquehanna) . 39

548 . . Longstreth

(fastpitch uniforms) .

. . . . . . 44

527. . . Zingbat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

547. . . Longstreth

(softball equipment)

. . . . . . 44

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Hitting & Pitching Aids Aer-Flo, Inc. 800-823-7356 www.aerflo.com

GameMaster Athletic 859-746-9800 www.sluggerupm.com

Muhl Tech 888-766-8772 www.muhltech.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. 526

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. 529

Muhl Tech Baseball & Softball offers equipment to make your practice time more productive. Since 2001, the company has been developing a line of “skill-specific” training equipment that gives hitters instant feedback with every swing. The products are designed to withstand heavy use during high school and college team practices. Muhl Tech also offers its own line of batting cages and screens, sold direct to save you money. Circle No. 532

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. 527 Fastball Sports 281-398-4329 www.fastball-sports.com Advancing the state of the art in ball-throwing equipment, the Motion Pitching Machine features a patented ball delivery system that produces a realistic windmill throwing motion with every pitch. Designed exclusively for fastpitch, it offers the challenge of fastballs thrown at up to 70 mph as well as change-ups, drops, and rise balls. The powered windmill motion system allows hitters and slap hitters to hone their mechanics and timing, just as they would with live-arm pitching. Circle No. 528

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Granada Pitching 800-547-5032 www.battingpractice.com Granada baseball and softball pitching machines offer a true pitch when used both indoors and outdoors. No nets are needed. The Granada system has been proven to increase a batter’s hitting on the field and in laboratory testing. Good batting practice should include at least 200 cuts a day without fear of the ball. Aggressive hitters will get 1,000 or more cuts a day. Granada has been improving hitting for more than 40 years. Circle No. 530 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 multipitch 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. Circle No. 531

Why is the Advanced Skills Tee from Muhl Tech used by more than 2,000 high school and college programs? You get instant feedback with every swing. Its unique forward arm and outside barrier help develop a nice swing path and keep the hands inside the ball. The tough polyurethane construction will give you years of worry-free use. Try one this season, and if you don’t like it, Muhl Tech will buy it back. Circle No. 533 Nemo’s Speed Hitting Program 503-848-7889 www.coachnemo.com Nemo’s Speed Hitting Program was the recipient of the 2000 B&N Softball #1 New Product of the Year award. The program includes Nemo’s Speed Training Bat, three instructional videos, and now the new Triple Hitting Tee. In January 2008, Coach Nemo released his fourth instructional DVD, “Combo Drills,” to help players increase bat speed. This is a complete training program following a speed circuit format and using underloading drills to increase bat speed and reaction time. In the words of Drs. McDowell and Noebe of B&N Sports, “This product is one of the few products that can truly be used for baseball and softball. It really does work.” Circle No. 534

Hitting & Pitching Aids PIK Products, LLC 877-845-7845 www.pikproducts.com www.baseballtrainingaids.com The patented EZ Tee is lightweight, durable, and portable. The legs fold for EZ storage—no more clunky home plates. Use it with a golf ball-size Wiffle® ball for sharpening hand-eye coordination, or with a baseball or softball. The friction collar makes for EZ adjustment. The rubber topper is flexible so it won’t damage game bats. It allows the hitter to strike the ball more cleanly, so the tee stays upright. The EZ Tee was voted Best New Product at the 2007 American Baseball Coaches Association show. Circle No. 535 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 country, 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. Circle No. 536 Sports Attack 800-717-4251 www.sportsattack.com All pitches, one machine—with the Hack Attack softball pitching machine, simply adjust the wheel speed dials to throw fastballs above 80 miles per hour, risers, drops, right- and left-handed curves, screwballs up and in to right- and lefthanded hitters, and knuckleball changeups. This machine has a unique three-wheel design that provides complete ball vision, lifelike timing, and pinpoint accuracy for college and serious high school athletes. Circle No. 537

The Junior Hack Attack softball pitching machine from Sports Attack is designed to develop serious young players. With a quick turn of the dials, this machine can throw fastballs above 60 mph, risers, drops, right- and left-handed curves, screwballs, and knuckleball change-ups. The exclusive three-wheel vision allows the hitter to see the ball clearly, just like with a live pitcher. At 75 pounds, it easily fits into a compact car, even a Mini Cooper. Circle No. 538 Sports Tutor 800-448-8867 www.sportsmachines.com Batting practice just got easier. With the TriplePlay, you simply push a button to choose the type of pitch you want. This pitching machine can automatically throw risers, sinkers, curves, drop curves, screwballs, and drop screwballs. The pitch speed is adjustable from 35 to 70 mph in five-mph increments, and it is digitally displayed. You’ll only spend about 30 seconds changing pitches. The softball is visible from the time it leaves the feeder’s hand until it is pitched, allowing hitters to more naturally time the pitches. TriplePlay also uses a three-wheel pitching mechanism for greater accuracy. Two large transport wheels make it simple to move to and from the field. A baseball model is also available. Circle No. 539 The HomePlate Softball programmable pitching machine from Sports Tutor can simulate any pitch that batters are likely to face. It can throw a 70-mph riser, a 50-mph drop pitch, a curve, and a slider with only seven seconds between pitches. Store up to eight different pitches in each of the eight different programs. Programmed pitches can be thrown sequentially for specific hitting drills, or randomly to simulate game conditions. Choose the auto-feed model, which holds up to 40 12-inch dimpled softballs, or the hand-feed model, starting at $4,995. Circle No. 540

Testimonial

Programs Nationwide Benefit from Advanced Hitting Aid Sports Attack has quickly become a leader in innovative sports training equipment. With 45 years of pitching machine design experience, the company has successfully introduced revolutionary softball, baseball, volleyball, football, and tennis equipment programs that are currently in use all over the U.S. Sports Attack understands hitting and the challenges faced during every batting practice. The exclusive design of the Hack Attack three-wheel softball pitching machine provides complete ball vision and delivers every pitch in the game. Here are just a few satisfied Sports Attack customers: Arizona State University Bay City Western High School, MI Brooke Point High School, VA Decatur High School, GA Grayson County College Indiana University-Purdue University Lamar Community College McCook Community College Minnesota West Community College Mount San Antonio College Shawnee Heights High School, KS Tufts University University of California-Berkeley University of West Florida Wallace State Community College West Memphis High School, AR Western Kentucky University Winthrop University Winston-Salem State University Woodburn High School, OR

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

Team Equipment Adams USA 800-251-6857 www.adamsusa.com The Trace 46000 Easy-On Easy-Off Sliding Softball Knee Guard offers flexible knee protection. It is versatile and durable, with a playerfriendly CoolMax™ lining and breathable foam that’s treated with antimicrobial Bac-Shield™. The patented “keyhole” side design allows for superior flexibility without restriction of movement. Heavy-duty polyester/spandex covers 3/8-inch foam for superior protection. There’s no need for shoe removal to put this unit on, and it’s machine washable. Four color options are available. Circle No. 541 Adams USA’s Chest Protectors and Leg Guards are stylish and treated with antimicrobial Bac-Shield™. Available in six colors and four sizes from youth to adult, these protectors and guards are ergonomically designed for a superior fit. The Memory Foam front protector absorbs ball impact, removable and adjustable shoulder pads add protection, and open-cell foam with a CoolMax™ back liner provides moisture management. Lightweight, adjustable back straps enhance the custom fit. There’s extra ankle and instep protection on the guards, Bolistic mesh on the wings, and adjustable back straps provide even more comfort. Removable and washable Memory Foam with a CoolMax insert on the guards provides moisture management. Circle No. 542 Ballgirl Athletic 877-268-7778 www.ballgirlathletic.com Ballgirl Athletic, the first company to focus exclusively on women’s teamoriented uniforms and active sportswear, is a leading choice for the female athlete. The company provides females athletes with uniforms designed by

CoachingManagementOnline.com

women, for women. Its design team focuses on apparel that fits right and feels good, allowing the female athlete to excel in whichever sport she plays, whether it’s softball, basketball, soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, volleyball, or tennis. With a wide array of color and styles, Ballgirl is your source for team uniforms and active sportswear. Circle No. 543 BetterBaseball 800-997-4233 www.betterbaseball.com BetterBaseball is a total baseball and softball supply house, specializing in nets and batting cages that are custom cut to any size you want. The company provides quick, friendly customer ser vice. BetterBaseball supplies ever ything, 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. Circle No. 544 Extra-Infielder.com www.extra-infielder.com The Extra Infielder was designed to help coaches and players eliminate throwing errors. It also increases the efficiency and speed of practices. It’s collapsible for easy transport and storage, and can be set up in just 30 seconds with no tools. The ultra heavy-duty, weather-resistant frame and netting provide excellent stability, and the unit is lightweight for easy maneuvering. The Extra Infielder is built for years of hard use. Circle No. 545

Pow’r Wrap 800-776-9727 www.powrwrap.com GEW, Inc., manufactures the Pow’r Wrap bat weight for softball, baseball, and youth baseball. Made of super-strong recycled plastic, the Pow’r Wrap is virtually indestructible. Approved for use in the on-deck circle since 1989, it will increase muscle strength for improved bat speed and more powerful swings. The softball model weighs 24 ounces and fits 2.25-inch (diameter) bats. Circle No. 546 Longstreth Women’s Sports 800-545-1329 www.longstreth.com Longstreth carries an extensive product line of the top brands of softball equipment, such as catcher’s gear, apparel, and uniforms—all specifically designed and selected for the female fastpitch athlete. Whatever your fastpitch needs, you’ll find the right product at Longstreth’s convenient one-stop shop. Go online to see the company’s great selection of equipment and uniforms, or call Longstreth to talk to a knowledgeable team service representative. Circle No. 547 Longstreth carries the top brands and styles of fastpitch uniforms to outfit your team. Visit the company’s Web site to view a wide variety of team uniforms, practice packages, per formance gear, and team accessories. The extensive product line covers all the top brands and all price points. You can also call Longstreth to talk with a knowledgeable team ser vice representative. Circle No. 548

Team Equipment Power Systems 800-321-6975 www.power-systems.com The X-Ladder features three separate sections for setting up multiple configurations, so athletes can perform forward, backward, and lateral movement patterns in the same run. Two sections measure 67 inches and one measures 158 inches. They attach together with buckles. The ladder has high-impact round PVC rungs that stay fixed and provide instant feedback when stepped on. The X-Ladder comes with its own carrying bag. Circle No. 549 Revolve to evolve. All athletes can intensify their workouts with the new Airope from Power Systems. With handles like a jump rope and soft PVC balls on the ends, this weighted rubber rope creates swing resistance, intensifying cardio conditioning and recruiting the upper body. Perform traditional jump rope actions, incorporate it into sport-specific drills, or combine it with other equipment. The Airope is available in Original and Pro models, with the Pro having a thicker rope for increased resistance. Circle No. 550 Ringor Corp. 877-274-6467 www.ringor.com The Diamond Gem women’s spike will be available in November 2008. It features Ringor’s Ring-Grip spike pattern and a neoprene tongue, and is available with a choice of two uppers. The Diamond Gem Mesh features a leather/mesh combination upper for reduced weight and added

ventilation, and the Diamond Gem Leather features a durable all-leather upper. Ringor’s Pro-Tec-Toes option is also available. Colors to choose from are: red/white, royal/white, black/ white, and navy/white. Circle No. 551

its unique honeycomb design offers superior protection. The Game Face is ventilated for cooling and provides excellent visibility. High-impact adjustable foam pads provide maximum comfort and effectiveness. Circle No. 553

Pro Look Sports 800-776-5665 www.prolook.com

girls got game 866-600-9905 www.girlsgotgame.com

Take advantage of Pro Look’s One Price Promise. The company’s game uniforms are sold for one price, with no up-charges, setup fees, or additional costs. Three-tone tackle twill and any amount of decoration— including embroider y or twill—will not increase the price. You can add extra length to inseams, order a 5XL, and get any material on all of Pro Look’s game products for no additional cost. Plus, there is no minimum order. The company still has slots available for deliver y before your first game. Circle No. 552

girls got game offers innovative uniform styles, top-quality branded products, uncompromising performance, fit, and function, and service that’s second to none. girls got game is a leading choice for competitive women’s softball teams across the country. Shown here are the company’s mesh game jersey and low-rise belted pants. Circle No. 554

Markwort Sporting Goods 800-937-4824 www.markwort.com The Game Face sports safety mask proactively reduces the risk of facial and dental injuries. Made of ultra-lightweight and extremely strong polycarbonate (the same material used in bulletproof glass),

granada

You believe in women, and so does girls got game. The company offers performance-driven products for softball players who take their game seriously. Products include uniforms, footwear, team wear, equipment, and accessories. In-stock items ship the next business day, and customized items ship in two to four weeks. See the quality for yourself—call today to order a sample. Circle No. 555

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. 135 CoachingManagementOnline.com

Testimonial

The Choice for Olympic Baseball and Softball Fields

Web News Diamond Pro’s Web Site Gets Even Better Diamond Pro has launched an improved, more user-friendly Web site. While this new site better communicates the benefits of all the great Diamond Pro products, some of the old features remain available, such as the how-to section, the Ask the Pros question-and-answer forum, and the pages containing field dimensions. New features include downloadable PDFs of instructions, applications, and MSDS sheets. Users can view Diamond Pro’s latest products in the Professional Groundskeeping line, and see distributor information. Diamond Pro welcomes customer feedback and will continue to make site modifications based on this input. As always, the company will notify its customers of these improvements as they happen.

www.diamondpro.com Shouldn’t Your Athletes Get the Same Nutrition Boost as the Pros?

More than 35 tons of TXI/Diamond Pro professional groundskeeping products were shipped to China for use at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Diamond Pro provides infields with greater durability and less required maintenance. Diamond Pro is an expanded shale and clay (ES&C) product that delivers longlasting per formance and quality while enhancing the appearance of a well-maintained ball field. Used by professional teams, schools, and youth leagues, Diamond Pro produces a safe, professional, and game-ready infield that’s easy to apply and lasts all season. Visit the company’s Web site to learn more about Diamond Pro, and the multitude of uses and benefits of ES&C in horticultural and construction applications.

The CytoSport Web site offers visitors a look at product offerings, information, usage suggestions, and more. Featured athletes include Rookie of the Year stars: football’s Adrian Peterson, baseball’s Ryan Braun, and basketball’s Brandon Roy. You can also read about Chrissie Wellington, the current women’s Ironman Triathlon champion. There are testimonials from athletes who have found success with CytoSport products, and in-depth Cyto-Science information explaining why the company’s products can work for your athletes. Visit the site today to see all these features for yourself.

www.cytosport.com Field Maintenance Products Are Just a Click Away See all the Fuller Five companies on the Fuller Five Web site. Click on Fuller Five Landscape Supply to review all the available Diamond Dirt products. The company also offers clay/sand blends that can be used as topdressings or for building up your field. While browsing, check out the other Fuller Five product lines: golf sands, decorative stones, fieldstone, flagstone, pavers and wall systems, mulch products, D-drain, and ground cover materials.

www.fuller5.net See Outstanding Strength Equipment at Life Fitness’s Site For more than 30 years, Life Fitness has been a global leader in designing and manufacturing a full line of reliable, high-quality fitness equipment. The Life Fitness Web site is a one-stop destination geared toward the needs of fitness facilities. It provides in-depth product information, key performance features, and specifications on Life Fitness cardio, strength, and Hammer Strength products to guide you in your purchasing decisions. Detailed information on the company, including articles, press releases, facility showcases, printable brochures, career opportunities, and more are all available online.

www.lifefitness.com Whatever Your Sport, Sports Attack Delivers

TXI/Diamond Pro 1341 W. Mockingbird Ln. Dallas, TX 75247 800-228-2987 Fax: 800-640-6735 diamondpro@txi.com www.diamondpro.com

CoachingManagementOnline.com

Sports Attack has quickly become a leader in innovative sports training equipment. Softball: Sports Attack’s three-wheel machine delivers every softball breaking pitch, from the riser to right- and left-handed drops. Volleyball: More than 90 percent of the teams reaching the final four in college competition have used a Sports Attack machine as a key training tool throughout the season—the Attack or the Attack II. Baseball: Because of the features of the Hack Attack, Major League coaches are now using a pitching machine not only all season long in practices, but also prior to games during warmups. Visit the company’s Web site to learn more about all if its innovative sports training equipment.

www.sportsattack.com

More Products California University of Pennsylvania 866-595-6348 www.cup.edu/go 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, indemand 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. Circle No. 556

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. Circle No.558 Schedule Star 800-258-8550 www.thearbiter.net The interface between Schedule Star and TheArbiter.net allows a Schedule Star user to upload team schedules for

Calling Cards

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

Creating a safer place to play with protective wall padding. www.promatsathletics.com

Cocoa Expo Sports 321-639-3976 www.cocoaexpo.com Cocoa Expo Sports is one of Florida’s premier sports management and promotion companies. For 25 years, the company has owned and operated the highly regarded Cocoa Expo College and High School Softball Spring Training. This program annually attracts schools and clubs throughout the U.S. and Canada. In addition, Cocoa Expo hosts year-round softball tournaments at the new Chain of Lakes Softball Complex. The facility features seven lighted state-of-the-art softball fields located along central Florida’s east coast. Cocoa Expo Softball Spring Training and Florida’s beautiful Space Coast combine to provide teams with a memorable spring trip experience. Circle No. 557 Extra Innings 978-762-0448 www.eifranchise.com Extra Innings is a premier name in indoor baseball/softball training centers. Each location offers year-round

home games directly to their officials’ assignors. Officials’ 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. 559 HighSchoolSports.net 800-258-8550 www.highschoolsports.net The Coaches Clipboard on HighSchoolSports.net has free tools for your coaches to showcase their teams all in one location. Athletic Directors

can save time and assign 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 to start saving time today. Circle No. 560

Need help fundraising? Check out the resources available at

www.FundraisingForSports.com

A leader in innovative, quality sports training equipment. www.sportsattack.com

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

Betterbaseball is your complete baseball and softball supply headquarters. www.betterbaseball.com

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

CoachingManagementOnline.com

EXTRA INNINGS

NEXT STOP: WEB SITE

Our Coaching Management editorial continues on www.CoachesNetwork.com. Here is a sampling of what you can ﬁnd on our Web site:

Coaching Videos: Hand Held:

Running School:

A successful swing starts with a good grip.

Tips for improving team speed on the bases.

Pre-Motion Mechanics:

Cross-Sport Training:

The fate of a pitch can be determined well before the ball leaves the pitcher’s hand.

Throwing tennis balls can help your players learn proper swing mechanics.

Off-Field Issues: Strength & Conditioning Injury Prevention

Tips for improving your players’ ﬂexibility and strength.

Keeping your players safe from MRSA.

Coaching Life

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

Student-Athlete Welfare

A high school in Massachusetts has laid out iin writing what it means to be a captain.

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.CoachesNetwork.com Brought to you by

S O F T B A L L

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M a c h i n e s

SOFTBALL

All you need... and MORE

Hack Attack does it all, from fastballs, risers and drops to right and left handed screwballs The Softball Hack Attack throws any pitch - fastballs, risers, drops, right and left handed curves, screwballs up and into the right or left handed hitters - all with a simple and immediate speed dial adjustment (No awkward or time consuming moving of the throwing head). See the ball clearly all the way through the feeding motion, acceleration and release, just like a live pitcher. The hitter sees when to stride and the angle of release, giving her an actual live-arm sense of timing and location. Extremely mobile, on and off the ďŹ eld with ease. As proven by our extensive customer list of the top programs in the country, in a very short time our three-wheel complete-vision design has taken the market by storm. Our Softball Hack Attack can make a difference in your program.

H AC K AT TAC K | J U N I O R HAC K AT TACK

P.O. Box 1529 | 2805 U.S. 40 Verdi, Nevada 89439 tf 800.717.4251 | ph 775.345.2882

www.sportsattack.com

Circle No. 136

Circle No. 137