Coaching Management 18.7 by Momentummedia

Coaching Management VOL. XVIII NO. 7

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CONTENTS

Coaching Management Baseball Edition Postseason 2010 Vol. XVIII, No. 7

LOCKER ROOM

COVER STORY

Bulletin Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 New NCAA recruiting rules target early commitments … Coach writes his own baseball IQ test … Reducing smokeless tobacco use … Bocce ball tourney raises funds for high school program … How Oregon draws big crowds for a new team.

Q&A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Over the course of three weeks in May, Dennis Martel watched his Illinois Wesleyan squad go from .500 to NCAA Division III champions.

On the cover: Chris Hernandez has thrown more than 300 innings in three years as one of the University of Miami’s top pitchers. Learn about avoiding overuse injuries from his pitching coach and others in our cover story starting on page 14. Photo by J.C. Ridley/Miami Hurricanes.

Special Delivery

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Throwing pitch after pitch puts a lot of stress on the arm, but there are steps you can take to help your pitchers avoid overuse injuries and stay in the game.

LEADERSHIP

Quelling the Critics

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Nowadays, coaches are bombarded with criticism from every angle. Learning how to handle it with composure is key to success (and staying sane).

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BASEBALL FIELDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 HITTING & PITCHING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Team Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Product Launch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

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ADVERTISERS DIRECTORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 EXTRA INNINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

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

Marketing Director Sheryl Shaffer Business Manager Pennie Small Administrative Assistant Sharon Barbell Special Projects Dave Wohlhueter Circulation Director Dave Dubin Circulation Manager Sandra Earle

Art Director Pamela Crawford Production Director Maria Bise Production Assistant Natalie Couch Graphic Artist Trish Landsparger Prepress Manager Neal Betts Ad Materials Coordinator Mike Townsend

Advertising Sales Associates (607) 257-6970 Diedra Harkenrider, ext. 24 Pat Wertman, ext. 21 Business and Editorial Offices 31 Dutch Mill Rd., Ithaca, NY 14850 (607) 257-6970, Fax (607) 257-7328 info@MomentumMedia.com

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

returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Coaching Management, P.O. Box 4806, Ithaca, N.Y. 14852. Printed in the U.S.A.

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LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD Rethinking Recruiting The NCAA Division I Manual is 431 pages long, and at times it seems like recruiting is mentioned on 400 of those pages. Rather than continuing to see the rulebook cluttered with annual changes, however, the Division I Recruiting and Athletics Personnel Issues Cabinet is taking a big picture look at recruiting rules with the hope of finding a set of streamlined regulations that won’t need annual revisions.

AP PHOTO/DAVE WEAVER

The first pieces of legislation to emerge from this effort address two areas of recent debate: early scholarship offers and telephone contact limits. While reports of eighthgrade basketball players receiving verbal scholarship commitments have received the most attention, early scholarship offers are com-

mon in most college sports— including baseball. The cabinet’s proposal would prohibit schools from making a verbal scholarship offer before July 1 of an athlete’s senior year of high school. Colleges would also be required to have five quarters of a high school recruit’s transcript on file before making such an offer. Petrina Long, Senior Associate Athletic Director at UCLA and Chair of the Cabinet, said that tying scholarship offers to established academic performance was a crucial part of the legislation. “We felt that the fifth term is a point at which someone can evaluate whether a young person is on track to meet [a particular institution’s] academic entrance criteria,” she told the NCAA News. Initial reactions to the proposal from coaches were mixed.

Some welcomed the additional time to make both athletic and academic evaluations, while others worry it might make it difficult for prospective student-athletes and their parents to gauge a school’s level of interest. Another area of concern is the difficulty in enforcing such a rule, which Long herself acknowledged can only occur if all parties have the same goal in mind.

parents. Under the proposal, coaches would be allowed to call recruits once per month beginning Aug. 1 after their sophomore year of high school. Beginning Aug. 1 after an athlete’s junior year, they would be allowed to call twice a week. Currently, baseball coaches are limited to one call a week beginning July 1 after a high school athlete’s junior year.

“People who don’t plan to follow the rules don’t follow the rules whether we can monitor them or not,” she says. “There has to be an agreement among coaches and administrators that the spirit of what we’re doing is as important as the rule itself, and the spirit is clearly that we do not want this behavior to go on.”

Both proposals will work their way through the NCAA legislative process during the 2010-11 school year and could be rejected or modified significantly at several points along the way. The measures will likely face their first vote at the 2011 NCAA Convention in January and could be in effect as soon as next summer.

The Cabinet also proposed a rule that would allow coaches more opportunities to talk with prospective recruits or their

It’s likely that the cabinet will return with more rules proposals aimed at cleaning up the recruiting section of the

The process of joining top teams like the University of South Carolina and UCLA (shown above competing at the 2010 College World Series in Omaha) may change in the future as the NCAA is taking a big picture look at its recruiting regulations. One of the first products of the ongoing review was a proposal to eliminate early verbal scholarship offers in part by requiring schools to have five quarters of high school transcripts from a potential student-athlete before making such a tender.

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LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD Manual down the road. The Cabinet began its most recent efforts by developing three models of regulation (restrictive, moderate, and open) and coming up with examples of the kinds of rules the models might produce in four specific areas: evaluations (both academic and athletic), communication, campus visits, and financial aid offers. Although the various models were grouped based on their level of regulation, Long emphasizes that new rules would not need to be bundled in the same way. For example, the proposed rules governing early scholarship offers are On the Web To take a closer look at the recruiting regulation models developed by the NCAA Division I Recruiting and Athletics Personnel Issues Cabinet, go to: AthleticManagement.com/ NCAARecruitingModels.pdf for a downloadable document.

more restrictive than the current regulations while the new rules regarding phone calls to recruits are less restrictive than the current standard. “We’re not looking at choosing one of the models over the others,” Long says. “We’re looking at what concepts the majority of people feel are workable and doable. That’s where we’re going to try to focus our efforts.”

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What’s Your IQ? The Worcester State College Lancers won the 2010 Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference tournament, part of 31-win season. But to Head Coach Dirk Baker, almost as impressive as the team’s record and on-field performance was its mental approach to the game. “The team’s attitude was the best I had seen in my coaching career,” Baker says. “What did we do differently this year? We added the IQ test.” Baker is referring to a 375question exam he created to test his players’ baseball knowledge. It’s split into five sections on defense, pitching, hitting, base running, and “other,” which consists mostly of history and trivia questions. Questions include: “Can a shortstop block part of second base without the ball on a pickoff throw?” and, “How does a pitcher add movement to a pitch?” “For years, my assistant and I have been saying the kids play the game, but they don’t know the game,” says Baker. “I finally did something about it to help my players get ready for baseball over the winter.” Not surprisingly, most players weren’t happy about taking an exam home with them over winter break. The Lancers were not allowed to start spring practice until they completed the test. The team spent one day a week during the preseason in a classroom going over the questions, as Baker called on players to answer each one. They argued intensely about details such as a left-handed pitcher’s pick-off move with runners on first and third, and

Players at Worcester State College had some homework to complete over winter break last year. Before beginning their preseason practices, team members had to complete an exam consisting of nearly 400 baseball-related questions that were written by Head Coach Dirk Baker. even reviewed the proper way to rake the baseline.

but any baseball coach will say that the little things add up.”

“A select few really got into it,” Baker says. “I thought it would be positive to educate them and get the juices flowing so when we got into practice, I wouldn’t have to go over these things. It’s little things,

Baker says the hardest part of creating the test was making sure all his questions regarding NCAA rules were correct. He solicited input from his staff, coaching colleagues, and an NCAA umpire, who also pro-

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RICHARD ORR SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY

Along with gathering feedback from Division I schools on each of the models and how they could apply to different areas of recruiting regulations, Long says the cabinet is interested in hearing from high school coaches. “Their feedback is very important and we’d love to know whether they think we’re on the right track,” she says. “They

can share their thoughts with us either directly through the NCAA or through their various coaches associations.”

vided Baker with a copy of the umpires’ exam. He recommends thoroughly reviewing the rules of your league, catering to your age group, and conferring with your peers.

bine 25 talented, knowledgeable guys who will do everything in their power to win with a positive attitude, that’s when you win championships.”

Baker also received one slightly unexpected benefit from the IQ test. “My coaching style got better this year,” he says. “When I discussed a call with an umpire, I said, ‘Sir, what did you see? Explain the rule to me.’ I wasn’t out there to argue.”

Down On Dip

Next year, Baker plans to trim the test down a little, and would eventually like to start grading it. He was satisfied with the initial results. “Am I going to say we won a championship because of the IQ test?” Baker asks. “No. I’d like to say it helped, but it’s not the sole reason. If you can com-

It used to be that chewing tobacco was touted as a safe alternative to cigarettes and considered as much a part of baseball as peanuts and popcorn. Well, Babe Ruth also used to be the Major League home run champ and at one time the Pittsburgh Pirates regularly competed for pennants. Times have certainly changed, and education about the dangers of smokeless tobacco has evolved significantly over the years. A recent study, however, indicates that not all young people are getting the message.

Terry Pechacek, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Associate Director for Science at the Office on Smoking and Health, recently told a U.S. Congressional Panel that the use of smokeless tobacco such as chewing tobacco and snuff is on the rise among teens. He added that the data, which will be released by the CDC in the next few months, will show an increase among young white and Hispanic males. Add this demographic to smokeless tobacco’s tradition of acceptance in the game— and its visible use by Major League stars—and you have a recipe for trouble, say many health experts. Although smokeless tobacco is outlawed by the NFHS, NCAA, and minor league baseball, it is still used regularly by roughly one-third of all Major

Leaguers, according to Harvard University professor Gregory Connolly. At a hearing held by the House Energy and Commerce Committee in April, Connolly told Congress that rampant use by high-profile professional athletes contributes to the problem among young people. “The use of smokeless tobacco by players has a powerful role model effect on youth, particularly among young males in sport, some of whom ironically remain addicted in future careers as professional athletes,” he said. At the hearing, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman called on MLB to bar Major Leaguers from using smokeless tobacco during games. In his opening statement, Waxman said: “We don’t let base-

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LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD ball players go stand out there in the field and drink beer. Major League Baseball won’t allow them to step on the field and smoke cigarettes. So why should they be out there on the field—in sight of all their fans on television and at the ballpark—using smokeless tobacco?”

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AP PHOTO/ROB CARR

Despite being banned by both the NFHS and NCAA, smokeless tobacco is being used by an increasing number of teen-agers. Some experts believe that younger players emulate Major League players, who are able to use such products.

One group that appreciates the recent spotlight on smokeless tobacco is Oral Health America, which established the National Spit Tobacco Education Program (NSTEP) in 1994 to reduce the use of chewing tobacco and help

“We applaud the committee’s attention to this serious health issue today, and maintain our ongoing commitment to providing educational outreach to young baseball and softball players throughout the country,” Beth Truett, President and CEO of Oral Health America said in a press release.

The MLB Players Association said it would be willing to discuss the proposed ban when it negotiates its next collective bargaining agreement with baseball’s owners. The current agreement is set to expire in December 2011.

break baseball’s connection with it. NSTEP produces educational materials, including posters, brochures, and videos. The program also has a speaker’s bureau that makes appearances at schools and youth groups.

A Different Kind of Ball Game Hosting a dinner and auction as a fundraiser for your team is nothing out of the ordinary, but a dinner-auction and a bocce ball tournament? Now we’re talking different. For the past five years, the baseball team at Los Gatos (Calif.) High School has done just that—and done it successfully. The event has become quite popular with the local baseball community, and Head Coach Mike Denevi estimates the fundraiser brings in between $15,000 and $25,000 each year. “People really enjoy coming because of the baseball connection, and it’s a chance for them to see people from as far back as youth baseball that they may have lost touch

with,” he says. “That’s one of the reasons why I kept going myself before I became the coach. It’s a very social gathering, and the community knows they’re helping the program in the process.” Bocce involves two teams, each of which is assigned a different color ball. Though there are many variations, the basic premise is that the teams take turns tossing their balls at a smaller ball, which is placed at varying distances. Whichever team’s ball lands closest to the smaller one gets a point. Planning for the fundraiser, which is geared toward an adult crowd, begins about three months before the event, and is mostly done by players’ parents. They spend countless hours selling tickets, finding auction items, and securing

sponsorships to cover the costs of the event, including food for the dinner and the rental of Campo di Bocce, the facility in

ball signed by Buffalo Bills quarterback Trent Edwards, who attended Los Gatos High. It’s key to find desirable items,

“This year I put together a wish list of the things I want to do with the donations we receive. I tell everyone there are tangible things they’re giving toward, so they know their money is going to good use and helping to keep this program going.” town with bocce courts and a space to hold the party.

as most of the funds are raised through the auction.

The auction items are usually donated and range from a weekend at a vacation home to an autographed San Jose Sharks hockey jersey to a foot-

“The toughest part of making this successful is the organization aspect,” Denevi says. “If we didn’t have the parents working as hard as they do,

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LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD we couldn’t do it. Toward they end, they meet every single night to pull it all together.” Denevi believes the fundraiser would be successful even if bocce wasn’t part of the event, but adds that having the unique component makes it easier to sell sponsorships. The tournament features 24 teams of four players each, and the goal is to find sponsors for as many of the teams as possible. “We ask for a minimum donation of $550 per team, but sometimes we’ll get up to $1,000,” Denevi says. “They get a team, their logo goes on our Web site, and we thank them at the dinner. If we can find at least eight sponsors, it pretty much covers our costs for the event. A lot of them don’t even want to be recognized, they just want to help the program.”

wish list of the things I want to do with the donations we receive,” he says. “I tell everyone there are tangible things they’re giving toward, so they know their money is going to good use and helping to keep this program going.”

Home Field Advantage College baseball isn’t typically seen as a revenue-producing sport, especially when the team is only a year old. That’s reserved for the football and basketball teams. But at the University of Oregon, a multipronged approach is challenging that way of thinking. Joe Giansante, Senior Associate Athletic Director for Exter-

nal Communication, says the revenue stream for Oregon baseball starts with its new facility, PK Park. Built in two phases, the field was completed in time for the Ducks’ 2009 season—its first since 1981. And by the time the squad took the field again this spring, a multi-level concourse and permanent covered seating had replaced the temporary bleachers that sat behind the backstop last year. “The first thing any college baseball program needs in order to make money is a proper ballpark,” Giansante says. “As we looked at places that have revenue success, the common element we saw was a concourse with visibility to the field. The University of Arkansas and Louisiana State

University both have one, as do the new College World Series park being built in Omaha and most new minor league ballparks. “Our concourse will essentially operate like a mall while the game is going on,” Giansante continues. “There’s a lot of commerce that can take place on a concourse. A fan might walk by a popcorn stand, cotton candy stand, memorabilia stand, and our fixed concessions area, all on their way to the restroom. It pushed our numbers through the roof because no one has to leave the park to buy food and memorabilia.” The concourse also gave the Ducks another chance to sell tickets. The Oregon ticket

To advertise and sell tickets—which can be purchased for the entire event or just for the dinner—organizers place an ad in the local newspaper once a week starting two months before the event. They also send a direct mailer and e-mails to families in the high school program, anyone who attended the event in a previous year, and contacts in the local youth baseball program. The night serves as Los Gatos’ main fundraiser, and helps pay for uniforms, field improvements, and assistant coaching salaries, among other things. This year, Denevi was able to build a new bullpen and hopes to redo the dugouts and backstop in the future. Each year, the school district provides the baseball program with a facility, umpires, transportation, and baseballs, but everything else is up to the team. Besides its unique format, part of the reason why the fundraiser is so successful is because the community can clearly see where its money is going. “This year I put together a

Coaching Management

The University of Oregon used promotions borrowed from minor league baseball teams, including an Elvis impersonator night, to help draw large crowds in its inaugural 2009 season following a nearly 30-year absence. The Ducks averaged almost 2,400 fans per game, second in the Pac-10 and 23rd in the NCAA, and hold several special events aimed at kids, such as a Little League day where young fans are admitted free if they wear their baseball jersey.

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office set up kiosks along the concourse staffed with salespeople offering season ticket packages, future single-game tickets, and special group rate packages. During its inaugural season, the Ducks averaged 2,399 fans per game, second best in the Pac-10 and 23rd in the NCAA. Another theme Oregon observed while studying different parks was the importance of suites. PK Park contains eight suites, which were sold out long before the season started and will generate about $200,000 in revenue each year. A deal sweetener for buyers is the ability to use their suite during football season, as PK Park sits next to Oregon’s football stadium.

Oregon has also been aggressively selling season tickets, targeting alumni and donors. “One thing about college baseball is that people will buy season tickets almost as a way to donate to the program,” Giansante says. “We’ve been pushing season tickets hard to our former players, donors, and friends of the university. We’ve found there are people willing to pay $500, even if they only go to two games, just to help the team.”

The final piece to any baseball program making a buck might be the most obvious one: winning. “We’re building this program to win, so we hired George Horton, one of the top coaches in the country,” Giansante says. “Just as we’re investing in building a quality ballpark, we’re investing in a quality coach. When you put it all together, this program is in a great position to produce revenue every year.”

The suites are also one of two areas where Oregon will sell beer. The other is located along the right field line in a closedoff area called Fowl Territory. “A lot of colleges worry about selling alcohol in their baseball facilities, but most of them already sell it in their football stadium suites,” Giansante says. “Why not expand that revenue producer in a very controlled environment? The 30 to 50 year-old male demographic has money, and we want them in our ballpark buying that beer and hot dog. There is no question that alcohol sales are a component to making money.” The Ducks are also looking to minor league baseball for revenue producing ideas in two ways. One is through a relationship with the Eugene Emeralds, a Class A team that pays the university $200,000 for three months’ use of the park each year. The second is by borrowing some of the quirky in-game promotions minor league teams are known for. “We’re really trying to be creative in how we present games so that people have fun and will want to come back again,” Giansante says. “We have theme nights, for example. We did an Elvis night again this year where everybody who came through the door got mutton chop sideburns, we played Elvis music all night, rolled back the prices on some food, and had an Elvis impersonator contest. Last year and this year we gave the winner plane tickets for two leaving that night for Las Vegas. “We’re also trying to tap into what people get excited about around here,” he continues. “Oregon football is extremely popular, so we had an Oregon football day where people who came to the park got to interact with the team on the concourse, get their autographs, and just hang out with them.”

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Camps and CliniCs:

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undreds of coaches from New York to California have learned the secret to running a more successful camp: Let someone else do most of the work. And while working less, they are making even more money. “It’s not often you can work less and make more,” said Brad Allen, head coach at St. Joseph-Ogden HS in Illinois. “But we took a local clinic with 50 kids and turned it into a 300-player camp that attracts the top talent from all over central Illinois. We make five times the money and the camp is actually easier to run now than it was then.” For Allen and hundreds of others, the secret was partnering with U.S. Baseball Academy, a Louisville-based company that has been helping coaches run camps since 1988. In the past few years, its growth has been nothing short of explosive. Since 2002, the company has grown to 90,000 players in 32 states and boasts an impressive Advisory Staff that includes Don Mattingly, Paul O’Neill and Cy Young Award winner Brandon Webb. Beneficiaries of the expansion have been thousands of college and high school coaches, who have earned $4 million in hosting fees in the past eight years. U.S. Baseball Academy founder and President Marc Hoffman describes the concept as a kind of “camp in a box.” “We handle all the administrative functions that all coaches hate,” he said. “We not only give them the itinerary and equipment; we take care of advertising, marketing, registration, payments, T-shirts, insurance, and paying the instructors. The schools and coaches have no expenses, no risk, no phone calls from parents. They keep the biggest slice of revenue, plus all the equipment when camp is over.” The company is seeking new host locations for its rapidly expanding Spring Training program, which offers six days of hitting, pitching and catcher lessons to local players in grades 1 through 12. A typical site runs indoors for six Sunday afternoons between December and March, before high school or college play begins. Host schools typically attract 150 to 250 players from an hour’s radius and earn up to $10,000 for their local coaching staff. Because age groups are staggered throughout the day, there are never more than 50 players at a time, limiting the need for space.

U.S. Baseball Academy’s advisory staff includes stars such as Cy Young winner Brandon Webb

U.S. Baseball Academy Growth Chart Year

Total Players

Paid to coaches

2002

750

$33,750

2003

3,000

$135,000

2004

9,000

$405,000

2005

18,000

$810,000

2006

30,000

$1,350,000

2007

44,000

$1,980,000

2008

59,000

$2,655,000

2009

72,000

$3,240,000

2010

90,000

$3,950,000

“Sometimes coaches think they need a giant field house, but with 30 or 40 kids per hour, it’s really not much different than running a normal practice session in your gymnasium,” Hoffman said. Parents pay only about $100 for the six one-hour lessons, with the largest slice of the pie going back to the host school and coaches. Hosting coaches can do whatever they want with the money, which generally ranges from $7,000 to $10,000. “Most coaches use some of the money to supplement their salaries,” Hoffman said, “but many put some or all of the money back into their program to pay for field upgrades, a spring trip or new uniforms. We send their money before camp ends, and they determine who gets the checks.” The company works like a franchise. Coaches reduce their workloads because they don’t have to develop itineraries, brochures and handle administrative tasks. They increase their numbers and revenue because of the panache of hosting a nationwide program. “U.S. Baseball Academy made six weeks of instruction feel like it lasted only six hours,” said Youngstown State University assistant coach Craig Antush. “The administrative staff is highly organized and efficient, making these camps very low-maintenance,” said Steve Farley, head coach at Butler University in Indianapolis and a host for seven years. “We’ve been sold out each year.” Circle No. 107

University of Findlay head coach Troy Berry agreed. “U.S. Baseball Academy has been nothing but great for our program. It has helped build relationships around the community and has been a great fundraiser. They do all of the leg work and we get to do the fun stuff: coach the kids. I highly recommend getting involved with them.” Hoffman said the company’s biggest obstacle to growth has been that coaches are sometimes skeptical, often questioning whether it’s too good to be true. Skip Bailey, athletic director at Monroe Community College in Rochester, N.Y., and an ABCA committee member, thought exactly that four years ago when he was head coach at the school. But 1000 players attending four clinics has made him a believer. “This was a home run for our baseball program,” Bailey said. “We have been running camps for 25 years, and these have been our best. I thought their ad was too good to be true, but I’m glad I made the call.” The company hopes more coaches make the call, but don’t delay. Registration for Spring Training 2011 has already begun, and new sites must be finalized by the end of October. To learn more, contact Director of Baseball Operations Joe Marker at 800-5924487 or by email at: sites@usbaseballacademy.com. Visit the company’s web site at: www.usbaseballacademy.com.

Q&A

Dennis Martel

Illinois Wesleyan University

With apologies to the Butler University men’s basketball team, the real NCAA Cinderella story of 2010 was the Illinois Wesleyan University baseball team. The Titans finished the regular season 19-19, earning the last spot in their conference tournament, where they battled through the losers’ bracket to advance to the Division III regionals. IWU went undefeated there to reach the championship round, yet the clock never struck midnight. The Titans won four out of five games in Appleton, Wis., finishing with a 17-5 victory over Cortland State to claim the team’s first national title. Head Coach Dennis Martel says it was the most unbelievable run he’d seen in his career. He can appreciate the comparison to Final Four darling Butler. In addition to serving as Head Coach of the IWU

CM: How did you turn a 19-19 team into a national champion? Martel: I still don’t really know. All year long I kept saying, “I think we’re pretty good,” but we just weren’t getting the timely hits we needed. Our pitching staff was good, but there was so much pressure on them to be perfect because we weren’t scoring runs. At one point we were 14-17, and all of a sudden everybody started hitting. Our second baseman, Brett Moore, who was our MVP the year before, came back from an injury, and some other guys with nicks and bruises got healthy. The balls that we hit at people earlier in the year started finding holes. Best of all, there was always someone different stepping up. Once we started hitting, guys really started believing and that was a big step for us. What did you do to help your players break out of the hitting slump? We made some adjustments to their swings, and our kids did a great job of not taking offense to our suggestions. For example, Jeff Grebeck was hitting .175 midway through the year when one of my assistants suggested starting his hands in a different position. He ended up hitting .325 and was the NCAA tournament MVP. Sometimes you just need to make a little adjustment like opening their stance. When they start thinking about fixing something small, they stop thinking about the slump they’re in.

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baseball program for the past 23 years, Martel also spent 21 of them as an assistant men’s basketball coach, helping lead the Titans to a Division III title in 1997, and is currently the Director of Basketball Operations. After three years working in construction, Martel began his coaching career as head men’s basketball coach at a community college while obtaining his bachelor’s degree at the University of Maine. He came to Illinois Wesleyan as an assistant basketball and baseball coach in 1984, while getting a master’s degree at Illinois State University. Since becoming Head Baseball Coach at IWU in 1988, Martel has led the Titans to seven conference championships and two appearances in the Division III championship round. In this interview, he talks about his team’s turnaround, how a basketball coach shaped his philosophy, and the ways he’s changed as a coach.

How did you keep team morale up when you weren’t winning? With about two weeks left in the regular season, I gave my players a scenario. I told them, “If we make the conference tournament, I think we can beat North Central [the top-seeded team]. Then, we can reach the championship game because nobody has number-two, three, four, and five starters like we do. From there, we go to the regional, where we do the same thing, and then we move on to the World Series.” I know at first our players were thinking, “What’s wrong with this guy?” But when I asked them, “Don’t you believe we can do it?” they told me they did. Then, almost everything I said would happen, did. I’m not a prophet, but I always felt the opportunity was there. They were a great group of guys. They’d laugh and joke with each other before practice, and every day they kept working hard. It helped that we went to the tournament without any pressure on us. Nobody expected much from us, and that looseness helped us play well. Were we the best team in the country all year? Not a chance. Do I think we were the best team during the last three weekends of the season? You bet! You’ve won NCAA titles in two sports. What advice do you have for coaches making their first trip to an NCAA championship?

Late in the 2010 regular season, senior outfielder Mike Morrissey and his teammates at Illinois Wesleyan University were 14-17. The Titans then went on a 17-4 tear to become the NCAA Division III national champions.

Coaching Management

Q&A Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get overwhelmed. There are so many little things to take care of that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll probably forget something. But donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get in a tizzyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;some coaches get so wound up that their players feel it too and get all tight and nervous themselves.

and the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s greatest recruiter, be the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s greatest recruiter because you win with talent.â&#x20AC;? When people asked what the key to his success was, he always said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I tried to get off the bus with better players than the other guy.â&#x20AC;?

The other thing is to enjoy the moment. Before the national championship game, I looked at all our players in the dugout and said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Get out there and enjoy the moment. Look around at the crowd. Take some mental pictures. This is an experience you wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to forget.â&#x20AC;?

Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s underestimating his coaching ability, but I think heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s right. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been able to recruit pretty effectively, and beyond that my philosophy has been to keep it simple. I see some coaches who are so detail-oriented and run their programs as if they were in Division I, playing and working out year-round. I always tell my guys I want them to be part of the school.

How did you end up coaching junior college basketball while you were in college? Working three years of construction before I went to college was probably the best thing I ever did. I always wanted to get into athletics or recreation, but people talked me out of it. I quickly realized I

What is your recruiting philosophy? We certainly want good players, and our reputation helps us get our foot in the door with some kids who have Division I talent. But some people are in love with the idea of getting a scholarship, even if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a small one. There are times when kids go to a school just because they get a scholarship. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Before the national championship wrong. I tell them makgame, I looked at all our players in ing a decision based on athletics instead of acathe dugout and said, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Get out there demics can come back to and enjoy the moment. Look haunt them.

around at the crowd. Take some mental pictures. This is an experience you wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to forget.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to work construction the rest of my life, so I decided to go to college. I played pickup basketball down the road at Bangor Community College, and became friends with the athletic director. Then just before basketball season started, he told me the coach had left and asked if I would run practice until he found a new one. A couple of weeks later, I asked if he had found a coach yet and he said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yeah, you. If you want the job, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll give you $2,000.â&#x20AC;? That was a lot of money for a college kid. I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know what I was doing half the time, but I learned on the fly. What did you learn? The first few years were hard because I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t much older than the players and I made a lot of mistakes. I kept trying different things and never committed to one system. In the end, I have to say got a lot of my coaching philosophy from Dennie Bridges, who was the basketball coach at Illinois Wesleyan and is now the athletic director here. He said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you have a choice between being the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s greatest coach

Coaching Management

Of course I want to make sure players have talent, but I also want to see how they act. When itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 93 degrees and I see someone at a showcase diving, sliding, and getting upset when he loses, even though itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s basically a meaningless game, I know Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve found the kid Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m looking for. When I see a pitcher who can throw pretty well, but when he is taken out of the game he walks into the dugout, un-tucks his shirt and looks for his mom and dad to bring him Gatorade, I wonder how important baseball is to him. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll walk away from kids like that, even if they have a lot of talent. How has your coaching philosophy developed over time? When youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re young, you want to win it all right now. I was like that, too. Then 15 years ago, somebody said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dennis, this is Division III baseball. Nobody outside this town knows or cares what you do.â&#x20AC;? I figured they were probably right. I was putting an awful lot into it, and I was demanding a lot from my players. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m certainly not downgrading it, but as much as itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to me, and the rest of the people in this program, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not that big a deal in the grand scheme of thingsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;that was an eye-opening moment for me.

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Jason Tindal, Head Coach

Eugene Ashley High School Wilmington, NC

After drills, his team chills. The workout’s finished, the body isn’t. That’s why the Screaming Eagles of Eugene Ashley High School drink chocolate milk after games, practices and workouts. They know that the two hours after exercise are crucial for taking in the right balance of carbohydrates and protein, plus fluids and electrolytes to help replenish what’s lost in sweat. And that research suggests that lowfat chocolate milk may be just as effective as certain commercial sports drinks in helping athletes refuel muscles after a workout. Coach Jason Tindal checked out the data, and he’s a chocolate milk believer. See the science for yourself, or even tell us your success story, at milkdelivers.org. You could be our next winner, with a Milk Mustache ad of your own.

Tell us your story. visit milkdelivers.org

Circle No. 108

COVER STORY

SPECIAL DELIVERY BY kyle garratt

Throwing pitch after pitch puts a lot of stress on the arm, but there are steps you can take to help your pitchers avoid overuse injuries and stay in the game. n 1994, the Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center performed a total of six Tommy John surgeries—none of them on youth or high school pitchers. In 2008, it performed the operation 89 times—31 percent of which were on youth or high school pitchers. Other clinics around the country tout similar statistics, and these numbers are just the tip of the iceberg. The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System’s latest round of data found that the number of overuse injuries in youth baseball is as high as ever. Glenn Fleisig, Research Director at the American Sports Medicine Institute (ASMI), where he works with renowned orthopaedic surgeon James Andrews, has seen far too many Tommy John surgery candidates in his career. Hoping to reduce the number of young players needing the procedure, Fleisig conducted a study on pitchers 16 to 20 years old that showed those who reported pitching after fatigue were 36 times more likely to have surgery before the age of 20 than those who didn’t pitch when feeling fatigued. The study also suggested that high school and college pitchers throwing faster than 85 miles per hour, for more than eight months in a year, at a rate of more than 80 pitches in a game are at increased risk for injury.

Coaching Management

“Pitching injuries are all due to overuse,” says Fleisig. “They don’t come from pitching on one cold day or throwing one bad curve ball. When the surgeon opens up the elbow or shoulder, the ligaments and tendons always look frayed, which means the injuries happened over time. Coaches have to realize it was a pattern that added up to injury.” Numbers Game If pitching too much is the root of overuse injuries, then pitching less is the obvious solution. But how much less? There are two views to using pitch counts. One approach sets firm limits on the number of pitches one player can throw within a certain window of time, usually based on a day or series of days. Another school of thought holds that pitch counts are important for monitoring a pitcher’s status, but the ultimate decision to take a player out of a game should involve other factors as well. The ASMI and Little League subscribe to the same pitch count guidelines, which limit 15 and 16 year-olds to 95 pitches in a day and 17 and 18 yearolds to 105. The Institute also advises that adolescent pitchers make no more than two starts a week and Kyle Garratt is a former Assistant Editor at Coaching Management.

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In three seasons, University of Miami lefty Chris Hernandez has totaled more than 300 innings. His pitching coach uses rest and pitch counts to help avoid overuse injuries. PHOTO BY JC RIDLEY/MIAMI HURRICANES

COVER STORY

bases pitch counts for relievers on the amount of rest they’ve had. For example, pitchers ages 7 to 18 with one day of rest are advised to throw no more than 35 pitches, and on two day’s rest, the recommendation increases to 50 pitches. “I would say 140 pitches a week is a good number for high school players,” says Charles Metzger, an Orthopaedic Surgeon at Greater Houston Orthopaedic Specialists. “Have them rest four days between starts and don’t let them pitch for multiple teams in the same season. I also recommend they don’t pitch and catch in the same game, don’t pitch when tired, and don’t pitch through any pain in their joints. A little pain in the muscle is no big deal, but if a joint hurts, they need to stop pitching immediately.” For many coaches, pitch counts evolve through the season. “Our starters typically throw no more than 65 pitches their first start of the season,” says J.D. Arteaga, Pitching Coach at the University of Miami.

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“We increase the count by 10 pitches each time out, but even late in the year we don’t let a guy start an inning after he hits 100 pitches. However, we treat everybody as individuals, and if something worked for them in high school, they can keep doing it in college.” At George Washington High School in New York City, Head Coach Steve Mandl keeps a close eye on pitch counts, but doesn’t set any hard limit going into a game. “I do it not just for the pitch count, but also to see how the kid is throwing over time,” says Mandl, who hasn’t had a major pitching injury on his team in 27 years at George Washington. “If I don’t feel 100 percent about a kid, I will go back and look at his records. If he threw 110 pitches last time and 105 the time before I’ll check his pitch speed. If he usually throws 84 mph, but now he’s throwing 80 mph, maybe his arm is a little tired. Then we will adjust.” Pitch counts can be a useful guide,

AS common AS PITCH COUNT LIMITS HAVE BECOME, tHEY STILL DON’T HAVE

THE WEIGHT OF THE LAW. But that might change soon. Earlier this year, two New York City councilmen introduced a bill that would implement pitch count limits in all city high school baseball games by next spring. Some coaches aren’t pleased. “I think it’s ridiculous,” says Steve Mandl, Head Coach at George Washington High School in New York City. “The premise is great because too many players are getting hurt, but it needs to be done differently. They need to first educate coaches and kids who don’t know how to condition well enough. “I think a lot of coaches feel like, ‘Don’t shove this down our throat,’” he continues. “If the restriction was based on innings it would be a little different. That makes a little more sense.” While New York City’s Public Schools Athletic League (PSAL) currently has no limit on how many pitches a pitcher can throw, many states restrict pitchers to a certain number of innings. In neighboring New Jersey, pitchers are limited to no more than 10 innings in a fourday period, and any pitcher who records more than six innings must get three days’ rest. In May, the PSAL asked its coaches to start logging game-by-game counts on the league’s Web site to gather data. The league is in the process of reviewing the information and will soon decide whether or not to implement its own limits.

KEEPING COUNT Circle No. 109

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COVER STORY

but Frank Gonzales, Head Coach at Fort Collins (Colo.) High School, says the best strategy is trusting what you see and putting a foot down if a pitcher resists being taken out. “If one of my starters gets around 70 pitches and starts throwing pitches up in the strike zone, I visit the mound,” he says. “An inability to repeatedly throw strikes and repeat the right delivery is a major sign of fatigue. Non-verbal communication like body language, facial expressions, and posture are also important clues.” Fleisig agrees. “During the game, look for any sign of fatigue,” he says. “That could be a performance change, such as velocity or location. It could be mechanics, such as the trunk being too upright upon release rather than leaning forward toward home plate. They might drop their elbow, walk around, or rub their elbow between pitches.” Break Time The best way to keep overuse injuries at bay is to have a staff of competent pitchers. But that is not every coach’s

reality. Gonzales says even if you don’t have a full roster, it’s best to emulate the professionals. “I take a major league approach,” he says. “If a guy starts on Monday, then Tuesday is a running and limited toss day with bungee cords or arm manipulation exercises. On Wednesday, we throw a light bullpen and on Thursday we get into long toss. Friday is an off-day, and he should be ready to start again on Saturday. For relievers, I throw some guys on back-to-back days. If they warm up and throw 35 pitches, they’re probably okay to come back the next day.” Avoiding overuse injuries isn’t simply about managing workload on a game-bygame or weekly basis. Many players compete year-round, and that can do damage even if a pitcher adheres to conservative daily or weekly limits. Gonzales encourages his players to play year-round, but with a caveat. “To me, year-round means throwing for nine or 10 months a year,” he says. “If they can have a 60-day window where they do nothing but aerobic conditioning and

some sort of strength training, that can make a big difference.” At Miami, Arteaga decided to scrap summer ball for his pitchers last year. “Our guys were pitching all spring, summer, and fall, with just a couple weeks off in December, and that’s just not right,” he says. “Grown men in the majors take two or three months off, so how could a 21- or 18-year-old not need a break?” Relating and Communicating Despite paying close attention to pitch counts and possible signs of fatigue, it can be difficult to tell before it’s too late that a pitcher should hang it up for the day. Knowing your players as thoroughly as possible makes the tough decisions easier. “Coaches need good relationships with their athletes, their athletic trainer, and their pitching coach,” says Fleisig. “You can’t start that relationship in the seventh inning of a game when the kid is standing on the mound. You have to be able to read your pitchers and understand what their bodies are saying.”

Circle No. 110 Untitled-1 1 CoachesNetwork.com

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COVER STORY

For Gonzales, becoming familiar with his pitchers involves more than just spending time with them once they are on the team. He discusses each new pitcher’s

coaches can play the role of not only helping their own pitchers, but helping the younger pitchers in their community.” Gonzales notes that youth coaches

“Pitchers are far better off doing overall aerobic conditioning and body weight exercises. And they should concentrate on working their core, legs, and butt more than their arms.” pitching history with him, going back six months to a year, and covering pitch volume and type over that time. Fleisig believes coaches can further help in the overuse fight by being proactive in their communities. “To prevent high school and college pitchers from suffering injuries, kids have to start in the right direction when they are young,” he says. “Coaches who run camps or Little League look to the college and high school coaches for guidance. College

aren’t the only ones who should be looking for more knowledge about overuse. “Even as a high school coach, it’s important to find somebody with a little more expertise than you have,” he says. “I ask pro scouts all the time, ‘Here’s what I’m doing, thinking, and seeing. Do you think we’re on the right track?’ That’s been huge for me, and there is somebody like that in every community.” Parents can also play an important role in monitoring their son’s condition

and how much he pitches outside of team activities. “Parents are sometimes afraid to meddle in the business of the coaching staff,” says Gonzales. “They don’t say, ‘My kid is tired and I don’t think it’s worth the win to hurt him.’” It’s also important for your players to know that overuse injuries are a serious matter. With so many examples of pitchers excelling after having Tommy John surgery, some players see the procedure as a performance enhancer. “There is a misconception that the surgery will make your arm better than it would be naturally,” says Fleisig. “That’s completely not true. The purpose of the surgery is to return the elbow to natural strength and function, but some pitchers have become significantly better a year or two after the surgery. “But there’s a misunderstanding of cause and effect,” he continues. “Players think, ‘My friend had Tommy John surgery, and now he’s better than I’ve ever seen him.’ They think the surgery made him better. The surgery probably did fix the elbow, but the person making

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Circle No. 112 CoachesNetwork.com

COVER STORY

the statement may not remember that his friend wasn’t pitching well before surgery because he had an injured elbow.” Body Work A crucial part of making a pitcher’s body resistant to overuse is preparing it in the off-season. When it comes to weight training, forget traditional images of athletes straining to hoist stacks of weights. “Stay away from heavy barbell lifting,” says Metzger. “Pitchers are far better off doing overall aerobic conditioning and body weight exercises. And they should concentrate on working their core, legs, and butt more than their arms.” The ASMI recommends periodized training with a wide variety of exercises. “We recommend putting an emphasis on functional movement,” says Fleisig. “Instead of doing single-joint activities, do full-body activities such as squatting, lunging, and twisting.” At George Washington, Mandl does a lot of flexibility exercises along with strength work. “In the winter, before we pick up a ball, we stretch for about

an hour and 15 minutes,” he says. “We warm up and do calisthetics, plyometrics, stretching, core work, and weight work.” Miami pitchers perform maintenance work throughout the season. “Our pitchers do a core and shoulder routine with the athletic trainer and strength coach every day before practice,” says Arteaga. “They do rubber band exercises and light weights for about 10 minutes. It’s important to do preventative exercises—not to build strength, but to prevent injuries.” Metzger believes one basic stretch can help prevent overuse injuries. His recent study of 1,267 youth baseball players

found that doing a posterior capsular stretch, also known as the sleeper stretch, for about 10 minutes after each mound outing can help avoid major injuries. The stretch can be performed alone or with help from an athletic trainer, coach, or parent. (See “Figure One” below.) The player lies on his side with his throwing arm underneath his body at 90 degrees. His back should be at a 90-degree angle with the floor with the non-throwing shoulder facing the ceiling. His assistant then lifts the forearm of the throwing arm slightly off the ground and then applies a small amount of downward force. If

Figure One

Unassisted sleeper stretch

Assisted sleepER stretch lift

Assisted sleeper stretch push

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Coaching Management

COVER STORY

unassisted, the player lifts his throwing arm and then applies a small amount of downward force with his other arm. “Over time, a pitcher’s glenohumeral ligament will tighten and throw the shoul-

nal rotation of the throwing arm was almost always less than the internal rotation of the non-throwing arm. By subtracting the internal rotation of the throwing arm from the internal rotation

Overhand pitching is an unnatural motion, and when done improperly over time, it will almost certainly result in injury. Most athletes fear the freak accident that takes the game away from them, but overuse presents greater—yet overlooked—risks. der out of balance,” says Metzger. “Every time a pitcher throws, it puts an excessive amount of stress on the cartilage in the shoulder called the labrum. Whether after a game or bullpen session, the player needs to lie down on his arm and do the stretch. This can prevent injuries that end a season or require surgery.” In his study, Metzger found the inter-

of the non-throwing arm, he calculated the glenohumeral internal rotation deficit (GIRD) for each player in the study. If the GIRD is greater than or equal to the player’s age, it is considered excessive. “Every pitcher over 12 needs to learn this stretch,” says Metzger. “Everyone in the study who had excessive GIRD was taught the sleeper stretch and came back

a year later. I measured them again and 94.5 percent of them had a lower GIRD. “The older they are the more at-risk they are,” he continues. “If pitchers can learn this stretch and get it into their routine when they are 12, they can avoid hearing a pop when they’re being scouted at 16, which means surgery and missing a year. He’s not seen by scouts and not recruited. That’s how to hit home with some of these kids.” The sleeper stretch is similar to other methods of preventing overuse injuries—a sustained good habit that can help stave off what would otherwise be inevitable. Overhand pitching is an unnatural motion, and when done improperly over time, it will almost certainly result in injury. Most athletes fear the freak accident that takes the game away from them, but overuse presents greater—yet overlooked—risks. “Several factors go into injuries,” says Fleisig. “But overuse and fatigue are the biggest and easiest to grasp. There is no reason that people shouldn’t be educated about it because it’s so preventable.” n

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leadership

Quelling the Critics

BY MIKE PHELPS

MICHAEL KLEIN

Nowadays, coaches get bombarded with criticism from every angle. Learning how to handle it with composure is key to success (and staying sane).

uring his 20-plus years coaching, Jim Long can recall only a couple of instances when someone really got under his skin. But one in particular stands out to the Brenham (Texas) High School Head Coach. No matter what Long did, a parent of one of his athletes took issue with the coach’s decisions. The parent constantly approached Long with complaints after games and eventually went to the ath-

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letic director and school board to air his criticisms. Long even had to defend himself in front of school board members. Fortunately, the board sided with Long, but the whole process made him aware of an emerging reality: handling negative feedback effectively is part of a coach’s job. “For whatever reason, I’ve found that fans today, especially parents, think they have a right to do or say whatever they want when it comes to coaches and athletics,” Long says. “We’re not going to

stop them, so it’s up to each coach to understand the best way to deal with that criticism and not let it affect your team.” Just Ignore It? In the middle of a busy season with practices and games consuming all your time, it can be tempting to ignore criticism that comes your way and hope that Mike Phelps is an Assistant Editor at Coaching Management. He can be reached at: mp@MomentumMedia.com.

Coaching Management

leadership

it will eventually disappear. But that tactic can easily backfire. Chuck Wilcoxen, Head Men’s and Women’s Cross Country and Track and Field Coach at Principia College, says it’s important to engage with anyone who is delivering criticism or negative feedback. “If someone is upset about something, sooner or later they have to get it out,” he says. “If they sit on it, it’s going to simmer longer, and that makes them more upset, which isn’t good for you, and isn’t good for the program. Even if it’s the same parent again and again with things you don’t think are justified, you have to let the person be heard.” That’s why instead of ignoring it, many coaches suggest developing a philosophy and strategy for dealing with negative feedback. And the number-one item of a good strategy is to always stay calm, even if the other person is not. “Getting mad is not productive whatsoever,” Long explains. “That can make you look worse than the person complaining, which you never want. You need to remember you’re dealing with 217-431_ExScience_3.4x4.8_4C:Layout

people who, because of their emotions, are making ignorant decisions. When I think of it that way, these situations are a lot easier to deal with.” For Karen Kunka, Head Volleyball Coach at North Central College, staying calm means taking a step back. Rather than responding immediately, she sets up a meeting to discuss the complaint. “If you let a discussion go on in the heat of the moment, you can get backed into a corner with someone screaming at you,” she says. Instead, Kunka likes to gain perspective on the situation and think through her solution, rather than being forced into a snap decision or appearing defensive. “You have to allow yourself to pull back from a situation,” she says. “I also like to have someone I can run things past, like an assistant coach, before I react.” Wilcoxen takes a similar approach. “Don’t react when you’re having the initial discussion,” he says. “Hash things out by yourself when you’re not dealing with any feelings of defensiveness or anger. With a little 11:10 perspective, you may even 1 1/8/10 AM Page 1

find that the person has an excellent point that will make you a better coach.” In fact, Wilcoxen tries to learn from all feedback. “What may at first seem to be a petty complaint can actually be very valuable information,” he says. “For example, parents know things about their kids that coaches don’t. The first couple years I coached I was probably a little defensive, but the more open I was to others’ opinions, the more I learned. If a kid tells me they’re feeling great, and I find out from the parents that they’re not, that’s good information.” The Parent Trap For most coaches, the largest source of complaints is parents. That’s why many coaches have developed formal policies on how parents should voice their concerns. One standard and effective rule is to never talk to a parent about anything significant immediately following a contest. Whenever Long is confronted by a parent after a game, he’ll tell the parent that he’d be happy to speak with them and address the problem, but not right now.

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“I’ll ask them if we can set up a time the next day to discuss it,” he says. “It gives me and the parent a little time to relax and think about the situation. People usually make dumb decisions

nearly 30 players, and playing time was limited. One freshman’s parent e-mailed to voice her displeasure over her daughter’s playing time. “In my reply, I said that I would be happy to discuss this matter— with the parent and the child present at the same time,” “I’ll bring the parent in and the Kunka says. “Nine times out of first thing I’ll do is let them air 10, the player doesn’t even know parent sent the e-mail or things out. Then I’ll try to explain the called. I’m happy to talk with exactly what’s going on and why parents, but not without their child knowing about it. we as coaches do what we do. “Usually, I don’t hear from Once the parent has a chance to those parents again,” she continues. “They want to express speak in private and vent, they ainage_Ad.pdf 1 8/20/10 4:40 PM their complaint but they don’t usually calm down.” want their child to know.” The question of whether to discuss playing time at all with when they’re really upset.” parents can be a tricky one. Long is one Kunka uses a similar policy, but with coach who does not. He explains to paran added twist. She insists the player her- ents that playing time is based on what self be involved in the discussion. he feels is best for the team and that his For example, North Central’s 2008 decisions must be respected. “Parents squad included 18 freshmen among will often criticize and say their child

doesn’t have a fair chance, but they don’t see what happens in practice every day,” he says. Ed Terwilliger, Head Football Coach at Olentangy High School in Lewis Center, Ohio, doesn’t shy away from discussing a player’s place within the team, but he always makes sure the parent understands one important ground rule. “I explain that my goal is to be as positive as I can be when talking about players in public,” he says. “But when we go into my office, you’re asking me to be brutally honest and I will be. If you’re going to challenge or question me, you better be ready for the real answer.” Beyond playing time, there are a host of other complaints parents may have brewing. Long tries to keep an ear open to them so they can be addressed quickly. If he believes a parent is having an adverse affect on the team, he will speak to the parent immediately. “I’ll bring the parent in and the first thing I’ll do is let them air things out,” he says. “Then I’ll try to explain exactly what’s going on and why we as coaches

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do what we do. Once the parent has a chance to speak in private and vent, they usually calm down and you don’t have any further problems.” At Southwest DeKalb High School in Decatur, Ga., Head Girls’ Basketball Coach Kathy Richey-Walton has found it effective to have one parent serve as a liaison between her and the rest of the parent group. “This parent is very good at finding out what the problem is, then telling the parents he’ll talk to me and make sure I’m aware of their concerns,” she says. “From there, I’ll decide how the situation needs to be handled.” Managing Media Of course, unsolicited feedback isn’t limited to parents of players. Whether it’s on television, over the radio, in the newspaper, or on the Internet, the media are also a regular source of criticism. However, criticism by the media should be handled very differently than that from parents. When parents complain there is a lot of emotion involved that will remain until the situation is

dealt with. Criticism from the media is during the state tournament last year, part of what sells newspapers and often Brenham twice had runners thrown out will be forgotten tomorrow. at home with two outs. Long knew he’d Terwilliger’s football team gets a good face some second-guessing during the deal of media coverage and he says the key with reporters is to take a professional “I don’t need to justify myself or approach. Understand that call a reporter to ask why he or their job is to analyze your team’s performance and that she wrote this. If people think a their criticism is not personal. sportswriter has all the answers, When there is controversy, explain your decisions and that’s their problem.” then let it go. “I embrace the media,” Terwilliger says. “I’m not the kind of postgame show, but relished the opportucoach who will get upset over an article nity to present his side of the story. and then refuse to return their calls. I “I like to let people know where I’m understand the media has a job to do, coming from,” Long says. “They may disand I tell my players the same thing.” agree with me, but at least they know the At Brenham, a local radio station reason I did it. If a parent comes at you broadcasts the school’s baseball games, after a game, they don’t really deserve a and several newspapers regularly cover response, but it’s nice to explain yourself the team. Following each game, Long in the newspaper or on the radio so your does a postgame interview with the radio side can be heard.” crew, who can be critical of decisions Long If something is said or written in makes during the contest. For example, the media when Long doesn’t have the

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chance to immediately respond, he’ll just let it go. For him, it’s not worth getting involved in a back-and-forth. “It’s someone’s opinion,” he says. “I don’t need to justify myself or call a reporter to ask why he or she wrote this. I would never do that. If people think a sportswriter has all the answers, that’s their problem.” Administrative Support When complaints rise above garden-variety venting, there is one more strategy to employ: Keep school administrators informed. “Whenever a situation develops, I will go to our administrators to make them aware of what’s going on,” Richey-Walton says. “They appreciate being in the loop so they won’t be blindsided if someone brings it up.” Terwilliger agrees. “Administrators have so many things to do, the last thing they want is to be out in public and hear about how the football coach is an idiot,” he says. “Any information I give to parents, I also give to my athletic director and principal. It’s documentation that they

can read at their leisure and say, ‘This is what Coach Terwilliger is doing.’” Keeping your administrators in the loop means little, however, if you’re not open and honest with them. “You head off a lot of problems just by being completely honest from the get-go,” Wilcoxen says. “Most misunderstandings are compounded by people at either end feeling they have to hide something. If you’re misrepresenting anything, your anxiety is just going to spiral.” Also remember that administrators can be your allies. “I’ve learned is to always have someone else in on the conversation if you foresee a problem,” Kunka says. “There have been times when someone has been really upset about something and didn’t get the response they wanted from me. So I’ve brought in to the meeting an assistant athletic director. It’s important to have a third party present so there can’t be any ‘he said, she said,’ afterwards.” Keeping administrators informed also garners their support, which can mean criticism does not escalate in the

first place. “If you do not have their backing, you can’t be successful,” Long says. “I don’t care what anybody says. You can be the greatest coach in the world, but if the school board and the athletic director do not back you up, you can still lose your job.” Wilcoxen believes the support he receives from administrators also makes him more confident when dealing with criticism. “If you feel supported, you’re much more comfortable acknowledging you might have made a mistake,” he says. “I’ve always had what I feel to be unconditional support from my athletic directors. So I can say, ‘Maybe I screwed up,’ and not worry about losing my job. “But, even more important, that feeling of confidence then comes across to the people you’re speaking with,” he continues. “That allows a productive conversation where no one feels threatened—and really great things can happen.” n A version of this article is appearing in other sport-specific editions of Coaching Management.

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RECOVERY PLAY richard orr sports photography

After giving their all in a game or practice, your players have a 30-minute window to start refueling their body properly for maximum effort the next day.

t’s 8:15 on a Saturday night. Your team begins its 90-minute bus ride home after an exciting double header—including an extra-innings win. The players are exhausted and eager to get some rest before they leave again at 7 a.m. for the second day of the tournament and another doubleheader. Most players drain a couple of water

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BY michelle rockwell bottles on the ride home, a few eat candy from their bags, and others snack on brownies baked by a player’s mom. Some wait until they get home to see if they’re hungry. Back at school, a few parents are waiting with fast food bags in hand. In all, only a handful of players eat a meal before going to sleep. You might guess how the second day of the tournament turns out. The play-

ers are fatigued by the seventh inning stretch, your infielders’ legs feel impossibly heavy, and they struggle to execute Michelle Rockwell is a Sports Dietitian based in Raleigh-Durham, N.C., who serves as a sports nutrition consultant to North Carolina State University athletics. She offers sports nutrition consulting services in addition to educational products and workshops through RK Team Nutrition: www.rkteamnutrition.com.

Coaching Management

NUTRITION

what should be simple plays. They also have trouble maintaining mental focus. One of your biggest run producers goes 0-for-3 at the plate. Afterward, players may blame the early morning wake-up or the strain of yesterday’s games, or simply say they had an “off day.” They’ll probably never think about the real reason they did so poorly: They completely ignored recovery nutrition. Most athletes know the value of a healthy breakfast and a balanced pregame meal. But all too often, they don’t know about arguably the most important time to provide their bodies with fuel to replenish and reload. Post-activity eating and drinking is an essential component of athletic success, and improving recovery nutrition is one of the easiest ways athletes can measurably boost their performance. Must-Haves Recovery nutrition is best thought of as a window of opportunity. Research has found that in the approximately

30 minutes after intense exercise, the grams of muscle glycogen and 50 grams body optimizes its ability to replenish of liver glycogen in a typical rigorous energy stores—particularly muscle and training session or competition—that’s a liver glycogen. This is also a critical time total of 1,000 calories worth of carbs! because the body instigates muscle proAthletes should consume .5 to .7 tein synthesis for muscle tissue recovery and repair, replenishes fluids and electrolytes Chocolate milk in particular is an lost through sweat, and adapts excellent choice, because it rehyto the stresses encountered in the workout. drates and provides electrolytes The quantity and quality while also supplying the body of nutrients and fluids consumed in the post-exercise with carbs and protein. period greatly affect recovery. And the longer and more intense a workout, the more important grams of carbohydrates per pound of it is to kick-start the body’s recovery and bodyweight within the first 30 minutes replenishment mechanisms with ade- after exercise. For someone weighing quate fueling. The three most impor- 150 pounds, that means roughly 75 to tant components of recovery nutrition 100 grams. are carbohydrates, protein, and fluids/ Beyond the 30-minute “immediate” electrolytes. recovery window, it’s also important for Carbohydrates. Hard exercise dramat- athletes to consume more carbs—at least ically decreases the body’s carbohydrate another 50 grams—about two hours after stores. One recent estimate suggests that exercise. This helps complete the restoraa 150-pound athlete may utilize 200 tion of glycogen levels and ensure that

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muscle tissue will be ready to perform again at the next workout, practice, or competition. Protein. Protein consumed within the recovery window provides amino acid building blocks for muscle tissue synthesis and repair. It also helps ensure a net positive protein balance, which means protein synthesis exceeds protein degradation (breakdown) in muscle tissue. Protein degradation is elevated after exercise, so failing to consume protein can actually result in muscle loss. Researchers generally suggest that athletes need 10 to 20 grams of protein in the 30-minute recovery window to provide adequate amino acids for synthesis and repair. There is limited evidence to suggest that one protein source is superior to another for promoting muscle recovery. Some researchers have reported that whey protein is most favorable because of its unique amino acid composition and absorption rate, but most recommendations do not distinguish between protein sources. With so many protein-rich options, from

meat, dairy, and eggs to nuts, seeds, and legumes, athletes should choose the ones they like best, and perhaps even experiment with different combinations to see if they notice a difference in recovery with certain foods as compared to others. Fluids/electrolytes. The total amount of fluid and electrolytes needed after physical activity varies by individual based on body chemistry, sweat rate and salt content, and other factors. The simplest guide for replenishment is weight loss during workouts: Athletes should weigh themselves before and after activity, and consume 16 to 24 fluid ounces for every pound they lose. For example, someone who drops three pounds during practice needs 48 to 72 ounces of fluid during the recovery window. Of course, athletes must also be encouraged to focus on hydration during activity, so ideally, their pre- and post-workout weight shouldn’t be much different. If the prospect of downing 72 ounces of fluid after a workout is unappealing, that’s one more reason to hit

the water and sports drink bottles early and often while working out. Because sweat contains electrolytes like sodium and potassium, the best recovery hydration options are sports drinks, fruit juice, and flavored milk as opposed to plain water. Chocolate milk in particular is an excellent choice, because it rehydrates and provides electrolytes while also supplying the body with carbs and protein. Meal Or Snack? Athletes crave simplicity in nutrition advice. One of their most frequently asked questions is whether they are better off consuming a meal or simply a snack after workouts and games. Some ask this question because they have so little appetite after hard work that a snack is all they can stomach. In most cases, my answer is both— or more specifically, first one, then the other. It’s fine if they only consume a snack in the 30-minute window, as long as it meets the criteria outlined above. A large glass of chocolate milk and a

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few handfuls of pretzels may be all they need to get enough carbs, protein, and electrolytes to begin optimal recovery. If they go that route, they should

ON THE WEB To download a handout for athletes containing specific advice and recommendations on recovery nutrition, point a browser to: www.training-conditioning.com/ Recovery.pdf

plan on consuming a full meal about two hours later, complete with at least 50 grams of carbs and 15 grams of protein, and a larger quantity of whole food overall. This will ensure that muscle glycogen replacement continues and the body’s longer-term recovery processes receive adequate fuel. It will also allow replacement of the broader spectrum of micronutrients and amino acids that the snack didn’t provide. For those who can eat a full meal within the 30-minute window, the advice basically flip-flops. They should consume a snack about two hours after their meal, again with at least 50 grams of carbs and 15 grams of protein. The overall goal is to kick-start recovery with immediate refueling, and then to follow up with further nutritional support after a couple of hours. Making It Happen In my work with athletes, I develop individualized nutrition plans that cover daily intake before, during, and after exercise. With recommendations in hand, we work on realistic strategies to make sure the plan is followed. Sometimes, we got creative to meet the players’ needs. An assistant coach for one team worked with concessions stands at home and on the road to purchase salted soft pretzels with mustard at a group discount for the team to eat after games. A parent provided either individual servings of chocolate milk or low-fat milkshakes from a fast food restaurant, and the athletic trainer got into the habit of bringing bananas and a cooler of sports drinks. Simple steps like those meant that players had easy access to quality protein, carbohydrates,

Coaching Management

fluids, and electrolytes during the critical 30-minute recovery window. Of course, there are many ways to improve players’ recovery nutrition habits. I asked professionals at several athletic programs for their tips, and here’s what they shared: Practice makes perfect. Chris Morland, Strength and Conditioning Coordinator at North Carolina State University, has implemented post-workout recovery nutrition with his athletes and observed several benefits. “During the competition phase of the year, when intensity and energy expenditure are very high, I look to make quality calories directly available to athletes right after workouts,” he says. “We also provide athletes with an explanation of why recovery nutrition is important, so they connect recovery to personal choices.” Morland offers NCAA-permissible nutritional bars and shakes along with sports drinks, nuts, and fruit to his athletes immediately after workouts. He believes that recovery nutrition habits acquired in the weightroom translate into better post-game and post-competition nutrition practices. Change the culture. Some teams have a well-defined routine they follow after practices and games. The athletes might get treatment in the training room, meet with coaches, hit the showers, hang out with friends, and talk to the media, and before they know it, an hour or two has passed and the immediate recovery window has closed. For these teams, you must find ways to build recovery nutrition into their post-game culture. This can happen through simple steps, such as passing out recovery shakes for consumption as athletes wait for treatment in the training room, or making sure they have a sports drink in hand before they meet with family and friends after a game. At Texas Christian University, Sport Dietitian Amy Goodson has made the “box meal” a post-competition staple. She typically provides a turkey or ham and cheese sub sandwich (two for athletes seeking weight gain) along with baked chips and fruit or a cookie. Because the athletes know a box will be waiting for them after every game, they’ve made it part of their routine and expect to swap game notes and observations over a shared meal.

Account for low appetites. Since exercise can suppress appetite, many athletes struggle with a lack of hunger after working out. As Leslie Bonci, Director of Sports Nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, tells her athletes, “You need it the most when you want it the least.” Athletes who don’t feel hungry after workouts often do better with recovery beverages. Flavored milk, drinkable yogurts, and fruit smoothies can provide everything they need without requiring an appetite. Ice-cold sports drinks, fruit juice, and low-fat milkshakes can be especially appealing because of their cooling effect. Once athletes get in the habit of consuming something after workouts, even if it’s just liquid, they’ll usually end up looking forward to it. Don’t ignore weight goals. Athletes trying to lose weight often resist recovery nutrition because they feel it is a source of unnecessary calories. Some even feel that eating a meal after physical activity “cancels out” the benefits of their hard work by replacing calories they just burned. Athletes looking to change their body weight require special attention. Even when they do eat, they often don’t make wise choices from a recovery standpoint. Many athletes who restrict calories for weight loss find that a post-competition or post-workout recovery snack or small meal takes the edge off their appetite, allowing them to better control their portions at subsequent meals. It’s essential to stress that the critical recovery window post-exercise is the worst time to shortchange the body’s fueling needs. Every athlete interested in optimizing performance should understand the importance of recovery nutrition. If they haven’t been paying attention to their post-workout fueling and you can get them to change their habits, you won’t need to spend hours lecturing them and coaxing them to stick with it. They’ll soon notice the difference for themselves, and wonder why they didn’t start paying attention to recovery nutrition a lot sooner. n A version of this article was previously published in Training & Conditioning, a sister publication of Coaching Management. More articles from T&C can be found at: www.Training-Conditioning.com.

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ITEMS QUANTITY ITEM #

Learning from Peers

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TITLE

Fax this order to 607-257-7328 or Mail this order to MAG, Inc., 31 Dutch Mill Rd., Ithaca, NY 14850 Please allow 3-4 weeks for delivery.

8.00 9.00 $ 10.00 $ 12.00 $ $

PRICE

subtotal $ + shipping $ NY residents add sales tax $ = TOTAL $

Baseball Fields

They Stay Put

Now offered in 11 standard colors at the same low price, Wind Weighted Baseball Tarps are the patented mound and base rain covers used by Major League, college, and high school teams throughout the U.S. With 100-percent edge weighting with galvanized steel chain for the perfectly engineered ratio of fabric to ballast weight, they stay down even in very high winds. The 100-percent double lock-stitched edging cannot unravel like competitive chain-stitched tarps. This product is available from the very best sports equipment dealers. Aer-Flo, Inc. • 800-823-7356 www.aerflo.com

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In baseball, broadcasting scores and stats is everything—and The Donkey puts your people at the perfect level to keep tabs on all the action. All-aluminum construction with a main 4’ high platform features a sliding bench allowing easy access to the scorer’s table. A vinyl canopy and optional drop-down side weather screens provide protection from the elements. The Donkey is available with lockable wheels to make it portable or mounting leg supports for permanent location. Aluminum Athletic Equipment • 800-523-5471 www.myAAEworld.com Circle No. 501

Gourock provides reliable commercialstrength netting applications featuring topnotch craftsmanship and excellent service. Fast turnaround and multiple twine/ mesh size combinations are available. The company specializes in providing highquality materials and expert design and production. Its products can be customized to any dimensions. Circle No. 537

Turface MVP conditions soil to relieve compaction and manage moisture across baseball and softball infields. It can be incorporated into a new or existing field, or can be applied as a topdressing to improve the surface and reduce bad ball hops. Effective in native soil fields, Turface MVP absorbs excess water to prevent muddy, torn-up turf. Visit the company’s Web site for more information.

Coaching Management

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In the Lines

Home Plate Sports Turf Mats feature permanent white turf and regulation placed batter’s box lines. Constructed from spike-proof Bermuda Pro, an extremely dense 36-ounce pile weight, these premium home plate mats are engineered with a spring-set “coil” shape that prevents cleats from making contact with the primary backing. They are great for outdoor use to drastically reduce maintenance in high wear areas, and can be glued to concrete or asphalt for more permanent installation. Call or go on-line for more information.

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On the Line

Louisville Slugger ® Game Time White Stripe Field Marking Powder™ isn’t just for baseball—it is perfect for all your field marking needs, including football, soccer, baseball, and softball. White Stripe is non-toxic and bright white in appearance. Game Time Sports Systems • 800-520-0512 www.gametimesportssystems.com

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Resource Management

Quality Underfoot

M.A.S.A., Inc. • 800-264-4519 www.SportsAdvantage.com

Net Gains

Turface Athletics • 800-207-6457 www.Turface.com

The PR72 Pro Groomer™ Infield Drag levels infields by cutting off high spots and filling in low areas, keeping infields level, well-groomed, and in safe playing condition. It can be used to mix in new material or to break up hard-compacted surfaces. The Infield Drag saves labor, reduces water puddling, and removes weeds. There is no need for hydraulics or a three-point hitch to use the Infield Drag, which can be pulled with a variety of towing machines, and no tools are needed to adjust it. It comes with a manual or electric lift, and the new electric lift version is now available with wireless remote control. Heying Co. • 712-756-8847 www.infield-drag.com

KEEPING SCORE

Gourock • 877-803-5123 www.gourock.com

Restores & Maintains

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GameTime Athletics is a premier resource for baseball equipment. The company has your team covered. Find hundreds of baseball products and accessories online or call toll-free for a free estimate. Now offering free MLB base set with every truckload of Redfield. The company offers free shipping on all benches and bleachers, and free freight for customers purchasing three or more protective screens. GameTime Athletics • 877-891-2476 www.GameTimeAthletics.com

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CoachesNetwork.com

Baseball Fields

Net Gains

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 deflective barrier netting products. All custom nets are guaranteed to be of the highest quality, and are built in the USA to meet all your needs. Call SPI Nets toll-free or go online to learn more. SPI Nets • 866-243-6387 www.spinets.net

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Safety First

Poly-Cap is an inexpensive way to add safety, reduce player injuries, increase visibility, and beautify any field. Available in the trademarked bright “safety” yellow or forest green, Poly-Cap is manufactured with thick walls to provide unequaled durability and UV protection. Compare Poly-Cap to the competition and you will find it to be 20-percent thicker. M.A.S.A., Inc. • 800-264-4519 www.SportsAdvantage.com

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In the Red

Turface Athletics has introduced Pro League Heritage Red to its leading line of infield conditioners. With a smaller, more uniform particle than Turface MVP, Pro League Heritage Red features a rich cherrywood color that is consistent on both wet and dry infields. It maintains a uniform color throughout the game, offering high ball visibility and a new look that will set your field apart. For more information, visit teh company’s Web site. Turface Athletics • 800-207-6457 www.Turface.com

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Improve Your Mound

Pro Mound, a unique blue gumbo packing clay, delivers all-star performance on the mound and in the batter’s box. It bonds to form a solid sub-surface that allows players to dig in and establish footing without leaving holes, and it holds up season after season. Pro Mound is the preferred pitching mound clay of professional baseball. Pro’s Choice • 800-648-1166 www.proschoice1.com

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Baseball Fields

Go Deep

Pro’s Choice is proud to have Pro Red topdressing on its allstar roster of sports field products. This infield topdressing boasts the company’s deepest red color, which will give your fields the appearance you want and the conditioning you need. Pro Red is specially formulated to provide long-lasting red color that does not come off on players’ uniforms. It has all the advantages you have come to expect. Pro’s Choice • 800-648-1166 www.proschoice1.com Circle No. 531

Company News

A Premier Team Building and Tournament Venue

Vero Beach Sports Village provides the ideal setting to enable your team to grow together and better prepare for your upcoming season. From the moment you arrive until it’s time to leave, everything you need is here at this 67-acre sports and conference center. The complex can be configured for a variety of team sports, including baseball, football, soccer, lacrosse, rugby, and more. The facility features an abundance of competition and practice fields along with on-site housing, dining, and recreation, saving your group valuable energy and expense while providing more time for both onand off-field activities to build that championship feeling. Vero Beach Sports Village P.O. Box 2887 • Vero Beach, FL 32961 Toll-free 866-656-4900 • Fax: 772-257-8198 VBSportsVillage@milb.com www.vbsportsvillage.com

Coaching Management

Topdressing Saves the Day

What do you do if you’re hosting a regional baseball tournament, it has been raining all morning, and four of your five infields are mud? You move the tournament to the field that has the Game-On product applied. This scenario actually played out at a recent baseball tournament in Stark County, Ohio. When the rain stopped, the only playable field was the one that had been treated with Game-On Red topdressing. Using that field, the tournament was completed as scheduled. DiGeronimo Aggregates, LLC • 888-593-0395 www.hayditegame-on.com

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Built for the Long Haul

Made of Vipol Matrix mesh, Tuffy is one of the world’s toughest windscreens. With over 50 percent more microfibers than competitors, it is virtually tear- and puncture-proof. It is the only windscreen with lock-stitched ends and corners, eliminating the unraveling problem of conventional chain-stitched competitive products. Now available in 15 colors and with Chroma-Bond multi-color imprinting, Tuffy will upgrade the longevity and appearance of any baseball, softball, or tennis fencing. It’s protected by a four-year factory warranty. Aer-Flo, Inc. • 800-823-7356 www.aerflo.com

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Many Satisfied Customers

Beam Clay has supplied products to every 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 worldwide. Beam Clay supplies special mixes for infields, pitcher’s mounds, home plate areas, red warning tracks, infield conditioners, and drying agents, plus more than 200 other infield products, including regional infield mixes blended for every state and climate from bulk plants nationwide. Beam Clay • 800-247-BEAM www.beamclay.com

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Durable and Grass-Like

AstroTurf GameDay Grass 3D is a hybrid synthetic surface that’s more durable than polyethylene systems and accurately mimics the performance of natural grass. A double nylon Root Zone acts as a traction layer, providing fiber support, minimizing infill migration and reducing the compaction associated with other infill products. Recently installed as a conversion system for the MLB Toronto Blue Jays, this surface was designed and constructed for a wide variety of sports and multi-purpose facilities. AstroTurf • 800-723-8873 www.astroturfusa.com

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NO WATER NEEDED

Not enough time to maintain your mound properly? Common mound clays require saturation, overnight drying, and screening before they can be used. They also require constant water and maintenance for play. Hilltopper Mound Clay is the first “waterless” mound clay that does not need water

CoachesNetwork.com

Baseball Fields

or screening. The polymer coating makes it ready to pack right out of the bag, saving time and material. Stabilizer Solutions • 800-336-2468 www.stabilizersolutions.com Circle No. 542

For Better Fields

Diamond Pro offers a complete line of professional groundskeeping products: infield conditioners, calcined clay, mound and home plate clay, bricks, marking dust, and infield and warning track mixes. The company offers fast and convenient delivery. Diamond Pro’s vitrified red clay infield conditioner is available in bulk nationwide, and is easy to handle and apply. Truckloads are available in 10-, 15-, and 24-ton loads that save you both time and money. TXI/Diamond Pro • 800-228-2987 www.diamondpro.com Circle No. 543

Good Enough for the Pros

C&H Baseball has been supplying quality equipment to professional teams since the 1960s. The company’s products have been in the field for more than 40 years, which shows a commitment to quality. C&H manufactures portable batting cages, field screens, field products, padding, netting, and the “Original” ball caddy. Buy direct from the manufacturer and provide your team with some of the longestperforming field equipment on the market today. The company also provides field maintenance equipment, tunnels, installation services, backstop systems, barrier netting, replacement nets, and more. C&H Baseball • 800-248-5192 www.chbaseball.com Circle No. 502

Won’t Break Down

Game-On is a sports field soil conditioner that will not break your budget and will provide excellent results. It is a lightweight, expanded-shale product that absorbs more than 20 percent of its weight in water. Game-On is more durable than clay products and tends not to break down into fine particles. The Game-On product line also includes Game-On Red topdressing, Game-On warning track mix, and Game Dry drying agent. Game-On is available both in bags and in bulk. DiGeronimo Aggregates, LLC • 888-593-0395 www.hayditegame-on.com

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Keeping Cool

AstroTurf introduces Astroflect Technology, featuring Bonar Coolgrass. This cutting-edge technology reduces surface temperature when compared to a typical synthetic turf field. It allows the fiber to reflect infrared light and dissipate heat into the atmosphere instead of absorbing it into the yarn. Astroflect Technology has been implemented in the AstroTurf GameDay Grass 3D surface at Wichita State University’s Eck Stadium to provide relief from elevated surface temperatures. AstroTurf • 800-723-8873 www.astroturfusa.com

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The new seventh-inning stretch. TurfCordz™ resistance products meet the extreme demands of high-level athletic training, from core strength and agility workouts to explosive start and quick-reaction drills.

• Safety Super Bungie

Best seller for improving speed and endurance

• Modular Speed Belt

Two-person system for speed-assisted and resisted running exercises

• Cuff Tuff

Strengthens shoulder rotator cuff

TurfCordz help you overcome physical and mental barriers to enhance performance.

Order today! Call 800.886.6621 or visit turfcordz.com now.

Made in USA

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Coaching Management

Hitting & Pitching

All In the Hips

Hitting for power? Try the Power Bag. It is designed to teach hitters to use their lower half when hitting the ball—not just to rotate the hips, but actually to use them as a power source when driving through the ball. The Power Bag allows the hitter to power through contact and finish the swing. Use good pointof-contact mechanics and the bag will swing higher for a visual reward. Use lazy hips, rolled wrists, or swing around the ball and the bag will not move nearly as much. Muhl Tech • 888-766-8772 www.muhltech.com

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Simply push a button on the TriplePlay Pro pitching machine to choose the type of pitch you want. It can automatically throw fastballs, curves, sliders, and sinkers. The pitch speed is adjustable from 40 to 90 mph in five-mph increments and is digitally displayed. The TriplePlay Pro utilizes a three-wheel pitching mechanism so the baseball is visible from the time it leaves the feeder’s hand until it is pitched. The TriplePlay Basic offers the same three-wheel advantage as the TriplePlay Pro, with pitches adjustable from 30 to 80 mph. It features AC/DC capability. Sports Tutor • 800-448-8867 www.sportsmachines.com

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Timing Tool

Power Play

Strengthen the shoulder and improve throwing with the Power Throw-Ball. These durable, small, weighted balls fit easily in the hand and help develop dynamic strength when used with the throwing motion. The Power ThrowBall can also be used for upper-body rehabilitation after injury. It is available in baseball or softball sizes in seven, 14, and 21 ounces to accommodate most users, and can be purchased individually or in a set of three. Power Systems • 800-321-6975 www.power-systems.com

Two Great Pitchers

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Pitch on Dirt Indoors

Pitch indoors on real dirt with DuraPitch Mound Trainers. Recreate the outdoor pitching experience without the commitment of installing a mound. DuraPitch Mound Double Trainers conserve floor space while allowing pitchers to comfortably practice side by side. DuraPitch Mound Trainers feature specialty clay that won’t dry out and require minimal maintenance. Comes in sizes 5’x9’, 12’x9’, and 14’x9’. Center platform double trainers come in paint or synthetic. Mobility packages are available. Single models start at $2495 + tax/shipping. Pictured is the 14’x9’ model w/Synthetic at $6195 + tax/shipping.

Natural Sand Company • 724-530-2298 www.naturalsand.com

The SwingRite Home Run Hitter (SHRH) is the newest batting training aid that is revolutionizing the baseball industry. The SRHRH will increase bat swing speed, batting productivity, and improve hand-eye coordination. Listen for the “click” to tell you where you are making contact with the ball. Stop throwing away power by releasing your hands too early or too late, use the SHRH to develop muscle memory and get your timing just right! SwingRite • 978-887-2470 SwingRiteHomeRunHitter.com

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Perfect Pitch

Recent customers of the Junior Hack Attack Baseball Pitching Machine include David Brisbane Baseball Academy (PA), Roane County High School (WV), Ravenscroft School (NC), Pinelands Regional High School (NJ), Hope Christian School (NM), Belton High School (TX), Stony Point High School (TX), Pleasant Valley High School (CA), Flatonia High School (TX), and Sacred Heart Catholic School (TX). To join these respected ranks, email info@sportsattack.com, call the company’s toll free number or got to its Web site. Sports Attack • 800-717-4251 www.sportsattack.com

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Portable Pitching

More than Speed

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. Visit RevFire online to learn more.

The UPM45 Blue Flame Pitching Machine is the ultimate training aid for coaches and players. It throws accurate, level pitches at 18 to 45 miles per hour using real baseballs and softballs. This machine is completely portable, mechanical, and easy to use. Take it anywhere, indoors or out, and throw accurate pitches, fly-balls, and hard ground balls without the need for electricity. Experience why the UPM45 is among the top-selling pitching machines in the world.

RevFire Corp. • 866-414-3040 www.revfire.com

GameMaster • 800-646-4225 www.sluggerUPM.com

Coaching Management

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CoachesNetwork.com

Hitting & Pitching

Select Company

Recent customers of the Hack Attack Baseball Pitching Machine include the Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, Oakland A’s, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers, University of Arkansas, Birmingham Community College (AL), St. Joseph’s College (NY) Penn State University, University of Santa Barbara (CA), Berry College (GA), Neosho Community College (KS), McKendree University (IL), and Kirkwood Community College (IA).

Sports Attack • 800-717-4251 www.sportsattack.com

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Programmable Pitching

The HomePlate pitching machine is the first programmable pitching machine designed for both batting cage and on-field use. You can store up to eight different pitches—including fastballs up to 90 mph, curveballs, changeups, sliders, and more—in eight different programs,

with only seven seconds between pitches. The programmed pitches in the HomePlate can be thrown sequentially for specific hitting drills, randomly for game conditions, or in a way that simulates an opposing pitcher. Choose the 80-ball auto-feed model at $6,595, or the hand-feed model at $5,295. Sports Tutor • 800-448-8867 www.sportsmachines.com

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Feedback Matters

Want to give your hitters instant feedback? Look no further than the Advanced Skills Tee (AST). The tee of choice for more than 3,000 high school and college programs, the AST’s unique forward arm design and outside barrier give instant visual and physical feedback. Eliminate casting, looping bats, and dropping shoulders with this portable and extremely durable batting tee. It comes with a two-year warranty. Muhl Tech • 888-766-8772 www.muhltech.com

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THE ONLINE SOURCE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT COACHING

VIEW

Educational videos, including skill instruction and drills

READ

Coaching-specific articles and information

FIND

Helpful tips on handling off-the-field demands

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Coaching Management

Team Equipment

Web News

Coaching Breakthroughs

Site Focuses on Ankle Support and Health

For coaches who are serious about improving performance, Athlete Assessments provides the key tools to breakthrough performances. Identify your players’ individual strengths, limiting behaviors, and unique motivation strategies. Know how to push your players’ performance buttons, improve communication, and develop stronger team bonds. Coaches can be confident about how their team “works” and turn around performance issues before they result in a loss. Get your free Coach’s Pack today.

Athlete Assessments • 760-742-5157 www.athleteassessments.com/cm

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www.activeankle.com

Tuff Enough

The TurfCordz Cuff Tuff can strengthen your shoulder rotator cuff through internal and external rotation exercises. Whatever you’re training for, from baseball to golf, this single four-foot (1.2-meter) rubber tube with handle and combination mounting loop will help you achieve the ultimate workout. The Cuff Tuff is available in five resistance levels, from three to 34 pounds. For more on the full line of TurfCordz resistance products, all designed to meet the extreme demands of high-level athletic training, contact the company today.

NZ Manufacturing, LLC • 800-866-6621 www.turfcordz.com

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Reflex Action

Improve overall coordination and depth perception with the Reflex Ball. The random bounce of the Reflex Ball improves eye-hand coordination and the ability to make splitsecond decisions. The Reflex Ball comes in two sizes: the four-inch Jumbo (orange) and the three-inch (green). The fourinch option has a softer bounce, and the three-inch ball is faster and smaller, which makes it more difficult to catch. Power Systems • 800-321-6975 www.power-systems.com

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Factory-Direct Value

In five short years, Prep Gear Headwear has become a national leader in factory-direct headwear products for high schools and institutions. At Prep Gear, each hat is assembled from scratch using the highest-quality materials and expert craftsmanship. In today’s economy, why pay an extra markup when you can buy premium products direct from the factory? Call or go online for more information. Prep Gear Headwear • 800-279-7060 www.prepgear.com

Coaching Management

Active Ankle’s newly designed Web site includes a wealth of offerings, from a Community of Sport forum and photo gallery where athletes, coaches, parents, and athletic trainers can post and share information to an entire section on ankle health. The company offers printable guidelines on injury treatment and prevention, step-by-step videos demonstrating the treatment and rehab of an ankle sprain, and strengthening exercises to keep ankles strong and healthy while wearing Active Ankle braces for added protection.

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Multi-Functional and Easy to Navigate At the BigSigns.com Web site, users can learn about the company’s newest and most popular products, see its proven versatility in design, and understand why it is a trusted national leader in stadium graphics. The user-friendly site showcases an electronic portfolio of projects with sharp photos and in-depth product detail. There are product installation manuals and instructions, tabs for art uploading and proofing, and a link for a quick quote. While online, see how BigSigns. com can help build your sponsorship revenue and elevate your stadium graphics. Get inspiration for your latest project as well.

www.bigsigns.com

New Site Offers Advanced Features and User-Friendly Function M.A.S.A. is proud to announce its newest Web site. This enhanced site offers extensive search fields, high-quality photographs, and of course all the latest field maintenance, baseball, softball, football, soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, and multi-sport accessories. Whether you’d like to purchase a gift certificate, get info on the pool truck program, find up-to-date info on M.A.S.A.’s next show or demo, get a quote, or just place an order, the new site is sure to get you what you need. The company would also love to hear suggestions on how to improve and make your experience even better, so check out the customer service tab and share your thoughts and ideas.

www.sportsadvantage.com

CoachesNetwork.com

Product Launch

OIP Back Saver Ball Caddy

M.A.S.A., Inc. 800-264-4519 www.SportsAdvantage.com Circle No. 533

Louisville Slugger UPM Swing Rep GameMaster • 800-646-4225 www.sluggerupm.com Unique features:

• Voted 2010 Best of Show Winner at the Dallas ABCA Convention • 1 3/8-inch diameter flo-coated galvanized steel tubing • Osborne #72 braided nylon

Unique features:

Benefits for the user:

• Handlebar design for a comfortable grip • Dolly-style design tips back and rolls easily on 10-inch pneumatic tires

800,000 Teeth are Knocked Out Each Year During Sports! Protect Your Athletes!

Benefits for the user:

• Perfect hitting station for any age or skill level • Unique guideline system provides instant feedback to batters • Great for individualor coach-driven practices • Lightweight and portable

A DD THE BIGGEST NAME IN BASEBALL A ND SOFTBALL TO YOUR FIELDS...

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• Can be used indoors or outside • Adjustable for height • Great for incorporating many different drills • Never need to retrieve balls

Hey Dude, check it out... On-Field Fantasy Vids Cool 360° vids of athletes hurdling, vaulting, jumping, kicking- all sorts of neat stuff. Very virtual.

Ballﬁeld Maintenance Materials

Get up to date results through our site. Sports crawl and all.

Save-A-Tooth

gives you time to treat more serious injuries and get athletes to the dentist or emergency room. Call (888) 788-6684 or visit www.Save-A-Tooth.com for more information

Tons of other neat features on this free site, you gotta check it out.

.com

www.gametimesportssystems.com

800-520-0512 Louisville Slugger® is a registered trademark of Hillerich and Bradsby Co.

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Sports feed 24/7 from ESPN

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who are we? Aluminum Athletic Equipment Co. wanna stop by? 1000 Enterprise Drive • Royersford, PA 19468 phone ? 800-523-5471 • 610.825.6565 fax? really? 610.825.2378 what’re our games? Track & Field • Football • Soccer Lacrosse Field Hockey • Baseball • Softball

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Athletic Management Coaching Management 41