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Circle No. 100
CONTENTS | TRACK & FIELD Edition | Preseason 2012 | Vol. XX, No. 1
Coaching Management
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19 COVER STORY 14 IN IT TOGETHER
INJURY TREATMENT NUTRITION 19 POUNDING THE PAVEMENT 25 BURST OF ENERGY
For better or worse, in sickness and health … whether our athletes place or not. We talk to husband-wife coaching staffs about mixing the personal and professional.
When too many miles are put into a training program, it’s easy for runners to succumb to one of two injuries: plantar fasciitis or Achilles tendinosis.
Many athletes today are using energy supplements for a quick pick-me-up. Here’s some advice to pass on regarding best ingredients and when to use them.
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Q&A 11 KEN BRAUMAN
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PRESEASON
BULLETIN BOARD
TCU’s Darryl Anderson talks about changing conferences … Arizona high school coaches critique new qualifying process … Coaching the Woman of the Year … Duval County (Fla.) cross country teams are saved by fundraising drive … A look at new NCAA pole vault rules … Adding indoor track and field.
The first high school coach to ever be named Head Manager of a U.S. Olympic team, Ken Brauman talks about the upcoming London games, coaching Seminole High School (Sanford, Fla.) to six state titles, and motivating today’s athletes.
On the cover
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 31 TEAM EQUIPMENT 33 TRACK SURFACE & FACILITY EQUIPMENT 35 STRENGTH & CONDITIONING
35 MORE PRODUCTS 34 ADVERTISERS DIRECTORY 36 COACHING GUIDES
University of Richmond Track and Field Coaches Lori and Steve Taylor talk about combining marriage and career in our cover story, which begins on page 14. PHOTO BY KEVIN SCHINDLER
Publisher Mark Goldberg
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Mailing lists for Coaching Management Track & Field are provided by the Clell Wade Coaches Directory. The Coaching Management Track & Field edition is published in January and September by MAG, Inc. and is distributed free to college and high school coaches in the United States and Canada.
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Coaching Management Preseason 2012 1
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BULLETIN BOARD Preseason 2012
CONTENTS
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3 TCU adjusts to new league
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3 Qualifying for states
D-I Changes
Handling Conference Moves
MICHAEL CLEMENTS
Few track and field coaches have had as close a view of the ongoing college conference shakeups as Darryl Anderson, Head Men’s and Women’s Coach at Texas Christian University. A year ago, TCU announced it would be leaving the Mountain West Conference and joining the Big East beginning in 2012. But before the Horned Frogs spent a minute in their new league, they received an invitation to join the Big 12 Conference, which they accepted, effective July 1, 2012. “One of TCU’s objectives was attaching itself to a BCS conference in football and both moves gave us that opportunity,” Anderson says. “It was exciting thinking about the Big East, and it’s even more exciting thinking about the Big 12 because we sit right in the Dallas Metroplex, which in my opinion, is the home of the Big 12.” But how will the move affect TCU’s track and field squad? Anderson says it should have minimal impact on the team’s regular season schedule, which consists mainly of invitationals. The conference championship, however, will now present some very different competition. A big plus for TCU is that most Big 12 schools are located closer to TCU in altitude than Mountain West teams. TCU’s campus sits at 650 feet above sea level, while half of the current Mountain West members are located more than 5,000 feet above sea level, creating a competitive disadvantage for the Horned Frogs distance runners. “Our distance runners struggled immensely with the altitude,” Anderson says. “We’re making a conscious effort to get better in that area anyway, but it’s certainly a positive move as far as our distance crew is concerned.” On the other hand, TCU’s strength has traditionally been its sprinters, and
How are the NCAA Division I conference shake-ups affecting track and field teams? TCU Head Coach Darryl Anderson provides his insight in the above story, while sprinter Charles Silmon, a 2nd team All-American in 2011, is at right.
CoachesNetwork.com
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4 Local fundraiser saves season
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6 3 Qs on coaching Woman of Year
Anderson expects the competition will be tougher in the Big 12. “For various reasons, many of the Mountain West schools didn’t focus on the sprints,” he says. “Now we’re moving into a conference with teams like Baylor and Texas, which field more competitive sprinters. I don’t plan to change what we do, but we know we’re going to face bigger challenges in this area than we have in the past.” Competing in the Big 12 will also allow TCU to continue its annual trip to Philadelphia for the Penn Relays, which are usually two weeks before the conference meet. “When I looked at the Big
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8 New rules for pole vault
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9 Starting an
indoor team
East schedule, I immediately noticed that the outdoor championship is the week after the Penn Relays,” Anderson says. “To go out there for the Penn Relays and then go right back a week later for the conference championship would have been really rough.” Anderson is hopeful that the track and field program benefits from the increased revenue the conference shift is expected to bring to TCU. “I’m not a needy guy by any stretch of the imagination,” he says. “I just like to have the basic things that will allow us to compete when we’re recruiting against Texas and Baylor and all the other schools in the Big 12. For example, an indoor facility would be outstanding and could easily put us in a position to host the Big 12 championship— Iowa State is the only school in the conference with a suitable facility since Texas A&M and Nebraska are now out of the picture.” Still, he knows the conference shuffles ultimately have little to do with track and field. “For the most part, I just try to go with the flow,” Anderson says. “From a track coach’s perspective, you have to sit tight and hope there’s going to be some improved financial stability that results from a move and that track and field benefits.” High School News
No More Than Four To say the decision by the Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) to change qualifying procedures for the outdoor state championship meet last spring caused a commotion would be an understatement. After the association decided to adopt an NFHS rule that limits each school to qualifying no more than four athletes in a single event, some coaches were noticeably upset. “The bottom line, it’s discrimination,” Desert Vista High School Head Boys’ and Girls’ Coach Chris Hanson told the Arizona Republic. “I know part of the reason they changed it is because we had six girls place in the top eight at the state meet last year [in the pole vault]. Those six girls happened to be six of the best girls in the nation. Now [even] if they hit an automatic qualifier, we have to go to the parents and say, ‘Sorry, she can’t go.’” “Nobody gave us a sound explanation,” added Desert Vista Vaulting Coach Jeff Guy. “Why punish student-athletes Coaching Management Preseason 2012 3
BULLETIN BOARD who happen to be part of a good program?” The AIA added the rule as part of sweeping changes to the championship meet qualification process. Previously, athletes qualified based on how they placed at regional meets. For the 2011 season, the association created standard qualifying marks (time, distance, or height) for each event. The regional meets no longer
exist, and the qualifying standard can be met at any competition that has the correct structure and timing equipment. Those meets are identified in advance. Although some coaches did not like the move away from regional meets, limiting the number of athletes who can qualify in each event per school elicited the greatest reaction. “It’s based on the NFHS rules,” says Chuck Schmidt, AIA Associate Executive Director. “It was something that we hadn’t been following, but we’ve been going through a restructuring here at the AIA, moving to a more centralized management of state tournaments and following a more structured protocol for these things. This was part of that process.” The AIA believes the new qualifying procedures will enhance performances as competition heats up for spots among teammates, and also create a more balanced state championship. “I think the NFHS rule is something we want to follow to promote equity and fairness amongst the teams,” Schmidt says. “We don’t want to have one school dominating a track meet. It’s to try to ensure coaches are fol4 Coaching Management Preseason 2012
lowing good sportsmanship as well as the standards of the NFHS. “Any time there’s change some people are going to be unhappy, but for every person who was unhappy, someone else was elated,” he continues. “This decision came through the sports advisory committee, which is made up of 20 coaches and administrators representing each of the conference levels in our state.”
Last spring, the Arizona Interscholastic Association revamped its championship meet qualification process, which was criticized by some coaches. Above, a high jumper competes at the 2011 outdoor state meet.
Despite grumblings from some coaches, the rules changes will remain in place for 2012. “The state meet this past spring produced some of the fastest times we’ve ever had,” says Schmidt. “From a competitive standpoint and management standpoint it was a true state meet environment, with more teams represented and kids who qualified deserving to be there. The format was powerful and true to form. It was exciting to watch.” Fundraising
Saving a Season When the Duval County (Fla.) School District announced in May that a $90 million school budget shortage would force it to slash funding for its ath-
letic programs, boys’ and girls’ cross country teams found themselves on the chopping block. The 17 boys’ and girls’ teams in the district had about three months to raise $43,724 in order to compete this past fall, which would cover coaching stipends. Duval County Athletic Director Jon Fox doesn’t mince words when he recalls the moment the cuts were announced. “It was a dark day,” he says. “As school administrators, we had always assumed that sports was going to be part of the package we offered students here, and we had a lot of parents and coaches who just didn’t understand how we could be in a situation like this.” Luckily, there were also people willing to roll up their sleeves and get sports funded in a different way. One such person was Doug Alred, owner of 1st Place Sports, a chain of running stores in the state. The day after the cuts were announced, Alred contacted Fox, inquiring what the district needed and offering to spearhead a fundraising drive. In just three months, his efforts raised nearly $95,000—enough to not only save the county’s cross country teams, but help spare other sports facing elimination. “Jacksonville is a great running community, and for a lot of us, it’s unfathomable that cross country would be cut,” Alred says. “So when I heard the news, I immediately started thinking about how I could help.” Alred’s fundraising strategy had two components. One was to raise money through community races. The most successful was the “5K Stadium Challenge,” held at EverBank Field, home of the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars on Aug. 18, one day before the team hosted its first preseason game. The course led participants around the stadium, up and down the ramps connecting the different seating levels, and through concourse areas. The route ended with a lap around the playing field. The event attracted 1,500 runners and generated $50,000 through entry fees. “We’ve had a relationship with SMG Event Management, which manages the stadium, based on other events we’ve put on,” Alred says. “So we worked with them and we met with the Gator Bowl Association and the Jaguars to work out the event details.” The second component of the strategy was soliciting donations. Alred offered his company’s Facebook page and e-mail list to spread the message, and donations ranging from $20 to $15,000 began coming in. 1st Place Sports contributed $10,000 as well. “We have an e-mail list that includes about 40,000 names, so once we put the CoachesNetwork.com
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Circle No. 102
QUESTIONS
3
Coaching the Woman of the Year
John Crawford, Head Coach at Stevens Institute of Technology,
believes he could coach the rest of his life and never work with another athlete quite like Laura Barito. Recruited to Stevens as a swimmer, Barito took up track when a friend suggested she come out for the team after her freshman swim season. Four years later, Barito put an exclamation point on her college career with an NCAA Division III championship in the 400-meter hurdles. With her focus remaining on swimming, Barito also won an NCAA title in the 50-yard freestyle as a senior. For her efforts in athletics, as well as her exemplary academic record, service achievements, and leadership, Barito was selected as the 2011 NCAA Woman of the Year. She is just the second Division III athlete to win the prestigious award. So what is it like to coach a star dual-sport athlete? We spoke to Crawford about this unique experience. Stevens Institute of Technology’s Laura Barito accepts the NCAA Woman of the Year award.
CM: Were you surprised when Barito won the award? Crawford: When she was nominated, I sent an e-mail to my director of athletics saying I thought she had a good shot to win the whole thing. The fact that she did something no one else in the history of the NCAA has ever done— be a national champion in two unrelated individual sports—set her apart. When we arrived at the awards dinner, we had assigned tables and ours was dead center, directly behind the committee. I knew we weren’t placed at that table by accident, and as soon as Laura’s name was announced, a huge spotlight came down from directly above us. How were you able to get the most out of her as a dual-sport athlete? Until her senior year, Laura didn’t do any track prep until the swimming season was over in late March, so all of her work was done in two months. She was the first person left out of the NCAA track championships her junior year, and at the beginning of her senior year, she came to me and said she would do whatever it took to not be that first person on the outside looking in again. So in September and October, before swim season really geared up, she did work with me that was roughly equal to the dryland training the swim team was doing. She trained with us three days a week, then swam the other days. But once the swim season took off in November, she didn’t do anything track-related until March. The swim coach, Trevor Miele, didn’t like it at first, but it was what Laura wanted to do. We respect each other and were able to support each other in helping Laura achieve her goals.
6 Coaching Management Preseason 2012
CoachesNetwork.com
STEPHEN NOWLAND/NCAA PHOTOS FOR AP PHOTO
What is it about Barito that allowed her to excel in two unrelated sports? Her drive is what sets her apart, as well as her ability to focus. The other word I love to use is passion, and she has it. Laura was also dedicated to improving the little things. Between her freshman and sophomore years, she decided she wanted to do more in the weightroom. Then going into her junior year, she had a goal to get more volume of training in. In her senior year she worked on increasing her aerobic capacity. She also gave up sugar for her entire competitive season, from November to May. I don’t know many college students who would be willing to do something like that.
BULLETIN BOARD word out about the need for money to save the teams, things got rolling quickly,” Alred says. “I think people and corporations in this area said, ‘Duval County can’t lose these athletic programs.’” Word even spread outside of Duval County. Bartram Trail High School in St. John’s County offered its cross country course for a July race that attracted 300 runners, mostly adults from the community. Runners from local schools volunteered at the race, which raised $5,000. Cross country is not usually an attention-grabbing sport, so Fox is especially thankful for Alred’s efforts. “This was going to take a grassroots effort, but fortunately running is a grassroots sport,” Fox says. “Having Doug work with us was incredibly helpful because he is so wellconnected in the running community. When people saw the job he was doing raising the money for cross country, it helped them get on board with the overall mission to save all of our sports.” Now the focus is on establishing a stable future for Duval County high school athletics. “People in this community have a shared view that athletics are important at this level,” Fox says. “But we can’t ask them to sustain all of
these programs every year. We’ve established a 501(c)(3) and we’re looking into new revenue streams to make sure we’re prepared if we’re faced with a budget shortfall again.”
Runners take off at the 5K Stadium Challenge, one of the events that helped raise money for Duval County (Fla.) athletics and spared 17 cross country teams from being cut.
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Coaching Management Preseason 2012 7
Pole Vault Safety
NCAA Discusses New Rules The death of a college pole vaulter last spring has prompted the NCAA to review rules and equipment for the event. Although the only legislative change for 2011-12 is a minor one, larger changes are possible in the future. Effective this season, a new rule mandates that any helmet a pole vaulter chooses to wear must carry a mark indicating it complies with ASTM International standards for pole vault helmets. Previously, ASTM certification was only recommended. Coaches will be expected to ensure their vaulters’ helmets are certified and officials will be checking helmets during meets. Meet referees will determine the appropriate penalties, which could include not allowing the competitor to vault. “There’s been a lot of discussion over the last few years regarding helmets, and the NCAA Track and Field Committee discussed them at length in June,” says Rachel Seewald, the committee’s NCAA Staff Liaison. “While committee members did not feel they had enough data yet to
mandate helmets, they did want to take an additional step and say that since there is now a certified helmet, if a vaulter is going to wear a helmet, we want it to meet that safety standard.” The helmet rule was one of three proposals put forth by the Track and Field Committee at its June annual meeting. The committee also recommended two changes to rules governing landing areas. One would require schools to place suitable padding around the base of the pole vault standards and cover any hard surfaces around the perimeter of the landing area. The other would allow schools to place padding around and in the vault box as long as it did not affect the bend of the pole. Those two proposals, however, were not approved by the Playing Rules Oversight Panel (PROP), which is charged with reviewing new rules in all sports before implementation. Members of the oversight panel were concerned that the proposals were not specific enough and sent them back to the Track and Field Committee requesting clarification on the exact make up and location of any additional padding. The committee responded by establishing a Pole Vault Subcommittee
Circle No. 104
that will investigate the proposals and develop specific standards. The Subcommittee consists of three coaches from the Track and Field Committee, the NCAA Director of Health and Safety, and the Track and Field Secretary Rules Editor. “The Playing Rules Oversight Panel felt that if we’re going to mandate these changes, we need to define the exact areas that need to be covered, what would be suitable materials, and what the required thickness of the padding should be,” Seewald says. “The Pole Vault Subcommittee was asked to work with experts in the field to make specific recommendations in these areas.” These recommendations will be sent to the Track and Field Committee, which will likely vote on them at their June 2012 meeting. The recommendations would then be forwarded to the PROP and could be implemented for the 2012-13 school year. The committee is also free to examine any other ideas for improving pole vault safety. One such idea emerged during a pole vault safety summit hosted by the NCAA last spring that included representatives from the NFHS and USA Track and Field, as well as several veteran pole
BULLETIN BOARD Winter Warmup
CHERYL TREWORGY/PRETTYSPORTY.COM
Adding Indoor Track and Field
vault coaches. They discussed how to ensure vaulters land in the center of the pads. Suggested methods included designating a zone in which athletes must land with at least their head and one shoulder contacting that area. Should they miss the zone, a coach would be allowed to meet with the vaulter before their next attempt. If the vaulter missed the zone a second time, they could face disqualification. The group also suggested that run-ups without an attempt be counted as missed attempts to mitigate fatigue that could contribute to injury. Helmets were another topic of conversation at the summit, as many in the sport would like them to be mandated. “I think it will continue to be a point of discussion throughout the year and next summer at the committee’s meeting,” Seewald says. CoachesNetwork.com
New NCAA rules for 2012 mandate that any helmets used by pole vaulters must comply with ASTM International Standards for the event. Above, Duke University’s All-East vaulter, Emily Mattoon, aborts a jump.
Seewald adds that coaches are invited to share their input. “The Track and Field Committee is the group representing the membership on these issues, and I would recommend coaches work through their divisional representatives,” she says. “They’re welcome to contact our office and we will make sure that information gets to the committee, but I think it’s better if they speak with committee members directly so they’re hearing what coaches have to say.”
Most years at Greenfield (Mass.) High School, the first two or three meets of the spring outdoor season have to be canceled. Sometimes there is still snow on the ground. Other times the school’s grass track has turned to mud. In searching for ways to give his athletes more opportunities to compete, Head Boys’ and Girls’ Coach Stuart Elliott knew he couldn’t extend the season beyond the end of the school year. So he added time at the other end, creating an indoor track program. Greenfield began competing indoors in the winter of 2010-11 and is enjoying its second season this year. “This is our answer to compensate for the lack of facilities in the spring,” Elliott says. “Being where we are geographically and having a grass track, we’re down to about a fiveweek spring season, and the grass is green for only three weeks.” Other schools in its league, the Pioneer Valley Interscholastic Athletic Conference, have been running indoor track for about 10 years, but because all meets are held on Friday nights at nearby Smith College, space was always an issue when it came to adding more schools. After being told space was limited during several informal conversations about joining the league in previous years, Elliott decided to file a formal application last year. “They made room for us, and I’m very appreciative of that,” Elliott says. “I think the league understood it’s important for these kids to compete. And we showed them we were serious about it.” Once Elliott gained acceptance into the league, he needed to clear hurdles closer to home. His first step was meeting with the school superintendent. “We have a superintendent who’s very proactive and knows that a lot of the brightest, high honor roll kids—the ones who are involved in all aspects of the school—run track,” Elliott says. “She and I had a conversation about how important high school experiences are to the kids and the benefits of adding this opportunity. It was the right people at the right time: a coach who wanted to do it, and a supportive athletic director, principal, and superintendent who were willing to find the money.” The largest logistical question was where the new team would practice, with other winter sports squads already occupying the gymnasium. “I figured we don’t have a track until the last three weeks of the spring season anyways, so we’ll do the same thing we always do,” Elliott says. “We go outside and run in the snow, and we run in the hallways. It’s not a great Coaching Management Preseason 2012 9
BULLETIN BOARD thing, but that’s what you have to do when you don’t have a track. The school does a nice job of keeping the parking lot plowed, and we make sure there’s no traffic coming through.” Greenfield’s new indoor season consists of six regular-season multi-team meets, held on Friday evenings, plus a league championship meet and regional and state meets for athletes who qualify. “The facility at Smith College is wonderful and the meets are very exciting,” Elliott says. “There are a lot of teams there and it feels like a championship atmosphere every week. It’s a really neat experience.” It’s also accomplishing Elliott’s original goal. “Even after just one year, my kids now realize how important indoor track is to their development and it has dramatically enhanced some of our outdoor performances,” he says. “It’s worth whatever hardships we have to go through.” Greenfield (Mass.) High School’s Evan Abelson (far left) competes in the mile at the 2010-11 Pioneer Valley Interscholastic Athletic Conference Indoor Championships. Last year was Greenfield’s inaugural indoor season.
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Q&A
TOP OF THE WORLD
At the 2011 World Championships in South Korea, Brauman (on left) served as Head Manager for the United States men’s squad, while University of Oregon’s Vin Lananna (right) was Head Coach.
Q&A with KEN BRAUMAN | Seminole High School, Sanford, Fla.
In almost 40 years as a high school track and field coach, Ken Brauman has just about done it all. His teams at Seminole High School in Sanford, Fla., have won six state championships and finished second on two occasions. He’s coached 10 AllAmericans and one national athlete of the year. He has been inducted into the Florida Track and Field Hall of Fame and the Florida Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame, has been named Florida Track Coach of the Year 10 times, and was the 1997 National High School Track and Field Coach of the Year. However, this past fall he may have received his greatest honor when he was named Head Manager of the United States men’s track and field squad that will compete at the 2012 London Olympics. The appointment marks Brauman’s fourth turn as Head Manager for USA Track and Field, including the 2011 World Outdoor Championships in South Korea. He has also served as an Assistant Coach on six national teams. CoachesNetwork.com
At Seminole, Brauman is Director of Track and Field and Head Girls’ Coach. He also coached the boys’ team from 1983 to 2010. For 37 years, he served as Head Guidance Counselor at Seminole before retiring in 2009. CM: What’s involved with being Manager of the U.S. Olympic men’s team?
Brauman: The way it works is that coaches coach and managers do everything else. So I will handle things like getting athletes to and from practices and competitions, confirming entries, and possibly filing protests if needed. We started getting ready after the World Championships ended in September. Shortly after that, I was part of an hour and a half conference call with the women’s team manager and the two head coaches about the logistics for our summer training camp. I’ll be going to London in February for a week to look at our training camp site while attending IOC workshops. And I’ll be involved with the various Olympic trial events.
What are you looking forward to most during the Olympics?
Just doing what I can to help the U.S. team be successful. It’s exciting to be involved in the Olympics, but it comes down to doing the jobs I’ve been assigned. My role is to take the distractions away from the athletes so they can focus on what they’re there for. What does it mean to you to be named Head Manager?
I am very proud to be the first high school coach to serve as Team Manager for an Olympic team and to be representing high school coaches across the country. It’s important for other high school coaches to know that they can stay at this level and still advance to what I consider the height of the profession. What have you taken from your international experiences that you’ve been able to apply at Seminole High School?
The biggest thing I’ve learned is that an Olympic athlete is really no different than a high school athlete, beyond having more Coaching Management Preseason 2012 11
ability. They have the same questions, the same desires, the same hang-ups, and the same problems as high school athletes. I make sure my athletes know this. I have also been able to relate the experiences of elite athletes to my high school athletes. I can tell them how these Olympic athletes started and how they’ve progressed to the highest level. What is your coaching philosophy?
To define it briefly, it’s to help athletes maximize whatever potential they have. That can mean helping someone who is a potential college star or someone who is just coming out for track to belong to an organization. Either way, I want them to be the best they can be. How do you work with athletes who have different aspirations?
You can’t have the same workouts for everyone. You have to individualize as much as you can, even in a large-team setting. I draw up workouts based on each athlete’s ability and what they are trying to accomplish and then I group them by times. If
we’re running 600s, the elite athletes are going to be striving for different times than the casual athletes. But I do expect the same level of effort and commitment from everyone whether they’re a potential state champion or just a casual athlete. You can’t expect the same physical performance out of each athlete, but you can demand the same effort. In return, you have to provide opportunities for all of them to compete. I can’t think of anything worse than a student coming out for a program and never getting to participate in meets. So I make it a priority to have a schedule where everyone has a chance to compete every week. There are weeks where we may have a meet on a Friday for one group of athletes and a meet on Saturday with a different group. We don’t have a junior varsity squad, but we may have a j.v. type meet for the athletes who don’t have the ability to compete in the bigger competition on Saturday. What are your thoughts on crosstraining?
I encourage our track athletes to partici-
pate in other sports. There’s nothing better for sprinters and jumpers, for example, than playing basketball in the winter. They’re getting their plyometric work while they’re playing basketball and also taking part in conditioning. For distance runners who may not play any other sports, I encourage them to swim or bicycle. They need to do something that’s fun and different, yet provides some type of benefit. Are you seeing fewer multi-sport athletes today than when you first started coaching?
The number of multi-sport athletes has definitely declined. For example, in football there are so many outside influences telling kids they would be better players if they stay in the weightroom in the off-season. AAU basketball has changed the scope of track and field considerably because once the basketball players finish the high school season, they go straight to an AAU team. It’s affected the jumpers significantly—more and more kids who could be very good jumpers for us are now playing basketball year-round.
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Q&A What do you mean by outside influences telling kids what to do?
I think you have a lot of individuals who get into parents’ ears and tell them their son or daughter has a shot to get a scholarship, for example. Then they tell the parents that to make it happen, they have to do all these club activities. I’ve had a lot of athletes who come out for track and field their senior year for the first time because what they’ve been told to do hasn’t worked out for them and they’ve finally decided to just do what they want. How do you motivate today’s athletes?
Overall I don’t think the kids of today are that much different than those of 30 years ago. The athletes who want to be the best still call themselves out and do the workouts necessary to become better. Where I do see a difference is with students who view track and field as a recreational type activity—some tell me that we work them too hard. They want success, but they don’t want to work for it. In track and field, there are no shortcuts—and fewer kids are willing to do the work.
How do you balance pushing those athletes who are motivated without having them burn out?
two years only to decide that it’s hard work and get out of it.
You have to convince them to look at the long term rather than the short term, which can be hard. You have to find some way, depending on the makeup of the individual, to show them that success is a process— what can happen down the road is going to be more valuable to them than immediate gratification. I try to communicate that constantly.
What do you wish you had known about coaching when you started?
What do you think are the most important issues facing high school track and field today?
The number of schools here in Florida has grown to a point where the talent base has been diluted for both coaches and athletes. Whereas 30 years ago there were four schools in a district, now there are eight—and the quality of coaching has not improved so a lot of kids are not getting the coaching they might have 30 years ago. Part of the problem is that coaches don’t stay in the profession for any length of time. I see more and more people coach for one or
I wish I had understood that there are years when you have such great athletes that all you have to do is get them to the starting line and they’re going to win. And then you have years when you have absolutely no talent and you have to get them as far as they can go. Both of those teams can be enjoyable, and some of the most gratifying years are those when you push the team with less talent to perform at the top of its potential. I often ask myself who does the best coaching job, the coach who takes eight individuals and wins state championships every year or the coach who has a team of 90 athletes and provides every one of them with a worthwhile experience? I’ve never been able to really answer that question because I think they’re both valuable. The coach who wins gets all the attention, but you can never win a championship and still have a great impact on a lot of young people’s lives. CM
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Coaching Management Preseason 2012 13
IN IT together
For better or worse, in sickness and health … whether our athletes place or not. We talk to husband-wife coaching staffs about mixing the personal and professional. | By Von Mitchell Legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden once wrote, “The greatest asset a coach can have is a loving and supportive spouse.” Few married coaches would disagree with that sentiment. Because coaching can be so all-encompassing, having a partner who understands the unique commitment can sometimes make or break a career.
WHY DO IT?
Steve and Lori Taylor will celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary this summer. They have been coaching together for most of their married lives—first at Cave Spring High School in Roanoke, Va., and then at Virginia Tech, before accepting their current positions
14 Coaching Management Preseason 2012
at the University of Richmond a decade ago. Lori is the Director of Track and Field and Head Women’s Coach, while Steve is the Head Men’s and an Assistant Women’s Coach. Why have the Taylors chosen to coach side by side? They say the main reason is that coaching is their passion and way of life—so it just makes sense to do it together. “We love what we do, and we feel very fortunate that we can coach together,” says Lori. “And with the length of the season— cross country, indoor, and then outdoor— I’m not sure we’d ever see each other otherwise.” She also feels their arrangement makes the jobs more manageable. “Because we work together, we have some flexibility,” Lori says. “For example, one of us can leave the office and go home to get our son off the bus while the other stays at work to finish whatever needs to be done.” Craig and April Martin have similar sentiments. April is Head Girls’ Coach at Mid-
KEVIN SCHINDLER
But what if you coach together? If both members of a marriage are also wedded to the same track and field team, is that a positive or negative? No one can understand the demands of coaching like another coach does. But what happens to the relationship when private becomes public and personal becomes professional? Many track and field coaches today have tied the knot between marriage and career. The keys to making it work, they say, are understanding each other’s strengths and weaknesses, honest communication, and remembering the importance of getting away from work at times.
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COVER STORY
University of Richmond Coaches Steve and Lori Taylor have coached together as a married couple for over two decades.
dleburg (Fla.) High School and Craig is the school’s Head Boys’ Coach, but the pair coaches the teams together. For them, cocoaching means sharing what they find most meaningful on an ongoing basis. “When our athletes do the kinds of things that make you proud to be a coach, we get to share that,” says April. “We get to jointly participate in those big moments, like when kids get a PR or make us proud by encouraging each other or standing up as leaders. It might sound cheesy, but those moments are the reason we coach.” Craig adds that it’s great to work with someone with whom you are totally on the same page. “It’s really important to have a coaching staff that trusts and depends on each other, and we knew there would be no greater trust on our staff than what exists between the two of us,” he says. “When two people have the same overall philosophy about work ethic and morals, it is a great situation.” Jim and Rachel Brewer, who serve as Head and Assistant Coach, respectively, at Concordia University-Irvine, and held the same positions previously at the University of Great Falls, also laud the merits of coaching side by side. “It’s awesome to have your best friend working with you,” Jim says. “The two of us are a team, and we complement each other. We’ve learned how to work well with one another and make up for each other’s weaknesses. When you’re able to do that, it’s really cool to see how much you can accomplish.” Another plus of tandem coaching is that it can provide the optimal work-family balance. At Mansfield University, Mike Rohl is Head Men’s Coach while his wife, Michelle Rohl (a former Olympic racewalker), is a
all the details. She’s also great at following through on things. So she makes sure that the ideas I throw out there happen, and she keeps me on task.” Craig Martin echoes the above. “You have to know and accept your strengths and weaknesses, then divide things up based on that,” he says. “For example, April is the better communicator so she goes around to each of the different groups every day at practice in order to give and get information. I may make a suggestion about workouts, but she can sometimes relate it to the athletes better.” Also important is recognizing when to let the other take the lead. “I don’t want to say that we can read each other’s minds,” says Steve Taylor. “But there are certainly days when I go into practice and Lori can tell that I’m on—meaning that I have clarity and can effectively communicate with all of our kids. She lets me take the floor on those days. “The opposite is also true,” he continues. “There are days when she has it. She starts talking to the team and I think, ‘That’s perfect. That’s exactly what they need.’ We feed off of each other. It’s an interesting dynamic.”
part-time Assistant Coach for both the men’s and women’s teams. “Since Michelle’s primary focus is being a mom to our five kids, it is a good fit,” says Mike. It also helps to have a partner in coaching who knows you really well. “I have been working with Mike longer than anybody else on the planet has, so I understand him better than anyone else could,” says Michelle. “I understand his strengths and weaknesses, and I think we compensate for each other.” DIVIDING UP DUTIES
Enjoying coaching together is one thing. Being effective as a husband-wife team is another. One key to making the situation work is carefully deciding who is best suited for specific duties. “We’ve learned through the years that the actual coaching only makes up about 20 percent of what needs to be done,” says Lori Taylor. “When it comes to the other 80 percent, each of us has our strengths. I’ve always done the budgets and all of the paperwork. I handle the checkbook at home, so it just made sense that I was going to handle the budget and all the money stuff at work. “Steve, on the other hand, has become quite a sports information guru over the last five years,” she continues. “He runs our blog [stevetaylor7.blogspot.com] and updates all of our social media. I joke with him that this is what he’s going to do in his next life because he does such a fantastic job with it.” At Concordia-Irvine, the Brewers say they struggled during the first year they coached together to define who would do what. “But once we figured out our strengths and weaknesses, things fell into place,” says Jim. “My wife is really good at taking care of
RESPECT & COMMUNICATION
No matter how effectively a couple carves up duties and understands each other’s strengths and weaknesses, there are going to be some disagreements and miscommunication. How do you work through them? “I think it comes down to respect,” says Lori Taylor. “We respect each other in all VON MITCHELL is a freelance writer as well as a business teacher and Head Boys’ Basketball Coach at Delta (Colo.) High School. He can be reached at: vandmmitchell@aol.com.
heart to Heart Dee and Jon Vochatzer were very successful working together as Head Women’s and Men’s Coaches, respectively, at the University
of California-Davis, before retiring in 2010. One of their toughest conversations, however, was about coaching apart. In 1994, Dee was asked to become the Head Women’s Coach for the 1996 U.S. Olympic Team. “I got a call telling me I’d been selected as the ’96 Olympic coach and that I had 30 minutes to decide whether to accept it,” she says. “So, here I was, the third woman ever selected as Head
16 Coaching Management Preseason 2012
Coach, very much under the microscope, especially with the Games being in the U.S., and I thought, ‘If I screw this up, there are going to be headlines in the paper and my family’s going to suffer.’ So Jon and I had a very serious talk about the fact that I would be gone for the most part over the next two and half years and that he, as the other half of the household, would need to do 99 percent of the work at home. “He was like, ‘All right! Go for it!’” Dee continues. “But I said, ‘No, no, no. You need to understand that I’m not going to be here. There’s going to be no food in the
fridge, no laundry done. I’m going to be on the road, going to training camps, going to Europe, going to meets, and being on the phone all the time because we are hosting the Centennial Olympic Games. This is a monster event and track and field is the flagship of the Games.’ “So, I just said, ‘You need to understand this. I can’t afford a divorce and neither can you, so let’s have a real talk.’ That’s where the true partnership and discussion took place. Jon did 99 percent of everything during that time. You have to have someone very special who gets it. Jon got it.”
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COVER STORY
aspects of who we are, and that is certainly true from a professional standpoint in terms of our coaching, our experiences, and our ideas. People always ask us, ‘How in the world do you work with each other?’ Or they say, ‘I could never work with my husband or my wife.’ But Steve and I both really respect each other a great deal. I don’t think
doors. “Occasionally we have conflicting ideas about what we should be doing with various athletes in terms of training or motivation,” he says. “What we do depends mostly on which of us makes the stronger case given the situation. But we do that privately, of course. We don’t argue in front of the kids.”
times when the two of us see something and say, ‘That would work great for that person.’ Or we may have conversations with individual athletes that affect their practice. But then we forget to tell the event coach those ideas. We noticed this a couple of years back and just made a concerted effort to communicate with the other coaches better.”
“Sometimes when you first start working together, you can’t get away from the team ... We made a point of establishing certain times we wouldn’t talk about work.” Jim Brewer, Concordia University-Irvine a marriage or working relationship could last without that. “We also try to talk things through,” she continues. “Just because Steve may feel a certain way about something doesn’t mean I necessarily agree, but we present ourselves as a unit in front of our team. We kind of look at it as parents making a decision before we bring it to the kids.” Mike Rohl adds that it’s important for all disagreements to be resolved behind closed
“Communication is huge,” says Jim Brewer. “Rachel helps sharpen me by providing her insights and reminding me to keep my priorities straight. She is trying to help me be the best coach I can be, and I want to do the same for her.” One more piece of the communication puzzle is to not forget about relaying information to any other coaches on staff. “That is one of the hardest parts of coaching together,” says Craig Martin. “There may be
ON THE HOME FRONT
Like most NCAA Division I coaches, Steve and Lori Taylor have dedicated their lives to training athletes to compete at a high level. But they also know that work-life balance is critical. “Learning to separate our personal relationship from the business and professional side of coaching has been the key to us having success as a husband-wife coaching team,” says Steve Taylor. “You’ve got to be able to do that.”
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Coaching Management Preseason 2012 17
COVER STORY
adding in kids Just as coaching together has its good and bad points, adding children into the picture can make things harder—and easier. “After 17 years of marriage, we had a son,” says Lori Taylor, who coaches alongside her husband at the University of Richmond. “That changed our lives completely, but in a great way. “Our priorities shifted. Whereas before we never felt any need to rush home—if we had work to do we just stayed until we
It’s important for coaches to draw clear lines, dividing work and home. “Sometimes when you first start working together, you can’t get away from the team,” says Jim Brewer. “You’ll be at dinner talking about an upcoming meet or how practice went. But being able to have that separation [between home and work] is important. After a while
got it done—now we do,” she continues. “It’s made us more efficient. We don’t want to waste any time or see how many more things we can squeeze into one day.” Children can make some situations tricky, however, “The most difficult problem we face is overnight travel,” says Mike Rohl, who coaches with his wife at Mansfield University. “We still have two little ones at home—they’re eight and nine. If you’ve got really good athletes who compete at the national level, then you’re going to have some long weekend trips. You’re always
we just made a point of establishing certain times when we wouldn’t talk about work when we got home. We also make an effort to take some weekends away from the team and invest in each other.” The Rohls like to get involved in things outside of track and field. “I don’t think the track team could be our family’s sole
worried about the kids and who’s going to stay home.” “Our kids are two, four, and six,” says Matt Manfred, Co-Head Coach of Cross Country with his wife at Penn State UniversityAltoona. “Our oldest is in first grade, and the other two are hanging out with us. We have child care two days a week, but on other days we bring our two youngest kids to practice with us. We take a ball for them to play with and they’re happy. That’s just the type of team environment that we have with our cross country teams.”
focus because our family is separate from track,” says Michelle. “We have five children and we do things with the school and with our church. Sometimes home and work blend because we have someone from the team over for dinner, but for the most part, I don’t feel like we ‘live’ track. Once we’re home—it’s about being home.” CM
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INJURY TREATMENT
Author Elisha Cusumano helps University of Oregon athletes like Jordan Hasay, center, avoid overuse injuries.
POUNDING THE PAVEMENT When too many miles are put into a training program, it’s easy for runners to succumb to one of two injuries: plantar fasciitis or Achilles tendinosis. By Elisha Cusumano
Chris Pietsch/AP PHOTO
A lot of competitive runners and their coaches have come to believe that if 40 miles per week is good, then 80 miles per week must be better. Many more are of the mindset that a day off is a bad thing. Put those two issues together, and it’s easy to see CoachesNetwork.com
why overuse injuries have become commonplace in the world of competitive track and field. And unfortunately, runners don’t always stop when an overuse injury is sustained. One of the mantras being hammered into the minds of distance runners is that second place hurts more than a stress fracture. In my position as an athletic trainer working with the track and field and cross country teams at the University of Oregon, two of the most frequent injuries I see in Coaching Management Preseason 2012 19
distance and middle distance runners are plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendinosis. In this article, I’ll explain what these injuries mean for a runner, how you can help them recover as quickly as possible, and how to keep other athletes on the team from suffering the same fate. PLANTAR FASCIITIS
Plantar fasciitis is present when the plantar fascia, the fibrous band of tissue that reaches from the heel to the toes and supports the muscles and arch of the foot, becomes overstretched and tiny tears riddle its surface. Some early detection signs
arch height is to wet the bottom of an athlete’s foot with paint and have them walk across a sheet of paper. A high arch will leave a narrow lateral print of the foot, while a low arch will leave a larger print since the foot will make more surface contact with the paper. The tibialis posterior is another significant contributor to foot pronation because it eccentrically lengthens in an attempt to control pronation, and in turn reduces tension on the plantar fascia. If a runner’s posterior tibialis is weak, he or she will experience above average pronation. Other muscular causes include proximal muscle weakness in the gluteus medius, glu-
As mentioned earlier, a weak tibialis posterior could be the reason for excessive pronation, so strengthening this muscle should be a goal of the rehab process. We’ve had great success doing that with eccentric calf raises. We have the athlete stand on a stair, drop their heels down, raise up on the toes of both feet, then come back down slowly using only one foot (repeat on the other side). Strengthening the surrounding musculature is another good idea. All proximal hip musculature needs to be strengthened by isolating each muscle. Isolating the gluteus maximus should be your main focus. One exercise we use has the athlete start by
Stretching the plantar fascia ... is simple, and the athlete can do it three to four times a day on their own—even while they’re sitting in class—to help keep the plantar fully lengthened. include general soreness on the calcaneus and plantar fascia that gradually increases over time. Pain, which can be quite significant, will eventually settle in the plantar fascia near its attachment to the calcaneus (or heel bone). Sharp pain upon an athlete’s first step out of bed in the morning or after long periods of sitting is a tell-tale sign of plantar fasciitis. This is due to the lengthening and weight loading of the plantar fascia after it has spent significant time in a shortened, non-weight bearing state. Since the tissue has been damaged with micro tears, it is not able to appropriately increase in length under the weight load. Plantar pain can severely limit a runner’s ability to train, especially since the majority of pain is felt at the beginning of a workout, making it hard to progress beyond the first 10 to 15 minutes. It’s important that runners understand pain in the heel is a major indicator that it’s time to stop activity. If precautionary steps are not taken immediately, this injury can lead to significant rehab and time off. Contributing Factors: One major cause of plantar fasciitis is prolonged foot pronation. Runners with excessive pronation generally have a more flexible, lower arched foot than other runners. Looking at arch height with the naked eye can be a difficult way to detect a low arch at first, but with practice, watching an athlete’s gait can clue you in to whether they have a high or low arch. There are also sophisticated tools you can use, such as force plates, to see where the center of pressure is during an athlete’s gait. But a simple and inexpensive way to examine 20 Coaching Management Preseason 2012
teus minimus, tensor fascia latae, or quadriceps muscles. Weakness in these muscular structures results in a decreased ability to aid in the force loading of the lower extremity, which means the foot (and ultimately the plantar fascia) must absorb more shock. One final significant aspect to evaluate is ankle joint motion, specifically dorsiflexion. A limited amount of dorsiflexion in the ankle joint can cause increased movement through the mid-foot, leading to excessive pronation. A tight Achilles tendon is often to blame when dorsiflexion is limited. Intervention: At the first sign of pain, treatment should start with the goal of decreasing the runner’s pain level. This can be done through therapeutic treatments like stretching and wearing a night splint. Stretching the plantar fascia involves passively dorsiflexing the ankle and then applying pressure to fully extend the toes back toward the shin. The movement is simple and the athlete can do it three to four times a day on their own—even while they’re sitting in class—to help keep the plantar fully lengthened. Night splints follow the same idea. I’ve seen the best success rate with those that look like a low-tech walking boot and fully support the foot while keeping it in dorsiflexion. Though they’re not very comfortable to wear in bed, a splint can be very successful at limiting pain and aiding in healing. Because excessive pronation is a major indicator of plantar fasciitis, further treatment should focus on controlling pronation. We can’t change the arch of a runner’s foot, but we can help them strengthen the muscles that control pronation.
lying in a prone position. They then contract their gluteus without recruiting their hamstrings or lower back musculature. Once the athlete masters this move, have them lay prone with their knees bent at 90 degrees, contract the gluteus, and push their heels toward the ceiling. In some cases, runners with plantar fasciitis can continue to run on land with slightly reduced mileage. However, others will need to stop running on hard surfaces for one to two weeks until pain subsides. The decision to stop running on land must be made based on the level of pain the athlete is experiencing. Runners who need to take time off from their usual workouts can incorporate pool workouts to maintain their fitness level. Case Study: During the middle of last season, a distance runner came to me complaining of pain on the bottom of his foot when walking and running. After palpation, I found a point of tenderness at the attachment site of the plantar fascia to the calcaneus. As we discussed the issue, the athlete explained that the pain had started about two weeks earlier, worsened gradually, and was most acute upon his first step out of bed in the morning. The athlete hadn’t increased his weekly mileage recently and had only logged about 200 miles in his running shoes—on the lower end for this particular pair. He had a long history of chronic plantar fasciitis and ELISHA CUSUMANO is an Assistant Athletic Trainer at the University of Oregon, where she works with the men’s and women’s track and field and cross country teams. She can be reached at: cusumano@uoregon.edu.
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INJURY TREATMENT
explained the pain felt similar to when he was diagnosed with it in previous seasons. At this point, I proceeded under the assumption that he was having a reoccurrence. Since the athlete came to see me after practice, I had him roll the arch of his foot out on a roller, stretch his gastrocnemius and soleus muscles, and perform ice massage over the area of tenderness for eight minutes twice that evening. I also sent him home with a night splint to start wearing immediately. The next day, I referred the athlete to the team physician, who confirmed a diagnosis of plantar fasciitis and prescribed an anti-inflammatory. I then completed a further assessment of the athlete’s lower leg mechanics. He presented with overpronation, a tight Achilles, and decreased range of motion in the ankle. Our treatment plan consisted of heating the lower leg and foot and soft tissue massage (using Graston Technique) of the anterior tibialis, gastrocnemius, peroneals, and plantar fascia. We also worked on joint mobilization in the ankle and around the fibular head. Therapeutic exercises included toe curls to strengthen the plantar, manual stretching of the anterior tibilalis, and manual resistance to strengthen the peroneal tendons. I also had the athlete take a week off from land running. He instead used an underwater treadmill for 30 minutes a day and supplemented that with swimming to maintain his cardiovascular fitness level. After the first week of treatment and a modified running routine, the athlete had a significant decrease in pain. He felt only mild pain upon his first step in the morning and was pain-free for the remainder of the day. Even with chronic plantar fasciitis issues, the athlete had never experienced such a quick decrease in symptoms. I attribute it to the treatment of the entire lower leg musculature and not simply focusing on the plantar fascia, the athlete’s diligent use of the night splint, and therapeutic exercises to help correct his overpronation. The athlete returned to limited dry land participation after the first week of treatment and was back to his typical mileage by the end of week two. ACHILLES TENDINOSIS
Recently, there has been increasing evidence that overuse injuries to the Achilles are not tendonitis (inflammation of the tendon), but are actually tendinosis—degeneration of the tendon. Unfortunately, tendinosis is still CoachesNetwork.com
often misdiagnosed. A runner will be told they have tendonitis, but subsequent treatment seems to have no effect on the injury because they actually have tendinosis. This lack of response to treatment can often leave the runner and clinician frustrated and at a loss of which direction to go. You will need to enlist the help of a physician in differentiating between tendinosis and tendonitis. However, if no swelling is present and the injury has lasted beyond two weeks, you should suspect tendinosis.
The chief complaint associated with this injury is pain over the back of the heel, where the tendon inserts into the calcaneus. Runners with Achilles tendinosis usually experience the most pain at the beginning of a run, and not much while walking (unlike plantar fasciitis), though runners have described a “squeaking” or “pinching” feeling at times. Speed or stride work seems to increase pain as well. Contributing Factors: Similar to plantar fasciitis, excessive pronation can lead to Achil-
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Circle No. 111 Coaching Management Preseason 2012 21
les tendinosis in runners. However, the major contributor is usually inflexibility in the ankle joint, which results from shortening of the gastrocnemius and soleus. The lack of flexibility in this muscle group increases strain on the Achilles during running, eventually causing degeneration of the tendon. Tibialis anterior weakness is another contributor to decreased ankle joint motion. The tibialis anterior is often either overactive or under-active, causing increased or decreased motion about the ankle. Ankle motion and stability are two of the most
important factors in keeping the Achilles injury-free. Achilles tendinosis is gradual and often goes unnoticed until the classic sign of crepitus—a grinding or popping sensation—is felt. At this point, the injury has probably been present for a couple of weeks. If it has not been caught by this point, it can take upwards of six to eight weeks to completely heal. Intervention: The first two weeks after diagnosis need to be spent away from impact activity. Treatment during this time
OTHER FACTORS When a track athlete has an overuse injury, it’s important to talk to them about factors beyond biomechanical influences. These can include (but are not limited to) shoes, running surface, recovery, and diet. Shoes Runners should pay close attention to the type of shoes they wear and how often they replace them. However, while some shoes reach their structural limit at about 200 miles, others can push over 300 miles before breaking down, so there is no steadfast rule to tell all the runners on the team—each athlete will have to figure this out individually. Also note that excessive wear patterns can cause a runner to replace a pair of shoes sooner than normal since a wear pattern can lead to biomechanical deficits and injuries. RUNNING SURFACE Keeping the majority of a runner’s mileage on softer surfaces like grass and trails can help reduce overuse injuries by lessening daily impact forces. When a distance runner is training on paved surfaces day after day, cumulative impacts can take a toll on the body. RECOVERY Another consideration is the amount of recovery time the runner is taking. At the college level, it’s not abnormal for a competitive distance runner to train for three weeks without taking a complete day of rest. While this may work for some, the majority of runners will need a rest day more often—weekly to every 10 days.
22 Coaching Management Preseason 2012
The ratio of training load to recovery time can be vastly different for each runner. Thus, keeping detailed training logs (which include mileage, fatigue level, perceived stress, and any injuries) over the period of a season or two can help prevent future problems by comparing injury, stress, and fatigue levels during high and low mileage periods. Logs can also be used to guide future training plans and mileage goals. Some runners can be very successful at 30 miles per week of land running and supplementing with swimming, while others are successful at 80 miles per week of land running and no lowimpact work. It truly varies based on the individual body’s needs for optimal adaptation gains. DIeT One last tip would be to recommend runners speak with a dietitian about caloric needs. When runners are increasing their mileage week after week, even slightly, their caloric intake and output ratio is impacted. Without enough calories to support their training load, the body will not be able to recover between runs. Appropriate type and timing of recovery foods after a run can greatly influence the body’s ability to make optimal gains from the training session.
should focus on increasing range of motion around the ankle and hip joints by stretching the hip flexor, quadriceps, hamstring, piriformis, gastrocnemius, and soleus muscles. Strengthening the peroneal tendons and tibialis anterior is also a good idea and can be accomplished with eccentric calf raises and manual resistance ankle exercises for inversion, eversion, dorsiflexion, and plantar flexion. As soon as pain subsides, start adding reduced-impact activities such as underwater or anti-gravity treadmill running. If you don’t have access to these options, pool walking and elliptical training will work, too. After two weeks of reduced gravity impact, slowly transition the runner to land training, staying on soft surfaces to start. Be sure the runner begins this phase in a new, but broken in pair of shoes. During the first week of land running, have them run every other day starting at 20 minutes and building to 35 minutes the first week. If no problems occur during the first week, you can slowly progress the runner from there, but have them refrain from any hill training until the injury has been completely resolved and they are pain-free for approximately one month. Case Study: Upon returning from winter break last year, a middle-distance runner came into the athletic training room complaining of pain in the midsection of his Achilles that he’d never experienced before. The athlete explained that the pain had started about two weeks earlier, but had increased in the past couple of days and caused him to stop running completely. He was not able to walk comfortably in any shoe by the time he came in to see me and had cut out the back of his running shoe due to the pressure on his Achilles. The athlete also presented with a limp. During my evaluation, noticeable swelling was apparent, he had tenderness even to my light touch, and pain with both dorsiflexion and plantar flexion. The athlete was not able to bear all of his weight on the injured leg. Unfortunately, he also was not able to wear a walking boot comfortably. Luckily, we were able to get the athlete evaluated by a team physician the same day. The physician’s diagnosis was Achilles tendinosis. He prescribed a week’s worth of antiinflammatory medication to help reduce the pain and swelling, and the athlete was placed on crutches until he was able to walk without a limp—two days in his case. Immediate treatment consisted of contrast baths, very light flush massage, wearing a shoe with no back, and a compression sock as tolerated. Tenderness and swelling were CoachesNetwork.com
INJURY TREATMENT
both significantly reduced in three to four days. At this time, the athlete started to complain of a “pinching” or “catching” feeling in the Achilles and significant crepitus was felt upon dorsiflexion and plantar flexion of the ankle. We started some therapeutic exercises, including eccentric calf raises, joint mobilization of the ankle, mid-foot mobilization,
motion and the lengthening gains he had made to his gastrocnemius and soleus. Since his return, he’s been pain-free. ROOT OF THE PROBLEM
When the body does not get appropriate recovery time between training bouts, damaged tissue is not able to rebuild stronger than it was before. The body remains in a
to explain the importance of recovery and build it into your training plans. You can also incorporate workouts that reduce foot-to-land contact. Examples include underwater treadmill work, aqua jogging, cycling, and if available, an antigravity treadmill. While these activities still stress the tissues, allowing the athlete to make gains, they do reduce force. The ath-
Many athletes don’t understand what is happening to their body as they train and what is required for positive gains, thus not realizing how important a recovery period is. and gluteus maximus strengthening. The athlete took one week off from all activity, then spent the next two weeks swimming. At this point, he had no pain when walking, no more swelling, and no lingering tenderness. Next, he began a one-month progression back to his full weekly training mileage. During his month-long return to land running, the athlete continued with therapeutic exercises to help maintain ankle range of
state of breakdown, and the accumulation of micro tears in tissues will eventually result in an overuse injury like the two cases detailed earlier. Adequate recovery time can be a difficult concept for runners to comprehend. Many athletes don’t understand what is happening to their body as they train and what is required for positive gains, thus not realizing how important a recovery period is. It’s important
lete’s muscles are still working hard, but at least their ligaments and tendons get a bit of a break. CM
A version of this article was previously published in Coaching Management’s sister publication, Training & Conditioning. More articles from T&C can be found at: www.Training-Conditioning.com.
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NUTRITION
Burst of Energy
CHERYL TREWORGY/PRETTYSPORTY.COM
Many athletes today are using energy supplements for a quick pick-me-up. Here’s some advice to pass on regarding best ingredients and when to use them. By Dr. Kris Clark
Tim just got out of his last class of the day and needs to be on the track across campus in 45 minutes dressed and ready to practice, but right now he’s feeling low on energy. Jessica is headed out on her longest training run of the season and isn’t sure CoachesNetwork.com
what to bring with her for fuel. Alex was up late working on a school project with classmates, woke up early to ride the team bus to a meet, and when his event is called, he isn’t sure he’ll be able to give his best effort. What can these athletes do for a quick boost? Though there is no replacement for food-based fuel combined with properly timed nutrient consumption, a fast-acting energy supplement might be the answer. But advice on energy supplements is not as straightforward as it might seem. Should Coaching Management Preseason 2012 25
all three of these athletes use the same supplement? What about the delivery method? Would a gel, bar, chew, or shake be best? And when should they be taken? Along with good food choices throughout the day, I regularly recommend energy supplements to the Penn State athletes I work with. Most supplements are small and can be easily carried in a backpack or gym bag, or kept in a locker. The convenience factor, along with the advantage of an energy edge, has made them popular among athletes in many sports. The keys are knowing which energy supplements to use and when. HOW THEY WORK
While the combination of ingredients and how they are packaged varies, the goal of each energy supplement on the market is the same: to boost an athlete’s energy level. There are two basic ways supplements can safely do this.
are generally made for long-duration exercise. If an athlete will be taking a long run or participating in a long, tough practice, they are a great choice as they will effectively elevate blood sugar for energy while exercising. The second way to safely boost energy levels is with caffeine. Research suggesting that caffeine enhances performance is plentiful, so it’s no surprise many manufacturers use it as a main ingredient in their energy supplements. Studies have shown small but worthwhile improvements in both shortterm, intense aerobic exercise lasting four to eight minutes as well as prolonged highintensity aerobic exercise lasting 20 to 60 minutes. However, the stimulant’s effect on strength and power (weightlifting) exercises and sprints lasting less than 90 seconds is unclear. Greater alertness, attentiveness, and an overall sense of increased energy have also
of caffeine. There are a number of products that contain these levels. When combining carbohydrates and caffeine, athletes should consume the supplement 30 to 60 minutes prior to exercise. This will give the body the time it needs to digest and absorb the carbohydrates. If pressed for time, consuming a liquid supplement is best because carbohydrates in liquid form are immediately transported into the bloodstream, quickly elevating blood sugar. INGREDIENTS LIST
If carbohydrates and caffeine are all that an energy supplement needs, why do these products also have so many other ingredients on their labels? One answer is that manufacturers want their supplements to be unique and capture the attention of potential users. For example, caffeine is a drug derived from a variety of sources, including cocoa,
Hundreds of popular energy supplements combine carbohydrates and caffeine for an optimal energy boost. I tell athletes to look for supplements with 25 to 30 grams of carbohydrates and no more than 100 milligrams of caffeine. There are a number of products that contain these levels. The first is with carbohydrates. Just as foods that contain carbohydrates improve energy levels, so do carbohydrate-containing supplements. The single most important source of energy for athletes, carbohydrates provide the fastest and most efficient method of fueling muscle contractions for any type of exercise. During digestion, carbohydrates are broken down into smaller sugars—glucose, fructose, and galactose. These sugars are then absorbed into the bloodstream where they are immediately used as muscle fuel. Any sugars not needed by the muscles right away get stored as glycogen—a complex carbohydrate energy reserve. The muscles and liver can generally store up to 1,800 calories worth of glycogen for future use. That’s about two to three hours worth of fuel. And any extra glucose beyond the 1,800 calories is stored as fat. When blood glucose levels start to drop during exercise, the stored glycogen is called upon. Because of its immediate accessibility in the muscles and liver, these glycogen stores are tapped for short, intense bouts of exercise like sprinting and weight lifting. Endurance exercise, like a long run sustained at a slow pace, is eventually fueled by the extra glycogen being stored as fat. Carbohydrate-containing supplements 26 Coaching Management Preseason 2012
been attributed to caffeine use. Recent evidence suggests that low intake levels—one to three milligrams per kilogram of body weight—are ideal and best consumed an hour before and/or during exercise. I recommend athletes look for drinks, bars, gels, and sport beans with up to 100 milligrams of caffeine per serving. It’s important to note that caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant and can cause jitteriness in athletes not acclimated to using it. It may not be for everyone, so if you recommend a supplement with caffeine to an athlete, make sure they are aware of this possible side effect. Several companies that manufacture energy supplements also offer reduced or caffeine-free alternatives. And though the World Anti-Doping Agency removed caffeine from its list of prohibited substances in 2004, the NCAA’s doping threshold is 15 micrograms per milliliter of urine. A moderate amount of caffeine (up to six milligrams per kilogram of body weight) will not raise urinary caffeine levels, but it’s good for athletes to be aware not to consume too much. Hundreds of popular energy supplements combine carbohydrates and caffeine for an optimal energy boost. I tell athletes to look for supplements with 25 to 30 grams of carbohydrates and no more than 100 milligrams
coffee beans, herbs, and tea leaves. By using a variety of plant sources, a supplement may appear more “natural” than if it contained a basic caffeine powder or extract. Manufacturers may also include other ingredients that have health benefits beyond an energy boost to separate themselves from their competitors. Here is a guide to some of these ingredients and what they do: Guarana: This South American bush produces potent caffeine-rich seeds. When compared to coffee beans, which contain anywhere from one to 2.5 percent caffeine, guarana seeds contain four to eight percent more per serving. Guarana is reputed to be a stimulant that increases mental alertness, fights fatigue, and increases stamina and physical endurance. Yerba mate: Another South American plant, “mate” is a source of caffeine when the leaves are brewed for tea. Its caffeine content is low compared to coffee or guarana seeds and is Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Creatine: A calorie-free, nitrogen-containing substance naturally occurring in very small amounts in humans, creatine helps KRIS CLARK, PhD, is Director of Sports Nutrition and an Assistant Professor at Pennsylvania State University, where she coordinates nutrition planning for more than 800 varsity athletes. She can be reached at: klc5@psu.edu.
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NUTRITION
supply energy to muscle cells by producing adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which transports chemical energy within cells for metabolism. Extensive research shows that daily doses between five and 20 grams have no negative health effects on adults. Coupled with weight training, the benefits of ingesting creatine appear to be increased muscle mass and weight gain. But taking a supplement containing creatine just before a workout will not improve energy levels unless the product also contains carbohydrates and/ or caffeine. Benefits from creatine come from daily use over time, and it is considered more of a training aid than an immediate energyenhancing agent. Taurine: This non-essential amino acid (a building block of protein) is necessary for normal skeletal muscle functioning, but humans can produce enough of it naturally by eating a wide variety of protein sources. The amount of it present in energy supplements will not harm the body. Branched-chain amino acids: Including leucine, isoleucine, and valine, these essential amino acids must come from diet and/or supplements because unlike taurine, the body
cannot manufacture them. Some believe their consumption aids in gaining lean muscle mass. L-Carnitine: Produced in the body by the amino acids methionine and lysine, L-carnitine is required to help shuttle fatty acids into the cells to be used as an energy source. Manufacturers include it in energy supplements because it gives the impression that it burns fat, though this hasn’t been proven. Inositol: A substance made naturally in the body, inositol is added to energy supplements because of its potential link to cell membrane integrity. The amount found in energy products will not harm the body. B vitamins: These water soluble and essential vitamins must come from diet or supplements. They play a role in breaking down carbohydrates, fat, and protein so they can serve as energy sources for working muscles. Athletes should have no problem eating foods with plenty of B vitamins since they’re plentiful in dairy, grain-based foods, and meats. Since B vitamins will be excreted in urine if excess amounts are consumed, there is no risk associated with consuming extra B vitamins found in energy supplements.
Ginkgo biloba: An herb primarily touted for its effect on memory performance, supplement manufacturers claim ginkgo biloba improves blood flow and oxygen delivery to the brain and subsequently better helps deliver nutrients. Glucuronolactone: A naturally-occurring substance that is part of all connective tissue, glucuronolactone is used in energy products by manufacturers under claims it will detoxify the blood. Studies have shown that levels up to 1,000 milligrams per serving is safe. None of the above ingredients listed are “bad” for an athlete to consume, as long it’s not in excess. A lot of choosing which energy supplement to take will be based on personal preference. For some, it has to do with taste and texture. I know athletes who can’t seem to get the gels down, but love the chews and beans—and vice versa. Consider a reasonable investigation of any energy product before suggesting them to your athletes because all products are not created equally. Take into account the ingredients on the nutrition facts label, but keep in mind that the NCAA, which partners
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Coaching Management Preseason 2012 27
NUTRITION
with the organization Drug Free Sport, takes a hard line in this area: No supplement is a safe supplement. Contaminated products do exist, which means ingredients may be present in a product without being identified on the nutrition facts label. EVERYDAY SOLUTIONS
While the athletes I work with use energy supplements often, I also advise them that the best solution to a lack of energy is through whole foods. In a pinch, an energy supplement may work very well, but there are nutrients and vitamins in foods that are important and cannot be found in supplements. Colorful plant foods, fruits, and vegetables contain highly potent antioxidants that supplements don’t. Broccoli, tomatoes, carrots, brussels sprouts, cantaloupe, peaches, strawberries, and blueberries are just a few examples of foods loaded with plant chemicals that protect cellular membranes and also provide good carbohydrates for energy. Energizing the mind and body through food takes some forethought and planning on the athlete’s part. Here are some simple suggestions:
Three hours before a workout, an athlete should eat a complete meal that contains carbohydrates, protein, and fats. A good mid-day meal would be a turkey and cheese sandwich with lettuce and tomato on whole wheat bread, a salad or piece of fruit, a cup of yogurt, and a glass of milk. An example of a good breakfast is eggs, pancakes with syrup or a bowl of cereal with milk, 100-percent juice or a piece of fruit, and a glass of milk. If an athlete only has one hour before a practice or game, they should focus on foods heavy on carbohydrates because they are easily digested and available for use faster than proteins and fats. Examples include a bagel or whole wheat bread with jelly and a banana, dry cereal, a sports bar, an energy gel and one half a sports bar, or crackers with honey and jelly and a piece of fruit. All of these snacks can include a sports drink with carbs. Not long ago, an athlete on campus reached out to me for advice. She texted me that she had a killer practice coming up at 4 p.m., and she wanted to know what she should eat to gain some energy. I looked at the clock, saw that she had two and a half hours before practice—just enough
time to eat and digest food—and called her. I recommended half of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a large handful of pretzels, and at least 16 ounces of a sports drink containing at least 100 milligrams of caffeine. Her text back to me later that night read, “did so good tonight second fastest in the group including the guys love u girl thanks again.� Carbohydrates were key for this athlete to get immediate energy. She also went into the practice session hydrated so that she wasn’t risking low energy levels due to dehydration. Athletes need to understand that their diet throughout the entire day and not just right before a practice or game is important. Energy levels should be fueled by food all day long for optimum performance. In addition, energy supplements can add an extra boost when time is tight or planning ahead is not possible. CM
A version of this article was previously published in Coaching Management’s sister publication, Training & Conditioning. More articles from T&C can be found at: www.Training-Conditioning.com.
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Team Equipment Help From Below
Varying the Weight
Omni-Lite’s ceramic spikes are one-third the weight of steel, and they’re designed to compress the track to allow for maximum performance. The Christmas tree spikes are recommended for sprint events. The spikes are available in three lengths: 1/8 inch, 3/16 inch, and 1/4 inch, plus 1/4 inch with extended threads. They’re available in seven colors: black, silver, fast blue, Olympic green, violet, fast red, and Olympic gold.
Omni-Lite Industries, Inc. • 800-577-6664 www.omni-lite.com
On Track knows that modern training theory calls for incremental weight variation under and over competition weight for strength, speed, and technique development. With this theory in mind, Gillett Over-/Under-Weight Training Implements were created in both a discus and a shot series. An adjustable shot model is also available. All dimensional measurements remain consistent with competition specs. These are the throwing trainers you’ve read about on coaching Web sites. On Track • 800-697-2999 www.ontrackandfield.com
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Circle No. 518
Timed Just Right
Updated Throw Shoe
The Vortex 2 is an updated version of VS Athletics’ popular throw shoe. The smooth rubber sole and wide forefoot allows for great feel in the ring. This shoe is great for discus and shot, and extremely lightweight at 10.9 ounces (size 9). The product comes in sizes six through 15 and retails for $44.95. Color is black/ white/royal. Please call for team pricing.
AX 725 Pro Memory Series stopwatches are professional timing devices with significantly increased functionality going beyond Accusplit’s tremendously successful Classic X (WOS) series. The AX 725 has the exclusive AOS 4.5 operating system with a twin leftright button operation feature, designed to give coaches, athletes, and timers the most precise timing available. All AX Pro Series stopwatches are cased in Accusplit’s distinctive, ergonomically designed “X” Case.
VS Athletics • 800-676-7463 www.vsathletics.com
Accusplit • 800-935-1996 www.accusplit.com
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INtroducINg New coachINg guIdes
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from
LEADERSHIP
Throughout these discussions, let your leaders know how important they are to the program. Don’t be afraid to tell them how much you will rely on them to set the standards, keep the team focused, and handle conflicts. You may even want to tell them that it is “their” team. You will be there to help them, but ultimately it’s the athletes— particularly the leaders— who determine how far the team will go.
_____ _____ Provide Opportunities
While talking about their responsibilities is important, your captains need continual opportunities to make real leadership decisions. It often works well to start small and build up to more complicated tasks. For example, let them oversee warmups before practice and make any team announcements. Have them contact teammates to inform them of schedule changes. You can even let them lead some practice drills, or take it a step further and let them plan a practice from time to time. It’s also key to solicit your captains’ input on team decisions. These can be minor
JOB DESCRIPTION LEADERSHIP
Here is a sample list of responsibilities coaches can give to team captains: depend on you for leadership, Lead warmups andasdrills: guidance, and support they We expect get your They step up to you theirtochallenge. teammates organized and keep rely on their coach to create a everyone in line, literally and positive and productive environfiguratively. ment that is conducive to helping Set the right tone for them lead. the team: We expect you to In other words,offgreat capstart practices with team the right attitude, work ethic. tains are focus, madeand when both roles Youthe must also refocus the team of coach-captain equation when practices get sloppy, create are tended to. What can easa positive momentum goingone into ily occur, however, is that competition, and recharge the side becomes frustrated with the team when needed. We expect you other. to be the mental and emotional catalystcoaches’ for the team. Some frustrations stem from that the athletes Keepa belief coaches informed: of seem Wetoday expectdon’t you to keeptoushave the strong leadership skillsthat they did informed about issues impact thethe success psyche the in past. and I often hearofcoaches team. We“Kids want today to know whounlament, don’t might be in conflict with whom, derstand what it means to be a whetherThey players are nearly accepting leader. aren’t as votheir roles, if anyone’s social life cal as they need to be.” Another is getting out of control, and so frequent complaint is, “They forth. Of course, we don’t need aren’t willing stand up You’ll and to know everytolittle thing. confront their teammates have to use your discretionwhen to necessary.” decide which issues might have a negative impact on the team. Be And captains don’t always feel careful to respect the trust of your they have the necessary guidteammates as well. You don’t want ance or support from their to be viewed as a tattletale. coaches. A recent poll I conductProvide input on revealed team ed of student-athletes decisions: We will ask your that over 60 percent of captains opinion on a variety of decisions felt coaches to do a thattheir will affect the needed team. This better job of working with them. could include minor decisions In essence, captains complain like what warmup gear to wear that too many coaches preach or where the team prefers to eat. the athletemore leadership Or itneed couldforinvolve serious but don’t teach it.
issues like how to best discipline a teammate who has broken team rules. Whatever the case, we will challenges are a normal part of page and leading together expect you to add your insightas to leadership. Most importantly, let a unified front, great things can help our decision making. them know that you will be there happen in your program. Talk with struggling to support them through thick teammates: We expect you to and thin. talk with teammates who might be struggling with their performance From there, ask your captains or role on Starting the team. It ison your to describe what they think it job to understand them, support the Right Foot means to be an effective leader. them, challenge them, and figure Their ideas of leadership might out how to get them back on be quite different than yours. Ask track. them to talk about the leaders Spending time at the very start Handle conflicts: mayyour whom they respect in their lives of the season workingWe with ask you to get involved with team and why, and the ones they don’t captains builds the basis for conflicts when they arise. If a respect and why. This will give this leadership team. To be on small problem crops up, we may you insight into their model of theyou same page, need to is ask to find outyou exactly what Great include great But it doesn’t happen magically. coaches leadership and can leaders. start great talk through what being a teams team always going on and develop a workable thatroles, get you both on opportunities, and giving feedback. captain means and must how to be an invest timediscussions in explaining providing solution. the same page. effective one. Plan team activities: By Jeff Janssen We willnumber ask you one to plan It can be helpful provide Step is toand clarifyJeff Janssen is also director of the to Janssen Sports Leadership center, in cary, N.c., coordinate various events so your captains with an assessment your expectations of them. Many and a former athletic administrator at the University of arizona. This article is your teammates getcapto of their leadership Just as Team captain’s Leadership Manual. coaches simplycan saybetter to their an adapted excerpt from hisstyle. book, The know other.our Weleader. will relyI expect on each athlete has certain physical tains,each “You’re you to initiate these events and you to step up and lead.” But this strengths and weaknesses, so do make sure everyone is invited and alone is too vague to give proper leaders. I use a two-part evaluinvolved. ation that rates how a person direction. Your team captains Be loyal: Understand that we leads by example and vocally, in Rather than assuming your can make or break are putting a tremendous amount several areas, from composure their duofcaptains trust in understand you. For example, your season. to team building. (Click here ties, astell well asthings your philosophy we may you that we for a Web link to the survey.) will tell your teammates. andnot expectations, sit downInand f that sounds like an overstateThis type of analysis can help return, we clarify expect what you toyou respect carefully need ment, think back over your make the captains aware of their and support decisions from them.the Create a jobwe descripcoaching career. during your strengths and weaknesses in their make forthe theeight team.toYou tion of 10may priorities most successful seasons, I bet leadership qualities. disagree with them behind closed you expect them to handle. (See you had great team leaders. Now doors, but we will expect you to Encourage your captains to uti“Job aDescription” nextteam. page.) consider your most frustrating show united front on to the lize and maximize their strengths Clarification of their roles and years. did they include poor leadWe also will insist on your loyalty and acknowledge areas to responsibilities onbad themouth front end and that you never us ers? improve in. For example, some prevent misunderstandings towill your teammates. There must be and not only do your captains have of your leaders might have a aas sacred trust between us. the season goes on. hard time confronting their team- a huge impact on your team’s sucNext, discuss the risks and chalcess, but also on your sanity and mates when necessary. Or, some Rather than both sides blaming lenges of leadership. Let your your satisfaction as a coach. You’ll of your leaders may be too blunt the other, they must make the captains know that this new reusually remember a year you had and lack the necessary tact to effort to work together and forge sponsibility might be difficult and fantastic team leaders with a smile, get their messages across well. a strong coach-captain partdemanding at times. They will regardless of the final record. Whatever the challenge, encournership. I like to think of it as a encounter many gray areas and age them to make sure that their You rely on your captains to help leadership team. When coaches bumps along the way, and they weaknesses are not a leadership set and uphold the standards of the and captains are on the same should understand that these liability as they work to improve squad, monitor team chemistry, and be your voice in the locker room and on the weekends when you’re not around. You need your captains to consistently reinforce the team’s standards and hold their teammates accountable.
LeaderShIP
them.
_____ Leader _____ Of The Pack
I
at the same time, your captains
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Track Surfaces & Facility Equipment One of a Kind
Mondo makes the world’s only hydraulic banked 200-meter indoor competition track system. After years of research, testing, and installation experience, Mondo has determined the optimum banking and construction techniques for almost any configuration. The track can be set at any intermediate position between flat and fully raised, so athletes with different skill levels can use it for a wide range of events.
Mondo • 800-361-3747 www.mondoworldwide.com
Circle No. 500
World-Class System
New to Blazer is The Inflate & Go, an inflatable high jump landing system. This system delivers a world-class high jump landing system without the storage issues. It’s a safe and affordable high jump landing system that provides athletes and athletic departments alike a flexible and usable system to maximize their high jumping results. One person can easily assemble and disassemble the system in two to three minutes. Blazer Manufacturing Company • 800-322-2731 www.blazerathletic.com Circle No. 512
On Track high jump and pole vault standards feature lightweight anodized aluminum uprights equipped with polymer measurement scales that resist peeling and tearing. Unique on-off riser clamps make height adjustment certain and secure at all heights--no more slipping because of loose screw-downs. The steel riser tubes and offsets are electroplated with zinc for durability. The pole vault standard slides along heavy steel rail units for unsurpassed stability. Circle No. 517
A Great Motivator
Athletic record boards are effective tools for motivating your athletes in track, football, volleyball, baseball, basketball, swimming, soccer, power lifting, wrestling, golf, tennis, and softball. Visit Austin Plastics’ Web site to view examples of record boards for all these sports. The boards are available with engraved record nameplates, or you can print your own using perforated card stock and a printing program supplied by the company. The boards are very durable and lightweight for easy installation. Custom boards are also available. Austin Plastics & Supply • 800-290-1025 www.athleticrecordboards.com CoachesNetwork.com
The 2012 “Everything Track & Field” Catalog features is a selection of the world’s finest high school, prep school, and college hurdles, including favorite models from UCS, Gill, and First Place. For the high school facing a budget crunch, M-F suggests its First Place Rocker Hurdle with a one-piece 16 gauge welded steel base that comes with a five-year guarantee and adjusts easily to heights from 30 to 42 inches. Special low prices are available on orders of 10 or more hurdles. M-F Athletic • 800-556-7464 www.mfathletic.com
Circle No. 513
Perfect for High Schools
Perfect for high school programs, the UCS International Fixed Weight Hurdle has a fixed weight position legal at all high school heights. Manufactured with a double-welded frame that will not bend or break. This product is powdered-coated to keep its finish and resist tarnishing. Customize your boards with UCS Digital Printing to include special effects, colors, and logos. Comes with a 10-year guarantee. UCS, Inc. • 800-526-4856 www.ucsspirit.com
Circle No. 514
Blending Speed and Comfort
High Stability
On Track • 800-697-2999 www.ontrackandfield.com
Many Hurdling Options
Circle No. 522
Mondotrack was designed to provide optimal traction and a greater contact area than other tracks. It converts the maximum amount of force generated by athletes’ foot strikes to energy for maximum energy return, which helps athletes achieve faster times compared to running on other surfaces. Mondotrack also provides excellent athletic comfort and maximum safety with the optimum blend of speed and comfort for both competition and training. Mondo • 800-361-3747 www.mondoworldwide.com
Circle No. 501
Cleat-Proof Protection
Cross-Over Zone and Bench ZoneTrack Protectors provide the cushion and cleat-proof protection that modern track surfaces demand. Made with tough geotextile fabric and self-ballasted with chain-in-vinyl edging all around, they stay down without stakes or sandbags. Easy to install, remove, and store, these track protectors are used by hundreds of high schools and colleges, including Villanova University and NC State University. Standard sizes are kept in stock for immediate shipment. Aer-Flo, Inc. • 800-823-7356 www.aerflo.com
Circle No. 526 Coaching Management Preseason 2012 33
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The fact is that all athletes are not alike. At Cho-Pat, we understand people are different and that is why our American-made supports are available in a range of sizes. The choice is yours!
Dual Action Knee Strap Patented strap provides relief from knee pain caused by degeneration and overuse. Easy to use, comfortable, allows full mobility.
101. . . Accusplit........................................................................................................................... 2 103. . . American Public University................................................................................................ 7 117. . . Athlete’s Guide to Nutrition............................................................................................. 24 106. . . Austin Plastics & Supply................................................................................................. 12 105. . . Blazer Athletic Equipment............................................................................................... 10 118. . . Coaches Network Guide.................................................................................................. 32 119. . . Cho-Pat.......................................................................................................................... 34 115. . . Lane Gainer.................................................................................................................... 28 121. . . M-F Athletic ...................................................................................................................BC 116. . . Marathon Printing........................................................................................................... 28 102. . . MilkPEP............................................................................................................................ 5 100. . . Mondo .......................................................................................................................... IFC 112. . . Omni-Lite Industries....................................................................................................... 23 109. . . On Track ........................................................................................................................ 17 108. . . OPTP.............................................................................................................................. 13 111. . . Power Systems............................................................................................................... 21 107. . . Raceclock by Electro-Numerics....................................................................................... 12 114. . . The Nutrition Edge.......................................................................................................... 27 120. . . The Parent’s Guide to Concussions................................................................................IBC 104. . . UCS.................................................................................................................................. 8 110. . . VS Athletics.................................................................................................................... 18
Products Directory Circle #. . . . Company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page #
Shin Splint Compression Sleeve Cho-Pat’s unique approach to help alleviate the pain and sorenesscaused by shin splits
Cho-Pat Tennis Elbow Support Designed to relieve the pain and discomfort associated with tennis elbow.
www.cho-pat.com 1-800-221-1601
519. . . Accusplit (AX 740BL Pro Memory Series)........................................................................ 31 523. . . Accusplit (AX 725 Pro Memory Series)............................................................................ 32 526. . . Aer-Flo........................................................................................................................... 33 509. . . American Public University.............................................................................................. 35 522. . . Austin Plastics & Supply................................................................................................. 33 510. . . Blazer (hurdles)............................................................................................................... 31 512. . . Blazer (Inflate & Go)........................................................................................................ 33 516. . . Cho-Pat ......................................................................................................................... 35 511. . . M-F Athletic (catalog)...................................................................................................... 31 513. . . M-F Athletic (First Place Rocker Hurdle).......................................................................... 33 502. . . Marathon Printing........................................................................................................... 31 508. . . MilkPEP.......................................................................................................................... 35 500. . . Mondo (hydraulic banked track system).......................................................................... 33 501. . . Mondo (Mondotrack)....................................................................................................... 33 503. . . Omni-Lite (Christmas tree spikes)................................................................................... 32 505. . . Omni-Lite (jump spike/pyramid spike)............................................................................. 31 517. . . On Track (high jump and pole vault)................................................................................ 33 518. . . On Track (weight variation) ............................................................................................ 32 506. . . OPTP (DeluxeRoller)........................................................................................................ 35 507. . . OPTP (ProStretch® Plus).................................................................................................. 35 524. . . Power Systems, Inc. (Speed Sled)................................................................................... 35 525. . . Power Systems, Inc. (Power-Stride Ladder)..................................................................... 35 504. . . Raceclock by Electro-Numerics....................................................................................... 31 514. . . UCS (Fixed Weight Hurdle)............................................................................................... 33 515. . . UCS (Plyo-Safe G2 Boxes)............................................................................................... 31 520. . . VS Athletics (Vroom 2 training shoes).............................................................................. 31 521. . . VS Athletics (Vortex 2)..................................................................................................... 32
Circle No. 119 34 Coaching Management Preseason 2012
CoachesNetwork.com
Strength & Conditioning Professional Foam Roller
The newest addition to OPTP’s wide range of foam rollers, the DeluxeRoller, is moderately firm and features a 0.8-millimeter soft vinyl cover with a convenient nylon carrying handle. Designed for professional use, the durable, easy-to-clean vinyl construction of the roller is ideal for selfmassage, stretching, and Pilates in multi-user environments such as the gym or clinic, but is also suitable for use at home.
OPTP • 800-367-7393 www.optp.com
Circle No. 506
Improving Acceleration
Incorporate the Premium Speed Sled into sprint training drills to improve acceleration and increase stride length. The S-shaped design generates less friction between sled and surface, and the angled tray directs the weight downward, keeping the sled stable. It holds up to three 45-pound plates (sold separately) and includes two leads that connect to the sled. Made of welded steel, the Premium Speed Sled can be used on a track or other outdoor surfaces. Power Systems, Inc. • 800-321-6975 www.power-systems.com
Circle No. 524
Efficient and Effective
Improving on a classic, the ProStretch® Plus is an efficient, effective way to increase flexibility in the calves, plantar fascia, and the Achilles tendon. The new adjustable toe lift provides superior plantar fascia and toe stretch and the adjustable, elevated heel rest and larger platform increase stability and customize fit for any shoe size.
OPTP • 800-367-7393 www.optp.com
More Products Nature’s Recovery Drink
Help athletes refuel with “nature’s recovery drink”—low-fat chocolate milk. It has what it takes to help tired muscles recover after a hard workout. Lowfat chocolate milk offers high-quality protein and key electrolytes like calcium, potassium, sodium, and magnesium, which is found naturally in milk and which most sports drinks add in the lab. Low-fat chocolate milk provides the right mix of protein and carbohydrates to refuel exhausted muscles. What’s more, milk has nine key nutrients, including some not typically found in sports drinks, like calcium and vitamin D—to strengthen bones and reduce the risk of stress fractures—and B vitamins for energy. MilkPEP • 202-737-0153 www.milkdelivers.org/refuel
Circle No. 508
Great Education, Great Value
You are one degree away from changing your world. You are one degree away from achieving more. Which one will it be? American Public University has 87 online degrees. APU’s tuition is far less than other top online universities so you can further your education without breaking the bank. APU was recognized in 2009 and 2010 for best practices in online education by the prestigious Sloan Consortium. American Public University • 877-777-9081 www.studyatapu.com/athletic-mgmt Circle No. 509
Circle No. 507
Works in Three Ways
Improve speed and train your muscles for the optimum stride length and frequency pattern with the Power-Stride Ladder. Space the eight moveable slats at specific intervals to reflect the desired stride pattern. High-impact plastic slats slide easily and lock into place for quick adjustments. Three color-coded premarked acceleration patterns accommodate different levels of athletes. A stacking pin makes it easy to transport and store. The Power-Stride Ladder can be used indoors or outdoors, and comes with a carry bag.
Medical professionals helped design and evaluate Cho-Pat’s unique Shin Splint Compression Sleeve, which alleviates the symptoms of pain and discomfort associated with shin splints. The sleeve has a threefold approach: It uses compression to support the leg muscles and soft tissue, it stimulates circulation and maintains warmth to control fluid buildup, and straps at the top and bottom act as shock absorbers to reduce microtrauma to the tendons and other soft tissue and help maintain the device in the proper position.
Power Systems, Inc. • 800-321-6975 www.power-systems.com
Cho-Pat • 800-221-1601 www.cho-pat.com
Up the Ladder
CoachesNetwork.com
Circle No. 525
Circle No. 516
Coaching Management Preseason 2012 35
COACHing IS MORE THAN X s ANd Os intrOduCing new COACHing guides from
For every decision about lineups and strategy, there is another one about dealing with parents, developing leaders, and handling budgets. That’s why Coaching Management is producing a series of Coaching guides addressing these important off-the-field topics. Topics will include strength training, leadership, nutrition, management, and sports medicine. Read advice from experts and other coaches about handling these vital, yet often overlooked, areas. For a limited time, we are offering a sample guide that will include articles on each of these important subjects. You can get your e-version by submitting the form below or going to coachesnetwork.com. Use this form for your free sample guide. LEADERSHIP them. Throughout these discussions, let your leaders know how important they are to the program. Don’t be afraid to tell them how much you will rely on them to set the standards, keep the team focused, and handle conflicts. You may even want to tell them that it is “their” team. You will be there to help them, but ultimately it’s the athletes— particularly the leaders— who determine how far the team will go.
Here is a sample list of responsibilities coaches can give to team captains:
School: _______________________________________
issues like how to best discipline a teammate who has broken team rules. Whatever the case, we will expect you to add your insight to help our decision making.
Lead warmups and drills: We expect you to get your teammates organized and keep Talk with struggling L E A D E R S H I P teammates: We expect you to everyone in line, literally and figuratively. talk with teammates who might be struggling with their performance Set the right toneon for depend you for leadership, pageItand leading together as or role on the team. is your the team: We expect you to guidance, and support a unified front, great things can jobastothey understand them, support start practices off with the right them, They challenge happen them, and step up to their challenge. in figure your program. attitude, focus, and work ethic. howato get them back on rely on the theirteam coach toout create You must also refocus track. positive and productive environwhen practices get sloppy, create ment that is conducive to helping a positive momentum going into Handle conflicts: We may Starting on them lead. the competition, and recharge ask you to get involved with team Provide team when needed. We expect you conflicts when they arise. If aRight Foot the In other words, great team capOpportunities to be the mental and emotional small problem crops up, we may both catalyst for thetains team.are made whenask youroles to find out exactly what is of the coach-captain going equation on and develop a workable Keep coaches informed: are tended to. What can easSpending time at the very start solution. While talking about their We expect you to keep us ily occur, however, is that one of the season working with your responsibilities is important, informed about issues that impact Plan team activities: becomes frustrated with the captains builds the basis for the success andside psyche of the We will ask you to plan and your captains need conthisevents leadership team. We want other. to know who coordinate various so team. To be on tinual opportunities to make the might be in conflict with whom, your teammates can same betterpage, get to you need to real leadership decisions. Some coaches’ frustrations stem whether playersfrom are accepting each other.talk Wethrough will rely what on being a team It often works well to start a belief that theknow athletes their roles, if anyone’s social life captain means you to initiate these events and and how to be an small and build up to more of today don’t seem to have the is getting out of control, and so make sure everyone is invited effective one. and complicated tasks. strong leadership skills they did forth. Of course, we don’t need involved. thething. past.You’ll I often hear coaches Step number one is to clarify to know every in little For example, let them Be loyal: that we of them. Many lament, “Kidstotoday don’t un- Understand your expectations have to use your discretion oversee warmups before are putting a tremendous amountsay to their capderstand what coaches simply decide which issues might haveit ameans to be a practice and make any of trust in you. For example, negative impactleader. on theThey team.aren’t Be nearly as votains, “You’re our leader. I expect team announcements. Have we may tell you things that we careful to respect trustneed of your cal the as they to be.” Another to step up will not tell youryou teammates. In and lead.” But this them contact teammates teammates as well. You don’t want is, “They frequent complaint alone is too vague to give proper return, we expect you to respect to inform them of schedto be viewed asaren’t a tattletale. willing to standand up support and the direction. decisions we ule changes. You can even confront their teammates Provide input on team makewhen for the team. You than may assuming your let them lead some pracRather necessary.” decisions: We will ask your disagree with them behind closed tice drills, or take it a step captains understand their duopinion on a variety of decisions doors, but we will expect you to further and let them plan a captains ties,toasthe well as your philosophy that will affect And the team. This don’t always show afeel united front team. practice from time to time. they have the necessary and could include minor decisions We guidalso will insist on expectations, your loyalty sit down and ance or to support fromand their carefully clarify like what wearmagically. that you never bad mouth uswhat you need It’s teams also key to solicit your great leaders. Great always include But itwarmup doesn’tgear happen coaches coaches. recent conductfromThere them. Create or where the team prefersA to eat. polltoI your teammates. must be a job descripcaptains’ inputinon team de- roles, providing must invest time explaining opportunities, and giving afeedback. ed ofmore student-athletes revealed Or it could involve serious sacred trust between tion of us. the eight to 10 priorities cisions. These can be minor that over 60 percent of captains you expect them to handle. (See By Jeff Janssen felt their coaches do a “Job Description” on next page.) Jeff Janssen is director of the Janssen Sports Leadership center,needed in cary,toN.c., better job of working them. Clarification of their roles and and a former athletic administrator at the University of arizona. Thiswith article is In essence, captains complain responsibilities on the front end an adapted excerpt from his book, The Team captain’s Leadership Manual. that too many coaches preach will prevent misunderstandings the need for athlete leadership as the season goes on. but don’t teach it. Next, discuss the risks and chalRather both sides blaming Yourthan team captains lenges of leadership. Let your the other,make they must the captains know that this new recan ormake break effort to work together and forge sponsibility might be difficult and your season. a strong coach-captain partdemanding at times. They will nership. I like to like think it as a encounter many gray areas and f that sounds anofoverstateleadership team. When bumps along the way, and they ment, think back overcoaches your and captainscareer. are onduring the same should understand that these coaching your
_____ _____
_____ _____
LeaderShIP
Name: _______________________________________
JOB DESCRIPTION
Leader Of The Pack
I
most successful seasons, I bet you had great team leaders. Now consider your most frustrating years. did they include poor leaders?
Title: _________________________________________ challenges are a normal part of leadership. Most importantly, let them know that you will be there to support them through thick and thin.
E-mail: _______________________________________
From there, ask your captains to describe what they think it means to be an effective leader. Their ideas of leadership might be quite different than yours. Ask them to talk about the leaders whom they respect in their lives and why, and the ones they don’t respect and why. This will give you insight into their model of leadership and can start great discussions that get you both on the same page.
Phone: _______________________________________
It can also be helpful to provide your captains with an assessment of their leadership style. Just as each athlete has certain physical strengths and weaknesses, so do leaders. I use a two-part evaluation that rates how a person leads by example and vocally, in several areas, from composure to team building. (Click here for a Web link to the survey.) This type of analysis can help make the captains aware of their strengths and weaknesses in their leadership qualities. Encourage your captains to utilize and maximize their strengths and acknowledge areas to improve in. For example, some of your leaders might have a hard time confronting their teammates when necessary. Or, some of your leaders may be too blunt and lack the necessary tact to get their messages across well. Whatever the challenge, encourage them to make sure that their weaknesses are not a leadership liability as they work to improve
Would you be interested in receiving a complimentary digital copy of An Athlete’s Guide to Nutrition? ____________________ Fax to: 607.257.7328 Mail to: Coaching Management, 20 Eastlake Rd., Ithaca, NY 14850
and not only do your captains have a huge impact on your team’s success, but also on your sanity and your satisfaction as a coach. You’ll usually remember a year you had fantastic team leaders with a smile, regardless of the final record. You rely on your captains to help set and uphold the standards of the squad, monitor team chemistry, and be your voice in the locker room and on the weekends when you’re not around. You need your captains to consistently reinforce the team’s standards and hold their teammates accountable. at the same time, your captains
36 Coaching Management Preseason 2012
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and athletic trainers after the concussion zx Questions to ask your physician zx Information on choosing the right helmet
A gREAT RESOURCE TO pROVIDE ThE pARENTS OF YOUR AThLETES
AVAILABLE FEBRUARY 15, 2012. ORDER FORM
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ITEMS TITLE The Parent’s Guide to Concussions Sports Concussion Tool Kit Concussion Policy Guide Concussion: An Educational DVD Player’s Contract Poster Getting A-Head of Concussions
PRICE $14.50 $90.00 $20.00 $25.00 $24.00 $20.00
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Subtotal $ + Shipping $ NY residents add sales tax $ = TOTAL $ The Parent’s Guide to Concussions will be shipped January 2012.
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ALSO AVAILABLE
From Coaching Management
SportS ConCuSSion tool Kit
$90
ConCuSSion poliCy Guide
$20
ConCuSSion: An eduCAtionAl dVd
$25
plAyer’S ContrACt poSter
$24
GettinG A-HeAd of ConCuSSion
$20
Developed by national experts in concussion assessment and management, the kit is specifically designed for professionals who work with high school and middle school athletics. Topics covered include: • Concussion treatment policies • Monitoring the studentathlete’s recovery • Educating parents and staff • Return to play guidelines Written by national leaders on concussion assessment and management. This guide is a step-by-step approach to developing a successful and comprehensive concussion program in schools. Information on concussion and post concussion syndrome for athletic trainers, coaches, and educators.
This 14 x 20 inch poster is designed for to be posted in locker rooms, athletic offices, and team areas. It includes five guidelines for safe play.Players sign their names, indicating their acceptance and commitment to safety. An innovative manual that educates athletic trainers, coaches, physicians, and peers about the effects of mild brain injury.
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