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Coaching Management

> One Too Many Concussions > Building Linemen at Arkansas

REACHING FOR ANSWERS Analyzing 7-on-7 football PRESEASON 2012 | VOL. XX NO. 14 | $7.00

FOOTBALL

Circle No. 100

CONTENTS | FOOTBALL Edition | PREseason 2012 | Vol. XX, No. 14

Coaching Management

COVER STORY SPORTS MEDICINE 18 REACHING FOR ANSWERS 25 ONE TOO MANY

STRENGTH & CONDITIONING 33 PILLARS OF STRENGTH

The rise of 7-on-7 football has created opportunities for off-season player development. But it’s also raised questions about protecting athletes from outside influences.

How many concussions equal too many? At the University of Texas, the sports medicine staff recently tackled this question with two of its players.

At the University of Arkansas, offensive and defensive linemen are assigned individualized training programs based on the position’s demands and the player’s weaknesses.

Q&A 15 MIKE LONDOn

PRESEASON

BULLETIN BOARD

New rules aim to increase player safety … Red Lion Christian Academy heads in a different direction … Coastal Carolina University makes a unique hire … Three questions on Bloomsburg University’s record comeback … Michigan high school responds to poor student behavior … Colleges make “It Gets Better” videos.

On the cover

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 38 FOOTBALL FACILITY 39 TEAM EQUIPMENT 42 COACHING AIDS

44 CONDITIONING PRODUCTS 46 PRODUCT LAUNCH

Publisher Mark Goldberg Editorial Dept. Eleanor Frankel, Director Abigail Funk, Dennis Read, R.J. Anderson, Patrick Bohn, Mike Phelps, Kristin Maki Art Director Pamela Crawford

46 WEB NEWS

Marketing Director Sheryl Shaffer Production Dept. Maria Bise, Director Neal Betts, Trish Landsparger Circulation Dept. Dave Dubin, Sandra Earle Special Projects Dave Wohlhueter

Mailing lists for Coaching Management Football are provided by the Clell Wade Coaches Directory. The Coaching Management Football edition is published in March, May, and November by MAG, Inc. and is distributed free to college and high school coaches in the United States and Canada.

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In his second season at the University of Virginia, Head Coach Mike London led the Cavaliers to an 8-4 record and a Chick-fil-A Bowl appearance. London has developed three tenets that drive his program.

48 COACHING GUIDES 40 ADVERTISER’S DIRECTORY

Texas’s Lamar and DeSoto High Schools compete last summer in 7-on-7 play, a topic we delve into in our cover story, beginning on page 18. COVER PHOTO: STUART VILLANUEVA/AP PHOTOS

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Coaching Management Preseason 2012 1

BULLETIN BOARD PREseason 2012

CONTENTS

2 New rules for NCAA, NFHS

6 Delaware HS

makes a change

rules changes

Focus on Safety When the 2012 college football season kicks off this fall, major changes will be noticeable from the opening whistle. With the goal of increasing player safety, kickoffs will move to the 35-yard line and touchbacks on free kicks will result in the ball being placed at the 25-yard line. Additionally, members of the kicking team cannot line up farther than five yards behind the 35yard line before the kick. The five-yard restriction is intended to reduce the risk of high-speed collisions and resulting concussions by limiting the distance in which players get a running start. Moving the kickoff line and giving teams an extra five yards on touchbacks should lessen the number of return attempts.

8 CEO returns to coaching

9 3 Qs on a crazy comeback

Another new NCAA rule mandates that the loss of a helmet will be treated as an injury. If a player’s helmet comes off, the player must immediately stop playing and will have to sit out the next play. However, the rule will not apply when helmet loss results from an opponent’s foul. The rule was formed in response to NCAA data that indicates helmets came off an average of more than twice a game during the 2011 season. The changes also include new wording to clarify the rule on blocking below the waist, making clear there are no restrictions on offensive players who were in the tackle box at the snap to block below the waist, provided they were not in motion. However, other players are generally restricted from blocking below the waist. The NCAA also approved a new rule prohibiting players from jumping over blockers while rushing the punter.

10 Responding to poor behavior

10 Athletes

become allies

“In all of our proposals, we are continuing the annual effort to find ways to make our game safer where we can,” Scot Dapp, chairman of the NCAA Football Rules Committee and Athletic Director at Moravian College told NCAA.org. More information about “Without questhe NCAA changes can tion, these be found by searching changes will “Football rule changes” enhance stuat: www.NCAA.org. dent-athlete Information about safety, and we changes at the high school level can be feel very comfound by searching fortable based “Football rules 2012” on the data we at: www.nfhs.org. collected that the impact will be significant.” On the high school level, a rule has been added, similar to the NCAA, to cover helmet loss—players will have to sit out for at least one play if the helmet is lost without being caused by a foul. The goal is to influence schools to ensure players’ helmets fit properly and to make sure players will not make changes to their helmets after they have been fitted. Additionally, the NFHS changed its definition of a legal catch. “In previous years, the covering official could have ruled that an airborne player attempting to catch the ball would have come down inbounds, but was prevented from doing so because of contact by the opponent,” Bob Colgate, NFHS Director of Sports and Sports Medicine and Liaison to the Football Rules Committee said in a NFHS news release. “Now the player must establish possession and contact the ground inbounds for a legal catch.” The NFHS Football Rules Committee also approved five other changes. These range from allowing advertisements on the playing field (rather than just in the end zones) to expanding the list of illegal equipment to include play cards not worn on the wrist or arm.

2 Coaching Management Preseason 2012

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Recent changes to NCAA and NFHS rules mandate that the loss of a helmet during play will be treated as an injury, meaning an athlete who loses his helmet must immediately stop playing and will be forced to sit out the next play. NCAA data indicates helmets came off an average of more than twice per game in 2011.

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GATORADE SPORTS SCIENCE INSTITUTE NUTRITION FOR THE INJURED ATHLETE When the body is repairing and recovering from an injury, the biological needs of the injured athlete change. In the immediate or acute recovery stage, the athlete should be most concerned about reducing inflammation and soreness, potentially enhancing recovery time from the injury. For a longer term recovery, the athlete should still focus on these factors but should also strive to prevent significant weight gain or loss. Many athletes become concerned that their muscle will turn into fat while they are inactive. The truth is that muscle may atrophy or lose strength from lack of use or immobilization, but the muscle is not turning into fat. However, some athletes do gain body fat while they are inactive due to excessive calorie intake, proper nutrition, along with weight management is necessary to support the body throughout the healing process.

The body requires adequate calories to heal. Energy malnutrition can exacerbate the inflammatory response and slow wound healing.

Lisa Heaton, MS, RD, CSSD, LDN GSSI Scientist & Sports Dietitian

VITAMINS AND MINERALS AND HEALING Many vitamins and minerals assist in the healing process, these vitamins include vitamin C, A, K, and B complex as well as minerals like calcium, iron, zinc, and copper. Athletes should focus on consuming these vitamins and minerals through whole food before relying on supplements. There is no evidence that taking large doses of these vitamins through supplements will speed recovery. Including a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy, starches and meats support the intake of these vitamins and minerals through the diet.

NUTRIENTS OF INTEREST The following nutrients are commonly found in various foods, herbs or spices. While further research is needed to fully support their role in healing from an injury, these foods can safely be incorporated into a healthy recovery diet. Curcumin is a component of the spice turmeric and has displayed antiinflammatory properties.4,5 In certain studies curcumin has demonstrated similar anti-inflammatory properties to common nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in both human and murine (rodent) models. This is important because side effects commonly associated with NSAIDs, like gastrointestinal distress, are not present when turmeric is used.6 It’s important to note there has not been a specific link between curcumin and exercise and muscle recovery. Omega-3 fatty acids have received plenty of attention over the last decade for their healthful properties. Omega-3 fatty acids have displayed anti-inflammatory effects within the body.7 Good sources include fatty fishes such as tuna and salmon, walnuts, and flax seeds. More recently, new evidence has suggested that consuming omega-3 fatty acids can decrease muscle atrophy (or mass/ strength loss) due to immobilization.8,9 Further research needs to be done in this area, especially in athletes, but is a very interesting concept.

ENERGY NEEDS As expected, the energy needs of the athlete decrease when injured compared to in-season training energy needs; however, it is important for the athlete not to excessively restrict calories. The body requires adequate calories to heal. Energy malnutrition can exacerbate the inflammatory response and slow wound healing.2,3 Basal energy expenditure, or the minimum calories the body requires without activity, increases during the healing process, especially in the early stages of healing. On the other hand, it is important that an athlete dealing with a long-term injury adjusts their diet accordingly. Returning to play can be more difficult if the player needs to focus on both losing excess weight gained as well as strengthening muscle tissues and training. It is common for injured athletes to continue eating the same calorie load as they did while training, resulting in weight gain.

PROTEIN AND AMINO ACIDS Adequate protein intake is critical for athletes recovering from an injury. Not consuming enough protein is counterproductive to the healing process and may worsen the inflammatory processes.2,3 This does not mean that an athlete must consume exorbitant amounts of protein or amino acids. When a muscle is immobilized, some strength and muscle mass loss will occur and is natural. Consuming excessive amounts of protein will not prevent this strength loss; however, eating adequate amounts of protein, will support the healing process.

Phytonutrients are compounds found within fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, legumes, tea, wine and chocolate. The colors found in fruits and vegetables are due to the phytonutrients found within them. A few phytonutrients athletes may be familiar with are beta-carotene, lycopene, leutine, and flavonoids. Further research is needed regarding the potential anti-inflammatory and immune boosting effects of these nutrients. An athlete should attempt to consume a rainbow of colors within their diet to consume the vast variety of phytochemicals that exist. Further information For more information on how to support your recovery with proper nutrition, seek out a registered dietitian who specializes in athletics in your area. 1 Lin E, Kotani JG, Lowry SF. Nutritional modulation of immunity and the inflammatory response. Nutrition 1998; 14: 545–550. 2 Demling RH. Nutrition, anabolism, and the wound healing process: an overview. Eplasty 2009; 9:e9. 3 Arnold M, Barbul A. Nutrition and wound healing. Plast Reconstr Surg 2006; 117: 42S–58S. 4 Chun KS, Keum YS, Han SS, Song YS, Kim SH, Surh YJ. Curcumin inhibits phorbol ester-induced expression of cyclooxygenase-2 in mouse skin through suppression of extracellular signal-regulated kinase activity and NF-kappaB activation. Carcinogenesis 2003; 24: 1515–1524. 5 Kang G, Kong PJ, Yuh YJ, Lim SY, Yim SV, Chun W, Kim SS. Curcumin suppresses lipopolysaccharide-induced cyclooxygenase-2 expression by inhibiting activator protein 1 and nuclear factor kappab bindings in BV2 microglial cells. J Pharm Sci 2004; 94: 325–328. 6 Graumlich JF. Preventing gastrointestinal complications of NSAIDs. Risk factors, recent advances, and latest strategies. Postgrad Med 2001; 109: 117–120, 123–118. 7 Galli C. Calder PC. Effects of fat and fatty acid intake on inflammatory and immune responses: a critical review. Ann Nutr Metab 2009; 55: 123-139. 8 You JS, Park MN, Song W, Lee YS. Dietary fish oil alleviates soleus atrophy during immobilization in association with Akt signaling to p70s6k and E3 ubiquitin ligases in rats. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab 2010; 35: 310-318 9 Lee HU, Park MN, Lee YS. Effects of Different Types of Dietary Fat on Muscle Atrophy According to Muscle Fiber Types and PPARδ Expression in Hindlimb-Immobilized Rats. Korean J Nutr 2011; 44 (5), 355-365.

FUELING ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE

Circle No. 102

BULLETIN BOARD follow up

Switching Gears

6 Coaching Management Management Preseason 2012

Red Lion traveled as far as Ohio and Florida for games. “There are plenty of great teams we can play in Delaware, Washington D.C., and Virginia,” Betters says. “Playing those teams will also allow our fans the opportunity to see the team.” The school also removed the previous football coaching staff. Although the coaches were allowed to reapply for their jobs, none did. When the changes were announced in December, the school held a town-hall style meeting that drew close to 2,000 people. Unbeknownst to Betters, one of the attendees was David Needs, a veteran Delaware high school coach with a reputation for rebuilding programs who won a state championship in 1981. The former coach was attending the meeting at the suggestion of a friend who thought Needs would be perfect as Red Lion’s new coach. More important than his football pedigree, however, he was the kind of high-character person the school wanted. “At the time of the meeting, David wasn’t associated with the school,” says Betters. “In fact, he was actually serving as a missionary in England not long before. But I knew of him, and his reputation, so when he asked for an interview, I agreed. “After the interview, I knew he was the right person for us,” Betters continues. “He was an upstanding person and someone that our student-athletes could use as a guide in a moral sense. To us, those qualities were just as important as his coaching ability.” After Needs was hired in January, the

After taking steps last spring to become a national high school football power, Red Lion Christian Academy (in white) chose to change course and deemphasize athletics. A new group assumed management of the school, which was nearly $6 million in debt.

final step of the transformation was to get back into the good graces of the DIAA. The school formally apologized to the association’s Board of Directors later that month. “We had to humble ourselves,” says Betters. “The Red Lion institution had done great harm to people, and we needed to make amends.” Three weeks later, the DIAA board voted 15-1 to reinstate Red Lion as a full member—on a conditional basis—for the 2012-2013 school year. The school has also received support from the community, as a number of the non-athletic families who left returned to the school, boosting enrollment. The football program has scheduled nine games for 2012, six of which are at home. Betters says that while the exodus of players means the team won’t compete for a state title right away, the program will benefit from the moves in the long run. “We’ve got a great coach, and we expect the turnout for football to be great,” Betters says. “Many kids who never would have gotten on the field before are trying out. This has been a good decision.”

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In the spring of 2011, Red Lion Christian Academy in Bear, Del., took steps to become a national high school football power. The school sought, and was granted, associate member status in the Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association (DIAA). This allowed the school to provide financial aid to attract potential football players, schedule up to 13 regular season games instead of 10, open practice two weeks early on Aug. 1, and hold spring practice. However, Red Lion was barred from the state championship and from playing any DIAA members during the regular season. Less than a year later, the school was in disarray. Dozens of talented players were brought in, but more than 100 families left the school, upset over the direction Red Lion was going. That, coupled with increased financial aid being given to players and a declining economy, helped put the school nearly $6 million into debt. Saddled with extreme financial woes, Red Lion began looking to move in a new direction, and on Dec. 1, the Glasgow Reformed Presbyterian Church (GRPC), also located in Bear, assumed management of the school. Chuck L. Betters, who was a pastor at GRPC, became acting head of the school and identified the athletic department as an area that needed to change. “The tail was wagging the dog with regards to the athletic program at Red Lion,” Betters says. “Decisions had been made that caused the integrity of the school to take a hit. So before we took over the school, I laid out specific, nonnegotiable values that the school would adhere to in the future. One of those was putting athletics back into perspective.” Betters outlined several goals for the football program. The first was seizing control of the financial aid packages being given to student-athletes by no longer associating with the private foundation that funded them. The foundation, called Financially Obedient Christians Assisting Students, was started by David Sills IV, the father of an eventual (and now former) Red Lion quarterback, and was designed to supplement need-based aid offered by the school. However, it wound up estranged from that goal. “I think the original idea—to provide students with more need-based aid— was sound,” Betters says. “But when we investigated the foundation, we found that there were families with incomes of $90,000 who had a son getting financial aid because he could play football.” A second mandate eliminated the football team’s national schedule. In 2011,

Circle No. 103

career moves

Back in the Saddle

New Coastal Carolina University Head Coach Joe Moglia served as CEO of TD Ameritrade for seven years before returning to the sidelines. He believes the skills required of a CEO and Head Coach are very similar.

haven’t coached in more than 20 years, right?’” says Moglia, who was defensive coordinator at Dartmouth College from 1981-83 before beginning his financial career. “They did, but they also told me they spent a lot of time looking at the skill sets required of a coach and that I had all of them. Over the next few months, I found I didn’t lose a minute of sleep over any other opportunity, but I couldn’t get the football thing out of my head. “I always loved the game itself and the impact you can have on 18 to 22 year olds,” he continues. “I thought coaching was what I could probably do best and what I would get the greatest satisfaction out of, so I decided to return to the game.” The Yale job didn’t pan out, but Moglia soon began his return to coaching as a volunteer at the University of Nebraska. He spent two seasons in Lincoln as the Executive Advisor for football, working with the players in life skills areas while soaking in everything he could about the program. During the 2011 season, Moglia was Team President and Head Coach of the Omaha Nighthawks in the United Football League. Then in December he was tapped to take over at Coastal Carolina.

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Circle No. 104 8 Coaching Management Preseason 2012

Circle No. 105 CoachesNetwork.com

coastal carolina university athletics

Six games of head coaching experience and no other hands-on football duties in almost 30 years may seem like an unusual resume for the head coach of an NCAA Division I FCS football program. But Coastal Carolina University’s Joe Moglia is not your typical football coach. After spending 16 years as a high school and college football coach from 1968 to 1983, Moglia changed careers and rose to the top of the financial world, eventually serving as Chief Executive Officer of TD Ameritrade for seven years. When he announced in March 2008 that he would soon retire from his CEO position, Moglia had no shortage of offers to

continue working. While most came from the business and media world, there was also one particular call he couldn’t stop thinking about. A group of Yale University alumni asked if he might be interested in the school’s Head Football Coach position, which they (accurately) thought might open up after the 2008 season. “I said, ‘You guys understand I

BULLETIN BOARD

QUESTIONS

His experiences reaffirmed his belief that the skills required of a CEO and college football coach are quite similar. “Whether it’s in the world of coaching or the world of business, you have to be able to unite and excite,” Moglia says. “You have to be able to motivate and have an

aspirational mission. You also need a well thought out strategy to reach those aspirations. You need to handle yourself well under pressure and be well organized. You need to make good, thoughtful decisions and not let your ego get in the way.” But convincing others he could make

the switch was not so easy. “When I left coaching, people in finance thought, ‘This football guy is never going to make it here. He doesn’t have the academic pedigree. He doesn’t know anything about the institutional side of the business. He doesn’t know anything bonds or equi-

A Record Rally

For Bloomsburg University, the first 20 minutes of last October’s matchup against West Chester University was an exercise in Murphy’s Law—everything that could go wrong, did. Huskies Head Coach Danny Hale watched helplessly as West Chester scored touchdowns on five of its first six possessions during a stretch in which Bloomsburg’s offense mustered just 23 yards of total offense. When the dust settled with 10:29 left in the second quarter, Bloomsburg was in a 35-0 hole. Finding himself in unfamiliar territory, Hale refused to alter his strategy, and instead focused his team on taking small steps in hopes of gaining some momentum to make the score respectable and avoid getting blown out. However, Bloomsburg, then

ranked second in NCAA Division II, rocketed past respectability and straight into the record books by reeling off 55 consecutive points on the way to an improbable and historic 55-42 victory. In overcoming West Chester’s 35-point lead, Bloomsburg set an NCAA Division II mark for largest deficit overcome by a winning team and became the third squad in modern NCAA history to rally from 35 points down. DANNY HALE So how did the Huskies go about turning the tables? We caught up with Hale and asked him about the record-setting comeback. What were you thinking when you trailed by 35 points? To tell you the truth, when we went down 35-0, my initial hope was to avoid being totally embarrassed. The way it was going in the first quarter, I was afraid the final score would be 100-0. Our kids looked starry-eyed, and I knew I had to stay positive to keep them from bickering amongst each other. Players feed off of the coach’s outward emotions and, even though I was feeling pretty down about the situation, I kept telling them to stay with it and to go out and simply make a play, try to get one score. I kept saying, ‘Just make a play and good things will happen. We still have three quarters to play.’ How did you approach the deficit strategically? We kept running our plays and didn’t change our game plan at all. We’re a run-oriented team, and we stuck with that approach. You can’t panic and start doing something that’s out of your element, because it usually has the opposite effect of what you intended. It basically came down to execution—our offensive line started creating holes and our running backs started finding those holes.

Bloomsburg University running back Eddie Mateo ran for 99 yards and one touchdown in the Huskies’ 35point comeback victory over West Chester University.

CoachesNetwork.com

What was the turning point? Getting that first score in the second quarter. It just started to roll from there and things began going our way. By closing the gap to 14 just before halftime, I knew I could realistically motivate our team. When you cut into a big margin like that, there comes a point when you start to create doubt in the other team’s mind and they start to play tight. I think that’s what we did.

Coaching Management Preseason 2012 9

BULLETIN BOARD ties,’” Moglia says. “But it was 25 times easier to get that job than it was to get back into coaching. The business world is more open-minded than the world of academia and has a much better understanding of risk and reward.” One person who did understand was Tom Osborne, who returned to the University of Nebraska as Athletic Director after serving in Congress following his Hall-of-Fame coaching career and whom Moglia spoke with before embarking on his second tour in coaching. “Tom did a great job of reminding me what a coach’s life is really like and challenging me to make sure I really wanted to do this,” Moglia says. “He also introduced me to [Nebraska Head Coach] Bo Pelini. “There aren’t many guys out there who would do for me what Tom and Bo did,” he continues. “I spent 14 hours a day there, seven a days a week during the season and got a real tutorial in how to lay the foundation for a championship football program. I have the Coastal Carolina job because of them, and I will always be indebted to them for that.” Moglia has some advice for other coaches who might want to a lend a hand, like Osborne and Pelini did, to a coach returning to the game. “The biggest thing is to give the new coach a role where they can observe and learn,” he says. “Whether it’s as a consultant, intern, or at the high school level, even being a position group coach, give them an opportunity to develop their trade. But don’t sell short how important it is for them to meet people who can help them down the road.” sportsmanship

Video Response

10 Coaching Management Preseason 2012

the film as a teaching moment. “It was important to put the video together quickly so we could nip this behavior in the bud,” White continues. “If you wait too long to act, then inappropriate behavior becomes the accepted culture. The students were unaware what constituted acceptable behavior, so we had to remind them that our games are community events where families bring young children who look up to them. Inappropriate chants send those children the wrong message.” White admits that had the behavior not improved, he might have needed to

MADE IN USA

and former coaches and administrators, and using the talents of students in a video production class, he was able to create a seven-minute video—short and to the point. Each speaker gave a brief talk covering tenets of good sportsmanship, from leaving a positive legacy as fans to encouraging students to take pride in their actions. “We selected coaches and administrators who had longstanding ties to the school and whom the students respected, including a former football coach the students looked up to,” White says. “Then we encouraged them to speak from the heart.” The goal of the video, White says, was to provide students with an ‘aha’ moment. “We have a lot of tradition at Saline, but our students had forgotten what it meant to be a Hornet,” he says. “The video was a good way to remind them. And by having students shoot and edit the film, they heard things firsthand, and we were able to use the creation of

Saline (Mich.) High School put together a video last fall to address poor student behavior at football games. Above, Saline’s Justin Barnes looks for room to run against Lincoln High School.

take more drastic measures. “We were ready to suspend students from extracurricular activities,” he says. “They knew we meant business, so when we gave them very specific things they needed to change, they listened.” Progressive Programs

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When poor student behavior at football games reaches the breaking point, how should a school respond? At Saline (Mich.) High School, the answer was to put together a video that students viewed the following Monday during morning announcements. Saline Athletic Director Rob White had seen behavior in the school’s student section at football games deteriorate over the beginning of the 2011 season, with obscene chants becoming a regular occurrence. During a contest at To view Saline High School’s Huron High video on sportsmanship, go on Thursday, to: vimeo.com/30315347 Oct. 6, several hundred Saline students left the stands and began making their way toward a large inflatable helmet Huron players used during pregame introductions.

“I don’t know what they were planning to do, but I’d had enough of their unacceptable behavior,” he says. “So I worked with the police to have them ejected from the game.” While effective, White knew the mass ejection was only a temporary fix to an ongoing problem. The school had already tried to address the sportsmanship issue by having a student write a letter on the school’s Web site detailing positive student behavior, but it had little impact on overall actions. So that weekend, White took things a step further. Gathering several current

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BULLETIN BOARD syndicated columnist and book author Dan Savage and his partner, Terry Miller, created a YouTube video to inspire hope in young people facing harassment for any reason using three words—it gets better. The video launched the “It Gets Better” Project and countless others, including President Barack Obama, have strengthened the message with their own videos. Lately, colleges have been getting in on the act to offer their support and show that athletes can help—and not be the ones doing the bullying. Northwestern University was one of the first schools to produce an athletesbased video, with Head Coach Pat Fitzgerald playing a key role. The university released its own “It Gets Better” video last September, featuring messages from Fitzgerald, other coaches, Northwestern student-athletes, and Director of Athletics and Recreation Jim Phillips. Saint Michael’s College, an NCAA Division II school, also got involved this past fall. The idea to make a video came from Faculty Athletics Representative Dave Landers, after problems occurred during a men’s ice hockey game. The inappropriate behavior began in the 2010-11 season, when an opposing player directed a racial slur toward an African-American athlete on the Purple Knights’ team. The offending player was called on it and had to answer to his school’s athletic director, who told him the behavior was not acceptable. But this past season, when the same player made a homophobic comment to another Saint Michael’s athlete, nothing happened. “Nobody did anything about it,” says Landers. “The player it was said to went ballistic, and later when the game official was asked about the incident, he admitted he had heard the comment, but didn’t do anything. “That’s where I think there’s a responsibility for coaches and administrators,” continues Landers. “We have to do a better job of saying to all coaches, athletic trainers, and game officials, ‘You can’t tolerate this kind of behavior.’ What has happened in the last few years is that anything racist will be challenged, but not something homophobic. Yet homophobic comments can be just as destructive as racist ones.” Landers put his thoughts into action by challenging Saint Michael’s studentathletes to create the video. He began by meeting with Jen Niebling, the school’s head women’s basketball coach and SAAC Advisor, who loved the idea. Next, he

attended a SAAC meeting, where he showed athletes an “It Gets Better” video created by the Boston Red Sox and directed them to AthleteAlly.com, a site dedicated to improving the current culture, language, and attitudes toward gays in sports. “What I said to them was exactly what I ended up saying in the video—last fall there were at least 10 young people across the country who committed suicide because they either were gay or perceived to be gay,” Landers says. “It was found that many of the kids who took their own

lives had been bullied, and in too many of the situations, the people doing the bullying had been athletes. So I told our SAAC what I thought they should do, but I left the decision up to them.” Landers says that within 24 hours, Brady Earle, a member of the men’s ice hockey team, and Samantha Steinmetz, a women’s basketball player, had contacted Common Ground, the gay/straight alliance on the Saint Michael’s campus. Landers got the backing of school President John Neuhauser, and within another couple weeks, a script had been written. The SAAC then collaborated with students in the journalism department who had access to camera equipment and began to shoot footage. The final product consisted of interviews with various student-athletes, administrators, and others on campus showing their support for the LGBT community and spreading the “It Gets Better” message. As momentum for the project grew, Landers heard from a member of the men’s tennis team, Brian Healey. “He told me that he really wanted to be part of the video as an openly gay athlete,” Landers

says. “I knew him, but I didn’t know he was gay. I made sure he was okay with the world knowing he was gay, and he was.” The video was posted on YouTube, Vimeo, and Facebook, and it quickly became a viral sensation beyond the campus community, despite little promotion. The video has amassed approximately 3,200 hits on YouTube and another 5,000 on Vimeo to date. “We’ve gotten e-mails from all over the country,” says Landers. “I received one from a 61-year old man who is a high school girls’ basketball coach. He is

Many schools have put together “It Gets Better” videos in support of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered youths who are being bullied. Head Football Coach Pat Fitzgerald appeared in Northwestern University’s video.

gay and not out, and wants to make a safer place for his high school athletes. Brian has also received some amazing emails from tennis coaches across the country. “People have been really surprised that this is coming from a Catholic college, but to my knowledge there hasn’t been any blowback from the bishop or campus ministry,” he continues. “Everyone is just excited about what our students have done and they are very eager to share it. I could not be more proud of the students. I put the idea out there for them, but they took it and ran with it. They wanted to make a difference and let people know that athletes can be allies and not adversaries—and that it does get better.”

To watch the Saint Michael’s “It Gets Better” video, go to: YouTube.com and type “Saint Michael’s College It Gets Better” into the search window. To watch Northwestern’s video, type “Northwestern Athletics and ItGetsBetter.org” into the YouTube search window.

12 Coaching Management Preseason 2012

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Q&A

BEHIND THE SUCCESS

The University of Virginia’s successful 2011 season included road victories over Miami and Florida State—the first time the Cavaliers have accomplished both feats in the same season.

Mike London’s on-field success is easy to see. In 2008, his first season as a head coach, he led the University of Richmond to an FCS national title. Two years later, he became Head Coach at the University of Virginia. This past fall, he was named Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year after the Cavaliers posted an 8-4 regular season record, which included beating both Florida State and Miami (Fla.) on the road.

CM: How did your police work shape your coaching career?

University of Virginia Athletics

Q&A with MIKE LONDON | university OF VIRGINIA

London’s fortune off the field, however, does not show up in a coaching bio. Shortly after graduating from Richmond, where he was football team MVP in 1982, London was working as a police detective when an armed suspect put a gun to London’s CoachesNetwork.com

head and pulled the trigger—but it didn’t fire. Then in 2001, London bucked 10,000to-one odds and was able to donate bone marrow to his daughter, Ticynn, who suffered from a genetic blood disorder. For London, these life-changing experiences have played a role in his success as he has moved up the coaching ladder. He left law enforcement work in 1988 to become a restricted earnings assistant at Richmond and served as an assistant coach at the College of William & Mary, Boston College, and Virginia before heading to the Houston Texans as defensive line coach in 2005. A year later he became defensive coordinator at Virginia, the post he held before getting the head coaching job at Richmond. London has developed three tenets for his players—go to class, show class, and treat people with dignity and respect. He explains more in the following interview.

London: Growing up, I had always wanted to be a Secret Service Agent or a U.S. Marshal. But they only want people who have law enforcement experience so I started out as a police officer in Richmond. I was a detective assigned to a street crimes unit and we would go around and chase repeat offenders—guys who did real bad things. One night my partner and I stopped a van after we heard reports it had been involved in an armed robbery. We get out of the car with our guns drawn, and there is a lot of yelling and screaming. As we approach the van, the driver hits the gas to escape. I jump into the window and start fighting with the driver, trying to get control of the steering wheel. The driver pulls out a gun, points it right at my face, pulls the trigger, and nothing … It doesn’t go off, just click. It’s a life-changing experience to see your life pass before your eyes. Coaching Management Preseason 2012 15

I let go of the steering wheel, and they end up getting away. Maybe 15 minutes later, other units catch the van. They had ditched the gun before they were stopped, though, and none of the robbery witnesses would testify, so the only thing they were convicted of was trying to run me over with the van. After that I said, “Forget this. I’m going to change my life and do something else.” But I also learned a lot being a police detective. One of the things I got from the experience is the importance of treating people with dignity and respect, which is one of my three tenets for our football program. As a detective I saw the worst of what human beings do to each other, but I still had to show people who had committed heinous crimes a measured amount of respect. Rather than go in yelling like you’re John Wayne you have to communicate with them to get the information you need. What did you take away from the experience with your daughter?

That was another signature milestone that helped craft who I am. When I started my first stint at Virginia in 2001 as an assistant, I donated bone marrow to my

daughter Ticynn [who had a rare genetic blood disorder that causes bone marrow failure]. The doctors told me the odds of parents being able to donate to their child are 10,000-to-one. Now she’s 16 and asking for the keys to the car. It’s a life-changing moment when you can save your daughter’s life. So when I go into homes of parents and I say, “Give me your son,” it’s not a recruiting ploy. I know that you can’t take being a parent lightly or for granted. I’m not trying to save their son, but I know the expectations of being a role model, a mentor, a parent, and a disciplinarian. How do you build relationships with your players?

When I started at both Richmond and Virginia, I had each player come in to my office for about half an hour, and during the meeting I asked the player to tell me about himself. If he started out with “I’m 6-3, 200 pounds,” I said, “No. Tell me about who you are. What are you goals and dreams and hopes and aspirations?” And then during the conversation I shared a piece of my personal story. If you’re willing to tear open the bandages and let somebody else look at you,

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they become more comfortable and willing to share things from their life, like “I come from a single-parent family.” And when they share those things, I can draw a parallel to events in my life and talk about possible solutions. Knowing my players also helps me coach them better. You can coach everybody the same way, but I don’t think that really works. With some players you can say, “Come on Jimmy! You’ve got to get that done!” But maybe another player has told you that his dad always used to yell at him, and he doesn’t respond well to that. So with him you say, “Listen, I know you’re a better player than that, and that you want to be better. I know you have goals and dreams of making it beyond college football. But that effort right there is not going to get it done.” What are your strategies for establishing a culture of accountability?

We have processes in place that teach players how to be responsible and how important it is to communicate, and then we follow up as a staff. For example, say a guy wakes up and he’s too sick to go to class. In our process, he calls the athletic trainers

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Q&A and they tell him to rest up or come in and see them. The athletic trainer then e-mails the academic advisor so they’re on notice that the player is sick. Then the player has to e-mail the professor and tell him or her, “I’ve checked in with my athletic trainer and I’m not going to make it to class today. Is there a time I could make up this work or could I come see you during office hours?” Through that process, a cycle of accountability is established. Instead of a guy waking up and saying, “I’m not going to class today” and then eight weeks later I get a progress report saying he’s missed five classes, there’s a process he knows he has to follow.

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In what ways do you teach players about showing class?

I tell players they can show class by how they handle adversity or success. But instead of having a list of 25 rules, I like to use examples. One involves getting a poorer grade than expected on a paper. I tell players if they spent a lot of time on a paper and got a C-, their natural inclination might be to go to the professor and say, “What is this? I spent a lot of time on this paper,” and on and on. Instead, I suggest they show some class by setting up a meeting with that professor, and finding out if there’s something they did wrong and if there might be an opportunity to redo it. I suggest saying something like, “I want to make sure I didn’t misread the instructions about this paper, and that I’m following all your guidelines.”

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Every day I pray for wisdom and discernment—the wisdom to take what I know and coach it and craft it, and the discernment to understand what needs changing and what doesn’t. I also have to be willing to take feedback from others in the vein it’s given and not take it personally. If someone tells me what I’m doing is not working, I have to be willing to make a change—or at least change the perception of what I’m doing. We’ve had leadership experts come in and do assessments. They’ve asked the staff candid questions about my leadership style, and my ability to get messages across, follow through, organize, and motivate. I looked at the feedback and it helped me see some things a little differently. Someone said that when we talk as a staff, it seemed one or two voices were listened to more than others. So now when we sit together at the table, I’ll go straight to the guys who maybe aren’t as vocal and ask them to verbalize their opinion. I know I’ll hear from the other guys as well, but this way I make sure everyone can offer their input. CM

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4/3/12 2012 11:1617 AM Coaching Management Preseason

COVER STORY

REAching

for ANSWERS The rise of 7-on-7 football has created opportunities for off-season player development. But it’s also raised questions about protecting athletes from outside influences. | By Patrick Bohn Terry Smith, Head Coach at Gateway High School in Monroeville, Pa., doesn’t call the “Our Father” play very often—only a handful of times in the past 10 years. A modified version of the hook-and-ladder, Smith says the play only works if it surprises the opposition. But how do you test trick plays in gamelike situations so that a mistake isn’t costly? Smith tackled this problem by introducing the “Our Father” during a summer 7-on-7 tournament more than a decade ago. He believes the low pressure environment of a 7-on-7 game makes it the perfect setting to try something new. “It is a chance to see if our players can run a play without us having to worry about the repercussions if it doesn’t work,” he says. “If a pass gets intercepted and returned for a touchdown in that setting, there’s no significant harm.” The above example is just one benefit to participating in 7-on-7 summer tourna-

18 Coaching Management Preseason 2012

ments. Other benefits include getting a chance to teach offensive and defensive systems, allowing coaches to get a look at players’ athletic ability and leadership skills, and helping team members bond. However, not all 7-on-7 experiences are equal. The tournaments Smith refers to are termed “scholastic” events, put on by high school coaches to give skill players additional competitive experiences. A second type of 7-on-7 event is also gaining in popularity, though. The rise of non-scholastic 7on-7 “all-star” camps, many of which are run by people outside high school football, hasn’t been as well-received by many coaches and associations.

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Lamar High Schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Carrington Thompson reaches for a pass during the 7-on-7 Texas state championship last summer. The 7-on-7 game is generating significant discussion among coaches and administrators. AP Photo/STUART VILLLANUEVA

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Coaching Management Preseason 2012 19

COVER STORY

The NCAA, National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), and American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) are all on high alert for potential problems associated with non-scholastic camps—which can include the presence of third-party “street agents.” These non-scholastic camps are even being chased from colleges campuses by recent rules barring universities from hosting them. The NCAA has banned non-scholastic practices and competitions from Division I FBS and FCS campuses. So what should coaches make of all this? What does a college coach need to know about the stances various associations are taking regarding these camps? And what should a high school coach know about the potential pitfalls of non-scholastic 7-on-7 camps as well as the benefits of attending a scholastic event? In this article, we talk to high school and college coaches and association officials who are trying to help clear a path through the issues. RED FLAGS RAISED

There are distinct differences in how scholastic and non-scholastic 7-on-7 camps and tournaments are viewed by coaches and administrators. Scholastic camps, which pit high school teams against each other, are seen

by many as positive ways for players to improve by gaining experience in game-like situations. Non-scholastic camps, sometimes known as all-star camps or traveling camps, are often put together by individuals not associated with high schools or colleges. The teams are a collection of elite athletes from different schools, many of whom have not played with each other before. And unfortunately, individuals who don’t have the student-athletes’ best interests in mind sometimes attach themselves to athletes at these non-scholastic camps. It’s this last part that has many organizations worried. The AFCA has spent significant time in recent meetings discussing the issue of nonscholastic 7-on-7 camps, as has the NFHS. Tim Murphy, AFCA President and Head Coach at Harvard University, says that the concerns both high school and college coaches have with non-scholastic events stem from seeing what’s occurred in AAU basketball. Although there are differences between the two—unlike non-scholastic 7-on-7 football camps, some AAU basketball events can be attended by college coaches—there are worries that the problems afflicting basketball will show up in football. Because third parties can coach, host, and organize 7-on-7

playing host Gateway High School in Monroeville, Pa., hosts a scholastic 7on-7 tournament for area high schools each year. If you choose to host one at your school, Gators Head Coach Terry Smith says the first goal should be getting quality teams to participate. “There’s no point in having a lot of schools your kids can beat by 30 to 40 points,” he says. “Not only do your players not learn anything, but the other teams will have a bad time, and may even lose players who think they won’t be good in the fall. Make sure the level of competition is high, but even.” Smith also suggests making sure the tournament has an official feel to it. “Rather than have coaches serve as referees and umpires, we get actual Pennsylvania Interscholastic Activities

Association officials to come in and work the games,” he says. “And because quarterbacks only have four seconds to throw the ball before it becomes a sack, we have an electronic timer count the seconds. This way, you don’t have coaches complaining about the way someone counts to four.” Finally, Smith says, as an organizer, you need to be willing to take on double duty if necessary. “We have a number of volunteers come from a nearby U.S. Army recruiting office, and we let boosters run the concession stands, but we’re doing a lot of work outside of just coaching our teams,” he says. “We have to get the schedules out and make sure the games start when and where they’re supposed to. And if a team needs to find a place to stay overnight, we’ll help with that too. You’ve got to love doing all that if you want to host.”

tournaments, there’s ample opportunity for them to develop a relationship with a player. “We all know that this type of thirdparty manipulation has caused problems in basketball,” Murphy says. “To say otherwise would be disingenuous. The potential for corruption in football is certainly there. High school football players do not need street agents brokering their services. It’s as simple as that.” Marcus Wilson, Associate Director of Enforcement at the NCAA, says the association is well aware of the concerns coaches at all levels have raised. “Over the past year, we’ve had investigators attend 7-on-7 tournaments in several states,” he says. “We’ve spoken to event organizers and high school coaches and the primary concern they have is the involvement of third-party influences and scouting services with these non-scholastic camps. These outside individuals often tout themselves as having a relationship with a college coach that can enhance a player’s chances of getting a scholarship.” Bob Gardner, Executive Director of the NFHS, says that for some players, the promise of a college scholarship can be a siren song. “These third parties tell players about all their great connections with college coaches, and unsophisticated young student-athletes and parents who are unfamiliar with the recruiting process are often times easy prey for those people,” he says. “There is a lack of education among the players and their families about the role these individuals can actually play in getting them a scholarship.” The reality is, because college coaches are prohibited by NCAA rules from attending any 7-on-7 camps, third parties can often do little to help a high school athlete get attention from colleges that play by the rules. But they can become mentors and trusted advisors to the players. And the concern is that these third parties will become important figures in a player’s life, removing high school coaches from the recruiting process or hindering their influence. This could lead to the student-athletes only considering athletic factors when choosing a college. “One of the fundamental principles of the NCAA is that the student-athlete keeps education as their first order of business,” Wilson says. “High school coaches are in the business of education, and generally, most of them have the student-athletes’ educational interests at heart. Often, third parties are only concerned with the athletic side of the equation.” PATRICK BOHN is an Assistant Editor at Coaching Management. He can be reached at: pb@MomentumMedia.com.

20 Coaching Management Preseason 2012

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Murphy says high school players need to be wary of the motivation that drives third parties. “Anyone who tries to take high school athletes away from the traditional route to colleges has more to gain than the athlete does,” he says. “Historically, high school coaches have done an outstanding job coordinating the recruiting process between colleges and high schools. They help the athlete make decisions on what’s best for that athlete.” INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING

While many coaches are concerned about all-star camps, there can often be performance development benefits to players, especially at schools that don’t put on or participate in scholastic 7-on-7 events. Such non-scholastic camps can help athletes grow as players and be better prepared in the fall. Finding the right camp, however, requires a little work by the coach. “The difference between a valuable nonscholastic 7-on-7 camp and a bad one comes down to who’s running it,” Smith says. “The

players possible and winning games. “The player was frustrated with my opinion, so I asked him, ‘What’s the benefit to you?’” Smith continues. “He told me he’d get to compete every day and get better. But I explained to him that he could do the same thing here, with his teammates. There were no other positives he could list about the camp, so he chose not to go.” Smith says that he does allow a handful of players to join certain non-scholastic teams each year, but stresses to them that their high school 7-on-7 team always comes first. “Any team function we have is a priority,” he says. “I don’t want there to be any confusion about that, and I make that clear to the coaches of the non-scholastic teams as well.” SCHOLASTIC SUCCESS

Despite the concerns about non-scholastic events, 7-on-7 has traditionally been an important way for players to develop over the summer. So how can high school coaches make sure their players get the most out of their 7-on-7 experience? Jeff Dicus, Head

also help develop team leaders. “You really see guys who step up and take on responsibility in these games,” he says. “But you also see players develop into good followers, which is crucial. I want guys who can listen to what a teammate says and are willing to take that message and perform.” Smith says one of the main benefits of having your squad compete together in a scholastic 7-on-7 camp is the ability to put your schemes in place, both offensively and defensively, and see how they do against live opponents. “Having the opportunity to execute our pass offense and defense is invaluable to us,” he says. “It’s important that our players can execute our system, so we use summer 7-on-7 games as a way to do that. “I see coaches who go to these scholastic 7-on-7 camps, and they install an entirely new offense and defense so they can win the camp games,” Smith continues. “That goes against my number-one rule, which is to run the exact same offense and defense in the summer that we do in the fall. What good does winning in the summer do if your

“I’m big on team camaraderie. That’s why I want my players participating in 7-on-7 with their teammates. I always ask them, ‘If you’re playing for a college team, are you going to spend your summer working out with other teams? No.’” jeff dicus, duncanville high school first thing I do when a player mentions a non-scholastic 7-on-7 camp he wants to attend is do an Internet search for the name of the person running the event. Then I call other high school coaches, because if there’s anything bad about that person out there, someone usually knows.” If his initial digging doesn’t yield the answers he’s looking for, Smith will accompany players to a camp and speak to the person organizing the event. “I’ll ask them directly, ‘What else are you providing these kids?’” he says. “‘Are you asking them what they want to gain from college beyond football? Do you talk to them about the importance of setting career goals?’ If all these organizers are doing is teaching my players football, my players don’t need that camp, because they can learn that from me.” If you believe a non-scholastic camp isn’t right for one of your players, be firm in your opinion, but be sure to thoroughly and clearly explain your rationale to him. “A few years ago, I had a player who wanted to join a non-scholastic team, but after looking into it, I felt that it was a bad fit,” Smith says. “The only thing that coach seemed to care about was getting the best 22 Coaching Management Preseason 2012

Coach at Duncanville High School in Dallas, Texas, prefers his players participate in 7-on7 camps as part of the school—and most do—even though the state prohibits him from coaching the team during games and only allows interaction during the school’s athletic period. He believes in the value of keeping his team together, even if it means he’s not calling the plays. “I’m big on team camaraderie,” Dicus says. “That’s why I want my players participating in 7-on-7 football with their teammates. I always ask them, ‘If you’re playing for a college team, are you going to spend your summer working out with other teams? No. You work together, and that’s part of what goes into building a championship team.’” Pennsylvania allows high school coaches to join their teams on the sidelines, and Smith says that traveling to different schools together can help forge a team bond. “When we participate in scholastic tournaments, we’re often traveling to another state,” he says. “That casts us as the foreign group of guys, so we stay together, lean on each other, and grow throughout the trip.” Dicus adds that keeping your players together on a scholastic 7-on-7 team can

players don’t learn things that will help them in the fall?” Although Dicus is not concerned with dictating the offensive and defensive schemes the 7-on-7 team uses, he reminds his players that a lot of what they learn in the summer will transfer to the fall. “We emphasize the fundamentals,” Dicus says. “We talk about lining up properly and having players communicate the proper coverages. Working on those things will pay dividends in the fall.” While keeping things consistent is crucial, both Smith and Dicus believe coaches should also use 7-on-7 games as a opportunity to add a new wrinkle or a new play to the team’s arsenal. Smith sometimes experiments with an entirely new play, such as the aforementioned “Our Father.” Dicus won’t make any drastic changes to his playbook, but he will make some minor tweaks to a play if necessary in the athletic period he has with his team during school. “We’re sticklers for our base package, so what we try to do is make small adjustments,” Dicus says. “We’ll have a pass play where we may line players up in a different way, or send someone in motion. Or we’ll look at ways we can get a running back CoachesNetwork.com

COVER STORY

involved in a pass play he’s not been a part of before.” Additionally, 7-on-7 games can be a time for you to find out who fits best in certain spots. “The games are great chances for borderline players to jump in and make an impact,” Dicus says. “Players often get to play new positions, or line up on the other side of the ball, than they would in the fall. And every summer, we get a few kids who really stand out. “And of course, it’s always great to see effort,” he continues. “We reiterate to players the importance of going all-out, whether they’re catching passes or deflecting balls on defense. Those are the kinds of things that make coaches sit up and notice a kid.” Smith recalls how a 7-on-7 game last year gave a former backup player a chance to shine. “There was a sophomore who wasn’t getting a lot of playing time at cornerback because of a freshman on the roster who was starting ahead of him,” he says. “But the freshman missed a workout before a 7-on-7 game, and this sophomore got a chance to play. Well, he started making plays, and he kept producing. He wound up being a two-way player at corner and wide receiver in the fall.

“This player was quiet and wasn’t going to jump to the front of the lines to get reps in the fall,” Smith continues. “So we didn’t really notice him before. Suddenly, he was put in a position where he had to make plays, and he did a great job.” Despite all the benefits of 7-on-7 camps, coaches should be wary of reading too much into what players accomplish during this time. One of the biggest reasons is the absence of contact. “Eliminating collisions and taking away the physical aspect of football is a game-changer,” says Pete Friedenberg, Head Coach at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and a member of the AFCA’s Board of Trustees. “There’s a major difference, for example, between a quarterback who has time to throw and is in no danger of getting hit, and one who’s under pressure in a game-type situation. “That can lead to bad habits where players don’t behave like they will in a traditional game,” Friedenberg continues. “High school coaches should take that into account when projecting how players will do in the fall.” “Everything that players accomplish in 7-on-7 games is relative.” Smith adds. “I see

a lot of guys who look really good in shorts and T-shirts during a 7-on-7 game who don’t produce in the fall. You need to understand that guys change a lot when they start getting hit.” While there are general things a coach can glean from a player’s 7-on-7 performance, such as evaluating athletic ability, it’s crucial that coaches don’t go too crazy over what they see in this environment. “It’s like running wind sprints,” Fridenberg says. “Is it good for you? Sure. It’s something that can contribute to skill improvement. But that doesn’t mean you’re the best football player just because you’re adept at them.” Just as it’s hard to predict a football player’s true potential based on his 7-on-7 performance, it’s impossible to predict the path 7-on-7 football will take. Backed by rulemakers in the NCAA, high school and college coaches want to make sure that their concerns are accounted for and that the opportunities for off-season player development aren’t tainted by third parties more concerned with their own future riches. While the game plan to keep 7-on-7 centered on the student-athletes’ best interests is there, its execution remains up in the air. CM

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SPORTS MEDICINE

ONE TOO MANY

jim sigmon/university of texas athletics

How many concussions equal too many? At the University of Texas, the sports medicine staff recently tackled this question with two of its players. | By Kenny Boyd Over the past couple of years, there has been a lot of discussion and increased public awareness about concussions. Athletic trainers, physicians, coaches, athletes, parents, and state legislators are all talking about new rules, policies, and legislation to help detect concussions, guard against them, and manage an athlete’s return to play. But there is one area that isn’t being discussed very much—yet. And that is choosing not to return to play at all following a series of concussions. As we learn more about the effects of multiple concussions on the brain, conversations about ending athletic careers early will occur at an increasing rate. Here at the University of Texas, we have had this discussion with two of our football players within the past 18 months. We ultimately recommended that each athlete

Former University of Texas running back Nathaniel “Tre” Newton was on a path to the NFL when another concussion forced him to rethink his future. CoachesNetwork.com

Coaching Management Preseason 2012 25

discontinue playing football, and they did just that. Both players came from families with strong ties to football and great passion for the sport. But in the end, they came to the same conclusion: risking permanent lifealtering damage was not worth continuing football, even if the sport had helped to define a large portion of their lives. THE LAST STRAW

Nathaniel “Tre” Newton got his passion for the game of football by watching his father, NFL great Nate Newton, play on Sundays every fall. The desire to follow in his father’s footsteps drove Tre to have a remark-

with coaches and professors about limiting Tre’s meeting room and classroom interaction for the next few weeks. Our team physician also recommended a dose of supplemental DHA for four weeks. Upon becoming asymptomatic in just a couple of days, we had Tre complete followup neurocognitive and vestibular testing as part of the evaluation process. Just like after his previous concussions, his follow-up tests returned to his baseline scores within days—a very quick turnaround. While coordinating treatment of Tre’s concussion, the sports medicine staff also started talking about Tre’s history—and future. This was Tre’s first concussion of the

coordinated. When it came time to bring all of the parties together, I started the meeting with introductions and promptly handed things over to Dr. Pana so she could walk Tre and his parents through our findings, the progress of Tre’s current concussion, and our overall management plan. She concluded by reviewing Tre’s known concussion history and explained that our concerns lied not necessarily just in the number of concussions Tre had sustained, but in the relative lesser force that appeared to be initiating the onset of symptoms. We also explained that the unknown long-term effects of multiple concussions were a big worry for us.

Tre said that “he knew what the right decision was” and chose to give up football. This was not a revelation for him. He had already spent a lot of time thinking, even prior to his latest concussion, about what the next concussion might bring. able high school career that earned the running back a scholarship to the University of Texas. He was one step closer to continuing on his father’s path to the NFL when during the last half of his sophomore season, his plan took a life-changing turn. Tre sustained a concussion during the first quarter of a game at Kansas State University on Nov. 6, 2010. He had suffered a few concussions before, but this one was different. It wasn’t caused by a huge collision on the field and he wasn’t stumbling or feeling woozy on the sideline. In fact, he was alert and responding normally to other players and coaches. Then Tre made a comment to one of our athletic trainers that he couldn’t remember parts of the game. He was immediately evaluated on the sideline and we found that he was slowly becoming more symptomatic. Tre was taken to the locker room for further evaluation. His significant symptoms were similar to previous episodes and included photophobia, fogginess, memory difficulties, and headache. The medical staff was perplexed because no one—including other players and coaches—could recount a significant blow to the head that would have caused Tre’s concussion. We regularly review game film to analyze player injuries, and it wasn’t until we did this that we found a kickoff return showing Tre sustaining a helmet-to-helmet hit that must have caused his concussion. Our concussion management plan was set into motion. Tre was to follow up with the medical staff every day, including daily physician check-ins. Communication was made

26 Coaching Management Preseason 2012

season, but certainly not the first of his career. He was diagnosed with two concussions during his freshman year at Texas and could recount a few from high school as well. However, our deeper concern was that it seemed as though a smaller amount of force caused Tre’s concussion this time around. No one even suspected a concussion until the singular symptom of memory loss surfaced. Tre’s memory loss had delayed his ability to report his injury to an athletic trainer on the sideline, and that was pretty scary. At a follow-up appointment with our team physician, Dr. Andrea Pana, just days after the Nov. 6 game, Tre began expressing his own concerns about the long-term effects of his multiple concussions. Dr. Pana and I immediately set up a face-to-face meeting with Tre and his parents to discuss his future as a football player. Prior to the meeting, I met with the football coaching staff to review our plan for the discussion. It is important to all of our coaches that everyone involved with the athletic program is on the same page when it comes to student-athlete medical issues. The football coaches understand that in any serious medical discussion, including the one we were about to have with Tre, the primary focus must remain on the health of the student-athlete. Football is secondary in these cases and must be emphasized as such, by both the medical staff and the coaches. Dr. Pana and I met just prior to the meeting with Tre and his parents. We reviewed Tre’s case to ensure that the information we were going to present was clear, concise, and

The next moments of the meeting were pivotal. Tre’s parents voiced their own concerns after hearing what Dr. Pana had said. They felt it was important for Tre to hear their fears about his future, and each of them shared stories that revealed the enormous emotional investment they had in Tre’s life. They were equally as concerned as we were, but also made it very clear that it was Tre’s decision whether or not he would continue playing and they would support him in whatever he chose to do. Tre said that “he knew what the right decision was” and chose to give up football. This was not a revelation for him. He had already spent a lot of time thinking, even prior to his last concussion, about what the next concussion might bring. In a lot of ways, hearing himself say out loud that leaving football was the right decision was all it took for him to commit to doing it. Not many medically-related questions followed the meeting, but rather more practical questions about Tre’s future. What would his new role be with the team? Would he even have a role? What would happen to his scholarship? In the end, Tre was granted a medical scholarship. Financially supporting our student-athletes following a career-ending injury is not a topic this school thinks twice about. We’re invested in our student-athletes’ futures and commit to them when they commit to us. KENNY BOYD is the Head Football Athletic Trainer at the University of Texas, where he has worked since 2003. He can be reached at: Kenny.Boyd@athletics.utexas.edu.

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SPORTS MEDICINE

And Tre wasn’t about to leave his teammates. He is now a student coach and mentors the younger players on the team. (For more from Tre, see “A Year Later” on page 28.) CONCUSSION OR MIGRAINE?

Nolan Brewster aspired to be a Longhorn long before suiting up for his first game. The son of Tim Brewster, a former assistant coach with the team, Nolan was a hard-hitting defensive back with expert knowledge of the game. Like Tre, he had embraced the sport at an early age and was living out his dream of playing football for Texas. Also like Tre, Nolan had a history of head injuries before stepping foot on our campus. But his medical history was quite unique. Nolan reported to our medical staff that early in his high school career, he began having migraine headaches, which seemed to occur after contact to his head. His symptoms always resolved quickly after taking a typical migraine medicine. Following each episode, he was evaluated by a physician and returned to play only after he was asymptomatic. Eventually, Nolan’s parents became increasingly concerned that his recurring migraines might actually be concussions and arranged for more in-depth evaluations with physicians in their hometown who specialize in treating athletes who suffer from migraines. The evaluations resulted in a diagnosis of post-traumatic migraines—not concussions—that resulted from the hits he sus-

with no history of migraines. Each of Nolan’s migraine episodes was treated as a concussion until proven otherwise. Differentiation between a migraine and a concussion includes the type of symptoms, duration of symptoms, memory disturbance, and whether conventional migraine medicine helped alleviate the symptoms or not. During his first year on the team, Nolan had a few episodes. After each one, Dr. Pana included balance and neurocognitive assessments in Nolan’s acute management plan to determine whether he was having a migraine or had suffered a concussion. Some were migraines and some were concussions. Nolan red-shirted his sophomore year due to a shoulder injury, and returned to the team last fall. Then, during a game at UCLA on Sept. 17, 2011, Nolan sustained a hit that triggered what he believed to be a migraine. His primary symptoms included headache, visual changes, and difficulty focusing that did not dissipate with the medicine administered by our team physician. As with previous in-game or practice episodes, Nolan was removed from participation. His symptoms quickly worsened and he began experiencing photophobia, nausea, and vomiting. While it was still unclear whether this was another migraine episode or a concussion, our suspicions had us leaning toward a diagnosis of concussion. By the end of the game, many of Nolan’s symptoms decreased significantly. We moni-

www.GuardianCaps.com Reduces Head Injury Criteria (HIC)

Concussion evaluation, treatment, and return-to-play plans for an athlete who suffers from migraines should be carried out with extreme caution. It has been proven that athletes who suffer from migraines are more susceptible to concussions. tained while playing football. The medical staff here at Texas received this information and documentation upon Nolan’s arrival his freshman year and we set in place a concussion management plan specifically for him. Concussion evaluation, treatment, and return-to-play plans for an athlete who suffers from migraines should be carried out with extreme caution. It has been proven that athletes who suffer from migraines are more susceptible to concussions than their peers who do not. With Nolan’s history, anytime he presented with any concussion symptoms— including a headache—we approached his evaluations, treatment, and return to play more conservatively than we would an athlete

tored him on the flight home and he was instructed to see us the next day. Nolan reported with a headache, slight nausea, and some mental fogginess. At this point, we realized that Nolan had suffered a concussion and we initiated our concussion management plan, which began with continued daily evaluation. The following day, Nolan began voicing concerns about his symptoms and repeated head trauma throughout his football career. As the week progressed, his symptoms began to improve but his worries about long-term effects grew. Nolan’s parents expressed similar concerns and we concluded it best that he seek additional consultation. Circle No. 116

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Coaching Management Preseason 2012 27

By the week’s end, Nolan’s case was reviewed by a neurologist and neuropsychologist. It was clear to them that some of Nolan’s more recent migraines were being triggered by less force than when he was in high school. The doctors also agreed that some of Nolan’s more recent episodes we had diagnosed as concussions and not migraines—including the one on Sept. 17— were indeed concussions. The following week, Nolan was asymptomatic and his neurocognitive, vestibular, and balance test results neared his baseline

scores. The recommendations from his neurology consult supported a return to play only if Nolan was asymptomatic throughout a gradual return to play progression. It was also recommended that he increase his migraine medicine dosage as a preventative measure, but with the caveat that this was certainly not guaranteed to work. Nolan was at a crossroads. He wanted to continue playing football, but was concerned that the cost would be too great. He feared that more hits would result in a confusing downward spiral of more migraines and even

worse repeated concussions. Ultimately, he feared what hitting or being hit would continue to do to his brain. Like Tre, Nolan’s concerns about continuing to play football replayed in his mind like a bad movie. Even before the last hit of his career, he already feared that this decision was coming. Nolan’s parents also shared in his struggle to solve the mystery of his post-traumatic migraines. They had lived it since his high school years and openly voiced their concerns to Nolan and our medical staff. His parents

a year later The decision to walk away from a sport you love, even if it’s for health reasons, is never easy. Former University of Texas running back Nathaniel “Tre” Newton made that difficult call in 2010 after suffering a series of concussions. For many players, the most challenging part isn’t the initial goodbye, but adjusting to a new life without sports. In this Q&A, Newton talks about his decision and shares advice to others going through the same transition. CM: What was the decision-making process like for you? Newton: It was tough. After my last concussion, the athletic training staff here explained the possible long-term effects if I were to continue playing and suffered more concussions. It was difficult to hear because I’ve always been around football, and it’s something I’m very passionate about. But the fact that I was getting concussions more often and from hits that weren’t as big had a major impact on my decision.

How long did it take you to make up your mind? About a week. Since I’d had a number of concussions before my last one, I knew it was getting serious. I didn’t think about getting hurt while I was playing, but I had been thinking about it off the field. After talking it over with my parents and the sports medicine staff, I realized that the right thing for me to do was give up the game.

What did you and your parents talk about? I’ve talked to my parents about every one of my concussions. After this most recent one, they wanted me to think about my long-term health. My mother said to me, “You’re starting to get a lot of these, and they’re adding up.” But they also told me they would leave the decision up to me and that they would support me no matter what I chose to do.

28 Coaching Management Preseason 2012

How did you feel after you made the decision to stop playing? It was hard, and it took me a few weeks to adjust. It was difficult to see my teammates play every week without me. The first couple of games after I quit, I was a little bitter because I wanted to be out there playing. But I had to realize that life goes on, and I had to move on and find something else I’m passionate about.

Did you find something else to be passionate about? I was blessed to get a scholarship here at Texas, a school which offers a great education, and I’m making the most of my academic opportunities here. I always knew football wasn’t everything for me. I knew that even if I were lucky enough to go on to the NFL, I was going to need to get a job after that. I just graduated, and I’m staying at Texas to get a master’s degree in sports management. I know I can be successful without football.

Are you still involved with the team? Yes. I work with [Running Backs] Coach [Major] Applewhite, helping the young guys learn the scheme. Everyone here has been really supportive, and made me feel like I’m still a part of the team, and that’s made it easier.

Are you still physically active? I still lift weights, run, and play pickup basketball. I love playing sports and being competitive, so I’m going to continue to be as much of an athlete as I can.

What advice would you give to other athletes to help them adjust to life after sports? I would encourage them to get involved in something, even if it’s not their team. Get involved in other on-campus organizations. You don’t want to go off and be a loner and feel sorry for yourself. After you’ve been playing for awhile, you get used to a schedule, so I think it’s important to find something else —Patrick Bohn to have in your schedule.

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SPORTS MEDICINE

said it was his decision. They just wanted him to have all the information and support he needed to make the right choice. Nolan came to us and said he knew what he needed to do. He was confident in his deci-

up to them and they would support them regardless of their choice. The Texas sports medicine staff also put no pressure on them either way. But what we did do was give them the resources to make a good decision.

their parents voice concerns about their sons’ futures was tough. But it was important for me as an athletic trainer to listen to the athletes under my care and give them a chance to talk about their injuries.

Listening to Tre and Nolan describe their fears about the lasting effects of multiple concussions was sobering. And listening to their parents voice concerns about their sons’ futures was tough. sion and drew this confidence from the support of his parents. Nolan stepped away from football and has since stayed pretty distant. He still supports his teammates on the sidelines during games and is pursuing his degree with a medical scholarship. However, his time previously spent in the team meeting room or on the practice or game field has been replaced by his dedication to do well in school. EDUCATION IS KEY

The decision to discontinue playing football was Tre’s and Nolan’s alone. Both players’ parents made it clear to their sons that it was

I believe that Tre and Nolan arrived at the correct decision for them due to their education about concussions. A cornerstone of our concussion policy here at Texas, and now required by the NCAA, is an annual concussion education session that is attended by all of our student-athletes. Studentathletes must acknowledge in writing that they have received proper concussion education and that they understand they have a responsibility to report possible concussion symptoms to our medical staff. Listening to Tre and Nolan describe their fears about the lasting effects of multiple concussions was sobering. And listening to

Tre and Nolan each had a unique set of circumstances that brought them to their final decision to walk away from football. It was in their decision that I saw their strength. Though you could say they both had their dreams taken away from them, you could also say that they will surely have future dreams because of their choice. CM A version of this article appeared in our sister magazines, Athletic Management and Training & Conditioning. To access more articles from AM, please visit: www.AthleticManagement.com. For more from T&C, visit: www.training-conditioning.com.

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STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

University of Arkansas linemen like Travis Swanson (64) undergo a unique strength training regimen specific to the position.

Pillars of Strength At the University of Arkansas, offensive and defensive linemen are assigned individualized training programs based on the position’s demands and the player’s weaknesses. | By Jason Veltkamp

Walt Beazley-Arkansas

Here at the University of Arkansas, we take great pride in developing some of the country’s best linemen. We have eight 14foot by 8-foot pillars in our strength and conditioning center that are reserved for larger-than-life action photos of former Razorback linemen who have moved on to successful careers in the NFL. The results of CoachesNetwork.com

this year’s draft will force us to start a waiting list—or build more pillars. The success of these players is a driving force in our search for new ways to train the linemen in the trenches who often dictate the outcome of games but are rarely recognized for it. Their size, athleticism, and physicality are unparalleled in sport, which can make developing training programs a unique challenge. In this article, I share how we use a very specific and individualized approach to train our players in the trenches. But before talking about our linemen, let’s take a look at a snapshot of what makes Arkansas football strength training tick. Coaching Management Preseason 2012 33

PROGRAM PHILOSOPHY

First and foremost, our success in implementing the following programming would not be possible without the unending support of the team’s head coach and our athletic director. For an organization to function at the highest level, every member must understand the philosophy, goals, and objectives of each area of the organization, then dedicate themselves to helping each area succeed. If that happens, the whole organization will experience success in the end. We’ve excelled at making strength and conditioning a key cog in the wheel that is our athletic

they need to continually explore new depths to overcome things they may have thought impossible. In addition, players must learn that the strength and resolve of the group is an unstoppable force relative to the efforts of any single individual. The motto that can be seen in and around our strength and conditioning facility is, “Iron Sharpens Iron.” We put our athletes in competitive situations daily, setting the stage for teamwork, cooperation, and emotional support. No matter the task, our goal is to teach each player that it is important to always fin-

Intro progressive: Barring any major deficiencies, athletes who show technical proficiency in the Olympic lifts and squatting movements move on to the progressive group within their first two to eight weeks on campus. Each player is different, and the decision to move from intro to intro progressive is made only after careful consideration by the strength and conditioning staff. We hold meetings to discuss each player’s strengths, weaknesses, and technical proficiency, then make a group decision as to which players move to the intro progressive program. Developmental: The majority of our

We expect every lineman to be able to pull his own bodyweight up for multiple repetitions, so one of the first evaluation exercises the players complete upon arriving on campus is a chin-up test. program because of the strong leadership and support we receive. Our strength and conditioning department philosophy is based on three elementary goals. They are to: n Be healthy in both mind and body n Finish everything we start n Be the best. Healthy minds and bodies: It is important to remember that an athlete’s mental and emotional health and well-being is just as important as their physical health. The communication and cooperation between our staff and the athletic training staff is imperative to recognizing and addressing issues ranging from depression to attention deficit disorder to substance abuse. The bottom line is that our athletes have no chance of reaching their potential physically if we do not help them keep their minds in tip-top shape. Committing to help athletes in this realm not only helps them play at a high level, but can have long-lasting positive implications in their lives after football. In addition, we are fortunate to have what we consider a premier sports medicine staff. In the BCS system, every game is significant in determining a team’s postseason standing. Limiting time missed due to injury and taking the proper steps in rehabilitation and return to play is integral to success in college football today. The relationship our strength and conditioning staff has with the team’s athletic trainers and physicians gives us an edge in limiting time lost and expediting return to play. Finishing what we start: Our second goal is simple. But before defining a finish line, each of our athletes must learn that they do not know what they are truly capable of accomplishing until they try. This means that

34 Coaching Management Preseason 2012

ish the job. This goes for individual challenges as well as team challenges. Being the best: Finally, we are constantly striving to be number one. Our coaching staff does an outstanding job of recruiting student-athletes who have an intense desire to be the best at what they do. Once in the program, everything they do, see, and hear contains the underlying message of working to be the best. INDIVIDUAL APPROACH

Specificity of training modes and methods is widely debated in strength and conditioning, but I believe that often times the discussion becomes a distraction from taking a truly introspective look into the development of the individual athletes standing before us. Each football player has unique strengths and weaknesses relative to the needs of his position. Our hope is that by executing a needs analysis for each athlete and determining the specific demands of his on-field position, we can better equip him with the tools needed to achieve a “peak performance” in every game. Therefore, we do not subscribe to the cookie cutter approach to training. During the off-season, football athletes on the team may be performing up to six different workout programs. Our approach is split into the following subgroups: Intro: All new players are initially placed in our introductory group, where they complete a movement analysis and undergo an initial evaluation. Players in this group are taught our progression for the Olympic movements, front and back squats, Romanian deadlifts, and a myriad of upper body movements. Work capacity, technical skills, and work tempo are emphasized in this program.

players make up the developmental group. This group consists of mostly sophomores and juniors, but also first-year players who have progressed beyond the intro and intro progressive programs and seniors who have strength or body mass issues that need to be addressed. The program progresses through the Olympic lifts and squatting movements more rapidly than either of the intro programs. Absolute strength (one rep max) is an emphasis and the programming ranges from macrocycles of hypertrophy to peaking absolute strength. Advanced: Our advanced players are those who already embody the desired physical characteristics of their position on the field. Once an athlete has reached his desirable playing weight and demonstrated an advanced “training age” and associated performance standards, we elevate him to the advanced programming group. This training group does not devote time to hypertrophy phases. Instead, players endure higher intensity training. The volume of training is lower than that of the developmental groups, as the more advanced lifters walk a fine line between progressing and over-training. Quarterback: This program addresses movements specific to the position and notes that each individual may have imbalances due to the demands of the position. Specialist: This program also addresses movements and imbalances, but specific to the kicker and punter positions. JASON VELTKAMP is Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at the University of Arkansas, where he works with the football team. He has more than 10 years of experience at the NCAA Division I level and has worked with more than 40 NFL draft picks. He can be reached at: veltkamp@uark.edu.

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STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

During the season, our groups transform to balance the demands of practices, number of reps during games (playing time), and the individual needs and/or deficiencies of our players relative to their position. Instead of the six groups players are separated into during the off-season, they are divided up like this: n Four-day intro: Redshirt players n Four-day intro progressive: Redshirt players n Three-day developmental: Low-rep players, and sometimes mid- to high-rep players who have strength or body mass needs or deficits n Two-day line: Starters and high-rep defensive and offensive linemen, tight ends, and linebackers n Two-day skill: Starters and high-rep running backs, wide receivers, and defensive backs n Two-day quarterback: Top three quarterbacks on the depth chart n Specialist: All kickers and punters. ON THE LINE

am Sports Equ e T e ipm Lin

ent

Full

Regardless of what time of year it is and which training group our linemen fall into, we keep the key strength demands of the

position in mind when developing a training program. These demands include: relative strength, grip strength, hand quickness and punch, core and postural stability, and hip mobility. If we develop a program centered on all of these needs, we give the player his best chance at success. There are several specific methods we employ in our strength program to meet these demands. Relative strength is important because linemen need to have the ability to move their body mass repeatedly. We expect every lineman to be able to pull his own bodyweight up for multiple repetitions, so one of the first evaluation exercises the players complete upon arriving on campus is a chin-up test. The lat pull-down machines in our weightroom are not a place for the linemen to migrate to when the other positions move to chin-ups, pull-ups, towel chins, inverted pulls, or our newly added “steelie chins” (pull-ups on a pair of cannon ball-looking attachments). Our linemen complete these exercises with the rest of their teammates. Grip strength is necessary for a lineman to be able to pull his own weight. We believe in using a variety of grip attachments and towels for a lot of our exercises in order to train

Football Kicking Cage

it. Even during strength exercises in the rack or at the low/high pulleys, we regularly implement thick bars or thick handle attachments. We also make grip training the emphasis of a post-workout competition at least once per week during the off-season. This could range from dumbbell holds to farmer’s walks to more competitive and combative singlearm towel tugs and med ball or towel shocks. Hand quickness and punch is built using variations of as many pressing exercises— both bench and incline—as possible, rotating exercises in and out of the program every three to four weeks. Using both variations is vital due to the varied pressing/ punching techniques used by both defensive and offensive linemen on every play. One pressing exercise we implement with our linemen multiple times per training year is the neutral grip (supinated) bench press. The bar allows for a more natural hand position when narrowing a player’s grip to within his frame. In addition, the “thumbs up” position is taught on the field to both our offensive and defensive linemen, so using neutral grip bars in the weightroom translates well to the field.

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Support Your Local Team Sports Dealer Circle No. 120 CoachesNetwork.com

Circle No. 121 Coaching Management Preseason 2012 35

We purchased a few neutral grip bars a couple of years ago and had such a positive response that we ordered three times as many before the next off-season. Our linemen immediately saw the benefits and carryover to their on-field requirements. We have also incorporated neutral grip bars into all of our chain-loaded speed bench press exercises. Two of our other favorite in-season pressing movements are the speed bench and speed incline presses, using the Tendo units. Though it varies based on the intensity and repetition prescription, we ask our players to work in an average velocity range of 2.5 to 4.0 feet per second. We may use a chain-loaded variation of the speed presses as well. Core and postural stability can make or break a lineman who is trying to compete at the highest level. A weak or “giving” core can make an offensive lineman appear to be no more than a swinging gate to a B-gap power rush. We train the core and posture of our linemen in three ways. First, our daily warmup consists of postural core exercises. We create forces in various planes of movement that we ask the athletes to counter while maintaining correct posture in an athletic stance. For example, our band punch exercise involves a lineman in their set position holding on to a rope. A coach pulls the rope behind the player while the player maintains an athletic position— base and posture—and extends his arms forward in front of his chest. Similar groundbased postural exercises include the split stance band punch, diagonal band punch, band walkouts, and towel tugs. Second, the team’s post-workout programming and competitions are designed to

place demands on the core and postural strength. For our linemen, this includes the previously mentioned grip battles like dumbbell holds and farmer’s walks, band/harness kickslides, and other resisted exercises that put them in their position stance or forces them to perform their position movements. Lastly, we prescribe our players what we call X-Needs programming, which consists of extra exercises prescribed on an individual basis. There are several categories of X-Needs programming, including “core” and “posterior chain.” If a lineman’s X-Needs programming includes these categories, he is often prescribed kettlebell swings as one of his exercises. We’ve found kettlebell swings very beneficial for building postural core strength and recruiting the posterior chain. Hip mobility is addressed in both the warmup and the X-Needs portions of our workouts. Every weightroom warmup includes multiple ground-based hip mobility drills. We utilize hurdles for step-overs and squat-unders, light bars (18 to 20 pounds) for overhead movement sequences including overhead squats and lunges, and core boards or med balls for a squat-lunge series. Those players assigned to the hip mobility X-Needs group would return to hip mobility work at the end of their workout. For these players, the second round of hip mobility drills may include soft-tissue work, active isolation stretching, or a movement sequence using whole body vibration. CONDITIONING TIME

In addition to the key strength demands of playing on the line, we must consider the athletic demands placed on these players.

hog vision Once per week during our postworkout sessions, our linemen train their peripheral vision, upward gaze, and reaction time using our vision training equipment. Vision training also allows us to

create another competitive environment to finish a workout, yet can be implemented on days that we may be trying to scale back load, volume, and accumulated fatigue from a particular training phase. We use a multi-program approach utilizing our light-up touch board, and always place the linemen in their playing stances. Offensive linemen perform their vision

training exercises in a pass set position and the defensive linemen are in a split stance. To train peripheral vision, we program the board to light up in random spots and score the time it takes the player to touch the lit up spot. To train both upward gaze and focus, we ask the players to call out the random letters that light up during a 20-second bout of flashing letters. We do all of these exercises in a highly disruptive environment by playing music or making a lot of noise. The goal is always speed and accuracy during distraction, which translates very well to the football field.

Circle No. 122 36 Coaching Management Preseason 2012

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STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

These include: speed, agility, and a high level of overall conditioning. Many strength and conditioning professionals sell their summer conditioning program as the reason for early season victories. However, we believe that safety is most important. It is our job to prepare our larger players for the physicality, tempo, and repetition endured during preseason camp, and we are very matter-of-fact with the players about our purpose: One cannot win a start-

For example, our skill group may run four 40s at 90 percent intensity to finish a linear day. The linemen assignment would be altered to four 20s at the same intensity. During our preseason summer workouts, we incrementally add running to the overall program. We begin phase one with all four training days devoted to power and strength work in the weightroom. The second week, we add two days of on-field work, one being a speed day and the other being a

implement weighted vests, hill training, and sled work. The ability to run repetitively with only the wind as resistance does not prepare a large lineman for the rigors of the footwork repetitions plus resistance that they will inevitably encounter on the field. Our bottom line at Arkansas is to train our players the way they need to be trained to perform on the field. We devote extra time to addressing variables specific to each position and give our athletes every opportunity to be

Our bottom line at Arkansas is to train our players the way they need to be trained to perform on the field ... The true measuring stick is the physicality and performance displayed each Saturday in the fall. ing job from the injury list. Our summer speed and agility program for linemen is geared heavily toward short distance acceleration with relatively little top end work. Each linear speed day’s volume is approximately 10 to 20 percent lower than that of the skill and big skill players. We accomplish this through the elimination of repetitions or by simply reducing yardage on each rep.

general conditioning day. In week three, we add a second speed day (lateral and change of direction), increasing our days on the field to three. The fourth week includes four days to work on the field—one linear speed, one lateral speed/change of direction, and two conditioning days. The linemen, unlike our other players, spend anywhere from half to all of their conditioning work in a resisted state. We

the best at what they do. We are results driven, and the true measuring stick is the physicality and performance displayed each Saturday in the fall. The pillars in our weightroom are a testimony to our success. CM A version of this article appeared in our sister magazine, Training & Conditioning. To access more articles from T&C, please visit: www.training-conditioning.com.

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For more information, go to www.coachesnetwork.com Circle No. 123 CoachesNetwork.com

Circle No. 109 Coaching Management Preseason 2012 37

Football Facilities Enhanced Functionality

GearBoss® team room lockers strengthen program pride and enhance team room functionality. This product features more than 1,000 possible configurations— sizes, features, and accessories— with either metal or wood construction and is available in a variety of colors/finishes, from school colors to wood-grain laminates. Metal AirPro™ lockers feature an open-grid design that promotes airflow, sanitation, and visual inspection. The integrated, hinged seat saves valuable floor space and is lockable over a security box and footlocker.

Wenger Corporation • 800-4WENGER www.wengercorp.com

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The Tuffy® Windscreen will last for years because it’s made of Aer-Flo’s exclusive VIPOL® Matrix. This windscreen is used by high school, NCAA, and NFL teams, and is available in 20 standard colors, including purple, brown, burnt orange, and scarlet. The super-durable Chroma-Bond® imprinting technology produces multi-color logos that do not fade like digital printing. Super-premium but surprisingly value-priced, it is the Official Windscreen of the U.S. Professional Tennis Association. This product is sold only by Aer-Flo dealers and comes with a five-year warranty. Circle No. 501

Heavy-Duty Kicking Cage

Trigon Sports now offers the ProCage Kicking Cage, so kickers and punters can practice anytime, anywhere. The heavy-duty knotless netting attaches around the twoinch powder-coated steel base and 1 5/8-inch uprights with sewn Velcro® sleeves. The Kicking Cage is designed for quick and easy set-up and comes with a bag for storage and carrying. This product is used by several high school, college, and pro football teams.

Trigon Sports (TSI) • 888-313-1303 www.trigonsports.com

No turf lasts longer, plays better and safer, and maintains its appearance like a ProGrass Field. That’s because each ProGrass installation comes with the company’s “5-P” Performance System: People who believe that their reputation depends on the unparalleled performance of every field; Preparation of the site with its own people and equipment; Product—ISO 9001 Certified Artificial Turf; Professional installation with experienced in-house personnel, and Proactive maintenance, to ensure that every field continues to perform with excellence. ProGrass is a proven leader in artificial field design and installation, project management, and product development. ProGrass, LLC • 866-270-6003 www.prograssturf.com

Lasts For Years

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

A Proven Leader

™

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Affordable Messaging

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Make a Bold Statement

From wrapping a small bleacher to covering the back of a large stadium, BigSigns.com has the bleacherback banners that will impress fans and ensure maximum exposure for sponsors. BigSigns digitally prints to its proprietary Dura-Mesh vinyl using UV-protected Ultra-Brite inks, to keep an organization’s investment looking great for years. And the strong mesh is finished with BigSigns’ Dura-Guard reinforced hems. Call or go online to learn more. BigSigns.com • 800-790-7611 www.bigsigns.com

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Priced for School Budgets

The Tuffy ® Windscreen will last for years because it’s made of Aer-Flo’s exclusive VIPOL® Matrix. This product comes with a five-year warranty and is used by high schools, colleges, Major League Baseball, and even NASCAR. This windscreen is available in 20 standard colors with super durable Chroma-Bond® imprinting for multi-color logos that do not fade like digital printing. The Official Windscreen of the US Professional Tennis Association, the product is super-premium but surprisingly value priced for school budgets. Sold only by Aer-Flo authorized dealers. Aer-Flo, Inc. • 800-823-7356 www.aerflo.com

Many high schools have found that BigSigns.com has unique and affordable products for displaying sponsorship messages. Covering chain-link fencing with Dura-Mesh or Dura-Fab sponsor banners is an excellent way to boost sponsorship revenue, as is the Modstar A-frame Sign System, which was specifically designed to allow sponsorship messages to be placed on sidelines, in end zones, or anywhere you would like them. BigSigns.com makes sponsor advertising easy by offering design-team services. Whether the customer has pre-made designs or just an idea for their sign, they receive a high-quality ad with visual impact.

GearBoss® offers a variety of team room lockers designed to strengthen program pride and enhance team room functionality. More than 1,000 different possible configurations are available with various sizes, features, and accessories. Wood lockers are constructed of a durable, easy-to-clean wood laminate, incorporating antimicrobial nanosilver technology.

BigSigns.com • 800-790-7611 www.bigsigns.com

Wenger Corporation • 800-4WENGER www.wengercorp.com

38 Coaching Management Preseason 2012

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Circle No. 506

Increase Program Pride

Circle No. 507 CoachesNetwork.com

Team Equipment & Uniforms/Apparels For Elite Athletes

Designed for the gridiron’s most elite players, the new NRG Impulse lightweight helmet provides highperformance protection and comfort for next-level athlete, who need to make a visible on-field impact. The NRG Impulse’s high-impact foam, coupled with Rawlings’ unique C3 liner and heat exchange vent system, keeps the helmet in shape from training camp through postseason.

Stand the Test of Time

Waterboy units are portable, practical, hygienic, and costeffective. Built tough, these systems are designed to stand the test of time and provide the best service. From Chillers, Power Models, Inline, and Misting Systems, Waterboy offers a wide selection of the finest portable drinking systems on the market today. Waterboy Sports, Inc. • 888-442-6269 www.waterboysports.com

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Rawlings Sporting Goods Co. • 314-819-2800 www.rawlings.com Circle No. 508

The One You Need Easy Expansion

The EB300 base station easily expands the system by allowing an additional three coaches to communicate wirelessly at the same time. This set-up allows eight coaches to plug in and talk at once, without the expense of buying another base station.

HME • 800-909-6604 www.hme.com/DX300

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Clear Communication

Comstar is a revolutionary “All In One” wireless headset that features a miniaturized transceiver built right into the earcups. This breakthrough system is more affordable than traditional wireless systems because it operates without complicated belt-worn radios. Comstar wireless headsets operate in full duplex mode, which means that coaches communicate simultaneously and without pushing buttons. The system will accommodate the needs of high school and college football staffs with up to 18 coaches.

Porta Phone • 800-233-1113 www.portaphone.com

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Protecting Players

Designed to be extremely light and lowprofile, The One® ankle brace is comfortable to wear in shoes or cleats during competition. Offering all the benefits of taping, but with the flexibility of a soft strap brace, The One protects against inversion and eversion ankle sprains. Anti-slip criss-crossing side straps can be adjusted at any time to help prevent slippage and ensure a tight, comfortable fit. Side-pulling stirrup straps imitate the effects of taping while a cushioned tongue keeps the brace comfortable. Neoprene and latex free, The One comes in black and white. Available in sizes XS to XXXL. Mueller Sports Medicine 608-643-8530 www.muellersportsmed.com

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Custom Caps

The Double Vertical Stripe Cap is custom-made using premium dry fit materials and the sharpest 3D embroidery available in the industry. Available in either a Flex or Velcro® closure, this cap accentuates your school colors in a way that few other caps can. Just call the company factory’s toll-free number to start working on your design. In this economy, why pay an extra mark-up to a sporting goods store? Prep Gear • 800-279-7060 www.prepgear.com

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Leading Protective Padding System

Tested in multiple labs, including at Wayne State University, the Guardian Cap has been proven to reduce head injury criteria. More than 600 players wore the Guardian this past season with positive results. Several schools and college programs believe in the Guardian cap and have committed for the 2012 football season. The company has limited inventory for 2012, so the first to order will get the product. Order today for July invoicing.

The HX80 HexPad® Lineman glove, featuring McDavid’s patented HexPad® Technology, is the leading protective padding system. HexPad®’s individual closed-cell athletic padding is dense and lightweight. It moves with and conforms to your hand, creating the ultimate in performance, protection, comfort, and flexibility. The HX80 also features C-TACK™ Material on palm patch and fingertips for ultimate grip and durability.

Guardian Cap • 770-667-6004 www.GuardianCaps.com

Cutters Gloves • 800-821-0231 www.cuttersgloves.com

CoachesNetwork.com

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Circle No. 514 Coaching Management Preseason 2012 39

Team Equipment & Uniforms/Apparels

Directories

Unique Protection System

Circle #. . . . Company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page #

Constructed with a unique protection system of communicating channels that dissipate impact force, the Rawlings NRG Quantum football helmet answers protective needs and exceeds performance expectations with a customized fit for players at every skill level and position.

Rawlings Sporting Goods Co. • 314-819-2800 www.rawlings.com

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Performance and Durability

Cutters’ signature football glove, the X40 C-TACK™ Revolution, is brand new. Featuring the company’s exclusive C-TACK Revolution Performance Grip Material, the X40 is the best combination of performance and durability, with improved fit and a lighter weight. Other gloves may look similar, but C-TACK™ is the only one where the grip is part of the material. This makes it a permanent, self-restoring grip, ensuring you will perform at your highest level. Cutters Gloves • 800-821-0231 www.cuttersgloves.com

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Advertisers Directory 106. . . Aer-Flo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 109. . . Athlete’s Guide To Nutrition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 125. . . BigSigns.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IBC 104. . . California University of Pennsylvania. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 124. . . Coaching Management Program Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 110. . . CorTemp®-HQ, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 103. . . Cutters Gloves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 102. . . Gatorade. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 101. . . GearBoss® by Wenger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 116. . . Guardian Cap. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 114. . . HME. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 113. . . Intrepid Sportswear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 107. . . MilkPEP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 126. . . Mueller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BC 118. . . Parents’ Guide to Sports Concussions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30-31 111. . . Porta Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 119. . . Power Lift®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 105. . . Prep Gear. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 115. . . ProGrass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 121. . . QB-Tee®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 100. . . Rawlings Football. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC 122. . . Samson Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 108. . . Sports Attack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 120. . . Trigon Sports Int’l.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 112. . . TurfCordz™/NZ Manufacturing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 117. . . Waterboy Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 123. . . Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Products Directory Circle #. . . . Company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page #

Hands-Free Communication

Continuing more than 40 years of innovation, HME’s DX300 expandable wireless headset system provides secure, two-way, handsfree communication with superior digital sound clarity for school football coaching applications. It’s easy to set up and transport from location to location with no frequency coordination or license. The industry’s lightest beltpac, the DX300 can be expanded to include up to 20 users.

HME • 800-909-6604 www.hme.com/DX300

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Feel the Wave

Designed to help increase the natural blood flow around your muscles, Mueller Kinesiology Tape features a revolutionary wave pattern adhesive that moves with the skin and muscles to reduce muscle pain, increase mobility, and enhance recovery. Designed to aid in the treatment of ligament injuries, muscle conditioning, fascia repositioning, and even carpal tunnel syndrome, it is applied to the skin in patterns to mimic muscles. The 100-percent cotton tape is latex-free and water-resistant. One application lasts up to three days. It is available in four colors.

Mueller Sports Medicine • 608-643-8530 www.muellersportsmed.com 40 Coaching Management Preseason 2012

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506. . . Aer-Flo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 501. . . Aer-Flo (Tuffy® Windscreen) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 535. . . American Public University. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 505. . . BigSigns.com (bleacher-back banners). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 503. . . BigSigns.com (sponsorship). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 526. . . California University of Pennsylvania. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 536. . . ClearSpan Fabric Structures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 537. . . CorTemp®-HQ, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 514. . . Cutters Gloves (HX80 HexPad® Lineman glove). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 509. . . Cutters Gloves (X40 C-TACK™) Revolution) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 522. . . Gatorade (Energy Chews). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 520. . . Gatorade (Recovery Beverage) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 527. . . Guardian Cap. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 533. . . HME (DX300 wireless headset system). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 531. . . HME (EB300) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 538. . . Mueller (Kinesiology Tape) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 534. . . Mueller (The One®). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 511. . . Porta Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 528. . . Power Lift (Pro Select Prone Leg Curl). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 529. . . Power Lift (RS2 Power Rack). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 519. . . Power Systems (Plyo Hurdles™) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 524. . . Power Systems (Resistance Training Station) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 510. . . Prep Gear. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 504. . . ProGrass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 517. . . QB-Tee®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 508. . . Rawlings (NRG Impulse helmet) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 513. . . Rawlings (NRG Quantum helmet) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 525. . . Rawlings (product launch). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 523. . . Samson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 518. . . Sports Attack (Snap Attack). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 515. . . Sports Attack (universal cart clamp) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 530. . . SPRI Products (Roll Out Ladder) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 502. . . Trigon Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 521. . . TurfCordz™/NZ Manufacturing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 512. . . Waterboy Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 500. . . Wenger (GearBoss® Metal AirPro™ lockers). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 507. . . Wenger (GearBoss® wood lockers). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 516. . . Zipboard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 CoachesNetwork.com

The Quality Game Program That Your Team Deserves

Co Ne ac w hi Se ng rv M ice an F ag rom em en t

We’ll help you design and print game programs — and yearbooks — at an affordable price so you can make money from selling local ads. For more information call Coaching Management Publisher Mark Goldberg at 607.257.6970 Ext. 11 Circle No. 124

CoachesNetwork.com

Coaching Management Preseason 2012 41

Coaching Aids

Company News

Versatile Practice Tool

The Snap Attack Football Machine is a snap, pass, and kick machine that will maximize time on the most difficultto-practice phases of the game. The universal cart clamp is designed to fit any round or square mounting post or pedestal from 2 1/2” to 4”. The clamp securely attaches Snap Attack to the cart, allowing the operator to swivel the machine in any direction for punts, passes, and end-over-end kickoffs. Detach Snap Attack quickly and easily for use in snapping drills.

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

Circle No. 515

Whiteboard Anywhere

Zipboard is the first and only portable, retractable whiteboard that users can wear on their hip or stow in their pocket, briefcase, or equipment bag. Once extended to 13-1/2” x 9-1/4”, this patentpending product is a rigid, erasable writing surface that comes complete with a stowaway dry erase marker and eraser. This version is perfect for football coaches to diagram plays during the game or drills during practices. It can even be customized with your team name and logo.

Zipboard • 855-947-2627 www.thezipboard.com

Circle No. 516

Improved Quarterback Play

The QB-Tee® is a great training tool that can help quarterbacks at any level improve their skills. With the QB-Tee’s unique timing mechanism, the coach can focus on the player and not the stopwatch. Players can do more repetitions with greater intensity, and can work on individual objectives on their own. QB-Tee can help quarterbacks improve three-, five-, and seven-step drops, as well as timing, during the off-season. QB-Tee is also great for passing drills and 7-on-7 practices and games. The timer can be programmed to tenths of a second. QBTee is made of helmet grade plastic and is highly durable. QB-Tee • 330-750-0086 www.qb-tee.com

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Good at Everything

The new Snap Attack Football Machine with solid polyurethane football throwing wheels (no air pressure) provides tight spirals, long distance, and accuracy. In the elevated position using the universal ball cradle, it can pass, punt, or deliver the perfect kickoff. In the lowered position at ground level, it can snap the ball to any depth for shotgun or pistol formations, extra points, and punts. Pre-set locations make any change (left- to right-handed spirals or spirals to end-overend) quick and easy. Sports Attack • 800-717-4251 www.sportsattack.com 42 Coaching Management Preseason 2012

Quick and Convenient Cleaning

Circle No. 518

Athletix™ Disinfectant Wipes are a quick and convenient way for your employees to disinfect surfaces in your training rooms, health clubs, fitness facility, or spa. Pre-moistened and ready to use, the durable, disposable wipes are packaged in a portable dispenser bucket. EPA registered in all 50 U.S. states, including California, Athletix™ Disinfectant Wipes kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria MRSA and CA-MRSA, and are effective against many common bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus (Staph), Salmonella, Streptococcus pyogenes (Strep), and Esherichia coli (E. coli). Most effective when used on hard, non-porous surfaces, Athletix™ Disinfectant Wipes are ideal for disinfecting athletic and gym equipment, cycling equipment, weights, yoga mats, fitness balls, benches, lockers, and more. These orthophenylphenol-free wipes contain no ammonia, bleach, or alcohol, and are safe for most surfaces found in fitness facilities and gyms including acrylic, chrome, rubber, vinyl, ceramic tile, and fiberglass. Now, Athletix™ Disinfectant Wipes contain more wipes in a roll for the same price!

Athletix Products by Contec, Inc. 864-503-8333 www.athletixproducts.com CoachesNetwork.com

Case Study

Rawlings football set to launch lightweight Impulse football helmet Riding its success back into the football helmet business, Rawlings looks to continue the trend in 2012 with the release of its newest football helmet design

NRG Impulse football helmet is particularly lightweight with the comfort and protection that players are looking to wear. The NRG Impulse’s high-impact foam, coupled with Rawlings’ unique C3™ liner and Heat Exchange™ vent system, keeps the helmet in shape from training camp through the postseason.

awlings Sporting Goods has a history of innovation and has been helping to protect athletes, from the recreational to the professional player, for 125 years. The company that is known for designing the first football shoulder pad and a baseball helmet designed to protect against impacts up to 100mph, re-established itself as an industry leader in the manufacturing of football helmets in 2011. The Rawlings NRG Quantum football helmet redefined what a player looks for in a football helmet. Last season, the Rawlings football brand made waves at the NFL, NCAA, high school, and youth level with the launch of its new football helmets. In total, 43 NCAA Division I universities and five NFL teams sported the Quantum helmet on the field. Additionally, Rawlings signed St. Louis Rams® and All-Pro Running Back Steven Jackson to its Helmet Advisory Staff. Jackson stated that he “believes in contact” when he plays the game. When asked why Jackson chose to wear Rawlings, he declared, “I only wear what I believe in.” In addition to the protection Jackson feels Rawlings provides, he affirmed, “The Quantum helmet is the most comfortable helmet I’ve ever worn.” Now in 2012, Rawlings is proving once again it is a major player in the football landscape with the launch of its NRG Impulse helmet. Designed for the gridiron’s most elite players, the new NRG Impulse helmet provides high-performance protection and comfort for next-level athletes, who need to make a visible on-field impact. The

Rawlings CoachesNetwork.com

A deeper look into the technology behind the Impulse helmet reveals why players love it. The C3 liner is designed for custom comfort and cushion. There is a customizable inflation liner with strategically placed pads that conform to the shape of the player’s head. There are two inflation ports that allow for individual fit. The Heat Exchange vent system is a designed padding system for increased temperature control. The arrangement of the padding system allows vents to create an optimal air flow. The Impulse helmet uses top vents to quickly move heated air away from the player’s head. The back and side vents rapidly circulate cooler ambient air to enhance an overall cooling effect. Rawlings has been a top football manufacturer throughout the years and is always looking for the next innovation in sporting goods technology. After re-establishing itself in the football helmet business, the company is looking forward to an exceptional 2012 season with the launch of the Impulse helmet. The Impulse helmet can be purchased by contacting any authorized Rawlings dealer. Additional questions regarding the purchase of Rawlings products or locations of authorized Rawlings dealers can be answered by contacting the Rawlings customer service department at 1-800-RAWLINGS (800-729-5464), or by visiting its website at www.rawlingsfootball.com.

800-RAWLINGS (800-729-5464)

www.rawlingsfootball.com Coaching Management Preseason 2012 43

Strength & Conditioning Improve Explosive Power

The Plyo Hurdles™ are a portable training tool designed to improve explosive jumping power and knee lift during plyometric training. Posts are marked from 12 inches to 40 inches in four-inch increments. Molded rubber bases offer stability indoors or out. You can secure the 40-inch crossbar in or on top of the dualclip. This product features high-impact PVC posts and a carry bag is included. Assembly is required for this set of four yellow hurdles.

Power Systems, Inc. • 800-321-6975 www.powersystems.com

Circle No. 519

Pro Leg Curls

The Power Lift Pro Select Prone Leg Curl is part of Power Lift’s exclusive selectorized line. All Pro Select pieces feature: XL pads for user comfort, 4” x 3” and 3 1/2” x 2 1/2” 7 gauge steel construction, weight stack guards, and instructional placards. Unique features to the Pro Select Prone Leg Curl include: 300-pound weight stack, an adjustable start position, an adjustable tibia pad, and a 1 1/4” grip diameter. Power Lift • 800-872-1543 www.power-lift.com

Circle No. 528

Supports Muscle Rebuilding

G Series Protein Recovery Beverage is a protein and carbohydrate beverage formulated with the consistency of a thirst quencher. It has an effective amount of protein that contains essential amino acids needed to help support muscle rebuilding after training or competition. G Series Recover should be consumed within about 60 minutes after exercise for maximum muscle benefit.

Gatorade • 800-884-2867 www.gatorade.com

Circle No. 520

Improve linear speed, agility, and power with the TurfCordz® Modular Speed Belt. Designed for speed-assisted and resisted running exercises, this two-person system allows the lead to run against the resistance provided by the trailing runner. It also enables athletes to change running positions quickly without removing belts. The system includes a modular 20-foot (six-meter) heavy rubber tube with safety cord, mounting loop, and two two-inch (five-centimeter) adjustable Velcro® closure belts to fit up to a 52-inch (1.3-meter) waist. For more on TurfCordz resistance tools—designed to meet the extreme demands of high-level athletic conditioning—contact the company today.

44 Coaching Management Preseason 2012

G Series Energy Chews are a pre-game fuel in a convenient form. They are designed to be used about 15 minutes prior to training or competition to provide energy from a concentrated blend of carbohydrates to fuel athlete performance. G Series Energy Chews help make carbohydrate energy rapidly available to working muscles for the start of activity, so athletes might feel the difference at the beginning of training or competition. Gatorade • 800-884-2867 www.gatorade.com

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Circle No. 522

A Unique Design

The new Functional Training Rack Series from Samson Equipment is setting the world of strength and conditioning ablaze. This unique design combines a fully functional power rack with not one but two adjustable cable column machines, all within a compact area. Never before has an athlete been able to perform all the core lifts a rack/platform provides with the multifaceted capability of a fully operational functional tool. This product is extremely easy to adjust and use quickly, getting your athletes in and out of every facet of a workout much more effectively. The new 111FTR Rack Series is only from Samson Equipment. Samson Equipment • 800-472-6766 www.samsonequipment.com

Circle No. 523

Resistance Training Station

Change your workout by simply changing angles. The Resistance Training Station allows for multiple connection points for resistance tubing. Perform strength, agility, or power movements. The two stations allow for up to 12 connection points for single or multiple users. The station includes two straps and carabineers. Dimensions: 2”W x 34”L x 1/8” Thick. Available in black. Mounting hardware is not included. Power Systems, Inc. • 800-321-6975 www.powersystems.com

Full Speed Ahead

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

Pre-Game Fuel

Circle No. 524

Newest Innovation

Power Lift introduces its newest innovation: the RS2 Power Rack. Standard features include: 2” adjustment positions, one pair of bar catches, one pair of spot bars, weight storage, one dual grip chin-up handle, spotter’s platforms, hanging bar storage, and band and chain storage. Optional attachments can be added to create an ideal working station. Optional items include: band attachments, band shafts, rack dip attachment, bar catches, rotating chin-up handles, side mounted chin-up handles, single-leg/glute ham attachment, high rotation attachment, squat/step up platform, rack squat handles, wrist roller, and additional spot bars. Power Lift • 800-872-1543 www.power-lift.com

Circle No. 529 CoachesNetwork.com

Company Q&A

Help Your Players Improve With Snap Attack A Q&A with Tommy Barber of Tommy Barber Sports Tommy Barber, owner of Tommy Barber Sports Duluth, Georgia, a company focused on selling professional training tools as well as designing athletic facilities and installing equipment at colleges, public schools and organizations throughout the Southeast.

Why is the Snap Attack a superior football machine, compared to the competition? The most obvious difference is the solid polyurethane throwing wheels. They firmly grip the ball for an accurate spin, but do not damage the leather football. They eliminate crucial inflation problems, do not wear down, or require sanding. Cold weather is a non-issue. The ability to switch quickly and effortlessly from kickoff to pass to punt to snap makes the Snap Attack an indispensible necessity for a football program. According to a well-known BCS program equipment manager the “Snap Attack eliminates worry...it always performs.”

What safety features does the Snap Attack have? Quite frequently people who attempt to operate other football machines suffer lacerations to the hand and forearm. This is caused when the operator makes adjustments to the machine while it is running and inadvertently touches the spinning wheels. The Snap Attack has covered its throwing wheels with a protective steel helmet shielding the operator from the moving wheels. Also, by design, the process of rotating the throwing heads is done safely below the fast moving wheels. All power-related devices are located together on the left panel. This allows the machine to be quickly turned off and disengaged from the power source in case of an electrical storm.

How quick is the Snap Attack to use? It takes less than 90 seconds to assemble the Snap Attack and position it on the tripod. Less time is needed to transition the machine to the “snapping mode” adding only the elevation control. To go from kickoffs to punts takes 10-15 seconds to rotate the throwing heads from kickoff to left- or right-footed punt (or passing) and the same amount of time for the reverse. The locking dial and spring-loaded pin allow the operator to immediately lock in to the desired function. No changing arms, keeping up with loose parts, or tools are needed. The Snap Attack is self-contained.

CoachesNetwork.com

How quickly does the Snap Attack recover after it shoots a football? As soon as another football can be placed in the cradle, usually six or seven seconds (with a consistent power source). Rapid fire and multiple ball drills are part of the Snap Attack’s repertoire. The two powerful, independently running electric motors create not only a near instantaneous recovery time, but furnish enough power to put the football anywhere on the field.

What type of maintenance is necessary with the Snap Attack? Virtually no maintenance is needed. No wheels to inflate…no tire pressure to worry about. A small amount of acetone on a rag will quickly remove any football residue. If the machine gets wet, it should be dried as much as possible.

How does the Snap Attack adapt to a cart? Many teams use carts with the Snap Attack. Sports Attack makes a heavy-duty universal cart clamp that fits on the stem of most carts. If a generator is used for the cart, it is recommended to offer “clean electricity.” A 1000W to 2000W Honda with inverter technology works very well.

How can the Snap Attack help my team? Using the Snap Attack during the season and year-round will raise the level of your skill players. Unlimited accurate kickoffs, passes, punts, and snaps allow your ball-handlers to increase their skills. We’ve had reports of teams decreasing their dropped passes by two-thirds. Punters and place kickers can work without tying up a center. Defensive backs can get their reps against routes and schemes that their scout teams are incapable of executing. Kickoff and punt returners can receive kicks that their own kickers cannot simulate. Left-footed punts and onside kicks are always available with the Snap Attack. If you are looking for accurate and consistent thrown and kicked balls every day…this is your machine.

Sports Attack 800-717-4251 www.sportsattack.com Coaching Management Preseason 2012 45

Product Launch

Web News Facility and Equipment Solutions

NRG Quantum Football Helmet Rawlings • www.rawlingsfootball.com 800-RAWLING (800-729-5464) Unique features:

• New for 2012, the NRG Quantum now has a 10 percent reduction in weight • C3 Liner: Customizable inflation liner using PORON® XRD™ foam for superior impact absorption

Circle No. 525

• AIA Liner: Lightweight design of integrated communicating channels to effectively disperse impact force • Heat Exchange: Padding system designed for maximum temperature control by strategically placed pads to create optimal air flow

The GearBoss® family of products is featured on Wenger’s Web site. Innovative, durable GearBoss solutions for athletic facilities and equipment include highdensity storage systems, shelving, team room lockers, and much more. These solutions are developed from discussions with coaches, athletic directors, and equipment managers around the country. Starting with a revolutionary storage system, the GearBoss line has evolved to include other functional, good-looking solutions that tackle the challenges athletic departments face every day, while helping to reinforce and build program pride. The Wenger Web site also features downloadable literature, including a 60page Planning Guide that outlines best practices in athletic equipment facilities. Team room lockers are available in more than 1,000 different configurations—sizes, features and accessories—with either metal or wood construction. Lockers are available in a variety of colors/finishes. Wenger offers expert consultation before the sale, along with superior after-sale service, support, and warranty protection.

www.wengercorp.com

Roll Out Ladder SPRI Products www.spri.com 800-222-7774 Circle No. 530

Unique features:

• Made of heavy duty, durable, non-skid recycled rubber, this new ladder resists bunching-up and stays in place on all types of surfaces. • Quickly unrolls and lies flat, then rolls up for easy storage and portability. Benefits for the user:

• Raise the intensity level of training--developing balance, speed, coordination, and overall quickness with the SPRI Roll Out Ladder. • Generous 16” x 12.5” foot ladder area makes it perfect for all ages and ability levels. 46 Coaching Management Preseason 2012

Comprehensive Synthetic Turf Systems A-Turf, a synthetic turf field builder, sets the standard in the industry by partnering with school districts, universities, and parks to provide premier athletic surfaces designed to deliver consistent playability and superior durability. At aturf.com, find a comprehensive choice of synthetic turf systems, giving you options to match A-Turf to your sports needs and preferences. Visitors can also find field installations and testimonials, an endorsement from NFL Hall of Fame running back Thurman Thomas, a Buffalo Bills installation video, project profiles and images, systems and specifications, and 12year warranty information.

www.aturf.com

CoachesNetwork.com

More Products Flexible Online Program

The 12-month, 30-credit Master of Science in Exercise Science and Health Promotion at California University of Pennsylvania is 100-percent Web based. The flexibility of the online program allows professionals or military personnel, who would be precluded from attending graduate school in the traditional sense, to complete the MS program while still maintaining their full-time positions. Call or go online for more information and a list of degree programs.

California University of Pennsylvania • 866-595-6348 www.calu.edu/go Circle No. 526

When Accuracy is a Must

“Oral, axillary, aural, temporal, and field forehead temperatures were significantly different from rectal temperature and, therefore, are considered invalid for assessing hyperthermia in individuals exercising outdoors in the heat,” wrote Doug Casa in the Journal of Athletic Training in 2007. The CorTemp core body temperature pill reveals vital information necessary for the prevention and treatment of heat-related illness on the field. It has been used in sports for years and is FDA-cleared. CorTemp® - HQ, Inc. • 941-723-4197 www.hqinc.net

Circle No. 537

Structure Solutions

ClearSpan Fabric Structures provides design-build solutions for your athletic and recreational structure needs. Hercules Truss Arch Buildings feature abundant natural light and spacious interiors without support posts for a superior training environment. With minimal foundation requirements, the structures can be permanent or temporary, and are easy to relocate. Made in the USA, they can be built to any length and up to 300 feet wide, and are designed to meet local wind and snow load requirements. ClearSpan Fabric Structures • 866-643-1010 www.clearspan.com

Circle No. 536

Great Value

American Public University offers more than 150 degree and certificate programs in a wide variety of specialties. Whether you are working in a municipal, commercial fitness, school, or military setting, APU offers a flexible and affordable program to fit your lifestyle. APU’s tuition is far less than other top online universities so you can further your education without breaking the bank.

American Public University System • 703-334-3870 www.studyatAPU.com/athletic-mgmt Circle No. 535 CoachesNetwork.com

Company News

All Weather Adhesive

Nordot® outdoor synthetic turf adhesives have high green strength (“grab”) to prevent unwanted movement such as seam opening, curling, bubbles, and wrinkles during installation. Their wide working window means a long open time for bonding in hot or cold weather. Nordot Adhesives are one-part curing urethanes that can be used in any weather—windy, hot, cold, damp, or dry conditions. The photo shows Nordot Adhesive being sprayed onto a permeable elastic layer before a permeable turf is unrolled onto it. Nordot Adhesives have a long history of worldwide success and are used more than any other adhesive for both the total glue-down and seaming of synthetic turf football fields and other sport/recreational surfaces. With their key handling properties such as high green strength, a wide working window for bonding, compatibility with any outdoor working conditions, and a 39-year reputation for successful installations, it’s no wonder professionals choose high green strength Nordot Adhesives for outdoor installations. Synthetic Surfaces Inc. also offers two Nordot adhesives for indoor turf installations, where adhesive odor during installation is unacceptable. Synthetic Surfaces Inc. is a 39-yearold company that specializes in adhesives for installing artificial turf, sports flooring, and other recreational surfaces.

Synthetic Surfaces Inc. PO Box 241 Scotch Plains, NJ 07076-0241 908-233-6803 www.nordot.com info@nordot.com

Coaching Management Preseason 2012 47

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 LEAD R S H I P Talk with struggling teammates organized andE keep everyone in line, literally and teammates: We expect you to figuratively. talk with teammates who might be struggling with their depend you for leadership, pageperformance and leading together as Set the right toneon for or role on the team. It is your guidance, and a unified front, great things can the team: We expect you to support as they job to understand them, support up the to their happen in your program. start practices step off with rightchallenge. They them, challenge them, and figure their coach to create a attitude, focus,rely andon work ethic. out how to get them back on You must also refocus team positivethe and productive environtrack. when practicesment get sloppy, that iscreate conducive to helping a positive momentum going into Handle conflicts: WeStarting may on them lead. competition, and recharge the ask you to get involved with team Provide the Right Foot In other great conflicts team capteam when needed. We words, expect you when they arise. If a Opportunities tains made whensmall both problem roles crops up, we may to be the mental andare emotional catalyst for theofteam. you to find out exactly what is the coach-captain ask equation goingeason and develop a workable are tended to. What can Spending time at the very start Keep coaches informed: solution. While talking about their of the season working with your We expect you ily to occur, keep ushowever, is that one becomes frustrated withteam the activities: responsibilities is important, captains builds the basis for informed aboutside issues that impact Plan the success andother. psyche of the We will ask you to and your captains need conthisplan leadership team. To be on team. We want to know who coordinate various tinual opportunities to make theevents same so page, you need to Somewith coaches’ stem might be in conflict whom,frustrations your teammates can better getwhat to being a team real leadership decisions. talk through a belief that theknow athletes whether playersfrom are accepting each other.captain We willmeans rely on and how to be an It often works well to start of todaysocial don’tlife seem to have the these events and their roles, if anyone’s you to initiate small and build up to more effective one. leadership theysure dideveryone is invited and is getting out ofstrong control, and so skills make complicated tasks. forth. Of course, in we thedon’t past.need I often hear coaches involved. Step number one is to clarify to know every lament, little thing. You’ll “Kids today don’t un- Understand For example, let them your expectations Be loyal: that we of them. Many have to use your discretion to it means to be a derstand what oversee warmups before coaches simply capare putting a tremendous amountsay to their cap decide which issues might a nearly as voleader. Theyhave aren’t practice and make any tains, “You’re our leader. I expect of trust in you. For example, negative impactcal onas thethey team. Be need to be.” Another team announcements. Have to that stepwe up and lead.” But this we may tell you you things careful to respect the trust of your not tell youralone teammates. frequent complaint is,will “They them contact teammates is too In vague to give proper teammates as well. You don’t want return, we expect you to respect willing to stand up and to inform them of scheddirection. to be viewed asaren’t a tattletale. and support confront their teammates when the decisions we ule changes. You can even Rather Provide input on team make for the team. You than may assuming your necessary.” let them lead some praccaptains their du dudecisions: We will ask your disagree with them behindunderstand closed tice drills, or take it a step And captains don’t always ties, as well opinion on a variety of decisions doors,feel but we will expect youas to your philosophy further and let them plan a that will affect they the team. show a united front the team. sit down and have This the necessary guidandtoexpectations, practice from time to time. could include minor decisions also will insist on yourclarify loyaltywhat you need ance or support fromWe their carefully like what gear toAwear that you never badthem. mouth us a job descrip coaches. recent polland I conductIt’s teams also key to solicit your great leaders. from Create descripGreat always include But itwarmup doesn’t happen magically. coaches or where the team to eat. torevealed your teammates. ed ofprefers student-athletes captains’ inputinon team de- roles, providing tionThere of themust eightbeto 10 priorities must invest time explaining opportunities, giving afeedback. Or it could involve more and serious sacred trust between us. that over 60 percent of captains cisions. These can be minor you expect them to handle. (See By Jeff Janssen felt their coaches needed to do a “Job Description” on next page.) Jeff Janssen is director of the Janssen Sports Leadership center, in cary, N.c., better job of working with them. Clarification of their roles and and a former athletic administrator at the University of arizona. This 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 chal chalRather than both sides blaming lenges of leadership. Let your Your team captains the other, they must make the captains know that this new re recan make or 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 think of it as a encounter many gray areas and f that sounds an overstateleadership team.like When coaches bumps along the way, and they ment, thinkare back your and captains onover the same should understand that these coaching career. during your most successful seasons, I bet you had great team leaders. Now consider your most frustrating years. did they include poor leaders?

_____ _____

LeaderShIP

Name: _______________________________________

JOB DESCRIPTION

Leader Of The Pack

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

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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

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