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past the wall
New ideas in preventing burnout PRESeason 2013 | VOL. XXI NO. 5 | $7.00
VOLLEYBALL
Circle No. 100
CONTENTS | VOLLEYBALL Edition | PRESEASON 2013 | Vol. XXI, No. 5
Coaching Management
21
25
LEADERSHIP 21 STRATEGIES FOR
COVER STORY 14 PAST THE WALL With increasing pressure to practice and compete year round, volleyball players can easily hit a wall and get burned out. Coaches offer new ideas on pushing past the roadblocks.
SOCIALIZING
How do you ensure that social media mishaps don’t happen on your team? This author suggests putting proactive policies in place. 3
3
PRESEASON
BULLETIN BOARD
Starting a sand team at the high school level … Kentucky Wildcats partner with their men’s basketball program … Coaching a Rhodes Scholar … New York City coach resigns in protest … Getting to know the business world … Notching 900 wins.
VOLLEYBALL COURT BRACES & SUPPORTS COACHING AIDS MORE PRODUCTS
For every excuse your athletes have to not eat breakfast, there is a simple and effective solution to help them get their day started right.
Q&A 11 CATHY GEORGE A 26-year head coaching veteran, Cathy George led Michigan State University to 25 wins and a huge upset victory in the NCAA Division I tournament last season.
On the cover
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 31 32 33 36
competitive edge 25 PERFECT SETUP
36 PRODUCT LAUNCH 34 ADVERTISERS DIRECTORY
Nebraska’s Hannah Werth hits one past a Northwestern block last fall. Huskers Head Coach John Cook joins our discussion on helping athletes power through burnout in this issue’s cover story, beginning on page 14. cover Photo: Scott Bruhn/Nebraska Media Relations
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Coaching Management PRESEASON 2013 1
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Circle No. 101
BULLETIN BOARD PRESEASON 2013
CONTENTS
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3 Outdoor game expands
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4 Partnering with basketball
Sand Game
Starting a High School Squad When Arizona launched A two-year pilot program for high school sand volleyball in 2011-12, there were several questions to be answered. How many schools would start teams? What would team expenses be? Would rosters replicate the indoor squad? Where would teams practice and compete? In Arizona, Xavier College Prep in Phoenix was one of the five schools that fielded a varsity team for the inaugural season, capturing the state crown by defeating Fountain Hills High School 5-0 in the finals. Head Coach Matt Rogers is excited about season two, when eight schools will be participating, and relays some answers to the above questions, as well as what it takes to get a program up and running. The impetus to start the sand team at Xavier Prep came from the school’s athletic director. “Our administration prides itself on providing new athletic opportunities to girls,” says Rogers, who is an Assistant Coach on the school’s indoor squad. “In August of 2011, our Athletic
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4 Donning a
business suit
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6 Coach quits in protest
Director asked me and Indoor Head Coach Tim McHale how we’d feel about starting a sand program. We were so excited, we must have jumped 20 feet in the air.” The caveat was that the team would need to function with only a small amount of funding from the school. Rogers and McHale responded by volunteering to coach for one dollar each. They also decided to switch roles. “Coach McHale knew how much passion I have for the sport, and told me that he wanted me to pass that on to the girls,” Rogers says. “So even though we both had experience playing the sand game, I became Head Coach and he became Assistant Coach for the sand team.” To find facilities, they turned to the community. “The businesses here went above and beyond what I expected,” Rogers says. “A local sporting complex made their courts available for any high school to practice on, and then we secured our very own sand court, which was donated by the Phoenix Swim Club.” The court was in bad shape, however, with debris-filled sand, no lines, and rusted, unpainted poles. So Rogers called Epic Landscaping, a local company, to see what could be done. “Epic offered to re-
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8 Rhodes Scholar on the squad
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10 Co-coaches
win No. 900
grade the court at no cost,” he says. “They also donated 60 tons of sand.” After Epic completed its work, Xavier coaches and team members spent a few hours laying down new lines and repainting the net poles. The school and players’ parents purchased uniforms. “Other than buying balls, the team didn’t have any costs,” Rogers says. Coaching the squad started with tryouts, which yielded a strong turnout, but not all of Xavier’s top players from the fall. “Most of our sand players weren’t varsity indoor players, but freshmen and sophomores from the j.v. and club teams,” Rogers says. “One girl who came out didn’t even play indoor, but had played sand on her own for years. It was surprising to see.” From there, Rogers had to decide which players would be teamed together on the court. “I wanted the girls paired up based on chemistry rather than talent,” he says. “We had them play with a different partner each day in practice so I could evaluate how they worked together. “It was interesting to see which girls clicked,” Rogers continues. “For example, we matched up one of our most talented seniors with a freshman who respected her. The senior’s dedication and work ethic pushed the freshman even harder to improve.” Rogers also helped his squad adjust to the challenges of the sand game. “In indoor, you have a lot of specialized positions, and players can excel with a limited skill set,” he says. “But to play sand well, the girls needed a great all-around game. “For example, one of our freshman indoor club players was strong offensively,” Rogers continues. “But she wasn’t as skilled at defense or passing. So she focused on those skills at sand practice, and midway through the season, she had improved greatly in both areas.” The Xavier players enjoyed the sand game so much that several of them have decided to play it exclusively in 2012-13. “It’s tough losing indoor players, but I want girls to play the sport they are passionate about,” Rogers says. “Sand can Athletes at Xavier College Prep practice in preparation for the second season of high school sand volleyball in Arizona. The squad secured a court through various community donations and parents paid for uniforms.
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Coaching Management PRESEASON 2013 3
BULLETIN BOARD open doors at the college level, and if coaches want the sport to grow, it’s crucial that we encourage girls to try both and decide which fits best for them.” Despite his team’s success, Rogers admits sand volleyball has a ways to go at the high school level. “I think this is the next big sport for women,” he says. “But for that to happen, high school coaches need to do a better job explaining to their athletic directors that this game will be popular, and then help girls develop in the sport.” Promotions
Before the Madness Attracting new volleyball fans can be a challenge. So when University of Kentucky Head Coach Craig Skinner saw that his team was scheduled for a home match on Oct. 12, the same evening as the men’s basketball squad’s “Big Blue Madness,” he decided to try partnering with the defending national champions to boost his program’s exposure. With the basketball event starting at 7:30 p.m. at Rupp Arena, Skinner asked if his team’s contest vs. Mississippi State University could be moved from an on-campus site to Rupp and start a few hours prior to the madness. “We’d been talking about having a volleyball match in Rupp Arena for a couple of years,” says Skinner. “Doing that on the same night the Madness was happen-
“Fortunately, the men’s and women’s basketball coaches here at Kentucky are more than willing to coexist with our program,” says Skinner. “We have a great relationship, and we often share space, gyms, and events. Everyone is willing to help cross-promote programs, and there’s no reason why it shouldn’t be that way everywhere—you’re all wearing the same name on your jerseys.” While the change in venue was a boost for the program in terms of spectators, it had some drawbacks competitively. Kentucky won the match handily (25-18, 25-18, 25-18), but UK players had some adjusting to do. “Really, it was like a neutral court match,” says Skinner. “The air vents blow a little bit harder there, so the ball was floating a lot. It was definitely a challenge for our servers and passers.” That factor, however, won’t stop Skinner’s team from replicating the idea in coming years. “In the future, I would try to start the match as close as possible to the midnight madness event,” Skinner says. “I think more people will be inclined to show up if it’s held later in the evening. But whether it brings in 1,000 fans or only 100, it’s worth the effort. It fosters your program’s development and a following for it.” Life Lessons
Partnering with the men’s basketball team, the University of Kentucky played a match in historic Rupp Arena this past fall on the same night as “Big Blue Madness.”
Bump, Set, Boardroom Volleyball coaches don’t typically hang out in the offices of a financial planning corporation. But Leanna Taylor, Head Coach at Queens College, did just that for a full day when she visited Alliance Bernstein, a firm that manages investment portfolios, with senior outside hitter Suzanne Byrne. The goal of the visit was twofold: to promote the Queens College brand and to introduce Byrne to the business world. The impetus came from the school’s athletic director, who holds each coach responsible for doing something to prepare student-athletes for their professional lives. A past acquaintance and a scheduling coincidence led Taylor to Alliance Bernstein. “Before I got the position at Queens, I coached in Tampa, and I had connections with an Alliance Bernstein representative there,” she says. “He happened to be at the New York branch in August and invited one of my studentathletes and I to visit their office.” Byrne was chosen to accompany Taylor because of her aspirations to enter the corporate world after graduation. Player and coach spent the day both talking and listening.
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CHET WHITE/UK athletics
4 Coaching Management PRESEASON 2013
ing just made sense. I talked to Head Men’s Basketball Coach John Calipari and a couple of our administrators. Everyone was excited about the idea, so we made it happen. “Having it in Rupp gave us the chance to expose our team to fans who may not have been to one of our matches at Memorial Coliseum where we usually play,” he continues. “It was a great way to showcase our program to people who may not see the sport regularly. And it gave the volleyball season ticket holders a chance to attend a basketball game, which they may not do often.” Promoting the match was a group effort, spearheaded by the school’s marketing and media relations departments. “They did a great job of getting word out to the public,” Skinner says. “They publicized it to the local newspapers and television stations. Then we also used social media, focusing on Facebook and Twitter.” Held at 5:00 p.m., the match drew more than 5,000 attendees—a record for Skinner’s program. Only those people with Big Blue Madness tickets were allowed to attend, but volleyball season ticket holders could contact the UK Ticket Office to receive a replacement ticket for the match.
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BULLETIN BOARD Speaking Out
Coach Resigns in Protest
“We were mostly in the personal finance wing of the company, learning about Alliance Bernstein and meeting with recruiters to promote our student-athletes,” says Taylor. “Suzanne was our living testament to the kind of student produced by our institution. Hopefully, our visit sparked the recruiters’ interest, and Queens College will stick in their minds when they come across one of our graduates’ resumes.” Taylor also feels that Byrne learned a lot about how her athletic experiences will help her after graduation. “Time management, multitasking, communication, trust, and reliability are all skills developed by student-athletes,” she says. “We expect our kids to understand how that translates to their success. “For example, we tell them constantly that they represent the Queens College brand,” Taylor continues. “When they walk into a gym with the school’s name on their backs, it has to mean something, both to them and the people watching. The trip was exciting for me because I felt like the traits I’ve been instilling in my student-athletes all along are what recruiters are looking for.” Although being on the 40th floor of Alliance Bernstein’s midtown Manhattan offices might have been a new experience for Taylor, exposing her athletes to the professional world was not. When she 6 Coaching Management PRESEASON 2013
At Queens College, outside hitter Suzanne Byrne (above) and Head Coach Leanna Taylor began the 2012 preseason with a unique off-campus experience—a visit to a firm that manages investment portfolios.
was head coach at H.B. Plant High School in Tampa, Fla., she frequently took her team to observe everything from orthopedic surgeons to nonprofit charities. Individuals from both the New York Yankees and Mets organizations have come to speak with her student-athletes at Queens. Taylor ensures her student-athletes are always prepared for visits like this, encouraging them to do research and bring a list of questions. This aspect of Taylor’s personality hints at her other role on the Queens campus—that of the Academic and Student Support Services Coordinator. After visiting with the Alliance Bernstein recruiters and learning what they were looking for in future employees, Taylor was relieved to hear she’s been doing all the right things to ready Queens graduates for a career after college. “I’m only in my second year at Queens, so I’m still pretty new, and sometimes I worry if I’m doing enough,” she says. “But from this visit, I learned that we’re definitely grooming our students to be productive members of society.”
Jeremy BasSie feels high school volleyball in New York City is getting short-changed. He believes its governing body, the Public Schools Athletic League (PSAL), schedules matches in an ineffective manner and is not open to coaches’ suggestions. So after serving as Head Coach for the Bronx High School for Science girls’ team for five years (and the boys’ team for six years), he resigned abruptly—one week before his squad was to play for the city championship—to bring attention to the problem. He’s received both criticism and praise for his decision, and his closest allies have been other volleyball coaches who share his concerns. BasSie’s biggest grievance centers on team classifications, which he feels has led to unequal competition. Since 2007, the girls’ teams have been grouped according to borough, with squads in each borough split into A and B divisions at random. During the regular season, teams compete against schools in their division, and only face teams from other boroughs during the postseason. According to BasSie, the system was effective when it was first implemented, but the league has not adjusted classifications over the years to factor in talent levels or enrollment figures. As a result, many matches are no longer competitive. For example, prior to the city championship match, Bronx Science hadn’t lost a set all season, and they frequently won sets by scores of 25-5. Meanwhile, the lastplace team in their division only took two sets this fall and had their second winless season in three years. Splitting the 120 girls’ teams into AA, A, and B divisions—and the 90 boys’ teams into A and B—BasSie argues, would help make competition more balanced. During his time as PSAL boys’ volleyball commissioner in 2010-11, BasSie created a schedule to classify teams in this way. “All of my divisions had a greater balance of power, the distance between the schools was shorter, and the school enrollments were similar,” he says. “However, when I presented my schedule to the sports coordinator, she declined to consider it.” In addition to the majority of regular season matches not being challenging enough for his athletes, BasSie thinks they are too short. PSAL teams play two out of three sets, instead of the best out of five format recommended by the NFHS and followed by the public leagues on Long Island, as well as the private and Catholic school leagues in New York City. “Imagine a high school basketball CoachesNetwork.com
Circle No. 103
QUESTIONS
3
For most coaches, once you’ve worked with a team for even a short period of time, every athlete becomes special. Whether it’s their work ethic, leadership, or sense of humor, the unique qualities of each one shines through. Sometimes, though, you are handed a student-athlete who is special on a whole other level. That was the case for Corey Helle,
Head Coach at Wofford College, who has coached Rachel
Woodlee for the past four years. This fall, Woodlee was one of 32 college students nationwide to earn a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship, which provides full financial support for its recipients to study at the University of Oxford. Selection is based on academic achievements, character, potential for leadership, and commitment to others.
Coaching a Rhodes Scholar On the volleyball floor, Woodlee started 20 matches this year for Wofford and was third on the team with 289.5 points. Academically, she is a Phi Beta Kappa member double-majoring in Business Economics and Chinese. As part of her studies, she has lived abroad in both China and India. She is the first female Wofford student to be selected for a Rhodes Scholarship and plans to attend law school upon returning from Oxford. We asked Helle, who is retiring this year, what it is like to coach such an accomplished student-athlete. What did Rachel Woodlee bring to the team that was different from other student-athletes? I would say, “What didn’t she bring?” since Rachel brought a lot to the table. She came into the program with a great skill set and enthusiasm—she genuinely loves life and that carries over to volleyball. She’s an extrovert, so she also brought a lot of communication to the floor and team meetings. Plus, anyone who wins a Rhodes scholarship has to be competitive and Rachel is “uber” competitive, even in drills. But she was also fully invested in teamwork from day one—she bought into doing whatever the team needed, even if it was throwing away water cups that were left on the bench. She was not above doing those tasks. In short, Rachel has been a great servant leader for the team. How did you recruit her to play at Wofford? I have known Rachel from a coaching aspect since she was about 14. She played in our local juniors’ program and I got to know
Majoring in business economics and Chinese, Rachel Woodlee was one of 32 college seniors to be chosen for a Rhodes Scholarship this year.
8 Coaching Management PRESEASON 2013
her there. Even then, everyone could tell that she was really special. Wofford is rigorous academically, and Rachel was at the top of her class, so it was just a great fit in every way. Part of the recruiting process was telling COREY HELLE her I would support her dreams, both on and off the floor. I knew she could become a really good volleyball player and would fully commit to working on any weaknesses she had. But I also knew that I would do her a disservice if I tried to keep her in the gym for four years. I would also be doing a disservice to the future generation, which I am sure she will lead. So I let her know that I would do everything I could to help her prepare for the future, and then I followed through on it. I supported her study abroad trips and internships, and then enjoyed seeing how she had grown when she came back. Some coaches disagree, but I believe it’s important to encourage your student-athletes to develop their passions outside of volleyball. At Wofford, my studentathletes have always come back from those pursuits as stronger, more mature players. How have teammates responded to Woodlee’s accomplishments? In today’s culture, it seems like someone who has so many things going for her—she’s smart, funny, athletic, tall, and pretty—would make others jealous. But that has never happened. Rachel shines so brightly that she warms the whole room up, as opposed to isolating herself in her accomplishments. She’s also very humble and likeable. Her ability to deflect attention from herself and include her teammates has been amazing. I’m better for having known her, rather than the other way around.
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BULLETIN BOARD Nov. 20 as the date the whole week prior to the final,” says BasSie. “Any common sense interpretation of this is: the date will still be Nov. 20, but they are getting a different site. That would have been fine with me.” BasSie resigned the same day the postponement was announced, but stayed to coach his girls’ squad in the league championship. “I needed to act at a time when the media cared about volleyball and when my team was winning,” he says. “I came to understand there was no way change could be enacted from within, and I realized my best option was to publicly embarrass the PSAL by shining a light on their negligence of the sport. I decided to act prior to the city championship, hoping newspapers might write about the event.” Several did, including the New York Daily News, where reader comments chastised BasSie for not being more sensitive to Hurricane Sandy victims. However, comments in the Riverdale Press supported BasSie’s complaints and urged the PSAL to re-evaluate its scheduling. The PSAL has declined to comment for this article. BasSie looked for other coaching positions in the months following his res-
game with five minute quarters. That’s what best out of three feels like—it’s not real volleyball,” BasSie says. “Matches sometimes end in 40 minutes or less.” Issues with finding and affording officials are why BasSie claims the matches are shorter, and the reason the league frequently schedules four games at one gym. “The PSAL is one of the only leagues to play double matches,” he says. “The match between two neutral teams takes place at 4:30 p.m. and the match between the home team and a visiting team starts an hour later. There is unnecessary travel and teams lose a chance to play in front of their fan base.” The last straw for BasSie was the PSAL’s decision to reschedule this fall’s girls’ championship game. The match was originally slated for Nov. 20 at York College, but it was postponed 30 hours before the first serve because the venue was still being used as a shelter for Hurricane Sandy victims. Although the game was ultimately rescheduled for Nov. 27, this marked the third time in the past four years that there was a last-minute scheduling conflict with the girls’ final. “The PSAL Web site had TBA for the competition site but listed
ignation, eventually taking the job of Head Boys’ Coach at Christopher Columbus High School in the Bronx, which is also a member of the PSAL. Why would he return to the league?
BasSie’s biggest grievance centers on team classifications, which he feels has led to unequal competition ... Prior to the city championship, Bronx Science hadn’t lost a set all season, and they frequently won sets by scores of 25-5. “I chose Columbus because the program is under the radar,” BasSie says. “It’s somewhere I can coach without having to worry about the macro issues of the sport. Plus, my colleagues have showed me a lot of support. We’re going to form an association to handle matters that I was previously acting on by myself.”
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Coaching Management PRESEASON 2013 9
BULLETIN BOARD Coaching Success
Notching 900
Twin sisters Tippy and Patty Browning have had lots to celebrate during the course of their 45-year careers as Co-Head Coaches at Lamesa (Texas) High School. The Tornadoes have qualified for the playoffs 24 times in the last 27 seasons and won the 4A state title in 1986. On Aug. 24, the Browning sisters reached a new milestone when they won their 900th career game, a total reached by only two other volleyball coaches in Texas history. How have they managed to share the duties and be successful for so long? The key to the unique system, Patty says, is rooted in their comfort level with each other. “We’ve been together our whole lives,” she says. “So a lot of times, if we disagree over something, it’s easy to resolve it with a quick conversation. It’s important, however, that we never have a disagreement in front of the players. That would undermine the confidence they have in us.” The Brownings’ longstanding success on the court starts with setting big goals for the squad every year. “You have to expect your players to overachieve,” Tippy says. “If you do that, you’re going to push them to perform better. “At the same time, however, you need to be patient with them,” she continues. “I think a lot of coaches, especially those who coach high school teams right after playing in college, forget how they
Management PRESEASON 2013 10 Coaching Management
played when they were in high school and as a result, don’t allow time for players to develop. That hurts their chances of getting their athletes to commit fully.” The Lamesa coaches also boost commitment from players by displaying past and present achievements. Since their arrival at the school, the Brownings have covered the walls of the team’s weightroom with photos of current and former players, newspaper clippings, and handmade posters telling the story of Lamesa volleyball. “When we started coaching, it was difficult to get pictures taken of girls’ teams,” Tippy says. “So we did it ourselves. Now, when we show the room to new players, they see their teammates on the walls, and can picture themselves up there as well. It makes them want to be a part of the program, and it’s a huge motivator.” Honoring tradition also helps the Brownings establish a family atmosphere in the program, which extends over generations. “It means a lot to us to coach the children of former players, or have former players work the lines for us,” Patty says. “To see the level of trust and comfort those players have in the program is special.” While alumnae are a constant presence, the co-coaches make sure to keep their program from falling into old patterns by staying up-to-date on the latest techniques. “We don’t go to many coaching clinics because they’re often taught by college coaches who are dealing with a different set of circumstances than we
are,” Tippy says. “Instead, we talk to high school coaches before matches or over the phone. We’ve found that they’re a great resource and very open to sharing ideas.” But, more often than not, the Browning sisters have found their best resource to be each other. “Just being able to have a second set of eyes watching the court is fantastic,” Tippy says. “There are times when I won’t notice something and Patty will jump in and correct it, and vice versa. Having someone who thinks like you to bounce ideas off of is very beneficial as well.” After 45 years and more than 900 victories, Patty and Tippy have no plans to leave Lamesa. “We’ve bought into this community,” Tippy says. “That’s the key to fostering longevity in one place. You’ve got to find ways to connect with the town. For example, we both work on the middle school and high school yearbook staffs, and that’s a joy. I think we’d continue that after we’ve stopped coaching.” Just don’t look for that to happen anytime soon. “We’re both happiest when we’re on the court,” Patty says. “And we’re going to continue coaching until that’s no longer the case.”
Co-Head Coaches Tippy and Patty Browning (back row center, left and right) pose with their Lamesa (Texas) High School players after their 900th win. Secrets to their success include a family atmosphere on the team.
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Q&A
Success at every stop
Freshman Halle Peterson was one of two setters Michigan State used last fall after switching to a 6-2 rotation.
Q&A with Cathy George | Michigan State university
Despite compiling more than 500 career victories and making 10 trips to the NCAA tournament, Michigan State University Head Coach Cathy George jokes that her success is due to “coaching for a long time.” A 26-year veteran, George has won at every stop of her career, and most recently led the Spartans to the Sweet 16 of the 2012 NCAA Division I Tournament after shocking defending national champion UCLA on its home court in the second round. George’s head coaching career began at North Dakota State University in 1987. CoachesNetwork.com
The Bison went 44-8 that season, and made it to the regional semifinals of the NCAA Division II Tournament. The next year, the team went 43-3, and George was named D-II National Coach of the Year. In 1989, George took over at the University of Texas-Arlington and that season became the first woman to coach in the NCAA Division I Final Four. Her next stop was Western Michigan University, where she won nearly 200 matches, including 25 in both 1999 and 2000. George was hired by Michigan State in December of 2004 and has won 146 matches, including 47 over the last two seasons. In 2012, the Spartans won 25 matches, their most since 1996. In this interview, George talks about the Spar-
tans’ 2012 postseason run, implementing a 6-2 offense, balancing work and family, and how she keeps MSU ranked in the top 25 in attendance every year. CM: How were you able to upset UCLA on its home floor during the 2012 NCAA Tournament?
George: My coaching philosophy and our overall philosophy is that as a team, we’re the sum of our parts, and we draw on our strength as a unit. The squad doesn’t get frustrated when things don’t break their way. Instead, players have confidence in their abilities and their teammates and that pushes them through. In the UCLA match, we were trailing in the second game, but we stressed to the players that if they held together and chipped away, we could get back into it. We felt we’d been overlooked Coaching Management PRESEASON 2013 11
Q&A at times this year, but we play the underdog role well, and we came through. How did you get your team to peak at the right time?
Our mindset was that we needed to improve a little bit each night. After each match, the staff tried to find some area we could improve in and brought that into practice the next day. We also reminded the team that the success we were trying to achieve was a continuous process. So rather than get sidetracked when something negative happened, we used it as a way to move in the right direction. What has been the key to your longterm success?
Staying the course in tough times is the biggest thing. I think about this every time I’m at the national convention. I talk to other coaches, and everyone’s always a little dissatisfied with how their season went, because only the teams that win national
What are the keys to making it work?
Our two setters have a selflessness and team-centered attitude that’s crucial to our success. A lot of setters wouldn’t like our system because they wouldn’t get the stats that someone in a 5-1 would. Kristen Kelsay, our team captain, knew that bringing in another setter like freshman Halle Peterson might not be in her best interest statistically, but she has bought into our team philosophy and welcomed it. Also, the system worked well because both players are similar in terms of how they set the ball. That’s made it much easier on our hitters—they don’t have to adjust to a different delivery from two different setters. Why have women struggled to break into coaching at the college level, especially NCAA Division I?
I think the biggest roadblock is trying to balance being a mother with our coaching duties. Coaching is very time demanding, and I know a lot of women who have gotten out of the profession for that reason. All coaches balance work-life issues, but I think “Finding the level that works female coaches are expected to still do things for their children, best for you is more imporlike make their lunches, that tant than shooting for the male coaches aren’t. When I first started at Westhighest level. I don’t think ern Michigan, I wasn’t sure if Division I is for everyone, and I could balance everything. I felt like I was being pulled in I don’t think everyone is cut a million different directions, out to be a head coach.” and I wondered if I was giving up the needs of my kids and not being there for them. I had championships accomplish their ultimate a lot of responsibilities and I didn’t think I goal. But you have believe in yourself and was fulfilling any of them well enough. But one day, when my husband and I your philosophy, because when you need to rebuild or change things, you’re not always were talking about it, my kids overheard going to see the results you want right away. us. They ran into the room and told me You’re going to wonder what you’re doing they loved that I was a college coach and wrong. It’s important that you don’t give up. wanted me to keep doing it. In a way, it was I’ve been coaching 26 years, and while I can’t a pump-up speech that freed me and gave pinpoint one incident, I’ve had a handful of me the validation I needed to continue. My tough times, and I’ve learned and improved kids understood the realities of my career, and they weren’t going to be upset if I had to from each of them. miss certain things Overall, while there are Why did you run a 6-2 offense this past challenges, there’s no reason women can’t be successful at the college level. season? Following the 2011 season, the coaching staff wondered how we were going to How have you integrated your family define our team and set ourselves apart from and career? My kids love that we’re a part of the the competition in the upcoming year. We thought that if we ran a more traditional 5-1 Michigan State athletic department. They’ve offense, we’d be sitting good players, so we gone to the Final Four to watch the men’s went with a 6-2 instead. It was a big change, basketball team and to the Capital One but coaches need to evaluate their team each Bowl. If you want to coach at the colyear and decide the best way to get points lege level, don’t just look at the potential drawbacks for family life. Understand and from them. 12 Coaching Management PRESEASON 2013
emphasize that there are benefits for your family as well. What advice do you give coaches who want to be an NCAA Division I Head Coach?
It’s actually the same advice I give to high school players who want to play D-I: Finding the level that works best for you is more important than shooting for the highest level there is. I don’t think Division I is for everyone, and I don’t think everyone is cut out to be a head coach. But you can be just as valuable to the profession if you’re a D-I assistant coach or a head coach at a lower-level school. You have to decide what’s important to you and your family and find the best fit for you based on that. What’s the biggest issue in college volleyball right now?
Attendance at matches. I want this sport to continue to grow, but in order for that to happen, we need people in the stands. I think every college has a responsibility to get fans to its games. Volleyball has one of the highest participation rates in the country, and there are a lot of people excited about it, but they need to see it played at the top levels if they’re going to become fans. How have you been able to get big crowds at your matches?
Community involvement is key. A few years ago, we started a program for kids who come to our matches, and that’s been a huge success. Before every home match, we set up a side court where former players and team managers teach children basic volleyball skills. That side court is the first thing you see when you enter our arena, and parents get a kick out of being able to watch their kids learn the game. It really creates the type of family atmosphere we want here. Additionally, last summer our team captains worked with local schools during physical education field days and with several YMCA summer groups. This was something they did on their own, without being asked by the department. I think it means a lot to community members to see that commitment, and they show their appreciation by coming to our matches. What are your career goals?
Obviously, my goal is to win the national championship, but that’s more for my players than for myself. I want them to strive to succeed at that level, and that’s what I push them to do. Personally, even though coaching at this level is a challenge, I love going to work every day, and I’m already looking forward to next season. CM CoachesNetwork.com
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WALL With pressure to practice and compete year-round, volleyball players can easily hit a wall and get burned out. Coaches offer new ideas on pushing past that wall. | By Mary Kate Murphy
COVER STORY
As the Head Coach at the University of Nebraska, John Cook continually works with and mentors elite players. Some of these athletes have hoisted national championship trophies alongside him or won National Player of the Year Awards under his tutelage. But others didn’t make it that far. In his 13 years at Nebraska, he’s had two players—one of whom was an All-American—walk away from the sport after their sophomore seasons. “They were just done with volleyball,” Cook says. “They were burned out, and they’d had enough. Any passion or motivation for the game was gone. Our coaching staff tried to convince both athletes to stay, but that’s not something you can talk somebody out of.” These former players were in the back of his mind as Cook watched his daughter grow up with an affinity for the sport he’d spent his life coaching. He didn’t want her tiring of volleyball by the time she reached college, but he also knew that she wanted to play. His solution? “I made her participate in other sports besides volleyball,” Cook says. “She played basketball for a while but quit because it got too rough. I said, ‘Okay, but you have to try something else then.’ She chose track and continued with that all through high school.” Cook’s strategy paid off. After a stellar high school career, his daughter recently wrapped up her senior season as a setter for the Cornhuskers and a first-team All-American selection. With an eight to nine month club season making volleyball a year-round sport and the
University of Nebraska outside hitter Hannah Werth hits a spike past Northwestern University defenders during a match last fall. Huskers Head Coach John Cook has implemented a thorough plan to help his student-athletes maintain their love for the game.
level of competition continually becoming more intense, Cook’s fears for his daughter are increasingly being shared by others. The pressure and constant play has caused athletes at all levels to think about putting their kneepads away for good, and coaches are looking for new solutions to the problem. In this article, we talk to high school and college coaches about how they keep their players from getting burned out while still pushing for improved play. They share their thoughts on the club scene, tips for prevention, and advice on how to handle a player who is ready to give up the game. ROOT CAUSES
There is an ongoing debate in the volleyball community about specialization’s role in causing burnout. Some coaches feel
is often needed to develop today’s players. “Because the game involves so much and has become so intense, it is difficult for three-sport athletes to remain three-sport athletes,” says Lisa Martinez, Head Coach at Hinsdale South High School in Darien, Ill. “Club is helpful, because going up against elite competition keeps players on their toes,” says Craig Kolek, Head Coach at Rivier University. “Ideally, it shouldn’t be too much for an athlete since those teams are only supposed to practice once or twice a week.” The root of the problem may be the length of the club schedule. “There’s little break for the athletes between high school and club,” Martinez says. “Travel teams usually have two or three tournaments a month until July. That leaves a month until high school starts again, but if an athlete wants to
“That way, their bodies can get some rest.” Cook has been an active and outspoken supporter of changing the club scene in Nebraska. “The model needs to include more training and practicing, with less travel,” he says. “Kids just want to play, and they don’t have to go to Baltimore, Florida, or Las Vegas to do so. When you have 12-year-old kids playing in national championships all over the country, by the time they get to be a senior in high school, they think, ‘What else is there to do?’ There’s nothing for them to look forward to. “You can also have a shorter season without sacrificing success,” Cook continues. “In Nebraska, our club seasons don’t begin until after winter sports are over. Nebraskan club teams win national championships all the time, so we’ve proved that these kids can
“Sometimes we warm up with volleyball tennis or tag instead of laps. Or we turn on music during drills to lighten the mood. And we always spend one Saturday a season doing something as a team. This year we went to a place called Extreme Trampoline, where we had lunch and bounced around together.”
Lisa Martinez, Hinsdale South High School, Darien, Ill.
that when young women play volleyball exclusively, their passion for digs, sets, and spikes loses its luster. “We have seen a lot of players who have lost their love for the game by the time they get to us, because they view it as a job or obligation,” says Jill Stephens, Head Coach at Florida Southern College. “I think it is good when girls are exposed to the sport at a young age, but I don’t think they should focus on just volleyball or play it at such a highly competitive level for a long period of time. We want our athletes to love the game, because they are typically more successful when they do.” For example, a freshman on Stephens’s squad was named Rookie of the Year for the Sunshine State Conference despite never playing club volleyball and enjoying a threesport high school career. Cook has had similar success with multi-sport athletes and believes volleyball specialization caused the burnout that led to his two players quitting. “We’ve had three National Player of the Year winners during my time here, more than any other program during that period,” he says. “All three were multi-sport athletes who didn’t play volleyball full-time until they got to Nebraska. I think they’re proof that an athlete can play several sports in high school and still be a successful collegiate volleyball player.” The flip side is that year-round volleyball 16 Coaching Management PRESEASON 2013
play in college, she spends that time at as many camps as possible. It just becomes wearing. “It changes their passion for the game,” she continues. “And it frequently leads to burnout.” The commitment can also prevent an athlete from trying new activities. “I think it’s problematic when I hear kids say, ‘I’m not going to play basketball because I want to play club and my club coach won’t let me do both,’” Kolek says. “Coaches should be doing what’s best for their players, and that’s letting them do the things they want to do. Teenagers need time to be teenagers.” After coaching her daughter’s travel team for many years, Debbie Gibson, Head Coach at Montesano (Wash.) High School, has mixed emotions about the club circuit. “The girls around here start playing club at age 11,” she says. “I remember our first tournament when my daughter was that age— we had to play 11 sets and some of our kids starting crying halfway through the day because they didn’t want to play anymore. But it is a double-edged sword, because if we don’t start young, we can’t compete later when athletes are trying to get noticed by college coaches.” “I love travel volleyball, but I think there should be a limit on how many tournaments athletes can play in and a required time off, like a dead period,” says Stephens.
play other sports and still be successful in elite volleyball.” Dave Shoji, Head Coach at the University of Hawai’i, is working to change things in his state, too. “I’ve tried to get the local club teams to give their players some down time, and a lot have,” he says. “There has to be a break, because you can’t practice from November to July and not have it impact the athletes.” ADDING IN FUN
While changes to the system itself are key, coaches can also help their players on the micro level. Ideas to ward off burnout include varying workouts, teaching athletes about recovery and balance, and having a little fun now and then. Martinez likes to dedicate Fridays to intra-squad scrimmages to refresh players after a series of vigorous practices. “We do a lot of contests at the end of the week, which gives the athletes a chance to compete, but they also have fun playing against teammates,” she says. “And we have silly consequences for losing, like making bear crawls the losing teams’ conditioning for the day.” To keep his athletes energized, Shoji shortens his practices as the season goes on MARY KATE MURPHY is an Assistant Editor at Coaching Management. She can be reached at: mkmurphy@ MomentumMedia.com.
CoachesNetwork.com
COVER STORY
and gets them out of the gym during the off-season. “Early on, we’ll practice for two to three hours a day, but by the end, it’s two hours maximum,” he says. “And later in the season, I might give my team two days off a week instead of one, just so they have another day to recover. “After the season, we do a lot of crosstraining to get athletes out of their normal routines,” Shoji continues. “We play beach volleyball, and we’ve recently added canoeing, surfing, and stand-up paddling. The players have fun, and it’s something new and different.” Cook and his staff have an extensive plan to prevent burnout. “We try to keep their minds and bodies fresh because the two go together,” he says. “From the beginning, we teach them the importance of recovery, and that recovery does not mean you go party for two days. It means you’re doing things to heal. It could include getting a massage, going to a movie, or something as simple as not thinking about volleyball for a few hours. “At the beginning of the season we actually teach our freshmen how to juggle—to mimic all the things they have to balance as a collegiate student-athlete,” Cook continues. “We write “relationships,” “school,” “family,” and “expectations” on tennis balls and show that when one aspect of their personal life gets out of balance, they can no longer juggle everything else.” Kolek pays specific attention to his athletes’ academic calendars so he’s aware of when they’re facing a particularly stressful week. “We try to communicate a lot about their classes so we know if they’re starting to fall behind,” he says. “There comes a time during every semester when they hit a wall. At that point, instead of having practice, we might tell our student-athletes to go study or catch up on homework. I think being able to communicate about what’s going on outside of volleyball is a huge plus for limiting burnout.” Workout variation and off-the-court balance are important for preventing burnout, but a third element is crucial for an athlete’s longevity in volleyball: “They have to have fun playing it,” says Kolek. “It’s a fun sport, so you need to make sure it’s still enjoyable.” Martinez says even small changes can make a big difference. “Sometimes we warm up with volleyball tennis or tag instead of laps,” she says. “Or we turn on music during drills to lighten the mood. “And we always spend one Saturday a season doing something as a team,” Martinez continues. “This year we went to a place called Extreme Trampoline—which I convinced myself was good for their verticals— CoachesNetwork.com
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Circle No. 106
where we had lunch and bounced around together. We usually go right before the postseason when there is a lot of pressure on the team to win. Instead of worrying about their playoff match in a few days, they can just have fun.” Gibson agrees that getting the team together outside the gym can both prevent burnout and serve as a bonding activity. “We do a team night every week where we get together for dinner at an athlete’s house, and they make shirts or bows for upcoming games,” she says. “Right before district playoffs, we spend a day playing games based on reality shows like ‘The Amazing Race’ and ‘Survivor’ to keep them from getting stressed out.” Kolek takes advantage of the necessary travel that comes with college athletics as a way to do fun things with his team. “The away trips really help prevent burnout because it gets the athletes out of their home environment to somewhere they haven’t been before,” he says. “We also try to incorporate an activity like bowling to make the trips more enjoyable.” PERFORMING TRIAGE
Sometimes the above ideas aren’t enough. So what should coaches do when they think an athlete is experiencing burnout? Or worse,
when an athlete says she doesn’t want to play anymore? It’s important to act in the best interest of the player when finding a solution. Kolek and his staff at Rivier utilize the resources of the university. “The athletic department works closely with our campus’s counseling center, so we have the athlete talk to someone there,” he says. “I think it’s really helpful for our players to communicate with somebody who’s not connected to the sport. Second, if they need days off, we allow that. We tell them, ‘You’re a student and an athlete, so go be a student for a while. Enjoy college. Let’s talk in a week to see how you’re doing.’” Martinez dealt with burnout in one of her rising juniors last summer when the athlete stopped attending workouts. After the girl’s teammates revealed they had doubts about her return, Martinez called the player and scheduled a meeting to address the issue. “She was intimidated when she came in, because I think she expected me to yell at her,” says Martinez. “But I really just wanted to figure out where she was mentally and what she was feeling. She admitted to being afraid of failing as our only junior starter, and that she was burned out from playing so much during the off-season. So I decided to let her have time away from the sport to think about what she wanted to do.
“She ended up returning and about three weeks into the season we sat down and talked. She said, ‘I’m so happy I came back! I couldn’t imagine what I’d be doing right now if I didn’t,’” Martinez continues. “She had a great season, and she’s excited to lead the team next year as a senior.” A few weeks off may cure some athletes’ burnout, but others might need more time. Several of Gibson’s players have skipped a full season of volleyball, which has yielded mixed results. “One athlete came back for her junior year after taking her sophomore season off, and she has become a better player because of it,” she says. “A few years ago, two of my players missed their junior seasons and returned as seniors. The athletes enjoyed the time off because it allowed them to put their season away, but I think they regretted the choice after seeing how much their teammates had improved over that year.” ON THE SIDELINES
In making sure players don’t succumb to burnout, it is easy to forget that you can get worn down coaching as well. Volleyball all the time isn’t healthy for anyone, and that includes coaches. Martinez has experienced this first-hand.
mixing it up Players can get burned out from doing the same drills day in and day out. To add a little variety and competitive fire back into practices, consider adding the following drills from www.strength-and-power-for-volleyball.com to your weekly routine.
Pile-up
Have one player lie on top of another. Slap the volleyball and then toss it high in the air. When the ball is slapped, the two players get up. The bottom player runs to the ball and prepares to pass. The top player gets into position to set, and then the bottom player hits the set. After this series, the drill starts over with two new players.
volleyball tennis
Have two players stand on opposite sides of the net. One player serves the ball underhand to the other. Each player must hit the ball back using her forearms while keeping her hands held together (no onearm contacts). The goal is to make it look like a tennis volley, with players scrambling around the court trying to return each pass.
18 Coaching Management PRESEASON 2013
If the server wins a point, her opponent leaves the court, and the server switches to the other side and becomes the receiver while a new player comes to the court to serve. If the receiver wins the first point, she stays on her side and awaits a new server. Have players keep track of their individual scores. The player who gets to five points first is the winner.
2 on 6
The name says it all—have two players play a set against six. This might seem like a drill that will cause frustration rather than be fun, but it can provide players with the chance to learn defensive skills such as reading setters and hitters, com-
munication, and making plays in an awkward manner. This drill is great for players who are already confident in their abilities and need a challenge.
blocked in
Place a setter and a hitter on one side of the net with five or six blockers facing them on the other side. The setter sets the ball, and the hitter must hit through or around the blockers, not over. This is a fun drill that develops three skills. Setters can work on placement depending on where the blockers set up. Hitters can work on swiping and tooling the ball off the blockers’ hands or arms. And blockers, although they have an advantage, can work on their technique.
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COVER STORY
“When I was coaching year-round, going from the high school season to club to summer camps, I did get burned out,” she says. “It was just endless, so I decided to step back from the club scene and focus on my high school athletes.” When she was ready to coach club again, she created a youth league that feeds into her high school program and is far more low-key that her former elite volleyball club. “We train two days a week, we play once or twice a month, and it’s a very different mentality,” Martinez says. “We’re not going out to win a national championship. I don’t have to deal with that pressure anymore, and I think it has made me a better coach.” Other coaches invest time in activities outside of volleyball to prevent themselves from getting burned out. “I work out every day, but I also either meditate or have what I call ‘me time,’” says Cook. “This might entail eating lunch by myself or taking a walk. I’m always reading a book, I love to go to the movies, and I keep in touch with several friends who aren’t involved with the sport at all.” Cook has even considered taking a sabbatical at some point in order to recharge his batteries. “I’d be interested in taking a break from volleyball, but I would want to do something in the athletic field where I could learn from other coaches,” he says. “Maybe I could spend a month with the sports psychologists of the Dallas Cowboys or Chicago Bulls. I’d like to go to Duke University and pick Coach K’s brain for a week. I think it’d even be fun to hang out with Nebraska’s football staff for a few weeks to hear about their lives and discover what their stresses are.” Like his NCAA Division I counterpart, Shoji also strives to keep his volleyball life separate from his personal life. “I try not to bring volleyball issues home,” he says. “Once practice is over and my day is through, I try to leave everything at school. Of course, it’s easier said than done, because I’m always worried about something, but I certainly make the effort.” Now that Martinez has struck a balance between coaching high school and club volleyball, she finds she has more energy than ever for her teams. “I even asked my athletic director if I could still coach on maternity leave, just in case the situation arises,” she says. “I used to coach seven days a week, but I think I’ve grown up in the last few years and realized volleyball shouldn’t be my top priority. Now I try to live up to what I tell my athletes: ‘Family comes first, school is second, and volleyball is third.’” CM CoachesNetwork.com
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Circle No. 108 Coaching Management PRESEASON 2013 19
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STRATEGIES fOR SOCIALIZING james f. kraus
How do you ensure that social media mishaps don’t happen on your team? This author suggests putting proactive polices in place. By Steve Trifone
CoachesNetwork.com
On the one hand, social media is an amazing tool that has made a coach’s job easier. A coach can check the league Twitter feed while watching the team warm up. He or she can relay information to the media while on the team bus. And a coach can quickly contact the athletic trainer if there’s an injury. On the other hand, this new way of communicating has handed coaches complicated issues to deal with, many of which have no existing guidelines. Is it okay for coaches and athletes to text each other? What should a coach do if someone anonymously forwards him or her a negative photo of an athlete? The explosion of social media is not new, but its increasing presence in society means we need to think more deeply about its use and misuse. For many years, school districts Coaching Management PRESEASON 2013 21
tried to ban cell phones and student use of social media while at school. That has become unrealistic. Instead, the trend is to develop policies and procedures on social media behavior, along with educating students about using it properly. In athletics, we need to do the same. While following their schools’ rules, coaches should consider outlining additional specific policies on social media for their athletes.
parents want to be in the know and the need for up-to-date information is important to them. Posting on Twitter is fast and easy and can be fun to do. EDUCATING OTHERS
Along with all the wonderful things social media can do, it’s no secret that it can be destructive. From trash talking opponents to the posting of inappropriate mate-
sonal Facebook accounts and how “secure” they truly are. Students will seek out Facebook accounts and often find a way to view personal accounts that you think are protected. High school coaches should never use their formal name (which is easy to find) for their Facebook account and should be very careful what they post, even if they are using enhanced privacy settings. It can work well to have one Facebook account for your
During our class, we discussed a coach who had the cell number of a student-athlete in his phone. The coach accidentally sent a text, which was meant for his girlfriend, to the student. Needless to say, the text spread rapidly and the situation became very embarrassing for the coach. They also need to educate everyone involved about the capabilities and hazards of these communication tools. EMBRACING CHANGE
If you do not text, are not on Facebook, or have never checked out Twitter, you need to revamp your communications toolbox. Social media has become such a huge part of American society that you risk being perceived as out of touch among student-athletes if you don’t embrace it. You will also be missing out on tools that can help you do your job. For example, texting can streamline communications because it is so quick and easy to do. Our busy lives do not always allow for phone conversations so a quick text has become a helpful resource. Using Facebook to reach out to constituents is also a time-saver. You do not need to use Facebook in your personal life to set up Facebook groups that keep you easily connected to others in your coaching life. This could include a Facebook group for parents of student-athletes, or another for alumni athletes. Many coaches set up Facebook groups for their teams as a way to quickly and easily communicate important information. Items such as practice schedules, team outings, upcoming events, and parent information make these sites a worthwhile tool. A group can be set up to include parents and athletes by invitation only, thereby restricting access by others. One rule to follow at the high school level is that whenever you allow access by athletes, you need to give their parents access, too. Twitter is one of the fastest growing electronic message tools used today. Setting up a Twitter account can allow you to update followers on game results, changes in schedules, and general information. Today’s 22 Coaching Management PRESEASON 2013
rials that violate codes of conduct, online communication can lead to problems, both minor and major. I recently presented a class to my coaching staff here at Cheshire (Conn.) High School on social media mishaps. It was well attended and the topic stimulated great dialogue among the attendees. Here are some of the things we discussed: Privacy: I explained to our coaches that the most important thing for everyone to understand is that nothing on the Internet is private. Once you send or post something, you have relinquished control over it. That picture you only wanted friends to see can easily be forwarded to others, either intentionally or inadvertently, by anyone who received it. Pictures and messages can be easily saved or copied, and the privacy controls used by social media sites are not foolproof. Plus, a defense based on, “I never thought anyone else would see it,” isn’t likely to carry much weight. Proper use: We talked a lot about how to use social media responsibly, and why it’s a bad idea to communicate with students through these tools unless it’s a formal team Facebook page that includes parents. If a coach friends an athlete on Facebook, then the athlete’s posts can appear on the coach’s page. If the coach needs to discipline that same player, it’s easy to imagine the athlete posting something negative on his or her page about the coach. This post can then appear on the coach’s page, creating tension. Another problem is if a coach went to a player’s Facebook page and saw inappropriate photos of the player or teammates. Ideally, athletes never do anything wrong, but in reality they do, and post things they shouldn’t. You probably don’t want to become a Facebook police officer. We also discussed the use of our per-
personal life, and one that is more public to use with school groups. Properly using social media also means not posting anything negative about the athletic program. This includes refraining from talking about opponents, officials, or student-athletes. Coaching is such a highprofile job, it’s easy for even a casual comment to blow up into a social media crisis. Know your audience: All too often people will send a message without fully thinking about the content. Even worse, sometimes we are careless about who will receive the message. Before hitting send, make sure you know who your words are going to. The “Reply All” button can cause huge difficulties when unintended recipients are included. Keep it simple: Less is more when replying to messages from parents. Quick answers are a better response than a journal of your deepest thoughts. If you find yourself having a lengthy conversation via e-mail or text, cut it off. A face-to-face meeting is more effective at that point. Understand the consequences: During our class, we discussed a coach who had the cell number of a student-athlete in his phone. The coach accidentally sent a text, which was meant for his girlfriend, to the student. Needless to say, the text spread rapidly and the situation became very embarrassing for the coach. The coach was suspended pending further investigation. ATHLETES & PARENTS
After getting up to speed on social media best practices for themselves, coaches should educate athletes on the topic. Along with a discussion on privacy, similar to what is in STEVE TRIFONE is Director of Athletics and Department Leader in Applied Technology at Cheshire (Conn.) High School. He can be reached at: strifone@cheshire.k12.ct.us.
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the above text, here are some areas I discuss with our student-athletes: Blogs and electronic chat rooms: Student-athletes need to be educated on the potential pitfalls of using these sites. Many times athletes will post comments hoping to stimulate conversation with another school. Most, if not all, comments posted on blogs and chats are based on emotion, not a thoughtful expression of ideas. People can hide behind fictitious names, and there are usually no boundaries. Student-athletes can be quickly lured into replying to comments on such sites. My advice to athletes is to stay away from the temptation by simply not reading them. Texting: The main message here is to think before you send. A hasty negative message by one athlete can cause dissention among teammates. In addition, studentathletes need to be reminded that once sent, text messages cannot be taken back. Some students also need instruction on when it is not appropriate to text. Last spring, my freshman baseball coach caught a player texting a friend in the dugout during a contest. Needless to say, that athlete spent the
remainder of the game on the bench without his cell phone. Online photos: Most high school students have a Facebook or Instagram account. I ask all of my athletes to look at their photos on these accounts. I then ask them if they would show those same photos to their grandparents. If they answer, “No,” it is time to remove the picture. While I do get some laughter from the audience, there are also some rumblings from those who realize a few of their photos are not grandma-appropriate. When athletes counter that their Facebook page is private and they only “friend” people they know, I remind them that in reality nothing on the Internet is completely private. Once one other person has access, there is no way for you to control who can and cannot view it. In discussing photos, we also talk about how camera phones are prevalent. Students take pictures wherever they are, and it’s easy to unknowingly be in a photo posted on someone’s Facebook page or Web site. If you are doing anything that might be seen as negative, it can very easily end up in a photo for the world to see. These can be found by a
do’s & don’ts Last fall, the University of Michigan implemented a social media policy that requires its student-athletes to inform the athletic department of all their accounts and follow some specific guidelines. Below are those guidelines.
dO set your security settings so that
only your friends can see your account.
dON’T accept friends or follow
requests if you are not sure who they are coming from.
dO understand that who you have
listed as followers or friends is a reflection on you.
dON’T put anything on social media
that you would not want your family, your future employers, those reading the front page of the paper, or the whole world to see.
dON’T post when you are emotional, like right after a game. You are most likely to say something you will regret.
dO be familiar with the department’s
social media policy and the consequences for violating it.
dON’T post anything about a recruit, even if it is someone you know, as this will result in an NCAA rules violation.
dO ask questions if you are not sure what you are doing is ok.
RULES & GUIDELINES
dON’T post anything that could be
More and more school districts are putting social media policies in place, which is a great way to set expectations for students and staff. Whether or not your school has done this, you should consider coming up with some policies that apply specifically to your team. One rule we have is that coaches and student-athletes may not friend each other on Facebook. Under no circumstances should a coach provide a student-athlete access to their social media accounts. And a coach should also never have access to a student’s Facebook account. The one exception is for team pages.
retweet—will this positively reinforce my brand?
construed as an endorsement or promotion of a business product or service, even if the business is owned by a relative or friend.
dON’T post offensive language, per-
dON’T post or tweet anything dur-
dO talk to your sports information
dON’T publicize information about
dO think before you post, tweet, or
sonal attacks, or racial comments.
director about how to use social media to your advantage.
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college coach or employer or used as evidence of illegal activity. We stress two things: do not attend events that could endanger your reputation; and do not jump into every picture being taken without thinking about what it shows. Twitter: Similar rules apply for Twitter accounts. We explain to student-athletes that the world does not need to know about every minute of their life. Overuse of a media tool will most likely lead to something you did not want people to know. In addition, when faced with the 140 character limit, it can be difficult to convey exactly the meaning you intend, and tweets are often misinterpreted because of this. Bullying: Kids are accustomed to posting comments about others without a lot of thought. Student-athletes should understand that negative comments towards others can be hurtful, and even seen as cyber-bullying, which is not tolerated in most schools. The ramifications of bullying can be destructive for the victim, and for the one doing the bullying. Remind students that once a comment is in writing, it becomes proof the statement was made and the digital footprint will always be in existence. It can be helpful to also talk about social media to parents during the preseason parents’ meeting. The main point to get across to parents is to stop and think before they express opinions about their children’s sports teams. Being the parent of a student-athlete can stir strong emotions and when something doesn’t go right, it’s easy to vent on Facebook. Ask them to refrain from doing so. You can also require parents to abide by a “24 hour rule” when communicating with you. If a parent has an issue, ask them not to send a message to you within the first 24 hours. The tone of an e-mail or text written one hour after a game is going to be quite different from one addressing the same issue 24 hours later. Ask them to take a day to process their thoughts.
ing a class.
your team, the athletic department, or the University that is not considered public knowledge.
Coaching Management PRESEASON 2013 23
leadership
Another policy we’ve implemented is to restrict use of cell phones in locker rooms. All school districts disallow security cameras in locker rooms since their presence would be an invasion of privacy. Yet when a team enters the locker room, the athletes are most likely carrying cell phones with a built-in
ting players about basic information will get the word out quicker than a phone tree. While this may be true, I do not like the practice of coaches having personal cell phone numbers of athletes—or athletes having the coach’s cell number. It can easily lead to conversations that should never happen.
dent-athletes are using right now. Some of the latest social media platforms are already old news (remember MySpace?) and the Facebook explosion may be replaced by something else before we know it. We also need to be ready to navigate any hazards the next craze may bring.
You can also require parents to abide by a “24 hour rule” ... The tone of an e-mail or text written one hour after a game is going to be quite different from one addressing the same issue 24 hours later. camera. A quick shot of someone undressing could become problematic. A copy of that photo sent to a Facebook or Twitter account can suddenly put indecent pictures of your players all over the Internet. Our policy states that all cell phones need to be turned off in a locker room. Calls to home must be made in the parking lot or hallway. Anyone found using a cell phone in a locker room faces disciplinary action. While we don’t have a formal policy on texting between coaches and athletes, I discourage the practice. Some coaches feel tex-
ONE STEP AHEAD
Because of the reach and immediacy of social media, making sure we communicate properly is more important than ever. We can’t forget about the importance of face-toface conversation, while at the same time keeping up on how our students are communicating through electronic devices. Know what’s out there now and be ready for what will come next. CM
The social media craze is here to stay, and one thing we can be sure of is that it will continue to change. Coaches need to be in tune with the communication tools stu-
A version of this article was previously published in our sister magazine, Athletic Management. For more articles visit: www.AthleticManagement.com.
Any message to an athlete should take the conventional avenue: phone call at home or personal conversation. As an alternative way to get information such as schedule changes out quickly to the team, the coach can speak with the team captain, who then disseminates it via text.
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Perfect SetUp
For every excuse your players have to not eat breakfast, there is a simple and effective solution to help them get their day started right. By Susan Kundrat
“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” For athletes, this statement couldn’t ring truer. Those who practice in the afternoon need breakfast to set the foundation for a full day of CoachesNetwork.com
healthy eating. Athletes who have early morning workouts need breakfast to help shift their bodies from a catabolic state to an anabolic one. And any athletes doing two workouts a day need breakfast to begin fueling early and often in order to maximize training. Though these are all great reasons to eat a healthy breakfast, getting athletes motivated to wake up early enough for a meal before their day begins can be a challenge. In my experience, it’s not uncommon for more Coaching Management PRESEASON 2013 25
than half of a given team’s athletes to skip breakfast. The most common excuse is lack of time. Teenagers don’t want to get out of bed any earlier than absolutely necessary, and sleep is a luxury for college athletes who are up late studying. On top of this, while coaches and sports dietitians are preaching the importance of eating a healthy breakfast, we’re also harping on getting a good night’s sleep, so it’s easy for athletes to use this reasoning to stay in bed an extra 20 minutes. On the flip side, once athletes make a commitment to eating a healthy breakfast on a daily basis, they reap the benefits quickly. Athletes I’ve worked with have reported having more energy throughout the day, an easier time concentrating in class, and a greater ability to get through their workouts as soon as one week after beginning a daily breakfast routine. Incorporating healthy breakfast foods into one’s diet has also been proven to lower cholesterol levels and blood pressure— both important for lifelong health. THE IDEAL MEAL
Before addressing how to get athletes to follow through on eating breakfast, it’s important they know what makes a good first meal of the day. There are just as many poor food choices as great ones, and it can be easy for athletes to lose their way in the grocery store aisles. Because breakfast plays several nutritional
roles, variety is a must. High-quality carbohydrates (whole grains, cereals, fruit, 100-percent juices, yogurt, chocolate milk) provide quick muscle and brain energy. Protein (eggs, meat, milk, yogurt, nuts, nut butters, seeds, legumes) provides satiety and helps maintain and build lean muscle tissue. Fiber (whole grains, fruits, vegetables) also boosts satiety while providing other benefits like lowering lipids, maintaining regularity, and controlling blood sugar. And finally, fluids (water, milk, juice, smoothies, coffee, tea) help get athletes back into a hydrated state after a night of sleep. The list of foods athletes should try to avoid is a long one, but in general, those that are high in fat, fried, and/or have a lot of processed sugar are at the top. That means staying away from heavily sweetened cereals, juice drinks (instead of 100-percent juice), and donuts. Since cereal is so easy to prepare and often nutritious, it’s a great option. But athletes must be careful in the cereal aisle because not all the boxes are good choices. A simple rule of thumb to keep in mind is to look for a cereal with four or more grams of protein, five or more grams of fiber, and 12 or fewer grams of sugar per serving. Plenty of popular cereals fit into this category, including Kellogg’s Special K Protein Plus, Quaker Oatmeal Squares, Kashi Heart to Heart, Fiber One Honey Clusters, Post Grape-Nuts Trail Mix Crunch, and Kellogg’s Frosted Mini-Wheats.
EASY AS 1-2-3 At Georgia State University, sports dietitian Chris Rosenbloom has created the following guide to choosing a healthy breakfast. Athletes choose any combination of one food from each of the following three columns (one high-carbohydrate food, one high-protein food, and one fruit) for an easy and nutritious 1-2-3 breakfast.
1 2 3 Carbohydrate Protein Fruit Cereal Low-fat milk 100-percent juice Oatmeal Yogurt Banana Grits Eggs Strawberries Toast Peanut butter Fruit smoothie English muffin Cheese Apple Bagel Ham Mixed berries Pancakes Turkey or chicken sausage Applesauce Waffles Canadian bacon Canned fruit Granola Almond butter Tomato Granola bar String cheese Orange or tangerine Flour tortilla Scrambled egg whites Tomato or V-8 juice Whole grain crackers Cottage cheese Pineapple French toast Walnuts Pear
26 Coaching Management PRESEASON 2013
Although many athletes may think primarily of carbohydrates like bagels, cereal, toast, and fruit or juice for breakfast, I encourage them to also take in at least 20 to 30 grams of protein in the morning. Including protein is critical for maintaining lean body mass, and some studies have found that when included at breakfast, protein may increase total energy expenditure during the day. Take a look at these examples of breakfast meals that each include at least 20 grams of protein: n Two slices of whole wheat toast with two tablespoons of peanut butter, one banana, one container of light yogurt, and one cup of one-percent chocolate milk. n One cup of Greek vanilla yogurt with three tablespoons of slivered almonds, a quarter-cup of low-fat granola, and a half-cup of fresh berries or half of a peach mixed in. n A two-egg omelet with one ounce of low-fat cheese and one ounce of chopped ham wrapped in a medium-sized whole grain tortilla shell, along with one cup of 100percent grapefruit juice. n A smoothie made of one cup of Greek yogurt, a half-cup of frozen cherries, and a half-cup of juice, along with a mini whole wheat bagel topped with a slice of cheese or peanut butter. MEETING BREAKFAST CHALLENGES
As mentioned earlier, athletes can easily justify to themselves why skipping breakfast is okay. But each excuse can be countered with some constructive advice. Let’s take a closer look at ways to combat typical breakfast obstacles. “I don’t have enough time.” When athletes are rushed before class, or have to get up extra early for a morning workout, eating breakfast can feel like one more thing on their to-do list. Plus, many athletes need to get into the athletic training room before workouts for treatment, which cuts into valuable sleep time even more. But there are ways to combat these challenges: n Pack breakfast the night before. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, bananas, and juice boxes work well. I encourage athletes to purchase an insulated lunch bag so they can fill it the night before, store it in the fridge, and throw it in their backpack on the way out the door. n Make a week’s worth of breakfast meals over the weekend. Athletes can package indiSUSAN KUNDRAT is the Program Director of the Nutritional Sciences bachelor’s program at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the former Sports Dietitian for the University of Illinois. She is also the co-founder of RK Team Nutrition and owner of Nutrition on the Move. She can be reached through the RK Team Nutrition Web site at: www.rkteamnutrition.net.
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vidual servings of trail mix in baggies, line up 100-percent juice bottles and pre-poured bottles of chocolate milk in the fridge, and have containers of fresh grapes, baby carrots, and yogurt ready to go. Athletes can also cook homemade breakfast sandwiches ahead of
about 60 seconds to blend yogurt, a cup of frozen berries, a cup of orange juice, and a banana with ice. Or if an athlete doesn’t have a blender, they can mix a scoop of whey protein powder with one cup of water, milk, or juice.
athletes do start eating breakfast, their bodies get used to the habit and begin craving food when they wake up. It’s important for athletes to know that they may need to “train” their bodies to handle breakfast if it’s not something they are used to.
It’s true that many people just don’t feel hungry for breakfast, especially if they aren’t in the habit of eating in the morning. But I’ve found that once athletes do start eating breakfast, their bodies get used to the habit and begin craving food when they wake up. It’s important for athletes to know that they may need to “train” their bodies to handle breakfast if it’s not something they are used to. time. Just pull one out of the freezer and throw it in the microwave for 60 seconds. n Eat leftovers. Pizza, pasta, or even takeout Chinese food are all great breakfast options. Eat a plate cold or warmed up in the microwave along with a high-quality liquid like 100-percent juice or milk, and the meal is complete. n Try a blend-and-go breakfast. It takes
n Eat something quick on the way out the door, and pack another item for a little while later. This could be a granola bar or sports bar eaten on the way to class or the weightroom, and a second one an hour later. “I’m not hungry.” It’s true that many people just don’t feel hungry for breakfast, especially if they aren’t in the habit of eating in the morning. But I’ve found that once
I suggest starting by adding a miniature breakfast “snack” 15 to 30 minutes after waking up. This could be a small bowl of cereal and milk, a piece of peanut butter toast and apple juice, a granola bar, fruit, or a few graham crackers with a glass of chocolate milk. Eventually, the athlete’s body will get used to morning fuel and they can work up to eating a bigger breakfast.
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Another option for the athlete who says they aren’t hungry in the mornings is to start by drinking their breakfast. Using premade shakes or instant mixes with chocolate milk or 100-percent juice work well. And as they get used to the routine, the athlete can add in solid foods. An added bonus to a liquid breakfast is that people generally wake up dehydrated, so it allows for rehydration while consuming some energy. “I’m afraid I’ll get sick.” Some athletes say that they skip breakfast for fear of losing it during a morning workout. In this case, it’s possible the athlete is eating too much or too close to their scheduled workout time. If possible, encourage the athlete to get up 10 to 15 minutes earlier than usual so they can digest a small breakfast. Start with water or an easily digestible juice like apple juice and a small grain such as a packet of oatmeal, half a bagel, a granola bar, or a small bowl of dry cereal. A liquid meal like a smoothie or chocolate milk is definitely worth a try, and yogurt is a great choice as well since it is so quickly changed to liquid form in the body. Another option for this athlete is to eat
AS A TEAM Currently, the NCAA allows Division I member schools to provide their teams with one training table meal per day.
Because of the logistics of student-athletes’ daily schedules, dinner is usually the easiest choice for this meal. However, many in the sports dietitian community believe student-athletes would benefit greatly from a second training table meal per day: breakfast. The myriad of concrete benefits athletes get from consuming a healthy daily breakfast would no doubt result in a significant positive effect on their health and performance. “Training table meals function as learning labs for progressive nutrition programs, where the menu, organization, and food quality reinforce the sports dietitian’s
educational messages,” says Amy Bragg, Director of Performance Nutrition at the University of Alabama and President of the Collegiate and Professional Sports Dietitians Association. Bragg also notes that if an additional team meal were allowed, there would be much less reliance on sports supplements like shakes, bars, and drinks. Instead, the focus would be on whole foods, which offer benefits that supplements do not. For now, it may work for some teams to make breakfast part of their training plan. Coaches can encourage their athletes to meet for breakfast as a team, or make a “breakfast pact” in which all players agree to eat a solid breakfast every day, whether it be in the dining hall, at home, or on the way to class or a workout.
Help Fuel Your AtHletes to success Topics covered in The Athlete’s Guide To Nutrition include: The amount and kinds of calories athletes need
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more before bed. Adding an extra snack close to bedtime can help boost energy stores in the morning. Athletes can think of this food as a pre-breakfast snack to help them start off the following day with more fuel on board. I’ve also heard some athletes say they tend to feel queasy upon rising extra early in the morning. I suggest these athletes drink a glass of water first, then after a few minutes try something easily digestible like crackers, dry toast, or dry cereal. Once their stomach is settled, the athlete can boost their breakfast with some more hearty foods. This is a perfect example of how a breakfast packed the night before can be a big help. I also encourage athletes to move around before eating in an attempt to decrease any nauseous feelings. Some feel fine after a shower, or after walking to class or the weightroom. Even if they eat an hour after getting up, the athlete still gets the benefit of early morning fuel. “I’m trying to lose weight.” Like many people, athletes may have the misconception that skipping meals will help them shed pounds. However, numerous studies have
found that breakfast eaters tend to maintain healthier weights, while those who skip breakfast are at greater risk for weight gain. Breakfast doesn’t have to be heavy on the calories. Heidi Skolnik, co-author of Nutrient Timing for Peak Performance, recommends fast, balanced, lean breakfasts that will minimize hunger such as a slice of whole grain toast with peanut butter, a glass of skim milk and a banana, or a whole grain waffle with low-fat cottage cheese and fresh berries. I’ve also heard many athletes say they feel like they eat all day long if they eat breakfast in the morning, so they just skip it. But it’s important for athletes to know that eating all day is a good thing—as long as the foods they’re consuming are primarily healthy. Several studies have documented the benefits of spreading calories out over the course of the day instead of eating two or three larger meals with lots of time in between them. In addition to having more even energy levels, “grazing” during the day fuels lean body mass better and helps decrease body fat by preventing overeating. It’s also worth noting that the feeling of
being hungry all day may be more perception than reality. Recently published research that studied adolescents who regularly skipped breakfast found that when they ate high-protein breakfasts, they actually had a reduction in appetite and overall food intake during the day. Educate athletes on their total energy and protein needs, and show them how to break down their projected total food intake into five or six small meals or snacks during the day, including breakfast. Sample meal planning can really help athletes see that they can meet their goal of getting leaner while eating several times a day. Although it is challenging to try to find ways to make it easier for athletes to eat breakfast, there’s ample evidence that doing so can make a good athlete even better. Properly fueled athletes have more energy all day long, better concentration skills, and superior performances—and it all starts with breakfast. CM A version of this article was previously published in our sister publication, Training & Conditioning. For more articles visit: www.Training-Conditioning.com.
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Spalding’s Volleyball Truck is lightweight on a steel frame and easy to move around the court with swivel rollers. It includes a nylon carry bag with shoulder strap that allows for easy transfer to different locations. This collapses for easy packaging and storage with a classic square design and 18.5-inch depth. It holds approximately 20 volleyballs, so it keeps multiple volleyballs only an arm’s length for practicing spiking or serving. Spalding • 800-435-3865 www.spaldingequipment.com
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Circle No. 509
Braces/Support Products Effective Relief
Medically designed, athlete-proven Medi-Dyne products are easy-to-use tools that really work to relieve tight muscles, stretch important muscle groups, and prevent pain and injury. With patented stretching, strengthening, foot, knee, and blister products, the Medi-Dyne family of brands includes Cho-Pat ®, Tuli’s®, ProStretch®, StretchRite®, CoreStretch®, Skin-on-Skin®, and RangeRoller®. These products are known for both their effectiveness and ease of use. Medi-Dyne is dedicated to providing innovations in pain relief and prevention. Medi-Dyne Healthcare Products, Ltd. • 800-810-1740 www.medi-dyne.com Circle No. 510
Best of Both Worlds
For athletes looking for the best of both worlds, the Excel lace-up brace provides the comfort and mobility of a lace-up with the support and security of a tape job. With its circumferential strap to help stabilize the brace and a lacing system that tightens all the way around, the Excel provides a conforming and comfortable fit. The Excel is also lined with neoprene for maximum comfort and fit with nylon eyelets to reduce pressure points. Active Ankle Systems, Inc. • 800-800-2896 www.activeankle.com 32 Coaching Management Preseason 2013
Circle No. 511
Maximum Protection
The Volt provides maximum protection for the maximum athlete. Engineered for performance, the Volt features a carbon fiber-reinforced plate, a molded-bearing hinge design to provide a smoother range of motion, strengthening ribs for a thinner profile that fits better in your shoe, fabric-backed EVA foam pads for durability and comfort, and a single webbing strap with dual fastening option for a customized fit. Active Ankle Systems, Inc. • 800-800-2896 www.activeankle.com
Circle No. 512
Unwinds Consistently
Every roll of Cramer 100-percent cotton porous tape is like the next, which means you can count on it to unwind consistently, conform better, and adhere longer. Cramer 950, constructed with a latex-free adhesive, is perfect for athletic trainers or athletic programs looking for a high-quality, economically priced porous tape alternative. Cramer Products has been an industry leader in sports medicine and athletic training room supplies for more than 85 years. Cramer Products, Inc. • 800-345-2231 www.cramersportsmed.com
Circle No. 529 CoachesNetwork.com
Coaching Aids Portable Efficiency
Compact, portable, and efficient— it’s no wonder NetworKs helps train champions. Manage your space with Networks, a compact volleyball training station, with a built-in backstop to catch and collects balls. The portable net is freestanding, so it can be set up in a corner of the gym, without taking up valuable court space. Use it at home, in a driveway, or anywhere in between. Watch your volleyball players improve their passing, serving, tipping, and more—without chasing balls and wasting time.
Airborne Athletics • 888-887-7453 www.airborneathletics.com Circle No. 513
Instant Feedback
Pocket Radar™ is a revolutionary training tool engineered to help improve control and consistency. Used by top coaches and schools around the nation, Pocket Radar provides instant feedback to dial in players’ optimal speed ranges for serving and hitting. Increase motivation and performance by quickly identifying and correcting mistakes in mechanics. It costs less than $200, is accurate to +/- one mile per hour, has a 150-foot range on a volleyball, and provides over 10,000 readings on two AAA batteries. Pocket Radar, Inc. • 888-381-2672 www.pocketradar.com Circle No. 514
Thousands of Reps
The Attack II Volleyball Machine provides complete ball control, unlimited spins, and professional-level speeds. The machine is extremely effective with all types of drills— from floaters to jump-serve receiving, digging, spiking, passing, and setting. The Attack II has a realistic over-the-net (women’s) release point and the ability to deliver at non-stop game tempo. Don’t waste valuable practice minutes or the shoulders of your coaching staff—get thousands of reps every day.
Sports Attack • 800-717-4251 www.sportsattack.com Circle No. 515
At Your Service
Both the Gold and Silver models of the Volleyball Tutor can vary ball trajectory— producing any desired set or pass—while delivering serves at speeds up to 60 miles per hour. The Silver model’s 5.5-foot-high release point is perfect for sets, can be angled for dig drills, and features a separate dial to control the amount of topspin and underspin. The Gold model can automatically throw six volleyballs at intervals ranging from five to 20 seconds, and is available in a battery-powered version. Both are portable and transport easily. Volleyball Tutors start at under $1,000. Sports Tutor • 800-448-8867 www.sportsmachines.com CoachesNetwork.com
Circle No. 516
Powerful Jump Serve
The all-important jump serve is one of the hardest to deliver with high repetition at every practice. The Attack Volleyball Machine provides extreme ball control at internationallevel speeds. Giving hundreds of powerful jump serves is just the beginning of what it can do. The Attack’s powerful game-simulating repetition is delivered from a realistic over-the-net (men’s) release point. Are you ready to take your game to the next level? Sports Attack • 800-717-4251 www.sportsattack.com Circle No. 517
A Proper Approach
Most volleyball coaches agree that proper approach, jump, and arm swing are among the hardest skills to master. The AcuSpike Trainer allows you to focus on these fundamentals, removing the variable of ball placement by providing a consistent and adjustable target. With AcuSpike’s innovative ball-reloading system and reload hopper, players can train in repetition, key to implanting skills. The AcuSpike Trainer is available in two team models and an individual model. AcuSpike, Inc. • info@ acuspike.com www.acuspike.com
Circle No. 527
Powered By Air
The AirCAT is setting a new standard for volleyball training machines, with up to 1,200 fast, precise tosses per hour. Like every coach, you’re juggling enough—free up more time with the AirCAT. It uses air, so you’ll save on ball replacement, but gain practice with digging, spiking, serving, blocking, and other skills needed for peak performance. AirCAT has no exposed moving parts—for safety—and its built-in, rechargeable battery pack provides up to eight hours of training without cords interfering on the court. Practice more reps, in less time, with greater control with the AirCAT. The operation is automatic—as is the game improvement. Airborne Athletics • 888-887-7453 www.airborneathletics.com Circle No. 519
Affordable Volleyballs
With camp season fast approaching, be ready with great camp volleyballs from Molten, Tachikara, and Wilson. These affordable volleyballs let you offer volleyballs to every player to take home, increasing their positive experience at your camp at a very low cost. VollyHut has great discounts for larger quantity orders on all of its products offered. VolleyHut has been serving the indoor and outdoor volleyball community since 1999. VolleyHut • 866-519-0179 www.volleyhut.com
Circle No. 528 Coaching Management Preseason 2013 33
Testimonial
Team Development and Success
Proven by top coaches around the world, an AirCAT drill machine is a crucial part of team development and success.
Directory
Advertisers Directory Circle #. . . . Company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page #
Circle #. . . . Company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page #
105 . . . Active Ankle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
111 . . . Pocket Radar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
103 . . . AcuSpike . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
109 . . . Schelde North America. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
102 . . . Airborne Athletics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
119 . . . Spalding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BC
113 . . . Athlete’s Guide to Nutrition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
118 . . . Sports Attack. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IBC
104 . . . Bison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
101 . . . Sports Imports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
115 . . . Blazer Athletic Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
110 . . . Sports Tutor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
116 . . . Coaching Management e-Newsletter Service.30
100 . . . TeamLeader. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC
117 . . . Coaching Management Program Service. . . . 35
108 . . . TurfCordz®/NZ Manufacturing. . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
106 . . . K&K Insurance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
114 . . . VolleyHut. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
107 . . . Medi-Dyne. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
112 . . . VolleyWrite by Wildfire Sports LLC. . . . . . . . . . 27
“If you’re looking to improve players’ skills and team or individual practice sessions, the AirCAT is the answer. This versatile coaching aid is reliable and consistent—using AirCAT is like having an extra coach.” —Dr. Mike Hebert, Former University of Minnesota and University of Illinois Head Coach
“The AirCAT takes the pressure off in drills that require great consistency. Whether you are focused on passing or attacking, the AirCAT increases drills’ efficiency and effectiveness. And it allows the coaching staff to work on skill development rather than ball tossing.” —Tim White, Trinity College School, Ontario
“The AirCAT is one of the best investments you can make—it’s like adding another coach, but without the salary. I have used other machines and the AirCAT wins, hands-down. My studentathletes love our AirCAT.” —Rickey Hammontree, Sabine High School, TX
Airborne Athletics 888-887-7453 www.airborneathletics.com
34 Coaching Management Preseason 2013
Products Directory Circle #. . . . Company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page #
Circle #. . . . Company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page #
511 . . . Active Ankle (Excel lace-up brace). . . . . . . . . . 32
531 . . . Sound & Video Creations (Click Effects). . . . . . 32
512 . . . Active Ankle (Volt ankle brace). . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
501 . . . Spalding (Freestanding Volleyball System). . . . 31
527 . . . AcuSpike . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
508 . . . Spalding (Volleyball Truck). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
519 . . . Airborne Athletics (AirCAT). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
515 . . . Sports Attack (Attack II) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
513 . . . Airborne Athletics (Networks). . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
517 . . . Sports Attack (Attack Volleyball Machine) . . . . 33
500 . . . Bison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
520 . . . Sports Attack (product launch). . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
502 . . . Blazer (Ace Power Volleyball Systems). . . . . . . 31
505 . . . Sports Imports (customized safety pads). . . . . 31
504 . . . Blazer (Spike/Set Stand with Ball Rack). . . . . . 31
507 . . . Sports Imports (SI-1 Carbon Upright). . . . . . . . 32
529 . . . Cramer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
516 . . . Sports Tutor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
506 . . . Future Pro (CenterLine® Elite). . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
524 . . . TeamLeader (accessories/uniforms). . . . . . . . 36
518 . . . K&K Insurance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
525 . . . TeamLeader (product line). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
530 . . . KDM Electronics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
521 . . . TurfCordz®/NZ Manufacturing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
510 . . . Medi-Dyne. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
528 . . . VolleyHut. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
514 . . . Pocket Radar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
523 . . . VolleyWrite by Wildfire Sports LLC. . . . . . . . . . 36
509 . . . Schelde (Collegiate 4000 Net System). . . . . . . 32
526 . . . Zephyr™ Technology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
503 . . . Schelde (Self-Storing Pro™). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 CoachesNetwork.com
The Quality Game Program That Your Team Deserves Coaching Management designs and prints game programs—and yearbooks—at an affordable price. We can even provide you with a digital version of your publication.
Date/Opponent
Time
Location
HOmE GAmES iN RED
Date/Opponent
Tuesday, August 21
Thursday, September 27
Knoxville, Oskaloosa, Adel DeSoto Minburn CSD, Carlisle, Dowling
Des Moines Christian 4:30pm Newton HS
Tuesday, August 28 Dallas Center - Grimes
7:15pm Dallas Center-Grimes HS
Thursday, August 30 Adel DeSoto Minburn CSD, Knoxville, Perry, Interstate, West Central Valley
Grinnell
Tuesday, September 11
Johnston
8:30am Johnston HS
Tuesday, October 16
7:15pm Newton HS
Pella Community School District Centerville 7:15pm Pella HS
Saturday, September 22 Nevada
7:15pm Newton HS
Saturday, October 13
7:15pm Pella Christian HS
Tuesday, September 18 Knoxville
7:15pm Grinnell HS
Tuesday, October 09 Oskaloosa
7:15pm Newton HS
Pella Christian
4:30pm Des Moines ChristianHS
Knoxville, Pella Community School District, Boone, Carlisle, Des Moines North, Eddyville-Blakesburg, Harlan 8:30pm Newton HS
Tuesday, October 02 4:30pm Adel-Desoto-Minburn HS
Thursday, September 06 Norwalk
Time Location
Saturday, September 29
sCHeDULe
VOLLEYBALL 2012 CARDINALS
2012 Volleyball SCHEDULE
Thursday, October 18 8:30am Nevada HS
Southeast Polk
7:15pm Newton HS
RECORDS (since 1999)
NAME Cazett, Kacy Tingle, Sarah Karsten, Amber Beaderstadt, Bailey Camp, Katelyn Vander Pol, Holly Hoffmann, Nikayla Ventling, Jennifer Fischer, Felicia Bleeker, Michaela Bergman, Sydney
POSITION DS/S DS OH MB S OH DS MB OH OH S
HEIgHT 5’2’’ 5’3’’ 5’6’’ 5’8’’ 6’1’’ 5’7’’ 5’6’’ 5’10’’ 5’8’’ 6’0’’ 5’4’’
Head Coach: Kim Florke Assistant Coach: Heidi Woollums, Laura Rowen, Amy Auen Athletic trainer(s): Matt Scotton
gRADE 11 12 11 11 12 11 11 11 11 11 11
SETTING: Season: Individual Attempts - 2488 - Stacy Jackson – 2001; 2348 – Ellie Farrier - 2007 Completions - 2319 - Stacy Jackson – 2001; 2116 – Ellie Farrier - 2007 Ace Sets - 920 - Stacy Jackson – 2001; 748 – Nicole Templeton - 1999 Average - 9.2 - Stacy Jackson – 2001; 7.8 – Nicole Templeton - 1999 SERVE RECEIVE: Season: Individual Attempts - 644 - Kristina McNew – 1999; 529 – Jenna Clausen - 2007 Completions - 426 - Kristina McNew – 1999; 411 – Jenna Clausen - 2007 Percentage (Minimum of 50 attempts) - .918 – Tammy Brain – 2004; .900 - Courtney Elliott - 2001 SERVING: Season: Individual Attempts - 395 - Kelly Kleckner - 2001; 388 - Celeste Nagel - 2001 Completions - 366 - Courtney Elliott – 2001; 355 – Krysten Shipley - 2005 Percentage - .985 - Courtney Elliott – 2000; .958 – Courtney Elliott - 2001 Aces - 139 - Lindsey Neef – 1999; 79 – Katie Shroyer - 2004 Career: Career Aces - 139 – Michelle Elliott – 02-05; & Lindsey Neef – 1999 Career Percentage - .968 - Courtney Elliott - 99-01
ReCoRDs
Team RosTeR
NuMbER 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 12 15
ATTACKS: Season: Individual Attempts – 1042 – Melissa Bartholomew – 2011; 1023 - Celeste Nagel - 2001 Completions – 896 – Melissa Bartholomew – 2011; 862 - Celeste Nagel - 2001 Kills – 475 – Melissa Bartholomew – 2011; 409 – Melissa Bartholomew -2010 Career: Career Kills – 1123 – Melissa Bartholomew – 09-11; 974 – Tammy Brain – 02-04 Career Kill Average – 4.01 – Melissa Bartholomew – 09-11; 3.35 – Tammy Brain – 02-04
senioRs
BLOCKS: Season: Individual Blocks – 80 – Kyla Wormley – 2005; 64 – Krysten Shipley - 2005 Team Blocks – 247 – 2005; 150 – 2001 Career: Career Blocks – 115 – Kelly Weston – 02-04; 93 - Kristina McNew – 99-00 DIGS: Season: Individual Digs – 326 – Natalie McCormick – 2008; 313 - Courtney Elliott – 2000 Individual Average - 3.68 - Courtney Elliott – 2000; 3.55 – Michelle Sieler - 2000 Career Digs – 678 – Mallory Sturtz – 06-08; 578 – Natalie McCormick – 06-08
For more information call or email Coaching Management Publisher Mark Goldberg 607.257.6970 Ext. 11 | mg@momentummedia.com Circle No. 117
Product Launch
More Products
Attack & Attack II Throwing Head Sports Attack www.sportsattack.com 800-717-4251 Circle No. 520
Unique features:
• Throwing wheels are 50-percent wider, creating a four-inch span • Wheels are shaped to grip the ball with even pressure Benefits for the user:
• New wheels increase speed by 10 miles per hour • Throwing head standard on all newly purchased Attack and AttackII machines • This head may be purchased separately for machines with older throwing heads
PSM Training ECHO Zephyr Technology zephyranywhere.com 443-569-3603 Circle No. 526
Unique features:
• Wirelessly measures transmits medical-grade data on accelerometry, heart rate, HRV, breathing rate, jump and dash, load and intensity, and core temperature—without pills or probes • Provides live readout of data and stores for later analysis with wide range of reports Benefits for the user:
• Measures up to 50 athletes simultaneously at distances up to 1000 feet • Quick and easy to use 36 Coaching Management Preseason 2013
Essentials for Your Team
TeamLeader offers volleyball shoes and socks by Asics, Adidas, Kaepa, Nfinity, Mizuno & Under Armour. The company also offers fun socks in a variety of colors and styles to match your players’ personalities. TeamLeader also offers knee pads, ankle braces, uniforms, warm-ups, and more. With its specialty in selling products for volleyball teams, TeamLeader has your team’s needs covered. For items not sold online, call TeamLeader to talk with one of its sale specialists. TeamLeader • 877-365-7555 www.teamleader.com
Circle No. 525
Versatile Workout
Reach new heights in athletic training with the Jump Belt, a TurfCordz® product designed to strengthen leg muscles to increase vertical leap. The Jump Belt features an adjustable belt and two 30-inch tubes connected to foot straps. It is available in resistance levels from three to eight pounds, up to 14 to 34 pounds. TurfCordz resistance products provide a versatile, safer and more comfortable workout. NZ Manufacturing • 800-886-6621 www.nzmfg.com
Circle No. 521
Trusted Provider
Purchase affordable insurance for your sports teams, leagues, tournaments, events, camps and clinics, conveniently online at www. sportsinsurance-kk.com. The Web site is simple to use and provides an option to buy coverage immediately when using a credit card. Sexual abuse and molestation coverage is now available when purchasing liability coverage. Celebrating 60 years of insuring the world’s fun, K&K Insurance is a trusted provider of coverage for the sports and recreation industry. K&K Insurance • 800-426-2889 www.sportsinsurance-kk.com
Circle No. 518
Fit for Your Team
TeamLeader specializes in supplying everything volleyball teams need. The company’s wide variety of accessories includes: knee pads, ankle braces, socks, and shoes. Quick delivery uniforms from many popular brands are available--or work with TeamLeader to design custom uniforms for your team. TeamLeader also offers a large selection of sublimation uniforms with unique, custom one-of-a-kind options. Call your TL sales specialist to start your signature look today. TeamLeader • 877-365-7555 www.teamleader.com
Circle No. 524
Accurate and Easy
A smoothly running match is the goal of VolleyWrite Volleyball Scoring Software. VolleyWrite helps you keep up with the action on the court—and it prevents mistakes and applies the rules of the game. VolleyWrite is easy to learn and easy to use, and your officials will love having the score sheets in perfect notation. VolleyWrite supports all levels of play and U.S. associations—NFHS, NCAA Women, and USAV. VolleyWrite by Wildfire Sports LLC • 513-400-5937 www.volleywrite.com
Circle No. 523 CoachesNetwork.com
DIALED IN
PASSES BALL CONTROL
SPEED 80+ MPH
3
SOFT SETS TOP SPIN FLOATER
5
6 7
2 1
POWER SPIKE JUMP SERVE
4
3
8
0
4
9 T OP
5
10
6 7
2 1
8
0
9 BOTTO M
10
WHEEL SPEED WHEEL SPEED
POWER SPIKE SPEED 80+ MPH Top 7 or 8 Bottom 4 or 5
wheel should always OFFENSIVE Top be faster. DRILLS
DEFENSIVE DRILLS
3
4
5
6 7
2 1
PASSES 3
8
0
4
9 T OP
5
10
6 7
2
BALL CONTROL
USE IN LOWERED POSITION FOR SOFT SET DRILLS.
1
8
0
9 BOTTO M
10
WHEEL SPEED
VOLLEYBALL MACHINE The Attack Volleyball Machine delivers top-level speeds exceeding 80+ MPH for realistic game-tempo training of difficult shots such as a Power Spike or Jump Serves. The versatile Attack Volleyball Machine can also deliver a soft set at low speeds, consistently at the same height and distance, perfect every time. Thousands of precise reps at speeds that will challenge every player both offensively and defensively- at every practice session. P.O. Box 1529 | 2805 U.S. 40 | Verdi, NV 89439 tf 800.717.4251 | ph 775.345.2882 | w sportsattack.com Circle No. 118
JUMP SERVE SPEED 80+ MPH Top 8 ± 1 Bottom 5 ± 1 Top wheel should always be faster.
Circle No. 119