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CONTENTS | BASEBALL EDITION | PRESEASON 2014 | VOL. XXII, NO. 2

PROGRESSIVE PROGRAMS 19 LEADERS AGAINST

COVER STORY 12 AN INSIDE LOOK Moving under a roof for practice doesn’t have to mean settling for less. Learn how to make this setting work for, instead of against, you.

VIOLENCE

Can a team program play a role in stopping violence against women? This coach found the answer to be yes. 2

ANNA REED/AP PHOTOS

SOUTH CAROLINA ATHLETICS

DAVE BARPAL/MAXPREPS.COM

Coaching Management

PRESEASON

BULLETIN BOARD

Minn. law helps high school coaches keep their jobs … Handling a large roster … Coaching a disabled player . . . Darin Erstad on team defense … Pink bats help fight breast cancer … Pitching higher education to youth . . . A big-league fundraiser.

BASEBALL FACILITIES NETS AND CAGES FIELD MIXES PRACTICE AIDS

Publisher Mark Goldberg Editorial Dept. Eleanor Frankel, Director R.J. Anderson, Patrick Bohn, Dennis Read Mary Kate Murphy, Patrick Pizzuti Art Director Pamela Crawford

36 MORE PRODUCTS 34 ADVERTISER’S DIRECTORY

Production Dept. Maria Bise, Director Neal Betts, Trish Landsparger Circulation Dept. Robin Flower Special Projects Dave Wohlhueter, Natalie Couch

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

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STRENGTH & CONDITIONING 25 READY FOR LIFTOFF The success the University of South Carolina enjoys each spring starts with the strength and conditioning work the team does each fall.

Q&A

ERNIE SMITH

During four decades at Lipscomb Academy in Nashville, Tenn., Ernie Smith has won more than 1,600 games on the diamond and the hardwood. He explains how he handles coaching two sports and reflects on the year he won two state titles.

ON THE COVER

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 30 31 32 35

The sun doesn’t always shine on Stony Brook University as cold weather keeps the team from practicing outside for much of its preseason. We look at getting the most from indoor workouts in our cover story beginning on page 12.

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Coaching Management PRESEASON 2014 1

BULLETIN BOARD PRESEASON 2014

CONTENTS

2 New law offers job security

2 Managing a large roster

HIGH SCHOOL NEWS

Protecting Coaches from Parents IT’S NO SECRET THAT MANY OF TODAY’S PARENTS WANT A SAY IN THEIR CHILDREN’S HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC TEAMS. But what happens when their voices call for coaches to be fired? In Minnesota, state legislators have tackled this problem by introducing a law that makes it illegal to fire a coach entirely because of parent criticism. A statement reading, “The existence of parent complaints must not be the sole reason for a board to not renew a coaching contract,” was added to an existing piece of legislation and signed into law in May of 2013. The original bill, passed a decade ago, provides coaches with certain rights upon their termination, such as a document outlining the reasons for their non-renewal and a chance to appeal their firing in front of the school board. According to John Erickson, Executive Director of the Minnesota State High School Coaches Association (MSHSCA), the number of non-renewed coaching contracts in the state has risen steadily over the past decade. “We have found that a lot of terminations were driven by parents,” says Erickson. “Their involvement

3 Disabled,

not unable

4 3 Qs on defense

with Darin Erstad

was putting unfair pressure on school boards and athletic directors, and coaches had no way to defend themselves.” Besides the impact on past and current coaches, Erickson worried the frequent terminations and public attacks would deter individuals from joining the profession. He believes the new legislation can help prevent this. “We fear that young men and women considering coaching will take one look at the hostile work environment and decide they don’t want to be part of it,” he says. “Coaching needs to remain an attractive profession so we can continue to draw from a wealth of talent.” The Minnesota School Boards Association (MSBA) sent a letter to the House and Senate Education Committee chairs stating its opposition to the bill, arguing it was unnecessary to limit what school boards can and cannot consider when evaluating coaching contracts. Additionally, the MSBA felt restricting parental influence in the process would close school board members off from the wishes of their constituents. But Erickson sees it differently. “We are not questioning the school boards’ authority in any way,” he says. “We want them to have the same latitude they’ve always had. We feel, however, that school boards and administrators are under

6 Batting for a cause

8 Big league fundrasier

incredible pressure when parents are unhappy, and we are trying to make sure that stress doesn’t influence a decision. The boards are compelled to investigate any complaints they deem legitimate, but they are not required to follow the demands of parents.” Erickson adds that the bill was never meant to silence parents. “This isn’t about eliminating them from athletics, because the vast majority are supportive and encouraging,” he says. “But it does give coaches the freedom to do their jobs without worrying about being unfairly attacked and fired.” The bill was introduced and coauthored by a former high school cross country coach, Rep. Dean Urdahl. Although Erickson says there are still aspects of parental interactions with coaches that could be improved, he considers this bill a step in the right direction. “We certainly weren’t going to back down when it came to supporting our coaches, so we feel like we have made our point,” he says. “With this law on the books, hopefully it makes our coaches’ jobs easier and more enjoyable.” RECRUITING

Big Rosters Bring Multiple Benefits AT MOST SCHOOLS, BASEBALL ISN’T CONSIDERED A “REVENUE-GENERATING SPORT.” At Midland University, however, a large baseball roster of nearly 70 players is helping the sport thrive while at the same time strengthening the school’s bottom line. For smaller institutions, having more student-athletes generates more revenue for the university through the tuition and fees they pay. For example, Midland, an NAIA school, spent $5.5 million on athletics scholarships and operations in 2011-12 but received $9.5 million from athletes in tuition and fees. The strategy appears to be working—enrollment has hit a record

2 Coaching Management PRESEASON 2014

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ANNA REED/AP PHOTO

A new law in Minnesota makes it illegal to fire a high school coach solely due to complaints from parents. At left, Kasson-Mantorville’s Jayden Prigge competes in the Minnesota class AA championship game.

At Midland University, an overflowing bench is helping the school bring in more tuition dollars. The team carries nearly 70 players and has a strict no-cut policy.

high of 1,100 students, 600 of whom participate in intercollegiate sports. The school-wide benefit comes with some challenges for Head Coach Jordan Bischel, however. The first is bringing in a large number of players each year. “We don’t recruit with a target number in mind for our roster,” he says. “When recruits ask about the size of our team, I tell them although it changes on a yearto-year basis, we will remain committed to the idea of a large roster. Our program is not the right fit for everyone, but we often attract young men who are simply looking for a chance to play.” A no-cut policy helps keep the roster counts high. “When a student-athlete makes a commitment to both Midland and our baseball team, I commit to them that they will not be cut,” says Bischel. “As long as the player is doing well academically, following team rules, and behaving properly off the field, he will continue to be welcome in our program.” Bischel says that once the players are on campus, the key to making everyone happy is ensuring each of them has a chance to develop and earn a role in the program. One way he does this is by holding split-squad practices. “We break them into two groups of 30 to 35 guys and hold one practice session a day for each group,” he says. “The groups change day to day depending on what we are looking to accomplish, and we try to make sure each player gets equal reps.” After losing a few players to injuries and redshirts, the program will field varsity and junior varsity squads from a projected pool of 62 players this spring. “Our 2014 varsity roster has 34 athletes, and our j.v. team has 28,” says Bischel. “I have four assistant coaches, but none of them are specifically assigned to varsity or j.v. Practices include players from both groups, and before each game, we discuss how best to utilize our coaching staff.” NAIA rules allow players to appear in up to 55 games during one season, and Midland has scheduled 55 varsity games and 46 junior varsity contests for 2014. “We are fortunate to be in a location where finding j.v. competition is easy,” Bischel says. “Almost every team in our conference fields a j.v. team, and we also play some games against junior colleges. “The NAIA rules give us the flexibility to move guys around, which gives our CoachesNetwork.com

athletes more playing opportunities here than at almost any program in the country,” he continues. “If we have a young player on varsity who doesn’t get much playing time, we might put him in a few j.v. games to get him some playing experience.” It’s important to Bischel to eliminate distinctions between varsity and junior varsity athletes within his program. “I want our guys to think of themselves as Midland baseball players regardless of what team they dress for,” he says. “If a player is only interested in being a part of the team to play in games, then he is probably here for the wrong reasons. We play varsity games 30 days out of the year, but there are 335 other days where everyone is treated exactly the same.” With so many players in the program, it’s critical Bischel and his staff are open when discussing playing time. “Our coaches provide a lot of feedback in the preseason so each athlete understands what he needs to do to earn game time,” he says. “We make sure each player knows his position on the depth chart, why he is there, and what he needs to do to move up. So when an athlete says he should play more, my first question is always, ‘What have you done to improve?’” While having such a large roster means more work for Bischel and his assistants, it hasn’t gotten in the way of the team’s success on the field. Expectations are high heading into the 2014 season as Midland is coming off its first appearance in the NAIA regionals. “I think having such a large roster helps generate a sense of community and

family within a team,” Bischel says. “College is a transitional period for anyone, so it’s important to provide our freshmen with a large group of kids that they can relate to, grow, and learn with.” PROGRESSIVE COACHING

Ready and Able IN JANUARY OF 2013, THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ISSUED A DIRECTIVE reminding schools that they are required by law to provide athletic opportunities for students with disabilities. This means coaches could be seeing more players like Josh Ruchotzke, who earned his way into the starting second baseman position at Farmington (Ill.) High School last season despite not having the lower parts of both his legs and most of his hands as the result of a bacterial infection when he was 13. The limitations due to a disability can be wide-ranging, and no two athletes with disabilities will be hindered in the same way. For coaches who don’t have experience working with these types of players, what are the best ways to make it work? They could start by taking a cue from Ruchotzke’s coach, Josh Putrich. When Putrich became head coach at Farmington four years ago, Ruchotzke was a member of the j.v. squad. “I had a conversation with Josh during my first year about what he was comfortable doing on the field,” Putrich says. “He told me he could do anything I needed him to: run, field, hit, or bunt.” Coaching Management PRESEASON 2014 3

QUESTIONS

There’s no doubt Darin Erstad knows how to play defense. He won three Gold Glove awards during his 14 seasons in the majors and is the only player to win the award as both an infielder and an outfielder. During his tenure as the Head Coach at the University of Nebraska, Erstad has shown the ability to impart his knowledge to his players as well. In 2013, his sophomore season as head coach, the Cornhuskers finished second in the nation in fielding percentage, making just 44 errors in 59 games. Their .981 fielding percentage was the best in both school and Big 10 Conference history. Here, Erstad talks about his approach to coaching defense and the kinds of errors he doesn’t mind seeing his players make from time to time. How do you make defense a priority? You have to show that it is important for your team. I do that by making our defensive drills the first ones we conduct at practice. I also reiterate how significant defense is by drawing on my playing experiences. I’ll bring up examples where great defense helped my team win. When you put it in the context of a game situation, I think the players are better able to grasp its value. How did you go about improving team defense at Nebraska? We changed the mindset surrounding mistakes. My philosophy is: Errors are a part of baseball, and I don’t care if we make them as long as they result from aggressive play. There’s no room to be timid, so I try to eliminate the errors that come from shortarming a throw or getting nervous about how to approach a ground ball. I tell my players, “If you’re going to mess up, do it with flair.” If the shortstop botches a throw to first,

Coaching Defense I want it to be a rocket over the first baseman’s head and into the stands. We almost praise that kind of mistake. I want my athletes to play like no one is watching, because that helps take the pressure off them. We also addressed the way players respond after an error. More often than not in the past, they would add to the problem and give away another base by making another error. To counteract that, we started doing a drill called “The Compounder,” which focuses on DARIN ERSTAD preventing one mistake from becoming two. The team is taught to forget the error immediately and instead concentrate on, “What is our defensive goal now?” Usually, it’s going to be to stop that runner from advancing. How do you create game-like scenarios for your players in practice? We try to speed up practices and make them chaotic defensively, so that when the players are in a game, everything seems slower. Practices start with basic fielding drills, and once the players are comfortable with those, we add variables. For example, we’ll put the defense in a bunt situation, and then suddenly switch to one in which there is a runner on first with no outs. The next play, we’ll give them a scenario where the bases are loaded and follow that up with infield in. The players aren’t ever ready for what is coming next, so they are forced to think quickly. This prepares them for high-pressure game situations. When their hearts are beating rapidly and their breathing is out of control, we want our players to be able to settle themselves down and go back to the fundamentals. We want them to be able to think, “I’ve already been through this in practice. I can handle it again.”

4 Coaching Management PRESEASON 2014

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SCOTT BRUHN/NEBRASKA ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Pat Kelly and his Nebraska teammates finished second in the nation in fielding percentage last year.

DEL MACUM

BULLETIN BOARD he could hold the bat,” Putrich says. “There were a couple of times early on where I’d watch him swing and I’d suggest an adjustment, only to realize my mistake and apologize. Josh never took it personally, but I had to remember there were things I could work on with other players that I couldn’t with him.” After several years together, Ruchotzke’s teammates were used to playing with him, and Putrich says the disability was never an issue for his club. Other coaches and players were also accepting of the modifications Ruchotzke required. “The only incident we ever had was in our first game of his senior season,” Putrich says. “Josh came up to bat, and the opposing coach said, ‘Wait, he can’t use that brace on his arm!’ So I went to their dugout and explained the situation to him. After the game, the coach offered

In most ways, Putrich treated Ruchotzke like any other player. As a senior he hit about .300, but he still had to play his way into the starting line up like everyone else. When Putrich did have to make a change because of Ruchotzke’s disability, the coach was discreet. “Josh’s biggest limitation was his range at second,” he says. “So I’d wait until he was somewhere else and then remind the first baseman to get off the bag more on ground balls to that side and tell the pitcher he would have to cover first more often as a result. But those adjustments were the same I would have made for any able-bodied second baseman without good range.” Putrich also had to get used to the equipment adaptations that Ruchotzke needed to play the game. “At the plate, Josh attached the bottom of the bat to a brace on his left arm with Velcro, and in the field, he used a special reinforced glove,” Putrich continues. “I watched him develop and become adept at using both.” The biggest adjustment for Putrich was learning what kind of coaching would best help Ruchotzke. “There were only a few ways Josh could stand comfortably in the batter’s box and only one way

Despite not having the lower parts of both his legs and most of his hands, Josh Ruchotzke started at second base for Farmington (Ill.) High School last season.

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Coaching Management PRESEASON 2014 5

Josh and his father congratulations. It was a nice moment. “During another game, one of Josh’s prosthetics came off as he was rounding a base,” Putrich continues. “He got it back on, but told me he needed a pinch runner. The opposing coach told me, ‘I understand Josh’s circumstance, so if you want to use that runner at another time during the game, that’s okay with me.’” Overall, Putrich says the key to working with an athlete with a disability is to treat him like any other player. “I think it’s great that athletes with disabilities are getting opportunities to participate,” he says. “But I think it’s important to make sure they earn their playing time fairly, which is what I did with Josh. That way, everyone is happy.” COMMUNITY SERVICE

Pink Swings THROUGHOUT HIS FIRST DECADE AS HEAD COACH AT NOVI (MICH.) HIGH SCHOOL, Rick Green wanted to organize a fundraising game, but he didn’t know what cause to support. That changed a few years ago after a player’s mother developed breast cancer. “When I heard about the diagnosis, I thought, ‘We have to do something for her,’” Green says. “I approached her about holding a fundraising game for breast cancer research, and she not only supported the idea but offered to help me get the ball rolling.” Together, they laid the foundation for Novi baseball’s Fight Against Breast Cancer Fundraiser. First held in 2011, the now-annual charity fundraiser occurs on the day before Mother’s Day and consists of two or three baseball games, a barbecue, a 50/50 raffle, and T-shirt sales. Tickets are $15 and donations are accepted for the food and drinks that are provided. Green sends 100 percent of the proceeds from the event to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. “We brought in about $1,600 in 2011, and we collected more than $2,000 last May,” he says. “My goal is to pass the $3,000 mark.” Perhaps the most unique aspect of the fundraiser is the specially ordered pink wood bats used by most players during the competitions. “I got the idea from Major League Baseball, which uses pink bats for its Mother’s Day games,” says Green. “We raise money all year to cover the cost, and we get the bats through a sporting goods company that I work for. We require all the participating teams to use wood bats, but they don’t have to pick the pink ones. Almost all the players gravitate toward them, though.” When initially planning the fundraiser, Green’s decision to use wood bats 6 Coaching Management PRESEASON 2014

served a practical purpose as well. “The reduced offense means we can fit three games in one day and still have time for lunch and other activities,” he says. “In addition, I think everyone loves hearing the crack of a wood bat, and it helps make this a unique occasion.” After the Novi team returns to its usual bats following the event, the pink bats earn special homes. “I usually buy four new pink bats each year,” Green says. “Some break, but I give the rest away as souvenirs to the mothers on our team who have survived or are fighting breast cancer. Every player on the team signs them, and we present them as mementos.” Besides the bats, Green’s players wear pink uniforms and often buy pink socks and belts. The teams also use pink ribbon baseballs during the games, and Green orders pink wristbands for all the players involved, as well as the umpires and any parent volunteers. As a special Mother’s Day tribute, Green also has players present a pink rose to their mothers during the event. Green is optimistic that the fundraiser will continue to grow and hopes to add another team into the competitive mix. “I

At Novi (Mich.) High School’s Fight Against Breast Cancer Fundraiser, held the day before Mother’s Day every year, players wear special uniforms and compete with pink bats.

have a list of squads that have said they want to participate,” he says. “Many have called to see how they can help support what we are doing even if we don’t have room for them to play.” The key to the fundraiser’s success, according to Green, has been organization and teamwork. “A lot of pieces have to come together, so I need to be prepared and have a checklist to make sure it all gets done,” he says. “For example, we advertise the event through the newspaper and flyers around the school. Then, we get food donated from parents, and they volunteer to cook during the fundraiser. On game day, I’m responsible for picking up the flowers and T-shirts and making sure everything looks nice. “Our community really rallies around this event,” Green continues. “I’d like to keep it going until I retire and hopefully even beyond.” CoachesNetwork.com

BULLETIN BOARD YOUTH PROGRAMS

Promoting Dreams Beyond the Field COLLEGE BASEBALL PROGRAMS ARE CONSTANTLY HOSTING OUTREACH EVENTS FOR YOUTH GROUPS. One successful program being used across the country involves partnering with the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation to bring children to campuses as part of the foundation’s College Day. These events are designed to expose at-risk youth to higher education and all that it has to offer. Although the baseballrelated activities may draw the bulk of the athletes’ attention, the main purpose is to encourage young people to continue toward a path of educational attainment. For many attendees, this program is their introduction to college, so it includes educational activities and talks about the importance of academics. Old Dominion University hosted a College Day in October, the highlight of which involved a meet and greet with the team’s players and coaches. On the morning of the event, the children, about 10 to 14 years old, played Wiffle-ball on the school’s baseball field before getting a meal and a tour of the campus, which included the dorms, classrooms, and athletic facilities. The last stop of the day was a Monarchs intrasquad scrimmage. Originally, the plan called for the college team to hold a skills clinic with the youth players, but uncooperative weather turned it into more of a meet-and-greet. “We thought it was more important to have our players interact with the kids,” says Old Dominion Head Coach Chris Finwood. “These kids can watch a game anytime, but what makes this type of event truly special is the ability to go on the field, get autographs, and talk with players about what it takes to be a college athlete. I always tell our guys that this is a chance to light a fire in a kid who wants to be in your shoes some day.” Afterward, the coaching staff imparted some life lessons on the youth players, stressing the need for academFor more information ic achievement on the Cal Ripken, Sr. and good behavFoundation, go to: ior in order to ripkenfoundation.org. reach college. The ODU coaches also took some time out to speak with the group’s coaching staff and give them tips on time management and drill work. “While we were excited to have the kids attend a scrimmage, the College Day event can make even more of an impact beyond the diamond,” says Jason Chandler, Old Dominion’s Assistant Athletic

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BULLETIN BOARD Director for Marketing and Promotions. “For a lot of these kids, this is their first time setting foot on a college campus, and they haven’t yet given much thought to all of the responsibilities college athletes have. But by working together with our admissions and residence life staff, we were able to line up different people to talk about things such as studying and time management.” Overall, the feedback from the event was positive. “Both the players and the kids seemed to get a lot out of the event,” Chandler says. FUNDRAISING

Riding on Mike Trout’s Shirttails For every professional athlete in the limelight, there is usually a high school program that can boast about giving the player his or her start. But bragging rights are typically the only reward reaped. That was the case at Millville (N.J.) High School, alma mater of MLB all-star Mike Trout, until Head Baseball Coach Roy Hallenbeck got off the phone with the host of a radio show during Trout’s rookie

MLB star Mike Trout (on right) presents his replica jersey to a team captain at Millville (N.J.) High School, his alma mater. Millville has been selling a version of the shirt as a fundraiser for the past three years.

season in 2012. “He asked me if we were selling a lot of Mike Trout merchandise,” Hallenbeck says. “I told him that we didn’t have anything like that for sale, but it certainly got me thinking. I realized it was a good idea. “When we went to see Mike play in Anaheim earlier that season, my kids bought T-shirt replicas of his Angels jersey,” he continues. “I figured we could do the same thing with the jerseys he wore when he played here.” Hallenbeck’s first move was to speak with Trout’s family, and thankfully, this wasn’t difficult. “Mike’s father preceded me as baseball coach, and he was still working in the school at the time, so I asked him what he thought of the idea and got the go-ahead,” Hallenbeck says. “Then I talked to Mike and his agent, and they jumped on board as well.”

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Millville started the fundraiser with a dark blue shirt in 2012, it offered a replica of Trout’s old orange jersey last season, and a white shirt is on the slate for this year. While most of the sales have been to local residents, Hallenbeck says a fair chunk have come from California, thanks in part to Trout re-tweeting messages about the shirts. At $20 each, more than 1,000 have been sold over the past two seasons.

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w w w. t h re e p i e ce te e. co m Circle No. 103

Q&A

DOUBLE DUTY

John Bolton pitches for Lipscomb Academy, which has won seven state titles in baseball and one in girls’ basketball under Ernie Smith.

Q&A WITH ERNIE SMITH | LIPSCOMB ACADEMY, NASHVILLE, TENN.

Winning seven state titles and more than 800 games over 40 seasons would be an impressive career for any baseball coach. But for Ernie Smith, Head Coach at Lipscomb Academy in Nashville, Tenn., that’s only the half of it. Along with coaching baseball and teaching health at Lipscomb, Smith has also been the school’s Head Girls’ Basketball Coach, leading that program to more than 800 wins and a state title. Although Smith isn’t technically a “lifer” at Lipscomb Academy—the term is reserved for those who attend the school from CoachesNetwork.com

kindergarten through 12th grade—the description certainly fits. After going to the private school from seventh grade until graduation, he went to Lipscomb University, which shares its campus with the academy. Smith returned and assumed his three roles shortly after getting his bachelor’s degree in 1973 and has never left. Smith was named the NFHS Baseball Coach of the Year in 2011 after leading Lipscomb to a state title and also earned the Tennessee Baseball Coaches Association High School Coach of the Year award for the fifth time that year. He was inducted into the association’s Hall of Fame in 2009 and is also a member of the Lipscomb University Hall of Fame, having been enshrined in 1999.

In this interview, Smith talks about taking home two state titles in one year, the championship that meant the most to him, and pitch count limits. He also reflects on how he’s changed over the past 40 years. CM: How did you get involved in coaching both girls’ basketball and baseball?

Smith: It began out of necessity. When I first started teaching at the academy, the head baseball coach had just left. Because I played baseball at the university, the administration thought I would be a good fit for the position, so I was hired. At the same time, a friend of mine was coaching the girls’ basketball team, and he needed help. I was familiar with the sport because my sister played, so I agreed to lend him a hand. Shortly after that, he took over Coaching Management PRESEASON 2014 9

the women’s program at Lipscomb University, and I slid into his spot at the academy. I’ve been doing both sports ever since. Will you continue to coach both sports?

I’m not sure because it has gotten harder to manage. At times, I think I am being selfish and not giving the athletes the attention they deserve because I coach two teams. For one example, while baseball practices can’t start until February, instead of coaching girls’ basketball in the winter, I could be doing individual work with my baseball players. What was it like to win a state title in both girls’ basketball and baseball in 1986?

At the time, I was a young coach and very naïve. I didn’t think it was a big deal to win two in the same year until a sportswriter friend of mine told me he couldn’t believe what I had accomplished. I have come to realize that state championships are not easy to come by, and I appreciate each one a lot more. What stands out from your most recent baseball title in 2011?

There are years when your team doesn’t

win and you think they should have and years when you sit down after being crowned state champions and wonder, “How did these guys do it?” The 2011 title was the latter scenario. Early that year, our team was pretty good, but then we were derailed by several injuries and the illness of my son, who was a senior pitcher on the team. Midway through the season, he was hospitalized with myocarditis—inflammation in the heart from a viral infection. However, he recovered after a couple of weeks and was able to return to the team. Everything came together for us just as the postseason started. We peaked at the right time, and we were playing our best ball of the year when we got to states. There were seven seniors on that team who were all pretty tight-knit. They had come close to winning a state championship a couple of times, so they really wanted it. When things started getting tough, they didn’t give up and remained confident. I’ll always remember that title because of the way the players came together, but it was even more special because my son was healthy and able to be a part of it.

How did you handle the serious illness of your son?

He wasn’t aware of how serious it was, but my wife and I knew that not everyone survives that kind of infection. We just took it day by day. The whole experience put things into perspective for me. Yes, he got better and we won the state championship, but I remember sitting in the hospital thinking, “There are more important things in this world than baseball.” What is your coaching philosophy?

I never want my players to feel like sports are a job. When they look back on their time in high school athletics, I want them to have only positive memories. So my coaching staff and I remain cognizant of everything that is going on in our student-athletes’ lives, and we try to keep sports fun for them by making our practices and games enjoyable. How have you changed as a coach over your career?

I have mellowed during my 40 years of coaching. When I first started, I was young and brash, and I thought I had all

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Management PRESEASON 2014 10 Coaching Management

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Q&A the answers. But after having my own children, my attitude changed. I started asking myself whether I would want my kids to be treated the way I was treating my players. As my children got older and participated in sports, I saw what it was like when they came home upset because of something their coaches said or did, and it bothered me to think I had ever done that to one of my athletes. It made me take a step back and become more conscious of the way I handled my players. I also think coaching both boys and girls has affected my style over the years. In my experience, you have to be more considerate of feelings when coaching girls. But I’ve carried some of that over to working with boys as well. I’ve learned that I shouldn’t always get in a player’s face or jump down their throat when they make a mistake. I can get my point across without hurting a kid’s feelings. How has high school baseball changed over the years?

The quality and quantity of instruction has improved. When I first started coaching, very few players received individual instruc-

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tion outside of the season, but now kids are working and improving all the time. They all have hitting and pitching instructors during the off-season, and as a result, their skills have progressed faster. For example, when I was in high school, it was almost unheard of for a pitcher to throw in the 90s. Now, that’s somewhat common. What are your thoughts on rules limiting pitch counts?

I think it’s a good thing. We watch pitch counts closely, especially early in the season. It’s even more important because our pitchers often come to baseball right from their basketball seasons. Their arms usually aren’t in the best throwing shape, so we let them slowly get into the routine. For example, one year our best pitcher was on the basketball team that made it to the state tournament. By the time he was able to join us, we had already been playing games for a week. He felt he could pitch right away, but we didn’t want to risk him getting injured, so we only let him throw for a few innings at a time, gradually increasing the amount by an extra inning or a certain number of pitches. It actually wasn’t until

midseason that he was allowed to pitch a whole game. How do you respond when people claim private schools have athletic advantages over public schools?

I can certainly understand where they are coming from. Here at Lipscomb, we identify more with public schools than private ones because we compete in the public school leagues, and we don’t offer athletic scholarships. As a result, we can relate to the frustrations public schools feel over losing athletes to private ones. Studentathletes used to come to Lipscomb because they belonged to the same church that we are affiliated with. But since we don’t offer athletic aid, some of the kids we used to get are now going to another private school where their tuition is covered. It’s a tough thing to battle. I wouldn’t be surprised if all private schools were pulled from the public leagues in the coming years. Even though we don’t offer athletic scholarships, I could see us getting removed, because public schools don’t want to deal with private schools at all anymore. CM

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Circle No. 107 Coaching Management PRESEASON 2014 11

Stony Brook University outfielder Tanner Nivins waits for a fly ball to settle inside his glove. The Seawolves spend much of their preseason practicing indoors, and Head Coach Matt Senk has several strategies for getting the most work done in a limited space.

COVER STORY

AN INSIDE

LOOK Moving under a roof for practice doesn’t have to mean settling for less. Coaches share how they make this setting work for, instead of against, them. | By Patrick Bohn

Runners sliding onto blankets. Fielders shielding their eyes from fluorescent lights. Fungo hitters batting balls from their knees. What sounds like scenes from a baseball coach’s bad dream are actually innovative ways to optimize indoor practices. While there’s no doubt that baseball is meant to be played outside, the reality is that inclement weather will send some practices indoors, whether for isolated sessions or extended periods. But successful indoor workouts require more than just moving the team under a roof. Coaches must choreograph sessions that adapt to the facility’s constraints, which often means looking at practice itself a little differently. If approached correctly, however, indoor practices are not just an obstacle to overcome—they can help players improve in ways that outdoor practices don’t. And some coaches say indoor sessions make them better teachers as well. MORE WITH LESS

While the exact impact of moving practice inside varies by school, any indoor facility will offer less space than an outdoor baseball field. This means eliminating certain drills from the practice plan as well as reevaluating your goals and approach for these training opportunities. Coaches who often practice inside advise focusing on process over results. “Sometimes, coaches go overboard trying to create game-like scenarios during indoor practices,” says George Valesente, Head Coach at Ithaca College. “Obviously, you want to CoachesNetwork.com

utilize skills that translate to a game, but when you don’t have a full field, it can be impossible to mirror game-like situations. Usually, I don’t even try to do so. Instead, I have my players work on the individual parts of a skill rather than worry about the outcome, like how far the ball travels after a hit.” At Stony Brook University, Head Coach Matt Senk takes a similar approach when working indoors. “We focus on the little things a lot more,” he says. “For example, we’ll put a coach about 20 feet away from an infielder and have him hit ball after ball to the player’s backhand. We tell the fielders to concentrate on getting their glove in the right position and making sure their footwork is correct. These are the types of technique details you sometimes forget about when you have a full diamond to work with.” Fortunately, most gyms and field houses provide enough room to work on teambased schemes and defenses, albeit on a smaller scale. “Even if you don’t have a full field, you can still work on things like positioning or properly backing teammates up,” says Pat Bloom, Head Coach at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. “You just have to reduce your spacing proportionately, so that everyone’s still lined up in the same way as they would be outside. This allows you to work on defensive coverages and feel confiCoaching Management PRESEASON 2014 13

COVER STORY

dent that they’ll work once you’re outside.” Other coaches take full advantage of the controlled climate of indoor facilities. A benefit of being inside is the opportunity to do things that might be limited outside by inclement weather or cold temperatures. Derrick Jackson, Head Coach at Fort Chiswell High School in Max Meadows, Va.,

to indoor situations. But with a little forethought and creativity, coaches can practice these skills appropriately and effectively. One of the keys when creating or choosing a drill is looking for ways to counteract the limitations of being away from the baseball diamond. This is especially true with infield drills.

Defenses can also have a hard time practicing relay throws in indoor settings. However, with a little creativity, Valesente developed a way to get players accustomed to throwing the right distances. “When we worked in the gym, I had the outfielders line up at one end and throw to the infielders at the other end, while still giving them room to

“I have the players line up along the baseline while I stand at midcourt as the ‘pitcher.’ They take a lead and then watch my feet. If I make a move to first, they go back to the baseline. If I go into a delivery, they start running like they’re stealing a base.” | DERRICK JACKSON, FORT CHISWELL HIGH SCHOOL, VA. uses indoor practices to build the capacity of his pitchers, even though the work they do doesn’t change. “Even when the weather is clear, it can still be cold early in the preseason, which makes us exercise extreme caution in regard to the amount of throwing our pitchers do outside,” he says. “Indoors, we don’t have to worry about that. Our pitchers probably throw twice as many pitches when they are indoors, just because it’s climate controlled.” In addition to changing how players experience practice, moving indoors can also give a coach a new perspective on the activity. “It’s easier to keep an eye on everything when the team’s inside,” says Matt Smith, Head Coach at St. Mark’s High School in Wilmington, Del. “I like to set up live batting close to a couple of T-ball stations so I can watch several players at once. During our regular outdoor practices, it’s tougher to know everything that’s going on because guys are so spread out.” Valesente also feels the intimacy of inside spaces can help coaches better connect with players. “I’m a better coach when we’re indoors,” he says. “When we’re outside doing full-field drills, I’m busy making big-picture observations about execution. The players are more spread out, however, and it’s tougher for them to listen to me when I’m discussing a coaching point. “When we’re indoors and there’s a player in front of me working on one specific part of a drill, he’s a captive audience,” Valesente continues. “I can break down what he’s doing, and he’s more likely to listen closely and really absorb what I’m telling him.”

“In many ways, it’s easier to field a ground ball indoors than outside,” Bloom says. “Because you’re on a flat surface with no loose impediments, there are no bad hops to worry about, and you usually don’t have many instances where infielders have to pick up a low hop down by their feet. While that sounds like an ideal situation, we don’t want our guys to get accustomed to that because then they’ll have trouble adjusting when we go outdoors. “So to help our infielders practice handling those low ground balls, we have a drill in which we tell our fungo hitters to hit grounders from their knees,” he continues. “That way, the balls don’t bounce as high, and the fielders get to work on low hops.”

14 Coaching Management PRESEASON 2014

PATRICK BOHN is an Assistant Editor at Coaching Management. He can be reached at: pb@MomentumMedia.com.

SAFETY FIRST Practicing an outdoor sport in an indoor facility raises the risk for injury. The confined space brings players closer to each other and increases the chances of someone being hit by a ball, colliding with a coach or teammate, or even running into a wall. Here are some general suggestions from sports safety expert Dick Borkowski, a regular contributor to our sister publication, Athletic Management, to help keep everyone safe while practicing inside: n

players to let up as they near walls when chasing balls.

Keep players away from doors and glass.

Limit any swinging of bats to specifically designated areas.

Make sure entrances are closed to avoid people walking in during practice.

Before starting a drill, look around. If there is a hazard, remove it. If you cannot remove the hazard, modify the drill. If you cannot modify the drill, do not use it.

Make sure everyone is throwing in the same direction.

n Tell

MAKING ADJUSTMENTS

A large part of making indoor practices work is choosing the right drills. Some traditional activities will move inside seamlessly, especially cage-based and soft-toss hitting drills and pitchers’ work. Fielding and baserunning, however, don’t always adapt as well

move, catch, and turn,” he says. “After they had taken a few throws, I’d switch the outfielders and the catchers and instruct the infielders to accurately send a ball home. It took a bit longer to reenact, but the distances were roughly the same as on the field.” At Stevens Point, Bloom is able to use an indoor field house that’s about 300 feet long. But even that distance makes it challenging to replicate a diving catch by an outfielder, because the surface isn’t as forgiving as turf, leaving Bloom reluctant to have his players hitting the ground hard. “Sometimes, we’ll put out mats for play-

Design drills to avoid going near any columns or other fixed items.

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Circle No. 108

ers to dive onto,” he says. “But more commonly, we’ll have two players get on their knees about 40 feet apart. They’ll toss the ball to each other but always off-target just enough that their partner will need to lay out in order to catch it. This allows us to

on stealing or rounding the bases when a ball is hit into the gap,” Senk says. “But when our hitters are in the cage facing a pitcher, we set up bases around the cage and put runners on them so they can work on getting secondary leads and properly breaking on contact.”

lights in an indoor facility can get players used to shielding their eyes with their gloves as they track a ball,” says Smith. “The wind is trickier, but if you’ve got a coach lobbing the ball in the air, have him fake a throw to the right before tossing it to the left. This will

“I also looked for ways to use the specific layout to my advantage. For example ... I’d set up a four-corner bunting station, where I’d put hitters in each corner of the gym.” | GEORGE VALESENTE, ITHACA COLLEGE teach proper glove positioning when going after a line drive and gets the players used to going prone for a ball, even if they aren’t doing a full dive.” Another area where cramped quarters are inhibiting is baserunning. Even when space is available, the difference in surfaces can limit how indoor drills transfer to the baseball diamond. However, coaches have found ways to help players hone their baserunning instincts indoors. “We don’t have enough room to replicate the distance between bases, so we can’t work

O O %

Jackson also has a baserunning drill that cause the player to take a false step one way he uses with his team in the gym. “I have the and have to turn their head around to track players line up along the baseline while I the ball, just like they would do if the wind stand at midcourt as the ‘pitcher,’” he says. carried it in another direction.” “They take a lead and then watch my feet. If I make a move to first, they go back to the MENTAL GAME Coaching 1/4 pg Ad February 2014 If a team is forced indoors for a long time baseline. If I go into a delivery, theyManagement start due to poor weather, it’s not uncommon for running like they’re stealing a base.” Although avoiding the elements is a players—and coaches—to get cabin fever. If main reason for moving indoors, coaches this happens, coaches can look for a way to still have to find ways to help their fielders inject some life into practices. “Our players get stir crazy when they’re prepare for the sun and wind they’ll deal 3.4275 in. weeks at a time,” says Mike for a few with outside. “Simply tossing a ball into the indoors

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COVER STORY

Bruner, Head Coach at Montesano (Wash.) High School. “So every so often, we’ll have a scrimmage using light-flight balls. When the player swings, in order not to damage the floor, he has to drop the bat on a mat we place by home plate or else the inning ends for his team. We also switch sides if he hits the ball into the ceiling. The fielders can’t use their gloves, and the bases are close together, so the game is a challenge for the defense as well. “We only play it a few times a year,” he continues. “But it’s a nice break for the players, and it’s something they enjoy. It’s a great way for us to keep the kids energized and enthusiastic when they’ve been practicing indoors for a long time.” Sliding practice can also change the mood. Since most indoor facility floors are not appropriate for this activity, coaches recommend softening the impact with blankets or other cushioning. “If you’ve got sliding mats, it shouldn’t be a problem for players,” Bloom says. “We often use it as a way to reward the team after a tough practice.” However, it’s important that coaches don’t take it too easy on players when work-

Players also need reminders that indoor practices require a different level of awareness. “In our gym, we have just enough room for catchers to make a full throw down to second base,” Jackson says. “But the bleachers are right behind the base, so I tell our infielders that if the throw is offline, they shouldn’t go lunging for it. They also need to be wary of balls rebounding off the bleachers.” Coaches should be careful to avoid inadvertently putting players in precarious situations. “We put home plate in the corner of the building, which doesn’t give us a lot of foul territory before the walls come into play,” Bloom says. “So I remind coaches not to hit balls down the line and make sure that the players know it’s better to pull up short than run into the wall at full speed.” Trying to do too much at once can also lead to trouble. “When I was at SUNY Brockport, we practiced indoors in a gym,” Valesente says. “I used a hitting drill where four batters stood in a line across the court and pitchers would throw them tennis balls to hit. Even though we didn’t use baseballs, there were still times when guys had to dive

ing indoors. Just because a practice is held away from the diamond doesn’t mean the standards for effort and focus are reduced. “There are times, especially when having practice early in the morning or late at night, when players become lethargic indoors,” says Valesente. “When that happens, I simply remind them that any chance to practice is a privilege and that behavior ends on the spot. I rarely have to bring it up again in the same season.” RISK MANAGEMENT

While safety is always a concern during practices, it takes on an even larger importance when a squad is indoors. Hard floors and walls can be hazardous if a coach doesn’t make safety a priority. Start by making sure the players are aware of their surroundings and the expectations they’ll face. “Before I begin any indoor practice, I walk my players through what we’ll be doing that day so they’re not caught off guard by something,” Senk says. “I also make sure all the players are wearing helmets when they’re in or around the batting cages.”

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Circle No. 111

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Coaching Management PRESEASON 2014 17

COVER STORY

out of the way of a line drive, so I stopped using it.” When dealing with safety concerns, sometimes little changes can make a significant difference. “We often work on rounding bases indoors,” says Valesente. “And some of the bases we use don’t stay in place when a player’s foot hits it. In order to prevent the base from sliding away and causing the runner to fall, we have another player put his foot on the other side of the base to steady it.”

“When I work with runners on detecting a pitcher’s pickoff move, I have them take leads off of first base, but I don’t let them slide back in,” says Jackson. “Instead, I tell them to lower themselves slowly and reach out to the base. That way, they still practice getting low to avoid the tag without risking getting hurt by sliding across a wood floor.” MAXIMUM USE

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maximize the available space. When his team used to practice in a gym, Valesente tried various layouts before deciding on the best way to use the entire area. “I carried around a three-ring notebook that detailed the location of every hitting station we were going to set up, which ensured that there was no wasted space,” he says. “I also looked for ways to use the specific layout to my advantage. For example, at SUNY Brockport, we often practiced on the basketball court. So I’d hang nets off the baskets where players would do soft-toss work. At the same time, I would set up a four-corner bunting station, where I’d put hitters in each corner of the gym and have them bunt off pitchers throwing diagonally from midcourt. You have to get creative sometimes if you want to be productive.” Practicing in the school’s gymnasium prompted Senk to find ways to get multiple uses out of his equipment. “We have two batting tunnels that are about 70 feet long and 15 feet wide that can be lowered from the ceiling,” he says. “We bring them down so they’re elevated a few feet off the ground, and then we have the outfielders throw balls into them. While the balls obviously don’t travel as far as they would outside, the players can still throw with the same force they would use if they were throwing from the outfield to home plate, which is what’s important. And because the tunnels are narrow, it allows us the ability to see if a throw is on line or off target.” Valesente says another trick is to make use of equipment that is already taking up space in the gym. “For example, sometimes the lacrosse team would leave their nets out,” he says. “Rather than spending time putting them back and setting up a hitting station, we would use them for our tee work.” When conditions were especially tight during gym workouts, Valesente would take advantage of other available spaces. “Before we moved into our new fieldhouse here, we often had to share the gym with another team, and we couldn’t fit everyone into the space at once,” he says. “So I’d send half the team into the hallway with medicine balls, jump ropes, and mats to have them stretch and work on their conditioning. The gym we used was in the same building as some of the athletic trainers’ offices, so they were able to supervise what was going on in the hallway while the coaches focused on the players doing skill work in the gym. “While working indoors is never ideal, it doesn’t have to be a hindrance,” Valesente continues. “You just need to think outside the box and make use of everything at your disposal.” CM CoachesNetwork.com

PROGRESSIVE PROGRAMS

Male athletes at Mesa Verde High School in Citrus Heights, Calif., are becoming leaders on their campus in building and modeling respectful relationships with women.

LEADERS AGAINST VIOLENCE

Can a team program play a role in stopping violence against women? This coach found the answer to be yes. By Ron Barney

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A year ago, when two high school football players in Ohio were convicted of rape, national headlines brought the news into everyone’s consciousness. Young people were made aware of the dire consequences of their actions and inactions. Adults gained insight into what was going on with today’s teens. I don’t know how most coaches reacted in terms of talking about the incident with CoachesNetwork.com

their own student-athletes, but here at Mesa Verde High School in Citrus Heights, Calif., there was immediate discussion on my team. This came naturally and was expected by our student-athletes. The reason our athletes were eager and willing to talk about the case was because dialogue on the broader topics involved was already happening. A few years ago, we implemented a program called Coaching Boys Into Men (CBIM) that teaches male student-athletes their role in stopping violence against women. The initiative has been extremely powerful in helping our athletes become leaders on this issue, and it has changed the culture of our school. WHAT IS CBIM?

CBIM is a proactive program that addresses the problem of violence against women through education and discussion. Tapping into the power of sports and the influence of Coaching Management PRESEASON 2014 19

coaches, CBIM equips coaches with tools to help them teach male athletes how to build respectful, nonviolent relationships. My involvement with CBIM began in 2009 when I was contacted by researchers from the University of California-Davis who were just beginning to test the program. They asked if the Mesa Verde football team would join a few other high school squads in being the first to try CBIM and judge its effectiveness. My initial reaction was that I did not have time to do this. One more thing on my full plate would likely be unmanageable. But after reading a little about the program, I became interested. As a lifelong coach and educator, I am concerned about the many incidents of violence against women. CBIM presented a golden opportunity to help make a difference. RON BARNEY is Athletic Director and Head Football Coach at Mesa Verde High School in Citrus Heights, Calif., as well as Athletic Director for the San Juan Unified School District. A 37-year coaching veteran, he was honored with the Michael D. Gebhardt Coaches Award for spirit, sportsmanship, and dedication in 2011. He can be reached at: rbarney@sanjuan.edu.

We started the program with the 45 players on our varsity football team. Another football coach at Mesa Verde and I went to a CBIM seminar to learn more about the program and how to deliver its lessons. We found out the aim of CBIM is to teach respect, integrity, and nonviolence in an effort to develop solid, responsible studentathletes who will become upstanding citizens. Its core goal is to inspire men to teach boys the importance of respecting women and that violence never equals strength. The program also develops leaders by training athletes in how to intervene. Our players became confident in changing a situation instead of looking the other way. This not only empowered our players, but changed the school climate. The CBIM lessons taught our young men on the team to become leaders against violence toward women, and they in turn created more leaders. After a year or so of using the program, we noticed the number of fights and suspensions went way down and there was calmness and a sense of safety on our campus. The impact of the program was bigger than I thought it would be. The change it has

brought to our school is simply amazing. COACH AS TEACHER

One of the main components of the program is that coaches—as opposed to specially trained facilitators—teach their athletes the CBIM messages. Because we spend at least two hours a day with our teams, what better person is there to relay these lessons? In addition, most coaches already have the athletes’ respect and serve as male role models. The first step of CBIM is simple training for the coaches that supplies them with many teaching tools. One is a series of training cards to help lead weekly discussions with athletes throughout the season. Each lesson is meant to last at least 10 to 15 minutes, and there is flexibility in the implementation. Some coaches present the sessions before or after—or even during—practice, while others hold them at lunch time. Here at Mesa Verde, I conduct my lessons every Monday afternoon. This is a great time for us since we are fresh and ready to go after the weekend, and we are in a classroom so I have my team’s undivided attention.

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PROGRESSIVE PROGRAMS

Sometimes the sessions last up to 30 minutes if there is a lot of discussion, but the extra time is always worth it. Along with the formal lessons, coaches are asked to make respect and leadership a constant theme within their team. To help with this, there is a CBIM kit called a Playbook, which includes facts and information about relationship violence and abuse, teachable

up its game in modeling good behavior. We are careful to choose the right words in all conversations, call out any athlete who is disrespecting women, and not joke about something that is not a joke. It has forced us to improve our own leadership, which has made us better coaches. We always send a letter home with our athletes to get permission from their parents

goal. The question I ask back is, “How can you not find the time?” LESSON PLANS

Talking about violence against women can be difficult. CBIM provides a sample introductory speech that can be helpful. It goes like this: I want to talk to you about your responsi-

For each topic, there are a series of questions and talking points the coach can use to begin discussion ... When you first get started, players can be apprehensive. But once you break the ice, more athletes start talking. moment scenarios, and tips and tactics on how to talk to your athletes. For example, if I overhear a young man speaking disrespectfully to a female or read a news story related to sexual violence, I will have a meeting with my athletes to discuss it using tools from the Playbook. (See “Teachable Moment” on page 22.) If we are going to talk the talk, we also have to walk the walk. I am really proud to report that our coaching staff has stepped

to be part of the program. So far we have had all our athletes on board. After using CBIM for several years, I’m frequently asked, “How do you find the time to implement the program?” I had the same concern when first approached about this initiative. But as a coach striving to constantly instill lifelong lessons, I also want to teach morals and values. CBIM gave me all the tools I needed as a coach to achieve that

bilities on this team and my expectations of you. This season we’ll not only be focusing on your development as athletes, but also on your development as young men. This includes how you carry yourself and how you treat others, particularly women and girls like your girlfriend or your sister. Periodically, I want to talk to you guys about some of these things and focus on how we can better show respect to ourselves, teammates, and others.

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Coaching Management PRESEASON 2014 21

When coaches are faced with an inappropriate situation among their own players, sometimes they may not know how to react. The following teachable moment from the Coaching Boys Into Men (CBIM) Playbook provides an example of what to do when one or several of your players step over the line. During a time out at practice, Jennifer, a freshman on the tennis team, is walking alone across the gym floor toward the east entrance. Some of your boys in the back notice Jennifer and start howling, whistling, and making inappropriate comments. You notice that she is uncomfortable and perhaps a little scared, but she holds her head up and continues through the gym. STEP IN AS SOON AS THE BEHAVIOR STARTS. Coach: All right, cut it out! Player 1: Coach, we’re just playing. Besides, look how she’s dressed. She’s asking for it. Coach: Catcalls and jeering aren’t playing. And how somebody dresses isn’t asking for anything. Player 2: But Coach, she’s hot! Coach: If you like the way she looks, wait until after practice and go up and tell her— by yourself. She might even appreciate it. What you guys were doing was just trying to impress each other with how funny you are. That’s not the way we impress each other on this team. We do that by treating each other with honor and respect and by treating women the same way. Is that clear? Team: Clear, coach!

Taking the time to put an end to what your players may have viewed as innocent fun is a preventative step toward educating boys about respecting women and girls. The next step is to go into further detail at a subsequent meeting or practice. n

Explain that taunting women and girls is degrading and that girls should not be belittled because of how they look or what they choose to wear.

Mention that most girls do not welcome that type of attention and are probably fearful of defending themselves.

Point out that, as members of a team, they should know how important it is to respect others. Tell them that the same holds true in real life and that they must always think about how their actions affect other people.

Finally, let them know that the men you admire are those who treat women and girls with honor and respect.

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PROGRESSIVE PROGRAMS

The lessons cover these topics: 1. Respect 2. Personal responsibility 3. Insulting language 4. Disrespectful behavior towards women and girls 5. Digital disrespect: cell phones, texting, photos, videos 6. Understanding consent 7. Bragging about sexual reputation 8. The responsibility of physical strength 9. When aggression crosses the line 10. There is no excuse for relationship abuse 11. Modeling respectful behavior towards women and girls. For each topic, there are a series of questions and talking points the coach can use to begin discussion and encourage athletes to share personal stories and thoughts. When you first get started, players can be apprehensive. But once you break the ice and get some of the athletes in a dialogue, more athletes start talking. The first lesson is on respect. Here are the questions that get the conversation going: n What does respect mean to you?

n How can you show respect to your teammates? n How can you show respect to your friends and family? Your girlfriend? n How do you show respect even to people you don’t know, like at a restaurant or a mall? Talking points include the following: n I care about how you act on and off the field. n Respectful behavior means treating others how they want to be treated. n Showing true respect involves everything you do—how you speak, how you act, how you think, and the way you present yourself to others. n As athletes, people will watch you, and many will look up to you. The language you use, how you act, and how you treat other people is very important. n I want you to keep up with your schoolwork, be polite to your teachers, and respect women and girls. The final lesson is on modeling respectful behavior towards women. Here are some of the questions to generate conversation: n What are ways you can show respect in your relationships with women and girls?

n How can you watch out for each other and make sure your teammates are responsible on and off the field? n What can you do if you hear your friend being disrespectful towards a girl or another person? n As someone other players and students look up to in this school, what are ways you can share these principles of respect with others? Talking points include the following: n You can show respect to others in many ways, like valuing and supporting their personal boundaries, decisions, and individuality. n By showing respect towards women and girls in your language and actions, you’re not only doing the right thing, you’re setting an example for others. n If you witness one of your teammates using inappropriate language or behavior or being disrespectful to a girl, don’t join in on it. CALL HIM ON IT. n If you witness a situation and it makes you feel unsafe, don’t get involved directly. Ask an adult for help. n Think of ways you can share the principles of respect—teamwork, responsibility,

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Coaching Management PRESEASON 2014 23

PROGRESSIVE PROGRAMS

integrity, nonviolence—with your community. n You are all part of something positive at this school. Your commitment to respect is also a responsibility—defend it and share it. At the end of all the lessons, your team can sign a pledge to affirm its commitment. We make a big poster with the pledge on it and have all athletes and coaches involved sign it. It is displayed for everyone on campus to see. The pledge states: I commit to take a stand against relationship abuse, and I believe that violence is neither a solution nor a sign of strength. I understand that by treating everyone with respect, I am a role model to others. By taking this pledge, I publicly denounce violence against women and girls. A world of respect starts today and it starts with me. However, the program is not over after signing this pledge. Coaches should continue to talk about the issues at every opportunity. In addition, the program should be repeated every year as new students join a team. Veteran student-athletes do not find this boring, but rather become leaders in the discussions in ensuing years. Even if the lesson is the

same, new things are brought up and learned because of the different experiences of everyone involved. REACHING FURTHER

Part of our success in growing CBIM is due to recruiting allies in our efforts. We’ve received the support of district leadership and upperlevel administrators, as well as our booster club. Local TV and radio stations have produced stories about the program. The clothing manufacturer Dockers came to our school and shot a short film about the problem of violence against women and the CBIM program. My personal involvement with CBIM has grown as well. Last year, I trained 38 coaches on how to implement CBIM in Alaska. I have remained in contact with many of them, and they feel the program is making a difference. Colleges and universities in California have become interested in the program, and I spoke about CBIM at a meeting of all the campuses in the University of California system. I offered suggestions on how they might want to implement it at their schools. As the meeting went on, I could see there is a great need for this program at the college level.

One of the most rewarding outcomes of CBIM is that our athletes carry its message with them. In my first group of football players, we had a young man who became the leader of our CBIM program. He was honored as Youth Leader of the Year in California for his efforts. Three young men who were also on that first team spoke to the California State Legislature on behalf of the program and the need to implement it in all schools. I am proud to say I have students in college now who are spreading the message that CBIM delivers. My experience with CBIM has been nothing short of amazing. At times, I’m overwhelmed at the effect we can have as coaches in a young man’s life, a team, a school, and a culture. I have been in education for 37 years and I have seen many changes in our society. The need for teaching young men to respect women has never been greater, and CBIM will give you the tools to make a difference. CM Versions of this article were published in other issues of Coaching Management and its sister publication, Athletic Management. More articles from Athletic Management can be found at: www.AthleticManagement.com.

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STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

Thanks in part to his teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fall training program, Joey Pankake hit 11 home runs for the University of South Carolina in 2013.

READY FOR LIFTOFF SOUTH CAROLINA ATHLETICS

The success the University of South Carolina enjoys each spring starts with the strength and conditioning work the team does each fall. By Billy Anderson

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Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s baseball coaches know that strength and conditioning is an important part of helping a team reach its potential. Here at the University of South Carolina, our squads have enjoyed a great deal of success, but each year we still step up our efforts to design and implement more effective training programs. Our players are typically involved in competition from February to August. As a result, the fall is a critical time for them to build the strength, both overall and baseball-specific, that can help set them apart during the spring season. Our fall training begins in mid to late August and runs through November. Though we do some strength training in the summer and winter, Coaching Management PRESEASON 2014 25

the fall is when it becomes a major part of the players’ routine. To maximize our time, we train through the entire period, despite a busy practice and scrimmage schedule. The success of the baseball program is a testament to the year-round hard work and dedication of the players and coaches. During my 12 years working with the team, the Gamecocks have won two NCAA Division I national championships, reached the College World Series six times, and claimed three Southeastern Conference titles. The team has also set NCAA postseason records for consecutive tournament wins (22) and consecutive wins in the College World Series (12). As the team’s strength and conditioning coach, I’m able to do my part thanks to the support I receive from the sport coaching staff. I have a great relationship with them, and they have unconditional faith in our strength and conditioning program. They strongly believe in its importance and will even end practice early sometimes rather than cut into the players’ training time. My programs have evolved considerably over the years. I’ve come to understand that a successful baseball strength and condition-

ing routine must be tailored to each player’s fitness level, physical ability, injury history, and role on the team, and it needs to revolve around improving the strength, mobility, and flexibility of the athletes. I believe in variety, and my exercises are drawn from a number of different disciplines, but I’ve also learned the value of simple, well-thought-out routines. I use some form of periodization throughout the year, whether it be linear, progressive, or undulating, as well as some power lifting and strongman work. I also incorporate prehab, mobility, agility, and speed routines, and a few fun bodybuilding exercises. INJURY PREVENTION

First and foremost, I subscribe to the philosophy that a good baseball strength and conditioning program is a good injuryprevention program. There’s a great deal of research that points to overuse and longterm sport-specific training as frequent causes of injury in baseball. Many players struggle with hip, torso, shoulder, or elbow problems, which may have developed when they were in high school or even earlier.

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For that reason, we take a low-risk approach to training. We assess injury history before starting any strength work and build up carefully, staying away from exercises that could cause or re-aggravate injuries. When a freshman baseball player arrives at South Carolina, he undergoes a very thorough exam by our doctors and athletic trainer, which includes discussions on any injuries he has suffered. If there have been prior injuries, we make sure his training protocol will help prevent a recurrence, while still helping him gain strength. For example, if a player has had back problems, we may remove full squats from his workout and replace them with squat variations such as single-leg squats and Bulgarian-split squats, lunges, or even leg presses. If an athlete has had shoulder issues, we may opt for push-up or dumbbell benchpress variations instead of bench presses because those exercises tend to put less stress BILLY ANDERSON is the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for Olympic Sports at the University of South Carolina and the Head Strength Coach for its baseball team. He can be reached at: bdanders@mailbox.sc.edu.

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on the shoulders while still building sufficient strength in the chest. In other cases, we omit an exercise from a workout based on position. For example, we don’t include the straight bar bench in pitchers’ workouts because the player can build too much muscle mass if the exercise isn’t carefully regulated. This can lead to restrictions in the flexibility, mobility, and range of motion—especially in the throwing arm— that are key to pitchers’ success. Instead, we’ll use dumbbell presses or push-up variations because they’re less likely to restrict range of motion. During the fall, we’ll sometimes drop

that our strength training develops the lower body. As another source of power, the core is also involved in many of the same movements, so we do med ball work with both groups to build and maintain core strength. It’s in the approach to upper-body training that the two workouts differ significantly. To avoid excess bulk in pitchers, we maintain at least a 1:2-3 ratio of push-to-pull exercises in their routines—using rowing variations, pull-downs, pull-ups, and chinups—and focus on keeping their backs as strong as possible to help with shoulder function and stability. For our position play-

vary depending on a player’s injury history, physical attributes, conditioning levels, or position-specific requirements. We use dynamic warm-ups to help prevent injury, and the sets and reps of our exercises vary depending on our practice and scrimmage schedule. Monday is a lower-body day, with an emphasis on squats. A typical workout will start with some foam-rolling work, followed by a dynamic warm-up focusing on the hips and ankles. The squats are always the first weight exercise we do because they work the largest muscle group and we want the play-

For our fall work in the weightroom, we split pitchers and position players apart and develop different workouts for each group. For our pitchers, we focus on arm endurance, shoulder stability, single-leg balance, and torso rotation. Position players work on strength in the chest, arms, and hips. squats from a catcher’s workout depending on the number of innings he’s caught or how his legs are feeling. We’ve also excluded certain types of weight training from our program entirely, such as Olympic lifting. While Olympic lifting is an effective way to build athletes’ explosiveness, the lifts are very technical and require proper form at all times to reduce the risk of serious injury. Since most of our players have little or no prior Olympic-lifting experience, it isn’t worth the time it would take to get them fully proficient in these lifts when there are other ways to build explosiveness. Instead, we use box jumps, dumbbell jump squats, sprints, split squat jumps, and hurdle hops. Like Olympic lifts, these exercises all incorporate explosive movement. As a result, they can just as easily help a player achieve his training goals, but in a much safer manner. FALL FOCUS

ers, we use a 1:2 ratio in the same push-topull exercises because a little extra bulk doesn’t adversely affect their performance, and the extra strength often helps. We rarely do traditional conditioning work with our position players because our coaching staff believes the best way to get in shape for baseball is to play baseball. These players are expected to fully exert themselves during practice, hustling after fly balls and grounders, running hard on the bases, and getting on and off the field quickly between innings. If the coaches feel the team has put forth enough effort, the players don’t do any extra running afterward. If the effort doesn’t meet the coaches’ standards, we’ll throw in a quick sprint workout at the end. We may also do some sprint work at the end of a short practice. On the other hand, our pitchers do little in the way of conditioning work while practicing, so we try to run them through two to three days of sprint and agility work per week, depending on our scrimmage schedule. The first day will feature “long” sprints of 30 to 120 yards, the second will include three to four agility exercises of four to six sets each, and if we opt for a third day we’ll focus on short sprints of five to 30 yards. We’ll also head over to the football stadium to run sprints up the stadium stairs periodically. POSITION-PLAYER WORKOUT

In the fall, our position players work out four days per week. Mondays and Thursdays are dedicated to lower-body workouts and Tuesdays and Fridays are devoted to the upper body, though individual workouts

ers to be at their best when they do them. We generally follow the squats with an explosive exercise—usually a box jump—and superset this with some type of lunge variation (forward, reverse, or from a deficit). We also include a hamstring exercise such as a Romanian deadlift variation, as well as a leg curl with a Bulgarian split squat. We use a linear periodization method with all of our assistance exercises, usually performing three sets of anywhere from six to 12 reps. Tuesday is an upper-body day, and the primary lift is the bench press. We also incorporate shoulder work into both our warm-up and main workout. In addition, we work with med balls, choosing two exercises—one rotational and one overhead throw—and doing two to three sets each after our warm-up and before the bench press. We often use a band-pull series as our shoulder exercise. This is a simple routine of three light resistance-band exercises, which are most effective if done at a slow and controlled pace. The first exercise in the band-pull series is a band pull-apart. The player begins by holding the band with his arms straight out in front. From there, he pulls the band apart until his arms are positioned directly out from his sides, holding the position for a full second before returning to the starting position. We do two eight-rep sets of this exercise, one with palms facing up, and a second with palms down. The second exercise is often referred to as “No Money” because of the arm positions and movements. The player starts with his upper arms hanging down next to his body, Coaching Management PRESEASON 2014 27

SHOULDER STRENGTH To strengthen our pitchers’ shoulders and increase their range of motion, we use YTWL exercises, so named because a person’s arms and body form each letter during different sections of the routine. We do three sets of the routine, lying face down on a bench or on a physioball, either with or without light dumbbells. During each exercise, the arms move from the down position—hanging towards the floor— to the highest position that can be reached without changing the angle of the torso. The end position is held for three seconds, with the thumbs pointing at the ceiling. After each exercise, the arms are slowly rotated down to the starting position. To strengthen the back of the shoulders and help with stabilization, before each exercise in the routine we have the players pinch their shoulder blades together while keeping their arms straight.

with the lower arms in front at a 90-degree angle. Keeping the elbows at his side, he pulls the band apart, pausing for a full second when the lower arms are straight out from his sides. We do two sets of eight reps, one palms-up and another palms-down. The last exercise is a band pull-down. Beginning with his arms directly overhead, the player pulls the band down behind his neck just as he would do a pull-down weight exercise. Along with the band-pull series, medball throws, and bench press exercises, the players perform several other lifts focused on the shoulder. These include front lat pull-downs, band pinch W’s, push ups with feet on the bench, DB rear delt supersets with DB external rotation, DB rows, and tricep exercise supersets coupled with bicep exercises. Thursday is a lower-body and back day. We mainly utilize deadlifts and a variety of pulls in this routine. We also do additional upper-back work to ensure we’re keeping our upper-body push-to-pull ratio on track for the week. The day’s workout includes a dynamic warm-up, deadlifts, DB split squat jumps, single-leg squats, three-way leg curls using a stability ball, glute-ham raises, cable 28 Coaching Management PRESEASON 2014

Y: Raise the arms to a 45-degree angle, forming a “Y.” Keep the body and arms straight, with palms facing one another. This exercise targets the anterior deltoids.

L to external rotation: At the end of the “L” movement and before returning to the starting position, rotate the hands up with the palms facing the floor.

T: Extend the arms straight out to the side, palms up, to form a “T.” This variation hits the trapezius, medial, and posterior deltoids, balancing the anterior work from the “Y” movement.

L to external rotation to press: At the end of the “L to external rotation” movement and before returning to the starting position, press the hands directly out in front as in a shoulder press.

W: Bend the elbows to a 90-degree angle and perform the same arm movement as the “T.” This exercise works the posterior deltoids.

Skiers: Pinching the shoulder blades and keeping the arms straight, move one arm forward over the head and the other toward the hips. Hold and alternate movement, doing three full reps.

L: With elbows bent at a 90-degree angle, rotate the arms up until the forearms are perpendicular to the ground. This hits the anterior, medial, and posterior deltoids, and the traps, while moving the shoulders through their full range of motion.

low rows, TRX rows, and sandbag flips to work the forearms. Friday is an upper-body day, which we try to make as much fun as possible because the workout often follows a scrimmage. We begin with the band pull-down series, but after that we sometimes allow the players to determine the exercises, with an upperclassman often choosing the day’s routine. We call Friday our “bodybuilding” day because the workouts usually end up centering on the “mirror muscles”—biceps, triceps, pecs, and abs—that guys are often so proud of. PITCHER WORKOUT

Our pitchers go through full-body workouts three days a week—Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays—although this may be altered once scrimmages begin. Like the position players, we put the pitchers through a dynamic warm-up before each workout, along with some foam-roll exercises and mobility work. In addition, we have them do shoulder exercises at the beginning of the routine and a static stretch at the end. Monday features band-pull exercises, which are great for pitchers because they help stretch and strengthen the arm and target the reactive muscles used in throwing.

Posterior Fly: Same as the “T” exercise except done with palms facing down.

They also strengthen the scapulas and upper back, stretch the pecs, and improve shoulder stability. We use the same series that we do with the position players. A typical Monday workout for a pitcher includes a dynamic warm-up, foam rolls, med-ball work (one rotational exercise and one overhead throw), squats, box jumps to one leg, band pinch W’s, DB RDL’s, Bulgarian split squats, Paloff press holds, face-pulls, push ups and scap push ups, three-way leg curls, and wrist curls. Wednesday features our YTWL exercises, which strengthen the shoulders while increasing range of motion (see “Shoulder Strength,” above). A sample workout on Wednesday includes a dynamic warm-up, foam rolls, mobility work, YTWL exercises, a med-ball exercise (backward overhead throw), goblet squats, seated one-arm cable rows, leg curls, skaters, single-arm pulldowns and DB bench presses, DB lateral raises, and scapular wall slides. Friday features some shoulder prehab, which is usually a three-way routine of lateral and front raises, in addition to a rear delt exercise. A Friday workout usually features a dynamic warm-up, foam rolls, mobility work, shoulder prehab, BB reverse lunges, hurdle CoachesNetwork.com

STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

hops, standing single-arm cable rows, gluteham raises, band external rotations, chin-ups, DB step-ups, cable crossover rows, a plank series, and wrist curls and rotations. The fall season includes approximately 21 scrimmages—usually on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and a few Tuesdays—from midSeptember to the first weekend of November. During this time, the primary goal is to have pitchers fresh and in top shape for their next outing. To avoid overuse injuries, we usually only run our pitchers through two strength workouts between appearances, and determine the routine based on number of innings pitched and pitches thrown. We’re especially careful with freshmen because they’re often unaccustomed to the heavy workload of a college pitcher. Here’s a sample workout schedule for a pitcher who’s taking the mound for consecutive Friday scrimmages: Friday: Light conditioning of 15 minutes on the stationary bike, treadmill, or elliptical after the game. Saturday: Light conditioning of an easy 10 to 12 minute run followed by heavy lifting focused on the lower body and core to allow the pitcher’s arm and shoulder to recover

fully. We still do our shoulder prehab work to maintain stability in the shoulder. Sunday: Off Monday: Conditioning of eight to 15 medium-paced sprints of 60 to 120 yards. Tuesday: Usually a bullpen session day, which we follow with moderate lifting geared toward the upper body, keeping the weights a bit lighter so the pitchers can stay fresh for their next outing. Wednesday: Conditioning work consisting of 12 to 20 reps of short sprints of five to 30 yards. Thursday: Light conditioning and/or shoulder work. We have to make additional variations in the workouts for relief pitchers during scrimmage season. For example, if a reliever throws 25 pitches or less on a Friday, there’s a possibility that he could be used again the next day, so we would only put him through some brief mobility work and shoulderstability exercises after the scrimmage. If a pitcher throws 26 to 50 pitches on a Friday, it’s unlikely he’d be used the next day, but the coaches would expect him to be ready to go again on Sunday. Therefore, his weight

INCREASE ARM STRENGTH AND UTILIZE SPACE This patented design of Mini-Chutes gives the athlete a feeling of a real baseball with limited weight alterations. The Mini-Chutes allows the athlete to generate up to 10 times the power during the throw in a condensed area, increasing arm strength and keeping the same form as if throwing a real baseball.

training on Friday night would be a little more extensive, but on Saturday we’d only have him do some light conditioning and mobility work. I have a great situation here with the South Carolina baseball team. The sport coaches value my contribution to the program and rarely question my workouts. Plus, they take pride in running a program that challenges the athletes, both mentally and physically, without running them into the ground. The success of the strength program comes down to the commitment of our players, and they take pride in the hard work they put in. They also hold each other accountable, and this rubs off on new players. Working hard in practice and training doesn’t guarantee success, but in combination with great players and coaches, it gives you a much better chance of coming out on top. CM A version of this article was published in Training & Conditioning, a sister publication to Coaching Management. More articles from T&C can be found at: www.Training-Conditioning.com.

. . . s d r o c e R g n i k a Bre History g n i k a M

For more information and special coaches price, visit our website.

WWW.MINICHUTES.COM 515.681.6532

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Baseball Facility Products COMBINES SAFETY AND QUALITY

DURABLE VALUE

The Pro-Gold II Pitcher’s L-Shaped Screen represents an excellent combination of safety, quality, and value. This high-quality Pro-Gold screen is made with heavy-gauge round 1.66-inch OD Allied Flo-coat® galvanized steel tubing and dual-layer netting constructed from #36 or #60 weather-treated knotted nylon. It features a pillowcase-style slip-on net for double protection, featuring our super-duty hi-vis yellow cord tied on every mesh of the seam. This Pro-Gold screen is available with or without wheels, as well as with a new optional Padding Kit to extend the life of your screen.

M.A.S.A. • 1-800-264-4519 www.sportsadvantage.com

Made of VIPOL® Matrix, Tuffy® is unquestionably one of the world’s toughest windscreens. It has more than 50-percent more microfibers than normal windscreen materials and is used by MLB, NFL, NCAA Division I, and high school teams nationwide. This windscreen is available in 20 colors and has optional Chroma-Bond® imprinting that does not fade like digital and lasts as long as the fabric. Plus, it’s backed by a five-year factory warranty. Surprisingly, this windscreen is value priced from authorized Aer-Flo dealers. Aer-Flo, Inc. • 800-823-7356 www.aerflo.com

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WINNING THE DRAG RACE

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Wind Weighted® Baseball Tarps are the famous edge-chain-weighted rain cover now used by all levels of baseball, including MLB. Wind cannot get under the tarp, so it stays down even in high winds. Introduced in 2004, this product now makes the job of tarp installation much easier at thousands of high schools. Awarded six U.S. Patents, these tarps are available in your choice of 14- or 18-ounce vinyl in 10 colors, but only from the best sports dealers.

The Original Infield Erasers Mat Drags are one of the most sought after field-grooming devices made in decades. The Erasers will even work in adverse, damp soil conditions as opposed to the standard metal drags which can “load up” and actually make your playing surface unlevel or unsafe. As you pull the mat drags, they will percolate and dry your material while leveling and finishing your field to a professional finish. The Erasers are so unique in design that it will not harm your grass, mounds, or home plate if they inadvertently comes into contact with them. They’re so remarkable you can also use them to level and finish warning tracks, as well as to level and groom synthetic turf surfaces.

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

M.A.S.A. • 1-800-264-4519 www.sportsadvantage.com

KEEP TARPS DOWN

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ORDER FORM HELP FUEL YOUR ATHLETES TO SUCCESS

Athlete's Guide To Nutrition From the Publishers of Coaching Management

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PLEASE PRINT INFO.

MAG, Inc. • 20 Eastlake Rd. Ithaca, NY 14850

Code CM22.2

Name: Street Address: City: State: Zip: Daytime Phone:

(To be used if there’s a problem with your order)

Email address: PAYMENT METHOD

SHIPPING PRICES

q U.S. check made payable to MAG, Inc. enclosed (sorry, only US orders)

q VISA

0-$49.99 50-$99.99 $ 100-$149.99 $ 150-and up $

q MasterCard

q Discover

q AmerEx

Credit card #: ________/________/________/________

= $7.00 = $9.00 = $10.00 = $12.00

Expiration date: _____/_____ 3 or 4 digit code: _______ Cardholder Name PRINTED: Cardholder Signature:

$ 95

ITEM QUANTITY

GREATER DISCOUNTS available for orders of 20 or more. Call 877-422-5548, ext. 11 to receive more info.

ITEM

PRICE

Athlete’s Guide to Nutrition Fax this order to 607-257-7328 or Mail this order to MAG, Inc.,20 Eastlake Rd., Ithaca, NY 14850

Subtotal $ + Shipping $ NY residents add sales tax $ = TOTAL $ Please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery.

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Nets & Cages M.A.S.A

800-264-4519 • sportsadvantage.com PRIMARY ADVANTAGES:

National Sports Products

800-478-6497 • nationalsportsproducts.com PRIMARY ADVANTAGES:

Ball Fabrics, Inc.

866-360-1008 • ballfabrics.com PRIMARY ADVANTAGES:

National Sports Products, a division of Douglas Industries, Inc., is a top manufacturer and distributor of baseball and softball products throughout the U.S. The company focuses on quality equipment at great prices for both outdoor and indoor facilities.

Ball Fabrics’s netting uses high-quality nylon yarn with built-in UV stabilizers. The company’s nets go through a high-dye-penetration centrifuge to ensure a jet-black appearance and a special resin coating is applied to ensure consistent knot stability. Each net is also stretched to tighten the knots and stabilize the mesh.

William Henry Harrison High School, IN San Mateo National Little League, CA All Star Baseball Academy, PA Mansfield University Virginia Beach City Public Schools, VA

PRODUCTS: Douglas® Double Batting Tunnel Frames

CUSTOMER PORTFOLIO:

PRODUCTS: Pro-Gold Tunnel Frames

8’x8’ Deluxe Protective Screens

Pro Series Batting Tunnels

Hitting Station System

These heavy-duty cages, frames, and nets are a cut above, with all of the frames being built right here in the U.S.A. Our master crafters ensure you are getting quality at an affordable price and in a timely manner. CUSTOMER PORTFOLIO:

The Pro-Gold Tunnel Frames are heavy-duty frames that will accommodate 12-inch or 14-inch wide nets. This product is a high-performance tunnel that is constructed from #36 knotted nylon and has a 320-pound breaking test.

Osborne Flip-Top “L” Pitcher’s Screen

This Osborne Flip Screen is one of the most innovative screens on the market.

The double frames share center poles to allow sideby-side installation, eliminating the need for extra poles and ground footings. This product is made of 1.9-inch OD steel and 3.5-millimeter netting. It includes a wheel kit, protective padding, and a five-year warranty. This product is made of four-inch-square black powder coated steel poles and 3.5-millimeter knotless netting. It comes in two sizes and custom lengths are available. A five-year warranty is offered with this product. Batting Tunnel Kit

Pro-Gold Aluminum Series Pitcher’s “L” L-Shaped Screen

This product is a do-it-yourself kit. It includes all the supplies needed to turn standard 12-foot steel poles into a full-size tunnel.

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These professional-quality aluminum screens will wow any type of school program you have.

Memphis Net & Twine Co., Inc.

SPI Nets

866-243-6387 • spinets.net

901-458-2656 • memphisnet.net PRIMARY ADVANTAGES:

Memphis Net & Twine manufactures its products in the United States-custom-made batting cages and backstops that are produced to meet customers’ exact specifications. Custom sizes are the company’s specialty. Call the company or visit its Web site to request a free 48-page catalog.

PRIMARY ADVANTAGES:

SPI Nets offers a full range of nets for your training needs. The quality and excellent pricing are matched only by SPI’s outstanding service. The company’s products and customer service are carefully monitored to ensure that you receive maximum value for your dollar. CUSTOMER PORTFOLIO:

Daytona Beach Cubs, FL Softball National Training Center, FL University of South Carolina Village of Wellington, FL Wartburg College PRODUCTS: EZ-Net Retractable Netting System

Extend the life of your net and easily raise and lower sports netting from the ground with the EZ-Net Retractable Netting System. This product comes with galvanized hardware, cables, and cranks. Hitting Tunnels

This product is available in stock and custom sizes for both baseball and softball. Overhead Sports Netting

This product’s netting and hardware can help protect spectators and concession areas. Backstop Netting

These durable, nylon backstop nets come with hardware. Circle No. 527

C&H Baseball

800-248-5192 • chbaseball.com PRIMARY ADVANTAGES:

C & H Baseball’s products are built to last. The company’s all-welded fielding equipment has helped set the industry standard since 1968. C & H also knows the meaning of customer service. Its customers’ satisfaction comes first. C & H Baseball supplies only the highest-quality products. CUSTOMER PORTFOLIO:

PRODUCTS: Premium Batting Cage Nets

New York Yankees New York Mets San Francisco Giants San Diego Padres University of Michigan Oklahoma State University

Four different twine sizes are available to meet any budget, and custom cages can be manufactured to customers’ exact specifications.

Deluxe Practice Screens

PRODUCTS: The “Original” Ball Caddy

Four different twine sizes are available to meet any budget, and custom backstops can be manufactured to customers’ exact specifications.

Custom Netting

CUSTOMER PORTFOLIO:

Customers include major and minor league baseball teams, NFL teams, and college, high school, and youth programs throughout the U.S.

SPI nets are used all over the United States at youth, high school, college, and professional facilities.

PRODUCTS: Batting Cages

SPI Nets’s premium cages offer top quality, lots of features, and some of the best prices available.

Backstops

SPI Nets’s practice screens are among the highestquality screens in the business, and they’re available at very competitive prices. SPI Nets can fully customize your nets to meet your exact specifications at an affordable price.

Protector Nets

These protector nets are manufactured to customers’ exact specifications. Circle No. 504

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This rolling ball caddy holds 200 baseballs and features all-welded construction. CAG100 - The Professional Cage

This non-folding cage was designed in 1968 and is still an industry leader, with all-welded construction. Custom Dyneema Backstop Systems

With more than 400 stadium projects, these customdesigned and -built systems are an industry standard. Custom Wall Padding

C & H Baseball padding is built using only quality products and workmanship in the USA. All sizes and applications are available. Circle No. 505

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Coaching Management PRESEASON 2014 31

Field Mixes Pro’s Choice

Stabilizer Solutions, Inc.

BEAM CLAY®

Pro’s Choice Professional Blend Infield Conditioner

Stabilizer Organic Infield Amendment

BEAM CLAY® Baseball Diamond Mixes

Stabilizer “Pro Red” Infield Mix

BEAM CLAY Regional Infield Mixes

800-648-1166 proschoice1.com

800-336-2468 stabilizersolutions.com

This premium infield conditioner combines the most natural red color and the highest durability available in the industry today. Selectively screened for the grounds-keeping perfectionist.

This infield mix binds soil particles, controlling moisture and dust, and minimizing maintenance.

Pro’s Choice Red Infield Conditioner

Trusted by pros and youth leagues for more than 20 years, “Pro Red” lends strength and consistency to your infield.

This popular conditioner is designed to meet the challenges of wet, dry, or compacted infields. This product helps create passage ways for drainage and eliminate compaction. Pro’s Choice Rapid Dry Drying Agent

These tiny absorbent granules are designed to quickly wick away excess water from your infield and keep your games playing safely and without delay. Pro’s Choice Easy Mound Packing Clay

Use this product to form a durable, solid sub-surface in batter’s boxes and pitcher’s mounds to give players solid footing and alleviate common wear problems. CUSTOMER PORTFOLIO:

Chicago White Sox Milwaukee Brewers Florida Marlins Georgia Tech Texas Tech

Hilltopper Mound Clay

The polymer coating in this mound additive does the job in high-traffic areas in half the time. No water or screening is needed—just tamp. Hilltopper Infield Mix

This natural soil—enhanced with polymer—protects your field from both rain and drought. It saves hours in maintenance and watering. CUSTOMER PORTFOLIO:

Los Angeles Angels Arizona State University Northwestern University New York Yankees Colorado Rockies

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800-247-BEAM beamclay.com

These premium infield mixes provide a consistent playing surface that’s firm yet soft, with great drainage and color. These mixes for every state and climate are blended at bulk plants nationwide. BEAM CLAY Pitcher’s Mound Clay

Extra-firm and medium-firm mound and batter’s box clays are available in all-natural red, orange, brown, tan, and grey. Also available are mound and batter’s box bricks and red polyurethane pads that give the feel of natural clay but are buried two inches below the surface to eliminate 95 percent of the maintenance. BEAM CLAY Red Warning Track Surfaces

These products produce premium long-lasting warning tracks—firm yet crunchy, with low maintenance, great drainage, and excellent color for a perfect finishing touch. CUSTOMER PORTFOLIO:

Boston Red Sox New York Mets New York Yankees Toronto Blue Jays Chicago Cubs

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Game-On Products

Southern Athletic Fields

Diamond Pro

800-837-8062 safdirt.com

800-228-2987 diamondpro.com

Game-On Soil Conditioner

Mar Mound Clay

Infield Conditioner

This conditioner works as an excellent soil amendment due to its non-clumping angular structure, improving field drainage when blended into the infield base.

This clay has proven to be one of the most effective mound and home plate repair products available. This material has the proper moisture once bagged and is ready to use immediately.

Game-On Red Top Dressing

Mar Mix Infield Mix

Calcined Clay Topdressing, Professional Grade, and Drying Agent

SAF Coat

Mound/Home Plate Clay

(888) 593-0395 hayditegame-on.com

This product offers a deep, red brick color, putting that finishing touch on your field to make it look and play like the pros. Warning Track Blend

This blend provides a safe transition between the grass and the fence. It also controls dirt and mud around backstops and dugouts. Game-Dry Drying Agent

This product is formulated for increased absorption capabilities. When blended into your field, it acts as a soil conditioner. CUSTOMER PORTFOLIO:

Cleveland Indians—Progressive Field Cincinnati Reds—Great American Ballpark Baltimore Orioles—Camden Yard San Francisco Giants—AT&T Park Miami Marlins—Marlins Stadium

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This product is a naturally blended sand, silt, and clay mixture. It is a screened and blended material with the optimum silt-to-clay ratio necessary to achieve the ultimate infield playing surface. One of the most user-friendly products available in the industry, SAF Coat is perfect for high-traffic, low-maintenance infield surfaces. Mulemix Conditioners

Calcined clay manufactured to ensure moisture absorption, reduce compaction, and maintain a consistent playing surface, Mulemix is baked at 1200 degrees and 1400 degrees for long-lasting performance. CUSTOMER PORTFOLIO:

Toledo Mud Hens University of Kentucky Sylvania Recreation, OH Northwest Arkansas Naturals University of West Florida

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This vitrified clay product can be applied to skinned areas to enrich color, prevent rain delays, reduce compaction, and improve safety.

These calcined clay products are used as conditioners on the infield. The professional grade has a more uniform particle size, and the standard topdressing has a larger particle size. This screened clay has a rich color and is easy to use. It binds into holes and low areas for greater durability and consistency. Infield Mixes, Sand & Gravel, Warning Track Mix

Several mixes are available for creating safe, welldraining, and properly constructed athletic fields. CUSTOMER PORTFOLIO:

Philadelphia Phillies Kansas City Royals Baltimore Orioles Texas Rangers Little League World Series

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Field Mixes Profile Products, LLC 800-207-6457 turface.com

Turface® Pro League® Champion Brown™

Testimonial

Company News

Online Degrees for Sports & Health Professionals

International League Sports Turf Manager of the Year

American Public University offers more than 170 undergraduate and graduate degree programs and certificates designed for sports and health sciences professionals, coaches, athletic administrators, and working adults like you—completely online. These dynamic programs are taught by industry professionals and experienced educators in the areas of kinesiology, human performance, strength and conditioning, nutrition, coaching studies, sports law, and more. American Public University has been nationally recognized by the Sloan Consortium for effective practice in online education.

Pro’s Choice® Sportsfield Products, manufacturer of top-quality infield and turf conditioners, would like to congratulate Chris Ball for being named the International League Sports Turf Manager of the Year for 2013, and then being selected as the Triple-A Classification winner.

Pro League® Champion Brown™ is a superior conditioner with a rich brown color. Its smaller, uniform particles offer excellent ball visibility on wet and dry fields. Turface® MVP®

Turface® MVP® absorbs moisture, improves drainage, and fights compaction, keeping infields safe and playable. Its larger particle size is excellent for topdressing and improving soil. Turface® Quick Dry ®

Turface® Quick Dry® clears up puddles on skinned infields. Quick Dry absorbs its weight in water. Just dump and rake to make infields safe and playable. Turface® MoundMaster ® Blocks

Ready to use right out of the bag, Turface® MoundMaster® Blocks are made with 100 percent pure virgin clay to deliver long-lasting performance, and they are sized for building boxes and the mound from the ground up.

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M.A.S.A.

800-264-4519 sportsadvantage.com Mar-Co Washington Ball Mix

Washington Ball Mix is a blend of sand, silt, and clay. It provides a firm playing surface and is easy to maintain. Pro’s Choice Red Conditioner

This calcined montmorillonite clay has been designed for the sports turf industry to save time, money, and avoid costly delays. Pro’s Choice Red resists breakdown to keep working year after year. Pro’s Choice Easy Mound Clay Bricks

Easy Mound Clay Bricks form a durable, solid subsurface in batter’s boxes and pitcher’s mounds to give players solid footing and alleviate common wear problems. Pro’s Choice Rapid Dry

Rapid Dry is a field-drying agent consisting of fine granular calcined montmorillonite clay particles. Rapid Dry speeds the wicking and absorption of water while eliminating slick spots. CUSTOMER PORTFOLIO:

Clarksville Little League, IN Bellarmine University Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department, IN Illinois Eastern Community College Kentucky Wesleyan College Circle No. 531

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“Having four children and being busy with full- and part-time jobs, I didn’t have a lot of extra time or money. So I wanted to be sure I could get a top-notch education for an affordable price--APU enabled me to do that.” —Laurie Ogden, APU student; B.S. Sports & Health Sciences

“I was able to complete my master’s degree within a time frame that fit my schedule. The course work was challenging and rewarding. Now, I hope to move to a second career, allowing me to use the degree I worked so hard for.”

Ball received the Triple_A award at the Baseball Winter Meetings™ Awards Luncheon on December 9. He is the first sports turf manager to be selected as a winner in multiple classifications, having also earned the Class-A honors in 2007 and 2010 while with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. Chris has served as the Sports Turf Manager at Coolray Field, home of the Triple-A Gwinnett Braves, since the fall of 2011. The team at Pro’s Choice® would like to thank Chris for choosing Pro’s Choice® products to help maintain Coolray Field.

—Jon LaBeau, APU graduate; M.S. Sports Management

“APU exceeded all my expectations. The resources they provided made me confident I could achieve my degree.” —Heidi Boe, APU graduate; M.S., Sports Management

American Public University 111 W. Congress St. Charles Town, WV 25414 877-777-9081 info@apus.edu www.StudyatAPU.com/TC

Pro’s Choice 800-648-1166 www.proschoice1.com Coaching Management PRESEASON 2014 33