Nov/Dec 2016 Commodore Nation by Vanderbilt Commodores

November/December 2016

Opening

the â&#x20AC;&#x2122;Dores A day in the life of Bryce Drew and Stephanie White

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SPRING HILL

CONTENTS P.9

P.20

Diamond dandies: Former VU stars shine for MLB teams

Former Players Reconnect The women’s basketball program hosted alumni weekend during homecoming.

Dansby Swanson is just one of more than a dozen former Commodores who made an impact in Major League Baseball this season.

P.17 Morning practice: What’s the deal? What’s the appeal? While most students are eating breakfast or perhaps sleeping, many of Vanderbilt’s student-athletes are already at practice.

P.12 A day in the life of Bryce Drew and Stephanie White With energy galore, Vanderbilt’s new basketball coaches tackle each day with a tireless mindset.

P.2 Compliance Corner

P.24 My Game Christina De Zeeuw

P.3 National Commodore Club

P.7 Inside McGugin

P.23 It’s My Turn

Rod Williamson’s monthly column

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C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N

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Editor: David Dawson Designer: Keith Wood Director of Communications: Rod Williamson Photography:

Administrative Director of Athletics: David Williams II

Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs: Beth Fortune

Vanderbilt University Student Athletics’ Mission Statement

Compliance requires constant vigilance on the part of all of us who are associated with Vanderbilt University, and knowledge is the first step toward being compliant. We are proud to have your loyal support, dedication and enthusiasm for Vanderbilt athletics. As we strive for continued excellence, we will always seek the highest standard of ethical conduct. With your assistance, we are confident we can continue to meet this goal. Remember, compliance is everyone’s responsibility. Anchor Down, David Williams, II Athletic Director

Follow Vanderbilt Compliance @VandyCompliance

Chancellor: Nicholas S. Zeppos

CORNER

Daniel Dubois Steve Green Joe Howell John Russell Anne Rayner Susan Urmy

Contributors: Andy Boggs Frederick Breedon Zac Ellis Larry Leathers Kyle Parkinson Catherine Hilley

COMPLIANCE

Publisher: Vanderbilt University

We prepare student-athletes to become leaders and champions in life by placing the highest values on integrity, character, sportsmanship and victory. ON THE COVER: photo illustration by Keith Wood POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to National Commodore Club, 2601 Jess Neely Drive, Nashville, TN 37212. SUBSCRIPTION: To subscribe, contact by email at commodorenation@vanderbilt.edu ADVERTISEMENT: To advertise with Commodore Nation, please contact Vanderbilt IMG Sports & Entertainment Properties. Jeff Miller, general manager 615/322-4468; jeff.miller@imgworld.com

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Nov/Dec 2016

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Vanderbilt University is committed to principles of equal opportunity and affirmative action. Vanderbilt®, Vanderbilt University®, V Oak Leaf Design®, Star V Design® and Anchor Down® are trademarks of The Vanderbilt University. © 2016 Vanderbilt University. All rights reserved. Produced by Vanderbilt University Creative Services and Vanderbilt Printing Services. Printed on paper with 10% post-consumer recycled content, as part of the university’s commitment to environmental stewardship and natural resource protection. This publication is recyclable. Please recycle it.

NCC EXCELLENCE FUND FOR WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Head Coach Stephanie White will usher the Vanderbilt women’s basketball program into a new era this year. She has served as the head coach for the WNBA Indiana Fever for the past two seasons, and became the first rookie coach in league history to lead a team to the finals. White and her staff are excited about the future of Vanderbilt Women’s Basketball, and look forward to getting to know former players, fans, supporters and everyone in the Vanderbilt community. You can make an impact on the program this year by supporting the NCC Excellence Fund for Women’s Basketball. You help provide the resources needed for the team to succeed, and you receive great benefits.

Make a gift at vu.edu/womensbasketball today!

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SCORE THE BEST

SEATING & PARKING

FOR MEN’S BASKETBALL

This is where the magic happens! Now is the time to make plans to join the Commodores in Memorial Gym for the 2016-17 men’s basketball season. To score priority seats, a gift to the NCC unrestricted annual fund is required in addition to the ticket price. Your annual gift applies to priority seating and parking. Don’t miss a minute of the magic!

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Calendar

Inside McGugin

GOODALE, SCHULTZ RECOGNIZED: Sarah Goodale (Track and Field) and Jacob Schultz (football) were finalists at the Design-athon challenge. Goodale and Schultz presented their solution for the Zika virus at the competition, which was held at the new Innovation Pavilion at Vanderbilt. DE ZEEUW, JACKSON EARN SOCCER HONORS: Vanderbilt junior defender Cristina De Zeeuw was honored as an All-SEC Second Team selection, and Grace Jackson was named to the SEC’s AllFreshman team. De Zeeuw also earned a spot on TopDrawerSoccer.com’s National Team of the Week in late September, and became just the second Commodore in the program’s history to earn that honor. n

11/11/16 vs. Kennesaw State, 7 p.m. 11/13/16 at Indiana, 1 p.m. 11/16/16 vs. Drexel, 7 p.m. 11/20/16 vs. Duke, 2 p.m. 11/22/16 vs. Robert Morris, 11:30 a.m. 11/27/16 at UT Martin, 2 p.m. 12/02/16 at Air Force*, 6 p.m. 12/05/16 vs. Tulane, 7 p.m.

11/11/16 vs. Marquette*, 5:30 p.m.

12/08/16 at East Tennessee State, 6 p.m.

11/15/16 vs. Belmont, 8 p.m.

12/18/16 vs. Tennessee Tech, 2 p.m.

11/18/16 vs. Norfolk State, 7 p.m.

12/21/16 vs. Louisville, 7 p.m.

11/21/16 vs. Bucknell, 8 p.m.

12/28/16 at Memphis, 4 p.m.

11/24/16 vs. Butler^, 7 p.m.

01/02/17 at Texas A&M, 6 p.m.

11/25/16 vs. Arizona/Santa Clara^, TBA

01/05/17 vs. Tennessee, 8 p.m.

11/29/16 vs. Tennessee State, 7 p.m.

01/08/17 at Georgia, 11 a.m.

12/03/16 vs. Minnesota %, 7 p.m.

01/12/17 vs. Auburn, 7 p.m.

12/06/16 vs. High Point, 7 p.m.

01/15/17 vs. Missouri, 2 p.m.

12/08/16 at Middle Tennessee State, 6:30 p.m.

01/19/17 at Arkansas, 7 p.m.

12/17/16 vs. Chattanooga, 7:30 p.m.

01/22/17 at Tennessee, 4 p.m.

12/21/16 at Dayton, 6 p.m.

01/26/17 vs. Alabama, 8 p.m.

12/29/16 at LSU, 8 p.m.

01/29/17 vs. Florida, 2 p.m.

01/04/17 vs. Auburn, 6 p.m.

02/05/17 at Kentucky, 11 a.m.

01/07/17 at Alabama, 6 p.m.

02/09/17 at Mississippi State, 8 p.m.

01/10/17 vs. Kentucky, 6 p.m.

02/13/17 vs. LSU, 6 p.m.

01/14/17 vs. Tennessee, 7:30 p.m.

02/16/17 at South Carolina, 6 p.m.

01/17/17 at Georgia, 8 p.m.

02/19/17 vs. Ole Miss, 2 p.m.

01/21/17 at Florida, 11 a.m.

02/23/17 vs. Arkansas, 7 p.m.

01/24/17 vs. Arkansas, 7:30 p.m.

02/26/17 at LSU, 12 p.m.

01/28/17 vs. Iowa State, 3 p.m.

03/01/17 SEC Tournament (Greenville, S.C)

01/31/17 at Texas A&M, 8 p.m. 02/04/17 vs. Ole Miss, 2 p.m. 02/07/17 at Arkansas, 7:30 p.m.

* - Air Force Classic in Colorado Springs, Colo.

02/11/17 at Missouri, 2:30 p.m. 02/16/17 vs. Texas A&M, 6 p.m. 02/18/17 vs. South Carolina, 7:30 p.m. 02/22/17 at Tennessee, 5:30 p.m. 02/25/17 vs. Mississippi State, 3 p.m. 02/28/17 at Kentucky, 8 p.m. 03/04/17 vs. Florida, 1 p.m. 03/08/17 SEC Tournament (Nashville, Tenn.) * - Veterans Classic in Annapolis, Md. ^ - Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational in Las Vegas, Nev. % - Game played at Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.

vucommodores.com

12/03/16 vs. Utah Valley/SIU-E*, TBA

VANDERBILT MEN’S BASKETBALL

John Russell

CUNNINGHAM ON ELITE LISTS: Linebacker Zach Cunningham was named as a semifinalist for the Butkus Award and the Bednarik Award, two of college football’s most prestigious postseason individual honors, in October. Cunningham became the first Commodore linebacker to be named as a semifinalist for the Butkus and Bednarik awards since Jamie Winborn was recognized in 1999. Cunningham entered November as the SEC leader with 85 total tackles, averaging 10.6 stops per game. He also ranks second in the league with 13.5 tackles for loss.

VANDERBILT WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Joe Howell

anderbilt bowler Maria Bulanova completed an outstanding run at the European Champions Cup title by finishing second, losing by a mere two pins to Sweden’s Cajsa Wegner in a best-of-three match play thriller. Bulanova was the tournament’s defending champ. The Vanderbilt freshman, representing her native Russia, was remarkably consistent the entire tournament and didn’t have a single game under 200 in running through a semifinal victory over Nicole Sanders of The Netherlands and the title match with Wegner. Bulanova won the first game against Wegner, 237-214, breaking open a tight game midway through with six strikes in a row. Wegner responded by getting the front six in Game Two to win, 247-217, setting up the deciding third game. The final was 219-217. In the semifinals, Bulanova dropped the first game (239-205) and then roared back to win 223-191 and 216-204.

C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N

Vanderbilt boasts most comprehensive internship program in nation

Determined ’Dores By Zac Ellis

dam Butler prefers not to think about it: the garbage, the litter, the bevy of forgotten items that often lay strewn along the side of the road. Trash doesn’t just disappear, he says, and yet the Vanderbilt senior is rarely surprised at the general public’s apathy towards the great outdoors. “A lot of people don’t understand the basics of the environment,” Butler said. “They don’t understand what’s acceptable and what’s not, and they don’t understand the impact one piece of trash can have on the environment.” Butler, a defensive tackle on Vanderbilt’s football team, wants to one day shake up that status quo. As a freshman he took a course taught by Dr. Lily Claiborne called “Volcanoes: Impacts on Earth & Society”, which cultivated Butler’s newfound passion for the environment. Butler went on to create his own major—environmental communications—with the help of the university’s interdisciplinary major program, and this summer he held an internship with the Tennessee Environmental Council in Nashville. At the TEC, Butler—all 6-foot-5, 295 pounds of him—participated in a creek Butler restoration project in Maury County, Tenn., linking with the local Boys and Girls Club to study and clean a nearby creek. The group would then present the project to students and teach the importance of maintaining the environment. Butler was tasked with filming the entire process, and by the end of his internship he had produced two videos depicting a pair of restoration projects. Butler hopes that experience will one day land him a job with a similar nonprofit, a chance to follow his passion of studying and impacting the environment. It’s experience he knows will pay off once his football career ends. “This is one of the reasons why I came to Vanderbilt,” Butler said. “In all likelihood, your sport is going to end one day. You can’t do this forever. I was really sold on that idea, and Vanderbilt has really upheld that standard.” Butler’s internship experience is unique among

Nov/Dec 2016

Division-I student-athletes. That’s because Vanderbilt’s internship program is the most comprehensive of its kind in college athletics. For the past two summers, the Vanderbilt athletic department has placed student-athletes with employers in Nashville for unpaid internships that run for at least 20 hours a week. The goal? Provide work and internship experience usually reserved for students who are not varsity athletes. The prevailing notion is SEC student-athletes can’t have time for similar opportunities, and Vanderbilt saw a chance to alter that perception. The program has its origin under David Williams, Vanderbilt’s Vice Chancellor for University Affairs and Director of Athletics, who encountered a common issue when speaking to graduating student-athletes. “Student-athletes would come to me and say, ‘I have this great degree from Vanderbilt, but I don’t have any work experience,’” Williams said. “So we thought, how can we go about getting kids—who are already graduating from this great university—work experience and internships on their résumé?” Two summers ago, Vanderbilt football and head coach Derek Mason instituted a pilot program that placed student-athletes in paid summer internships. But it turned out those students couldn’t afford housing and meals with money from their internships alone. That became a problem, since Vanderbilt wasn’t allowed to provide room and board for student-athletes unless they enroll in summer school, under NCAA rules. The NCAA normally considered that an extra benefit. In the spring of 2015, Vanderbilt’s administration decided to change that. Williams and deputy athletics director Candice Lee applied for a waiver from the NCAA, requesting to provide housing and meals to student-athletes who stay on campus and take part in summer internships. Vanderbilt submitted its request in March 2015, and by the start of summer sessions the NCAA had given the university the go-ahead. “Once they understood our objectives and the scope of our program, it was easy for the NCAA to support it,” said Lee, a former basketball player at Vanderbilt. “They ultimately said, how can we not allow schools to do this?” Last summer 62 student-athletes across nine

sports participated in internships. In 2016 that number jumped to 69, including Kate Sborov, a senior on the women’s golf team who interned at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. A medicine, health and society major on a pre-med path, Sborov participated in clinical research within the neurology department at Children’s Hospital. She sifted through patient records to find trends and irregularities in surgeries, which would later add to the hospital’s studies. In the end, Sborov’s clinical research earned her coSborov authorship of two published papers, which adds a feather in her cap as she approaches medical school. “That’s something very few students get,” Sborov said. “It’s huge to put on a medical school application.” Sborov once worried that a career as a student-athlete wouldn’t allow for a pre-med path at Vanderbilt. But the university’s internship program has given her necessary experience unique to student-athletes across the country. Today, when Sborov meets opposing student-athletes at tournaments, they are surprised to learn about her studies. “I tell them I’m pre-med, and they’re like, ‘No way! How do you do that as an athlete?’” Sborov said. “I tell them Vanderbilt is really accommodating. With this internship they allow us to do a lot of things, and they work with our individual schedules. I don’t think student-athletes at a lot of other schools get that opportunity.” To participate, Vanderbilt student-athletes apply and take part in an “interest survey” to tell administrators what kind of experience they need. The athletic department then hosts a career fair in the spring for Nashville-area businesses. Student-athletes can interview for positions and network with potential employers at the fair. On Fridays the athletic department teams with Vanderbilt’s Career Center and hosts career development workshops for interns, teaching network tips, job-search strategies and more. Interns then finish their summer with a “capstone presentation” to their peers and Vanderbilt’s administration. n

Update on former VU STARS By David Dawson & Matt Paras

ansby Swanson became a household name among Commodore fans after helping lead Vanderbilt to the 2014 national championship. Now, the former College World Series MVP has become immensely popular on a much larger scale after his impressive play with the Atlanta Braves during the final two months of the season. Swanson spent the final 38 games of this season with the Braves, hitting .302 with three homers, 17 RBIs and three steals. He energized the Atlanta fan base with his style of play, and almost instantly became the face of the franchise.

Swanson was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks with the No. 1 overall pick in the MLB draft in June of 2015. He was then traded to the Braves after the 2015 season. This year, he quickly rose through Atlantaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s minor-league system, and was called up to the big-league Braves in August. He made his MLB debut on Aug. 17 against Minnesota and produced a pair of base hits. Swanson, from Atlanta, Georgia, is one of 13 former Commodores who saw action in Major League Baseball this season. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a quick look at how the former Commodores fared: PEDRO ALVAREZ (Orioles) Played in 109 games in his first season with the Orioles after signing a one-year contract last March. He batted .249 with 22 homers and 49 RBIs. It was his fourth season with 20 or more home runs. CURT CASALI (Rays) Played in a career-high 84 games, the most by any Rays catcher this season. Batted .186 with 23 runs, eight homers, and 25 RBIs. Casali led all Rays catchers in homers, RBIs and runs scored. CALEB COTHAM (Reds) Appeared in 23 games in his first season with the Reds. Compiled 21 strikeouts in 24 1-3 innings pitched. His season was cut short in July after having surgery to repair a torn meniscus cartilage in his right knee. RYAN FLAHERTY (Orioles) Played in 74 games with the Orioles and five games with Triple-A Norfolk. Batted .217 with 34 hits, three homers and 15 RBIs and posted a .291 on-base percentage, which was the second highest of his career. SONNY GRAY (Athletics) Appeared in 22 games in his third full season with the Athletics. Picked up five wins in 117 innings pitched with 94 strikeouts. His season was shortened due to two disabled-list stints with right arm soreness in May and August.

Swanson

vucommodores.com

TONY KEMP (Astros) Played in 128 games between the Astros and Triple-A Fresno this season. Made his MLB debut against the White Sox on May 17th and scored a run when he entered the game as a pinch runner. Finished his

first year in the majors batting .217, with four doubles, three triples, one homer, seven RBIs and two steals. MIKE MINOR (Royals) Appeared in 25 games after signing a two-year contract in December. Compiled a 6-12 record with an ERA of 4.77 and 120 strikeouts in 145 1-3 innings pitched. This was his first year back after missing all of last season with a torn left labrum. DAVID PRICE (Red Sox) Appeared in a career-high 35 games during his first season with the Red Sox after signing a seven-year contract in the offseason. Finished with a 17-9 record, 3.99 ERA and a career-best 228 strikeouts in 230 innings pitched. Ended the season on a strong note with an 8-3 record and 87 strikeouts after the All-Star break. DREW VERHAGEN (Tigers) Appeared in 19 games for the Tigers in his third season with the team. Tallied 10 strikeouts in 19 innings before his season was cut short in June. He missed the rest of the year with thoracic outlet syndrome, which restricts blood flow to his arm. CARSON FULMER (White Sox) Much like his former teammate Swanson, Fulmer rose up quickly in the White Sox system just one year removed from being drafted. Fulmer spent most of the season (21 appearances), between Double and Triple-A before being called up in July. He made his MLB debut on July 17th against the Angels and pitched two scoreless innings in relief. Fulmer appeared in eight games with the White Sox, totaling 10 strikeouts in 11 2-3 innings of work. MATT BUSCHMAN (D-Backs) Made his MLB debut on April 10 against the Cubs. Pitched one inning of scoreless work in relief. Appeared in three games with the D-Backs, totaling 4.1 innings of work with a 2.08 ERA and three strikeouts. DREW HAYES (Reds) Made his MLB debut on April 21 against the Cubs. He pitched two innings and gave up four runs on two hits. Hayes appeared in three games with the Reds before being optioned to Triple-A Louisville, where he appeared in 38 games over the course of the season. n

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’ROUND THE CLOCK

BASKETBALL

A day in the life of Bryce Drew and Stephanie White

By Zac Ellis basketball coach Bryce Drew. That duo is tasked with authoring new eras of Vanderbilt basketball. How, exactly, are they doing that? Commodore Nation takes you inside a day in the life of the ‘Dores basketball programs.

“We’ve got one minute!” White bursts out of a ground-floor elevator at Memorial Gym. Trailed by her staff, White sprints down the bleachers and across the gym floor toward the Commodores’ locker room. Behind her, a scampering Peck laughs. “Hey, I already got my run in this morning!” she cracks. Soon Vanderbilt’s coaches reach the film room, where their players are already seated in two neat rows, donning practice gear. White steps to the front of the room and welcomes her team. Then, it’s business time. “We’re going to watch film every day,” White says. “We’ve got to be disciplined in the details.” With that, White takes a seat in favor of Komara, who leads the film review on defense. A former teammate of White’s at Purdue, Komara offers a clip-by-clip breakdown of lackadaisical effort on defense. A few minutes in, she jumps up and down and points to the screen. The film showed a Vanderbilt player failing to rotate on defense, falling victim to “ball-watching,” Komara says. “Do you see that?” a lively Komara shouts. “Ahhh!” Soon, it’s the offense’s turn under Cheek. Vanderbilt’s assistant turns on the film and laments the number of Commodores who pass up open shots. At the edge of the room, White leans forward in her chair and briefly interrupts Cheek. “You are never going to have a greener light than you have right now,” White tells her players. The implication is clear: this squad must prepare to score points.

Joe Howell

7:23 a.m. Stephanie White is ready for her first season with the Commodores after spending the past two years as the head coach of the WNBA’s Indiana Fever.

Nov/Dec 2016

White claps her hands. “All right, let’s get out there!” she says. Vanderbilt’s players file out of the room and toward the practice gym. The Commodores

Joe Howell

6:59 a.m.

Vanderbilt assistants Carolyn Peck (left), Kelly Komara (middle) and head coach Stephanie White (right) use all available technology for scouting and game preparation.

spend a few minutes stretching with strength and conditioning coach Josh Jones, marching up and down the court. Then, at 7:42 a.m., White begins clapping. That begins a wave of simultaneous applause from the Commodores as they converge atop the Star V at midcourt. Suddenly, Webb begins counting. “One, two, three!” she shouts—and the ‘Dores stop on “three.” A quieted crowd hones in on White. Vanderbilt’s coach takes a book out of her jacket, one written by Jon Gordon, entitled, The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy. Days earlier, White had asked her players to study the book, one chapter at a time. On this particular morning, it’s White’s job to review Chapter One. The book’s main character, George, starts his day by finding his car with a flat tire. Frustrated, George is forced to ride the bus to work. Along

John Russell

he sun has yet to rise on Vanderbilt’s campus. It’s 6:51 a.m. on a cool October morning, but in the dim lobby of the Commodore basketball offices at Memorial Gymnasium, Stephanie White is already coaching. Vanderbilt’s first-year women’s basketball coach sits in a cushioned leather chair flanked by her Commodore cohorts: associate coach Carolyn Peck, assistant coach Kelly Komara and Joy Cheek and video coordinator Lindsay Davis. Vanderbilt’s staff has a date with their players in the film room in a few moments. For now, White has some lastminute details to shore up. As the coaches break down the morning’s upcoming practice, White suddenly realizes she needs more than words. She rises from her seat, curls around its back and assumes a defensive stance. Hands up and knees bent, White mimics exactly what she wants to see from a particular drill. “We’ve got to get it this time,” White says. For two days this fall, Commodore Nation shadowed White and her counterpart, first-year men’s

Vanderbilt head coach Bryce Drew has had a continual stream of speaking engagements, both on campus and off.

the way George encounters several strangers who ultimately change his outlook on an otherwise inconvenient day. White sees that as a teaching moment for the Commodores. “You can choose to see something as a curse, or you can choose to see something as a gift,” White says. “That’s a little bit like our mindset.” With that, the Commodores begin practice.

By the time Bryce Drew steps into the Community Room at Vanderbilt’s Jean and Alexander Heard Library, his awaiting crowd is busy enjoying the spoils of a breakfast buffet. This morning Drew is the featured speaker at a meeting of Vanderbilt’s Alumni Association. Moments after Drew enters, Alumni Board President Perry Brandt ushers Vanderbilt’s basketball coach to the front of the room, introducing Drew by ticking off his career accolades. Then, Brandt adds. “Coach Drew, I couldn’t be happier to have you at Vanderbilt.” The dozens of alumni association members applaud. A smiling Drew, dressed in a black polo shirt and slacks, thanks the crowd and begins to talk hoops. Soon, he takes questions on a number of topics, from his social media policy to the importance of academics and alumni. Drew says

John Russell

9:14 a.m.

Vanderbilt head coach Bryce Drew and his staff are in constant communication, from planning practices to scouting reports and recruiting strategies.

he wants Vanderbilt basketball to be a tool for the university. “As a basketball coach and as a staff, we want to be part of what you guys do,” Drew says. “Feel free to use us.” Before Drew departs, a member of the crowd offers one final question: How do you define success at Vanderbilt? Drew doesn’t hesitate. “I want to play as a team,” he says, “and play with great passion.”

9:54 a.m. The Commodores’ women’s team has been on the practice floor for two hours, and Stephanie White isn’t happy with the effort. “This is full speed!” she says. “Jogging will not cut it! Don’t settle for shortcuts!” Five minutes later, White begins clapping again. Her players, dog-tired and sweating, follow suit at midcourt. White is installing a

Joe Howell

Vanderbilt head coach Stephanie White, here with freshman Kaleigh Clemons-Green, has introduced the Commodores to a host of new drills this season as she implements her fast-paced tempo.

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C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N

John Russell Joe Howell

Head coach Bryce Drew is proof that only a small portion of a coach’s job is actually done on the floor.

The Vanderbilt women’s coaching and support staff recently served lunch at Luke 14:12. It was just one of many serviceoriented projects that the two coaching staffs—the men’s and women’s—have performed during the off-season.

fast-paced style to Commodore basketball, and running has become an intricate part of her practices. Soon, Webb offers her customary countdown, and with a one-two-three, the day’s practice is over. Still, White isn’t finished teaching. “The details are what separate good teams from great teams,” she says. “Mentally, we’ve got to be sharper.” Standing next to White, Carolyn Peck pipes up. “By the way,” she says, “can somebody bring a box out tomorrow?”

to finalize team travel for the 2016-17 season. Everything from buses to flights to team hotels must be planned accordingly. Drew, who came to Vanderbilt after five seasons as a head coach at Valparaiso, is unaccustomed to this much help with housekeeping details. Sitting on his office couch, Drew can’t help but laugh. “You’ve got to remember, in the mid-majors, we did all of this ourselves,” Drew says.

11:01 a.m. White opens a glass door and strolls into a conference room adjacent to Vanderbilt’s basketball offices. She plops into a chair at the head of a long table, her staff filling in the seats around her. The

Drew arrives back in his office at Memorial Gym. His expansive desk sits behind a black leather couch and two oversized chairs, which are accompanied by a white-washed side table shaped like an anchor. The office features a handful of Drew’s personal touches—family pictures, etc.—but it remains unfinished; like many pieces of décor, a framed No. 5 Team USA jersey from Drew’s international playing career sits on the floor, propped against a wall. Its hanging spot remains undetermined. The clutter tends to ruffle Drew’s feathers in moments of stress. “I’ll feel a lot better when I’m organized,” Drew says. But Vanderbilt’s head coach doesn’t have time to clean. On this day, the next few minutes are dedicated to playing catch-up. Drew’s director of basketball administration, Matt Olinger, stops by to update his boss on a potential recruit. Drew meets briefly with the team trainer for an injury update on his roster. In between, Drew opens his laptop for a quick refresher on rules changes sent to Division-I coaches this offseason. Later, Drew sits down with his director of basketball operations, Luke Simons, and Brock Williams, associate AD for men’s basketball,

Nov/Dec 2016

John Russell

10:02 a.m.

Commodore coaches have a meeting with the Vanderbilt athletics marketing team, and Stephen Curitore, assistant director of marketing, will soon begin a presentation on season tickets sales and overall promotion of the program. A particular slide of Curitore’s PowerPoint references social media. As a general rule, White likes what she sees. “We should be tweeting, Facebook-ing and Instagram-ing to get the word out,” she says. The staff is treated to a quick TV spot featuring clips of White at her introductory press conference. Other promotions, such as an “Education Day” event planned for an upcoming game, are shown on the screen. Over the course of an hour, White and her staff offer thoughts on how best to spread the gospel of Vanderbilt hoops. If someone gives White a chance to talk Commodores, she says, sign her up. At one point, Curitore mentions free donuts planned for an upcoming event. Peck points to her boss at the head of the table. “Tell them we have a coach who loves Dunkin’ Donuts,” Peck says. White claps her hands. “Yes!” she says.

Head coach Bryce Drew, here with junior Phillip McGloin, takes a high-energy approach to coaching, and expects his team to do the same at practice.

John Russell

Head coach Bryce Drew is a firm believer that team chemistry, and togetherness, is a key to success.

12:10 p.m.

evening. Drew and his assistants are scheduled to attend Vanderbilt’s women’s soccer game that evening. “But there’s a good chance it’s going to rain tonight,” Simons says. Across the room, a laughing Drew points to the conference-room window. It’s already pouring outside Memorial Gym.

Joe Howell

Bryce Drew is hungry. He leaves his office, rides the elevator to the ground floor of Memorial Gym and briskly walks to the parking lot. Drew climbs into the driver’s seat of a white BMW—“This is actually my mom’s car,” he says—and cruises towards West End Avenue. His choice for today’s lunch: Qdoba, a Mexican grill located a short drive from campus. Drew pulls into Qdoba’s parking lot and glances at the front door. A posted sign indicates Qdoba is closed due to broken cash registers. “You’ve got to be kidding me!” Drew exclaims. But the coach quickly calls an audible: he parks and waltzes across the street to Jason’s Deli. Entering through the “to-go” door, Drew orders a sandwich, grabs his receipt and snags a free ice cream cone while waiting. His flavor of choice? Chocolate and vanilla swirl.

12:45 p.m. Drew arrives back at his office with a sack of Jason’s Deli in hand. He eats at his desk while writing out the day’s practice plan. The Commodores are poised to hit the court in 45 minutes, but first Drew must meet with his staff for a pre-practice huddle. After a few minutes, Drew heads to the conference room across the hall. Most of his staff is already there: Olinger and Simons along with assistant coaches Jake Diebler, Omar Mance and Casey Shaw. Drew passes out sheets of printed halfcourt cutouts. He begins to reel off a number of drills on the docket. His coaches scribble furiously to keep up. After Drew dismisses the staff, Simons reminds the coaches of a standing appointment for that

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1:30 p.m. The Commodores have been warming up on the practice floor for 15 minutes by the time Drew enters through a pair of double doors. Sporting a white golf shirt and gray sweats, Drew greets each player individually, trading hellos and high-fives. At 1:34 p.m., the ‘Dores gather at midcourt. Olinger leads the group in a brief team prayer. Then, after a few quick words from Drew, it’s time to hit the court. Drew’s practice style is fast; the Commodores move quickly between drills, and their head coach is on his heels the whole time. Drew constantly moves from one end of the court to the other as his assistants lead individual drills with position groups. On one side of the floor, Shaw uses a giant padded bag to post up against Vanderbilt’s big men. Suddenly Drew stops by and blows his whistle. Redshirt freshman center Djery Baptiste has just bodied up on Shaw and banked in a layup, but Drew wants a more physical effort. “Don’t let him push you!” Drew says. With that, Baptiste lines up for another rep.

1:39 p.m.

Head coach Stephanie White, here hugging freshman Cierra Walker, constantly stresses communication among her staff and players.

It’s quiet in Stephanie White’s office, and Vanderbilt’s coach sits at her desk for a moment of solitude. In a few minutes White has a short meeting scheduled with a rep from Vanderbilt Human Rresources. But for now, she has a brief chance to recharge. Indeed, the life of an SEC basketball coach leaves little time for rest, and both Drew and White spend every hour working to lead Vanderbilt basketball to the top of the SEC. n

C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N

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TOP OF THE MORNING Early practices giving student-athletes a jump-start on competition

By Zac Ellis

hen Vanderbilt football considered moving spring practices to the morning in early 2015, Jason Grooms did his research. The Commodores’ assistant athletics director for football reached out to three schools—Arizona State, Duke and Oregon—who had implemented morning practices in the past. Grooms wanted first-hand knowledge of the benefits of waking his team up in the morning, from nutrition to academics and beyond. Two years later, morning practices have become a key to Vanderbilt’s preparation, and the Commodores haven’t looked back. “Last fall was our first time doing it, and then we did it the last two springs,” Grooms said. “We made the move, and we’re going to continue with it. We think it’s good that they start the day off with a football coach in their face.” And football isn’t the only Vanderbilt athletic program taking advantage of morning practices. A number of teams on West End enjoy the benefits of an early start to their day, from swimming to tennis to basketball, as many Commodore coaches view an early start as a perfect way to get the most out of student-athletes. For football, the feedback Grooms received from other programs made the decision an easy one for Vanderbilt. Those schools found that an early start enhanced team nutrition; indeed, most student-athletes were less likely to skip breakfast if they were already out of bed. Class attendance, meanwhile, also improved across the board at other programs. And in gameweek situations, a Friday morning walkthrough allowed for more time for players’ bodies to recover ahead of a Saturday game. Now, for the second straight season, head

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coach Derek Mason’s football program kicks off practice between 8:15 and 8:30 a.m. during game week. That start time is even earlier in the spring; for the past two years, Vanderbilt has begun its spring practices around 7 a.m. If the sun is rising on West End, the Commodores usually are, too. The benefits are three-fold for the ‘Dores. First, student-athletes get their major workout in before class. Second, players have time to return to the facility later in the day, which allows for rehab and recovery. And finally, Mason and his staff avoid having to shake their players out of a post-class lull. “If you’re practicing in the afternoon, you’re usually getting guys coming out of class,” Mason said. “They’re shot. They’re drained. The ability to focus and push through and still give you what you want, effort-wise, becomes tough. “If you look at these guys’ academic course work, you find that if you get them up in the morning, feed them in the morning, and get going in the morning, the brain activity and the ability to process information has already started.” Those same benefits extend through the halls of Vanderbilt’s McGugin Center. Stephanie White, the Commodores’ new women’s basketball coach, has long been a fan of afternoon practices. But class schedules moved most of her inaugural preseason practices to around 8 a.m. this fall. White has now recognized certain benefits of getting her players out of bed. “In terms of discipline, an early morning practice is good,” White said. “It’s helpful to get them before they go to class and have brain drain. And for me as an individual, working out in the morning really helps get my day going.”

While some Vanderbilt programs have adjusted to morning practices, others are plenty familiar with that routine. Jeremy Organ has coached the Commodores’ women’s swimming team for 11 seasons, and like most Division I swim teams, early workouts have been a staple of Organ’s tenure on West End. His swimmers are in the water from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. six days a week, Monday through Saturday. They also toss in an extra afternoon swim on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Organ structures his practices that way for a reason. Championship swim meets usually feature preliminary heats in the morning and finals in the evening, so the Commodores practice to mirror that format. That allows Organ’s studentathletes to acclimate to the process of recovering between workouts. In more than a decade at Vanderbilt, Organ has seen that structure pay off. “I do think swimming every morning and training our bodies to perform early does have a direct correlation to early performance at championship meets,” Organ said. But one common denominator is prominent among Vanderbilt teams who utilize morning practice: The importance of time-management. In the real world, your day starts early. That’s what Commodores coaches try to impress upon their teams with structured morning routines. So, it’s no coincidence that Vanderbilt studentathletes are well-prepared for lives after college. “The practice schedule requires all the girls to be very disciplined in time-management in order to be successful,” Organ said. “This is something that does translate into life after swimming, and it’s why so many former swimmers go on to lead very successful careers in their fields.” ■

C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N

Perry Wallace Exhibit The Vanderbilt University Fine Arts Gallery is hosting Race, Sports, and Vanderbilt: 1966-1970, an exhibit that highlights artifacts, photographs, texts, and videos of the material culture during this time period on Vanderbilt’s campus and within the Nashville community. The exhibit opened on Sept. 23 and runs through Dec. 8. A touch-screen kiosk in the gallery allows visitors to browse videos from the 1967 and 1968 Impact Symposia, which featured Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Stokely Carmichael, Robert F. Kennedy, and Eugene McCarthy as speak-

Vanderbilt legend Perry Wallace (center) and author Andrew Maraniss (second from right) were joined by Athletic Director David Williams (second from left) during a ceremony that recognized the publishing of Maraniss’ biography on Wallace, Strong Inside, during a basketball game last season.

ers. Visitors will also have access to video interviews of African American alums who were students at Vanderbilt in the late sixties. Artifacts in the gallery will include copies of handbooks and yearbooks from that time period. The exhibit uses Strong Inside: Perry Wallace and the Collision of Race and Sports in the South, a book by Andrew Maraniss, as its starting point. During this time period, the first African Americans stepped foot on the basketball court for Vanderbilt and the SEC; it was also when Levi Watkins Jr. became the first African American to enter the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. In 1967, Walter R. Murray founded the Afro-American Association, and also became the university’s first African American on the Board of Trust in 1970. The stated goal of the exhibit is to present visitors with a glimpse into the history of the late sixties and concentrate on how that history played out on Vanderbilt’s campus, while seeking to provide the community with an opportunity to discuss these issues with a new perspective in the gallery. n

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C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N

Former players reconnect at alumni weekend By Zac Ellis

ybil Hill was a bit of a trailblazer for Vanderbilt women’s basketball. She played on the Commodores’ first women’s club team during the 1976-77 season, before the NCAA officially sanctioned women’s sports. Now, 40 years later, the memories of her time on West End still resonate. “Obviously, it was the first year for the program, so maybe we weren’t the best,” Hill said. “But we sure had a lot of fun.” Hill was recently able to relive some of that fun. First-year Vanderbilt head coach Stephanie White and her staff hosted Hill and a few dozen other Commodore alumni for a luncheon prior to VU’s homecoming football game against Tennessee State. It was a chance for Vanderbilt players of different generations to return to campus and mesh with White and the program’s new coaching staff. For White, tapping into Vanderbilt’s history has been a priority during her first year on campus. “It’s really important for us to do this,” White said. “Those are the people that laid the foundation for this program. Those are the people who, if they didn’t win championships, they paved the

way for the teams that did win championships. Now, we’re building off their legacy.” Early in her tenure, White made it a point to reach out to alumni. She penned a letter and invited former players back to campus, all while assuring that Commodores from years past know they are welcome at Vanderbilt. “Memorial Gym will always be your home,” White wrote, “and as Head Coach, I want the program to be completely accessible to you, not only as an alumna but as a mentor and role model to our current student-athletes.” The response was overwhelmingly positive. Former Vanderbilt player Gabby Smith even tweeted a picture of White’s letter, praising the coach for her efforts to reach out to former ’Dores. The alumni luncheon was the first big step in a larger process for Vanderbilt’s staff. Attendees included Hill, former guard Dee Davis (’07)— Vanderbilt’s all-time assists leader—and fellow guard Jessica Mooney (’10). White said her staff intends to send out alumni newsletters every month with updates on happenings within the program. “We want to make sure they’re connected,”

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White said. “Even if they can’t be here physically, we want them to know what’s going on in our program, because it’s still their program.” Hill hasn’t returned to many Vanderbilt games in recent years, mostly because she lives in Greenville, S.C., But she hopes to catch the Commodores on the road this season; they are set to play at Georgia on Jan. 8 and in the SEC tournament in Greenville, S.C. in March. Both venues are a short drive from Hill’s home in the Palmetto State. But a long drive wasn’t going to deter Hill from bonding with White and Vanderbilt’s new staff at homecoming. “We’re about six hours away by car,” Hill said, “but it was well worth it.” n

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FITNESS TIPS with Sara Melby

ello, Commodore fans! This is Sara Melby, and I am the athletic trainer for the women’s soccer and men’s tennis teams. Today, I want to walk you through some warm-up exercises that will better prepare you for your workout and will enable you to maximize your time. Warming up the muscle tissue prior to exercise is key in having a better overall feel through your work-out and may enhance recovery. Three components include actually warming up the muscle tissue to be stretched, activating the muscle in isolation that will have to work with larger muscle groups, and putting them through a stretch through movement since that is what is happening during your exercise. It works like this: Soft tissue warm-up (6-8 minutes) Use a foam roll, massage stick or any type of ball over following muscle groups: Glutes Piriformis Quads Tensor fascia lata Hamstrings Muscle activation exercises (sets of 10) Clam shells Supermans Bridges Glute raises Fire hydrants with rotation Plank Dynamic stretching (sets of 3-5 per leg) : Walking RDLS Touch down lunges Lateral leg lifts—side lunge Hurdle stretch Spidermans Track hams Quad pulls with reach Enjoy your workout. And Anchor Down! ■

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It’s My Turn By Rod Williamson

rowing up on an Iowa farm, I had an unusually strong attraction to sports. As a fifth-grader, I sat at the kitchen table and kept game statistics for Iowa Hawkeye basketball using my homemade scoring sheets. Paul Eels was Iowa’s radio announcer and he eventually left for some school called Vanderbilt. On football Saturdays I put our little radio on the porch, turned the volume to full blast and reenacted the action on our lawn. The nearby cattle seemed unimpressed. I can still hum the lead-in music to the televised Big 10 Basketball Game of the Week. College sports somehow got in my DNA even though nobody in my family had ever gone to college. I never imagined I would actually be involved with them. Somewhere around seventh grade I read about Princeton’s Bill Bradley, who struck me as nearly perfect. He was a Midwest guy who led the Tigers to the Final Four and then temporarily passed up the NBA to accept a Rhodes Scholarship. I thought that was how it was meant to be and even though I didn’t know where Princeton was located, I was gaga for Bradley. Fast-forward to 1983 and I am offered a position on Vanderbilt’s athletic staff by Roy Kramer. I told Phyllis (my wife) that while I wouldn’t likely ever get to promote anyone as splendid as Bradley, I would There have been glorious be surrounded by miniature Bill victories, made even more Bradleys. Vanderbilt special knowing we didn’t seemed like my kind of place! compromise our values to I have seldom been so right. For hoist a trophy. over 33 years I have interacted with some of the nation’s most impressive student-athletes. I have marveled at their drive to succeed, their hard work and time management, their innate ability to be quick learners and for the most part, their recognition that teamwork matters. They have won “both ways.” There have been some dry spells if one measures success only by the final score but there has never been a drought when it comes to sportsmanship, character, unselfishness and integrity. There have been glorious victories, made even more special knowing we didn’t compromise our values to hoist a trophy. I watched my son shake hands with the President of the United States in the White House after his team won our school’s first NCAA championship. A few years later our baseball and women’s tennis teams followed suit. I encountered wonderful people through athletics, even got to travel abroad. You remember the people, not so much the games. But there comes a time when you sense the final seconds are ticking down, when the pep band quits and it’s time to go. One can hang around too long and I never wanted to be that tone deaf guy. The next generation of publicists will know twice as much but perhaps care half as much. This will be my final Commodore Nation column as I retire in early December. It’s hard for me to believe it, much less write it. I leave with a grateful heart, lots of memories and even more friends. For this smalltown farm boy, sports have been a wonderful life. I have been lucky. ■

C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N

My Game

Cristina De Zeeuw By David Dawson

hristina De Zeeuw came to Vanderbilt with a specific objective in mind: To help the Commodore program become a relevant force in the SEC. Three years into her career, the junior defender from Overland Park, Kansas, has certainly achieved that goal. This season, De Zeeuw and the Commodores put together a four-game SEC winning streak, highlighted by a victory over No. 14 Texas A&M, and ultimately clinched a berth in the SEC Tournament for the second consecutive season. Commodore Nation recently sat down with De Zeeuw to discuss Vanderbilt’s upswing, along with a variety of other topics:

can become a citizen. This summer we went to Chicago and completed all the paperwork and the other requirements, and I became a dual citizen. I now have my Colombian certification card and my Colombian passport.

Commodore Nation: The Vanderbilt soccer program has been making a steady rise for the past two seasons. What have been the keys to that transformation?

De Zeeuw: I played volleyball and I actually had to choose between (volleyball and soccer) for college. A lot of people don’t know this about me: My club volleyball team won the national championship. But after my sophomore year, I decided I wanted to play soccer, so I pursued that.

De Zeeuw: When the new coaching staff came in (head coach Darren Ambrose arrived at Vanderbilt before the 2015 season), they set the bar really high for us and changed how the team functions and the leadership of the team. There’s a mutual understanding; everyone’s disciplined and we’re all accountable. And it’s changed our entire mindset. Making the SEC Tournament, for example, used to be a goal for this team. Now it’s an expectation. It’s just something that’s going to become regular for this program. CN: How much satisfaction do you take in knowing that you are helping lay the foundation for future success for the teams at Vanderbilt? De Zeeuw: It’s the whole reason I came to be a part of this program. I wanted to be a person who made opportunities for the people who came after me. And we feel like we are definitely doing that. I’m so excited to see what happens when I’m gone. CN: It certainly appears that this team is a very close-knit group. How much has that carried over onto the field? De Zeeuw: Everyone is on the same page and gets along really well. I’ve never been on a team with chemistry this good. And I definitely think it’s played a huge role in our success. Just the fact that we know what to expect from each other and to be honest with each other—that’s such a big key. CN: So, switching gears for a minute, we’ve heard you are now a dual citizen? Tell us a little bit about that. De Zeeuw: My mom is from Colombia and she came (to the States) when she was about 21. But once you’re a Colombian citizen, you’re always a citizen—and if one of your parents is a citizen there, you

Nov/Dec 2016

CN: So, in the future you could play for their Olympic team? De Zeeuw: Yes. It’s something that I had never really thought about (until assistant coach Ken Masuhr mentioned it). But now, if I had the opportunity, I think it would be amazing. CN: Did you play any other sports in high school aside from soccer?

CN: How difficult of a decision was that? De Zeeuw: Soccer was always my first love, and I haven’t missed volleyball since I made that decision. I started playing soccer when I was 3. My older brother played, so as soon as I saw him playing, I said I want to play! ■

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