Coaching Management 18.9

Coaching ManagementS O F T B A L L P O S T S E A S O N E D I T I O N 2 0 1 0

VOL. XVIII NO. 9 ■ $7.00

■ Strength Through Sleep■ Facing Your Critics

Making StrideSHow to rebuild a struggling program

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Circle No. 100

CONTENTSCoaching ManagementSoftball EditionPostseason 2010

Vol. XVIII, No. 9

COVER STORY

Making Strides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12How do you begin to turn around a struggling program? By demonstrating your commitment, setting high expectations, and building relationships with all the people around you .

LEADERSHIP

Quelling the Critics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Nowadays, coaches get bombarded with criticism from every angle . Learning how to handle it with composure is key to success (and staying sane) .

OPTIMUM PERFORMANCE

Eyes Wide Open . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Recent research shows there is one easy way for athletes to enhance their workouts and performance: by getting a full night of uninterrupted sleep .

23

LOCKER ROOM Bulletin Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2NCAA institutes mandatory bat testing … The lessons of Title IX … NFCA plans recruiting tournaments … Winning on the road … An ace up her sleeve .

Q&A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Jen Fisher, Head Coach at Colorado State University, talks about taking over an NCAA Division I program, the changes the sport has undergone, and the lessons of parenthood .

NOW PLAYING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

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CoachesNetwork .com CoaChing ManageMent 1

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The Coaching Management softball edition is pub-lished in October and December by MAG, Inc . and is distributed free to college and high school coach-es in the United States and Canada .

Copyright © 2010 by MAG, Inc . All rights reserved . Text may not be reproduced in any manner, in whole or in part, without the permission of the pub lisher . Un solicited materials will not be

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On the cover: After finishing the 2009 season 15-42, the Texas Tech Red Raiders rebounded in 2010 with 38 wins and their first appearance in the NCAA Division I tournament since 2001. Story begins on page 12. Photo: Michael Strong/Texas Tech Athletics.

HITTING & PITCHING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30SOFTBALL FIELD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32TEAM EqUIPMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

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hitters. This pitching machine can throw everything.

everytHing in DeSign. The Junior Hack Attack is heavy enough

to absorb recoil, ensuring accuracy, yet portable and easily moved

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id Softball EVERYTHING.indd 1 8/23/10 9:34 AM

Testing for Hot Bats

Since softball bat standards were introduced 10 years ago, NCAA enforcement efforts have largely amounted to closing the barn door after the horses have already escaped. With testing conducted only after the season was finished, there was little way to keep illegal bats from being used.

Last season, however, the NCAA began limited test-ing of bats before games. Although the number of ille-gal bats identified was small, the voluntary pilot pre-compe-tition testing program went so well that it will be expanded and become mandatory at playoff events in all three divi-sions in 2011.

“Our goal all along has been to do pre-competition testing so

we can be more confident that all equipment is within speci-fications,” says Dee Abraham-son, Associate Athletic Director at Northern Illinois University and NCAA Softball Secretary-Rules Editor. “Barrel compres-sion testing is portable, quick, and doesn’t damage the bats. We think it can helph keep ille-gal bats out of the game.”

Pre-competition testing is done using a small, light-weight machine that measures a bat’s stiffness. The barrel is squeezed in a vise, and a read-ing indicates whether the bat meets specifications. Bats that exceed pre-set standards can create a trampoline effect that can propel balls faster than allowed under the Amateur Softball Association bat speci-fications used by the NCAA.

A study comparing the pre-competition testing method to laboratory tests, where

balls are fired at bats and their speed leaving the bat is mea-sured, showed that all the bats identified as illegal by the por-table machine also failed the laboratory test. Some bats that slightly exceeded limits in laboratory testing were cleared by the portable machine. Thus, some bats with slightly increased performance levels may get through the pre-com-petition testing process, but there’s little chance that a legal bat will be improperly flagged.

Although final details of next year’s testing program are still being ironed out, pre-competition testing will occur at selected regional, super-regional, and champi-onship sites for all three divi-sions. All bats from compet-ing teams will be tested and those that fail will be con-fiscated. Schools will not be compensated for the loss of the bats. No further penalties

After running a successful pilot program to test bats at the end of last season, the NCAA announced plans to begin mandatory testing of all bats at selected 2011 postseason games in all three divisions. Above, University of Florida outfielder Kelsey Bruder hits a two-run homer to guide the Gators to a 5-2 victory over Arizona State University in the 2010 NCAA Super Regional.

LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD

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have been prescribed by the NCAA, although the NCAA Softball Committee may con-sider adding additional penal-ties in the future.

According to Abrahamson, testing will typically occur before a team’s first practice session. Should a team not use its practice session, testing will likely occur before the pre-tournament coaches meetings.

“Our goal is to get the testing done early so players have an opportunity to choose new bats if needed and practice with them before the games begin,” Abrahamson says. “Another option is to do it before the coaches meeting, which would at least give play-ers the opportunity to do a lit-tle short toss into a net with a new bat.”

Postseason testing in 2007 showed that 40 percent of the bats tested (10 of 25) exceed-ed the batted-ball exit speed standard of 98 miles per hour, some by more than five miles per hour. That number fell to 12 percent (three of 25) in 2008, then rose again to 43 percent (12 of 28) in 2009. Non-conforming bats were found in all three divisions and more than a third of the teams (14 of 37) in the tests over the three years had at least one bat that was not in compliance.

Complete results from the 2010 postseason tests were not available at press time, but the pre-competition test-ing resulted in only two dis-qualified bats out of 189 submitted by 33 teams. This testing was voluntary, howev-er, and coaches were allowed to decide which bats they wanted to have tested, which may have affected the results.

Abrahamson says the 2010 pilot program exposed some of the challenges involved in trying to cover so many games with limited quantities of test-ing equipment. “We had nine machines last season, and if

2 CoaChing ManageMent CoachesNetwork.com

we get a couple of more, we might be able to cover about a third of the sites in 2011,” she says. “But there’s a lot of work in getting machines to the right locations at the right times, marking and logging tested bats, and deciding who can administer the tests if members of the NCAA Softball Rules Committee are not available.”

Depending on the number of machines and testers available, testing may spread to confer-ence tournaments and regular season games. Abrahamson says that several teams have bought their own machines to ensure their bats are legal.

“Some coaches want to have the peace of mind of knowing their bats are in compliance,’ she says. “They don’t want to get to a playoff site and sud-denly find that half of their bats can’t be used.”

NFCA Proposes New Tournaments

Starting in 2011, there will be a new player on the summer tournament circuit. The Nation-al Fastpitch Coaches Associa-tion (NFCA) is initiating a series of regional tournaments with the goal of providing a bet-ter recruiting experience for both college coaches and high school players.

Jen Goodwin, NFCA Assis-tant Executive Director, says a major aim is to give coaches increased opportunities to look at potential recruits. To achieve that, the NFCA events will be smaller than many current tour-naments. Goodwin estimates 50 teams would participate in each tournament, although that number may change.

“If there are five games going

at once, coaches can walk around to all the fields and see people in the outfield, people at bat, and people warming up,” she says. “You can get a good look at all the teams.”

There is a chance the games may not have time limits, which would allow coaches to get a better idea of the players they’re scouting in a more real-istic setting. “With time limits, you don’t see the kids com-pete,” Goodwin says. “Col-lege coaches want to make sure there’s pressure on play-

ers so they know how a kid will perform with her back against the wall. The frustration with time limits is that there’s nev-er a two-outs, bases-loaded, bottom-of-the-seventh at-bat

where someone has to make it happen. The pressure isn’t really there.”

Additionally, Goodwin is tin-kering with a pre-game evalu-ation process where coaches could watch players fielding ground balls, shagging flies, and swinging the bat to bet-

CoachesNetwork.com CoaChing ManageMent 3

“With time limits, you don’t see the kids compete. College coaches want to make sure there’s pres sure on players so they know how a kid will perform with her back against the wall.”

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ter assess players who may not get a lot of action during a game. “If a player is in right field and doesn’t get a single ball hit to her, the coach can’t evaluate her defensive skills,” she says. “If we’re able to do something before each game, coaches can quickly see an ath-lete’s abilities.”

With countless exposure tour-naments dotting the land-scape, how will the NFCA attract the high-profile travel teams and elite college pro-grams? “There are so many options, but if something is being run by the NFCA, coaches know what they’ll get out of it,” Goodwin says. “All our tournaments are going to be formatted and run the same, and because these events are being backed by the NFCA, we hope they’ll be heavily supported by college coaches.”

Goodwin is also asking col-lege coaches which teams they’d like to see participate—something she hopes will be a major enticement. “When we invite teams, telling them that Alabama and Florida or any top team wants them to come, that will get them excit-ed about attending,” she says.

The NFCA hopes to generate revenue from the tourna-ments. “Depending on how big the tournaments get, they definitely could be a source of income,” Goodwin says. “The revenue could be used to fund more tournaments or benefit other parts of the organiza-tion, from increasing publica-tions to helping with coaching courses.”

Learning from Title IX As more coaches, athletes, and parents are learning, when the baseball field is superior to the softball team’s facilities, there may be grounds for a Title IX lawsuit. But the good news is school officials have become more receptive to acting on

complaints, rather than letting an inequity concern turn into a crisis.

At Richmond Senior High School in Rockingham, N.C., a call from a softball player’s par-ent to the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) last year prompted an investigation. “We knew we had some inequities in our facil-ities, and we’d had numerous conversations over time about fixing them,” says then-Athletic Director Hal Shuler, who is now Assistant Principal at neighbor-ing Rockingham (N.C.) Middle School. “But no concrete plans had been made, and with finances getting tighter, things had stalled.”

About five months after two investigators visited campus to tour the facilities and inter-view coaches and athletes, the OCR sent a report outlining steps Richmond administra-tors needed to take to comply with Title IX. After the report was presented to Richmond’s board of education, $105,000 in improvements to girls’ facili-ties was approved.

This year, the softball field will be given new bleachers, as well as a fence, backstop, and dugouts. The infield and warn-ing track will be regraded, and the irrigation system will be improved. Lights are sched-uled to be added in a second phase, set for next year.

“I never saw it as a nega-tive that a parent went to the OCR,” Shuler says. “We knew we needed to make some changes, and the parent’s concerns were valid. His com-plaint got things moving in the right direction, and the end result is what matters.”

A complaint filed with the OCR in Nov. 2009 by former Lincoln Land Community Col-lege Head Coach Jim Davis also prompted an on-campus investigation. Fast-forward to June, when school officials sprang into action after receiv-ing the OCR’s report.

Based on the OCR’s findings, within the next year, the Loggers will have a newly-constructed, regulation-size practice field,

and see improvements to their game day field, including two bullpens with pitching lanes, a relocated scoreboard, and an improved press area. The team was immediately granted equal access to the school’s batting cages and equal opportunity to operate the outdoor concession stand at home games.

It isn’t just inequity in facilities that draws attention, however. The location of a field can be part of a Title IX complaint, too.

At Baldwin High School in Wai-luku, Hawai’i, Head Coach Joe Duran and the families of three players filed a Title IX lawsuit against the state Department of Education and Maui County in federal court in March. Duran and the players claimed the squad was forced to move its practices to a lesser-quality field located about a mile away so local Little League teams could hold practices and games on a field closer to school.

Officials maintained the switch was necessary because the softball season was recently

At Richmond Senior High School in Rockingham, N.C., a parent’s telephone call prompted a Title IX investigation by the Office for Civil Rights. In response, the softball team will see its home field receive new bleachers, dugouts, a backstop, a fence, and an improved irrigation sys-tem, with a second set of renovations scheduled for next year.


changed to overlap with base-ball, and that the field the softball team was moved to was of good quality. (Baldwin High School uses the county’s fields because it doesn’t have fields of its own on campus.)

Days after the filing, a federal district court judge ruled that the state and county must either allow the team to return to its original field or make immediate improvements to the condition of the field the squad was moved to. Less than a month later, the gover-nor’s office agreed to release more than $1 million for the construction of a new softball field on Baldwin’s campus as part of the settlement.

At Warrenton (Ore.) High School, a similar situation has resulted in the commu-nity coming together on a new field construction proj-

ect. After years of the softball team traveling a mile away to practice and play—at a field with no restrooms—it was mandated that the softball and baseball teams have equal facilities.

With a tight budget hover-ing, parents, administrators, community members, coach-es, and players are spending months volunteering their time and services to move a wet-lands area at the high school and convert the space into a new softball field. Though the finishing date is more than a year away, the softball com-munity is excited about the improvement.

“I can’t wait to see it done,” Athletic Director and former Head Coach Heidi Lent told The Daily Astorian. “I think the girls should have as nice a facil-ity as the boys have. It’s time.”

Tricks of the TradeHeading into the bottom of the 10th inning of the Utah Class 2A title game with a 3-2 lead, Grand County High School Head Coach Stepha-nie Cluff saw an oppportunity to play an ace she had up her sleeve. Competing under an international tiebreaker for-mat that called for a runner to be placed at second base at the start of the inning, Cluff relayed positioning instruc-tions as her defense took the field—and they were ready.

After taking the ball, pitcher Shelby Dalton motioned as though she was making a pickoff throw to second base. Playing along, the shortstop and second baseman dove in an attempt to corral what appeared to be a wayward throw. Meanwhile, the rest of the team yelled for the center-

fielder to chase the fake ball—and she dutifully obliged.

With her teammates urging her to run, South Summit High School’s runner broke for third. She wasn’t the only one fooled. “The third base coach yelled for the runner to take the next base,” recalls Cluff. “The first base coach, who saw that the ball was still in the pitcher’s glove, realized what was hap-pening and called for the run-ner to get back to second—but in all the chaos, she didn’t hear and kept going.”

When the runner reached the midway point between sec-ond and third, Dalton—with the real ball tucked away in her glove—sprinted toward the runner and applied the tag for the first out of the inning. Then, with the bases empty, Dalton struck out the next batter and induced a fly ball

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to put the finishing touches on Grand County’s first state championship since 2000.

Having learned the play as a member of the 2000 title- winning team, Cluff has taught it to her players ever since she began coaching. “We start-ed practicing it three weeks before the state championship game,” says Cluff. “We ran it a couple of times during prac-tices—usually to see who we could catch napping.

“For the play to work, it really has to be the perfect moment in the game,” she adds. “Hav-ing an inexperienced baserun-ner also helps. In the cham-pionship game, I noticed the opposing manager decided to pinch run with a younger girl who looked a little nervous, so I decided to take advantage.”



After the game, some com-menters on a local message board questioned the play, but Cluff heard no protest from the South Summit coach-es or fans. “There were some who said the play tainted the championship,” says Cluff. “But there were just as many who called us a smart, heads-up team that was prepared for a particular situation. The neg-ative comments didn’t bother us because we felt we used a well thought out play to seal the deal.”

After running the play to per-fection in such a high-profile moment, Cluff realizes she’ll have to shelve it for a while. “I doubt we’ll be able to fool any-body with it for a long time,” she says. “We’re always plot-ting, and we still have a few more cards up our sleeve.”

Road WarriorsWinning is nothing new for Eastern Connecticut State University, a school with five national championships on its resume. But the success of the 2010 campaign—a 39-6-1 mark, which tied the program record for wins, the team’s first regional title in 18 years, and a third place finish in the NCAA Division III national tournament—came with a unique wrinkle: The Warriors achieved all that while playing the entire season on the road.

Eastern Connecticut State was homeless because a parking garage is being built on the former site of Spector Field, the school’s softball facility. A new field has been planned, but the school can’t begin con-struction until the governor releases the necessary funds.

Ninth-year Head Coach Diana Pepin knew her team would be without a home field all season, so she called a team meeting in the fall to discuss the situa-tion. “I told them, ‘We can use this as an excuse, or we can do everything possible to perform our best and meet our goals,’” Pepin says. “Everybody was on board. It didn’t matter where we were going to play. We were playing together and for each other. Everyone accepted that from day one.”

Pepin believes that approach was necessary for getting her team in the proper mindset to attack a grueling and tiring schedule. “It’s all in how you present it,” she explains. “If you tell the team they’re still playing a game they love and don’t let them make excuses, you’ll be successful. If you say, ‘Poor us,’ then the kids are going to feel whatever the coaching staff feels. We had to make the most out of the situation.”

To help deal with the difficult schedule, Pepin tapped into her team leadership to gauge players’ attitudes from day to

day. The Warriors endured one week during the regular season when they played five away games, and by the end of the stretch, players were mentally and physically drained.

“If I or the captains felt the team was struggling or need-ed to take a day off, I didn’t hesitate to give it to them,” Pepin says. “I had to do that to make sure they stayed fresh and on task. My philosophy is that we get done what we need to get done and then we get out of there. We’re not going to practice for three hours just for the sake of practicing, and a day off isn’t going to kill us.”

Despite the lack of a home field, the Warriors did play three conference doublehead-ers at the University of Con-necticut, a 20-minute drive from campus. “It was nice not having to travel so far and the kids really enjoyed playing at a Division I facility,” Pepin says. “It enabled us to play close enough for our families and students to come and watch.”

In addition to the rough schedule, Eastern Connecticut State was also forced to prac-tice at a local middle school. There, they had no access to a pitching machine or batting tunnel. But the Warriors made the most of the situation.

“My assistant or I would pitch with a screen in front of us when we needed it,” Pepin says. “This experience really taught us you don’t need all these machines and every-thing else to be successful. It’s more about the heart and determination players have in going after their goals.”

Off the field, the hectic travel routine also made life dif-ficult in the classroom. Pep-in instructed her players to schedule classes before 12:30 p.m., so they wouldn’t miss lectures when the team was on the road, but losing some time proved inevitable.

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Thanks to a 10th inning fake pickoff attempt by Grand County High School ace Shelby Dalton (above), the Lady Devils held their 3-2 lead and defeated South Summit High School to win the Utah Class 2A Championship.

“They weren’t able to study in the library, and studying on a bus isn’t exactly ideal,” Pepin says. “They did the best they could, and our team ended up with a cumulative 3.12 GPA.”

Next season, Eastern Con-necticut State will likely play without a home field yet again, though the team is hoping to at least get an on-campus practice field. While the lack of a facility has not yet affected the squad’s on-field performance, Pepin acknowledges that a program without a field cannot main-tain this level of success for-ever.

“Because we are success-ful, players still want to come here,” she says. “Right now, it hasn’t hurt us, but in the long term, I can’t imagine sustain-ing what we’ve done in the past without a field.”

Playing the entire season on the road, Eastern Connecticut State University closed the 2010 campaign with a 39-6-1 record, the team’s first regional title in 18 years, and a third place finish at the NCAA Division III national tournament.


Circle No. 104

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In three years at Metropolitan State College of Denver, Head Coach Jen Fisher consistently exceeded expec-tations. In 2010, the Roadrunners started the season ranked 16th in the nation before advancing to the semi-finals of the NCAA Division II World Series, finishing 53-6. Two years earlier, Fisher took a squad in its first year of competition since 1990 to a 32-18 record.

Her success did not go unnoticed. In August, Fisher was named Head Coach at Colorado State University, her alma mater.

A three-sport athlete at Rocky Mountain High School in Fort Collins, Fisher played softball at Creighton

University, the Colorado School of Mines, and Colorado State, where she earned a bachelor’s degree while coaching local club and high school teams. She developed her head coaching skills at Otero Junior Col-lege, where she won 355 games in eight years and was named NJCAA Region IX Coach of the Year seven consecutive seasons.

In this interview, Fisher talks about taking over an NCAA Division I program, the changes her sport has undergone, and the lessons of parenthood.

Jen Fisher Colorado State University


CM: This spring, Metro State won the NFCA Central Region Coaching Staff of the Year award. What did that honor mean to you?Fisher: I love that the NFCA gives its award to the whole coaching staff. I wouldn’t be anywhere without my assis-tants. I love that they received some well-deserved recognition.

What was it like to revive the Metro State program after 18 years?It was really exciting. Most people there didn’t remember having a team, so it was like starting a brand-new pro-gram. Softball fans and even people who had never seen women’s fastpitch before were very impressed with our program.

How will you adjust to coaching at an NCAA Division I school? I have to prove myself just like I did when I went from Otero to Metro State. I’m not going to reinvent the wheel—I’ll do what made me successful in the past.There are three parts to having a success-ful program and winning is only one of the pieces. You need to involve the com-munity in your program, and you need to excel academically. If you have winners in the classroom and community, on-field success will take care of itself.

What is the biggest difference between coaching at a community college and a four-year school?At Otero, it was really hard to have play-ers for only two years. Once I got them where I wanted them to be, they graduat-ed. In addition, at the community college level, sometimes you have to be a jack-of-all-trades and take on academic advising and athletic training roles. At a four-year college, you have more resources.

How do you develop strong hitters?You start by defining what a successful at-bat is. That can be different for every-one, but often starts with just swinging at good pitches and battling if you fall behind in the count. Eventually, that will progress to making good contact and hitting the ball hard. I don’t put pressure on players to hit home runs. If the effort is there and they can hit the ball hard, I’m happy.

Q A&

Third baseman/catcher Tara Mickelson helped take Metro State to the NCAA Division II World Series with a .370 bat-ting average, .867 slugging percentage, 25 home runs, and 78 runs batted in.

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What’s your coaching philosophy?I’m a mother, and when you have chil-dren, you have to focus on who they are as people and help them have the best experience in life. That translates to coaching because as a coach you can’t be selfish and expect student-athletes

exercises with public high school stu-dents. One was a First Impressions Sheet where students would sit with our play-ers, who would share their first impres-sion of the student, like “You have great energy,” or “You’re a team player.” By the end, each student would have 20

things to give her confi-dence. If we can help a girl develop self-confidence, we’ve made progress.

Mentoring these students helped our players realize that they are in the public eye and can be positive role models to young women. It also gave them some real-life perspective. Many college student-athletes

today have issues that are difficult to deal with, but some of these public school stu-dents have situations far worse than our players could have ever imagined.

How do you help players build confi-dence?Confidence doesn’t manifest itself. It comes from quality practices. You have to start with the basics of whatever skill


“Confidence doesn’t manifest itself. It comes from quality practices. You have to start with the basics of whatever skill they’re learning and work with them step by step.”

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to perform for you. You want them to learn life skills and draw a great experi-ence from their sport. When you take the approach of caring for your players and helping them improve on and off the field, they’ll want to learn and get better.

What went into your NCAA award-win-ning mentoring program at Metro?We did a number of confidence-building

they’re learning and work with them step by step. If they do that basic skill well, you move to something more challenging. You also need to remain positive. You tell them, “You’ve practiced this skill many times. It’s something in your toolbox that you know how to do and you can use it in this game.” That helps their confidence.

How does being a former player help you as a coach?I was born in 1972, so I reaped the ben-efits of Title IX. A lot of these players don’t understand what life was like then for a young woman who wanted to play sports. Through talking about what that experience was like with my players, I hope they won’t take their opportunities for granted.

How has the sport evolved over the years?Offensively, it has come a long way. A lot of people say it’s the bats, but I think we have better coaches now than ever before. I see a big difference in the num-ber of solid hitters now compared to when I played. Players are better athletes, and their strength and conditioning has really improved.

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Untitled-11 1 8/20/08 12:46:59 PM


Circle No. 107Circle No. 107

BY JIM FORNACIARI

How do you begin to turn around a struggling program?

The keys are demonstrating your commitment, setting

high expectations, and building relationships with all

the people around you.

MAKING STRIDES


After finishing the 2009 season 15-42, the Texas Tech Red Raiders rebounded in 2010 with 38 wins and their first appearance in the NCAA Division I tournament since 2001.

COVER STORY

ixing a broken soft-ball Program is not for the faint of heart. to turn around a struggling team, you’ll have to make a tremendous com-mitment of time and energy, formulate a solid game plan,

and work closely with your athletic direc-tor, coaches, student-athletes, parents, and community. most of all, you’ll need to test yourself like never before.

after serving 11 years as an assistant baseball coach at naperville (ill.) Central high school, i had the opportunity to rebuild the baseball program at neigh-boring glenbard West high school in glen ellyn, ill., from 1999 to 2005. that experience, along with watching other successful coaches, has helped me put together a blueprint for turning a failing program into a successful one.

What do struggling teams have in common? in most, there’s a history of dis-appointment, a lack of student participa-tion, an abundance of unhappy parents, and dwindling community involvement. the coaching staff is demoralized, prac-tices are too relaxed to provide any real

Jim Fornaciari recently retired as Head Base-ball Coach at Glenbard West High School in Glen Ellyn, Ill., where he continues to serve as a history teacher. His team went to the state finals in 2002 and 2003 and his pro-gram produced a number of college and professional players. He can be reached at: [email protected].


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about it again as you begin your job. Working with your athletic director,

develop a list of short-term and long-term goals. For example, a short-term goal might be adding a lower level pitching coach or purchasing protective screens to improve batting practice. Long-term goals could include building dugouts or winning conference titles.

In developing and presenting your list, your athletic director will help gauge how realistic your goals are, especially with regards to funding. As a new coach, you could lose the confidence of people around you if your goals are too lofty, so it’s important to establish benchmarks that are attainable.

As you set your goals, keep in mind all your other responsibilities inside and out-side school, making sure not to ignore the rest of your life as you attack the challenge of rebuilding your program. Although you have a great deal of work to do, it’s impor-tant to remember that not everything can take place during the first year. In setting priorities, keep your primary focus on teaching the fundamentals of the game.

After talking with the athletic director, start making connections with the other head coaches, who should ultimately become some of your closest supporters. These relationships may initially be dif-ficult to develop, but don’t give up—the more time you spend sharing ideas with other coaches at the school, the stronger these relationships will grow.

The trust between head coaches can improve through working in one anoth-

improvement, and facilities are in need of a makeover.

Luckily, none of that is beyond repair. I believe the keys to turning around a struggling program are commitment, expectations, and relationships.

The rebuilding process will be much easier if you’re able to foster positive rela-tionships with your athletic director, fel-low coaches, assistants, parents, students, and community members. Think of them as your constituents, and as you institute changes in your program, make sure to get their support every step of the way.

The Right StartThe best place to begin building rela-

tionships is at the top. Asking your athlet-ic director for input will give him or her a sense of ownership in your program. The support of an athletic director who is committed to your initiatives will go a long way toward helping you reach your goals—especially if people begin ques-tioning your decisions.

In raising expectations, you can expect to meet resistance, and some of your demands of student-athletes may come as a shock to a program that has historically required (and received) little from its players. Having a strong athletic director to publicly back you up can make the dif-ference in overcoming those hurdles.

During the interview process, you made your vision clear to the school’s administration and athletic director. Now, having successfully sold that big picture, you need to take the opportunity to talk

As you begin your new job, you may be inundated by parents, coaches, alumni, or even faculty members who want to share a laundry list of problems. Although it’s important to understand why past seasons have gone poorly, it’s best to avoid the dis-cussion as gracefully as possible. you—and

the complainers—will be better served by keeping the discussion in the present.

be careful not to overanalyze what has gone wrong in the past. over time, through your own observations and dis-cussions, you’ll be able to judge those issues for yourself. is it important to know the soccer coach has historically

discouraged her athletes from playing softball? yes. but if you have confidence your softball program will offer enough excitement to engage multi-sport athletes, you can let the problem take care of itself.

if you have a clear game plan for success, many of the problems that plagued the program in the past will no longer be worth discussing. you still have a lot of hard work that needs to be done, and if you spend too much time dwelling on the mistakes of your predecessor, you’re going to find yourself in an even bigger hole. by putting your attention on past failures, you’re building excuses for why your program might fail again and compromising your rebuilding effort before it even gets off the ground.

POSITIVE THINKING

COVER STORY

er’s programs. As head softball coach, you might offer to serve as an assistant on the volleyball staff, and although it will take time away from your team, the relationship could go a long way toward developing a unified, coordinated ath-letic program.

As a new coach trying to inject energy into your program, you also need to prove your commitment to multi-sport partici-pation. Early in the rebuilding process, you might find yourself in conflict with another coach over practice schedules, workouts, or overlapping seasons. If you are a true advocate for your student-ath-letes, this is the time to work closely with coaches from other sports, resolving issues that arise and demonstrating your com-mitment to the entire athletics program.

Hiring LineAlong with having a strong vision, suc-

cessful coaches need to recruit assistants who share their goals. Whenever possi-ble, hire assistant coaches from within the school, building your staff with people who can talk up the program during the day and act as magnets to draw students to your team. If your program is hav-ing difficulty with participation, select-ing high-energy, enthusiastic coaches will help address that weakness.

Be very clear with potential assistants, especially those who worked under the previous coach, about the time commit-ment involved in your program. Clarify your expectations for their participation, which might include summer workouts,

COVER STORY

off-season conditioning, and attendance at clinics—even if it results in losing a knowledgeable member of the staff.

It is also critical to hire assistants who are committed to fundamentals and strong work habits. For example, I often assigned one of my best coaches to work with freshmen. By assigning a strong teacher to the freshmen, you ensure a smoother path as student-athletes move up the ranks.

Be wary of assistants who think they “belong” at the varsity level. If coaches aren’t willing to work at the lower levels, they haven’t yet learned the importance of seeing all your teams as a single pro-gram with a shared vocabulary, attitude, set of techniques, and focus on funda-mentals.

The varsity head coach needs to make sure coaches at each level are using a common approach, and if the varsity uses a specific bunt defense, that same defense should be used by all lower level teams. This will help players improve as they move from level to level, avoiding the confusion of being taught different ways to run the same play.

Sense of Ownership

Of all the relationships you need to build as you turn around an underper-forming program, the most important ones are with your athletes. To build them into a successful team, start with high expectations.

If student-athletes are allowed to sim-ply exist as they have in the past, they’ll never develop the pride they need to turn their program around. But if expec-tations are high and players work togeth-er to meet the goals you’ve set, they’ll develop a sense of ownership in every-thing they do.

Chances are, you’ll encounter old habits left over from the previous regime. Work quickly to correct them and move on. It is natural that some athletes might be afraid or overwhelmed by the changes that you have brought about. But with time and a growing confidence in your knowledge and teaching ability, those apprehensions will diminish.

The student-athletes you need to turn your program around aren’t the ones who are interested in wearing a cool new uniform. They’re the ones who are com-mitted to the challenge of becoming a winning team. Those are the players who are going to do the heavy lifting your

program needs, and those are the kind of players you need to draw.

It’s more important to attract the right attitude than it is to focus on the sheer number of players on your roster. Improvement in participation may take some time, but if you set high expecta-tions from the start, the right kind of athletes will jump on board.

The best way to set a tone at tryouts and team meetings is by being prepared. If the coaching staff approaches practices and meetings with a clear, detail-oriented teaching plan, the players will follow.

We made a great many changes in the practices our first year at Glenbard West. We started by practicing all pitchers and catchers at 5 a.m. This helped us isolate the most important part of the game and give pitchers the time and attention they needed to be successful. These early practices were also used to determine which athletes were truly invested in get-ting better.

We were not disappointed. The kids welcomed the challenge of intense work-outs early in the morning, and the com-mitment that our players and families made to our three weeks of early morn-ing workouts went a long way toward our success.

Another facet we emphasized from the beginning was the importance of playing summer baseball. In Illinois, coaches run a league in June and July to prepare play-ers for the next season. We made it very clear to the players that a commitment to summer baseball was a requirement.

We were very guarded about allowing kids to play with travel programs dur-ing the summer. We had a great deal of teaching to do and felt our kids would develop best with the coaching staff we had in place. However, if an athlete wanted to play with travel teams that went above and beyond our schedule, it did not usually create a problem.

The summer program helped give the team and the coaching staff more confi-dence that we were on the right track. We were able to schedule games with many of the Chicago area’s top programs.

I had another motive in developing such a difficult schedule. I wanted my players’ parents to see what top-level facili-ties and programs looked like, so when the time came to discuss raisng money for a better facility or an additional coach, they were able to see first-hand how we stacked up against our competition.

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Circle No. 108CoachesNetwork.com


Implementing change with young people also takes perseverance. Until players buy into your vision, asking for more will be met with resistance. My players struggled with the concept of 5 a.m. workouts the first three weeks of the season. But as they became accus-tomed to hard work, they began to feel

a camaraderie they hadn’t before—and cherished it.

To develop real buy-in, athletes must see that you are as committed to the program as you demand them to be. Are you willing to stay after practice to help the shortstop with her swing? Are you going to make telephone calls to find recruiting opportunities for your start-

ing pitcher? Will you take a Sunday to help with the construction of a new dug-out? Your athletes, their families, and coaches will have an easier time invest-ing in your program if you demonstrate the same level of dedication you ask of them—or higher.

Coaches who ask more of their play-

ers need student-athletes to buy into an entirely new culture. One idea that works well is to develop an on-field trademark your program can call its own. Years ago, I observed a softball coach working to bring about a significant change to his program. His athletes were accustomed to a slow-moving style of practice with a great deal of time spent standing

around. This kind of pedestrian, low-energy approach made its way into the game mentality of the players and helped lead to the program’s downfall.

The new coach decided a complete change in attitude was needed, starting with improved practice habits. The girls began to sprint from station to station,

drill to drill, and field to dugout. Opposing teams, coaches, parents, and umpires took notice, and the program became known regionally for play-ing quality, passionate softball with a trademark hustle and a close bond among its players.

An activity my teams enjoyed fre-quently after road games was stopping on the way back to school to eat a meal. Of all the team bonding experiences we shared over the years, meals at a local hot dog joint paid the highest dividends. They gave the team a chance to unwind after an intense, pressure-filled couple of hours.

COVER STORY

Your athletes, their families, and coaches will have an easier time investing in your program if you demonstrate the same level of dedication you ask of them—or higher.

Circle No. 116

www.CoachesNetwork.com

VIEWEducational videos, including skill instruction and drills

READ Coaching-specific articles and information

FIND Helpful tips on handling off-the-field demands

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Coaches can also create a new cul-ture by leading their team through off-field activities. To develop an appreciation of baseball traditions, our team read David Halberstam’s The Teammates, which is about two former Boston Red Sox who drove 1,300 miles to see their old teammate, Ted Wil-liams, who was dying of heart disease. Our play-ers enjoyed talking about the bonds among the Red Sox players, and the story resonated with their own experiences as part of a team.

To develop pride in the program, make sure to connect with alumni during your first season on the job. Several years ago, my athletic director fostered our team’s involvement in an alumni week-end to welcome back Don Burns, who had served as the head baseball coach at Glenbard West for 30 years. Many of Don’s former players traveled across the country to be part of this special day. By


spending the day together, my players understood the lifelong significance of making the most of their playing career, and our alumni saw how much they still meant to our program.

Family TiesWhen rebuilding a program, you’ll

need a lot of support from parents. To get these relationships off to a positive start, I held a program-wide potluck din-ner to open each season. This allowed me to chat individually with parents, introduce the team and its coaches, and outline our plans for the season.

To clarify parents’ role, emphasize your expectations. Time and again, I

conveyed the message that the goals for our program came before their goals for their children as individuals. If a sopho-more shortstop was going to give our team a better chance of winning games, then our senior shortstop had to find another way to contribute. If you con-sistently relate that message, parents will

come to respect it, even if their daugh-ters aren’t in the starting lineup.

In building relationships with parents, communication is key. To start, every program should have an accurate and up-to-date Web site. Several times during the school year, I found it useful to send newsletters and e-newsletters to players, parents, and youth league athletes. Play-

When rebuilding a program, you’ll need a lot of support from parents. To get these relationships off to a postive start, I held a program-wide potluck dinner to open each season.

Circle No. 110

COVER STORY

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ers and parents appreciated being recog-nized for their work, and the newsletters became a great way to highlight accom-plishments both on and off the field. To provide opportunities for our players, I made a point of also sending newsletters to college coaches in our area.

Be sure to use the energy of your parents to help reach your goals. If your facilities have to be renovated or your equipment needs to be replaced, the booster club may be your best hope. By encouraging parents to become involved in fundraising, you tap into a very talent-ed and eager group of people. Working on off-field projects with parents offers a great way to foster relationships—as long as they understand there will be no favoritism shown to student-athletes whose parents lend a hand.

When working with the booster club, assume the members are glad to help your program. Early on, share a wish list of your priorities. You might not receive everything you ask for, but don’t give up hope. Sometimes boosters are hesitant to provide a lot of financial assistance until

the program starts making real progress. If you don’t get all your requests, edit

your list and meet with the boosters again. These groups typically meet every few weeks, and as the members get to know you, there’s ample opportunity to develop strong relationships.

Reaching OutAnother group to get on board is local

youth programs. Consider offering to host a clinic where your staff and players can demonstrate key fundamentals to youth teams. This is a great opportunity for coaches to connect with members of the community, build passion for the sport at the lower levels, and spread the good word about your program.

At Glenbard West, we held sum-mertime father and son baseball clinics, which was a great way to sell our product to future players. We also organized a fundraiser with the Chicago White Sox, who hosted a Glenbard West night at the ballpark and donated half of the money from Glenbard West ticket sales back to our program. It took a lot of effort, but

COVER STORY

we all had a great feeling walking around U.S. Cellular Field and seeing people dressed in their Glenbard West gear!

If all this sounds like a lot of work, it is. Throughout the process, be sure to make teaching the game your highest priority. Coaches who do will often be rewarded for their efforts. Not only will they enjoy a personal sense of accom-plishment, they’ll also create opportuni-ties to advance their careers. Schools and athletic administrators who are looking to hire a new coach will take note of these accomplishments, and more prestigious, higher-paying positions will be open to coaches with a proven track record.

Knowing all the difficulties of rebuild-ing a program, why would any of us take on the challenge? To me, the answer is simple: We see the potential in every-one and everything. Looking beyond the problems of the past, we relish the chal-lenges that others avoid, clearly commu-nicating our vision, developing a strong base of athletes, parents, coaches, and community members, and leading our programs to future success. n

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hinking back over his 20-plus years as a coach, Jim Long can recall only a couple of instances

when someone really got under his skin. But one in particular stands out to the Brenham (Texas)

High School Head Baseball Coach. No matter what Long did, a parent of

one of his athletes took issue with his deci-sions. The parent constantly approached Long with complaints after games and eventually went to the athletic director

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and school board to air his criticisms. Long even had to defend himself in front of school board members. Fortunately, the board sided with Long, but the whole process made him aware of an emerging reality: effectively handling negative feed-back is part of a coach’s job.

“For whatever reason, I’ve found that fans today, especially parents, think they have a right to do or say whatever they want when it comes to coaches and ath-letics,” Long says. “We’re not going to

Mike Phelps is an Assistant Editor at Coaching Management. He can be reached at: [email protected].

BY MIKE PHELPS

stop them, so it’s up to each coach to understand the best way to deal with that criticism and not let it affect your team.”

Just Ignore It?In the middle of a busy season with

practices and games consuming all your time, it can be tempting to ignore criti-

Quelling the CriticsNowadays, coaches get bombarded with criticism from every angle. Learning how to handle it with composure is key to success (and staying sane).

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cism that comes your way and hope it will eventually disappear. But that tactic can easily backfire.

Chuck Wilcoxen, Head Men’s and Women’s Cross Country and Track and Field Coach at Principia College, says

it’s important to engage with anyone who is delivering criticism or negative feedback. “If someone is upset about something, sooner or later they have to get it out,” he says. “If they sit on it, it’s going to simmer longer, and that just makes them more upset, which isn’t good for you and isn’t good for the pro-gram. Even if it’s the same parent again and again with things you don’t think

are justified, you have to let the person be heard.”

That’s why many coaches suggest developing a philosophy and strategy for dealing with negative feedback. And the number-one item of a good strategy

is to always stay calm, even if the other person is not.

“Getting mad is not produc-tive whatsoever,” Long explains. “That can make you look worse than the person complaining, which you never want. You need to remember you’re deal-ing with people who, because of their emotions, are mak-ing ignorant decisions. When I think of it that way, these situations are a lot easier to deal with.”

For Karen Kunka, Head Volleyball Coach at North

Central College, staying calm requires taking a step back. Rather than respond-ing immediately, she schedules a meeting to discuss the complaint. “If you let a dis-cussion go on in the heat of the moment, you can get backed into a corner with someone screaming at you,” she says.

Instead, Kunka likes to gain perspec-tive on the situation and think through her solution, rather than being forced

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into a snap decision or appearing defen-sive. “You have to allow yourself to pull back from a situation a little bit,” she says. “I also like to have someone I can run things past, like an assistant coach, before I react.”

Meanwhile, Wilcoxen tries to learn from all feedback. “What may at first seem to be a petty complaint can actually be very valuable information,” he says. “For example, parents know things about their kids that coaches don’t. The first couple of years I coached I was probably a little defensive, but the more open I was to others’ opinions, the more I learned. If a kid tells me they’re feeling great, and I find out from the parents that they’re not, that’s good information.”

The Parent TrapFor most coaches, the largest source

of complaints is parents. That’s why many coaches have developed formal policies on how parents should voice their concerns.

One standard and effective rule is to never talk to a parent about anything sig-nificant immediately following a contest. Whenever Long is confronted by a par-ent after a game, he’ll tell the parent that he’d be happy to address the problem with them later.

“My goal is to be as positive as I can be when talking about players in public. But when we go into my office, you’re asking me to be brutally honest and I will be. If you’re going to challenge or question me, you better be ready for the real answer.”

While it’s important to have a great plan in place to deal with unsolicited feedback, you can also work on nipping any potential criti-cism in the bud through up-front communica-tion. Keeping parents in the loop is a great place to start.“We always have a parent meeting before the season begins to go over what’s going to take place, who’s going to play, and how we’ll make our decisions,” says Jim Long, Head Baseball Coach at Brenham (Texas) High School. “You’ll always have people who disagree with you, but a meeting like that can help stop a lot of the complaints.

“I talk a lot about playing time at this meeting, since that generates most of the complaints,” he continues. “I explain that while I wish I could play everyone, I just can’t.”

In addition to a preseason parents meeting, Ed Terwilliger, Head Football Coach at Olentangy High School in Lewis

Center, Ohio, has a meeting with the parents of his team captains at the conclusion of each season, where he lays the groundwork for the upcoming off-season and discusses what parents and players can expect.

“If someone comes to me with a complaint, my first question to them is, ‘Were you at my parent meeting?’ and usually they weren’t,” Terwilliger says. “At that time, I’ll pull out the handouts and catch them up on what we talked about.”

Terwilliger is also proactive in dealing with any criticisms that may arise from game-to-game during the regular sea-son. He hosts a weekly meeting with his players’ parents on Monday nights during the season where he shows game film from the previous week and discusses the upcoming opponent.

“That’s a very positive thing,” he says, “because it allows me to go through the game, narrate, and have an opportunity to discuss and explain the good, the bad, and the ugly.”

A LITTLE PREVENTION

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“I’ll ask them if we can set up a time the next day to discuss it,” he says. “It gives me and the parent a little time to relax and think about the situation. People usually make dumb decisions when they’re really upset.”

Kunka uses a similar policy, but with a twist. She insists the player herself be involved in the discussion. For example, North Central’s 2008 squad included 18 freshmen among nearly 30 players, and playing time was limited. One freshman’s parent e-mailed to voice her displeasure over her daughter’s playing time.

“In my reply, I said that I would be happy to discuss this matter—with the parent and the child present at the same time,” Kunka says. “Nine times out of 10, the player doesn’t even know the parent sent the e-mail or called. I’m happy to talk with parents, but not without their child knowing about it.”

The question of whether to discuss playing time at all with parents can be a tricky one. Long is one coach who does not. He explains to parents that playing time is based on what he feels is best for

the team and that his decisions must be respected. “Parents will often criticize and say their child doesn’t have a fair chance, but they don’t see what happens in practice every day,” he says.

Ed Terwilliger, Head Football Coach at Olentangy High School in Lewis Center, Ohio, doesn’t shy away from dis-cussing a player’s place within the team, but he always makes sure the parent understands one very important ground rule. “I explain up front that my goal is to be as positive as I can be when talking about players in public,” he says. “But when we go into my office, you’re asking me to be brutally honest and I will be. If you’re going to challenge or question me, you better be ready for the real answer. Also, we’re only going to talk about your son and no one else.”

At Southwest DeKalb High School in Decatur, Ga., Head Girls’ Basketball Coach Kathy Richey-Walton has found it effective to have one parent serve as a liaison between her and the rest of the parent group. “This parent is very good at finding out what the problem is, then

telling the parents he’ll talk to me and make sure I’m aware of their concerns,” she says. “From there, I’ll decide how the situation needs to be handled.”

Managing Media Of course, unsolicited feedback isn’t

limited to parents of players, and can eas-ily be found on television, over the radio, in the newspaper, or on the Internet. However, criticism by the media should be handled very differently than that from parents. When parents complain, there is a lot of emotion involved that will remain until the situation is dealt with. Criticism from the media is part of what sells newspapers and will often be quickly forgotten.

Terwilliger’s football team gets a good deal of media coverage, and he says the key with reporters is to take a profession-al approach. Understand that their job is to analyze your team’s performance and that their criticism is not personal. When there is controversy, explain your decisions and then let it go.

“I embrace the media,” Terwilliger

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leadership

says. “I’m not the kind of coach who will get upset over an article and then refuse to return their calls. I understand the media has a job to do, and I tell my players the same thing.”

At Brenham, a local radio station broadcasts the school’s baseball games, and several newspapers regularly cover the team. Following each game, Long does a postgame interview with the radio crew, who can be critical of decisions Long makes during the contest.

“I like to let people know where I’m coming from,” Long says. “They may dis-agree with me, but at least they know the reason I did it. If a parent comes at you after a game, they don’t really deserve a response, but it’s nice to explain yourself in the newspaper or on the radio so your side can be heard.”

Administrative SupportWhen complaints rise above gar-

den-variety venting, there is one more strategy to employ: Keep school admin-istrators informed. “Administrators have so many things to do, the last

thing they want is to be out in public and hear about how the football coach is an idiot,” Terwilliger says. “Any infor-mation I give to parents, I also give to my athletic director and principal. It’s documentation that they can read at their leisure and say, ‘This is what Coach Terwilliger is doing.’”

Keeping your administrators in the loop means little, however, if you’re not open and honest with them. “You head off a lot of problems just by being completely honest from the get-go,” Wilcoxen says. “Most misunderstandings are compounded by people at either end feeling they have to hide something. If you’re withholding any information or misrepresenting anything, your anxiety is just going to spiral.”

Also remember that administrators can be your allies. “One of the things I’ve learned is to always have someone else in on the conversation if I foresee a problem,” Kunka says. “There have been times when someone has been really upset about something and didn’t get the response they wanted from me. So

I’ve brought to the meeting an assistant athletic director or our senior woman administrator. It’s important to have a third party present so there can’t be any ‘he said, she said,’ afterwards.”

Wilcoxen believes that the support he receives from administrators also makes him more confident when deal-ing with criticism. “If you feel you’re supported, you’re much more comfort-able acknowledging you might have made a mistake,” he says. “I’ve always had unconditional support from my athletic directors. So I can say, ‘Well, maybe I screwed up,’ and not worry about losing my job.

“But, even more important, that feel-ing of confidence then comes across to the people you’re speaking with,” he continues. “That allows a produc-tive conversation where no one feels threatened—and really great things can happen.” n

A version of this article appeared in other sport-specific editions of Coaching Management.

Circle No. 114

n the past decade, recov-ery has become one of the hot-test buzzwords in the athletic performance world. athletes today go to great lengths to ensure that their post-workout

habits help them recover optimally after practices, weightroom sessions, and com-petitions—whether that means following

a special nutrition program, performing a carefully planned cooldown routine, or using a modality such as hydrotherapy.

With so much time and money spent on recovery aids, it’s ironic that many athletes overlook the most easily acces-sible, affordable, and time-tested recov-ery booster of all: sleep. and the value of sleep isn’t limited to recovery. study after

OPTIMUM PERFORMANCE


RIC

HA

RD

OR

R S

PORT

S PH

OTO

GR

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Art Horne is Associate Director of Sports Medicine at Northeastern University. He can be reached at: [email protected].

BY Art Horne

EyEs WidE OpEn

Recent research shows there is one easy way for athletes to enhance their workouts and performance: by getting a full night of uninterrupted sleep.

study show that a good night’s sleep is critical to putting forth a strong practice or gameday performance.

Yet how many athletes on your team truly take advantage of this information? I

Adjusting to a new time zone can be a major challenge for teams that travel long distances, and unless there’s some advance planning, a dream trip can turn into a performance nightmare. Here are some pointers on making a smooth transition:

n Whenever possible, adjust workout times to accommodate athletes’ internal clocks. For instance, if you usually practice at 3 p.m. in Boston and you’re traveling to Rome (which is six hours ahead), try holding your first practice at 9 p.m. As your sched-ule allows, gradually move practices

“backward” to ease players into the new time zone and minimize circadian rhythm disruption.

n Athletes may be tempted to take long naps the first few days after arriving if they’re tired out by jet lag, but this should be discouraged. It will only delay adaptation to the new time zone, as the body attempts to stick to the sleep schedule it’s used to back home. If an athlete must nap, a short doze of around 10 minutes can have some restorative effects without delaying time zone adaptation.

n Departure and arrival times can play a major role in jet lag, so try to sched-ule flights that will allow players to get a full night’s sleep their first night in the new time zone.

n Tell athletes to avoid caffeinated foods and beverages on the plane if the team is arriving at its destina-tion in the evening. Caffeine affects individuals differently, but for many, it can make falling asleep difficult for several hours after consumption.

n Remember that jet lag is worst when flying eastward, so a trip to Europe will require greater adjustment than a trip to Hawai’i, even if the actual dif-ference in hours is the same. That’s because you “lose” hours when you travel east, winding the clock forward instead of backward. A westward trip may even afford an opportunity for players to resolve minor sleep debts by using the “gained” hours to get a great night’s sleep upon arrival.

If you’ve ever looked around your team bus and seen heads bobbing up and down as players doze off during even short trips, it means they are probably sleep deprived.

By educating your athletes on the topic, you can help them realize that better sleep habits—or “sleep hygiene,” as our team physician, Dr. Gian Corrado, has called it—can be a secret weapon to improve performance and recovery. The latest research on how sleep affects men-tal and physical ability suggests that the time athletes spend on the pillow can be just as important as the time they spend on the field and in the weightroom.

Sleep 101Let’s begin with a short primer on

exactly how sleep works. Every human brain has a built-in clock called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), which regulates our circadian rhythm. The SCN is located in the brain’s hypothala-mus, just above where the optic nerves

cross—and that’s important, because light exposure is one factor that can greatly affect circadian rhythms and feel-ings of sleepiness or alertness.

If you could remove all the external elements of daily life that affect sleep pat-terns, including stress, schedule demands, alarm clocks, and next-door neighbors’ barking dogs, research indicates that most adults would sleep for about eight hours a night (slightly more according to some studies), and high school and college students would sleep for approxi-mately nine hours. This amount of time produces optimal physical and mental health, and in an ideal world, it’s the goal everyone should strive for.

What exactly goes on during those hours? Analysis of brain activity dur-ing sleep reveals that it can be broken into five stages. Stages one and two comprise what is commonly referred to as light sleep, and stages three and four constitute deep sleep. The fifth stage, rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep,

OPTIMUM PERFORMANCE


T IME TRAVEL

is the dreaming stage, and in most cases it occurs only after we have passed through the first four stages. During a typical night of undisturbed sleep, we complete the five stages of sleep roughly every 90 minutes.

Each stage has its own function, and stages three and four—deep sleep—are of particular importance to athletes. This is when the natural physical and mental processes of restoration are at their peak, and when growth hormone secretion occurs. Growth hormone is essential for building and rebuilding muscle and other body tissue, so when athletes don’t sleep long enough to com-plete several cycles of deep sleep, they deprive themselves of key physiological benefits.

In DebtAnyone who has pulled an all-nighter

is familiar with the concept of “sleep debt.” When the body fails to get an adequate amount of shut-eye, everything

It’s the opportunity of a lifetime: Your team has been invited to a tournament in Hawai’i, or is finally taking that trip to Europe you’ve been dreaming about. After months of planning, anticipation, and excitement, the plane touches down and your athletes can’t wait to get on the field. But when they meet for an early morning workout, they’re groggy, out of sync, and tiring much more quickly than usual. Jet lag has set in.

from mood to cognitive function to motor skills can suffer. But what about athletic performance in particular?

From a clinical perspective, the actual definition of sleep debt is still up for debate. Several researchers have attempt-ed to set parameters for it and quantify its effects, while others have questioned whether the concept is scientifically valid at all. For this discussion, we’ll define sleep debt as what happens when “how much a person should sleep” and “how

much they actually do sleep” are different enough that physical and mental effects are noticable.

For athletic performance, both the physical and men-tal dimensions are impor-tant. On the physical side, sleep-deprivation studies have shown that the primary nega-tive effect of sleep debt is a decrease in time to exhaus-tion during activity. In pro-longed performance tests, subjects who have gotten less

sleep consistently tire more quickly than those who have gotten more.

Other key physical parameters, such as power output and aerobic and anaerobic performance, are not usually impacted by mild to moderate lack of sleep. However, ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) are almost always affected when a significant sleep debt is present: Athletes feel they are working harder when sleep deprived, even if performance metrics say other-wise. Some study authors have attributed

this to a self-fulfilling prophecy, since tired athletes expect physical activity to be more strenuous and difficult due to their tiredness.

The mental effects of sleep debt, meanwhile, are much more pronounced. Research has shown that reaction time, stress level, alertness, irritability, and overall energy level or vigor are all neg-atively affected by sleep deprivation. One study found that chronically sleep-deprived people were outperformed on a reaction time test by well-rested people who were above the legal alcohol intoxi-cation limit for driving at the time.

Sleep debt can also wreak havoc on another key process for athletes: motor learning. It’s well known that practicing a given skill leads to improved proficiency, and that the passage of time after prac-ticing further enhances the gains—this is one of the concepts behind “muscle memory.” But a recent landmark study suggests it’s not the passage of time itself that makes the difference, but rather time spent asleep that causes additional proficiency gains to occur.

OPTIMUM PERFORMANCE


The mental effects of sleep debt, meanwhile, are much more pronounced. Research has shown that reaction time, stress level, alertness, irritability, and overall energy level or vigor are all negatively affected by sleep deprivation.

Circle No. 115

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OPTIMUM PERFORMANCE

In the study, two groups were tested in a specific motor skill, and then retested in the same skill 12 hours later. Members of the first group were initially tested at 10 p.m. and went to sleep shortly afterward. Members of the second group were initially tested at 10 a.m. and did not sleep afterward. When the groups were re-tested, those who had slept showed a statistically sig-nificant improvement in performance, while those who had not slept showed

no improvement. However, it’s inter-esting to note that after 24 hours, once members of the second group had gotten a good night’s sleep, their performance at the skill improved sig-nificantly as well.

Perhaps most notable of all, several studies have shown that test subjects who suffer cognitive and motor impair-ment due to sleep debt are often unaware of their decreased ability. This might help explain why athletes don’t

take sleep habits as seriously as they should. They don’t realize how much a lack of sleep may be hampering their alertness, mental processing speed, reaction time, and other skills essential to athletic success.

Better Nights AheadIf you could improve athletes’ sleep

habits simply by summarizing the research described in this article and then telling them to hit the hay, I could stop here. But in reality, most sleep-deprived athletes get that way because they don’t know exactly what they’re doing wrong.

The first priority to address is time devoted to sleep. The goal of nine hours per night for teens and college students will seem unrealistic to many, but the closer they can come to that number, the better they’ll feel and the more they’ll enjoy the health, recovery, and performance benefits of sleep.

Consistency in sleep time is valuable as well. Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day takes maximum advantage of the body’s natural circadian rhythm, while having different bedtimes and wake-up times every day can throw off the internal clock. Once a routine is established, athletes will find they are able to fall asleep more quickly and sleep more soundly through the night.

Remember how the suprachiasmat-ic nucleus is located near the optic nerves? Even small amounts of light can affect levels of melatonin, the major hormone that regulates sleepiness, and that’s just one example of why creating the right sleeping environment must be a priority as well. This can be difficult for student-athletes, particularly college students living in dorms, so here are some helpful tips to pass along:

n Eliminate as many light sources as possible when going to bed. This means turning off computer monitors, putting dark curtains over dorm windows, and even using a rolled-up towel at the base of the door to block light from the hall-way. If these steps are not possible, use a sleeping mask to cover your eyes.

n Try wearing soft foam earplugs to eliminate nighttime noises that might interrupt your sleep. Or, if you’re used to some ambient noise at night, use a fan, humidifier, or other appliance that creates “white noise” to make you more comfortable.


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n Turn off the ringer on your phone(s) before going to bed. Remember that interrupted sleep can deprive you of the deeper stages of the sleep cycle,

which have crucial benefits.n Engage in progressive relaxation

activities as you prepare to go to sleep. Being very physically active late at night, exposure to bright light right before bed (for instance from a computer monitor or television), or eating less than two hours before bedtime can delay “sleep latency,” making it harder to fall asleep and robbing you of total sleep time.

OPTIMUM PERFORMANCE

n Set the room at a comfortable temperature for sleep. Some people prefer warmer sleep environments than others, so when your team travels, try

to find a roommate with a similar tem-perature preference.

Much To GainSerious athletes will do whatever

they can to get better at their sport. It’s your job to help them realize that devoting time to sleep isn’t being lazy or slacking off—it’s enlightened self-interest.

Luckily, research suggests that a moderate sleep debt can be cured with just a few consecutive nights of prolonged sleep. And once ath-

letes develop bet-ter sleep habits, the performance advantages should show themselves fairly quickly. Well-rested athletes may soon find they’re recovering faster after workouts, performing sport skills with greater accuracy and pro-

ficiency, enjoying improved cognitive and motor function, and feeling bet-ter all day long. n

A version of this article appeared in Training & Conditioning, a sister publication to Coaching Management, and other sport-specific editions of Coaching Management. For more articles from T&C go to: www.Training-Conditioning.com.


Totally MechanicalNo Need For Power


Several studies have shown that test subjects who suffer cognitive and motor impairment due to sleep debt are often unaware of their decreased ability. This might help explain why athletes don’t take sleep habits as seriously as they should. They don’t realize how much a lack of sleep may be hampering skills essential to their athletic success.

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ORDER FORM

Learning from Peers Looking to gain a coaching edge in the off season? Order these books & DVDs by using the form below. Learning from Peers

MAG, Inc.31 Dutch Mill Rd. Ithaca, NY 14850 Code CM 18.9

Name: Street: City: State: Zip: Daytime Phone: (to be used if there’s a problem with your order.)Email address:

PAY M E N T M E T H O D

I T E M S

q U.S. check made payable to MAG, Inc. enclosed (sorry, only US orders)q VISA q MasterCard q Discover q AmerExCredit card #: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Expiration date: _ _ / _ _ 3 or 4 digit code: _ _ _ _Cardholder Name: Cardholder Signature:

QUANTITY ITEM # TITLE PRICE

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0-$49.99 = $8.00 $50-$99.99 = $9.00 $100-$149.99 = $10.00 $150-and up = $12.00

Fax this order to 607-257-7328 or Mail this order to MAG, Inc., 31 Dutch Mill Rd., Ithaca, NY 14850

Please allow 3-4 weeks for delivery.

subtotal $ + shipping $ NY residents add sales tax $ = TOTAL $

A Softball Coaches Tool KitAuthor Peter Sprenkle presents ideas based on his coaching experience, which spans more than 25 years. The book includes forms, plays, self assessments, motivational material, practice organizers, and many others. The book is divided into five parts: getting the team started; run-ning the team; communication, development, and motivation; assessment and evaluation; and a team handbook. Includes a CD with 145 tools.223 pages/CDPrice: $29.99Item Number: SB-00507

All Access Indoor Softball PracticeCoach George Wares, an NFCA Hall of Fame member and four-time national championship coach, gives you unprecedented “all access” to his indoor practice routine. He reveals drills for warm-up, throwing, hitting, infield, outfield, base running and working on special situations. Learn how to add requirements to your drills that will force your athletes to stay focused. 209 minutes (2 DVDs). 2009.

Price: $79.99Item Number: SD-03351

Preparing Your Team For Perfect PracticeTim Walton, University of Florida Head Coach, presents his team’s extensive practice sched-ule. The practice kicks off with a 20-minute set of stretches and agility drills, followed by Walton’s throw-and-catch isolation drills. From there, Coach Walton runs the Gators through multiple defensive situations. Walton then presents various offensive situ-ations, incorporating the entire team through different stations. 151 minutes. 2009.

Price: $39.99Item Number: SD-03220C

Slap Hitting 101Coach Linda Wells, with over 900 career wins, has success-fully utilized the slap-hitter as an offensive threat. In this video, Coach Wells and a former slap hitting specialist demon-strate and discuss the process of converting and developing a slap hitter, advantages of slap hitting, and bat selection for slap hitters. Next, they discuss and demonstrate the sequencing of slap hitting by walking through the box positions, footwork, hand motion, and body movement. 28 minutes. 2005.Price: $39.99Item Number: SD-02397

Winning Softball Drills – 4th EditionThis is the all-time best-selling softball book! Written by Dianne Baker, Texas Woman’s University Head Coach, and Dr. Sandra S. Cole, the book fulfills a need of many softball coaches for a working manual for all aspects of the game. The goals of the book are two-fold: to help coaches get the most from their athletes during practice through the use of specific drills; and to help coaches produce organized and time-efficient practices.262 PagesPrice: $19.99Item Number: SB-00016

Coaching The Perfectionist Athlete Have you encountered that self-doubting, high stress, self-battering athlete who feels that whatever they do never seems to be good enough? In this DVD, Greg Dale, Ph.D., a Mental Training Coach at Duke, provides five specific coach-ing strategies that will bring positives, versus negatives, to the forefront of the perfectionist athlete’s mind. He also discusses the importance of teaching the perfectionist athlete how to relax.39 minutes. 2005.Price: $39.99Item Number: GD-02372

Mega Softball DrillsThis is a three-DVD Bundle Pack from John Tschida, Univer-sity of St. Thomas Head Coach who has won three national championships and is the NCAA Division III career leader in victories. The first DVD is on de-veloping the mechanically proper swing. The second DVD will help you develop better control and more explosion in your pitchers. The third DVD contains over 50 drills that will emphasize proper fielding mechanics.3 DVD Bundle Pack— 539 minutes totalPrice: $159.99Item Number: SD-03380

The Softball Coaching Bible Published by the NFCA, this book is a compilation of prin-ciples, insights, strategies, meth-ods, and experiences from 28 of the top U.S. coaches. The topics include teaching the best skills and drills, developing productive hitters, competing in tourna-ments and playoffs, recruiting players, attracting fans, profes-sional development, attending and running camps and clinics.349 Pages

Price: $21.99Item Number: SB-00605

The Nutrition EdgeLearn how proper nutrition can help your players reach their true potential through the valuable information presented in this collection prepared by Susan Kundrat, Sports Dietitian for the University of Illinois. Topics include recovery nutrition, nutrient timing, pregame meals, losing weight, caffeine, and hydration. It also includes case studies and a look at special situations including celiac disease and vegetarian athletes.180 pages. 2010.Price: $16.95Item Number: 111002

Athletic DevelopmentThis 312 page book offers a rare opportunity to learn and apply a career full of knowledge from the best. World-renowned strength and conditioning coach Vern Gambetta condenses the wisdom he’s gained through more than 40 years of experience of working with athletes across sports, age groups, and levels of competi-tion, including members of the Chicago White Sox, New York Mets, and U.S. men’s 1998 World Cup soccer team.312 pages. 2007.

Price: $21.95Item Number: 9780736051002

Exercise Technique Manual for Resistance TrainingBeefed up from 38 to 57 exer-cises, this new edition of Exercise Technique Manual for Resistance Training is a must for any profes-sional library. It will help readers prepare for the NSCA’s Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist exam or its Certified Personal Trainer exam. It will also serve as a valuable reference for personal trainers and fitness instructors. 184 pages. 2008.


Core Asssessment and TrainingWritten for coaches and fitness professionals, the book includes photos, illustrations, and instruc-tions for more than 120 exercises. A DVD accompanying the text features video demonstrations that help readers review proper techniques and protocols for the exercises.160 pages/32 min. 2010.


CM1809_pg28-29.indd 28-29 9/23/10 5:14:17 PM

ORDER FORM

Learning from Peers Looking to gain a coaching edge in the off season? Order these books & DVDs by using the form below. Learning from Peers

MAG, Inc.31 Dutch Mill Rd. Ithaca, NY 14850 Code CM 18.9

Name: Street: City: State: Zip: Daytime Phone: (to be used if there’s a problem with your order.)Email address:

PAY M E N T M E T H O D

I T E M S

q U.S. check made payable to MAG, Inc. enclosed (sorry, only US orders)q VISA q MasterCard q Discover q AmerExCredit card #: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Expiration date: _ _ / _ _ 3 or 4 digit code: _ _ _ _Cardholder Name: Cardholder Signature:

QUANTITY ITEM # TITLE PRICE

S H I P P I N G P R I C E S

0-$49.99 = $8.00 $50-$99.99 = $9.00 $100-$149.99 = $10.00 $150-and up = $12.00

Fax this order to 607-257-7328 or Mail this order to MAG, Inc., 31 Dutch Mill Rd., Ithaca, NY 14850

Please allow 3-4 weeks for delivery.

subtotal $ + shipping $ NY residents add sales tax $ = TOTAL $

A Softball Coaches Tool KitAuthor Peter Sprenkle presents ideas based on his coaching experience, which spans more than 25 years. The book includes forms, plays, self assessments, motivational material, practice organizers, and many others. The book is divided into five parts: getting the team started; run-ning the team; communication, development, and motivation; assessment and evaluation; and a team handbook. Includes a CD with 145 tools.223 pages/CDPrice: $29.99Item Number: SB-00507

All Access Indoor Softball PracticeCoach George Wares, an NFCA Hall of Fame member and four-time national championship coach, gives you unprecedented “all access” to his indoor practice routine. He reveals drills for warm-up, throwing, hitting, infield, outfield, base running and working on special situations. Learn how to add requirements to your drills that will force your athletes to stay focused. 209 minutes (2 DVDs). 2009.

Price: $79.99Item Number: SD-03351

Preparing Your Team For Perfect PracticeTim Walton, University of Florida Head Coach, presents his team’s extensive practice sched-ule. The practice kicks off with a 20-minute set of stretches and agility drills, followed by Walton’s throw-and-catch isolation drills. From there, Coach Walton runs the Gators through multiple defensive situations. Walton then presents various offensive situ-ations, incorporating the entire team through different stations. 151 minutes. 2009.

Price: $39.99Item Number: SD-03220C

Slap Hitting 101Coach Linda Wells, with over 900 career wins, has success-fully utilized the slap-hitter as an offensive threat. In this video, Coach Wells and a former slap hitting specialist demon-strate and discuss the process of converting and developing a slap hitter, advantages of slap hitting, and bat selection for slap hitters. Next, they discuss and demonstrate the sequencing of slap hitting by walking through the box positions, footwork, hand motion, and body movement. 28 minutes. 2005.Price: $39.99Item Number: SD-02397

Winning Softball Drills – 4th EditionThis is the all-time best-selling softball book! Written by Dianne Baker, Texas Woman’s University Head Coach, and Dr. Sandra S. Cole, the book fulfills a need of many softball coaches for a working manual for all aspects of the game. The goals of the book are two-fold: to help coaches get the most from their athletes during practice through the use of specific drills; and to help coaches produce organized and time-efficient practices.262 PagesPrice: $19.99Item Number: SB-00016

Coaching The Perfectionist Athlete Have you encountered that self-doubting, high stress, self-battering athlete who feels that whatever they do never seems to be good enough? In this DVD, Greg Dale, Ph.D., a Mental Training Coach at Duke, provides five specific coach-ing strategies that will bring positives, versus negatives, to the forefront of the perfectionist athlete’s mind. He also discusses the importance of teaching the perfectionist athlete how to relax.39 minutes. 2005.Price: $39.99Item Number: GD-02372

Mega Softball DrillsThis is a three-DVD Bundle Pack from John Tschida, Univer-sity of St. Thomas Head Coach who has won three national championships and is the NCAA Division III career leader in victories. The first DVD is on de-veloping the mechanically proper swing. The second DVD will help you develop better control and more explosion in your pitchers. The third DVD contains over 50 drills that will emphasize proper fielding mechanics.3 DVD Bundle Pack— 539 minutes totalPrice: $159.99Item Number: SD-03380

The Softball Coaching Bible Published by the NFCA, this book is a compilation of prin-ciples, insights, strategies, meth-ods, and experiences from 28 of the top U.S. coaches. The topics include teaching the best skills and drills, developing productive hitters, competing in tourna-ments and playoffs, recruiting players, attracting fans, profes-sional development, attending and running camps and clinics.349 Pages

Price: $21.99Item Number: SB-00605

The Nutrition EdgeLearn how proper nutrition can help your players reach their true potential through the valuable information presented in this collection prepared by Susan Kundrat, Sports Dietitian for the University of Illinois. Topics include recovery nutrition, nutrient timing, pregame meals, losing weight, caffeine, and hydration. It also includes case studies and a look at special situations including celiac disease and vegetarian athletes.180 pages. 2010.Price: $16.95Item Number: 111002

Athletic DevelopmentThis 312 page book offers a rare opportunity to learn and apply a career full of knowledge from the best. World-renowned strength and conditioning coach Vern Gambetta condenses the wisdom he’s gained through more than 40 years of experience of working with athletes across sports, age groups, and levels of competi-tion, including members of the Chicago White Sox, New York Mets, and U.S. men’s 1998 World Cup soccer team.312 pages. 2007.


Exercise Technique Manual for Resistance TrainingBeefed up from 38 to 57 exer-cises, this new edition of Exercise Technique Manual for Resistance Training is a must for any profes-sional library. It will help readers prepare for the NSCA’s Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist exam or its Certified Personal Trainer exam. It will also serve as a valuable reference for personal trainers and fitness instructors. 184 pages. 2008.


Core Asssessment and TrainingWritten for coaches and fitness professionals, the book includes photos, illustrations, and instruc-tions for more than 120 exercises. A DVD accompanying the text features video demonstrations that help readers review proper techniques and protocols for the exercises.160 pages/32 min. 2010.


CM1809_pg28-29.indd 28-29 9/23/10 5:14:17 PM

30 CoaChing ManageMent CoachesNetwork.com CoachesNetwork.com CoaChing ManageMent 31CoachesNetwork.com CoaChing ManageMent 31

Hitting & Pitching

Upgrade What YoU haveWould you like to add a live-arm throwing motion to your current Jugs pitching machine? Fastball Sports offers the J-Mo Jugs fastpitch motion attachment. It mounts on a standard Jugs machine in just a few minutes, and using a variable speed control drive, seamlessly delivers a realistic windmill motion with

every pitch. The J-Mo converts an ordinary Jugs pitching machine into a full-blown fastpitch motion machine. Fastball Sports • 800-398-3672www.fastball-sports.com Circle No. 508

Instant FeedbackWhy is the Advanced Skills Tee used by more than 2,000 high school and college programs? You get instant feedback with every swing. Its unique forward arm and outside barrier help develop a nice swing path and keep the hands inside the ball. The tough polyurethane construction will give you years of worry-free use. Try one

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ball MoveMentThe Hack Attack Softball Pitching Machine’s three-wheel design provides significantly more spin, allowing users to change the breaking pitch plane by simply adjusting wheel speed dials. There are no time-consuming, awkward, throwing head adjustments between pitches—with a

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pUsh-bUtton convenIenceBatting practice just got easier. With the TriplePlay Pro Softball Pitching Machine, you simply push a button to choose the type of pitch you want, including risers, sinkers, curves, drop curves, screwballs, and drop screwballs. The pitch speed is adjustable from 35 to 70 miles per hour, and the softball is visible from the time it leaves the feeder’s hand until it is pitched, allowing hitters to more naturally time the pitches. TriplePlay Pro uses a three-wheel pitching mechanism for greater accuracy, and two large transport wheels make it simple to move to and from the field. Sports Tutor • 800-448-8867www.sportsmachines.com Circle No. 510

More than speedEasier to use than a radar gun, the RevFire measures the spin of pitches as well as the speed. It’s been adopted by college teams and clinics across the country, and coaches report dramatic results—pitchers throw a more effective breaking ball when they receive spin rate feedback. The RevFire is quickly becoming standard equipment among high school programs, private instructors, and serious pitchers. Visit RevFire online to learn more. RevFire Corp. • 866-414-3040www.revfire.com Circle No. 512

shoUlder strengthWarm-up, strengthen, or rehabilitate shoulders for throwing or other related movements with the Shoulder Cuff Builder. Designed to withstand sport-specific or rehabilitation drills, it is excellent for internal and external rotation exercises to strengthen the shoulder rotator cuff. The Shoulder Cuff Builder comes with a three-foot long latex tube, padded handle, and strap to attach to a fixed object. Power Systems, Inc. • 800-321-6975 www.powersystems.com Circle No. 513

perFect pItchThe Louisville Slugger UPM55 Red Fire Pitching Machine is completely mechanical and does not use electricity. It is the only pitching machine that releases a softball using an underhand motion. Easy to move and reasonably priced, the UPM55 throws any type of softball at speeds from 40 to 55 miles per hour, with accurate pitches every time anywhere in the strike zone.GameMaster • 800-646-4225www.sluggerupm.com Circle No. 505

bUnt here, not thereWidely accepted as one of the best bunt trainers available today, the Bunt Zone features an on-field color-coded target system that teaches bunting skills by

visualization. Made with durable vinyl-polyester mesh, it is easy to install, remove, and clean. Yellow, green, and red areas clearly show where to bunt—and where not to bunt—for a hit or sacrifice. Lightweight and easy to store, the BuntZone is used by many college teams, and ships immediately. Aer-Flo, Inc. • 800-823-7356www.aerflo.com Circle No. 502


Hitting & Pitching

Watch the armTo help hitters and slap hitters develop and hone their mechanics and timing, Fastball Sports has added an important new feature to the pitching machine: a simulated live-arm throwing motion. Like other machines, the Motion Pitching Machine delivers a variety of pitches, but it also does more. With

every throw, the hitter sees a fastpitch motion, realistically timed with the speed of the pitch. It allows hitters to train with a pitching machine yet benefit from the all-important timing trigger of a live-arm throwing motion. Fastball Sports • 800-398-3672www.fastball-sports.com Circle No. 500

Go “Skill-Specific”Muhl Tech Baseball & Softball offers equipment to make your practice time more productive. Since 2001, the company has been developing a line of “skill-specific” training equipment that gives hitters instant feedback with every swing. The products are designed

to withstand heavy use during high school and college team practices. The company also offers its own line of batting cages and screens, sold direct to save you money. Muhl Tech • 888-766-8772www.muhltech.com Circle No. 501

Dynamic StrenGthPower Throw-Balls are durable, small, weighted balls that help develop dynamic strength through the throwing motion, and can also be used for shoulder joint rehabilitation exercises. Made of a rugged vinyl shell with filler, these non-bouncing balls are available in baseball and softball sizes and offered in three color-coded weights: seven, 14, or 21 ounces. Power Systems, Inc. • 800-321-6975www.powersystems.com Circle No. 506

clear ViSionThe Junior Hack Attack Softball Pitching Machine’s three wheel design allows you to see the ball clearly all the way through the feeding motion, acceleration, and

release, just like a live pitcher. The softball hitter sees the angle of release, giving an actual live-arm sense of timing and location and teaching her when to stride.

Sports Attack • 800-717-4251www.sportsattack.com Circle No. 503

proGram your pitcheSThe HomePlate Softball programmable pitching machine can simulate any pitch that batters are likely to face. It can automatically throw a 70-mph riser, a 50-mph drop pitch, a curve, and a slider with only seven seconds between pitches. Coaches can store up to eight different pitches in each of the eight

programs. Programmed pitches can be thrown sequentially for specific hitting drills, or randomly to simulate game conditions. HomePlate comes with an auto-feed system and a 40-ball capacity. Sports Tutor • 800-448-8867www.sportsmachines.com Circle No. 504

realiStic releaSeThe Jugs Super Softball Pitching Machine is portable, simple to operate, and easily installed in minutes. It features a realistic underhand release point for both fast- and slowpitch. The pneumatic wheel throws fastballs from 20 to 70 miles per hour, as well as risers and drops. With a full 360-degree rotation and angle adjustment, this is a great machine for all levels and ages. M.A.S.A., Inc. • 800-264-4519www.sportsadvantage.com Circle No. 507

tuff enouGhThe TurfCordz Cuff Tuff can strengthen your shoulder rotator cuff through internal and external rotation exercises. Whatever you’re training for, from softball to golf, this single four-foot (1.2-meter) rubber tube with handle and combination mounting loop will help you achieve the ultimate workout. The Cuff Tuff is available in five resistance levels, from three to 34 pounds. For more on the full line of TurfCordz resistance products, all designed to meet the extreme demands of high-level athletic training, contact the company today.NZ Manufacturing • 800.866.6621turfcordz.com Circle No. 532

SWinG for the fenceSAdjustable for height, the Louisville Slugger UPM SwingRep is the perfect hitting station for players of any age or skill level. Its unique guideline system provides instant feedback to batters, making it an effective tool for individual- or coach-driven practices. Lightweight and portable, UPM SwingRep can be used indoors or outside, and there’s never a need to retrieve balls. GameMaster • 800-646-4225 www.sluggerupm.com Circle No. 533


Softball Field

Built for the long haulMade of Vipol matrix mesh, Tuffy is one of the world’s toughest windscreens. With over 50 percent more microfibers than its

competitors, it is virtually tear- and puncture-proof. It is the only windscreen with lock-stitched ends and corners, eliminating the unraveling problem of conventional chain-stitched competitive products. Available in 15 colors with chroma-bond multi-color imprinting, Tuffy will upgrade the longevity and appearance of any softball, baseball, or tennis fencing. It’s protected by a four-year factory warranty. Aer-Flo, Inc. • 800-823-7356www.aerflo.com Circle No. 521

on the lineLouisville Slugger Game Time White Stripe Field Marking Powder is perfect for all your softball field marking needs, as well as baseball, football, and soccer. White Stripe is non-toxic and bright white in appearance.Game Time Sports Systems • 800-520-0512

www.gametimesportssystems.com Circle No. 518

Keeping ScoreIn softball, scores and stats are everything—and The Donkey puts your people at the perfect level to keep tabs on all the action. It features all-aluminum construction

with a main four-foot high platform and features a sliding bench allowing easy access to scorer’s table. A vinyl canopy, and optional drop-down side weather screens provide protection from the elements. The Donkey is available with lockable wheels to make it portable or mounting leg supports for a permanent location. Visit the company’s Web site or call toll-free for more details and options.Aluminum Athletic Equipment • 800-523-5471www.myaaeworld.com Circle No. 519

Many SatiSfied cuStoMerSBeam Clay has supplied products to every Major League Baseball team, more than 150 minor league teams, more than 700 colleges, and thousands of towns and schools from all 50 states and worldwide.

Beam Clay supplies special mixes for infields, pitcher’s mounds, home plate areas, red warning tracks, infield conditioners, and drying agents, plus more than 200 other infield products, including regional infield mixes blended for every state and climate from bulk plants nationwide. Beam Clay • 800-247-BEAMwww.beamclay.com Circle No. 520

net gainSSPI Nets’ full-service net building facility offers top-quality nets at unbeatable prices. The company stocks and custom-builds a wide variety of nylon and poly batting cage nets, protective screens, and deflective barrier netting products. All custom nets are guaranteed to be of the highest quality, and are built in the U.S.A. to meet all your needs. Call the company toll-free or go online to learn more. SPI Nets, Inc. • 866-243-6387www.spinets.net Circle No. 522

Behind the ScreenAvailable in single or double netting, the OIP Softball Pitching Screen cut-out allows pitchers to stay completely protected. The screen is height-adjustable and features telescoping swivel legs, which allow for convenient transport and compact flat storage. The frame is constructed of heavy-gauge Flo-Coat galvanized steel, and the netting is made of #72 braided nylon, ensuring maximum safety. M.A.S.A., Inc. • 800-264-4519www.SportsAdvantage.com Circle No. 516

no Water neededNot enough time to maintain your mound properly? Common mound clays require saturation, overnight drying, and screening before they can be used. They also require constant water and maintenance for play. Hilltopper Mound Clay is the first mound clay that does not need water or screening. The polymer coating makes it ready to pack right out of the bag, saving time and material.Stabilizer Solutions • 800-336-2468www.stabilizersolutions.com Circle No. 517

all the right toolSRestore your diamond’s luster in 20 minutes or less. Bannerman manufactures groomers that can level and provide maintenance care for baseball and softball diamonds, warning tracks, and walking trails. The B-DM-6 Diamond Master has five grooming tools: a ripper blade, a rake, a leveler, a roller, and a finishing brush. Available options include an extension wing brush kit, a hydraulic tractor top link, a 50-gallon water tank with a spray nozzle, a long-tine “fluffing” rake, and the new highway transport kit. Bannerman Ltd. • 800-665-2696www.sportsturfmagic.com Circle No. 535


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Untitled-13 1 12/30/08 11:38:50 AM

Topdressing saves The dayWhat do you do if you’re hosting a regional baseball tournament, it has been raining all morning, and four of your five infields are mud? You move the tournament to the field that has the Game-On product applied. This scenario actually played out at a recent baseball tournament in Stark County, Ohio. When the rain stopped, the only playable field was the one that had been treated with Game-On Red topdressing. Using that field, the tournament was completed as scheduled. DiGeronimo Aggregates, LLC • 888-593-0395www.hayditegame-on.com Circle No. 526

prevenT sliding injuries

Soft Touch “progressive release” bases are designed to flex and

absorb energy as a player slides into the base. In the case of uncontrolled slides, the “progressive release” action allows the base to flex until enough force is applied to “pop” the base free from its mount, unlike a stationary base. Soft Touch Bases • 866-544-2077www.softtouchbases.com Circle No. 527

resource ManageMenT

As a premier resource for softball equipment, GameTime

Athletics has your team covered. Find hundreds of softball equipment items and accessories on the company’s Web site, and call toll-free for a free estimate. Mention the ad in this issue and receive a free Double First Base with the purchase of one truckload of Redfield warning track mix and/or infield conditioner. GameTime Athletics • 877-891-2476www.gametimeathletics.com Circle No. 515

For BeTTer FieldsDiamond Pro offers a complete line of professional groundskeeping products: infield conditioners, calcined clay, mound and home

plate clay, bricks, marking dust, and infield and warning track mixes. The company offers fast and convenient delivery. Diamond Pro’s vitrified red clay infield conditioner is available in bulk nationwide, and is easy to handle and apply. Truckloads are available in 10-, 15-, and 24-ton loads that save you both time and money. TXI/Diamond Pro • 800-228-2987www.diamondpro.com Circle No. 514

Softball Field

sTaTe oF The arTThe Botetourt Sports Complex is a state-of-the-art facility located just minutes from downtown Roanoke, Va. The complex features four championship level softball fields, all with beautiful views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The fields are arranged around a central, three-story tower with space for tournament operations, scorekeeping, concessions, and restrooms. In 2008, Botetourt Sports Complex was voted Best New Facility by the Virginia Recreation and Park Society. Visit the company’s Web site for tournament details.Botetourt Sports Complex • 540-992-0011www.botetourt.org Circle No. 531

For a diaMond ThaT sparklesWhen player safety comes first, look to Bannerman. The company manufactures groomers that shape, level, and provide maintenance care for baseball diamonds and softball fields. The B-BP-4 Ballpark-4 (shown) and the B-BP-6 Ballpark-6 models each have five tools: a ripper blade, a rake, a leveler, a roller, and a brush. Available accessories include a wing brush kit, a top link kit, a 50-gallon water tank kit with a spray nozzle, and the new highway transport kit. Bannerman Ltd. • 800-665-2696www.sportsturfmagic.com Circle No. 534


Directory

Advertisers Directory

Product Directory

Circle # Company Page # Circle # Company Page #

122. .AAE (myAAEworld.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

105. .Aer-Flo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

117. .Bannerman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

121. .Beam Clay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

120. .Botetourt Sports Complex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

101. .California University of Pennsylvania . . . . . . . . 3

116. .CoachesNetwork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

108. .Diamond Pro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

115. .Fastball Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

123. .Game Time Sports Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

106. .Game-On Field Conditioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

119. .GameMaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

114. .GameTime Athletics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

127. .Gatorade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BC

104. .M.A.S.A. Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

111. .Muhl Tech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

126. .NFHS Coach Certification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IBC

107. .Pro Look Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

112. .RevFire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

102. .Ringor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

110. .Soft Touch Bases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

109. .SPI Nets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

100. .Sports Attack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .IFC

103. .Sports Tutor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

113. .Stabilizer Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Circle # Company Page # Circle # Company Page #

Circle No. 123

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who are we? Aluminum Athletic Equipment Co.wanna stop by? 1000 Enterprise Drive • Royersford, PA 19468phone ? 800-523-5471 • 610.825.6565fax? really? 610.825.2378what’re our games? Track & Field • Football • Soccer

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Athletic Management

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Circle No. 122

ADD THE BIGGEST NAME IN BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL TO

YOUR FIELDS...

Louisville Slugger® is a registered trademark of Hillerich and Bradsby Co.

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800-520-0512

Ballfi eld Maintenance MaterialsBallfi eld Maintenance MaterialsBallfi eld Maintenance Materials

502. .Aer-Flo (Bunt Zone) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

521. .Aer-Flo (Tuffy Windscreen) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

519. .Aluminum Athletic Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

534. .Bannerman (B-BP Ballpark) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

535. .Bannerman (B-DM-6 Diamond Master) . . . . . 32

520. .Beam Clay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

531. .Botetourt Sports Complex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

524. .California University of Pennsylvania . . . . . . . 35

514. .Diamond Pro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

508 . Fastball (J-Mo Jugs fastpitch motion attachment). .30

500. .Fastball (simulated live-arm throwing motion) 31

518. .Game Time Sports Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

526. .Game-On (DiGeronimo Aggregates) . . . . . . . . 33

505. .GameMaster (Red Fire Pitching Machine) . . . 30

533. .GameMaster (UPM SwingRep) . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

515. .GameTime Athletics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

525. .Gatorade (Prime 01) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

523. .Gatorade (Recover 03) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

507. .M.A.S.A. (Jugs Pitching Machine) . . . . . . . . . 31

516. .M.A.S.A. (OIP Softball Pitching Screen) . . . . . 32

509. .Muhl Tech (Advanced Skills Tee) . . . . . . . . . . 30

501. .Muhl Tech (skill-specific) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

506. .Power Systems (Power Throw-Balls) . . . . . . . 31

513. .Power Systems (Shoulder Cuff Builder) . . . . . 30

528. .Pro Look Sports (“soft” tackle twill) . . . . . . . . 35

529. .Pro Look Sports (Pro Look Softball) . . . . . . . . 35

512. .RevFire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

530. .Ringor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

527. .Soft Touch Bases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

522. .SPI Nets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

511. .Sports Attack (Hack Attack) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

503. .Sports Attack (Junior Hack Attack) . . . . . . . . . 31

504. .Sports Tutor (HomePlate) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

510. .Sports Tutor (TriplePlay Pro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

517. .Stabilizer Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

532. .TurfCordz/NZ Manufacturing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31


Directory

Prime ChoiCeGatorade Prime 01, part of the G Series, is a pre-workout or pre-game fuel in a convenient and functional four-ounce pouch. With 25 grams of carbohydrates, it is designed to be used within the 15 minutes before a workout or competition to provide energy by maximizing the availability of carbohydrate energy to muscles. Gatorade Prime 01 also contains three B vitamins to help with energy metabolism as part of a daily diet.Gatorade • 800-884-2867www.gatorade.com Circle No. 525

hydration & reCoveryGatorade Recover 03™, part of the G Series, is the first protein and carbohydrate beverage formulated with the consistency of a thirst quencher to provide hydration and muscle recovery benefits after exercise. In addition to the 16 grams of protein, Gatorade Recover 03™ has 14 grams of carbohydrates and electrolytes like sodium and potassium to help you replace nutrients after a tough practice or game.Gatorade • 800-884-2867www.gatorade.com Circle No. 523

never StoP LearningCalifornia University of Pennsylvania’s Global Online programs offer an exceptional 100-percent online learning experience with the convenience of an asynchronous format. Complete your coursework anywhere, at any time that’s convenient for you--all you need is a computer and Internet access.California University of Pennsylvania • 866-595-6348www.cup.edu/go Circle No. 524

Team EquipmentTestimonial

Designed to Protect Softball Pitchers

Osborne Innovative Products Softball Pitching Screens were developed specifically for the needs of softball coaches and players. They offer either center or side cut-outs, which allow pitchers to stay completely protected, and are shipped fully assembled. The screens are available in two sizes, 7’ x 6’6” and 7’ x 8’, and offer height-adjustable, telescoping swivel legs, #72 braided nylon netting, a heavy-gauge Flo-Coat galvanized steel frame, and single or double netting.

here are some programs that have used osborne screens:All Star Baseball AcademyBentworth School DistrictCentral Methodist UniversityDublin High SchoolFennimore Community SchoolsGeorge Mason UniversityHarnett Central High SchoolHolland Christian High SchoolIowa State UniversityLindenwood UniversityMansfield UniversityNevada Community SchoolOhio Power SoftballPasco High SchoolTennessee State UniversityTexarkana CollegeUniversity of AlabamaUniversity School of JacksonVision Sports ClubWarsaw Community High School

M.A.S.A. Inc.1413 South Meridian RoadJasper, IN 47546800-264-4519 Fax: 812-634-2036www.sportsadvantage.com

Strength & LongevitySince 1996, Pro Look has developed award-winning uniforms for title-chasing athletes. Its garments work with athletes when they need it most. Pro Look fabrics and construction methods stand up to abuse, season after season. The patented “soft” tackle twill technology creates fabric that is soft to the touch, while maintaining traditional strength and longevity. Combine soft tackle twill with innovative jersey fabrics and make your next set of uniforms virtually unstoppable. Pro Look Sports • 800-PRO-LOOKwww.prolook.com Circle No. 528

JuSt What you WantPro Look Softball is where tradition meets innovation. Combine the latest in materials technology with the unique ability to create any style uniform for one low price, and you get an unmatched uniform ordering experience. Pro Look uniforms are so good that they are backed with a two-year manufacturing warranty. Pro Look Sports • 800-PRO-LOOKwww.prolook.com Circle No. 529

game ChangerSRingor focuses solely on women’s fastpitch, and offers the only cleated footwear to be awarded the American Podiatric Medical Association Seal of Acceptance. The company has done it again with the new Diamond Fit sock, which features a fitted PolyPro material that wicks away moisture, stays in place, and reduces odor retention. Ringor • 877-274-6467www.ringor.com Circle No. 530

More Products

Coaches Network offers an array of educational resources,

including instructional videos from some of the top coaches in the

country. You can now comment on videos you like and share them

with your coaching friends. We also have articles that can help

with the off-field side of the job, including nutrition, working with

parents, and developing leaders.

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Watch ItLearn ItTeach It

Help your slap hitters with this drill from Linda Wells.

Mike Candrea walks through a groundball fielding progression.

CM1809_CN_white.indd 48 9/21/10 11:13:31 AM

Circle No. 126

National Federation of State High School Associations

NFHS Certification ProgramDesigned to deliver the highest-quality professional development online

at an affordable cost, this certification will:

• Help coaches minimize the inherent risks faced by participating students

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membership in the NFHS Coaches Association

Level 1 – Accredited Interscholastic Coach

� The coach must complete the following courses:

� NFHS Fundamentals of Coaching

� NFHS First Aid for Coaches (American Red Cross) or its equivalent

� Fundamentals of Coaching (Sport-specific) or Teaching Sport Skills

Level 2 – Certified Interscholastic Coach

� Level 1 Completion + (Core Courses and Elective Courses)

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Take Part. Get Set For Life.™

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Coaching Management 18.9