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DECISION DAY DEBATEDiscussing an Early Signing Period

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CONTENTS Coaching ManagementFootball EditionPostseason 2007

Vol. XV, No. 10

The Coaching Management Football edition is pub-lished in November and April by MAG, Inc. and is distributed free to college and high school coaches in the United States and Canada. Copyright © 2007 by MAG, Inc. All rights reserved. Text may not be reproduced in any manner, in whole or in part, without the permission of the publisher. Unsolicited materials will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Coaching Management, P.O. Box 4806, Ithaca, N.Y. 14852 Printed in the U.S.A.

Mailing lists for Coaching Management Football are provided by the Clell Wade Coaches Directory.

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LOCKER ROOM Bulletin Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Battle over text messaging continues … Study finds high school players suffer more serious injuries than college play-ers… Getting athletes to go to class … Coach returns to sidelines seven years after retiring … USC tries new approach with Web site … Midnight Madness for Kentucky high school team.

Q&A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14Dante Jones, of Edmondson-Westside High School in Baltimore, is more con-cerned about the way his players per-form away from the field than on it.

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COACHING MANAGEMENT 1

COVER STORYDecision Day Debate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Coaches and others discuss the pros and cons of establishing an early signing period and offer tips for helping players during the recruiting process.

YOUR CAREERTossing the Whistle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Ever think about making the jump from coaching to athletic administration? Here’s a look at the challenges you’ll face, and how to stick the landing.

STRENGTH & CONDITIONINGBalance of Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37Getting players to work past their natural tendency to favor their left or right side can help them develop into more complete athletes.

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Boiling Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42Head Coach Andy Lowry helped Columbine High School produce the final degree of heat it needed to win an unlikely state title.

On the cover: Like many high school players, Will Hill of St. Peter’s Prep in Jersey City, N.J., announced his college choice, the University of Florida, well before February’s signing date. A look at the debate over establishing an early signing date for football begins on page 18.

Publisher Mark GoldbergEditor-in-Chief Eleanor FrankelAssociate Editor Dennis ReadAssistant Editors R.J. Anderson, Kenny Berkowitz, Nate Dougherty, Abigail Funk, Greg Scholand, Laura Ulrich

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University of Illinois freshman Arrelious Benn and his colleagues in the recruiting class of 2007 will be the last to receive text messages from coaches, at least for a while. Over the summer, the NCAA banned Division I coaches from texting recruits, but efforts to bring it back with certain restrictions are continuing.

NCAA Bans Texting, For Now Text messaging was designed as a way to exchange short messages quickly using cell phones. But the debate over its role in college athletic recruit-ing has turned out to be any-thing but short. And it shows little sign of ending soon.

After almost two years of dis-cussion about the hardships some high school athletes faced as the result of barrages of text messages from college coaches, the NCAA Division I Board of Directors passed a rule

in April that banned coaches from texting recruits. The new rule quickly struck a nerve, and 34 schools filed override requests, which forced the board to reconsider its deci-sion.

Although the prohibition was reaffirmed by the board in August, the rule will face a vote by the Division I mem-bership at the annual NCAA Convention in January 2008. If five-eighths of the member-ship agrees to override the Board of Directors, the ban, which has been in place since Aug. 1, will be lifted. Other-

wise it will remain in force, at least until superseded by fur-ther legislation.

Any new override vote, how-ever, will have to come without the support of football coach-es. Although they have been among the most vocal oppo-nents of the ban, Grant Teaff, President of the American Football Coaches Association, says the group does not sup-port repealing it completely.

“If there is an override of the decision, we go back to unabated text messaging, and that’s not what we want,” Teaff says. “We want it to be abated. We’ve been working with the NCAA to put limita-tions on text messaging while still allowing its use, but we’ve been unsuccessful in doing that. So we are working on a new proposal.”

Teaff has reason to think these efforts will eventually bear fruit. The NCAA Board of Directors was less than enthu-siastic about the ban passed in April. NCAA Vice-President Jim Berst told the Associated Press that support for the ban from student-athletes played a large role in the decision to prohibit text messaging. But he also indicated that despite approving the ban, the board remained open to other ways of dealing with the issue.

The board “recognized we had a dilemma where student-athletes suggested there were some problems with text mes-sages whereas coaches and assistant coaches wanted it to continue,” Berst said. “I think it recognized there may be other ways of monitoring com-munications in the future, so it’s open to proposals.”

The challenge has been find-ing regulations that everyone can live with. A proposal that would have limited text mes-saging to 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. dur-ing the week and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends, which was opposed by the Football Issues

4 COACHING MANAGEMENT

Committee, never made it past the Management Council.

Teaff says his group may have a solution. “Our assis-tant coaches have worked on this issue for six months and their idea, which I support, is to control text messaging by limiting it to certain days or months rather than by time of day,” he says. “Those are the restrictions we have now on telephone calls.”

Although the ban has been in effect since Aug. 1, Teaff is optimistic that coaches will eventually be able to text message recruits again. “I think the Management Coun-cil is quite open to something different and it’ll probably happen,” he says. “Hopefully, we’ll get the NCAA to create a task force that would look at every aspect of text messag-ing and then come up with a solid plan that would be a win-win for everybody involved. That’s been done on other occasions, and I’m confident it will happen on this one.”

Even with the Division I ban, text messaging will still be part of the recruiting picture for many high school athletes. There continues to be no lim-its on its use in Division II and Division III, although both will consider new regulations, including a possible ban, in the coming year.

While most of the attention on the Division I ban has been focused on text messaging, the new rules go beyond it by limiting allowable electronic correspondence—which are not regulated in time or num-ber—to e-mails and faxes. This means use of any other forms of electronic communication, such as instant messaging, message boards, and social networking sites like Myspace and Facebook, is also prohib-ited. Future technologies that have not yet been developed are also banned until they receive specific approval from the NCAA.

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H.S. Injuries Differ From CollegeAt any level, injuries are a part of football. However, a recent study has found significant dif-ferences between the injuries suffered by high school and college players.

The research, which appeared in the August issue of The American Journal of Sports Medicine, found that colle-giate players are twice as likely as high school players to sus-tain an injury on the playing field. However, in somewhat of a surprise, the research also revealed that high school play-ers are more likely to suffer serious or season-ending inju-ries, including fractures and concussions, than their colle-giate counterparts.

Using data from the 2005 sea-son reported by athletic train-ers at 100 high schools of vary-ing sizes across the country, the study’s authors compared their numbers to college data gleaned by the NCAA and National Athletic Trainers’ Association. “The NCAA has been incredibly successful in using data from its Injury Sur-veillance System to help drive discussion by its rules and medical advisory committees, which have brought about changes that have improved the lives of collegiate ath-letes,” says Dawn Comstock, faculty member at the Ohio State University College of Medicine and principal inves-tigator and co-author of the study. “Their injury rates have lowered significantly over the last two decades as a result of the surveillance study. We feel it’s time for high school ath-letes to benefit from a similar system.”

Comstock says many of the study’s findings were predict-

Comstock says the higher rate of concussions among high school players is an even more intriguing discovery. One rea-son for the discrepancy is that protective equipment used at the high school level may not be up to par with that used at the collegiate level.

“The National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) has some great guidelines

about how frequently equip-ment has to be tested and reconditioned,” says Com-stock. “But those guidelines may not be followed as closely at the high school level.

“Or, it may be something as simple as fitting the helmets,” she adds. “Fitting a helmet correctly is a pretty complex, multi-step process and there’s a possibility that not every coach and athletic trainer at

able, such as the higher per-centage of fractures among high school players than col-lege athletes. “High school athletes are not simply mini versions of their collegiate counterparts,” she says. “They have less muscle mass and their growth plates are not completely matured. There’s pretty good research out there indicating that immature growth plates may be a risk factor for fractures.”

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that athletic trainers logged onto once a week during the school year. Athletic train-ers reported how many stu-dent-athletes practiced and played in competitions, and how many sustained injuries each week. Then for each injury, the athletic trainer filled out a detailed report that included the athlete’s age, size, and specific injury—what body part, how severe it was, whether it required surgery,

the high school level is follow-ing those guidelines as closely as coaches and athletic train-ers at the collegiate level.”

One reason for the higher rate of serious injuries at the high school level, says Comstock, is the extreme range of size and skill levels among participants. “One thing coaches can do to help lower the risk of serious injury is to make sure high-risk skills like tackling and block-

ing are introduced gradually to new players through well supervised drills,” she says. “Coaches should also make sure younger players have the physical capabilities and the technical skills necessary to execute blocking and tack-ling correctly before they’re allowed to play in a game.”

The study collected data for nine sports using an inter-net-based reporting system

Although college football players are more likely to get hurt than high school players, the younger ones are more likely to suffer serious injuries. That’s one finding from a study that compared high school and college injury data. Researchers say high school players tend to suffer more fractures because their growth plates have not yet fully matured while equipment issues may lead to a greater risk for concussions.

To read an abstract of “Epidemiology of High School and Collegiate Football Injuries in the United States, 2005-2006,” which appeared in the August issue of The American Journal of Sports Medicine, go to: http://ajs.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/35/8/1295.

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how much playing and prac-tice time was missed, and pos-sible risk factors.

“For example, in football we measured if it was a running play or a pass play. Were they tackling or being tackled? Were they blocking or being blocked? Was the field wet? Did the injury result from an activity that was penalized by an official?” says Comstock.

So far, the study has provided Comstock and fellow research-ers with an expansive data-base. And they’re more than happy to share the informa-tion with others. The NFHS is one such group utilizing the data. “They’ll call us up and say, ‘Our football rules committee is meeting next weekend, and this is on the agenda. Can you give us any data?’” says Comstock. “We want to make sure the peo-ple who make the decisions regarding keeping high school athletes safe are using data rather than emotion to drive those discussions.”

No Classes, No PassesAt Boise State University, Head Coach Chris Petersen has found an effective way to keep his players on the ball academically: If they skip class, their friends and family pay the price. Petersen takes away the complimentary game admis-sions of any player who misses three classes in a semester.

“We talk all the time about the importance of going to class, and this has added a pretty powerful incentive backing up the talk,” says Petersen, who first implement-ed the rule last season. “Prob-ably the most important thing it does is bring parents into the equation, because they’re usually the ones who use the tickets. No player wants to explain to his parents why they suddenly can’t come to his games anymore.”

Players ordinarily receive four complimentary admissions to each home game and two for each away game. Once lost under the three-strikes rule, they’re gone for the rest of the season. Petersen had to invoke the rule twice last year, and he says the two players were predictably upset.

“It’s not easy to tell a kid, ‘That’s it, you’re done with your tickets,’” he says, “But everybody knew the rules, and we made it clear from the beginning of the season that we were serious, so they realized they had nobody to blame but themselves.”

The policy has created some extra legwork for athletic department employees, as academic tutors and adminis-trative personnel have to visit classrooms all over campus

to check on athletes’ atten-dance. But Petersen believes it’s worth the effort if it makes the difference between a tired athlete getting himself to an early class or taking the morn-ing off. “If it were up to me, we’d never have to take any-one’s tickets away,” he says. “Hopefully, every player realiz-es what his responsibilities are, so we won’t have to.”

Boise State isn’t the only school where athletes face sanctions for ignoring their academics. This January, Uni-versity of Georgia Athletic Director Damon Evans institut-ed a department-wide policy that benches players who miss too many classes.

“We believe that if athletes are going to class and study hall more often, they’ll earn pass-ing grades and more of them

Boise State University players risk losing their complimentary game admissions if they miss more than two classes in a semester. “No player wants to explain to his parents why they suddenly can’t come to his games anymore,” says Head Coach Chris Petersen.

will graduate,” says Ted White, Georgia’s Director of Academic Services. “It’s that simple.”

Under Georgia’s system, play-ers who miss three classes in a semester are automatically suspended for 10 percent of their team’s games, and each additional absence costs them another 10 percent. Bulldog athletes also pay a price for missing tutoring sessions—after one “freebie,” each no-show costs them $10, payable in cash or deducted from a future scholarship payment.

The Georgia policy has been a great success. The number of missed tutoring sessions dropped from 421 during the first three weeks of the fall 2006 semester to just 46 dur-ing the same period this past spring, and missed classes fell by about 80 percent. “The results are even better than we anticipated,” White says. “Athletes are taking their studies more seriously, and that’s good for everyone.”

A Coaching ComebackFollowing his retirement in 1999 after coaching high school football for 29 years, Bob Desaulniers just couldn’t get away from the game he loves. When he took the job as principal at Lexing-ton (Mass.) High School, the Massachusetts High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame member found himself pitching in on game days by spotting for the offense and defense from the coaching booth. When he moved to a position as interim principal at Weston (Mass.) High School, he took another adjunct posi-tion with the coaching staff.

When a permanent princi-pal was found at Weston last year, Desaulniers still wasn’t ready for full retirement. At the same time, the school had an opening for a head coach. The timing was perfect for



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Athletic Director Pete Foley. “Pete asked if I could give the school a couple of years to bring the program back, so I agreed,” Desaulniers says.

The team found some success, winning five games and scor-ing 30 points or more in near-ly half of its games. Though Desaulniers says his philoso-phy hasn’t changed since he began coaching in 1970, the strategies he’s employed have evolved a great deal.

“When I started coaching, I came from the Vince Lombardi school of doing three or four simple things repeatedly and doing them well,” Desaulniers says. “In the six years I was away, the game has changed and now it seems everyone spreads things out a great deal.

“Before I returned to coach-ing, my staff and I visited col-leges to study spread offens-es,” he continues. “We use a one-back set and a no-huddle

where the quarterback makes a lot of changes on the fly.”

According to Desaulniers, the pressures and expectations on student-athletes have also grown since he began coach-ing, but their motivations have stayed the same. “Kids still show up for a variety of rea-sons—they love to be part of a group, to be challenged, or because they like the physi-cal or mental aspects of the game,” Desaulniers says. “But nowadays, they do a lot more in off-season programs and have to learn a lot more crazy offensive and defen-sive schemes, so they have to study the playbook more rather than just going out to knock people over.

“I think more is demanded of athletes right now,” he contin-ues. “I’ve heard some people say kids nowadays aren’t as tough, but I see them always giving their best, and I think they’re the same as when I started.”

USC Is Ripping It on the WebThis summer, the University of Southern California foot-ball team introduced a Web site that takes a unique approach to connect with fans. The site, USCRipsIt.com, provides a behind-the-scenes look at the Trojans’ program and is managed by a former team member.

Instead of the typical Web fare of rosters, stats, game notes, and player profiles, USC Rips It offers a wide variety of off-beat video features, such as one that follows the squad on an outing to the beach and another that takes a look at the annual offensive vs. defen-sive coaches basketball game. There are also articles provid-ing the latest news within the program and a blog that is updated several times a day with short items of interest to Trojans fans and links to sto-ries about the team from other media outlets.

“[USC Head Coach] Pete Car-roll really wanted to provide fans with an inside look at the program,” says Jose Eskenazi, Associate Athletic Director at USC. “Our main athletics site is certainly football intensive, but this new site gives a more in-depth look at the team.”

It helps that the site is man-aged by Ben Malcolmson, a 2007 USC graduate who was a walk-on player on the squad last season. “There’s no way I could have come in here and done this without being a member of the team and knowing everyone so well,” says Malcolmson, who earned a spot on the 2006 team after trying out as an assignment for the school paper. “There’s a trust level there you can’t get any other way.”

Although the goal of the site is to provide an inside look at the team, that doesn’t mean any-thing goes. “There are definite-ly some limitations,” says Mal-

As if his coaching duties weren’t enough, when Foley retired as Athletic Director before this school year, Desaul-niers was asked to fill in for a year until a full-time replace-ment could be found. Though he was no stranger to working in administration, he admits juggling coaching and athlet-ic director duties is a difficult task.

“When I was a principal, I had a host of people to support me, but as athletic director you’re usually all alone,” he says. “You have to know the operation from soup to nuts. I’ve gained a new perspective and regard for the work ath-letic directors do.”

Desaulniers says the lessons he’s learned in administra-tion and teaching have helped shape his coaching style. “Everything I’ve done—being a parent, coach, principal, and teacher—has been helpful for my coaching,” he says. “From my administrative experience, I learned to delegate and be more organized. Through teaching and as an administra-tor who supervised teachers, I learned what it takes to be a great teacher.

“I’ve also learned how to give better feedback,” he contin-ues. “I think I’m pretty good at giving honest feedback and not just yelling. It’s important to have people hear what you’re trying to say rather than how you say it.”

He is also thankful for the roles he’s been able to play in the lives of students and athletes alike. “At this stage in my life, being a coach and athletic director gives me a sense of purpose and con-nects me with the community of students, teachers, and parents,” Desaulniers says. “It’s so rewarding and satisfy-ing that it’s hard to walk away from. I just hope I can have a successful year and pay peo-ple back for all I’ve gotten from being here.”

Bob Desaulniers is enjoying his second chance to be a high school coach. He coached for 29 years before stepping down when he became a principal in 1999. Now he’s back on the sidelines at Weston (Mass.) High School, where he is also the athletic director.



The University of Southern California has taken a different approach to the Web, creating a new football site, USCRipsIt.com, that provides fans with a largely light and informal look into parts of the program that have typically been kept hidden.

colmson, who as Director of Online Media creates almost all the content for the site. “We can’t live completely in a fish-bowl and rule number one is that we have to protect the team. For example, when a player transferred, I knew about it well before it was announced, but didn’t put the news on the site because it’s not in the team’s best interest.”

After the transfer was announ ced, however, the site did have a short Q&A with Carroll about why players sometimes decide to leave the program. Carroll is an integral part of USC Rips It, participating in many of the features and at one point, thanking fans for coming to the site and asking for their ideas on future features.

“It seems like 20 times a day Coach Carroll is throwing

ideas my way and saying, ‘What about this?’ or ‘How about that?’” Malcolmson says. “Everyone around the

football office has taken ownership of the site and contributes a lot of story ideas.”

Quarterbacks Graduate Assis-tant Coach Yogi Roth is the most involved. After four years as a receiver at the University of Pittsburgh, Roth spent a year as a sportscaster before joining the Trojans staff as a video assistant in 2005. In addi-tion to editing Malcolmson’s written pieces, Roth has hosted some of the video features.

“There are a lot of things football coaches and players hold close to the chest in a typical program that really don’t need to be, and this site is proving that,” Malcolm-son says. “I think the coaches love it because it allows them to get out there and relax and be themselves.”

The site is free of advertising and funded through the foot-ball team’s budget. Malcolm-son works out of the football office and sits in on most team

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ing to get into their pads and start hitting. The midnight madness scrimmage is a fun break between the condition-ing sessions and our regular practice schedule.”

Newton, the 2006 District Coach of the Year, has been Head Coach at North Bullitt for 10 years and was an assis-tant at the school before being promoted. The previous head coach started late night prac-tice in Newton’s last year as an assistant, and the players made it very clear they wanted the tradition to continue.

“The amazing thing is that we have drawn so many people through word-of-mouth,” he says. “This is the first year any-thing about it ran in the local paper beforehand, and we had our best turnout yet.”

There have been a few off-years when the team wasn’t able to hold a public scrim-mage because Aug. 1 fell on a Sunday night or the field wasn’t ready for use. Newton says the team was disappoint-ed in those years and those preseasons didn’t have quite the same feel as the others.

When it comes time to start full contact practices, North Bullitt High School in Shepherdsville, Ky., doesn’t even wait for the sun to rise. The Eagles, in green, like to open their preseason camp with a midnight practice on the first day allowed under state association rules.

meetings, while also working closely with the staff from the school’s recently redesigned athletics site, usctrojans.com, which is operated by CSTV. The main athletic department Web site still contains a wide range of football content, including exclusive features such as game highlights and press conferences, and links to USC Rips It and Malcolmson’s blog.

Eskenazi says there has been little concern about compe-tition between the two sites because many fans will go to both sites and they’re not competing for advertising dollars. In his mind, there’s plenty of room, and reason, for both.

“I think it’s extremely impor-tant to have different ways to reach your audience, because in collegiate athletics you have so many distinct constit-uencies,” Eskenazi says. “You have your student groups, your donors, your general season ticket holders, and in-market and out-of-market alumni. It’s vital to have differ-ent touchpoints that play to different demographics and focus on what they’re inter-ested in.”

Eskenazi says there is some thought being given to devel-oping a similar site for the men’s basketball team, but no firm plans at this time. Malcol-mson, meanwhile, expects to see other schools follow USC’s lead in the near future.

“I would recommend it whole-heartedly,” he says. “The response and the feedback we’ve been getting has been phenomenal. It really creates a following you just can’t get through the normal athletics Web page.”

To view the new University of Southern California football Web site, go to: www.USCRipsIt.com.

The only downside to the midnight practice is that a few hundred people milling about the field can get fairly noisy, and some people living behind the stadium have been jolted awake by whistles and cheers. “It wasn’t too big of a deal though,” Newton says. “In past years, they just didn’t know what was going on.”

Newton says situations like those are part of the reason to make sure the athletic depart-ment is on board. “If you’re thinking about doing an event like this, I would suggest talk-ing to your athletic director first,” he says. “Chances are if they think it’s a good idea, you’re in the clear.”

Midnight is a late time to scrimmage, but Newton says the squad is too excited to be tired. And the excitement generated by the crowd is great preparation for the sea-son opener.

“It works out some of the jit-ters,” Newton says. “Getting in their pads for the first time feels good for the kids, and not only are they excited and ready to go, but so are our fans.”

Late-Night Lights Open PracticeImagine drawing hundreds of people to your first practice of the year. Thanks to Midnight Madness, NCAA Division I basketball teams have grown used to launching the season in front of a crowd of fans. But can it work for a high school football team?

The squad at North Bullitt High School in Shepherdsville, Ky., says, “Yes, it can.” The Eagles took a cue from bas-ketball and have been holding their own midnight practices for more than 10 years. By Kentucky High School Ath-letic Association rules, football teams can begin full contact practice on Aug. 1, so the team invites the community to watch its first practice, a scrim-mage beginning at 12:01 a.m. on that date.

“The team just loves it,” says Head Coach Brett Newton. “The kids have been working together in conditioning ses-sions and practices without pads for two and a half weeks before Aug. 1, so they’re itch-

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Circle No. 106

CM: After winning Edmondson-West-side’s first state title, did your team have a target on its back?Jones: I tell our kids, it’s easy to get to the top, but it’s hard to stay there. Of course, getting there wasn’t actually “easy,” but we knew we’d have to play even better once everyone was trying to knock us down. Our approach has stayed the same though—we didn’t change our practices, game strategy, philosophy, or goals. We have a system we all believe in, and the players and coaches are used to it.

For many coaches, winning a state championship is the fulfillment of a career-long dream. For Dante Jones, it’s just the beginning.

At age 29, in only his second season as head coach, Jones led Edmondson-Westside High School in Baltimore to the 2006 Maryland Class 2A title. He’s proud of what his team accomplished that season, but for such a suc-cessful coach, winning is surprisingly low on his list of goals: “We’re using football to help get kids out of the city and into college—that’s why we’re here,” he says.

Following an outstanding football career at Baltimore’s Dunbar High School that included a state title in 1994, Jones went on to play linebacker at Delaware State Uni-versity. After graduation, he returned to his hometown to become a physical education teacher at Edmondson-

Westside and quickly realized two things: First, helping young people improve their lives through athletics was his life’s mission. And second, he loved coaching football.

After six years as an assistant, Jones was tapped to replace Edmondson’s retiring head coach following the 2004 season. Two years later the team won its first state champion-ship, defeating Jones’s alma mater, Dunbar, 37-9.

In this interview, Jones talks about how he forges ath-letes into school role models, why he puts education first, and his priorities as a coach.


Q A& Dante Jones Edmondson-Westside High School

Edmondson-Westside High School in Baltimore (on defense above) won the 2006 Maryland Class 2A championship, but Head Coach Dante Jones says getting his players to go to col-lege is far more important than winning games.

Where did that system come from?I took over this football program from a great coach and mentor, Pete Pompey. He had the framework in place, and he groomed me while I was his assistant so I could step in without the program missing a beat. Coming out of college, I probably had the football knowledge to become a head coach, but I wasn’t ready for all the other parts of the job. Each year he let me take over a little more responsibility, so by the time I got this job, I was prepared to handle it all.

What are some of those “other things?”He taught me a lot about how to interact with parents and work with the adminis-tration to meet the program’s needs. But maybe the biggest thing he taught me is about dealing with today’s youth: How to motivate them, how to keep them on track, and how to help them understand the importance of setting the right pri-orities.

How do you make sure academics are your players’ top priority?Probably the most important thing we do is have mandatory study hall before practice. We bring in an academic coach through the NFL’s Play It Smart program, and she helps our players with their home-work. She also prepares grade reports so we can keep track of how they’re doing.

Our philosophy is that if the players get their homework out of the way right after school, we can work them as hard as we want to in practice, because when they get home all they have to do is take a shower, eat, and go to sleep. Today’s youth have so many things going on, and sometimes, they’re getting into trouble. When they spend all their time and ener-gy with us, they don’t have enough left to do something negative.

Does that approach extend beyond academics?It does. Once an athlete comes into our program, they live by our rules because we don’t want them getting into trouble that can damage their lives. For instance, our players don’t go out to the high school

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Circle No. 107

club scene or anything like that. But in return we also give them so much. We go to church together, bowling, skating, out to eat, and to football games. It’s impor-tant for players to feel like they belong to a family and to know that we care about them first as people, not football players.

When kids understand that you genuinely care about them and that you’re going to look out for them as much as possible, it makes them work harder for you. But it makes them work harder for themselves, too, because they understand everything isn’t about winning—it’s about trying to live a better life.

Do your age and background make it easier for you to relate to your players on a personal level?I came from the same neighborhoods they do, and not too much time has passed since I grew up there. I under-stand the struggles and pressures they face outside of school, so they feel com-fortable talking to me about most any-thing, and that’s very important to me. I’ve benefited so much from older people serving as my mentors, and I want to do the same thing for my players whenever

I can. I also know that what I do and the way I carry myself has a direct impact on them—one of our most important jobs as coaches is being good role models.

Do you in turn talk to your athletes about serving as role models for the rest of the school?Definitely. At a school like ours, the foot-ball players are some of the most visible people in the building. If they’re setting the right example, it sets a tone in the hallways and the classrooms that a lot of people will follow and it helps the entire school run more smoothly.

For example, we demand that our players sit up front in class, and it’s not just for their benefit. When they take a seat at the front of the room, it sends a message that they take the class seriously and they’ve come to learn. It’s all about creat-ing the right image and being respectful, and good habits and behaviors will natu-rally follow from that.

What is the top goal for your program?Getting our kids to go to college. It might sound strange, but winning football games is the bottom for us in terms of priorities.


Almost all 20 seniors who graduated last year went on to college, and that’s what we’re here for.

Most of our players only know the city, so I tell them that college is a great opportu-nity to get out of Baltimore and broaden their horizons. Even if they choose to stay nearby and go to Towson or Morgan State, the campus environment is completely different from the city environment, and they’ll benefit a lot from seeing a new world and meeting people from different backgrounds. It will help them no matter what they go on to do afterward.

For some of my players, football is a major factor determining whether college is within their reach—that’s part of the reason they and their parents take it so seriously. So when I talk to them about focusing not only on the game, but also on the academic side and making smart decisions off the field, they listen.

Two years ago, gun violence took the life of one of your former players, Darryl Smith, a couple of years after he gradu-ated. How has that experience affected the team, and you as a coach?

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Circle No. 108

Q A&


His jersey still hangs in my office. The players and I see it daily, and it serves as a reminder of the importance of making the right choices in life. I want them to understand that if they make the wrong choices, consequences will follow. Choic-es and the company you keep are very important to your success in life.

In Darryl’s situation, if he had been prepared to go on to college after he finished at Edmondson, this never would have happened. As coaches, this makes us work that much harder to find all the different avenues for our players to get to the next level of education, whether foot-ball takes them there or not.

What are the greatest strengths of your coaching staff?We each have a different coaching style. Some of our coaches are the in-your-face type, and others, like myself, get our points across in a quieter way. That diversity is a major strength, because it means we can get through to more kids and give each player the type of attention he needs.

Another important thing is that our coaching staff is like a family. Most of us played high school or college football together, and we’ve known one another for so long that we have very thick skins around each other. Although we all share the same goals, we sometimes have very different ideas about how to achieve them, and we’re not shy about arguing at meetings. That’s a real asset, because it means we all scrutinize each other’s ideas until the best product emerges. Our offensive and defensive systems are both the products of many different people’s input. If everybody agreed with each other, I’m sure we’d miss out on a lot.

Your 2006 team was the subject of a series of in-depth articles in the Balti-more Sun chronicling the week leading up to a key regular season game. What was that experience like, and what did you learn from it?One thing we learned is that our athletes weren’t ready to handle all the attention. The reporters were with us for an entire week, and we didn’t have the focus we usually do. After so much build-up, we ended up losing the game and I think dis-traction was definitely a factor.

On the other hand, though, it might have been the best thing to happen at that point because the team learned the impor-tance of staying focused, and how there’s a lot more to being ready than just believ-ing you’re ready. After that loss, everyone was back to business. They were humble. We really refocused ourselves, and we didn’t lose another game all season.

If you were approached about a similar project again, would you handle it dif-ferently?I definitely would. I don’t think high school athletes have the maturity to han-dle so much attention all at once. Having a reporter come in and observe a couple of practices and do a couple of interviews is one thing, but all day for a whole week was a bit much for our kids.

That said, I loved the end product, and I think the articles gave people in the city a whole different look at our team and our

school. A lot of people told me it opened their eyes to what our football program is really about, and hearing that meant a lot.

To read the series of Baltimore Sun articles mentioned above, which followed Jones’s team in the week leading up to a big rivalry game, go to: www.baltimoresun.com/sports/highschool/bal-edmondson-g3,0, 5029324.storygallery.

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Circle No. 109

WHEN HE WAS A STANDOUT HIGH SCHOOL quarterback in 1980, Todd Dodge didn’t face much of a recruiting crush. In fact, the busiest period was the last month before the February signing day, even though Dodge was one of the nation’s top prospects.

Now, a generation later, as Head Coach at the University of North Texas and father of a top high school quar-terback, Dodge is witnessing an entirely different recruiting game. Like many highly sought after players, Riley Dodge made an early commitment shortly after his junior year at Southlake (Texas) Carroll High School. He later changed his mind and decided to follow his father to North Texas.

“A lot more players are committing at earlier ages, and players and parents are much more aware of the recruiting

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

Will Hill of St. Peter’s Prep in Jersey City, N.J., verbally committed to the University of Florida in September, but his decision won’t be binding until a National Letter of Intent is signed in February. Photo by Eugene Parciasepe Jr.

BY NATE DOUGHERTY

process,” says Dodge, who was 98-11 as Head Coach at Southlake Carroll before taking the North Texas job in December 2006. “As long as Internet sites are put-ting out rankings for the projected class of 2010, you’ll have people talking about it and paying attention to those young players.”

A cottage industry has been built around college football recruiting. Scores of Web sites track every change of thought in 16- and 17-year-olds’ minds. Even mainstream media outlets have gotten into the act with many newspa-pers covering recruiting as if it were its own sport. With all this attention, athletes begin to think they’ll miss out if

COVER STORY


Coaches and others discuss the pros and cons

of establishing an early signing period and offer tips for helping

players during the recruiting process.DEBATEDECISION DAY

Atlantic Coast Conference asked league leadership to develop a proposal for an early signing date, an idea that’s also sup-ported by the Big 12 Conference. For a change to occur, it must be passed by the Collegiate Commissioners Association, the group which administers the National Letter of Intent. But the commissioners have shown no inclination to implement an early signing day on their own, leaving it to football coaches to push for one.

“Up until this point, the National Letter of Intent has not had to deal with the issue of an early signing date because it has not come before the steering com-mittee,” says Mike Slive, Commissioner of the Southeastern Conference and chair of the National Letter of Intent steering committee. “Coaches can make recom-mendations for date changes, as can others. This happens all the time and the NLI’s policies have evolved over the years because of those recommendations.”

they don’t commit early, and early com-mitments become as much about ego and prestige as actual future plans.

The underlying problem is that early commitments carry no real weight. Until a National Letter of Intent is signed, there is nothing binding a player to a school or vice-versa, other than the word of the athlete and coach. As such, it’s not uncommon for athletes to commit to several different schools, and sometimes (though less frequently) for coaches to pull back scholarship offers, leaving the athlete scrambling for a replacement.

To address this acceleration of the recruiting process and alleviate the pres-sures on both student-athletes and their future coaching staffs, many coaches and administrators believe football should institute an early signing day for National Letters of Intent. This would allow athletes to make a binding com-mitment before the current February

signing date and put the recruiting pro-cess behind them, possibly even before they begin their final season of high school football. But the idea is a conten-tious one, with strong beliefs held on both sides, and even supporters of an early signing period disagree on when one should be held.

“An early signing date is definitely a possibility, but even in our conference where most schools support it, we don’t have a consensus on when it should be,” Dodge says. “It seems pretty much split down the middle right now.”

An Early SolutionThe prospect of an early signing date

has been floating around for more than two decades, but it appears to be gaining new traction as coaches and administra-tors search for ways to counter ever-esca-lating recruiting pressure. At their annual spring meeting, football coaches in the

COVER STORY


PERCEPTION & REALITY

With gigabytes of information about recruits available at the click of a mouse, some people think this new hyper-awareness is fueling the trend toward players

making commitments at a younger age. Others think the attention just creates the perception that early commitments are now much more common.

Mike Slive, Commissioner of the Southeastern Con-ference and chair of the National Letter of Intent steering committee, says this level of recruiting attention has been the norm in some parts of the country for a while, but it’s now expanding into a nationwide trend. “There’s certainly more attention paid to recruiting through the various Internet sites devoted to following recruits and there are people who follow every report,” Slive says. “It has made the process much more visible in some parts of the country. In the southeast it’s nothing new, but other places are experiencing that intense focus for the first time.”

Some who follow recruiting say the tendency toward younger players giving verbal commit-ments is merely an issue of awareness: Players aren’t being recruited or making commitments at a younger age, but there is a much bigger spotlight on those who are. “Players have been committing early for a long time, but now because of all the media coverage, we’re a lot more keyed into every move they make,” says Allen Wallace, National Recruiting Editor for Scout.com and founder of SuperPrep magazine. “I don’t necessarily think the changes are as drastic as others make them seem.”

But Grant Teaff, Executive Director of the American Football Coaches Association, thinks the perception is the reality. “Both concepts come into play—more players are being recruited younger and there is more attention paid to it,” Teaff says. “There’s a trend toward that, and it becomes supply and demand. There has been a dramatic change over the last few years in that the major football pro-grams are having 95 percent of their allotted schol-arships for initial grants filled by Jan. 1.”

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Circle No. 110

ing an early signing day, and Pac-10 Conference coaches turned down the idea by a 9-1 vote.

Slive says there is concern that with less time to judge a student-athlete’s char-acter and commitment in the classroom, an early signing day could lock in play-ers who are not a good fit for their new school. “Our coaches in the SEC are not in favor of an early signing date because the majority feel they need that extra time,” Slive says. “The more an institu-tion knows about a young man’s academ-ic record and his character, the better a decision can be made by the coach, the institution, and the prospect. One thing delaying the decision process does is provide more academic records for the coach, as well as more time to evaluate whether he’ll fit in well at the institu-tion.”

Ed Orgeron, Head Coach at the Uni-versity of Mississippi, says he loves the recruiting process and wants the chance to spend as much time as possible evalu-ating a recruit’s academic record and character. He worries that moving the signing date up from February would force coaches to take focus away from their own teams to make sure they sign players early.

“An early signing date would require a tremendous amount of manpower,” Orgeron says. “In-season official visits are limited and you’d have to get a lot of them done during the season, which would take away from game prep time. If the date is in December, everyone will have to go all out to keep recruits while also possibly getting ready for a bowl game, and coaching staffs just don’t have the resources to do all that.”

There’s also debate about whether an early signing date would really change the recruiting process. “There’s concern that it would simply push everything forward,” says Grant Teaff, Executive Director of the American Football Coaches Association. “Coaches who have put a lot of thought into it say if we have an early signing date, that just becomes the new signing date, and a lot of them are queasy about pushing that up.”

Backing OffWith such a wide range of opinions

about the need for or benefit of an early signing date, it’s unlikely that a consen-sus will emerge quickly. “In all the time we’ve been dealing with the concept


COVER STORY

Jack Cosgrove, Head Coach at the University of Maine, says letting stu-dent-athletes sign with schools earlier than February of their senior year would help alleviate pressure they face from recruiters and allow them to focus on their high school studies and teams. And with so many players making early verbal commitments anyway, he says giv-ing these commitments official standing wouldn’t change much of anything.

“What we have now is essentially an early signing period, just not a bind-ing one,” Cosgrove says. “But having an official early signing day would at least reduce the number of commitments that aren’t honored by one side or the other.

“Now, if you’re a 16-year-old kid and a coach keeps calling and contacting you even though you’ve made a com-mitment, how do you say no?” Cosgrove continues. “An early signing period would allow an athlete to make a for-mal commitment and avoid the coaches who continue to pursue someone who’s made a verbal commitment somewhere, but hasn’t signed.”

As the National Recruiting Editor for Scout.com and founder of SuperPrep magazine, Allen Wallace follows the decisions made by countless recruits each season, and he’s seen the same situation play out each year. A good-but-not-great student-athlete generates buzz from mid-major programs early in the process, but decides to test the waters, hoping for offers from larger schools. When they don’t come, his position with the mid-majors may be gone, leaving him empty-handed. Wallace believes an early signing date would allow these ath-letes to avoid the guessing game.

“We have to focus on what’s best for the student-athletes, because that’s what it should all be about,” Wallace says.

“They’re the ones who need someone to look out for them. That’s why an early signing period would be a great help, especially to the borderline kids who are unsure about whether they’ll get a lot more offers. It’s sad when they could’ve signed in the summer and been guaran-teed a spot somewhere, but instead got some bad advice and waited for offers that didn’t come.”

Dodge says an initial signing date in late summer would be ideal. “The recruiting process seems like a lot of glitz and glamour, but some players—like my son—just want to get it done with,” he says. “And at mid-major schools where we might put a lot of time and effort into

recruiting a player, early signings would give us the last three or four months of the process to spend our time and money more wisely rather than trying to keep on a kid who may leave for a bigger school anyway.”

Wallace agrees that perhaps the big-gest beneficiary would be smaller schools in danger of losing recruits to bigger-name schools late in the process. “Some schools, especially those with a reputa-tion for being top-tier programs, want to be able to swoop in when they need a prospect and maybe turn a kid’s head,” Wallace says. “If an athlete is swept off his feet during an early signing period and signs with a good mid-major program, those big-name schools can no longer go in and change the player’s mind.”

Against Opposition If an early signing date were insti-

tuted, it would first have to overcome strong opposition from coaches who believe it would create more work for them while affording less time to evalu-ate potential recruits. This May, coaches in the SEC voted 9-3 against recommend-

“We have to focus on what’s best for the student-athletes, because that’s what it should all be about. They’re the ones who need someone to look out for them. That’s why an early signing period would be a great help, especially to the borderline kids who are unsure about whether they’ll get a lot more offers.”

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Circle No. 111


COVER STORY

of an early signing period, we’ve never been able to get a majority of coaches behind it,” Teaff says. “Last year, when the NCAA studied this issue, they found that even those in favor of an early signing date couldn’t agree on when it should be. It seems to me that we’re not going to have a consensus anytime in the foreseeable future.”

While some coaches and conferences would prefer an early signing period in the winter—the ACC proposal called for a December date—others prefer sum-mer, before football season begins. With that and other hurdles yet to be passed,

many coaches feel something else needs to be done to stem the tide of pressure on today’s student-athletes. Cosgrove believes as younger and younger players feel pressured to choose a school, it will inevitably lead to more problems unless coaches agree to back off.

“Some programs are taking a much more aggressive approach at an earlier

point in young men’s lives,” Cosgrove says. “It would benefit everyone if all that wasn’t happening. Certain schools have their entire class signed by the time the contact period starts and then they’re out recruiting juniors.

“As coaches, if we don’t institute an early signing day, we at least need to back off in how early we approach these players,” he continues. “Many of them simply are not ready to make a decision of that magnitude.”

Though Dodge says only the nation’s top prospects receive such heavy atten-tion from the time they’re underclass-men, more players are coming to believe that level of attention is the norm. “There’s a lot of anxiety for players and their parents when they don’t have an offer before their senior year,” Dodge says. “I feel like we all need to explain to these athletes and their families that the majority of recruiting is done the old-fashioned way. We should encour-age those kids to keep working hard and have a good senior year.

“Some of these players may be on a team where four or five guys go on to play in Division I, and three of them have multiple offers before their senior year,” he continues. “Other players start to think that’s just how the process works, and we need to explain that

“There’s concern that it would simply push everything forward. Coaches who have put a lot of thought into it say if we have an early signing date, that just becomes the new signing date, and a lot of them are queasy about pushing that up.”

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Circle No. 112 Circle No. 113

keep them out of the process entirely while they’re still underclassmen.

“When I have a player being recruit-ed, I take a proactive approach and try to get the family involved, because I know they’ll be able to do a better job for that athlete than I can,” he says. “But I don’t like to even get a player involved until he’s a junior. When he’s done with his junior season, I’ll have him make his highlight film and mail it out. Regardless of what people say, after junior year is not too late to get things started.”

For their part, Orgeron says college coaches should try to focus on the posi-tive side of recruiting rather than viewing it simply as an arms race. “Recruiting is a great part of college football, and one of the parts I enjoy most,” he says. “It keeps us connected to high school students and gives student-athletes a chance to visit college campuses. Recruiting today is so much different than when I grew up, but nearly all of it is still positive. We need to remember that the point is to give high school athletes an opportunity to get a good education.” ■

benefits them and be in a town they enjoy,” Dodge says. “As soon as they came to a decision along with their parents, I encouraged them to commit. It took a lot off their plate senior year

and helped guarantee them a college education, because most schools will honor a commitment even if the player gets injured.”

To help his players handle the atten-tion of the recruiting process, Mark Crabtree, Head Coach at Dublin (Ohio) Coffman High School, makes sure they have others around who will help them make wise decisions. And he tries to

COVER STORY

probably 70 percent of people who end up signing don’t commit early or receive an offer from the school they eventually choose until after their senior year starts.”

When he coached at Southlake Carroll, Dodge encouraged his players to take their time in the recruiting pro-cess and use their college visits, but to commit as soon as they were sure they had found the right school. “I would tell them to visit the campus and list the pros and cons so if they were to blow out their knee the first day of practice, they’d still end up with a degree that

“I would tell them to visit the campus and list the pros and cons ... As soon as they came to a decision along with their parents, I encouraged them to commit. It took a lot off their plate senior year and helped guarantee them a college education.”

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RECENTLY, ONE OF MY COACHES ASKED ME FOR ADVICE ON HOW TO BECOME AN ATHLET-IC DIRECTOR. My first response was, “Are you crazy? Why would you want to leave the exhilaration of competition and the thrill of watching young people develop to become an administrator?”

“I thought you liked your job,” was his response. The fact is, I do like my job

and I don’t regret my decision to leave coaching for administration 14 years ago. But I’m not sure I really knew at the time what I was getting into.

In this article, I hope to provide the straight scoop on making the jump from coach to athletic director. It can be a fantastic career move for some,

but it’s not right for everybody. You have to be ready to give up

coaching—and ready to tackle a whole new set of challenges.

The Good, Bad, & UglyEvery profession has its ups

and downs, and athletic adminis-tration is no exception. For me, the

best part of the job is that I can have an impact on a greater number of kids.

David Hoch, EdD, is the Athletic Director at Loch Raven High School in Baltimore, Md., and a former head men’s basketball coach. He is past President of the Maryland State Athletic Directors’ Association and can be reached at: [email protected].

Ever think about making the jump from coaching to athletic administration? Here’s a look at the challenges you’ll face, and how to stick the landing.

BY DR. DAVID HOCH

YOUR CAREER


TOSSING THE WHISTLE

ING

O F

AST

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You are not in charge of just one team, but the entire athletic program. By hir-ing coaches, guiding the program’s philosophy, forming sportsmanship pro-grams, making policies, and so on, you influence a lot of student-athletes.

I also absolutely love mentoring young coaches. In some ways, it’s just like coaching, except my charges are a little older. And if I do a good job, I can influence these young coaches’ philoso-

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phies and help them get started on the right track. I definitely feel that I’m hav-ing a great impact in this area, which is very fulfilling.

Other athletic directors enjoy the job because they like working with upper-level administrators at the school and being involved in education policy. It’s a great way to take your leadership skills to a whole new level in a very dynamic field. What many of my colleagues and I find

difficult about the job, however, is that its workload is relentless. Many athletic directors put in 12-hour days, and these can easily stretch to 14 or 15 hours when you host a contest. And, unlike in coach-ing, there is no off-season. Fatigue is an athletic director’s constant companion.

The “ugly” part of the job is that you sometimes have to deal with very difficult situations. The buck stops with you: You are the person who has to deal with those overbearing parents, that high-mainte-nance coach, and the student fans who got out of control at last Saturday’s game. You will be named if there is a lawsuit. And you will be blamed for many things that you have to graciously accept as your fault even though they may not be.

What is the job like on a daily basis? You definitely have to like organiza-tion. There is a never-ending mound of paperwork and scheduling, so you must enjoy reviewing forms and putting piec-es of a puzzle together. Communication is also key. Knowing how and when to communicate with coaches, athletes, parents, teachers, administrators, league officials, and the community is a big part of the day-to-day work.

Probably most important, you have to enjoy and be great at hiring, evaluating, and mentoring. You will be a coach of coaches, and how well your coaches do will determine your success. You have to be able to take your coaching skills and apply them to an adult audience.

If the “good” sounds good to you, you’re not scared off by the “bad” or the “ugly,” and the daily tasks sound appeal-ing … read on.

Getting ReadyMany of the duties mentioned above

may not seem that far removed from coaching, and they’re not! Being a head coach definitely provides you with some skills that transfer to the athletic admin-istrator’s office.

For example, you have learned effec-tive organizational skills as a coach. You have to plan practices, prepare game plans, and maintain equipment and uni-form inventories. Also, budgeting your time and delegating tasks have always been part of your position.

By working with student-athletes and assistant coaches, you have also been managing personnel. You have probably already developed a leadership style that


YOUR CAREER

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Circle No. 117


fits your personality and a philosophy for motivating and mentoring.

And surely you’ve tackled at least a few difficult situations as a coach. Whether it’s handling parents, an ath-lete who breaks a code of conduct, or a disagreement among your players,

you’ve developed some skill in resolving conflict and communicating well with everyone involved.

The next step is to get more concrete experience in administration and to start learning the areas you don’t have experi-ence in. There are two reasons for this—to help you decide whether you would really like the job, and to have something

on your resume that shows you are work-ing on administrative skills.

In terms of professional preparation, the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA) cre-ated Leadership Training Courses (LTCs) almost 10 years ago. These four-hour

courses are excellent professional devel-opment opportunities and cover a wide range of topics. I would suggest start-ing with the courses titled “Philosophies, Leadership, Organizations and Profes-sional Programs” (LTC 501) and “Princi-ples, Strategies and Methods” (LTC 502). These courses are required for the first level of national certification, the Regis-

tered Athletic Administrator (RAA). You can also go on to earn Certified Athletic Administrator (CAA) or Certified Master Athletic Administrator (CMAA) creden-tials once you start working in the field. More and more schools across the coun-try are looking at national certification as a factor in their hiring.

You can also attend your state athletic directors association’s annual confer-ence. These usually offer excellent work-shop sessions dealing with current issues and how athletic directors handle them. Going to these meetings also allows you to start networking with athletic admin-istrators in your area.

In addition to courses and conferenc-es, there are college degree programs in sports management. Is it necessary to earn one of these degrees to become a high school athletic director? No, not at all. But it would represent a seriousness and sense of direction, and you would also learn a great deal which could ulti-mately be used in your career.

In the meantime, whenever possible, accept ancillary leadership roles. For

Try thinking like an administrator. Honestly analyze what the athletic directors you’ve worked for do best. Do they come up with creative solutions? Do they interact and work well with the various constituencies of the athletic program?

YOUR CAREER

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example, in Maryland, each sport has a Regional Sport Chairperson, who is usually a coach. These positions involve leadership and organizational responsi-bilities associated with the planning and coordination of each state tournament. Similarly, if you have an opportunity to serve as an officer in your state coaches’ association, take it. Many of the duties will involve skills similar to those needed in athletic administration.

Another good option is to serve as an intern with the athletic director at your school or at a neighboring school. This is a great way to get into the trenches and learn by doing. If a formal intern-ship is not possible, start a dialogue with your athletic director about why and how he or she is tackling a problem or ask about a system he or she has created. Better yet, volunteer to help him or her with administrative tasks!

At the very least, try thinking like an administrator. Honestly analyze what the athletic directors you’ve worked for do best. Do they come up with creative solu-tions? Do they interact and work well with

the various constituencies of the athletic program? Thirty years later, I still think back to one of my first athletic directors and try to emulate his professionalism, enthusiasm, compassion, and motivation-al skills. Find some role models and take the best that they have to offer.

How To ApplyIn most areas of the country, the posi-

tion of athletic director pays well and there are several applicants for every open job. How do you make your resume stand out, even if the other candidates have administrative experience?

First of all, try to find out who will make the hiring decision. It varies by district, but in most cases there is an inter-view committee, with a principal or super-intendent making the final choice. Also try to learn more about the culture and philosophy of the school, as well as why the last athletic director left. Are there big problems at the school that are still unresolved? By knowing who is involved in the process and what they’re looking for, you can tailor your approach.

In your cover letter, go into detail about experiences that demonstrate your readiness to become an athletic director. Highlight the ancillary leadership roles you’ve taken on and related skills you’ve developed. And do mention any little things you’ve done, such as taking LTC courses, attaining the RAA certification, or serving as an officer in a coaching association.

If you get an interview, be prepared for some specific and pointed questions. With the pressure schools currently face from assessment tests, graduation requirements, SAT scores, No Child Left Behind, and all of the latest parental concerns, a principal wants an athletic director who can keep a lid on athletic problems. Because athletics is the most visible aspect of education (and every-one has an opinion on coaching tactics), upper-level administrators need a leader who can handle the heat.

Here are some typical questions you’ll be asked in an interview:

■ Why do you want to move into ath-letic administration? Your answer needs


YOUR CAREER

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YOUR CAREER


LEARNING CURVE

Every first-year athletic director encounters some unexpected challenges. Here are the three things I remember struggling with the most.On my second day as a high school athletic director, I encountered my first high-maintenance coach. This coach approached me with a demand for new equip-ment—and I didn’t even know which key opened the storage room yet! He was also a yeller who was not teaching his athletes the right lessons. I quickly found out that every athletic department has entrenched coaches and (in most cases) you can’t simply fire them immediately.

I had to learn to work with this individual and continue to evaluate him over a three-year period before I could let him go. I had to attempt to give him positive feed-back and very, very carefully document the problems he was creating. I had to try to get him to change, even though that was ultimately impossible.

Second, it took me a few years to really understand the difference between managerial responsibilities and leadership. Even if you can manage the paperwork and scheduling just fine, if you aren’t seen as a leader with great communication skills, you won’t be effective in making the big decisions.

Last, my journey included learning the importance of lis-tening better. As a coach, I was used to making the deci-sion as to who would start, who would play, and how we would conduct practice. However, as an athletic director, I had to learn to persuade others and build consensus. It can’t be “my way or the highway,” because this doesn’t work well with adults and professionals.

These were my hurdles, and I’m sure other new ath-letic directors have had different ones. I’m happy to report that all three were interesting challenges and solving them took my skills to a new level.

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YOUR CAREER

to involve more than, “I’m ready for a new challenge.” You need to talk about how your ideas and strategies can improve an athletic department.

■ What will you bring to the position? Here’s where you can expand upon your leadership skills and ancillary expe-riences. This is also where it pays to have done your homework so you can offer possible solutions to one or two of their concerns or problems.

■ What is your managerial style? The committee is looking to see if you are a control freak (dictatorial), inclusive (democratic), and so on. This could be important if the school’s coaching staff is experienced and the new athletic direc-tor is coming in from the outside. The committee basically wants to figure out if it will all work.

By the time you begin interviewing for an athletic director position, you will also need to have changed your perspective. As a coach, it’s natural to have a very narrow view, because you are focused totally on your team or sport. As an athletic director, you will need to see the big picture. This means understand-ing and seeing that all sports are treated fairly with respect to facilities, financ-ing, equipment, and public support. All sports are vital and integral to an athletic program and school, and none should be considered more important than any other. It’s critical that you com-municate to the interview committee that you understand this perspective.

One more thing to keep in mind: If the competition for athletic director jobs in your area is tough, your first position may have to be with a downtrodden pro-gram. But this can sometimes be a great place to start. The expectations are often lower and there are a lot of opportuni-ties to demonstrate your leadership. Like in coaching, if you take a downtrodden program and make some improvements, they become your accomplishments. These efforts will help put you in a better position to secure your next administra-tive opportunity.

They Won’t Call You “Coach”Today, many schools do not allow

their athletic administrators to coach. The position, responsibilities, and expec-tations have grown so large that it would not be possible to do both effectively. So before you accept any position, do take time to answer the big question: Are you

ready to hang up your whistle and make a commitment to athletic management?

Try this analogy: Imagine the prospect of stepping into an athletic administra-tive position as a blank canvas. The more details and images you can put on this surface, the better the picture will look in the end. Can you paint this picture? Do you have ideas on how to work with coaches, communicate with parents, deal with budget cuts, lead a meeting, create an innovative sportsmanship program?

You will no longer hoist a trophy, give a pregame talk, or teach athletic skills. And the kids won’t call you Coach. But you will have an opportunity to affect more student-athletes, mentor new coaches, and take your leadership skills to another level. ■

This article has appeared in previous editions of Coaching Management. For more insight into issues faced by athletic directors, go to: www.AthleticManagement.com.

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O YOU REMEMBER THE FIRST time you tried to do some-thing athletic with your nondominant hand? For me, it was shooting a layup

left-handed as a kid. It was a disaster. That was my introduction to lateral

dominance, and I’m still intrigued by the concept today. Technically, lateral domi-nance is the preference for one extrem-ity or a half of the body over the other. It is a fancy term for saying someone is right- or left-handed—but it means a lot more than simply identifying which hand a person writes or throws with.

Unless they are ambidextrous, every athlete is more proficient with one side

body, allowing him to move well to the right and the left.

Another clear reason for addressing lateral dominance in training is that if an athlete progresses through his career only using the dominant limb or the dominant side, he runs the risk of overuse. Through repetitive stress, a structural or functional imbalance can occur and lead to injury or impaired performance.

Vern Gambetta is the President of Gambetta Sports Training Systems in Sarasota, Fla., and a frequent contributor to Coaching Management. His daily thoughts on training athletes can be viewed on his blog at: www.functionalpathtraining.blogspot.com.

of their body than the other. But over-coming the preference to favor one side can lead to performance enhancement for most any player.

Why Is It Important?There are several reasons why lateral

dominance is important in training your athletes. The most obvious is that an underdeveloped limb or side of the body can limit performance. No mat-ter which arm your quarterback throws with, if he can move both arms and both legs with equal proficiency, he gains an advantage over the athlete who cannot. Any defender will benefit from having superb coordination on both sides of his

STRENGTH & CONDITIONING


D Getting players to work past their natural tendency to favor their left or right side can improve their

ability to move in any direction and develop them into more complete athletes.

BY VERN GAMBETTA

AP

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BALANCE OF POWER

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between both sides. The term for this is cross-lateral control.

One book on the subject that really opened my eyes is The Dominance Factor, by Carla Hannaford. This book approaches the concept of lateral dominance from the viewpoint of a learning disabilities spe-cialist, but the implications for sports per-formance enhancement are intriguing. Hannaford goes beyond just identifying dominant arm—she identifies dominant eye, ear, and foot. She also talks about how these dominance patterns interact to provide information to the brain.

An obvious way these ideas cross over to athletics is examining how a dominant eye affects the way an athlete tracks a ball. A more subtle concept, however, is how dominance patterns affect the manner in which an athlete learns. It can be very helpful to know if an athlete processes information better using auditory cues or by receiving visual cues, or if processing complicated feedback will be difficult.

The book also made me think about how important it is for all areas of the brain to be in sync when processing information. According to Hannaford, “The optimal learning state is one of whole-brain integration. In this state, both hemispheres are equally active all the time, thus accessing all sensory infor-mation and effectively communicating, moving, and acting on information.”

As coaches, we know that our most effective practice sessions occur when an athlete is totally focused, with every muscle of their body eager to respond to stimuli. The more we understand how the brain works, the better we can train our athletes to achieve this focus. If therapists can teach students to overcome disabilities rooted in certain brain dominances, we can teach ath-letes to overcome lateral dominance and enhance performance.

Training Both SidesI am not saying we should train a

right-handed quarterback to throw left-handed, or devote half our training to developing the nondominant side—that would be a waste of time. Ultimately, most players must perform optimally with their dominant limbs, so everything we do in training should focus on enhancing skills in those limbs. However, I feel that spend-ing a small amount of time training the nondominant side of the body will help achieve this overall performance goal.

But there are also some less obvious reasons why you should pay attention to this concept. In particular, it is often the nondominant side that performs the function of deceleration. Think about a running back or receiver making a sharp cut. If his body is off balance as he makes his change of direction, his nondominant leg will play a huge role in decelerating and stabilizing his body. If that nondomi-nant leg needs to shift at the last second to avoid a tackler, it needs to be strong enough to do so safely and effectively. Otherwise, performance will suffer and injury may result.

There is also the idea that training the nondominant limb may improve per-formance with the dominant limb. This concept is called bilateral transfer. For example, an athlete who has one leg in a cast can do strength-training exercises using the non-injured leg to help keep

the injured leg strong. The technique has been used in rehab for years and the positive implications are obvious.

The question is, can it also work for performance enhancement? We are talk-ing about the same body and the same nervous system, so logic tells us that it should work when training a healthy ath-lete. Unfortunately, no research has been conducted on the concept. But anecdot-ally, I have found it can be effective.

When I was the Strength and Con-ditioning Coach for the Chicago White Sox from 1987 to 1996, we experimented with having our pitchers play catch using their nondominant arm the day after they pitched in a game. Their dominant arm was usually pretty sore from pitch-ing the day before, so we wanted to work their opposite arm and take advantage of bilateral transfer. The results were hard to measure, but those pitchers who com-mitted to the exercise liked it and felt it helped their dominant arm.

Having used bilateral transfer exer-cises for several sports, I’ve observed heightened awareness and improved coordination on the dominant side after

having worked the nondominant side. Janis Lusis, former world record holder and multiple Olympic medalist in the javelin throw, is right-handed, but he used to end each throwing workout with 10 to 20 easy-effort left-handed throws. He said the exercise helped hone his balance and coordination. Obviously this needs to be studied further, but I am convinced there is merit to the idea.

Development Of DominanceTo understand the larger concept of

lateral dominance, it’s helpful to exam-ine it as it relates to growth and develop-ment. In this field, laterality refers to the conscious awareness that there are two sides of the body. Through movement experience during growth, children become increasingly aware of their right versus their left side and develop pat-terns of dominance. Between the ages

of five and seven, these patterns really begin to reveal themselves, although research has shown that a preference for use of the right or the left hand is not permanently established until age nine or 10. Foot preference, however, seems to be established by age five.

Therefore, the ideal period for chil-dren to develop bilateral movement is during the so-called “skill hungry years” of six to nine. This does not mean that we should train young athletes to be ambidextrous—not at all. Rather, we are simply attempting to develop nondomi-nant limb skills with the goal of enhanc-ing the efficiency of the entire body.

How does this concept work neuro-logically? In motor learning, as in all learning, the brain needs to receive information in order to develop. The body provides that information to the brain, which processes the data and turns it into signals that trigger the appropriate movements. The brain has two hemispheres: the logical left brain, and the right brain—what I call the per-ceptual side. Optimal learning occurs when there is rapid communication



Having used bilateral transfer exercises for several sports, I’ve observed heightened awareness and improved coordination on the dominant side after having worked the nondominant side.

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The obvious question, then, is when and how much should the nondominant side be trained? The answer depends on the athlete and his training and perfor-mance goals.

The first step is to assess whether the athlete has major problems caused by lateral dominance. You can do this through observation and testing. Tests should be agility-based and force the athlete to move both right and left.

If deficiencies due to lateral domi-nance are affecting the athlete’s play, find out why they are better at going in one direction than the other. Is it a strength imbalance? Does a prior injury limit their ability to move to one side? Is it a problem with motor perception? To remedy this situation, it is necessary to find the cause and systematically address it. This requires a specially designed pro-gram for each individual athlete.

If lateral dominance is not causing major problems but you’d still like to improve an athlete’s nondominant limb proficiency, I suggest adding small doses of nondominant training to their work-outs. Most of this training can be clas-sified as remedial work and can be implemented as part of warmup or cooldown. I have also found these types of exercises are good “homework” for athletes to do between practices and can

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Circle No. 128

Practicing synchronization of movement will heighten body awareness and improve coordination of the nondominant side. Here are some examples of these simple exercises:■ Perform circles with one arm and punches with the

other. Quickly switch arm movements after about 10 reps.

■ Jump forward and backward with both arms overhead moving side to side.

■ Stand in place and rotate the hips clockwise and the head counterclockwise.

■ Dribble a basketball with each hand using equal effort.■ Dribble two balls with unequal effort—hard with one

hand and soft with the other.■ Dribble two balls of different dimensions. For example,

bounce a volleyball in one hand and a basketball in the other.

■ Catch and throw with the nondominant arm.■ Kick with the nondominant leg.

COORDINATION DRILLS


be as simple as throwing and catching with the nondominant hand.

I wrote earlier about getting both sides of the brain to work together. A great way to achieve this is through cross-lateral physical movements—where limbs coordinate with their counterpart on the other side. The simplest form of cross-lateral movement is crawling, done using both arms and both legs. I include crawling as part of every warmup and add a specific crawling module to my core-training workouts. Examples include bear crawls and Spiderman crawls.

For coordination training, I incorpo-rate work that involves the nondominant side in novel tasks, not just the sport skill exercises. I am not seeking a direct transfer with these everyday exercises, but practicing synchronization of move-ment that heightens body awareness and awareness of the nondominant side. These unrelated movements will open neural pathways and wake up the ner-vous system (See “Coordination Drills” on page 40).

A good place for your players to work toward bilateral transfer is in the weight-room. Obviously this kind of exercise is not feasible for every workout, but I use it where it fits. The idea does, however, require a whole paradigm shift on the role of strength training toward enhanc-ing coordination and the efficiency of movement patterns. This type of work does not improve heavy lifting, but it is more functional because it develops more useable strength.

For example, have athletes do an alternate dumbbell press instead of a two-arm press with a bar. Lunges and single-leg squats can be used for the lower body. This will facilitate lateral transfer while also achieving standard strength gains.

In core strength and stability train-ing, it is very important to work both sides of the body in a balanced way. This does not take any extra effort—it just means setting up your drills to focus on both sides equally.

It’s also a good idea to examine some everyday things athletes do that affect their lateral dominance. For example, players doing warmup or training runs on a track will typically go in a coun-terclockwise direction. To help them achieve greater balance, simply have them perform some of these runs in a clockwise direction.


Training both sides of the body will ultimately enhance total movement skills. Doing so doesn’t mean you have to revamp your practices or workouts, it just requires thinking about going to “the other side” in your program design. It will open new movement territory, enhance body awareness, and help your athletes explore the body’s potential. ■

A version of this article was previously published in other editions of Coaching Management, and Training & Conditioning, a sister publication.

Lastly, remember that lateral domi-nance is not just about training left and right body movements, but also about other nondominant patterns of move-ment. Therefore, work the following movement combinations into workouts where appropriate:

■ Right/Left■ Forward/Back■ Up/Down■ Over/Under■ Clockwise/Counterclockwise■ Side-to-side and Diagonal.

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Circle No. 129


Head Coach Andy Lowry helped Columbine High School produce the final degree of heat it needed to win an unlikely state title.

BY ABIGAIL FUNK


BOILING POINT

Etched into the Columbine High School football team’s state championship rings are several numbers. The meaning behind most is straightforward: There’s the year 2006, the team’s 13-1 record, and the number 70 in remembrance of Matthew Kechter, who was killed in the 1999 shootings at the school.

Then there’s a curious number—212. What is the significance of 212? Two hundred twelve degrees Fahrenheit is the boiling point of water, and also the title of a book Head Coach Andy Lowry and his team read heading into the state playoffs last fall.

“It’s a short motivational book that talks about how at 211 degrees, water is very hot, but it takes an extra degree to boil at 212,” Lowry says. “It doesn’t matter how long you’re at 211—if you can’t get that one more degree, the water won’t boil. The book talks about giving that extra effort and playing to that extra degree, and our kids bought into the idea hook, line, and sinker.”

In 2006, the Rebels needed every degree of effort to reach the top.

Starting out the season with a young team and the smallest senior class he’d had in years, the team battled through what Lowry calls “chemistry problems.” Entering the Class 5A state championship tournament as the sixth seed, Columbine was a long shot to come out on top.

“The beginning of our season was miserable,” Lowry says. “I remember every bit of it. We fought through some dissension and had one kid who became really selfish. Our teams had traditionally been successful because our kids really buy in and are selfless, but that wasn’t the case early last season.

“It hurt an awful lot as a coach,” Lowry continues, “but that’s just one of those things you have to battle through as a coach and a player, and both he and I did. Each week we improved a little bit. We got our players in the right positions, and a few of our seniors stepped into the right leadership roles. When the playoffs rolled around, we were still improving. Everything came together at just the right time.”

In the semifinal game, Columbine met Lakewood High School, which in the season opener had handed the Rebels their only loss. Lakewood also happens to be Lowry’s alma mater, and he had coached there before heading to Columbine. The outcome was the opposite of that August game, as the Rebels dominated with their running game and routed Lakewood, 50-6.

The story could have ended there, since the team had exacted its revenge on Lakewood, and its title game oppo-nent, Mullen High School, was nation-ally ranked, undefeated, and perceived by most as unbeatable. “We had one player go to a Division I school from last year’s team, while Mullen had

about 10,” Lowry says. “But our kids really became a team that day. They beat a great football team.”

Columbine and Mullen squared off on Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium, an experience in itself. Lowry kept game day rituals the same as usual, however, in an attempt to keep the players focused.

“I didn’t want our kids to be any more distracted than they were already going to be,” Lowry says. “Luckily, about 25 of our kids, including most of starters, went to a press conference at the field the Monday prior to the game. They were in awe of it when they got there and bored

by the time it was over, which is exactly what I wanted.”

Mullen averaged more than 45 points per game over the course of the season, yet Columbine’s defense shut out the Mustangs in the first half. The offense scored on its 16-play opening drive, which ate up almost eight minutes.

“Ball control is a big part of our phi-losophy,” he says. “I played quarterback in school, and all I did was throw the ball. But when I went back to Lakewood to coach, I was defensive coordinator for Head Coach George Squires, who ran the double-tight full house offense. I brought his philosophy with me to Columbine, and we haven’t strayed far.”

Mullen scored its only touchdown in the third quarter on a two-yard run to tie the game at seven, and went up 10-7 in the fourth. But facing fourth-and-two with less than two minutes to play, Columbine quarterback Jeff Cicchinelli raced 40 yards downfield. Two plays later, he ran into the end zone from two yards out. Columbine missed the extra point, keeping the lead at three points.

“Probably the toughest decision of the game was whether to kick it deep

or squib it and give them a short field,” Lowry says. “Mullen’s returner was the state’s offensive player of the year. He was scary. But we kicked it deep and a little freshman ended up making the tackle at about the 20-yard line. They ran a couple of plays before we picked off a pass, and that was it.

“It couldn’t have been better,” he continues. “These kids put in every effort, and that one extra degree paid off in the end.”



DJ

BEC

KER Abigail Funk is an Assistant Editor at

Coaching Management. She can be reached at: [email protected].

School: Columbine High School, Littleton, Colo.Head Coach: Andy Lowry2006 Season: 13-1, Colorado Class 5A State ChampionsState Championships: 2006, 2002, 2000, 1999

Notes: In the 2006 title game, Columbine scored a 13-10 win over previously undefeated Mullen High School, a team that had averaged over 45 points per game … The Rebels converted five of seven fourth-down attempts, and Mullen was denied on its only fourth-down attempt … In the semifinal game, Columbine beat Lakewood High School 50-6, avenging a season-opening 18-3 loss … Now in his 15th season at Columbine, Lowry earned Class 5A Coach of the Year honors in 2006.


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Jenks High School, OK11-Time State Champions

Need: Jenks High School needed high-quality, heavy-duty strength training equip-ment for its new weight training facility.

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Rockford High School, MI2005 Division Champions

Need: Head Football Coach Ralph Munger needed a safe and efficient way to train championship-caliber blockers and tacklers.

Solution: Munger’s players train with a seven-man Mod Sled, a 20’ Trap Chute with boards, a one-man Pop Up Tackle Sled, Scout Pop-Up Dummies, an Open Field Tackle machine, and lots of Agiles and Standup Dummies, all from Rogers Athletic. “Rogers Athletic products rein-force proper technique in areas like footwork and placement of the head and shoulders,” Munger says. “The quality is outstanding, and the design is well-researched and very user-friendly. Also, the service from Rogers is phenomenal—if you have any problem whatsoever, the company takes care of it immediately.”

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Timpview High School, UT2006 4A State Champions

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Cedar Hill High School, TX2006 5A Division II State

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St. Joseph Christian Academy, MO2006 State Champions

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The BodyGuard shoulder brace from Antibody is designed to accommodate shoulder injuries, including dislocations, subluxations, and slight separations. Because of its inner surface and custom design, the BodyGuard actually attaches to the wearer and works with the entire muscle group, providing strain distribution over the entire gar-ment and significant compression to the injured area. The BodyGuard is effective for a wide array of sports in which shoulder injuries occur, including

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Z-Cool compression girdles from Gear 2000 have moisture-wicking hip and tail pads sewn into them. The hip pads are strategically placed to protect the iliac crest (top of the pelvis). Scientific studies indicate that com-pression garments enhance muscle stability and increase athletic performance by as much as 12 percent. The fabric in Z-Cool compres-sion girdles is moisture-wicking 75-per-cent nylon/25-percent lycra or spandex for cooler performance.

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NXT Compression from Russell Athletic is a full-body compression shirt made from ultra-lightweight Dri-Power fabric that has Ventilator technology and sheer mesh panels that add breathability. The tight fit, cut for maximum comfort, feels like a sec-ond layer of skin.

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The Bench Zone™ Track Protector is for tracks around football fields. Its poly-propylene fabric resists and cushions

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stakes. Gold or white edging is available. Standard sizes are

15’ wide x 75’, 100’, 125’, or 150’ long, and custom sizes and imprinting are available. A smaller version, the Cross-Over Zone Protector, is ideal for high-traf-fic areas. This product is also great for protecting cheerleader, band, and conces-sions areas, and it ships quickly.

Circle No. 525

Earth & Turf Products, LLC888-693-2638www.earthandturf.com

The one-pass design of the Earth & Turf Linear Aerator completely changes the way aeration is done. Soil and thatch restriction are permanently modified. Maximum modification of the turf on athletic fields, golf courses, and polo grounds is assured. After the area has been topdressed with calcined clay,

compost, or sand, the Linear Aerator conditions a 58-inch swath by cut-ting grooves

in the turf that are three inches deep, approximately half an inch wide, and 3.5 inches apart. Linear aeration can reduce sports injuries by softening turf on athletic fields. Linear aeration also improves water infiltration and retention, turf and root growth, nutrient absorption, and organic decomposition.

Circle No. 526

Humane Mfg. Co., LLC 800-369-6263www.humanemfg.com

Rubber mats and flooring provide excel-lent protection for your equipment as well as the floor beneath it. Humane Loktuff mats are totally non-absorbent and provide a vibra-tion/noise

Humane_AM1901.indd 1 11/28/06 3:16:04 PM

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Football Facilities

barrier as well as dust reduction. With a tensile strength of up to 1,000 psi and a durometer rating of 63, Humane mats are stronger and softer than many tradi-tional mats—so let the company be the “foundation of your success.”

Circle No. 527

M.A.S.A., Inc.800-264-4519www.masa.com

M.A.S.A. carries a large selection ofeconomical sideline turf protectorsthat come in two grades of durability to meet any budget. All the company’s pro-tectors are constructed using a durable, breathable polypropylene that will stand

up to cleat traffic and pro-tect your turf. All tarps are light

gray in color and feature brass grom-mets every three feet along the edges. They’re now available with optional lettering and logos to make your field stand out. Custom sizes and shapes

are available. For more information, call today or visit the company online.

Circle No. 528

Mondo800-361-3747www.mondousa.com

MondoTurf systems are engineered for performance and safety. Mondo’s com-pletely innovative artificial turf system

reproduc-es all the character-istics of a well-main-tained natural grass play-ing field. A

new generation of fibers provides durabil-ity, performance, and playing character-istics similar to natural grass. Mondo’s patented infill, Ecofill, offers maximum safety and superior dynamic performance without the problems caused by natural turf fields. MondoTurf withstands many times the level of wear and tear endured by traditional surfaces. Outstanding dura-bility reduces maintenance costs.

Circle No. 529

OakWood Sports, Inc.517-321-6852www.oakwoodsports.com

OakWood Sports is a premiere custom wood locker builder, with experience in design, construc-tion, delivery, and instal-lation. For new builds or reno-vations, the company takes care of your locker needs from start to fin-ish and beyond. With more than 200 locker rooms completed since 1998, OakWood’s experience and knowledge ensures that your locker system will be visually stunning and highly durable. OakWood understands the construction requirements of athletic lockers, and prides itself on applying that expertise to the specific needs of each customer. Go online to view the company’s photo gallery.

Circle No. 530

Jump Stretch has been supplying the large continuous-loopFlexBands® to high school, college, and pro teams since 1980.We have a total of seven sizes, but most teams use either theLight or Average bands for stretching. For more information,visit our website at www.jumpstretch.com or call 1-800-344-3539.

Jump Stretch, Inc.1230 N. Meridian Rd. Youngstown, OH 44509www.jumpstretch.com 1-800-344-3539Fax: 1-330-793-8719

Ever wonder where the pro teamsget those GIANT rubber bandsthey use for stretching?

Look no further!Look no further!

jumpstretch62v0v3.indd 1 1/3/07 1:39:01 PM

Circle No. 143


Football Facilities

Professional Turf Products866-726-3326www.proturfproducts.com

Turf Armor™ bench tarps are engi-neered to prevent or greatly reduce damage to your natural or synthetic turf

surfaces. All tarps are avail-able in black and light gray. Call toll-free to

find out more, or view all products and specifications and locate a dealer near you by visiting Pro Turf Products’ easy-to-use Web site.

Circle No. 532

ProGrass, LLC866-270-6003www.prograssturf.com

ProGrass is a proven leader in artificial turf design, installation, project man-agement, and product development. High school and college football teams across the coun-try play on ProGrass AR, an innovative all-rub-ber infill system consisting of polyethylene fibers tufted into a woven primary backing with a secondary backing of polyurethane. This combination results in a safe, comfortable surface that meets all ASTM shock-absorption standards. Visit the company’s Web site today to learn more.

Circle No. 533

Seating Services Inc.800-552-9470www.seatingservices.com

When Huron High School in Ohio wanted to convert bleachers into grand-

stands with self-rising stadium chairs, they chose Seating

Services’ Tread Mount and Floor Mount Series 3000 Cardinal Model. There was only 24 inches of space per row, but with some slight alterations to the planking, the seats were a perfect

fit. The gravity-tipped, blow-molded chairs meet safety codes while provid-ing excellent comfort. This project was completed on aluminum, but the chairs are also ideal for wood, steel, or con-crete. Seat widths can vary from 18 to 22 inches. Use them to create VIP seating for a great fundraiser.

Circle No. 534

Spectrum Corp.800-392-5050www.spectrumscoreboards.com

Captivate your audience with a model 11236 football scoreboard featuring a full-color message center. Spectrum’s

high-resolu-tion mes-sage center will display video clips, animations, game stats, and adver-tisements. Other special features

include lighted sponsorship signs and a dynamic identification sign with color mascots. Team name, custom-ized color combinations, and border striping are always included at no addi-tional charge. Always expect more with Spectrum Scoreboards.

Circle No. 535

Evergreen Synthetic Turf, LLC800-544-0439www.turfmill.com

Evergreen Synthetic Turf has 30 years of manufacturing experience and reigns as the oldest owner-operated synthetic turf manufacturer in the world. The turf indus-try has seen many chang-es since its begin-nings in 1967, but Evergreen pro-vides the stability and experience you demand. Along with experience, the Evergreen team offers state-of-the-art technology with its two CMC 2005 tuft-ing machines, which cut production time by more than half. The CMC 2005 models and the company’s 10 other tufting machines are guaranteed to pro-vide customized products to meet exact certified sport builders’ specifications.

Circle No. 536

OakWood Sports, Inc.517-321-6852www.oakwoodsports.com

In almost a decade, OakWood Sports has helped more than 200 schools and sports organizations design and install wood lockers for their athletic

facilities. Every locker is con-structed from special cuts of high-

quality veneer and solid wood to ensure a vibrant grain pattern and beautiful color. The lockers are assembled by hand as an individual unit prior to installation. OakWood’s specially formulated finish resists moisture, citric acid, and up to a 25-percent solution of sulfuric acid. Finally, all hardware (including hooks, hinges, and clothes rods) is either solid brass or stainless steel.

Circle No. 531

Circle No. 144

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Use the fitness code “fitness7” when you check out. Offer expires 11/30/07.

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Untitled-7 1 9/28/07 4:10:53 PM


Power Racks

Nautilus, Inc.877-657-7762www.nautilusxpload.com

Built by strength trainers, for strength trainers, the Nautilus® XPLOAD™ Power

Rack is available in eight- and nine-foot heights. You can also choose a half rack or combo rack.Special Features: Standard features include

seven-gauge steel uprights, an integrated ergo

chin bar, and weight plate and vertical bar storage. Optional accessories include swivel spotter platforms, stainless steel upright covers, and oak platform inserts.Warranty: 12-year frame, 3-year parts, 1-year labor, 6-month upholstery.

Circle No. 537

Nebula/NK Sports Group800-763-2852www.nebula-fitness.com

The Double 1/2 Rack unit can be built into many configurations. The rack is available with one or two plat-forms and one or two benches.Special Features: Available options include swivel adjustable chin bars and telescoping lock-in benches.Warranty: Yes.

Circle No. 538

Power Lift800-872-1543www.power-lift.com

The Power Lift 9’ Power Rack with “Lever Action” bench and Olympic lifting platform (optional) includes a dual-grip

chin-up handle, bar storage, weight storage, and a cus-tom logo.Special Features: Patented “Rhino Hook” bar catches, a “Lever Action”

bench, and a tongue-and-groove oak platform with your school’s logo.Warranty: Lifetime conditional warranty on frame components, 1 year on bear-ings, 90 days on upholstery and items not specified.

Circle No. 539

Power Systems800-321-6975www.power-systems.com

The Power Systems 7-Station Gym by Muscle Maxx maximizes training space while allowing multiple athletes to simul-taneously per-form lat pull-downs, seated rows, curls, extensions, chin-ups, and more.Special Features: The unit includes two lat pull-downs, two high/low pulleys, a low row, tricep extension, and a chinning station. Three 220-pound and three 170-pound cast iron weight stacks come fully assembled with additional assembly required for the remainder of the unit. The seats bolt on. The unit is fully welded for durability and stability. There are six color choices for the frame and four for the upholstery, all at no extra charge.Warranty: Lifetime steel frame, 4-year moving parts, 90-day cables, upholstery, hand grips, and weight stacks.

Circle No. 540

Rogers Athletic Co.800-457-5337www.rogersathletic.com

The Brute Rack System™ is one of the most innovative multi-purpose power racks on the market. With this system,

your athletes will experience high-quality closed-chain freeweight training.Special Features: The Brute Rack System, combined with the revolution-ary Monster Arms™ attachments, allows

an unrestricted range of motion to help athletes develop specific muscle groups utilized in athletics.Warranty: Lifetime.

Circle No. 541

Samson Equipment800-4-SAMSON www.samsonequipment.com

The Triple Power Station features an adjustable bench, a unique triple-rack design, and a hickory or rubber platform with or without a custom logo. It accommo-dates three simultaneous lifters perform-ing upper-body, lower-body, and Olympic movements. Samson Equipment custom builds to your individual needs.Special Features: Solid .188 wall steel frame throughout, platform with basket-ball finish, adjustable bench from 0 to 90 degrees.Warranty: Lifetime on steel frame.

Circle No. 542

Power Racks Specifications

Company Rack Height x Width x Depth

Tubing Size Warranty Chin-Up Bar

Plate Storage

Adjustable Bench

Nautilus, Inc. XPLOAD™ Power Rack 95”-107” x 69” x 90” 7 ga. ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

Nebula/NK Sports Group

Double 1/2 Rack 96” x 96” x 216” (with 2 platforms)

3” x 3”, 11 ga. & 1/4” steel uprights

✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

Power Lift 9’ Power Rack 108” x 86” x 72” 4” x 3”, 7 ga. ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

Power Systems Muscle Maxx 7-Station Gym

92” x 124” x 156” 3” x 2”, 11 ga. ✔ ✔ n/a ✔

Rogers Athletics Co. Brute Rack System™ 113.5” x 98” x 83.5” 3/16” thick, 11 ga. ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

Samson Equipment Triple Power Station 105” x 44” x 96” 3” x 3”, 7 ga. ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

✽ Denotes accessories sold separately, or as available options. Please contact the company for more information.


P R O D U C T S D I R E C T O R YCIRCLE COMPANY PAGE CIRCLE COMPANY PAGENO. NO. NO. NO

509 . . Adams USA (A4 Elite II helmet shell) . . . 48

510 . . . Adams USA (Bac-Shield) . . . . . . . . . . . 48

525 . . Aer-Flo (Bench Zone Track Protector) . . . 52

524 . . . Aer-Flo (sideline turf protector) . . . . . . . 52

511 . . . Antibody (compression shorts) . . . . . . . 48

512 . . . Antibody (shoulder brace) . . . . . . . . . . 48

565 . . BallQube. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

570 . . . Cardinal Publishers Group (Wish Publishing) 63

566 . . Cho-Pat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

513 . . . Cutters Gloves (Wrist Coach) . . . . . . . 49

514 . . . Cutters (GreatCatch) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

526. . . Earth & Turf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

567 . . . eFundraising.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

536 . . Evergreen Synthetic Turf . . . . . . . . . 54

544 . . Fitnessrubber.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

500 . . GameWear Team Sports . . . . . . . . . 44

516 . . . Gear 2000 (Z-Cool compression girdles) . . 49

515 . . . Gear 2000 (Z-Cool shoulder pads) . . . . . . 49

527. . . Humane Mfg. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

546 . . Jump Stretch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

528. . . M.A.S.A. Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

517 . . . Maxsport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

507 . . MAXX Football (championship solution) . 46

552. . . MAXX Football (strength) . . . . . . . . . . 59

529 . . Mondo USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

502 . . Nautilus (championship solution) . . . . . . 44

537. . . Nautilus (XPLOAD Power Rack) . . . . . . . 55

538 . . Nebula/NK Sports Group . . . . . . . . 55

548 . . NSCA (Complete Conditioning for Football) 58

547. . . NSCA (Training for Football) . . . . . . . . . . 58

530 . . OakWood Sports (custom wood locker) . 53

531 . . . OakWood Sports (wood lockers) . . . . . 54

568 . . ONS (Optimal Nutrition Systems) . . . . . . 63

539 . . Power Lift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

503 . . Power Lift (championship solution) . . . . 45

540 . . Power Systems (7-Station Gym) . . . . . . 55

549 . . Power Systems (VersaFit Log) . . . . . . . 58

550 . . Powernetics (Bulldog/Attacker) . . . . . . 59

551 . . . Powernetics (Power Trainer) . . . . . . . . . 59

504 . . Pro Look Sports (championship solution) . . 45

518 . . . Pro Look Sports (football uniforms) . . . . . 50

532 . . Professional Turf Products . . . . . . . 54

533 . . ProGrass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

519 . . . QB-Tee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

541 . . . Rogers Athletic (Brute Rack System) . . . . 55

505 . . Rogers Athletic (championship solution) . 45

521 . . . Russell Athletic (NXT Compression) . . . 51

520 . . Russell Athletic (XC Jersey) . . . . . . . . 51

506 . . Samson (championship solution) . . . . . . 46

542 . . Samson (Triple Power Station) . . . . . . . . 55

534 . . Seating Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

535 . . Spectrum Scoreboards . . . . . . . . . . 54

569. . . Stromgren (catalog) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

522 . . Stromgren (Moisture-Lite pad system) . . 51

543 . . The Tug . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

545 . . VertiMax (PLUS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

501. . . VertiMax (championship solution) . . . . . 44

508 . . Wizard Sports (championship solution) . 46

523 . . Wizard Sports Equipment . . . . . . . . 51

554 . . Xvest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

553 . . Xvest (TurboBells) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

A D V E R T I S E R S D I R E C T O R YCIRCLE COMPANY PAGE CIRCLE COMPANY PAGENO. NO. NO. NO

120 . . . Adams USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

117 . . . Aer-Flo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

140 . . . Antibody (The BodyGuard) . . . . . . . . . 51

131 . . . BallQube. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

119 . . . Cardinal Publishers Group . . . . . . . 30

145 . . . Cho-Pat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

148 . . . Cutters Gloves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .BC

110 . . . CyberSports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

142 . . . Earth & Turf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

113 . . . eFundraisingStore.com . . . . . . . . . 24

133 . . . Evergreen Synthetic Turf/Turf Savers . . 46

106. . . FieldTurf Tarkett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

144 . . . Fitnessrubber.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

109. . . GameWear Team Sports . . . . . . . . . 17

104. . . Gear 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

111 . . . HighSchoolSports.net . . . . . . . . . . . 23

138 . . . HQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

141 . . . Humane Manufacturing . . . . . . . . . . 52

143 . . . Jump Stretch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

112 . . . M.A.S.A. Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

124 . . . Maxsport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

114 . . . MAXX Football . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

103 . . . Mondo USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

102 . . . Nautilus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

118 . . . Nebula/NK Sports Group . . . . . . . . 30

108 . . NSCA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

125 . . . OakWood Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

137 . . . ONS (Optimal Nutrition Systems) . . . . . . 49

126 . . . Power Lift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

147 . . . Powernetics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IBC

101 . . . Pro Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-3

130 . . . Professional Turf Products . . . . . . . 44

116 . . . ProGrass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

123 . . . QB-Tee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

115 . . . Riddell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

127 . . . Rogers Athletic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

107 . . . Russell Athletic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

129 . . . Samson Weight Equipment . . . . . . . 41

100 . . Scoutware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC

134 . . . Seating Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

121 . . . Spectrum Scoreboards . . . . . . . . . . 32

105. . . Stromgren . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

122 . . . The Tug . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

128 . . . VertiMax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

136 . . . Wizard Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

135 . . . Xvest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

132 . . . Zoombang . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

AchillesTendonStrapThis patenteddevice will reducestress upon theAchilles Tendonand provide effective relief frompain and discomfort associated withAchilles Tendonitis. Sizes: Sm - Md - Lrg

DualActionKnee StrapPatented deviceoffers an extralevel of pain reliefand protectionfrom knee

degeneration and overuse syndromes.Stabilizes and strengthens the jointwhile allowing full mobility. Sizes: Sm - XL

KneeStrapCho-Pat’sOriginal KneeStrap is designedto alleviate certainknee discomfortsdue to overusesyndromes, arthritis, and other forms ofdegeneration. Nearly two million sold!Sizes: XS - XXL • Colors: Black and Tan

Bicep/TricepsCuffThis patent-pending deviceaffords protectionfrom overuseinjuries for

individuals performing repetitive lifting in activities such as weighttraining. Sizes: Sm - XXL

Great Ideas For Training...

www.cho-pat.com 1-800-221-1601

Untitled-4 1 4/16/07 11:44:41 AM

Circle No. 145

www.AthleticBid.com

AthleticBid.com is a free servicedesigned to help you researchproducts and contact companies inan easy-to-use format.

Looking for a specific product?You can use the Buyer’s Guide tosearch “By Product” and locateprospective suppliers. Each of thesuppliers has a listing that can bereviewed. Some listings includebasic contact data, but others haveadditional information to help youlearn about the products or ser-vices and their company.

Another option available onAthleticBid.com is to place an RFP.When you already know your specsand are looking for price quotesfrom a variety of vendors, this isa great tool. Input your informa-tion and within three days you willreceive e-mailed responses from allinterested suppliers.

Finally, if you’re just interested inreviewing some of the new prod-ucts that have been introducedon the market—check out the“Product Connection” section withbrief descriptions and photos ofproducts and contact informationfor the companies that sell them.

Learning More About Suppliersand their Products

As mentioned earlier, a numberof the company’s have enhancedlistings that include additionalresources to help you better evalu-ate them and their products.

Once you locate an individualcompany’s listing, you are able to:

● View complete product lines,seeing all of the productsoffered by the company

● View catalog pages or specsheets with detailed product

information. The informationis stored as PDF files so you canview them on-line or print themout for easy reference

● Read a profile or description ofthe company or a company rep-resentative.

● Request to be contacted by thecompany using an e-mail linkdirect to the company.

● Ask for a catalog and sales litera-ture from the company—againusing an e-mail link direct to thecompany.

Take advantage of the wealth of information and resources available on AthleticBid.com to

increase the information you gather, while also saving valuable

time.

Simplify & Speed yourProduct Research on the InternetUse links and tools on AthleticBid.com

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It used to take hours to contact dozens ofcompanies to research products and planpurchases. But by using AthleticBid.com,

it now only takes minutes.


Strength Training

The Tug405-474-7777www.thetug.net

The Tug is the ultimate competitive tool—it tests the heart. The Tug also fosters toughness. It’s a variable-weight

strength and con-ditioning apparatus made of a rubber-like resin with the capac-ity to hold up to twen-ty gallons of water. The Tug’s shape and flexibility have significantly reduced

injuries associated with stick wrestling, towel wrestling, and tire tugging competi-tions. The construction of the Tug allows for separation between combatants and introduces an element of weight to the equation by simply adding water. You can tug it, flip it, drag it, hoist it, curl it, or row it. It’s versatile and has a variable weight, so use your imagination.

Circle No. 543

Fitnessrubber.com888-894-0204www.fitnessrubber.com

Fitness Rubber is a new Web fitness resource that offers “manufacturer direct pricing” for all your fitness rub-ber equipment needs. The com-pany’s products include Kraiburg Solid Rubber Weight Plates, Kraiburg-Sportec Rolled Rubber Flooring, Kraiburg-Sportec Interlocking Fitness Tiles, and FLEXGARD Rubber Coated Cast Iron Weight Plates, to name just a few. Make it a point to visit Fitnessrubber.com and receive immediate savings of up to 45 percent. Act now and receive a $20 discount on your initial Web site order over $100.

Circle No. 544

Genetic Potential800-699-5867www.vertimax.com

A new low-load, velocity-specific train-ing program is now available for the ultimate in force development. The VertiMax PLUS series is a revolution-ary advancement in functional, sport-

specific, total-body training. It’s unique because it is capable of applying mul-tiple loads at multiple body locations,

including the ankles, knees, hips, shoulders, and arms, while the athlete is performing explosive lower- and/or upper-body training. The VertiMax PLUS series is

strongly endorsed by many NFL, NBA, and NCAA Division I head coaches. Visit VertiMax’s Web site for more details and customer testimonials.

Circle No. 545

Jump Stretch, Inc.800-344-3539www.jumpstretch.com

Athletes are always looking for an edge—some way to vary their training routine and ramp up their workouts. The condi-tioning spe-cialists who worked with the actors in the movie “300” came up with a creative exercise: run out against the resistance of FlexBands, pick up a kettlebell, and run back. Now you can use this same technique with the Spartan Fireout Station. It consists of four bands—three long bands, with the fourth looped through to serve as a harness over the shoulders.

Circle No. 546

NSCA800-815-6826www.nsca-lift.org

The NSCA’s Training for Football video presents a detailed sequence of exercises and drills for teaching the clean, jerk, and snatch exercises. The video features step-wise progressions that offer coaches the capacity to train ath-letes of various ability

levels. Key points for ensuring proper execution of the exercises are demon-strated, allowing coaches to confidently incorporate these explosive exercises into their training programs.

Circle No. 547

During the past three decades, the University of Nebraska football pro-gram has set the pace for successful

conditioning. Now, two members of the Cornhuskers’ strength and condi-tioning staff present the program used by Nebraska to power its way to national cham-pionships. Complete Conditioning for Football, available

from the NSCA, includes 98 proven position-specific exercises that help players at all levels improve speed, agil-ity, power, and endurance. The guide covers the basic training principles of adaptation, specificity, overload, and periodization. It also lists which drills are beneficial for some players but not for others, and includes guidelines for proper rest and balanced nutrition.

Circle No. 548

Power Systems800-321-6975www.power-systems.com

The VersaFit Log is a new and challeng-ing alternative to traditional strength training. Sporting multi-ple handles and Velcro™ straps, this cylindrical tool facilitates a variety of grip, strength, and functional exercises. Available in weights from 10 to 50 pounds (in 10-pound increments) and measuring 23” x 8” in diameter, this durable, soft-sided log allows you to train balance, plyo-metrics, rotational movements, Olympic lifts, chops, and throws. Also available is the “shell only” option for custom-izing the weight to meet individual train-ing needs. Use the VersaFit Log indoors or out.

Circle No. 549


TestimonialStrength Training

Powernetics800-829-2928www.powernetics.com

Powernetics offers many products for the strength-training needs of your players, including the Bulldog and the Attacker. The Bulldog isolates the ham-

strings and glutes without putting stress on the knees

and back. It also offers an explosive hack jump exercise that develops power in the hamstrings, glutes, and quads--all from one exercise. The Attacker allows the athlete to fire and roll his hips while moving up and out into a full hand separation. Because of the intense movement, power is developed from the feet through the hands.

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Powernetics offers the Power Trainer, which for more than 10 years has made the power clean a safe exercise for ath-letes from junior high to the col-legiate level. The Power Trainer enables an athlete to not only do cleans safely, but also to reverse the clean. The unit can be used to perform seven different exercises: the clean, reverse clean, deadlift, lift jump, high row, bench press, and shoulder press. The Power Trainer has proven over the years to be among the safest and most effective tools used to perform the power clean.

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MAXX by Shoot-A-Way800-294-4654www.maxxfootball.com

This off-season, while your opponents are simply lifting, you can be put-ting the intensity of football into your workouts. MAXX is a rubber man with a lifelike feel, a durable weight machine, and a state of-the-ar t com-puter all in one. The LED board gives players instant feedback on their

speed off the ball and the power of their punch

while they work to increase strength and per fect football technique.

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Xvest800-697-5658www.thexvest.com

Adjustable Xvest TurboBells are a new product from the maker of Xvest. They replace a room full of dumbbells and

are engineered so the weights can be adjusted from five pounds to 60 pounds in just seconds, giving athletes complete control of their workout. The economical Xvest TurboBells

have large easy-grip rubberized handles and come with a specially designed stand. The manufacturer is offering them at an introductory price of $349, plus free shipping—saving you more than $270.

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The Xvest is currently used by and has redefined training and fitness protocols for most, if not all, MLB teams, as well as teams in the NFL and NBA and at many colleges and universities. The Xvest also has a reputation for being one of the most used training prod-ucts by U.S. Olympic programs. The Xvest can be utilized with most training protocols and activities. It will not move, migrate, or bounce, enabling you to take your training to the extreme.

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Check out

www.AthleticBid.comto contact these companies.

Strength Equipment to Meet the Highest Standards

“When you walk in the room, your jaw drops and you say ‘Wow.’”

Rohrk CutchlowAssistant Athletic Director/Sports

PerformanceIllinois State University

“This will allow us to serve a lot more athletes at one time and make better use of our facility space. Plus, this is quality equipment that’s more durable than what we had. It’s by far the best equipment on the market.”

Jake AndersonStrength and Conditioning Coordinator

Central College

“We feel confident that our choice of Power Lift racks and platforms provides the Netherlands Olympic Committee with the highest-quality equipment and sup-port in the industry.”

Jim McCarthyDirector of Strength & Conditioning

Netherlands Olympic Committee

Other satisfied Power Lift customers include:

University of FloridaFlorida State UniversityUniversity of Southern CaliforniaArizona State UniversityMichigan State UniversityUniversity of MichiganWarren Mott High School, MITexas High School, TXAllen High School, TXBelton High School, TXTexas Tech UniversityUniversity of OklahomaJenks High School, OKValley High School, IAAtlantic High School, IAMillard South High School, NEArchbishop Moeller High School, OHOklahoma State UniversityUniversity of IowaFossil Ridge High School, TX

Power LiftP.O. Box 348Jefferson, IA 50129800-872-1543Fax: 515-386-3220www.power-lift.com


Today’s Technology: Broadening Coaches’ HorizonsHigh-tech products allow team leaders to be better informed and more connected.

Every coach knows that a daunting amount of information flows through high school and college football pro-grams. And there was a time when man-aging it all was truly a Herculean task.

For colleges, the program’s recruiting “database” often consisted of scat-tered notebooks, folders, and wherever else the coaches kept their notes on prospects. Communicating with recruits involved a complicated patchwork of incoming and outgoing phone mes-sages to the athletes, their parents, and their coaches. At the high school level, there were practice and game schedules to print and disseminate, stats to compile and distribute to col-leges and the local media, and all types of program information to share with athletes, parents, and boosters.

Fortunately, today’s football coaches have more resources at their disposal than ever before to help them master communication and information man-agement. As a result, they’re more organized, efficient, and effective in running all aspects of their programs.

A Technology PioneerWith 16 years of experience in the indus-try, CyberSports was one of the first busi-nesses to utilize computers to streamline the operations of sports teams. Even before the rise of the Internet, the company was offering desktop-based services to help coaches manage their player and team information. As tech-nology progressed, CyberSports added new features that could interface with PDAs and other handheld devices, and expanded to a new level with Web-based applications that coaches could access from anywhere.

“Our company takes full advantage of the available technology to develop services that tie together various com-ponents of a sport program’s opera-

tions,” says Todd Hobin, President of CyberSports. “We take processes that are usually disconnected from one another and make them seamless.”

The result is increased efficiency, as coaches can quickly and effortlessly link all of the parties involved in the recruiting process. “Communication between coaches, the athletic depart-ment, and university administrators used to be a nightmare,” says Candice Hobin, CyberSports’ Vice President. “It was incredibly time-consuming to keep everyone up to date and on the same page. With today’s technology, the flow of information is immediate and extremely simple—it requires only the touch of a few buttons.”

CyberSports’ Web-based applications have also made it easier to keep track of current student-athletes and alumni, as well as PSAs. “Our systems link all the data about prospective stu-dent-athletes in a way that makes the entire flow of data after signing more efficient,” explains Candice Hobin. “The information is easy to update, transfer, and share, so it’s useful not only to coaches but also to those in charge of compliance, admissions, and other departments.

“We’ve even streamlined the Letter of Intent process so that sports programs can generate their letters to prospec-tive athletes with the touch of a but-ton,” continues Hobin. “And as they do it, a copy is sent to all the relevant parties at the university.”

CyberSports is even helping sports programs develop their own customized recruiting Web sites. Members of the coaching staff can update the site with new information for athletes and com-munity members alike. These sites give coaches an extra measure of control over the way their program is represent-ed throughout the entire recruiting cycle.

Another recent innovation is a CyberSports tool that coaching staffs and other athletic department officials can use to fill open dates on their schedules. Like all the company’s products, this tool reflects the philoso-phy that when information is easier to access and act upon, programs have more time to do what they do best—prepare for success on the field.

Getting Your Message ThroughIn August, when the NCAA banned Division I coaches from contacting recruits through text messaging, many football coaches saw it as a step back-ward. But in seeking out ways to adapt to this new regulation, coaches found a silver lining: E-mail, now the preferred means of communicating with recruits, is more effective and versatile than ever.

A major reason for e-mail’s emergence as a top recruiting tool is the way new software lets coaches tailor their mes-sages. At the forefront of that effort is Scoutware, which has built an innova-tive system to help coaches put their program’s best foot forward.

“Today, kids are being recruited at young-er and younger ages, and e-mail is the ideal way to reach them because it’s sim-ple, non-intrusive, easy to share with par-ents and friends, and most importantly, e-mail is visual and can be made to look exactly how a coach wants,” explains Jeff Murphy, President of Scoutware. “In more than six years working with college programs, we’ve become very knowledge-able about how to reach recruits in a way that gets their attention.”

Of course, before you can get a recruit’s attention, he has to be able to see your message. Many football programs that have attempted to send out e-mails with impressive graphics, embedded action photos, and other high-tech extras have

StraightTalk


run into problems with files that are too large, elements that don’t display properly, and spam filters that mistake the messages for junk mail. Scoutware solves all these problems.

“Getting an e-mail delivered is the hardest part of the process for many coaches,” Murphy says. “More than three-quarters of all e-mail is spam, and ISPs [Internet service providers], espe-cially those that serve K-12 school dis-tricts, are under tremendous pressure to block inappropriate e-mails. As a result, being immediately recognized by ISPs as a legitimate e-mail sender gives our coaches a major advantage.

“In recruiting, undelivered e-mails equate to missed opportunities,” Murphy continues. “Therefore, our attitude is that every e-mail counts.”

Scoutware works with coaches at all levels, from all three NCAA divisions, to prepare e-mail messages that get results. For example, you can send news alerts whenever your team does some-thing special, complete with photos and exciting graphics that practically jump off the screen. Try including your own picture as well, and you’ll earn points with recruits by putting a face with a name—they’ll already recognize you when they meet you in person.

E-mail can also help you determine which recruits are interest-ed in your program. Scoutware includes tracking capability that tells you wheth-er your e-mails were read—and what areas got your recruits’ attention—so you can stay on top of the communica-tion process and better gauge each recruit’s specific level of interest. Best of all, the e-mails won’t lose their format-ting when athletes and coaches forward them to teammates, parents, and others involved in the process, thus helping your message to spread even further. “I have yet to meet a coach who has time to spare, much less waste,” says Murphy. “When we walk coaches through

the process of sending e-mails through Scoutware, they’re often surprised when they find out just how straightforward and effective it can be.”

Promoting Your ProgramAt the high school level, coaches don’t have to comb the country looking for their next great recruit, but they still have serious information management and communication needs. With a new Web site called HighSchoolSports.net, coaches can use the power of the Internet to promote their program and make it more accessible than ever before to fans, boosters, college scouts, and the media.

“We’re seeing that coaches want to con-solidate the way they communicate with everyone involved in their football pro-gram—the parents, the athletic depart-ment, the boosters, and the media,” says Adolph Santorine, President of Schedule Star, LLC, the company that runs HighSchoolSports.net. “It’s now possible to post all of a team’s infor-mation, including the schedule, game

stats, and team-generated photos and video, on one site where all the different groups can access it. Our company has created a single-source solution for com-municating with all the supporters of a program through this new Web site.”

To understand how HighSchoolSports.net can make life easier for coaches, consider the way game results are pro-vided to the public and the media. “It used to be that coaches would call each

newspaper individually and spend a great deal of time reading off the game stats to someone on the phone,” Santorine explains. “Through HighSchoolSports.net, a coach can put all his game stats into a Web-based form right after the game, and the stats appear instantly on the team’s Web site. Newspapers, other media out-lets, and fans can pull the stats directly from the site. Coaches can even set it up so that game stats are automatically e-mailed to the local newspaper as soon as they are entered.”

Each school can develop its own site, with individual team pages maintained by coaches or other team officials containing action photos, roster infor-mation, and even an online store for team merchandise. In football, for instance, the varsity and j.v. teams can each have their own unique page. And because HighSchoolSports.net is linked to the popular Schedule Star schedul-ing software, the pages can also be used to post scheduling notices, team updates, and other notes. The admin-istrative tool for entering information is

password-protected for security, and it’s both fast and easy to use.

“We’ll soon be announcing a new tool on HighSchoolSports.net where coach-es can break down video from a game and post it on the site for fans and supporters to view,” says Santorine. “The coach can decide how much of the game video to put online—he can post the whole game, or a package of selected highlights.”

StraightTalk

TECHNOLOGY IN PADSNot all new technology that benefits football programs involves computers. Riddell recently tackled the serious issue of MRSA infection risk by creating a high-tech sanitizing and reconditioning system called Sports-O-Zone™. This patented system kills more than 99.9 percent of staph and MRSA bacteria.

MRSA, an antibiotic-resistant type of staph infection, has been in the news recently as athletic depart-ments across the country have faced serious, sometimes life-threatening outbreaks. Football players are at particular risk because of the sport’s frequent body-to-body contact and the high number of cuts, abra-sions, and other skin wounds suffered during play. Often, athletes put themselves in even greater danger by sharing towels, not covering their wounds, or failing to clean and dry their equipment properly.

Riddell introduced Staph Fighter™ and Sports-O-Zone to help keep athletes safe from MRSA. Sports-O-Zone, an equipment-sanitizing unit that can be purchased for your locker room, uses Ozone—one of the strongest oxidants and disinfectants available—to kill bacteria, viruses, and mold. It’s better than hydrogen peroxide, bleach, and iodine for killing harmful pathogens, and it can be a key component of any MRSA-prevention program. The company also offers a complete line of products that can be used to clean locker rooms, shower areas, and other high-risk spaces.


Company Q&A

What are the unique features of Reebok’s team apparel line for colleg-es and high schools in terms of fabric, construction, and comfort, and what makes this apparel so innovative?

We incorporate products identical to those worn on NFL practice and game fields, and on NHL hockey rinks. The

products are constructed for specific climates and built based on feedback from professional athletes and equip-ment managers. They are tested for eight months—on the field and in the lab—before being released to the play-ers. The innovations are based on

some of the best fabrications and sew-ing constructions in the industry.

How do these garments compare to oth-ers on the market in terms of durability, and what makes them so durable?

We build our products based on the athletes’ needs. Not only does the product have to perform for the athlete, it also has to perform in the locker room. We like to study the products of our competitors, but it is more impor-tant to deliver products that have been field- and locker room-tested. We ship thousands of products to professional teams every year, and we have a defec-tive rate of less than one percent.

How is Reebok able to offer college and high school programs the same gar-ments that are worn by NFL athletes?

We will not sacrifice the integrity of our products. The products we ship to col-leges, high schools, and retail outlets are the same as the ones we ship to professional teams and athletes.

Are there other special features or innovations in Reebok’s team apparel line to benefit high school and college football programs?

We offer specific products that are con-structed for specific climates. We offer products that incorporate unique foot-wear technology, such as lightweight DMX padding, which offers outstand-ing support. We also offer seamlessly constructed products that feature engi-neered mesh for increased breathabil-ity. Our line even includes antimicrobial performance products in both loose and compression fits. In addition, we offer cold-weather wool compression products that help keep athletes warm under any conditions.

Unique Athletic Apparel Designed for Comfort and Performance

Chris Gallo is Reebok’s Director of Licensed Performance Apparel.

Reebok1895 J.W. Foster Blvd.Canton, MA 02021888-898-9028Fax: 781-401-4052www.reebok.com


TestimonialMore Products

BallQube, Inc.800-543-1470www.ballqube.com

When you have a collectible sports item, you want to preserve its appearance, keep any autographs intact, and display

it for all to see. BallQube has an entire line of sports display cases just for you. Whether you want to put your item on a shelf

or hang it on a wall, you’ll find the right UV-protected sports memorabilia case for the job. BallQube cases will look great in your home, office, or athletic department display area. Visit the company’s Web site today to learn more.

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Cho-Pat800-221-1601www.cho-pat.com

Cho-Pat’s newest product, the Bicep/Triceps Cuff, affords protection from overuse injuries for individuals perform-ing repetitive lifting in activities such as weight training. The patent-pending device applies dynamic circumference pressure to the upper and lower portions of the bicep and triceps muscles, particularly at the tendon attachments. This action spreads out the stress and direct pull on the mus-cle attachments, which helps reduce the likelihood of developing bicipital and tricipital tendonitis or tendonosis.

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eFundraising.com866-235-9660www.efundraising.com

Jack Link’s beef snacks and jerky are perfect for your wild side of fundraising.

These tasty, savory snacks are top sellers at games, practices, and events. Earn up to 50-percent

fundraising profit with Jack Link’s beef snacks and jerky from eFundraising.

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Optimal Nutrition Systems800-817-9808www.onsperformance.com

ONS Performance’s Critical Reload™ is a great-tasting, quick-dissolving,

collegiate-compliant recovery shake designed to meet the nutritional needs

of athletes. Fortified with complex carbohy-drates and whey proteins, Critical Reload is a clear and effective choice for facilitat-ing muscle protein synthesis (growth

and recovery) while optimizing and replenishing glycogen (energy) stores. Contact ONS Performance today for dis-count team pricing and to learn more about the company’s entire line of col-legiate-compliant products.

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Stromgren Supports800-527-1988www.stromgren.com

For the latest in protective performance apparel, sports medicine supplies, and athletic equipment, check out Stromgren’s full-color 20-page catalog. It gives details on each prod-uct, telling you everything from available sizes to stock and custom color options. The catalog truly contains something for every athlete. Call today or go online to request your free copy.

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Cardinal Publishers Group800-296-0481www.SportsWorkout.com

The Ultimate Guide to Weight Training for Sports series, published by the con-ditioning specialists at SportsWorkout.

com, is among the most com-prehensive and up-to-date sport-specific training series in the world today. Each book contains descriptions and photo-graphs of more than 80 of the

most effective weight training, flexibil-ity, and abdominal exercises used by athletes worldwide. The books are well designed, easy to use, and committed to weight training.

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Make Strength Training and Flexibility Work More Effective with Bands“I have used Jump Stretch’s Flex Bands in each of my six years as Head Baseball Coach at Youngstown State University, and I have been very pleased

with how they’ve aided our strength training, flexibility, and injury recovery.

We use the Flex Bands every day, and I tell our players that their bands are their most important piece of equipment.

“We have had a number of pitchers make significant increases in their velocity, and I attribute much of it to the use of Flex Bands. We’ve had sev-eral pitchers drafted (including one cur-rent major leaguer), and that was not a regular occurrence before we started using the bands. Flex Bands have helped tremendously by increasing our players’ flexibility and arm strength.

“Decreased rehab time is probably the most significant effect of the bands. Sprained ankles that normally take three to four weeks to recover from now take only three to four days, thanks to Flex Bands and tractioning. And pulled mus-cles are pretty much a thing of the past.

“I feel Flex Bands are a must for any organization looking to maximize player performance.”

Mike FlorakHead Baseball Coach

Youngstown State University

Jump Stretch, Inc.1230 N. Meridian Rd.Youngstown, OH 44509800-344-3539Fax: 330-793-8719www.jumpstretch.com


Calling CardsHere is what these companies are most known for:

Fair-Play designs and manufactures quality scoreboards, message cen-ters, and accessories.

www.fair-play.com

Building equipment for football champions for 35 years.

www.rogersathletic.com

Manufacturer of athletic field sideline/concert covers and drainage material.

www.colbond-usa.com

Low-impact, pneumatic resistance equipment for the elite athlete.

www.keiser.com

An excellent strength-enhancing, power-producing conditioning tool.

www.thexvest.com

Affordable, time-saving coaching tools since 1995.

www.digitalscout.com

Dedicated to manufacturing grandstands and bleachers for more than 40 years.

www.edstands.com

Elite performance training equipment since 1970.

www.nautilus.com

Custom weight training equipment built for strength since 1976.

www.samsonequipment.com

Web News

Sample Leading Sports and Fitness Materials Before You BuyHuman Kinetics’ Web site has useful, authoritative sports and fitness books and DVDs that help improve the performance, health, understanding, and enjoyment of all those who use them—athletes, coaches, athletic trainers, and fitness enthu-siasts. This site is loaded with new and best-selling titles in every sport, and there are excerpts to read and DVD clips to view so you know exactly what you are purchasing. You’ll also find information on other Human Kinetics divisions, includ-ing the American Sport Education Program division and the HK Online Education Center. Visit the site to register for free e-mail newsletters and product promotions to stay on top of what’s new in your sport or area of expertise.www.humankinetics.com

Daktronics Scores Big on the WebThe Daktronics Web site offers a wealth of product information. Full-color images and technical specifications are available for electronic scoreboards, message centers, and video displays in the Products section. The Customer Solutions section has additional information on how Daktronics customers use their systems, along with more pictures. One of the most popular areas of the site is the Photo Gallery, which contains thou-sands of photos of installed scoreboards and displays. Visitors can search by product type or geographical location. The Latest News section offers news about projects going back several

years. Use the Contact Us link in the upper right-hand corner to request additional information from Daktronics.www.daktronics.com

Nevco Lets You Design Your Next Scoreboard OnlineA “Build Your Own” feature and an expanded selection of specifications are among the highlights of Nevco’s Web site. The “Build Your Own” area lets customers design their own scoring and display system. Select a scoreboard model and signs, change colors, and add a message center or video dis-play to your system. Product specifications list the features of each Nevco model. For architects, specifications in CSI format are also available. Installation prints can be downloaded for each model, including both wired and wireless applications.www.nevco.com

Need Quality Equipment? Check Out the Rogers Athletic SiteGo online to see why winning teams turn to Rogers Athletic. The company’s user-friendly Web site directs you to all types of training equipment—for offense, defense, youth players, and even strength training. Also, for a limited time, see how you can get a Lev Sled in a custom color. You can also request a free training DVD and a Rogers Athletic catalog at the site.www.rogersathletic.com

The BEAR

DominatorOver 200° rotation in the torque & turn exercise

For the past 20 years The Bear has become an established part of many professional, university and high school training programs throughout the U.S. It has proven to be the most effective tool ever designed for developing maximum power in the vertical jump for explosive performance in the athlete.

The Dominator develops all the major muscles in the upper and lower torsos including the connectors and stabilizers in the hip area. The Dominator Radiates Power from your feet up through your hands in one continuous line. In this explosive torque and turn

exercise your athletes will dominate on the field of play.

Patented

Patented

Box 329 Riverside, TX 773671 (800) 829-2928

www.powernetics.com

T H E F I E L D O F P L A Y

"I love the Bear machine. For it has played a very essential role in our strength program. It enables us to do things which would not have been possible with conventional methods. I see the Bear as the King of the lower body exercise and the finest tool for achieving explosive development on the market today

Mike Woicik, Strength CoachNew England Patriots

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