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CONTENTS Coaching ManagementTrack & Field EditionPostseason 2007

Vol. XV, No. 8

COACHING MANAGEMENT 1

COVER STORY

With a Splash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Every coach dreams of having a new track and field facility. To make that dream a reality, you need to understand how to research the options, fundraise, negotiate, and work with contractors.

YOUR CAREER

Tossing the Whistle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Ever think about making the jump from coaching to athletic administration? Here’s a look at the pros and cons, and how to stick the landing.

NUTRITION

Small Changes, Big Gains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27For many athletes, sweeping nutritional changes can be intimidating. But small, everyday strategies can also give them the energy boost they need.

ADVERTISERS DIRECTORY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

On the cover: The University of Wisconsin-Platteville opened its new track and field facility with a splash this spring. UWP Head Coach Jim Nickasch, plus five others, provide advice on how to make it happen, starting on page 14.

2 22

LOCKER ROOM Bulletin Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2NCAA Division I rules updates on out-door regionals, APR penalties, and text messaging in recruiting … Hosting an alumni reunion … New research on overtraining syndrome … Iowa adds the boys’ shuttle hurdle relay … From Harvard to Texas … Two high schools share one timing system.

Q&A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Lyndon George, Head Men’s and Women’s Track & Field Coach at City College of New York (CCNY), talks about the recent success of his NCAA Division III program.

TEAM EQUIPMENT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

TRACK FACILITIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

CONDITIONING PRODUCTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

MORE PRODUCTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

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COVER PHOTO: ANDREW MCNEILL/UW-PLATTEVILLE

Publisher Mark Goldberg

Editor-in-Chief Eleanor Frankel

Associate Editor Dennis Read

Assistant Editors R.J. Anderson, Kenny Berkowitz, Nate Dougherty, Abigail Funk, Greg Scholand, Laura Ulrich

Art Director Pamela Crawford

Photo Research Tobi Sznajderman

Business Manager Pennie Small

Special Projects Dave Wohlhueter

Marketing Director Sheryl Shaffer

Marketing/Sales Assistant Danielle Catalano

Circulation Director Dave Dubin

Circulation Manager John Callaghan

Production Director Don Andersen

Assistant Production Director Jim Harper

Production Assistant Jonni Campbell

Prepress Manager Miles Worthington

IT Manager Julian Cook

Administrative Assistant Sharon Barbell

Advertising Sales AssociatesDiedra Harkenrider(607) 257-6970, ext. 24

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The Coaching Management Track & Field edition is pub lished in January and September 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 pub lisher. Un -solicited materials will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped enve-lope. 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 Track & Field are provided by the Clell Wade Coaches Directory.

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Regionals, APR on NCAA RadarBeginning in 2009, there should be a little more bal-ance at NCAA Division I out-door regionals. The Division I Track and Field Committee has passed a proposal to cre-ate a more even distribution of competitors in each region by shifting 52 institutions from the crowded East and Mid-east regions into the Midwest and West, answering concerns that some events in those regions lack competitors. The proposal was reviewed by the Division I Championship/Com-petition Cabinet and will be up for discussion again at its Feb. 2008 meeting.

“This is a two-pronged effort to bring more equality to the regions,” says Sam Seemes, CEO of the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTF-CCCA), which drew up the ini-tial plan. “One goal is to have a similar number of schools competing in each regional meet, and the other is to level the playing field as reflected by the number of athletes in each event.”

In the 2006 regionals, for instance, there were five heats in the men’s 110-meter hurdles in the East region, but just three heats in the West. In the East, runners had to register times .20 seconds faster than their counterparts in the West to advance to the meet finals.

Seemes admits the realign-ment plan is not meant as a permanent solution to the inequity problem and sus-pects more sweeping changes could eventually come. “If there is future realignment, it may mean not only shifting teams but possibly eliminat-ing regions, adding regions, or maybe changing how athletes advance at regionals,” says Seemes.

“I’m not sure what the final answer will be, but I am sure

this issue needs to be add-ressed further,” he continues. “Although we would be taking a step forward, it certainly wouldn’t solve all the problems associated with fairness in competition at the regional meets—however, something needs to be done until more action can be taken.”

In other NCAA news, with Division I set to drop the squad-size adjustment for 2007-08 Academic Progress Rate (APR) reports, a number of Division I men’s and wom-en’s track and field teams are in danger of falling into the penalty range. Because the

APR is meant to track a four-year rate of academic measure for a given team, a squad-size adjustment was intended to compensate for a data set that only included three years. This season will mark the first time all four years of data are available and the squad-size adjustment will be eliminated for teams with data on at least 30 athletes.

Without the adjustment, the APRs of 153 track teams (48 men’s indoor, 54 men’s out-door, 26 women’s indoor, and 25 women’s outdoor) would have fallen below 925 in 2007, which next year could subject

2 COACHING MANAGEMENT

the teams to immediate penal-ties, including reduced scholar-ships. There are also 45 men’s and 20 women’s cross country teams which would have fallen below 925 in 2007 had it not been for the adjustment.

The USTFCCCA has appoint-ed a committee to study how the APR relates to track and field. According to Seemes, any sport with as many ath-letes as track and field will inevitably face more challeng-es when dealing with APR. “Among sports with larger rosters we’re in good shape, but the bottom line is that we have schools that need to improve,” Seemes says.

Because indoor and outdoor track and field are treated as separate sports under the APR, some coaches feel it doesn’t accurately reflect their teams. “As coaches, we’re offered one set of scholarships for the three sports, but there are basically three APR num-bers that come from those sports,” says Mike Maynard, Head Men’s and Women’s Track and Field and Cross County Coach at Boise State University. “If you offer schol-arships for all three sports together by gender, then the APR should be combined as well. That would be a more accurate representation of the actual roster you carry.”

The NCAA has also eliminated a bylaw that allowed student-athletes on teams barred from postseason competition because of low APR scores to participate in championships as individuals. The reasoning was that these athletes took away point-earning opportuni-ties from athletes representing teams that hadn’t been penal-ized.

Maynard, who also serves on the USTFCCCA’s NCAA Divi-sion I Track and Field Coaches Association and the NCAA Division I Men’s and Wom-en’s Track and Field Commit-tee, has long supported the idea of clearing competitions

The NCAA Division I Track and Field Committee hopes to make all four outdoor regional meets more equitable by moving 52 schools from the crowded East and Mideast regions into the less populated Midwest and West. Above, University of Miami thrower Khadija Talley warms up at the 2007 outdoor East regional.

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for only athletes represent-ing their teams. “Individual competitors displace scores and ultimately affect the team scoring race,” he says. “You either compete as part of a team or you don’t compete. I don’t like allowing athletes to

compete but not score team points, and possibly displace someone from the finals who is trying to help their team.”

Another NCAA rule change has coaches putting away their

Video conferencing, video phones, and messages on social-networking Web sites were also included in the ban. Representatives from the NCAA Student-Athlete Advi-sory Committee advocated for the rule, saying the text mes-sages can be intrusive, espe-cially with no limit on the num-ber of messages overzealous coaches could send to recruits.

The ban comes as a disappoint-ment to many coaches who now must use e-mail, phone calls, and letters to contact recruits. “I see track recruiting as less hardcore and more rela-tionship-based than some other sports,” Maynard says. “Text messaging allowed us to have a level of communication that is critical to maintaining relation-ships with our recruits. It’s a dis-appointment, but we’ll just have to do some more recruiting the old-fashioned way.”

Bringing Back AlumniToni McKee, Head Boys’ Track and Field Coach at Campbell County High School in Alex-andria, Ky., has never forgot-ten the sense of connection and camaraderie she felt as an athlete when she met the runners who’d gone before her at Northern Kentucky University’s track and field reunion. And when her current athletes started asking about the record holders on the plaques in the school hallways, it brought back memories for McKee, who ran with some of those record-holders when she competed for Campbell Coun-ty High School.

So McKee took it upon her-self to organize the school’s first track and field and cross country alumni reunion. “I

BlackBerry devices when try-ing to connect with recruits. The Division I Board of Direc-tors banned coaches from using text messaging to reach recruits beginning Aug. 1. After the ban was announced, enough schools submitted

override requests to force the board to revisit its decision. The rule was upheld at an August meeting, but it will now face a vote by the Division I membership at the NCAA con-vention in January.


In the East, runners had to register times .20 seconds faster than their counterparts in the West to advance to the meet finals ... “I’m not sure what the final answer will be, but I am sure this issue needs to be addressed further.”

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“I got in touch with some of the earlier coaches, and they were really interested in the idea of a reunion, so I asked them to help spread the word to people they were still in contact with,” says McKee, who also serves as Assis-tant Boys’ and Girls’ Cross Country Coach. “I posted an announcement on our dis-trict Web site, got a couple of articles into the local news-paper, made announcements at basketball games over the winter, and sent information home with my current runners because some of them have parents or aunts and uncles who ran at Campbell.”

The hard work paid off, as she got a lot of response for her efforts. Alumni—includ-

ing former head and assis-tant coaches—were invited to watch the current team at its biggest home meet of the sea-son in April, then join everyone afterward for an informal social gathering. “Groups came from the Lexington area and even West Virginia—it was neat when a bunch of friends would get together and show up as a group,” McKee says. “There was a pretty good-sized group from the early ’80s, and some of the women from the very first cross country team were there, too. Quite a few genera-tions were represented, includ-ing more recent graduates, which was really pretty cool.”

Alumni who couldn’t attend the reunion due to prior com-mitments promised they would mark their calendars for next year, and McKee heard only great reviews from alumni who did attend. “A lot of them suggested having an alumni meet following the high school meet next year, so we’re going to try that,” she says. “It may be only four or five events, but it would be really fun to bring them back in that way.”

Alumni weren’t the only ones who gained from the reunion either. McKee hopes the event produced some new volun-teers for home meets as well as sponsors and community members willing to help the squad when fundraising time rolls around. And best of all, her athletes were able to meet some of those whose names grace the hallway plaques.

“It’s been pretty neat to touch base with older coaches and runners, especially for the kids. Now as they break those records, they can put faces with names,” she says. “This event really helped to create a sense of history and pride for our athletes here. They now understand that they’re not just running for their school—they’re also running to keep something alive for the people who ran before them.”

Overtrained and UnderfedWhen athletes combine high physical and psychological stress with inadequate recov-ery periods, they’re at risk for an illness called Over-training Syndrome (OTS). Characterized by persistent fatigue, muscle soreness, poor recovery after workouts, and depression-like symptoms, OTS can wreak havoc on per-formance and overall health. To make matters worse, according to new research, its sufferers are likely to com-pound their problems by being undernourished.

In a study presented at the annual meeting of the Ameri-can College of Sports Medi-cine in May, researchers from the University of Pretoria in South Africa evaluated 33 ath-letes between the ages of 12 and 48. The subjects filled out detailed questionnaires about their nutritional intake each training day, time spent train-ing per week, and emotional state. In addition, each athlete received a clinical exam.

Based on this data, subjects were divided into two groups: OTS athletes and non-OTS ath-letes. Researchers found that, adjusted for body weight, the OTS athletes had significantly lower energy intake per hour of training, suggesting they were not fueling their bodies adequately to meet their high energy demands. OTS athletes came up short on both protein and carbohydrates.

Lead study author Dina Chris-tina Janse van Rensburg noted that the OTS athletes were more likely than the non-OTS athletes to skip recovery meals after physical activity. “Over-trained athletes … don’t take in enough calories, but they don’t lose weight,” she told Medscape Medical News. “Their bodies go into a sort of starvation mode.”

In track and field, where ath-letes go through cycles of

At Campbell County (Ky.) High School, athletes such as Lauren Brumley got to know alumni of the school’s track and field and cross country programs at a special reunion this past spring. The event was held after the Donnie Carnes Memorial Track Meet, where Brumley competed in the 4x200-meter relay.

thought a reunion would be a fun way to introduce some his-tory and tradition to the track and cross country programs at Campbell,” McKee says. “A lot of the time alumni aren’t very involved, especially at the high school level, because they don’t know how to be or they’ve lost contact with team-mates and coaches.”

Reconnecting with former athletes was the first step, and McKee admits it was the hardest part of planning the reunion. Locating alumni who had moved or changed their last names after marriage was especially challenging, but by using several different avenues, McKee was able to build a database of names and addresses.

intense, prolonged physi-cal activity at varying times throughout the training year, OTS—and its nutrition implications—should be on everyone’s radar. “During high-intensity training, track athletes really deplete their muscle glycogen stores, and if they’re not replacing what is lost through diet, their per-formance will definitely suf-fer,” says Monique Ryan, a pri-vate nutrition consultant and author of Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes.

How can you tell if an athlete is suffering from OTS? Ryan says the most visible sign is often poor recovery between workouts or practice sessions.

“If an athlete who normally has high energy levels sud-denly experiences a drop-off in energy during training, that’s a red flag,” she explains. “It doesn’t necessarily mean they have OTS—it could just be that they’re underfueled for that level of training—but it should definitely be cause for concern.”

As with most sports medi-cine topics, education is the key to keeping athletes safe. “Coaches can do a lot to help athletes understand why they should focus on nutrition dur-ing high-level training, and focus particularly on taking in enough carbohydrates,” Ryan says. “If an athlete is not

replacing the muscle glycogen they burn today, they won’t feel good or have enough energy to train tomorrow, and they could be putting them-selves at risk for overtraining syndrome. Carbohydrates are the best fuel source for active athletes, so they need to be taking in enough.”

Iowa Adds Boys’ Shuttle Hurdles For the first time since 1978, Iowa has added an event to its boys’ high school track and field meets. Last spring, the boys’ 4x110-meter shuttle hurdle relay joined the meet lineup on the recommenda-tion of the state’s Track and Field Coaches Advisory Com-mittee. The event received rave reviews in its inaugural season, says David Anderson, Assistant Executive Director of the Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA).

The race, which the state had been talking about add-ing since it did away with the pole vault 20 years ago, features four hurdlers on a team running the opposite direction from the preceding runner over 30-inch hurdles. “The thought process behind adding the shuttle hurdles is that because it takes four people to complete the relay, it offers more participation opportunities,” says Ander-son, a former high school track and field coach who adds that Iowa’s girls have been running the event for as long as he can remember.

“With 30-inch hurdles it’s more of a sprint race than a hurdles race, but it does require some hurdling tech-nique,” continues Anderson, noting the boys’ 110-meter high hurdle event uses 39-inch hurdles. “The IHSAA and the coaches advisory commit-tee are open to reconsidering a higher hurdle height for the boys’ event down road, but quite honestly, in our state, for a school to have four high hurdlers is unusual—even at some of the larger schools.”

Brian Rhoads, Head Track and Field Coach at West Valley High School in Des Moines, says lack of depth came into play at the state meet for sev-eral teams. “There were a few crashes in the boys’ heats, and I think that was because some of the smaller schools had trouble finding enough athletes who could actu-ally hurdle with good form,” Rhoads says. “Like many coaches around the state, early in the season we tried integrating sprinters into the shuttle hurdles. But it didn’t work—they just couldn’t get the form down. So we took our four best hurdlers and had them run all three hur-dling events, and we ended up being pretty successful with that approach.”

Rhoads says it’s only natural for a new event to have those

Athletes who push themselves too hard and don’t allow adequate time for recovery may suffer from Overtraining Syndrome (OTS), a serious condition characterized by chronic fatigue, muscle soreness, slow recovery, and depression-like symptoms. New research suggests that these athletes often make matters worse by being undernourished: A study has found that they don’t take in enough dietary fuel to compensate for their intense physical activity.

For more specific information on the carbohydrate needs of athletes, visit: www.drugfreesport.com/choices/nutrition/carbohydrate.html.

For more information on OTS, visit: www.physsportsmed.com/issues/2003/0603/hawley.htm.



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kinds of growing pains. “As the event is with us longer and longer, more kids will get into doing hurdles and we’ll be able to fill those spots without any problems,” he says. “It’s a great addition to high school track and field in Iowa, and I know that most coaches were pleasantly sur-prised by the quality of the event at the state meet.”

In addition to the positive reaction from athletes and coaches, Anderson says the event was also a hit among spectators. “Iowa has always had a love affair with the shuttle hurdle relay,” he says. “Whether it’s at the Drake Relays—where it’s one of the most popular races—or at the girls’ meets, our fans really like to watch the shuttle hur-dle relay. It was a good move on our part.”

This past spring, boys’ track and field teams in Iowa competed for the first time in the 4x110-meter shuttle hurdle relay. Some schools struggled to find four runners who could negotiate the 30-inch hurdles, but coaches say the event was a hit with athletes and spectators alike. Above, shuttle hurdlers compete at the 2007 Iowa High School Athletic Association Finals in May.

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After graduating from Harvard with a year of athletic eligibility left, triple-jumpers Samyr Laine (above) and Lawrence Adjah headed south to compete for the University of Texas as grad stu-dents in kinesiology. Now in law school at Georgetown, Laine hopes to compete for Haiti in the 2008 Olympic Games.

From Crimson to Burnt OrangeFor most college track and field athletes, an injury means a lost opportunity. But for Samyr Laine and Lawrence Adjah, two triple-jumpers who gradu-ated from Harvard University in 2006, it meant a new oppor-tunity. With a year of eligibility remaining after redshirting due to their injuries, the two friends traded their crimson unis for burnt orange last season and competed for the University of Texas as grad students.

Not surprisingly, making the move entailed lots of adjust-ments. Going from the non-

scholarship world of the Ivy League to the sports-crazed atmosphere in Austin, they experienced what many con-sider to be the two opposite ends of the NCAA Division I spectrum.

“It was a completely differ-ent environment,” says Adjah. “There’s such a spirit of enthu-siasm for athletics on campus and in the community at Tex-as, and everyone pays atten-tion to what the sports teams are doing. Harvard has some excellent programs, too, but there wasn’t the same sense of sports being a top priority out-side the athletic department. I never anticipated just how dif-ferent it would be.”

Sharing New TechnologyIn Coos Bay, Ore., Marshfield High School and nearby North Bend High School have such a longstanding rivalry, their contests have been dubbed “The Civil War.” But when it came time for both to replace their click-button meet timing method with state-of-the-art systems, the schools added a new wrinkle to their relation-ship—partners.

Last season, Head Coach of Marshfield’s Boys’ and Girls’ Track Fran Worthen began looking into a fully automated timing system that uses cam-eras and computers to time events and record finishes. She found one that uses a pole-mounted digital camera to take a series of photos at the finish line which if neces-sary can then be viewed on a computer to determine the race’s winner. But Worthen realized her school would come up short of the nearly $15,000 price tag.

At the same time, Head Coach of North Bend’s Boys’ and Girls’ Track Steve Greif was considering a fully automat-ed system of his own, and he arranged to have lunch with his longtime friend Worthen to discuss the equipment she had researched. During the meal, the two realized that in order to pay for two separate systems they would be ask-ing the same businesses and individuals to donate, which in their small community simply wouldn’t work. So they came up with a plan to buy one tim-ing system and split the cost.

Worthen already had an ini-tial $10,000 investment from the Prefontaine Memorial Run Committee—a local booster in honor of Marshfield graduate Steve Prefontaine—and anoth-er $1,000 from the school’s booster club. With about $4,000 left to raise, each school held fundraisers and Greif called on his school’s booster club to pay for its share. He

Laine agrees. “When I first arrived and they said we’d be meeting in the weight-room at 6:15 a.m., I could tell things were going to be dif-ferent,” he says. “You’re think-ing about your sport from the very moment you get up in the morning.

“At every practice and weight-room session, there was such a high level of intensity,” he continues. “The passion and drive of both the coaches and the athletes was a great moti-vator, with everyone push-ing each other and constant-ly thinking about winning a championship. At Harvard, I found I was often motivating myself from within.”

But that doesn’t mean Laine regrets his three years of com-peting for the Crimson. “On the flip side, I remember athletes from the larger schools who’d scoff and say, ‘What is someone from Harvard doing at the Penn Relays or the NCAA Champion-ships?’” he says. “The fact is, there are great athletes in the Ivy League. Now that I’ve been in both programs, I have no doubt about that.”

The two enjoyed some suc-cess at their new school, espe-cially Laine, who recorded one of the longest U.S. triple-jumps of the year in April—16.31 meters (53’ 6 ¼”). But with their eligibility now used up and with one-year kinesiol-ogy degrees from UT in hand, they’re looking forward to life after college athletics. Adjah was hired by a management consulting firm in New York City, and Laine started law school at Georgetown Univer-sity this fall (though he’ll con-tinue training on his own and hopes to compete for Haiti in the next Olympic games).

“It felt great to end my col-lege career on my own terms instead of having a fluke injury make the decision for me,” Laine says. “I now feel like I’ve had four full years to see what I could accomplish, and that means a lot.”



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says it was much easier to ask the boosters for a $1,000 investment knowing what the alternative could have been.

“I told them this was a whole lot better than me asking for $10,000 to buy our own sys-tem,” Greif says. “They really liked that we came together to share.”

As the season went on, so did the cooperation. Though each school purchased about $1,500 of its own computer software to operate the sys-tem, the coaches drove the mounted camera and other equipment four miles to the partner school after every home meet.

To save on the cost of learn-ing to use the system, Worthen and Greif asked other local coaches for help. “We knew we couldn’t come up with the extra money the com-

pany wanted for training, so we asked a coach who had experience with it,” Worthen says. “Tech people from both schools sat in on the training.”

Worthen says the key to mak-ing the situation work was burying the rivalry mindset and focusing on the relationships they had already established. “It was interesting, because the Pirates versus the Bulldogs has been a rivalry for the longest time,” Worthen says. “Normal-ly, we’re in the business of one-upping each other in sports, but for us, this wasn’t a large barrier to overcome.

“Track and field is such a cooperative sport, and all the coaches in our league have great relationships that come from knowing each other and going to clinics together,” she continues. “As a result, our collaboration was able to work out great.”

State-of-the-art timing systems are expensive, so Marshfield High School and North Bend High School in Oregon looked past their rivalry and pooled their resources. They purchased a system that’s better than either school would have been able to afford on its own.


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CM: What was your approach when you first took the job at CCNY? George: My first year was all about get-ting more talent into the program. After that, I tried to instill the attitude that we aren’t just trying to be one of the best teams in the conference, but one of the best in all of Division III. I want all of our men and women to aspire to be All-Americans. I know they won’t all get there, but I want them to think that way so that even if they fall short, we will get everything we can from them. It’s a mentality I want my athletes to embrace as they move forward through life after they’re finished here.

I really want the letters CCNY to be rec-ognized nationally and for people to talk about us. When I got here, we were basi-cally an afterthought. I wanted to change the culture and put our young people in a position where they could come from nowhere and get somewhere. I think that’s very empowering.

And it doesn’t just affect them, but also the people around them and the athletes who come after them. I coach people, not athletes. I believe that if I can instill that confidence from an athletic standpoint, it will transcend into their non-athletic lives.

What were the keys to your team’s fast ascension to elite status in Division III?That first year we were very lucky to have sprinter Mechelle Barnwell transfer in. She gave us immediate recognition by becoming an All-American. Then we got another, sprinter and jumper Alecia Watson, which was a major coup. She

They say if you can make it in New York City, you can make it anywhere. If that’s true, then for Lyndon

George, Head Men’s and Women’s Coach at City College of New York (CCNY), the world is his oyster.

In just three years in the Bronx, George has resurrected the NCAA Division III program and catapulted its teams to national prominence. The women’s team placed second at the 2007 NCAA Divi-sion III Indoor Championships and third at the 2007 Outdoor Championships,

claiming five individual national titles. The CCNY men had their share of success as well last year, capturing

the City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) indoor and outdoor team titles. For his efforts, George was named the 2007 CUNYAC Wom-en’s Coach of the Year for the indoor season and Men’s Coach of the Year for the outdoor season.

For George, who was born in the Caribbean and moved to New York City at age 16, the turnaround has been especially satisfying because it is his first head coaching job after spending three years as an assistant coach at Lehman College. In this interview, George talks about how his program’s success is building enthusiasm for athletics and student life at the school. He also discusses the chal-lenges of coaching at a city school with scarce resources and what it means to foster a “culture of success.”


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Q A& Lyndon GeorgeCity College of New York

Alecia Watson, the NCAA Division III Atlantic Region Women’s Track Athlete of the Year, helps CCNY’s 4x100-meter relay team win the 2007 CUNYAC Out-door Championship. Watson won the Division III triple jump title and finished second in the long jump.

had taken a year off after transferring from another school and when she got here our team just took off. We also had Jodyanne Raymond transfer in from the University of Iowa. Those three were on our national champion 4x100-meter relay team. We also brought in a number of very talented freshmen—I don’t think any-one saw us coming.

What are the secrets to your recruiting success?I sell the idea that you can attain any-thing, no matter where you come from or what school you compete for. I also sell CCNY’s wonderful academic tradi-tion. Many famous people in U.S. history, like Colin Powell, went to CCNY. New York itself is another great selling tool. I tell recruits that if you can succeed in New York, the whole country will know about you.

I don’t really have the budget to recruit outside the city, so my goal is to get every talented New York City athlete. I use word of mouth and I think our pro-gram now has a very good reputation, especially with high school coaches in the city. That’s my bread and butter. It’s not just about approaching the athletes, but also cultivating a relationship with coach-es. I let coaches and parents know that

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when an athlete makes the decision to come to CCNY, they’re going to get the same kind of care, warmth, and direction they got during their high school years.

We also look beyond high school ath-letes, because there are city kids who end up unhappy at a bigger school and want to come home. I always leave the door open for them to transfer to CCNY if they want to come back to New York. If an athlete decides to go to another school, we wish them good luck, but we also let them know that if they ever have second thoughts, we’ll be here for them.

How have you succeeded despite a limited budget?Through good planning and having a great coaching staff. My first year, nobody gave me anything—I was the proverbial chef, cook, and dish washer who had to do everything in the pro-gram. The second year, I was able to bring on board a couple of good volun-teer coaches who relieved me of having to do everything myself.

I also try to work closely with administra-tors. It’s a give and take process with a

lot of politics involved and you have to be willing to lose some battles to win the war. If you want to push your program forward, you need good allies—people who believe in you and what you’re doing—and you can’t be antagonistic and take things personally. Everyone has his or her own interests, and sometimes theirs are not going to agree with yours. Instead of getting peeved, you need to be able to step back and say, “How can I mesh my interests with those of the per-son who is pulling the strings?”

I think there is still much room for us to improve as a program and for us to move forward with a cohesive game plan for our entire athletics department. I think track and field has opened the eyes of the administration and shown them

that we can be a great way to attract students to the school. When we travel across the country, the name City College becomes familiar in places where it other-wise would not have been heard.

What do you look for in assistant and volunteer coaches?First and foremost, I want somebody who cares, because coaching is about caring. And since we’re constantly trying to get the most out of our athletes in a short amount of time while dealing with a lack of space and resources, we need coaches who are very smart and who have a can-do attitude. I want an assistant who can get it done, no matter the limitations.

What are your strategies for training with no indoor track on campus?The school invested in a high-speed treadmill and two other treadmills so we do a bit of our anaerobic threshold train-ing on those. We also do a lot of work in the weightroom and a lot of resistance training. We are a speed- and jump-based program because those events allow us to get more bang for our buck. However, despite not having an indoor track, we are starting to develop some distance runners.

How do you make all your athletes feel important, even if they aren’t scoring points?It’s not always easy, because sometimes we have an athlete who is trying their hardest but just isn’t placing at meets. At the same time, they’re reading news-paper articles about their teammates competing for national championships. As a coach, I reach out to that individ-ual and let him or her know it’s not all about going to nationals—sometimes it’s about getting your time down from 15 seconds to 13 seconds. And when they accomplish something like that in a meet, we celebrate it with them. We also have an intra-team Web site where we announce who ran a personal best and who is improving. In addition, our All-Americans do a very good job of


passing on congratulations to those ath-letes so they don’t feel left out.

What is your “culture of success?”Succeeding is leaving something better than you found it. I may not be the fast-est person in the world, but if I get bet-ter at what I do, I have succeeded. All of us have limitations and my limitations are not the same as yours. As a coach, I get each athlete to stretch and to grow. When I do that, I get a successful, stable person who brings a lot to our program in many ways, someone who has the confidence to succeed throughout life.

What do you like about coaching at the college level?I like that academics are really empha-sized in the Olympic sports. I think our student-athletes who are rewarded with academic All-American honors are real-izing, “I’m going to use the sport to get ahead, I’m not going to let the sport use me.” I also like the fact that the NCAA is going after the universities to put up or shut up about graduation rates.

What is your favorite thing about coaching in Division III?That it’s not all about athletics. When you get an athlete in Division III, you’re getting a student first. It’s the sport at its purest level, because it’s not about who’s going to be on television or in the newspaper. It’s kids who participate for the love of the sport.

When I get to the NCAA Champion-ships, I don’t see a difference talent-wise between our kids and Division I athletes. The only difference is the kids in Divi-sion I probably have more resources and advantages. Plenty of Olympians have come from Division III. I’ve coached Division III athletes and I’ve coached an Olympian, but I love the purity of this level.

What did you learn from coaching an Olympian?I learned that if somebody really believes and trusts in your vision, they can go very far. I think that Nabie Fofanah, a sprinter I coached at Lehman College and later when he represented Guinea at the 2004 Athens Olympics, had that kind of trust in me. After our second year, he was close to a world-class level. With him, I noticed how far a positive attitude and commit-ment can take you. I’ve seen people more talented than he is not go as far.

How has your program’s success affect-ed school spirit?Things are beginning to change around here. The student population is getting

“Sometimes we have an athlete who is trying their hardest but just isn’t placing at meets ... As a coach, I reach out to that individual and let him or her know it’s not all about going to nationals—sometimes it’s about getting your time down from 15 seconds to 13 seconds. And when they accomplish some-thing like that in a meet, we celebrate it with them.”

Q A&


more energized about athletics and more people are coming to our meets. You can see a difference in how people perceive athletics here now. I think student life has been enhanced because there is a certain amount of pride in our track and field program.

Where do you see yourself in five or 10 years?I would really like to try coaching at the world-class level at some point. My inner ambition is to work with the best in the world.

Does that mean you eventually want to coach in Division I?At some point, it might mean coaching in Division I. Or, it could mean going straight to the professional or Olympic level—whatever presents itself to me. I’ll forever leave my options open. As for

now, City College is my baby. I feel like I resurrected the program. But wherever life takes me, I will follow. Wherever I feel I can go to be the best I can be, I will go.

What legacy do you want to leave at CCNY?I want people to know that we were suc-cessful, not just on the track, but also in the classroom. It may look like this success came fast, but there was a lot

of hard work and good planning—that’s why we were so fierce when we got to the top. Three years ago, this was basi-cally an intramural program. Now, here

we are feeling good about the program and challenging for national champion-ships. It’s a feeling our men and women will take with them wherever they go in life, and one they will pass on to other people.

“I like that academics are really emphasized in the Olympic sports. I think our student-athletes who are rewarded with aca-demic All-American honors are realizing, ‘I’m going to use the sport to get ahead, I’m not going to let the sport use me.’”

Later this fall, Coaching Management will launch a new Web site, www.Coaching-Management.com, featuring archived articles, blogs, special editorial content, and a page of news links that’s updated daily. In the meantime, check out the Web sites of our two sister publications:

■ AthleticManagement.com—for athletic directors■ Training-Conditioning.com—for athletic trainers and other sports medicine professionals

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Circle No. 106

N THE FALL OF 2006, Brad Fairchild had an ongoing wish list of things to change about Eastern Michigan University’s indoor track and field facility. But with no imme-diate funding in sight, the EMU Head Men’s Coach didn’t expect his wishes would become reality any time soon.

Then, one morning last year, he stepped out of his office and into a huge puddle. Pipes that ran beneath the track had burst, turning the sur-face into a soggy, unusable mess. With less than two months to go

until his team came indoors to practice, Fairchild needed a quick solution. The process of tearing out the old track began immediately, and Fairchild went to work bringing his wish list to life.

While few people will have to face the same watery nightmare, there comes a point in most coaches’ careers when facility upgrades become a reality.

so you should regularly take stock of your facilities and think about what you would want to change.

“When the architects showed us the blueprints on their computer, we were able to sit down then and there and make alterations,” Fairchild continues. “When you know what you want, it’s amazing how architects can help you achieve your vision.”

At the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, Head Men’s and Women’s Coach Jim Nickasch learned a similar lesson when working on an upgrade of the school’s outdoor track last year. As his team traveled from meet to meet, he took notes on which facilities seemed to work and which didn’t, and also called on assistant coaches and athletes for their opinions.

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

Every coach dreams of having a new track and field facility. To make that dream a reality, you need to understand how to research the options, fundraise, negotiate, and work with contractors.

BY NATE DOUGHERTY

Understanding how to navigate the ter-rain of everything from sales pitches to construction schedules can help ensure the final product will benefit the pro-gram for years to come.

Always Be PreparedLooking back, Fairchild thinks the

burst pipes were a blessing in disguise. The team had needed a new surface, and with an insurance check to pay for the damages, he finally had the fund-ing he needed. But, had Fairchild not been thinking all along about the team’s needs, the situation could have become desperate. This leads to his first piece of advice: Plan ahead, even if you don’t see a project immediately on the horizon.

“It was a great help that our coaching staff knew what we would do to upgrade our facility if the opportunity arose,” says Fairchild. “You never know when a pipe will burst or a donor will walk in with$1 million for you to upgrade your track,

COVER STORY

WITH ASPLASH


University of Wisconsin-Platteville athletes vaulted, hurdled, ran, and threw at a new outdoor track complex this spring. Head Men’s and Women’s Coach Jim Nickasch researched surfaces and design features to make sure the facility project would be a success.

Photos by Andrew McNeill/UW-Platteville.

Do leave room for a caption, but we will wait to write it until after we have seen the final pho-tos you choose--so we’ll add this at 4th edit.

H

“As soon as I realized this project was going to take place, I really paid atten-tion to all the places we traveled to,” Nickasch says. “I also talked to some of our opposing coaches, and even asked my athletes which surfaces they thought were really fast. When you’re research-ing a project, don’t try to be the Lone Ranger—realize that you’ve got a lot of people who can help you along.”

Fairchild also advises taking time in the research phase. He knew cutting corners when evaluating surface options would ultimately hurt the athletes more than the chilly evening runs they would have to endure while waiting for the facility to re-open. So while he negotiat-ed to temporarily use the indoor track at the University of Michigan, he reviewed the surfaces he’d seen at other schools and thought about what he liked and disliked about each. Before a company came to give its pitch, he had already taken a detailed look at the benefits and drawbacks of its product.

COVER STORY

CREATIVE SOLUTIONS

Sometimes, although a new facility is desperately needed, the project simply doesn’t make it onto an administration’s list of priorities. At the University of New Mexico, Head Men’s and Women’s Coach Mark Henry encountered that scenario with his indoor track and field, and for

him, the solution was to look elsewhere for help. Henry turned his focus outside the university and found the assistance he needed in some nontraditional places.

“We had difficulties getting the administration to agree to upgrades, and we were using the same surface that was poured in 1986,” says Henry, who retired after the 2007 season. “I eventually went to the administration and told them, ‘I understand you can’t help me right now, but I’d like to go out on my own and raise money for the upgrades.’ That way, I knew I wouldn’t be step-ping on any toes.”

Instead of looking first to businesses for funds, Henry looked to lawmakers. “The coaching staff had some friends in the state legislature, and they got us $500,000 that we used to put in a new jumps area,” he says. “We had another good friend on the city council, and when we came across an opportunity to purchase a

track surface at a greatly reduced price, they helped us get the funding.”

State and local legislators can be an untapped resource for coaches, Henry says. “Don’t be afraid to ask them for help,” he explains. “Each one has quite a bit of money earmarked for local projects. Tell them a track facility won’t just benefit your team or your school, but the entire community because others will be able to use it also.”

Next, Henry turned to contacts he had made in the community for additional funding. “I started looking around town for people and organizations that wanted to help track and field,” he says. “Through various projects we’d developed quite a few construction and plumbing friends, and we asked if they could help. One of the companies moved our high jump and pole vault equipment from the old track to the indoor track, sav-ing us about $10,000.

“We really ended up with a facility that is a great asset to the community,” he continues. “We’re able to hold home meets there as well as a number of high school state meets and the Great Southwest Classic. The track has now become one of the best in the region.”


“When they come, each one will tell you their product is the best,” Fairchild says. “It will help if you are already famil-iar with their product. Start looking closely at surfaces at other colleges and high schools. Take into account what your main use will be and go from there. For example, our track is used for a lot of competitions, so it gets a lot of spike use. We asked each company how long its surface would last and how easy it is to repair, because we knew it would be seeing a lot of wear and tear.

“Also, don’t forget to ask what it takes for regular maintenance and cleaning,” Fairchild continues. “The surface we picked requires a different machine to clean it than the one we had, so that was an additional cost.”

In the end, Fairchild chose a surface that could endure the rigors of com-petition. Even though it took longer to install, he believes the time and money saved by not repainting and restriping every two years will be well worth it.

“Even though we were under the gun to get this done right away, we took our time,” Fairchild says. “We wanted a facility that would last a long time, because it will be a long time before we get another one.”

Taking the LeadDave Neubauer, Head Boys’ and Girls’

Coach at Ogden (Iowa) High School, also found his program in need of a facil-ity upgrade. But for him, there was no surprise check in the mail. After five years of discussion about replacing Ogden’s dilapidated track, Neubauer realized get-ting the upgrades his team needed would mean learning a new skill: fundraising.

“We had one of the original cinder tracks in our area, but as the years went by it passed its prime,” Neubauer says. “We found ourselves in a situation where we had nothing—hurdles that wouldn’t stand up on their own, a high jump pit with a gash across it, a track that couldn’t be used for three or four days after a rain.

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If your track could talk, what would it say? Our tracks would tell you that they‘re built for one thing: speed. But it’s not just

talk. Our results speak for themselves: 7 of the top 10 teams in the 2007 Division I NCAA Men’s Track & Field Championships trained on a

Beynon track. The fastest 100-meter time in Division I NCAA history took place on a Beynon track. And the world record in the 4x400, set at

the 1998 Goodwill Games, happened on, you guessed it, a Beynon. The world is listening to what Beynon tracks have to say, which is why

both the 2008 Olympic Trials and the 2010 Men’s Division I NCAA Championships will be run on them. So listen closely to a Beynon track,

and you might just hear something else—the sound of victory.

I’ve hosted 200 track meets,

witnessed 12 broken records,

and hold 4 division titles.

And I have no plans of slowing down.

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has a ton of ideas on how it should be done, but we can’t implement them all.”

Together, the group came up with a list of 50 potential givers in the commu-nity and developed a scripted outline of points to emphasize about the project when approaching prospective donors. “Our pitch included explaining that we were going to build this the right way,

not just construct something that would need to be replaced five years down the line,” Neubauer says. “Everyone we talked to really bought into the concept of a high quality, long-lasting product.”

Instead of setting monetary goals for each donor, the committee members focused on the big picture. They wanted


COVER STORY

We had talked about a facilities project, but the money just wasn’t there. The athletic director asked for a coach to take on the fundraising project and run with it, and I told him I would do it.”

The first step was to outline the proj-ect’s goals and come up with a strategy. “For the first three months, I mulled over what we wanted to do,” Neubauer says.

“At the time, we had one of the worst facilities in our area, so it was easy to con-vince our school board there was a need and they allotted more than $200,000 to get us started. But they couldn’t come up with the rest of the money, and there was no other single source we could turn to. My challenge was finding multiple sources of money.”

As a newcomer to the nuances of fundraising, Neubauer put together a group to help him. “The first thing I did was form a committee that included our athletic director, a retired super-intendent, a retired principal, and an elementary school secretary,” Neubauer says. “We chose them because they each brought specific strengths to the table.

“The principal and superintendent were very involved with the Iowa track scene, and the superintendent under-stood finance very well,” Neubauer continues. “The secretary got involved because she knows the community and could help get our message out through various means. We kept the group small because with a project like this, everyone

“PROJECT CONSULTANTS ARE GREAT, BUT A COACH NEEDS TO BE INVOLVED PERSONALLY ... DON’T ATTEND JUST ONE MEETING—ATTEND THEM ALL. GO TO EVERYTHING YOU POSSIBLY CAN, TAKE AN ACTIVE ROLE, BE PART OF THE PLANNING PROCESS, AND EVEN VOLUNTEER YOUR SERVICES IF YOU HAVE TO.”

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to generate a buzz that would echo throughout the entire community.

“In everything we did, it was impor-tant to deliver a positive message about the project,” Neubauer says. “We always emphasized that this would be good both for the student-athletes and the community. We pointed out that better facilities would mean more prospective homeowners in Ogden. Even if someone didn’t want to contribute, we asked them to help spread the word. That way they still became a part of creating a buzz.”

Those 50 leads helped open many more avenues to the group, as others came forward to help. Not only did many businesses end up volunteering funds, but some local contractors donat-ed in-kind services toward the track construction.

To gain further community support, Neubauer focused on keeping the money raised in the community instead of going with an out-of-town builder. “We asked local people to donate, so we knew we needed to go with someone from our community to build it,” he says. “We went

with a local track builder we were very familiar with. We knew he would build it the correct way, and it helped that our backers knew we were supporting the community through our work.”

In the end, Ogden was able to purchase an eight-lane track for $338,000, which is set to open for the 2008 season. Neubauer says although he started the process as a fundraising neophyte, the low-pressure approach and positive buzz around the project has turned him into a pro.

“I understand that most coaches are like me—not too experienced going around asking for money,” Neubauer says. “But getting over that initial reluc-tance was the biggest step. Once we started to see the first few checks come in, it was almost intoxicating.”

Getting InvolvedWhen Clemson University built a

77,000-square-foot indoor track facility in 2003, fundraising wasn’t Head Men’s Coach Bob Pollock’s challenge. Pollock’s goal was to ensure his voice was heard and his program’s needs were met.

The first thing he did was find out how much money was available for the project and what that money could buy. He wanted the school’s track to attract student-athletes from a wide area, so he asked for a 200-meter track with a roomy 73-foot radius to encourage fast performances, even though it meant sacrificing some seating space.

Once the project was greenlighted, Pollock went to work showing the admin-istration he was serious about staying involved. “Communication was the most important component,” Pollock says. “If you want the administration to listen to your input, you need to show them you plan to be involved every step of the way. I communicated with everyone from the president of the university on down through the athletic department administration.

“Project consultants are great, but a coach needs to be involved person-ally,” Pollock continues. “Don’t attend just one meeting—attend them all. Go to everything you possibly can, take an active role, be part of the planning pro-

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Circle No. 109


COVER STORY

cess, and even volunteer your services if you have to. If there is something you want, let it be known. If you’re not will-ing to put in the effort, chances are you won’t get what you want.”

As the project’s blueprints came in, Pollock pored over every detail, even find-ing a few flaws. When he pointed out that a balcony meant to house the race timing systems, announcers, and sports informa-tion staff would have an obscured view of the track, contractors changed the plans.

Even after designs were approved and construction began, Pollock’s work was far from over. “You might be tempted to sit back and assume things will be done right based on the blueprints, but you can’t assume anything,” he says. “A coach’s input can be critical with the details. For example, when we saw where our sand pits for the long and triple jumps were, we realized there was no hose nearby to wet them down when they

got dry. That may seem like a small thing, but we needed to have water to wet the pits, and we didn’t want to run a pipe underneath the track. We talked with the contractors, and they installed a faucet so we could run a hose from beneath the bleachers over to the pits.”

Every day during the building process, Pollock spent time with the contractors, trying to make them feel welcome in the athletic department. Because of those relationships, communication with the crew came much easier and any altera-tions were made immediately.

“We met regularly for updates, but I still spent every morning outside with the contractors, getting to know them as the building came up,” he says. “Contractors are human, and they’ll work harder once they get to know you and under-stand what you expect from the project. They were in the community for a num-ber of weeks working on the project, so I asked them to be my guests at an athletic event one Saturday afternoon.

“Getting to know those contractors was the best move I made,” continues Pollock. “If you go out of your way to

help them, they appreciate it. And when you need to ask for a change to be made, they’ll be much more receptive.”

Pollock offers one more piece of advice: Sometimes it’s best to be patient. “Had the money not been there, I would have had no problem telling the admin-istration I wanted to wait,” he says. “It’s important to educate administrators on the value of having a top-notch facil-ity. Instead of going into a half-hearted project, sometimes it’s best to wait a year or two until you have the funds to do the project right.”

Learning to NegotiateIt’s no secret that track and field isn’t

always at the front of the line when it comes time to dole out money. When the Fallbrook (Calif.) Union High School District approved a $2.4 million facility renovation this year, a number of track and field features were first on the chopping

block when budget constraints emerged. For the most part, it was a situation

that brothers Marty and Tim Hauck, Head Boys’ and Girls’ coaches, respec-tively, had to accept. But that didn’t stop them from picking their battles and fighting for what they could. They fig-ured out exactly what they needed and what they could live without.

“There had to be some give and take because the money was limited, and there were no other funds we could pull from,” Marty Hauck says. “We had to eliminate some items at the last minute, and we changed from a pour-on track surface to a spray-on surface that doesn’t have as long a life.

“That’s something we weren’t tre-mendously pleased with, but it was a matter of working out our priorities when it came time to make cuts,” he continues. “We agreed to eliminate a timing system, but we were able to con-vince administrators to put in conduits that will allow the system to be installed someday.”

Because the project had been in the works for a number of years, the

Haucks were able to conduct ongoing research into what equipment and track surfaces they liked best. “A couple of years ago, when this project was first getting started, we toured other facilities in the area and took notes on what we wanted to see in our own facility,” Marty Hauck says. “We talked to coaches about the strengths and weaknesses of their surfaces.”

When it came time to fight for fund-ing, their research paid off, as the coach-es were able to educate administrators on what they had learned. “The original plan was to put in the new field but keep a dirt track, and we let them know that would not only look horrible, but it would also ruin the field quickly because dirt would be dragged across it,” Marty Hauck says. “We had them call other schools to see that no one was upgrading fields without upgrading the track. We also told them that if they were going

to do all the prep work for the project anyway, it would be cheaper to do the track and field at the same time rather than later, when there would be a lot of redundancy in the prep work.”

The coaches were able to convince administrators to scrap plans for the dirt track, but knew if they were going to win any future battles, they would need big-ger allies. Negotiating effectively meant understanding the personalities involved in the decision-making process and find-ing those who would be sympathetic to their sport.

“One of our school board members coached track for 20 years,” Tim Hauck says. “With the decisions the board had to make regarding the project, he was invaluable to us at meetings.

“Before going into the negotiation process, you should know where the decision-making lies and foster relation-ships with those people,” he continues. “The bottom line is that you have to strike a balance between holding out for your must-have items and being flexible enough so the project can move forward to completion.” ■

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Circle No. 110

RECENTLY, ONE OF MY COACHES ASKED ME FOR ADVICE ON HOW TO BECOME AN ATH-LETIC 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 coach-

ing 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 fan-tastic 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 administration is no exception. For me, the best part of the job is that I can have an impact on a greater number of kids. You are not in charge of just one team, but the entire athletic program. By hiring coaches, guiding the program’s philosophy, form-

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 pros and cons, and how to stick the landing.

BY DR. DAVID HOCH

YOUR CAREER

TOSSING THE WHISTLE22 COACHING MANAGEMENT

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ing sportsmanship programs, 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 coach-ing, except my charges are a little older. And if I do a good job, I can influence these young coaches’ philosophies and help them get started on the right track. I definitely feel that I’m having 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 coaching, 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 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 athlete who breaks a code of conduct, or a disagreement among your players, you’ve developed some skill in resolving conflict and com-municating 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 experience 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 working 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 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

The next step is to get more concrete experi-ence in administration and to start learning the areas you don’t have experience in ... 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.

YOUR CAREER



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.

learn by doing. If a formal internship 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 admin-istrative 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 unre-solved? 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 leader-ship roles you’ve taken on and related skills you’ve developed. And do men-tion 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 everyone 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:

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

If you get an interview, be prepared for some specific and pointed questions ... Because ath-letics is the most visible aspect of education (and everyone has an opinion on coaching tac-tics), upper-level administrators need a leader who can handle the heat.


YOUR CAREER

■ What will you bring to the position? Here’s where you can expand upon your leadership skills and ancillary experi-ences. 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 perspec-tive. As a coach, it’s natural to have a very narrow view, because you are focused totally on your team or sport. As an ath-letic director, you will need to see the big picture. This means understanding and seeing that all sports are treated fairly with respect to facilities, financing, equip-ment, and public support. All sports are

vital and integral to an athletic program and school, and none should be con-sidered more important than any other. It’s critical that you communicate 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 make 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 pros-pect of stepping into an athletic admin-istrative 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 sports-manship 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. ■

Another great way to start your administrative career is by logging on to the most frequently updated Web site for athletic administrators: www.AthleticManagement.com.

Circle No. 112

Untitled-2 1 8/14/07 11:22:12 AM

THLETES SHOW UP IN my office every day seek-ing strategies for increas-ing their energy levels.

They tell me they feel sluggish at prac-tice, yawn through their classes, and nap every chance they get. It’s no wonder that energy is at such a premium—stu-dent-athletes not only have rigorous training and competition schedules, but also squeeze in classes, work, rehab, study hall, volunteer activities, and fun. Days start early, end late, and include very little down time.

Michelle Rockwell, RD, is a nutrition consultant for several sports teams and individual ath-letes ranging from youth to professional, and is the former Coordinator of Sports Nutrition at the University of Florida. She recently co-launched RK Team Nutrition, at: www.rkteamnutrition.net, and can be reached at: [email protected].

A BY MICHELLE ROCKWELL

NUTRITION


For many athletes, sweeping nutritional changes can be

intimidating. But small, everyday strategies can also give them the energy boost

they need.

So what do I tell them? After a nutri-tional evaluation to rule out any signifi-cant nutrition or hydration problems, and with the team physician’s okay that no major medical or psychological needs exist, I go straight to work on the little stuff.

Why not make big changes right away? Two reasons. First of all, asking an athlete to make a major diet overhaul creates resistance. Individuals are very attached to the foods they like and are used to eating. Working within athletes’ preferences and typical eating habits

makes them more likely to comply with the changes I suggest.

Second, athletes commonly tell me they don’t have time to eat well, making big changes unrealistic. When athletes see that the changes I’m suggesting are

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quick and easy, they are much more will-ing to give them a try.

Below are eight simple energy-enhanc-ing strategies that can easily be incorpo-rated into almost any athlete’s diet. Time and time again, athletes who have con-sistently followed these strategies report back to me delighted that they truly have more energy for training, performance, and life.

Start RightWhen I ask a group of young athletes

to raise their hands if they ate breakfast that day, usually less than half of the hands go up. For some reason, consis-tently fitting breakfast into their morning routine is a real challenge for athletes. Since eating breakfast is known to jump start metabolism, fuel morning workouts, and enhance energy levels throughout the day, we need to find realistic and attractive ways to get that toast toasting.

Athletes say they can’t eat breakfast because they don’t want to wake up any earlier, but a healthy breakfast doesn’t have to take a long time to prepare.

Elaborate breakfasts like pancakes, omelets, and fresh-squeezed orange juice are unnecessary. (Save them for week-ends!) In fact, breakfast doesn’t even need to be “breakfast” foods at all. Trail mix and 100 percent fruit juice, a pea-nut butter and jelly sandwich on wheat bread with low-fat milk, or even leftover spaghetti and meatballs can be excellent options, and these take less than five min-utes to prepare. I’ve had teams compete in peanut butter and jelly-making relay races to show just how quickly a good breakfast can be prepared.

Cereal can be another quick, energiz-ing breakfast. However, it’s easy to make poor choices in the cereal aisle. Sugary, low-fiber cereals are extremely popular, but they are the nutritional equivalent of a king size candy bar in terms of sugar

and fat content (and have little likeli-hood of being energizing). Fortunately, whole grain, fortified, high-fiber cereals are becoming tastier and more widely available all the time.

Whatever foods the athlete chooses, the most important guidelines are to eat breakfast within an hour of waking up, include a little protein such as lean meats, eggs, nuts, or low-fat dairy, and include some healthful carbohydrates.

Athletes who work out first thing in the morning face the added challenge of not wanting to exercise on a full stom-ach, but it’s still important for them to eat breakfast. They should aim for a min-imum of 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrate. For ease of digestion, plain, non-acidic foods like bagels, oatmeal, and graham crackers often work well. An alternative is to “drink your breakfast,” using fruit juice or a sports drink to get the recom-mended 30 to 60 grams of carbs.

Simple strategies for athletes:■ Pre-pour a bowl of whole grain cereal

into a sealed container in the evening

and leave it on the kitchen table for the next morning.

■ Stock your backpack, car, or coat pocket with trail mix, energy bars, and/or dry cereal for breakfast on the run.

■ Make breakfasts on the weekends to eat during the week. For example, make large meat/cheese/veggie subs and eat a portion each morn-ing, hard-boil several eggs and keep them in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, or keep pre-mixed pan-cake batter in a pitcher in the fridge and toss a serving into a skillet each morning.

Eat FrequentlyMany athletes eat insufficient amounts

of food during the daytime due to time

constraints, which leaves them making up for lost calories in the evenings. In terms of energy provision, this is not ideal because most athletes train in the morn-ing or afternoon. I tell my athletes that this strategy is like leaving home for an eight-hour road trip in the morning and then finally getting around to gassing up the car at 9 p.m.—it doesn’t work!

In addition, eating small to moder-ate-sized meals and snacks throughout the day (rather than two or three large meals) improves energy levels, particu-larly for active individuals. I tell athletes that they need to fuel their bodies when they need it the most throughout the day and forget the adage to eat “three square meals.”

Simple strategies for athletes:■ Set the countdown function on your

watch to beep every three hours dur-ing the day. This can be your remind-er to fuel up!

■ Use your daily planner or palm pilot to plot eating times into your daily routine. Pre-planning helps make regular eating a priority and a habit.

■ Keep “emergency” snacks in your back-pack, purse, or locker. These should be nutritional choices that appeal to you enough to eat them when you don’t have time for something else, but nothing so tempting that you’ll munch on it just because it’s there. For one athlete I recently worked with, apples, fig newtons, and beef jerky fit this description perfectly.

Switch to Whole GrainsImproving the nutritional quality of

the carbohydrates athletes eat can lead to a more consistent level of energy and increase the consumption of vitamins and minerals associated with energy produc-tion. The latest “Dietary Guidelines for Americans” recommends that individuals consume three or more servings of whole grain foods each day, and it could be argued that athletes require even more since their overall carbohydrate needs are typically higher. To add whole grains to their diets, I advise my athletes to make easy switches in the foods they consume regularly.

Simple strategies for athletes:■ Snack on whole grain cereals or pop-

corn instead of pretzels, chips, and candy.

NUTRITION


Eating small to moderate-sized meals and snacks throughout the day (rather than two or three large meals) improves energy levels, particularly for active individuals. I tell athletes that they need to fuel their bodies throughout the day and forget the adage to eat “three square meals.”


NUTRITION

■ Switch from grits or cream of wheat to instant oatmeal packets (which are whole grain). Even better than the pre-sweetened packets would be plain oatmeal with fresh fruit, raisins, or fruit yogurt.

■ Routinely purchase whole wheat bread, English muffins, bagels, and pasta instead of traditional varieties.

■ Select brown rice or wild rice (instant is fine) over white rice.

■ Add popcorn to your diet. Of course, leaving the butter in the movie theater is recommended. Air-popping or micro-waveable varieties are fantastic options.

Lower Dietary Fat ConsumptionEating foods high in fat sometimes is

not problematic for the energy-seeking athlete. In fact, occasional consumption should be encouraged, since high levels of fat in foods are often associated with high levels of taste. Foods that are con-sumed habitually, however, can often be replaced with lower-fat versions.

Small changes in fat content can go a long way in improving the energy poten-

tial of the athlete’s diet. This is because fatty foods are digested slowly and can cause a feeling of sluggishness. Also, athletes who are eating too much fat are rarely eating adequate carbohydrates, which are the primary source of energy.

Getting athletes to try reduced-fat and low-fat versions of their favorite foods

is a good starting point. I enjoy hosting taste tests where athletes try the same foods with varying fat content (examples include yogurt, milk, cheese, ground beef, cream cheese, salad dressing, and mayonnaise). They are often shocked to learn that they either can’t tell the differ-ence between regular and fat-modified

products, or that they actually prefer the lower-fat versions!

Remember, though, it is important to verify that a reduced-fat product is actu-ally nutritionally superior to the regular version. Sometimes food manufacturers replace fat with sugar or artificial sweet-eners that are in fact less nutritious.

It’s also beneficial to offer athletes lower-fat alternatives to high-fat foods they routinely eat. For example, a run-ner I worked with whose typical break-fast included a sausage, egg and cheese croissant sandwich, hashbrowns, and whole chocolate milk was consuming 72 grams of fat daily before 8 a.m.! Her

It is important to verify that a reduced-fat product is actually nutritionally superior to the regular version. Sometimes food manufacturers replace fat with sugar or artificial sweeteners that are in fact less nutritious.

Circle No. 113

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in the post-exercise period that they need to take advantage of. Research has shown that muscles are especially good at taking up carbohydrates mixed with a little protein during this time. Stocking up on energy after today’s workout can be a great way of preparing for tomor-row’s workouts. And when athletes have multiple practices or competitive events in the same day, refueling after the first session is highly beneficial for pro-moting optimal energy for subsequent workouts.

The three key ingredients of a good post-exercise refueling snack are fluid, carbohydrates, and a little pro-tein. Good examples include a bagel sandwich and fruit juice, yogurt and a banana, or some trail mix and a sports drink. Many athletes find sports recov-ery beverages and bars convenient and useful after workouts.

Simple strategies for athletes:■ Keep a week’s worth of refueling

snacks in your locker or sports bag for after practice.


NUTRITION

energy level throughout the morning and during her early-afternoon run was improved by switching to a bagel, egg, and cheese sandwich, cantaloupe, and skim milk (20 grams of fat).Simple strategies for athletes:■ Think low fat when it comes to condi-

ments. Purchase reduced-fat salad dressings, sour cream, cream cheese, and mayonnaise.

■ If you use butter or margarine regu-larly, switch to whipped butter over regular butter (for less fat) or lower-fat/trans fat-free margarine.

■ Cut fried foods out of your daily rou-tine. Anything deep-fried contains a lot of fat.

Work Out With Sports DrinksMany athletes benefit from replacing

water with a sports drink during train-ing. Research has repeatedly shown that carbohydrate ingestion during intense exercise in addition to good hydration status enhances performance. Sports drinks can help delay energy deficits or “hitting the wall” during exercise.

Many athletes tell me they can’t tol-erate any fluids at all during training, let alone sports drinks. My best tip is to teach them to “train their tummies.” I have them start by drinking a very small amount of sports drink (even just a sip) every 15 minutes during exercise and gradually increase over time to gulps and then to at least eight ounces every 15 minutes.

Simple strategies for athletes:■ Make sure cold sports drinks are read-

ily accessible at regular intervals dur-ing training.

■ Keep individual servings of powdered sports drink and an empty bottle in your sports bag to mix with cold water provided at practice.

■ Freeze a bottle of sports drink over-night and take it with you to hot outside workouts. By the time you’re ready for it, it should be thawed out.

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Circle No. 114 Circle No. 115


■ Borrow a shelf in the athletic training room refrigerator for the sole purpose of recovery nutrition. Stock it with chocolate milk, string cheese, fruit, and bagels.

■ Divide and conquer recovery nutri-tion with teammates. Assign each day to a different athlete. On that day, the athlete is responsible for provid-ing teammates with nutritious refuel-ing foods and beverages.

Include Enough IronIron is a mineral involved in the for-

mation of hemoglobin and myoglobin, two proteins that help supply oxygen to cells. Iron deficiency is common among some types of athletes, primarily due to rigorous workouts and dietary iron defi-ciency. Iron deficiency and iron-deficien-cy anemia are associated with low energy levels, decreased exercise tolerance, and an increased risk of infection.

When I was the Coordinator of Sports Nutrition at the University of Florida, we screened our athletes’ blood iron levels. In 2004, over 40 percent of our

freshman female athletes had serum fer-ritin (iron store) levels lower than our goal, and about 15 percent had iron-defi-ciency anemia. I have observed dramatic increases in athletes’ energy when they utilize dietary strategies for enhancing iron stores.

Good dietary sources of iron include beef, poultry, fish, beans, whole grains

or fortified cereals, nuts, and green leafy veggies. Athletes should routinely incorporate at least three or four serv-ings of high iron foods into their diets each day. A multi-vitamin containing

the Recommended Daily Allowance for iron can be good insurance that needs are met. However, athletes should not supplement with iron tablets unless spe-cifically screened for iron deficiency.

Simple strategies for athletes:■ Eat beef three times each week. Beef

is one of the best sources of iron

since it is well absorbed by the body.■ Purchase cereals fortified with iron at a

level of at least 40 percent of the Daily Value (check the nutrition label). Eat this for breakfasts and snacks.

NUTRITION

Athletes have an important window of opportu-nity to replenish energy stores in the post-exer-cise period that they need to take advantage of. Research has shown that muscles are especially good at taking up carbohydrates mixed with a little protein during this time.

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NUTRITION

■ Routinely drink orange juice with breakfast. The vitamin C in the juice will help the body absorb iron from whole grains and cereals.

Avoid “Energy” SupplementationMany supplements that contain caffeine or herbal stimulants promote their abil-

ity to enhance energy levels. These range from tablets to bars to shakes to sweetened beverages. It’s important to realize these supplements do not actually increase energy—they increase perceived energy and stimulation. Athletes should strive for optimal energy levels by eating appropri-ate carbohydrates at appropriate times.

What’s the harm in supplemental stimulation? Some dietary supplements contain unsafe levels of stimulants. Even though permitted by the FDA, these stim-ulants can cause significant side effects, including gastrointestinal problems and cardiovascular issues. Supplements con-taining lower levels of caffeine may not

be nearly as harmful, but depending on them on a regular basis is strongly discouraged.

Simple strategies for athletes:■ Give yourself a curfew. Go to bed by

that time every night and aim for seven or more hours of sleep. This

will decrease the likelihood that you feel the need for energy supplements.

■ Be sure you are taking in carbohy drates routinely every three hours through-out the day. This is the true source of energy for exercising muscles.

■ Reserve caffeinated energy drinks for very special and extenuating situa-tions when you really need them.

Taking baby steps to make small nutri-tional changes one day at a time can add up to a huge impact on energy, perfor-mance, and health. When athletes eat energizing food on a regular basis, spe-cial eating occasions and well-deserved nutritional breaks are negligible. Advise your athletes to slowly make small chang-es, and those changes will translate into that extra burst of energy so many of them crave. ■

A version of this article previously appeared in Training & Conditioning, a sister pub-lication of Coaching Management. More articles from T&C can be found at:www.Training-Conditioning.com.

Energy supplements do not actually increase energy—they increase perceived energy and stimulation. Athletes should strive for optimal energy levels by eating appropriate carbohy-drates at appropriate times.

ATHLETIC RECORD BOARDS“Strive For Athletic Achievement”

What a great way for motivating yourTrack & Field athletes!

Austin Plastics & Supply, Inc.2415 A Kramer Lane, Austin, TX 78758

(800)290-1025 email: [email protected]: www.athleticrecordboards.com

45” x 80”board shown

$1125.00 withengraved recordsor $895.00 using our perforated

card stock

Record Boards available for all

sports

Custom boardsavailable

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Team Equipment

Boathouse Sports800-875-1883www.boathouse.com

Boathouse Sports offers track and field uniforms made with Tech-Mesh moisture-transferring fabric for extra

comfort. They allow full range of motion

and feature double-needle cover stitch-ing to ensure durability. Three subli-mated logo placements are included in the price. Visit Boathouse’s Web site to see men’s and women’s uniforms, training gear and accessories, jackets, track pants, and more.

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JumpStart Athletics877-437-3885www.jumpstartathletics.com

The JSA Polanik Revert Hurdle is a declining hurdle designed for training children. It features telescopic aluminum tubes con-nected by a crossbar that’s cov-ered with a protective soft lining instead of the traditional top board. After a young athlete strikes the crossbar, a special mechanism makes the hurdle decline and then return to the upright position. The feet are made of a solid, flat steel bar that helps ensure stability.

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M-F Athletic Co.800-556-7464 www.mfathletic.com

M-F Athletic’s professional, heavy-duty tents are not sold in stores and are featured in M-F’s Everything Track &

Field cata-log. Shown is a deluxe E-Z Up shel-ter that will protect your team from the weather and with-

stand the rigors of many tough track and cross country seasons. Choose steel or aluminum framing fitted with

a heavy-duty fabric that’s available in many colors and can be customized with your school logo (optional). Go online or call today for more informa-tion and to request a catalog.

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Marathon Printing, Inc.800-255-4120www.marathononline.com

Marathon Printing specializes in num-bers for all kinds of athletic events. The company’s goal is to provide on-time

delivery of the highest-qual-ity custom and stock bibs available. Marathon prints all numbers in-house, giving

the company total control for easy customization of your bibs. If you need references, just contact Marathon. The company supplies numbers for some of the largest and most popular competi-tions in the world, and would be glad to talk with you about your event.

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Omni-Lite Industries, Inc.800-577-6664www.omni-lite.com/usage.php

Omni-Lite’s lightweight spikes are designed to compress on synthetic tracks, returning energy to the runner

and minimizing damage to the track. The threads on the spikes are compatible with all major brands of track shoes, and extended-length threads are available for use with sprint crowns. Omni-Lite’s spikes are made of ceramic, so they will never rust. They’re available in sev-eral different styles, including Pyramid, Christmas Tree, Needle, and Blank. Omni-Lite has the right spike for every track event.

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Omni-Lite’s ceramic spikes are one-third the weight of steel, and they’re designed to compress on the track

to allow for maximum performance. The Pyramid spikes are recommended for middle- to long-distance

events. The spikes are available in five lengths: 1/8”, 3/16”, 1/4”, 3/8”, and 1/2”, and seven colors: black, silver, fast blue, Olympic green, violet, fast red, and Olympic gold.

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On Track800-697-2999www.ontrackandfield.com

On Track high jump and pole vault standards feature lightweight anod-ized aluminum uprights equipped with polymer measurement scales that resist peeling and tearing. Unique on-off riser clamps make height adjustment certain and secure at all heights—no more slipping because of loose screw-downs. The steel riser tubes and offsets are electroplated with zinc for durability. The pole vault standard slides along heavy steel rail units for unsurpassed stability.

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On Track Fast Lane high school hurdles are the original truly stackable rocker-type hurdles. Constructed with a double-tube steel base and heli-arc welded for superior strength and durability, they ship completely assembled and ready to

use. There is no rear cross-bar to intimi-date young hurdlers, and button latches quickly adjust to five heights. Upright tubes

are available in most school colors, and there is no extra charge for selecting your school color.

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Team Equipment

and loop” straps over the laces for added support, and a leather-reinforced

flat rubber sole. It also has a reinforced heel cup. This shoe is available in sizes six through 15, and team pricing is

available. Visit the VS Athletics Web site for all your training needs.

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Worldwide Sport Supply800-756-7576www.wwsport.com

Worldwide Sport Supply carries a huge selection of ASICS brand shoes and apparel. The affordable ASICS Gel-1120 is a staple in the company’s running shoe collection. This sturdy running shoe is known for its light-weight support and optimal fit. It is loaded with ASICS technology, including Gel® cushioning, the Trusstic System®, and a SpEVA® midsole to enhance stability, comfort, and durabil-ity. Call for pricing to take advantage of a great team offer.

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The ASICS Chico Duffle is a compact gear bag that’s perfect for workouts,

short jour-neys, and long bus rides. This stylish bag is built to last with high-count polyester fab-ric and offers

a ton of room for your team name or logo. Worldwide Sports Supply’s in-house custom screen-printing and embroidery makes this an easy team choice. It’s available in seven different colors.

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Lane Gainer800-443-8946www.lanegainer.com

Lane Gainer offers Gorilla™ agility hurdles. Convenience is the primary feature of these highly visible orange hurdles. They can be stacked and car-ried “briefcase style,” and they’re easy to store. The hurdles have a synthetic edge, making them ideal for indoor or

outdoor use, and the collapsible design makes them safe for any athlete. Gorilla hurdles are very affordable, and are available in three sizes: three inches, six inch-

es, and 12 inches. A carrying tote bag is also available. The three-inch hurdles cost just $8.

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Beacon Athletics800-747-5985www.beaconathletics.com

The Smart-Cart training system is another great new product from Beacon Athletics. The core of the Smart-Cart system is a diverse selection of qual-ity training products organized onto a single cart that solves issues of storage and trans-port. The Smart-Cart contains enough equipment--and the right kinds of equip-ment--to put 50 athletes through a tough training session in less than an hour. Whether you’re training the pros, working with high school athletes, or rehabilitating injuries, the Smart-Cart system is for you.

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

“Don’t Ice that Ankle Sprain!” by Jump Stretch founder Dick Hartzell and Dr. Michael Shimmel will introduce you to the FlexBand Ankle & Strengthening

Traction Technique, which is designed to reduce pain and swelling and to speed recovery time from ankle injuries. You will never deal with a sprain the same way again. The book is 85 pages long, includes a companion DVD, and

covers horizontal traction, vertical trac-tion, deferred pain, and more. It also includes testimonials from athletes and healthcare professionals.

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VS Athletics800-676-7463www.vsathletics.com

According to Rich Benoy, a former nation-ally ranked 110-meter hurdler who’s now the VS Athletics Product Line Manager, the Springco Rocker High School Hurdle is perfect for both training and meet

use at the high school level. This balanced hurdle features a welded one-piece steel base with no “shin banger” front bar. It has

permanent weights for a legal pullover weight at all high school heights, and it’s easy to adjust to all five hurdle heights with a unique button latch design. This L-shaped hurdle is stackable.

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Safety plus stability equals increased performance: That’s the weightlifting equation to make your athletes stronger with the VS Athletics Weightlifting Shoe. This affordable shoe features two “hook


Track Facilities

Beynon Sports Surfaces888-240-3670www.beynonsports.com

Designed for a specialized and unique feel underfoot, the BSS 1000 with Beynon’s Encapsulated Texture is an optimum training and competing surface. Its bio-engineered force-reduction layer integrates very fine SBR rubber with environmentally friendly polyurethane to

create an imperme-able shock-absorbing cushion. The BSS 1000 can be cus-

tomized to match the specific needs of coaches and athletes. Beynon Sports Surfaces is a manufacturer, designer, and installer of premium poured-in-place polyurethane athletic surfacing.

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Give your team the ultimate edge with the state-of-the-art BSS 2000 track sys-tem from Beynon Sports Surfaces. It’s

designed and manufactured for optimal competitive performance. Grounded by a bio-engineered force-reduction layer of butyl rubber and full-depth color poly-urethane, the BSS 2000 provides the resilient response and maximum energy return your athletes need to shatter records. Each system is finished with a customized surface engineered to meet the intense demands of competition. EPDM granules—embedded or encapsu-lated, your choice—are mixed through-out the depth of the wear layer for better traction and total control. Certified by the IAAF and backed by an outstanding 10-year warranty, the BSS 2000 is tough enough to handle whatever weather comes its way.

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FieldTurf Tarkett800-724-2969www.fieldturftarkett.com

Le Monde is a revolutionary new track surface from FieldTurf Tarkett.

Countless hours of research and development have resulted in a product

that’s designed for speed while provid-ing maximum comfort to the athlete. Le Monde’s aggressively textured top layer results in outstanding traction, while the base layer provides the perfect amount of shock absorption. The pat-ent-pending seam construction protects against splitting and heaving. The IAAF-approved Le Monde is fully backed by a third-party-insured five-year warranty.

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FieldTurf Tarkett offers a complete line of high-quality poured-in-place Resisport track systems. From the very affordable

BMSS to the world-class FP, these IAAF-approved systems are designed for maximum performance

and durability. Whether you’ve got a local community jogging track, a high school facility, or a world-class stadium, you will find a surface perfectly suited to your venue’s intended use. The Resisport line is fully protected by a third-party-insured five-year warranty.

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Mondo800-361-3747www.mondousa.com

The Super X Performance surface is driven by science. Mondo’s biomechani-cal design provides a running track that delivers competi-tion-caliber perfor-mance. Extensive research and devel-opment has produced an innovative design with vulcanized rubber for technically superior characteristics. The firm, non-slip top layer provides maximum elas-ticity and outstanding durability. The surface requires no coatings and is UV-stable. The geometrically molded bottom layer is designed for maximum energy absorption and return. Super X Performance is a multipurpose product that can be used indoors and out, and it’s available in many colors.

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Mondo’s indoor track systems are yet another example of the company’s com-mitment to research, development, and state-of-the-art engineering. Years of research, testing, and installation experi-

ence have determined optimum banking and construction techniques for almost

any indoor configu-ration. Features include a perfectly uniform surface,

controlled deflection, correct banking, safety zones, protection barriers, and custom designs. Permanent banked tracks, portable banked tracks, and hydraulic banked tracks are all available.

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TARTAN Track Surfaces951-273-7984www.tartan-aps.com

TARTAN®-APS is a fully integrated track surfacing company. From research and development of raw materials and polyurethane systems to manufacturing and installation, TARTAN-APS is your single-source solu-tion. TARTAN tracks meet the strict

standards set by national and inter-national track governing bodies and exceed all installation recommenda-tions. Coaches and athletes know that TARTAN is a fast, per formance-driven product and a premier track surface for training.

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Based on Athletic Polymer Systems’ preferred material chemistry and recy-

clability, its limited use and degrada-tion of water resources, and its ini-tial steps to establish

positive agendas for energy use and social responsibility, TARTAN® tracks are certified as a Cradle to Cradle™ product at the Silver level by MBDC.

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

106 . . . Aer-Flo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13118 . . . Austin Plastics & Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32107 . . . Beynon Sports Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17116 . . . BulletlBelt (Lane Gainer) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31120 . . . Cardinal Publishers Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34121 . . . Cho-Pat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36110 . . . FieldTurf Tarkett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21115 . . . Goldner Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30113 . . . Jump Stretch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29117 . . . JumpStart Athletics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31101 . . . Lynx System Developers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3123 . . . M-F Athletic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BC119 . . . Marathon Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32105 . . . Mondo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11112 . . . Omni-Lite Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26104. . . On Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9111 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23114 . . . Professional Turf Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30100 . . Tartan Track Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC108. . . Traction™/ProTraxx . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18109 . . . VS Athletics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19122 . . . Wobenzym N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IBC102 . . . Worldwide Sport Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4103 . . . Xvest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

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

525. . . Aer-Flo (Bench Zone) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37526 . . . Aer-Flo (Cross-Over Zone) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37527 . . . Austin Plastics & Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37513 . . . Beacon Athletics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34515 . . . Beynon Sports Surfaces (BSS 1000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35516 . . . Beynon Sports Surfaces (BSS 2000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35500 . . Boathouse Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33535 . . Cardinal Publishers Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39538 . . Cho-Pat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40517 . . . FieldTurf Tarkett (Le Monde) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35518 . . . FieldTurf Tarkett (Resisport track systems) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35539 . . Goldner Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40514 . . . Jump Stretch (“Don’t Ice that Ankle Sprain!”) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34532 . . Jump Stretch (Spartan Fireout Station) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39501. . . JumpStart Athletics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33512 . . . Lane Gainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34528. . . Lynx (FinishLynx) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37529 . . Lynx (LynxPad) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37530 . . M-F Athletic (Economy Bleachers) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37502 . . M-F Athletic (tents) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33503 . . Marathon Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33520. . . Mondo (indoor track systems) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35519 . . . Mondo (Super X Performance) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35505 . . Omni-Lite (ceramic spikes) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33504 . . Omni-Lite (lightweight spikes) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33506 . . On Track (high jump/pole vault standards) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33507. . . On Track (hurdles) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33533 . . Power Systems (Lateral Stepper) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39534 . . Power Systems (Power Chute) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39531 . . . Professional Turf Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37521 . . . Tartan Track Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35522. . . Tartan Track Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35523. . . Traction™/ProTraxx . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37524 . . . Traction™/ProTraxx . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37508 . . VS Athletics (hurdle) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34509 . . VS Athletics (weightlifting shoe) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34540 . . Wobenzym N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40541 . . . Wobenzym N (Crème) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40511 . . . Worldwide Sport Supply (ASICS Duffle) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34510 . . . Worldwide Sport Supply (ASICS Gel-1120) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34537. . . Xvest (conditioning) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39536 . . Xvest (training) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

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

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Track Facilities

Traction™ Sports SurfacesNorth American Specialty Flooring, Inc.

866-757-5569 www.nasf.biz

Swampscott (Mass.) High School has a brand new building and a brand new ProTraxx track. The new $40 million dollar school has all state-of-the-art fixtures, including the indoor competition track. “The ProTraxx material is designed for optimum speed and performance,” says Michael DiNatale, Principal of Traction Sports Surfaces. “It is the best running track surface on the market.” For more information, contact Michael by going online or calling the company.

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Al Carius knows track. In 42 years as a track coach, this North Central College legend has won 17 NCAA champion-

ships and has coached countless All-Americans. It’s no sur-prise that he chose ProTraxx by

Traction Sports Surfaces. “We train on that track every day,” says Carius. “It provides the comfort and durability our athletes and coaches demand.”

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

The Bench Zone™ track protector is for tracks that fit tightly to football and soccer fields. The tough polypropylene fabric resists and cush-ions against cleats, yet allows rain to drain through. A steel chain is double-stitched into the vinyl edging all around, keeping the pro-tector down—even in high winds—with-out the need for stakes. The Bench Zone features gold or white edging to maximize visibility. It is 15 feet wide and 75, 100, 125, or 150 feet long. Custom sizes are also available. This product is great for protecting cheerleader areas.

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The Cross-Over Zone™ track protec-tor from Aer-Flo resists and cushions

against steel-tipped cleats. Its breath-able polypropylene fabric allows rain to drain through while protecting modern track surfaces from crossing traffic.

A steel chain inserted in the edg-ing keeps the protec-

tor in place without stakes or staples, even in windy conditions. The entire edge and chain are wrapped in white or gold vinyl for durability and safety. The Cross-Over Zone is 7.5 or 15 feet wide and 30, 40, or 50 feet long. Custom sizes are also available. This product is easy to install, remove, and store.

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Austin Plastics & Supply, Inc.800-290-1025www.athleticrecordboards.com

Athletic record boards from Austin Plastics are effective tools for motivating your athletes to do their best. The boards

are easy to install, made of durable plastic, and available in various colors. They come in three stan-dard sizes: 38” x 48”, 45” x 80”, and 72” x

120”. Engraved record nameplates are available, or teams can print their own using perforated card stock supplied by the company. All record boards, custom and standard, are available for all sports.

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Lynx System Developers800-989-5969www.finishlynx.com

Lynx System Developers is a premier manufacturer of digital photo fin-ish and timing equipment. For more than a decade, the company has offered top-quality technology to high schools and col-leges nationwide. FinishLynx hard-ware and software packages give you everything you need to manage a track meet—from athlete entries to seed-ing, FAT timing, and results. Even the most basic (bronze) package provides a turnkey solution to event management

issues, and lower-level packages can be upgraded at any time.

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The LynxPad computer program from Lynx System Developers provides an

efficient, easy-to-use interface for administer-ing track and field meets and other athletic competitions.

Creating lists of events, competitors, affiliations, and seeding marks is a snap, and results can be compiled and ranked quickly and easily. With just a few clicks, the software creates heats or flights according to the criteria you specify. LynxPad can be used by itself or in conjunction with FinishLynx, FieldLynx, ReacTime, and ClerkLynx products.

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M-F Athletic Co.800-556-7464www.mfathletic.com

The M-F Everything Track & Field catalog offers a wide selection of bleachers. The First Place Economy Bleachers (shown) feature 2” H x 10” W aluminum seats with a non-skid surface. The understruc-ture is made of heavy-duty gal-vanized steel with cross braces to stabilize the frame. In addition to the model shown, they’re also available in five- and 10-row models and can feature your school colors and logo. Call M-F or go online to request a catalog.

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

Trax Armor™ Cross-Over Tarps are designed to protect your synthetic run-ning track surface from all types of

traffic, including football cleats, cheerlead-ers, and

even maintenance machinery. All tarps are available in black and light gray. Call toll-free to find out more, or go online to view all the company’s prod-ucts and specifications and to locate a dealer near you.

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Case Study

John Beynon has worked in the field of manufacturing and installation of poly-urethane sports surfaces since 1974. He founded Beynon Sports Surfaces with the goal of providing state-of-the-art polyurethane surfacing systems to athletic facilities all over the world. Soon after, Beynon Enterprises, Inc. was founded to supply IAAF polyure-thane surfaces to track and field, gym-nasium, field house, and other athletic surface markets.

With a dedicated team that includes top chemists, engineers, and world-famous track coaches, John, along with his son Drew, the director of business development, and Mike Gasparovik, the head of research and development, have quickly turned Beynon Sports Surfaces into a leader in the sports surfacing industry. The company has completed more than 400 outdoor run-ning tracks and more than 5,000 indoor gymnasium and field house floors at some of the world’s most celebrated athletic facilities, such as the Thomas A. Robinson Stadium in Nassau, Bahamas; Louisiana State University; the University of Maryland; and Mitchell Park in New York.

Recently, Beynon Sports Surfaces was selected to build the track at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon, where the 2008 Olympic track and field trials will be held. The contract was awarded through a comprehen-

sive evaluation and selection process, with Beynon winning out over both national and international sur facing companies. Beynon’s BSS 2000 track and field sur face will be manufactured and installed in the late summer of 2007 and will consist of approximately 9,000 square yards of sur facing.

“Winning the bid to build a track at such a prestigious venue as the University of Oregon offers Beynon

Sports Surfaces a tremendous oppor-tunity to showcase our commitment to providing environ-mentally conscious sports surfaces that perform at the highest level possible,” says Drew Beynon. “The 2008 Olympic track and field tri-als will see the world’s greatest

athletes performing on our surface at one of the country’s leading track and field facilities.”

The BSS 2000 at Hayward Field is designed to be the fastest track sur-face in the world, with maximum return of energy and superior shock absorp-tion owing to a bio-engineered force-reduction layer of butyl rubber and full-depth color polyurethane, which allows for daily training without stress injuries. The track is finished with a custom-made surface consisting of embedded EPDM granules to create advanced traction.

Hayward Field has hosted three Olympic trials and a variety of NCAA, national, and Masters championships, and it is slated to host the 2010 NCAA Outdoor Championships and the annual Nike Prefontaine Classic in addition to the 2008 Olympic trials.

Olympic-Caliber Track Facilities Choose

Their Surfaces Carefully

Beynon Sports Surfaces16 Alt Rd.Hunt Valley, MD 21030888-240-3670Fax: 410-771-9479www.beynonsports.com

Beynon Sports Surfaces was selected to build the track at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon, where the 2008 Olympic track and field trials will be held.


Conditioning Products

Web News

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 work-outs. The athletic

trainers 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 har-ness over the shoulders.

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Power Systems, Inc.800-321-6975www.power-systems.com

Agility training develops balance and awareness while resistance targets the hard-to-isolate hip muscles. The Lateral Stepper can help your ath-letes improve agility, reac-tion time, and strength. It’s available in two resistance levels—inter-mediate and advanced—to facilitate progression. Start with the intermediate resistance to teach and

perfect skills, then graduate to the advanced tubing for even more dramat-ic gains. Each unit includes two padded cuffs with Velcro™ closures and one 10-inch length of latex tubing.

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The Power Systems Power Chute pro-vides resisted and overspeed training in the same run to improve stride length and frequency. It opens during training runs for resistance, and the Velcro™ belt allows for mid-stride release, giving athletes that “shot out of a cannon”

feeling. The Power Chute deliv-ers up to 50 pounds

of resistance (XL model). It has an adjustable belt with a storage pocket, and built-in mesh panels to eliminate tangled strings.

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

The Ultimate Guide to Weight Training for Sports series, published by the trainers at SportsWorkout.com, is one of the most comprehensive and up-to-date sports-specific training series in the world today. Each book con-tains descriptions and photographs of more than 80 of the most effective

weight training, flexibility, and abdomi-nal exercises used by athletes world-wide. The books are extremely well designed, easy to use, and committed to weight training.

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Xvest800-697-5658www.thexvest.com

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 products 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 train-ing to the extreme.

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The Xvest is ideal for in-season and out-of-season conditioning programs. Staying in top condition during the long season is a must. The Xvest is designed for extreme conditioning, versatility, strength training, speed, and agility. It’s also great for specific training such as plyometrics. Xvests are available weighing 20, 40, or 60 pounds, and there’s also the 84-pound Firefighter model.

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Check Out Exciting Stats Software OnlineTrack and Field Statware from Digital Scout offers analysis at the meet and at practice. Collect statistics in real time and pro-duce reports and performance charts immediately after meets. This software records personal bests and cumulative points scored, and it works for cross country in addition to track and field. Visit Digital Scout’s Web site today for more information and to get your free trial download. Digital Scout, a leading provider of statistics and scouting software, now offers software for base-ball, basketball, football, hockey, soccer, softball, track and field, and volleyball.www.digitalscout.com


Calling Cards

Providing top-quality field materials, maintenance equipment, and technical assistance.

www.beaconathletics.com

Blazer is athletic equipment from start to finish since 1974.

www.blazerathletic.com

A leading manufacturer of innovative pain-reducing sports medicine products.

www.cho-pat.com

Cost-effective complete lighting systems for athletic facilities.

www.uslnet.com

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

www.thexvest.com

Radically increase game-winning intensity, first-step quickness, and vertical jump.

www.vertimax.com

More Products

Cho-Pat 800-221-1601 www.cho-pat.com

Knees take a beating. Cho-Pat’s pat-ented Dual Action Knee Strap provides an extra dimension of relief for painful and weakened knees. First, it applies

pressure on the ten-don below the knee to reduce patellar sub-luxation and improve patellar tracking and elevation. Then, by adding pressure on the tendon above the knee, the strap further strengthens

and provides an additional level of sup-port and stability for the joint. The Dual Action Knee Strap allows full mobility.

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Goldner Associates, Inc.800-251-2656www.goldnerassociates.com

Goldner Associates has been a leading supplier of medals, pins, and patches for 40 years. The company can create custom designs in any size or shape, and stock items are also available. Looking for an item with your team logo? As a top-50 distributor, Goldner offers a full line of promotional products, including team caps and T-shirts, trophies and awards, fundraising items, giveaways, and much more.

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Wobenzym888-766-4406www.wobenzym.com

Let Wobenzym®N, the clinically vali-dated enzyme formula for sports inju-ries, work for your patients and your reputation. Its proven bio-active enzymes get both elite ath-letes and weekend warriors back into action more quickly and safely than ordinary non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and corticosteroids. During the recent world soccer championships in Germany, sev-eral teams used Wobenzym®N with their athletes, and it helped get the world’s most elite soccer players back onto the field more quickly.

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Wobenzym®N Crème provides fast, penetrating relief for minor arthritis

pain, back pain, muscle pain, and sports injuries. It incorporates traditional herbs used for centuries in Asia and Europe to help ease surface pain. Bromelain and Papain help promote robust circulation and normalize inflamma-tion. This product has been validated by the lat-est research to interfere

with COX-2 activity. Visit the Wobenzym Web site to learn more.

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The following companies have partnered with the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) to launch their new publi-cation “techniques”. These companies have shown a strong commitment to track & field and cross country throughout the United States.

Benyon Sports Surfaces . .www.beynonsports.com

FieldTurf Tarkett . . . . . . . www.fieldturftarkett.com

M-F Athletic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.mfathletic.com

Mondo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.mondousa.com

Tartan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.tartan-aps.com

VS Athletics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.vsathletics.com

World-class athletes from across the globe rely on Wobenzym®N to support their bodies’ recuperation process, and as an essential part of regular training and maintenance programs.

These athletes know that after an injury or muscle strain, damaged blood vessels cause swelling as a signal to the body to prevent further abuse. With adequate rest, the injury will normally recover, but who wants to wait?

The sooner your clients recover, the better. By supplementing with Wobenzym®N, you can support nearly every metabolic and physiological process involved in recuperation – and help your clients get back in action faster.†

Wobenzym®N

is featured in

the Physicians’

Desk Reference

World-class athletes from across the globe rely

Wobenzym®N. Swear by it.

For more information or to order literature for your clients, visit our website at www.Wobenzym.com/tandc†These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

©2007 Naturally Vitamins, a Marlyn Nutraceuticals, Inc. company. Wobenzym®N is a registered trademark of Mucos Pharma, GmbH

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M-F ATHLETIC COMPANY • P.O. Box 8090 Cranston, RI 02920-0090 • Toll-Free 800-556-7464 Fax: 800-682-6950

theSuperSourceSuperSourcefor

We Deliver WHAT You Need...WHEN You Need it.

Call for your 2007 Track & Field Catalog.800-556-7464

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