Coaching Management 12.11

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Coaching Management VOLLEYBALL POSTSEASON EDITION 2004 VOL. XII, NO. 11 $5.00 Teaching Mental Skills The Skinny on Low-Carb Diets A MATTER OF BALANCE Mixing coaching and parenting A MATTER OF BALANCE Mixing coaching and parenting

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VOLLEYBALL POSTSEASON EDITION 2004

Transcript of Coaching Management 12.11

Page 1: Coaching Management 12.11

Coaching ManagementV O L L E Y B A L L P O S T S E A S O N E D I T I O N 2 0 0 4

VOL. XII, NO. 11 ■ $5.00

■ Teaching Mental Skills ■ The Skinny on Low-Carb Diets

A MATTEROF BALANCEMixing coaching and parenting

A MATTEROF BALANCEMixing coaching and parenting

Page 2: Coaching Management 12.11

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CONTENTS Coaching ManagementVolleyball EditionPostseason 2004

Vol. XII, No. 11

COACHING MANAGEMENT 1

LOCKER ROOMBulletin Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Solving club vs. school team conflicts… Women’s Coaches Academy is asuccess … Fighting salary inequities inFlorida ... A preview of the book, SheCan Coach! … How to prevent irondeficiencies in female athletes …Privacy concerns debated.

Q&A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Marysville (Mich.) High School’s JohnKnuth talks about winning state titles,weekly practice plans, and how tocommunicate expectations to players.

Uniforms & Apparel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37Web News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38Catalog Showcase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38Volleyball Court . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39More Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

Advertising Sales Associates

Diedra Harkenrider, (607) 257-6970, ext. 24Sheryl Shaffer, (607) 257-6970, ext. 21

Business and Editorial Offices2488 N. Triphammer Rd., Ithaca, NY 14850(607) 257-6970, Fax (607) [email protected]

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

The Coaching Management Volleyball edition is pub-lished in April and November by MAG, Inc. and isdistributed free to college and high school coaches inthe United States and Canada. Copyright © 2004 byMAG, Inc. All rights reserved. Text may not be repro-duced in any manner, in whole or in part, without thepermission of the publisher. Unsolicited materials willnot be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Coaching Managementis printed by Banta Publications Group, KansasCity, MO. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to:Coaching Management, P.O. Box 4806, Ithaca, N.Y.14852.

Printed in the U.S.A.

Publisher Mark Goldberg

Art Director Pamela Crawford

Art AssistantDina Stander

Business ManagerPennie Small

Special Projects Dave Wohlhueter

Editor-in-Chief Eleanor FrankelAssociate Editor Dennis ReadAssistant Editors R.J. AndersonKenny BerkowitzDavid HillGreg ScholandLaura SmithAdministrative AssistantSharon Barbell

Circulation Director Dave DubinCirculation ManagerJohn Callaghan

Circulation Assistant Joan Doria

IT Manager Mark Nye

Prepress Manager Adam Berenstain

Production Manager Kristin Ayers

Asst. Production Manager Kristi Kempf

Production Assistant Jonni Campbell

Ad Materials Coordinator Mike Townsend

Marketing/Sales Assistant Danielle Catalano

COVER STORY

A Matter of Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20There is a myth being perpetuated that you can’t be a competitive volleyballcoach and raise a family. In this article, six successful coaching moms explainhow to balance the two.

OPTIMUM PERFORMANCE

Ready, Set, Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27How can you get your athletes to give maximum effort in every aspect of theirperformance, on every play? Consider the following mental (and life) skillsprogram.

NUTRITION

Carbs: To Cut or Not? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33That is the question many athletes are wondering these days as everyone andtheir best friend seem to be losing weight on low-carb diets.

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COVER PHOTO: STEVE WOLTMAN/UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MILWAUKEE SPORTS INFORMATION

17 272

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but a couple of key issues wereidentified and, perhaps moreimportantly, there was reasonto see that relations couldimprove. “I think it could leadto a better environment,” saysTom Donaghy, Office Managerfor the NCVA, the organizinggroup for USA Volleyball inthe region.

Club and SchoolTeams in Calif.Begin DialogueAs in many areas of the nation,club and high school volleyballteams in California haven’talways been on the same page.Club team tryouts havesometimes conflicted withhigh school championshipgames, advice to players fromthe two coaches may differ,and friction has often arisen.

But over the past year, thingshave started to change, thanksto leaders in both camps open-ing up dialogue. And their firststeps toward some solutionsmay be a model for others.

Discussions began in 2003,when the California Interschol-astic Federation (CIF) organizeda meeting with representativesof all club sports, as well asstudent-athletes and coaches,to discuss problems that haddeveloped between the twostructures. A regional consti-tuent organization of USA Vol-leyball represented the clubvolleyball community.

“We had become aware ofmore and more conflicts andmore and more issues, someof them through third-partystories and some directly,” saysJohn Tarman, an AssistantExecutive Director of the CIF.“We held what we called aninterscholastic-club sportssummit, on a Saturday in SanDiego. It helped to create agreater understanding andappreciation of the differentperspectives of the constituentsinvolved in the issue.”

From there, the CIF-NorthernSection and the Northern Cal-ifornia Volleyball Association(NCVA) convened a mini-sum-mit of their own a few monthslater. They gathered in a con-ference room at a hotel in theSan Francisco Bay area andhashed out both conflicts andmutual needs. By no meanswere all the problems solved,

L O C K E R R O O Mbulletin board

2 COACHING MANAGEMENT

Another issue that emergedwas the NCVA’s view that theCIF should better enforce itsown rules designed to preventhigh school coaches frompressuring their players to jointhe coaches’ non-school clubteams, says Donaghy. Withoutbetter enforcement, many inclub volleyball believe thecoaches who work in both struc-tures may get away with suchcoercion, eventually leadingthe CIF to prohibit scholasticcoaches from also coachingclub teams.

Tarman also attended thismeeting, and he felt the dia-logue was extremely positive.“For example, we said, ‘Weunderstand that club coachesdo this for a living, and thatmany of their athletes do getscholarship offers,’” says Tar-man. “‘But why do club tryoutdates have to conflict with theCIF playoffs?’

“Everybody looked around theroom,” he continues, “andsomebody from club volleyballsaid, ‘You know, you’re absol-

The other major issue was thatmany administrators in chargeof scheduling the use of theirschool facilities are reluctantto make their gyms availablefor club teams. This hurts ath-letes who want to play moreand reach the next level involleyball, says Donaghy.

“We would like to see everyhigh school have a club team,”he says. “We believe that ifevery high school has a clubteam, it’s going to make thewhole sport better, whichbrings more people to thesport.”

No one is suggesting themeetings solved every prob-lem, real or potential. For onething, the NCVA’s push formore club opportunities con-flicts with many high schools’desire to nurture multiple-sport student-athletes. But theNCVA plans to join in on theCIF’s next board meetings, andthere seems to be a feelingthat both sides are at leastwilling to hear one another out.

“We feel like we made someprogress,” says Tarman. “Weall came together. If peoplehad chips on their shoulders,they seemed to leave them atthe door because the conver-sation and the dialogue wasnot adversarial. It was verycollaborative. Clearly, peoplehad the welfare of the student-athletes front and center, andthat’s what made the processwork.”

Coaches AcademyEarns High MarksLaTaya Hilliard-Gray had beenthinking about going back toschool for a graduate degree.Lately though, she’s decidedto stick with coaching. Forone thing, her Winston-SalemState University Rams havefound consistency and im-provement. Another reason isher involvement in the secondannual Women CoachesAcademy.

Rosie Manton, competing for Empire 18 Mizuno, passes the ballduring a Northern California Volleyball Association game lastyear. In northern California, club and high school teams arestarting to work together to alleviate conflicts.

utely right on target here, andI’m going back to my boardof directors and recommendingsome changes in our timelines.We don’t need to force qualityplayers who are in the CIFplayoffs to skip a practice or amatch so they can come to ourtryouts. That’s totally insen-sitive and inappropriate.’”

JOSEPH

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Fighting SalaryInequitiesSchools crunch all sorts of num-bers to evaluate their Title IXcompliance—participationnumbers, budget numbers,numbers of contests and prac-tices. However, one numberthat’s often overlooked is theone on coaches’ pay stubs.When a school fails to comp-ensate coaches of male andfemale teams equitably, whatcan coaches do?

Sean O’Flannery faced thatquestion when he signed onas Head Volleyball Coach atNortheast High School inPinellas County, Fla., in 1999.Volleyball coaches at North-east and 15 other PinellasCounty high schools werepaid $860 a year, while boys’wrestling coaches earned$1,600 a year. O’Flannerychallenged the inequity, andfour years later, volleyballcoaches finally began takinghome the same size paychecksas their wrestling counterparts.

Along the way, O’Flannerylearned some lessons aboutwhat works and what doesn’twork when tackling a Title IXissue. “The first step was to domy homework,” he says. Hebegan by systematically evalu-ating the situation to deter-mine if a Title IX violationexisted, using materials he ob-tained from the nearest reg-ional office of the U.S. Depart-ment of Education’s Officefor Civil Rights (OCR), whichfor him was in Atlanta.

Reading through the OCRmaterials, O’Flannery realizedhe needed to determinewhich boys’ sport offered thebest comparison to volleyball.He decided that wrestlingwas the best match based onthe length of season, thenumber of athletes, the num-ber and length of practices,and the number of contests.He obtained an official copyof the pay scales for volleyballand wrestling coaches from

L O C K E R R O O Mbulletin board

is to motivate, and there arethree things we try to do,”says Celia Slater, ExecutiveDirector of the academy andSpecial Projects Coordinatorat NACWAA. “First is to pro-vide women with a skill basethat will help them in theirday-to-day challenges, fromteaching methods to communi-cating with their athletic dir-ector, student-athletes, andstaff. We’re trying to give them

a relevant skill base that goesbeyond X’s and O’s.

“Number two is to providethem with an opportunity tocreate a network with otherwomen in athletics whom theycan call on for support,” Slatercontinues. “Many women feelisolated in athletic depart-ments. Often, they’re the onlywoman in the department. Wewant to build a network ofwomen who’ve been to theacademy, and link them tothe women who are pioneers

in the field. The third thing isto inspire them and help themsee their value in the world ofwomen’s athletics.”

Among the provocative classtitles at this year’s academy inWilmington were “Change isGood—You Go First, Mary,”“How to Coach Yourself in aLosing Season,” “Networkingand Internal Politics,” and“Title IX: Facts and Friction

about Gender Equity.”Other topics includedpublic speaking skills,communication strategies,diversity, ethics, andmethods of motivating.

Learning better ways tocommunicate with her sup-ervisor, staff, and student-athletes was the greatesttake-home lesson forHilliard-Gray. “Today’s stu-dent-athletes are differentfrom when I was playing,”she says. “I realized Ihave to let them knowthat I’m here for them nomatter what, as a friend,as a coach, as a mentor.”

Since returning from theacademy, Hilliard-Gray haskept in touch with coachesshe met, talking aboutcommon concerns, both intheir sports and out. Infact, they’ve pledged toraise money to help pay

for at least one other coach toattend next year’s academy.

Plans for 2005 are in flux, lar-gely because NACWAA isn’tsure how large the NCAA grantand other funding sources willbe, Slater says. Many attendeesreceive financial support fromtheir institutions, and someDivision III schools use NCAAcoaches’ scholarship funds aswell. This year’s costs were$1,400 per coach, but that’ssubject to change, and the en-tire program could look quitedifferent next year. NACWAAis also talking to other organi-zations about creating a similarprogram for high schoolcoaches, Slater says.

4 COACHING MANAGEMENT

“If you ever have a chance toattend this academy, do it,”Hilliard-Gray says. “It changesyour whole view of things.When anyone asks me what Igot out of it, I tell them itinspired me and gave memore motivation. It also gaveme an adviser, and a mentor.”

The Women Coaches Academyis put on by the National Asso-ciation for Collegiate Women

Athletic Administrators(NACWAA) with a grant fromthe NCAA Committee onWomen’s Athletics. Twenty-fourcoaches took part June 3-7 atthe University of North Carolina-Wilmington, and 19 were atthe University of Denver June19-23. Attendees came fromall NCAA divisions, sports, andcareer stages—from two yearsin the field to 22.

The academy’s ultimate missionis to raise the number ofwomen coaching. “Our goal

LaTaya Hilliard-Gray (center), Head Volleyball Coach at Winston-Salem State University, talks with other coaches at last year’s NACWAA-sponsored Women Coaches Academy. The academy’s goal is to motivatefemales to remain in the coaching field.

Details and applications are expected to be availableby the end of 2004 on the academy’s Web site,www.coachesacademy.com/home.htm.

Page 7: Coaching Management 12.11

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L O C K E R R O O Mbulletin board

pay scale and that’s final,’”O’Flannery says. “The assistantsuperintendents were not fami-liar with how Title IX relates toathletics, so I didn’t get any-where with them either. Andthe State of Florida agreed thatthe school was probably inviolation of the state’s EqualPay Act, but said they had nofunding to investigate.”

Still, none of the work O’Flan-nery did at the local level waswasted, since it paid off whenhe submitted a formal com-plaint to the OCR. “The firstthing the OCR asks you is,‘What have you done to re-solve the problem?’”heexplains. “Before they get in-volved, they want to see thatyou have exhausted yourother options. I was able togive them a stack of paper-work documenting what I haddone.”

the district and confirmed thelength of each season withthe Florida High School Ath-letic Association.

The next step was moving hiscomplaint carefully along theproper chain of command. ForO’Flannery, that meant statinghis grievance, in succession, tothe district’s athletic director,personnel office, two assistantsuperintendents, teachers’union, and finally, the State ofFlorida. Prior to each meetingor phone call, he sent a copyof his complaint in writing,along with the OCR genderequity evaluation he had com-pleted. He kept copies of eachmemo to document his efforts,and he was careful to keep hisdemeanor professional at alltimes.

“I was courteous and diplomat-ic,” he says. “My approach at

answer and that he wouldtake his complaint further.

Some officials were more sym-pathetic than others, butultimately none were willingto take up his cause. “The ath-letic director said, ‘That’s the

COACHING MANAGEMENT 7

each meeting was, ‘I believethere is an inequity here andI’m looking for your help.’”Each time a meeting withschool administrators failed toproduce results, O’Flannerypolitely informed them thathe was unsatisfied with their

Sean O’Flannery, Head Coach at Northeast High School inPinellas County, Fla., successfully challenged his school districtregarding pay inequities and saw his salary almost double.

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COACHING MANAGEMENT 9

L O C K E R R O O Mbulletin board

Satisfied that O’Flannery haddone his homework, the OCRcontacted the Pinellas CountySchool District and preparedto investigate. After stallingbriefly, the school agreed toequalize volleyball coachingsalaries with wrestling, avoidinga full investigation.

However, the story didn’t endthere. Four months later, thedistrict instituted pay raises forall coaches—except volleyball.Once again, volleyball coaches’salaries fell below wrestlingcoaches’ pay, this time by $300.

“I complained again, and theathletic director said, ‘Volley-ball coaches just got payraises,’” says O’Flannery. “Iexplained that those were notraises—they were neededsimply to reach equity.” Afteranother threat of an OCR inves-tigation, the district raised thesalaries of eight varsity volley-

ball coaches to $1,900, equalwith wrestling. Eight juniorvarsity volleyball coaches alsoreceived increases.

“It was a long road, but it wasworth it,” O’Flannery says. “Un-less someone speaks up, TitleIX violations don’t go away.”

New Book Is forFemale CoachesThis winter, women who coachwill have a new resource fordeveloping their careers: advicefrom other women who coach.And not just any women, butwomen whose names appearin coaching halls of fame, onnational championship trophies,and on lists of featuredspeakers.

In her new book, She CanCoach!, former Head VolleyballCoach at Florida State Univer-

sity Cecile Reynaud creates awindow into the lives, philoso-phies, and strategies of 20 ofthe nation’s most decoratedfemale coaches. The book’s20 chapters, each written by adifferent coach, address anarray of topics from a uniquelyfemale perspective, fromcoaching ethics and motivatingstudent-athletes to managingassistant coaches and develop-ing a coaching philosophy.

The idea of writing a book es-pecially for women who coachoccurred to Reynaud severalyears ago, and when sheretired in 2001 after 26 yearsat Florida State, she decidedto make the idea a reality. “Asa coach, I was always lookingfor material to read,” says Rey-naud, whose career victoriesplaced her in the top nineamong active NCAA DivisionI coaches before her retire-

ment. “But almost everythingI read was written by malecoaches. I saw a need for abook by women coaches forwomen coaches.”

There has been a decline in thenumber of women entering

Cecile Reynaud’s book forfemale coaches includeschapters on everything fromself-discipline to recruiting.

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10 COACHING MANAGEMENT

L O C K E R R O O Mbulletin board

have done it.’ I’m hoping this book willgive women the information they need toachieve more success and more sanity intheir coaching.”

Reynaud began by identifying 20 topicsto be covered in the book. “They’redrawn from questions I’ve heard consis-tently over the years,” she says. “How doyou get kids motivated? How do you staydisciplined and teach your athletes dis-cipline? How do you manage your time,

the coaching profession in the pastdecade, Reynaud adds, partly becausefemale coaches face some uniquechallenges. “In many cases, they stilldon’t have the support that men’sprograms do,” she says. “They’re thehead coach, but they’re also responsiblefor proofreading the media guide. It’snot uncommon for female coaches tosimply get overwhelmed. I wanted togive young coaches a resource that says,‘This is how some of the top women

deal with parents, approach recruiting?At every clinic I’ve ever done, these arethe things women talk about.”

She wanted readers to hear directly fromsuccessful female coaches in their ownvoices, so the next step was findingcoaches willing to write each chapter. “Istarted researching top female coachesin a variety of sports and at a variety oflevels,” she says. “I wanted to speak to awide audience—high school and DivisionsI, II, and III.”

Volleyball coaches who contributed chap-ters were Mary Wise, Head Coach at theUniversity of Florida; Mary Jo Peppler,Director of Coaching for the Coast Volley-ball Club in California; and Joan Powell,Head Coach at Coronado (Colo.) HighSchool. The book also contains chaptersby Margie Wright, Head Softball Coachat Fresno State; Nell Fortner, HeadWomen’s Basketball Coach at Auburn;and Pat Summitt, Head Women’sBasketball Coach at Tennessee.

While the book’s authors coach sportsfrom field hockey to rowing, Reynaudbelieves the content is easily transferablefrom court to field to water. As an exam-ple, she points to a chapter on teamcohesion by College of New Jersey HeadWomen’s Lacrosse Coach Sharon Pfluger.“Her team has won six consecutivenational championships, and the key tothose successes is her understanding ofhow to treat young women as a team,”Reynaud says. “The principles she discussesare valuable for coaches of any sport.”

The coaches who wrote were extremelycandid about their experiences, Reynaudadds. For example, University of TexasHead Swim Coach Jill Sterkel writes aboutstress management, and she doesn’tsugarcoat her own struggle with theissue. “Sterkel basically says, ‘I lived this.Let me tell you about it. I had to getmedication because I was so stressedout. Let me tell you what I did to lightenup,’” Reynaud says. “It’s amazing tolearn from someone at that level sharingthat kind of experience.”

While women are the book’s primaryaudience, Reynaud believes it also offersinsight for male coaches. “There is no

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12 COACHING MANAGEMENT

doubt that this is a differentkind of coaching book, andthere are things in here you’dnever find in a book for men,”she says. “But particularly formen who work with femalestudent-athletes, I think thereis a lot of wisdom here.”

Too MuchInformation?When it comes to collegiateathletic department mediaguides and Web sites, thegeneral rule is: the more thebetter. The more informationyou can give the media, fans,and recruits, the more effectivethese promotional piecesbecome.

A handful of schools are revis-iting this idea, however, in thewake of privacy concerns. At

Oregon State University, SportsInformation Director SteveFenk has decided to omit ath-letes’ birth dates and middleinitials after a state police lieu-tenant recommended removingthe information because it canbe used in identity theft.

“He said that if you have abirth date, you can just aboutdo anything,” Fenk says. “Youcan get a Social Security card,a birth certificate, whatever.”Because beat reporters oftenask for athletes’ birth dates,Fenk included that informationin private e-mails to writerscovering Oregon State.

At least two other universitieshave withheld similar informa-tion. The University of Floridatook athletes’ birth dates, mid-dle names, and parents’ namesoff its athletics Web site a yearago, according to its sports

information department. TheUniversity of Miami kept thesame information out of its2004 football guides.

At Oregon State, the questionof which details to includeisn’t settled, in part becausethis isn’t the first time athletebios have been at issue. In2001, a gymnastics student-athlete received harassingphone calls from a man shesuspected called her parents,who were listed in the mediaguide along with her home-town, and persuaded them toshare her campus number byposing as a writer seeking aninterview. Then this spring, ayoung woman disappearedfrom an off-campus apartmentcomplex where several OregonState female swimmers lived,and police suspected that theabductor had mistaken thevictim for one of the athletes.

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14 COACHING MANAGEMENT

Although hometowns andparents’ names remain in themedia guides, Oregon Stateremoved mugshots of theswimmers from its online mediaguide, and Fenk says he canimagine a day when all ath-letes’ portraits will no longerbe included. “That’s just myown theory,” he says. “I cansee it possibly getting to thatpoint. It’s a really sadcommentary.”

Colleges Fall Shortin Testing for IronDeficienciesIron deficiency affects 60 per-cent of female athletes in theUnited States, according toThe Centers for Disease Con-trol and Prevention. And anew study has found that most

NCAA Division I institutionshave a ways to go in detectingand treating the condition.

An anonymous online surveywas sent to 94 NCAA DivisionI-A schools to determine cur-rent practices in screeningand treating athletes for irondeficiency. Only 43 percent ofthe 54 respondents indicatedthat their institutions screenedfor iron deficiency in femaleathletes.

“We found that there reallywasn’t anything consistent,”says Chris Rosenbloom, Nutri-tion Consultant for the GeorgiaTech athletic department,Associate Professor at GeorgiaState University, and one ofthe study’s authors. “A lot ofschools weren’t testing, andof those that were testing,some were just testing fresh-

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COACHING MANAGEMENT 15

men and some were testingbut not following up. In addi-tion, different schools wereusing different cutoff valuesfor what they defined asanemia.”

Rosenbloom believes all ath-letes should be tested at leastonce a year. “And it wouldbe wise not to do just hemo-globin and hematocrit tests,but also to look at their ironand ferritin levels,” she says.“One of the misconceptionsis that, ‘Well, I had a fingerstick and my hemoglobin wasokay, therefore I’m fine,’ butsometimes, the athlete reallyisn’t fine.”

Female athletes are particularlyat risk, says Rosenbloom,because they usually are morerestrictive with their diets andmay not eat enough iron-richfoods. “A lot of female athletesare vegetarian or semi-vege-tarian,” she says, “which cutsout a lot of good iron sources.”

Another common misconcep-tion among athletes is thatbecause iron is found in grains,breads, and cereals, thosesources alone provide adequateamounts to satisfy a vegetariandiet. “You have to make surethat if you are eating iron-fortified grains, you are alsogetting a good vitamin C source

to help with absorption,” saysRosenbloom. “There are thingsthat an athlete can do to makea vegetarian diet work, but it’sharder to get adequate iron ifyou don’t eat meat.”

Rosenbloom notes that all ath-letes lose some iron in sweat.And when athletes take a lotof over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications likeibuprofen or aspirin, thosedrugs can cause minor gastro-intestinal blood loss. “Whenyou add those things up, youcan easily have an athlete whohas iron deficiency anemia oriron deficiency without ane-mia,” she explains.

There are also some miscon-ceptions that iron supple-ments are a cure-all. “Myphilosophy is that if you knowsomeone is already iron-depleted, have them takeiron supplements to prevent atrue deficiency, and of courseadd food sources high in ironinto their diets,” says Rosen-bloom. “But coaches and ath-letic trainers should avoidpromising the athlete that justbecause they take an iron sup-plement, they are going todramatically improve theirperformance right away. Irondeficiency does not occurovernight, and the remediesalso take time.”

For more information on iron deficiencies, visit the Iron Disorders Institute at www.irondisorders.org or The Centers forDisease Control at www.cdc.gov and enter “iron deficiency” in the search window. To read an article on nutrition forvegetarian athletes, go to www.athleticsearch.com and enter “vegetarian” into the search window.

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CM: To what do you attribute yourteams’ consistent success? Knuth: I have been blessed with goodathletes who have allowed me to be partof their lives. Beyond that, I have neverbelieved that I was going to win any matchor game that I’ve gone into. I alwaysbelieve that it can happen, but I neverfeel that it definitely will. That is just mypersonality. I never overlook an opponent,and I do not allow my teams to overlookopponents.

I know that our program has achieved alot, but we do not spend time reflectingon our achievements. I never mentionto this year’s team anything about pastteams’ accomplishments. Time goes byvery quickly, and what happened lastyear or five years ago is not reallyimportant. I believe that we should tryour very best at every moment, and Ithink that has something to do with oursuccess.

What goes into your weekly practiceplan? Most coaches have general, overall plansthat address monthly or seasonal goals.But I think the really important plan is the

weekly plan. I put a lot of detail into eachof my weekly practice plans.

I have on file every weekly practice planthat I’ve ever used, and I sometimes lookback at those. But the majority of theplan comes from taking a look at wherethe team is, and what we need to accom-plish. Then I decide what amount of timewe need to spend on each skill to improveas a team by the end of the week. I alsospend time on scouting to make sure weare prepared with a gameplan for each ofour matches, and then I incorporate thegameplan into our weekly practice plan.

You’ve instituted a “positive attitudepolicy” with your players. What is thatpolicy? As an athletic director and as a coach, Ihave three major expectations for ath-letes. I want them to follow our code ofconduct as far as drugs, alcohol, tobacco,and those types of things. The secondexpectation is that they perform well aca-demically. And the third expectation isthat they have a positive attitude.

I tell them that they are fortunate to havethe opportunity to play a sport. It’s not

the most important thing in their lives, butit’s what they’re doing at this moment,and just like any other thing that they’redoing at that moment, they should do itthe very best they can—and do it with apositive attitude. I demand that from thetime they walk into practice and through-out our matches. I demand it of myselfas well.

So I have instituted a positive attitudepolicy. First of all, I tell them that if theyare having a bad day and they need a littleleeway, to see me before practice and Iwill give them that. Otherwise, if they arenot trying their hardest or if they arecomplaining, I will send them home frompractice. Each athlete and their parentshave signed this policy, so they are awareof what I’m asking. Despite being senthome, the athletes know they’re not kickedoff the team, and that they’re to comeback to the next practice or match readyto play.

How do you communicate your expec-tations to your players? I am not big on talking to players individ-ually. Of course, there are some personalcircumstances in their lives and when

AQ&

COACHING MANAGEMENT 17

John KnuthMarysville High School

With 918 wins in 20 seasons, John Knuth ranks among the all-time leaders in career volleyball victories by a high schoolcoach. But an even more impressive number is 69, the number of losses Marysville (Mich.) High School has suffered inthose 20 seasons with Knuth as its head coach, which includes an active streak of eight consecutive Class B state titles.

After winning more than 90 percent of the matches he’s coached, it’s no surprise that numerous awards have followed.He’s won six consecutive Coach of the Year honors from the Michigan Interscholastic Volleyball Coaches Association, and

in 2002, he was named National Volleyball Coach ofthe Year by the NFHS Coaches Association.

Marysville’s success on the court, which includes a192-match winning streak from 1996-2002, is mirroredin the classroom. For 10 years running, the Vikingshave earned the American Volleyball Coaches Asso-ciation Team Academic Award, which requires eachplayer to maintain at least a 3.3 grade point averagefor the entire season.

Three years ago, Knuth resigned as a health and phy-sical education teacher at Marysville and took on thechallenge of becoming an athletic director. Whileremaining Head Volleyball Coach at Marysville, hesigned on as Athletic Director at nearby Croswell-Lexington High School. In this interview, we talk toKnuth about his team’s “positive attitude policy,” thenontraditional seasons litigation in Michigan, and howhe keeps on winning.

The 2004 Marysville squad celebrates its Michigan High School Athletic Asso-ciation Class B state championship, its eighth in as many years. Coach Knuthstands in the back row, second from right.

Page 20: Coaching Management 12.11

those arise I will speak to them alone.But for any topic that has an impact onthe team, I talk to them openly and infront of the team, like a family would doat the supper table.

I also feel it’s important to clearly outlineexpectations and tell players, “These

expectations are the price tag for beingpart of this team.” Then you must berelentless in refusing to lower them. Intoday’s world, kids love discipline, theylove to be in a structured environment,and they respond well to it.

But you also have to coach with love.Being a good coach is a lot like being agood parent. You won’t get very far if

you’re just giving love without discipline,or vice versa.

How do you promote academicsuccess on your team? If I have a student who is struggling inclass, I have her come to practice but Idon’t let her play volleyball. I have her sit

in the bleachers and work on her home-work during that time period. Even if sheis eligible to play, I want to make sureshe understands that academics are moreimportant than volleyball.

At the beginning of the season, I also haveeach player give me three to five academ-ic goals for the year in writing. I compilethem and give the entire list to each per-

son on the team so that they can supportand challenge each other.

What advice do you give an athlete whois being recruited to play in college? First, I’ll meet with her parents andexplain how the process works. Then I’llmake phone calls to college coaches. Ittakes some work, but if an athlete of minewants to play in college, it’s important tome, and I make the time.

The advice I give players is that first, theyshould know they want to go to this par-ticular college. Only then should theyconsider the opportunity to play.

I’m also careful not to push a player tothink about college scholarships, no matterhow talented she is. I have had playerswith the ability to play at the Division Ilevel who wanted to go on and just bestudents, and I tell them that’s great.There is nothing wrong with that. Or ifthey wish to play some other sport, I tryto help them with that goal too.

Do many of your players participate inclub volleyball?

18 COACHING MANAGEMENT

“Almost all of the players on my team play threesports, and I think that’s the route to go … You neverknow what coach is going to touch their lives orwhat experience they might have that will changetheir lives, so the more sports the better.”

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COACHING MANAGEMENT 19

Some of our kids get involved, but it’smostly when they are younger. We placean emphasis on playing multiple sportsinstead. Almost all of the players on myteam play three sports, and I think that’sthe route to go.

I remember growing up, I was really intobasketball and thought about quittingfootball. But when I reflect back on thehighlights of my high school career, foot-ball ended up being my best sport. Younever know what coach is going to touchtheir lives or what experience they mighthave that will change their lives, so themore sports the better.

Michigan high schools play girls’ volley-ball in the winter, but an ongoing courtcase may switch your season to thefall. How do you feel about the change? My personal feeling is that the wintervolleyball season is fine the way it is. Butsince it looks like it’s going to change,let’s find ways to make this a positivething for our student-athletes. Everythingwill be fine after one year of the new sys-tem. People won’t even remember thatvolleyball was ever played in the winter.

Do you believe that having girls playin a nontraditional season presents agender equity issue? I know that some people have questionedwhether it causes our players to losescholarship opportunities. I personallyhave not experienced that to a highdegree. Most of my players are recruitedin their junior year, so it hasn’t been a bigissue. However, this year, I do have asenior player who is being affected bythe nontraditional season to some extent,because she is not able to play in front ofa college coach who wanted to see herplay some more. I think it’s going towork out okay as far as her scholarship isconcerned, but if she was playing in thefall, they would definitely be able to comeout and take a look at her.

How do you manage your time whilebeing an athletic director at oneschool and a coach at another? In the fall and spring, I don’t do anythingwith regard to coaching, but during thewinter season, my schedule is very hectic.I put in a normal day as an athletic dir-ector, then I go to Marysville and coachvolleyball practice, and then I return toCroswell-Lexington to help with varsitybasketball games and other activities.

Sunday is the day that has changed sinceI took on both roles. Now I devote Sun-days to doing all of my practice plans, andI also spend a great deal of time planning

for my athletic director job to make surethat I’m organized for the week ahead.During that day, every moment is taken up.

How has being an AD for the pastthree years changed your perspectiveas a coach?I’d like to think it’s made me a bettercoach. It’s given me a broader perspectiveand allowed me to look at coaching morefrom a management point of view. It’seasier to see how the decisions I make as

Q A&a coach have an effect on a bigger scalethan just with my volleyball program.

What do athletic directors wish coachesunderstood better? That they should do their jobs with pas-sion and not get sucked into negativity.Beyond that, I like to see them focus onorganizational skills. It’s important thateverybody is on the same page, and ittakes everybody making a big effort atorganization to accomplish that.

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University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Head CoachKathy Litzau poses with her family: husbandSteve and children (left to right) Kayce, Danielle,Nicholas, and Lauren. Below: UWM in action.

A MATTEROF BALANCE

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Along with giving honest answers,Yerty encourages coaching candidates toask questions to gauge an athletic direc-tor’s family-friendliness: What are thedepartment’s policies on maternity leave?What kind of schedule are coachesexpected to work? Are practice hoursflexible? Does the department allowcoaches to travel with their children?What events does the university hold forchildren? Are there on-campus daycarefacilities?

The answers she got were an importantpart of her decision to take the job, andeight seasons later, Yerty’s philosophy oftreating her team like family producedthe best single-season winning percentagein school history. Within her first threeyears, she turned the team into a con-tender, and in the fourth, when her sonWesLee was born, her Lady Tigers werethe first visitors to come to the hospital.

“The women I coach are able to seethat I can have a full-time job and raisea family at the same time,” says Yerty.“I’d like to think that’s a positive rolemodel for them, whether they’re plan-ning to go into coaching or any otherprofession. And it’s wonderful for mystudent-athletes to see that the adminis-tration supports it, too.”

Planning The DetailsWhile administrative support is criti-

cal, balancing work and family doesrequire more attention to organizingyour life. You need to plan thoroughly,manage your time well, and communi-cate as often as possible with people onboth sides of your life.

Cindy Fredrick, Head Coach at theUniversity of Iowa, and her husband,Associate Head Coach Mashallah Farokh-manesh, decided to have only one child,and to plan the birth for mid-April. “Forus, breastfeeding was going to be animportant part of bonding betweenmother and child,” says Fredrick. “Wethought that was crucial, and that’s why

BY KENNY BERKOWITZ

hen JoyLynn Tracy, HeadCoach at Wright State Uni-versity, became pregnant,she was repeatedly asked aquestion that exasperatedher: Are you going to stopcoaching now?

“A lot of people asked me that ques-tion, which I thought was so ridiculous,”she says, “because no one asked my hus-band if he was going to stop coaching.Why do people think women can’t doboth?”

Tracy’s son Mattaus is now almostfour, and she and her husband, WrightState Head Men’s Soccer Coach MikeTracy, both continue to be successfulcoaches. Tracy concedes that raising afamily while holding down a demandingjob is not always easy, but it’s certainlydoable.

“We need to give women credit,” saysTracy. “I don’t want women to thinkthat if they want to coach, they can’thave children, because it’s not true. Notat all. Yes, the people around you haveto be supportive of what you’re doing.But it can work.”

How do you make it work? How doyou juggle the demands of being a parentand a committed coach in a professionthat is traditionally male-dominated?How do you find time to nurture bothyour own children and a team of a dozenyoung women?

Starting RightThe first step to balancing life as a

head coach and mother, says Carrie

Yerty, Head Coach at the University ofMemphis, is to choose an athletic depart-ment that will support your decision tohave children. “As you’re picking yourinstitution, it’s critical to find a place thatprovides a family-friendly environment,”advises Yerty, whose sons are five and twoyears old. “Find a department that’s agood fit, with an athletic director whowill allow you to do the things you needto do personally as well as athletically.”

At the time she interviewed for thehead coaching position at Memphis,Yerty was 25 years old and ready to start afamily. As she came to campus, shelooked for signs that other female coach-es there had children, and was encour-aged to see that the head women’sbasketball coach and head women’strack coach were both raising familieswhile directing highly successful, com-petitive programs.

To Yerty, it was an important signthat the department was supportive,and when she was asked about hergoals, she chose to be completely hon-est. “I told them that I wanted to coachat a highly competitive level, raise a fam-ily, and share my family philosophy withmy team,” says Yerty. “And that wasaccepted very well.

“I think honesty is the best policy,right from the beginning,” she contin-ues. “It’s important that your adminis-tration is aware you’re planning to raisea family, because if they’re looking forsomeone who is going to be all business,that department may not be the placefor you.”

Kenny Berkowitz is an Assistant Editor atCoaching Management.

COVER STORY

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There is a myth being perpetuated that you can’t be acompetitive volleyball coach and raise a family. In thisarticle, six successful coaching moms explain how tobalance parenting and a coaching career at the highestlevels of the game.

COACHING MANAGEMENT 21

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Page 25: Coaching Management 12.11

we had our baby in April, because weknew that would be toward the end ofour spring season. By having the birthduring the offseason, we got to spendmore time with our newborn.”

For Kathy Litzau, Head Coach at theUniversity of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, whohas four children under the age of seven,juggling work and home has necessitatedlearning how to manage her time moreefficiently. “Since my children wereborn, I’ve become an incredible timemanager,” says Litzau. “I was pretty goodbefore, but now every minute of my timeis accounted for—and I love it. The keyto managing your time effectively is tocommunicate with everyone in your fam-ily, on your staff, and on your team.

“For example, all my players have mycell phone number, and if they everneed to reach me, they’re free to call,”she continues. “And I meet with myplayers every two weeks during the off-season, just to talk, to make sure they’redoing okay.”

At home, Litzau and her husbandmaintain clear lines of communication,coordinating their schedules months inadvance. To avoid conflicts, he plans hisbusiness trips during the spring andsummer. When their children get sickduring the volleyball season, he bringsthem home from school or daycare.When they get sick during the offsea-son, she picks them up. Around thehouse, they don’t have specific duties.Whoever gets home first cooks dinner,and whoever has time to mow the lawnmows the lawn.

“We call it tag-team parenting, and itworks extremely well for us,” says Litzau.“My family is my team, my number onepriority, and my husband and I makesure that family comes first. We just bal-ance each other so well, and he juststeps in wherever I leave off. That’s whyI’m able to be a coach and mother, andstill be fairly stress-free. No matterwhere I go, my children know where Iam and when I’m coming home. Theyknow that Mommy loves her job andMommy loves them.”

Finding the Right SupportEven if you don’t have the kind of

tag-team husband that Litzau has, thereare other places to find support, which iscritical. The first place to look is yourathletic department staff. And the firstthing to do is become a better delegator.

“I’ve learned that I can’t do it allmyself,” says Cookie Stevens, HeadCoach at Florida International Universi-ty, whose two sons are now 20 and 17.“So I’ve found assistants who are strongin detail work, and we’ve been able tobalance each other out.”

Tracy has also learned to delegatesome of her administrative responsibili-ties to her associate head coach and thestudent assistants who work with theteam. And she’s learned to identify thestrengths of her co-workers in the

department and find appropriate tasksto challenge them. “The smart thing isto ask yourself, ‘What one thing can theequipment manager do to help?’” shesays. “‘What’s one thing sports informa-tion can do?’ Instead of delegatingeverything to your assistant, find a wayto divide the tasks.

“Sometimes, it’s just a matter of find-ing people within your department whoare willing to help,” continues Tracy.“When you work with people for a while,you learn what gets them fired up. For

COVER STORY

otherhood hasn’t just en-riched JoyLynn Tracy’s life.It’s improved her coaching.Like many others who bal-ance the roles, she findsthe patience and perspec-

tive gained in parenting make her a betterleader of athletes.

“Being a mother has taught me to let go ofthings with my athletes, to relax a little bitmore,” says Tracy, Head Coach at WrightState University, whose son Mattaus is almostfour years old. “Before Mattaus was born,I used to carry losses around with me. Alot. When we lost, itwould take me a longtime to get over it. I’mstill not wild about losing,but after a loss, I can gohome and play with mychild. He doesn’t carewhether I’ve won orlost—he just wants hismom. He wants to playand smile and laugh, andthat helps me move onmuch quicker. It’s impos-sible to keep that coach’sscowl on my face whenI’ve got a three-year olddancing in front of me.

“When I go to work thenext day, it helps myteam,” continues Tracy.“I don’t overwork themto make up for how theyplayed the night before.We learn from our mistakes and move on.We get better as a team because we canstay positive, instead of carrying around thenegatives.”

Motherhood has made Cindy Fredrick feelmore responsive to her players and their

parents—especially now that her son Ali isalmost ready for college. “Being a motherhas made me a better coach,” says Fredrick,Head Coach at the University of Iowa.“Because I understand how I’d like my childto be treated, I can better take care of otherpeople’s children. It’s helped me to stopand listen a little bit more, to really hearwhat my student-athletes are telling me.”

With four children under seven years old,Kathy Litzau agrees that motherhood hasmade her more sympathetic to her athletes.“Being a mother has definitely made me amore patient coach,” says Litzau, Head Coach

at the University ofWisconsin-Milwaukee.“It’s helped me reallyunderstand the conceptof being part of a team,made me more aware ofissues outside the gameitself. It’s given me agreater awareness of myathletes as individuals,because I now look atthem as somebody’sdaughter, instead of justmy players.

“My goal as a coach hasalways been to teach myathletes life skills, butsince I’ve had children,that’s really solidified,”Litzau continues. “Yes,they’re here to playvolleyball. But they’realso here to grow as

people, and one of the things that I’m mostproud of in 12 seasons at UWM is that Ihave never had a recruited player transferfrom my program. That shows me thatwe’re teaching more than volleyball. Ourathletes are growing as people and feelinglike a part of this program.”

G E T T I N G B E T T E R

COACHING MANAGEMENT 23

M

University of Iowa Head Coach CindyFredrick says being a parent hasmade her a better communicator. “It’shelped me stop and listen a little bitmore, to really hear what my student-athletes are telling me,” she says.

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24 COACHING MANAGEMENT

COVER STORY

example, if I need a T-shirt design for mytournament, and I know some people inthe marketing office who never get achance to do things like that, I ask themif they’re interested. If they agree, that’sone more thing I can take off my list.”

But often the most important taskfor a coaching mother to delegate ischildcare. The problem is that findingchildcare can be a little more difficultfor a coach than for a parent who worksnine to five.

Yerty has had success finding nan-nies among members of the team’sbooster club. “Because my husband andI don’t have any relatives in Memphis,we’ve gotten a lot of support from thebooster club, which has really adoptedour family,” says Yerty. “They sometimes

pick up our children from school, bringthem to the gym, or help us out onweekends. When we do bring our kidson the road, we have a nanny who trav-els with us, and it’s generally a boosterclub member. They’ve been there sincewe started our family, and have been apart of our lives ever since.”

Sharon Clark, Head Coach at ButlerUniversity, has also learned the impor-tance of creating a support system aroundher. “If you have an extended family offriends who understand a coachinglifestyle, balancing work and family is verydoable,” says Clark. “My husband and Ihave built an extended family of friendswho can step in when we’re both travel-ing. My assistant coach also has a child, soour husbands coordinate quite a bit.Sometimes when we go on the road, myhusband will pick up both kids and takecare of them until we get back.”

Clark also gets help from anothersource: athletes who have stayed in townafter graduating from her program.“Former players are some of my bestresources,” says Clark. “Some of the ath-letes who’ve recently finished playing arestill pretty attached to our kids, so they’llfill in for us in a pinch. A couple of them

are schoolteachers working close by, andthey always offer to help us out.”

Including the FamilySometimes, the hardest part of being

a parent and a coach is knowing whenfamily and work can overlap—andwhen they can’t. To get a good handleon making the right choices, it’s best tohave open communication with yourathletic director, to start.

“To make things work, talk to yourathletic director, and, if needed, encour-age him or her to think outside the box,”says Tracy. “Just because something hasnever been done before doesn’t meanthat it can’t be done.”

During her son’s first year, Tracy’s ath-letic director gave her the flexibility to

bring Mattaus to work, and encouragedher to take Mattaus on road trips with theteam. He allowed her to maintain a flex-ible work schedule and spend more timeworking at home. He trusted Tracy to doher job as she saw fit, and Tracy respond-ed by taking full responsibility for main-taining her sense of professionalism.

“The coach should be responsiblefor communicating her needs to theathletic director,” says Tracy. “If you’rehaving problems, it’s important to talkto your athletic director. But your familyshould never be an excuse if thingsaren’t going well for your team. Youcan’t use your family as a crutch, justbecause you were up with a fussy babythe night before. You have to maintaina professional relationship.”

And even though Mattaus is now apreschooler, Tracy continues to mixwork and family when needed. Duringthe season, Tracy arrives at her office ataround 9:30 in the morning and leaves at5:30 to pick up Mattaus from preschool.Yet, if she has more to do than can fit inthat eight-hour time span, she leaves it todo while at home with her family.

“If you can take work home with you,there’s no reason to sit in your office until

9 o’clock at night,” says Tracy. “Beingable to utilize the technology that’s avail-able is really, really important. I can veryefficiently call recruiting prospects andsend e-mails from home, and eventhough I’m not 100 percent focused onmy son while I’m doing it, I’m still withhim and very accessible to him.”

In Yerty’s situation, after her sonWesLee born, the athletic departmentmade it possible for her to continueworking at home, providing a laptopcomputer, fax machine, and additionaltelephone line. “I could do most of mywork from my house, including recruitingand supervising my staff, and the onlytime I had to be at school was for prac-tices,” says Yerty. “That’s a critical piece ofsupport for any female who wants to raisea family and compete at a high level.”

Then, when WesLee was old enoughto come to work, Yerty set up a place forhim in her office, which was quietenough for feeding and napping. Forthose first four or five months, shebrought WesLee to school every day,carrying him to practice and spendingdown time together in her office, allwith the encouragement of her athleticdirector. “My administration’s attitudewas, ‘If you want to bring the baby towork, and it’s not a distraction to you orthe people around you, by all means,please bring him,’” says Yerty.

But it’s also important to know whenyour child should be watched by some-one else. “During his first year, I used totravel with my son, but I would alwaysbring a nanny to take care of him, tomake sure he wouldn’t take my atten-tion away from the team,” says Tracy.“The people around you need to seethat when you’re at a match, your teamcomes first. It wouldn’t be appropriatefor Mattaus to sit on the bench with me.Coaching is my job, so I always bringsomeone to watch him on the road.When we’re in the gym, I’m the coach,and when we’ve finished playing andwe’re back in the hotel, I’m his mother.

“Coaching is my career, and I don’tthink it’s fair to my athletes to have my sonwith us all the time,” she continues. “Myteam has always been very supportive,because I’m respectful of them. When it’stime to play or practice, I want to be ableto focus completely on my team.”

When children get older, however,sometimes they can be an asset at prac-tices. While coaching at Miami-Dade

“To make things work, talk to your athletic director,and, if needed, encourage him or her to think outsidethe box ... Just because something has never beendone before doesn’t mean that it can’t be done.”

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Community College, Stevens broughther sons to practice as soon as they wereinterested. “When they got big enough,they then started training with myteam,” says Stevens. “As a result, they’vebecome really good players.”

Her older son, now 20 years old,plays for Ohio State University, and heryounger son, now 17, has been a mem-ber of the youth national team for USAVolleyball. They started practicing withher teams when they were in fifth andsixth grades, and kept going until theyreached high school, when they hadgrown too tall to provide realistic com-petition.

“The boys learned discipline and com-mitment, and developed a really strongwork ethic,” says Stevens. “At the begin-ning, when guys typically learn a lot abouthitting, my sons learned about passingand defense. And the girls on my teamsalways appreciated them coming inbecause they presented a new challenge,with bigger blocks and stronger hitting.”

But even while they are young, theinteractions with the team can provemeaningful. “Coaching is such a uniqueopportunity, because your players andyour staff become intermixed with yourfamily,” says Yerty. “As they go throughthe program, my athletes get veryattached to my children, and my chil-dren get very attached to my athletes.It’s truly become a family environment.”

Time For YourselfAs much as the mother-coach role

takes planning, finding support, andunderstanding the balance, it alsorequires one more critical component:time for recharging. “As women coaches,we try to take care of everyone elsearound us and we forget about our-selves,” says Stevens. “We’re the last per-son we think about, and inhindsight—I’ve been doing this for over20 years—it probably would have beenbetter for me if I had taken time formyself, even if it was only three hours inthe middle of the week, to give myself achance to recharge. That’s what I donow—by taking walks and listening tomusic—and it really makes a difference.”

“A lot of women coaches never getany alone time,” agrees Fredrick, whorelaxes with regularly scheduled mas-sages. “It’s important for coaches toremember to take time for themselves,and that means time away from family

and away from everybody. If you dooccasional things just for yourself, itmakes a huge difference. You become abetter parent and a better coach.”

It’s also important to realize thatworking more hours doesn’t alwaysbring more success. “Some coaches getpretty excited about working longdays,” says Tracy. “And when you startcoaching, it’s easy to think that way: ‘IfI’m going to beat this other coach, Ineed to spend more time in the office.’But it’s all in the way you look at it. If

someone works in the office 80 hours aweek, does that make them a bettercoach than me? Of course not. We’redifferent types of coaches, and that kindof schedule may work for some people,but it wouldn’t work for me. I need alife outside coaching in order to be ahappy, well-rounded individual.

“There’s a difference between work-ing hard and working smart,” continuesTracy. “And the key to balancing yourfamily and your job is to figure out howto work smart.” ■

COVER STORY

COACHING MANAGEMENT 25

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are more effective during competition.I’ve used the program with teams atmany different levels—youth, highschool, and college—and I’ve watchedthese squads consistently give the mosteffort they can, have fun, and performbetter than anyone thought possible.

Here’s the best part: You will also beteaching skills that will help your stu-dent-athletes succeed in life. Teachingathletes how to think inside and outsidethe classroom setting and to be positiveeven when faced with a pervasive nega-tivism in our society can help them beleaders as adults.

IN MOST ATHLETIC PROGRAMS, coaching is more of an art thana science. Every coach has his or her own strategies, style, and methodsof motivation. The common understanding is that there is no “one rightway” to coach a team.

But there is one area of coaching that could benefit from more scienceand less art: teaching athletes the mental skills necessary to succeed insports. To fully reach their potential, athletes need to be taught how to“think to win” in a structured way.

COACHING MANAGEMENT 27

OPTIMUM PERFORMANCE

Ready,Set,FocusHow can you get your athletes togive maximum effort in everyaspect of their performance, onevery play? Consider the followingmental (and life) skills program.

serve, it is not because she can’t put theball in play, but because some mentallapse caused her to not execute at thatpoint in time. When an athlete is not con-centrating during practice, it is a mentalproblem, not a physical one. If you canteach your athletes to recognize this, cor-rections become more permanent.

As a result, practices are more effi-cient—players end up learning more ina shorter period of time. And athletes

Mitch Lyons is an Assistant Coach for Men’sBasketball at Lasell College. He is also thePresident of GetPsychedSports.org, Inc., anonprofit corporation based in Newton, Mass.

Through research and trial and errorwith my own teams, I’ve developed aprogram for teaching the mental side ofsports that I’d like to share with othercoaches. Its premise is actually prettysimple: If you teach athletes how to beaware of their thinking process andremain positive in all that they do, theirperformance will improve.

Most mistakes made by athletes aremental mistakes. When a player botches a

BY MITCH LYONS

Ready,Set,Focus

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The Game of LifeThe program I describe in this arti-

cle aims to make athletes winners bothon and off the court. Most of you prob-ably already subscribe to this ideal. Weall want to win, but any good coach alsothrives on seeing an awkward freshmanmature into a confident senior leader.

And we certainly aren’t the first gen-eration of coaches to think this way. Forexample, today, we take the concept ofteamwork for granted, but 100 yearsago it was a new idea. Back in 1906,Luther Halsey Gulick, the first PhysicalActivity Director for New York City,started high schools operating sportsprograms (for boys) because, in hiswords, “Through the loyalty and self-sacrifice developed in team games, weare laying the foundations for wider loy-alty and a more discerning self-devotionto the great national ideals on whichdemocracy rests.”

Gulick was amazingly successful.Today, not only do players and membersof educational institutions understand“loyalty to the whole,” but entire commu-nities support their home teams withabandon. We regularly pepper ourspeech with sports metaphors becausethe teamwork lessons in sports are clearlywhat we experience in our everyday lives.

Gulick’s vision also included teach-ing morals through sports. And whilemost coaches would agree with the ideathat we should be teaching life skills onour teams, this concept has provenmore difficult. One hundred years later,we still don’t have a standard methodfor teaching these types of lessons. Wepoint out right from wrong duringteachable moments, and we hold ourathletes accountable to a code of con-duct, but I think we can do more. I thinkwe can teach life skills—through mentalskills training—in a systematic way. Ithink the time is ripe to fulfill Gulick’sideal of using sport to shape society.

Studies in sports psychology say thatperformance can be improved throughbuilding an athlete’s self-worth. Ourprogram combines self-talk, goal-setting,visualization techniques, and a positiveenvironment to help athletes enhancetheir performance in any sport.

These same mental skills help today’syoung people find the right path andsucceed in life. My belief is that low self-worth contributes to many of our ado-lescents’ problems (violence, addictions,

eating disorders). We must teach youngpeople how to find success by buildingtheir own feelings of value in our society.If our society’s negative attitudes pro-mote feelings of hopelessness, we mustteach young people how to create a pos-itive atmosphere in which people flour-ish and are empowered. Mental skilltraining fills those needs for your team,your school, and our society as a whole.

The ProgramA main tenet of the program and

sport psychology is that people whoengage in positive thinking and feelgood about themselves will probablyperform better in anything they do. Butwhat is not so obvious is that self-worthand positive thinking need to be taught.Helping your teammates, focusing, andeven working hard are all skills. Theymay seem like simple skills to adults, butto youngsters they can be difficult.Thus, we need to teach them, just as weteach sport-specific skills.

Here are the six major skills we teachin the program:

■ Give maximum physical effortbecause when we do we feel good aboutourselves.

■ Be positive with ourselves and withothers because people perform betterand learn faster in a positive environ-ment.

■ Set written goals because they pro-mote preparedness, which leads to feel-ing confident.

■ Be task-oriented and not outcome-oriented, because our own performanceis all we can control and success is morelikely when we think about the detailsthan when we focus on the final product.

■ Visualize performing tasks success-fully outside of practice.

■ Meditate to learn how to changeharmful thoughts to helpful ones.

You may already talk about thesethings, but are your athletes getting themessage? Is there a text that your play-ers follow? Are they absolutely certainwhat they are trying to accomplishthrough sports? Do all players on yourteam understand the concepts?

On the teams I coach or advise, theprogram starts with a 90-minute work-shop where we introduce the principlesof the curriculum. Athletes are alsogiven a text to read and are tested on itwith a short open-book quiz. By readingand writing about the skills, the athletes

better understand their meaning andimportance. We then apply those skillsat every practice and game, without fail.We push ourselves as coaches the waywe ask players to push themselves.

Of the six major skills, the three weconcentrate on most are effort, goals,and creating a positive environment. Wework as a team on these areas and alsoask each athlete to think about themindividually. In the following sections,I’ll elaborate on these three points.

Maximum Physical EffortGiving maximum physical effort is a

mental skill, not an emotional event.While emotion may aid us, we mustmake the conscious choice to give allthe effort we can muster for as long aswe can sustain it. The following pointsare what we tell our athletes and showthem in writing:

Accept that each practice is a gamein itself. The game is, “How long can Ikeep up my maximum physical effort?”

Identify maximum physical effort asif it were a separate goal so that youknow how it feels kinesthetically, how itfeels emotionally, and what it looks likevisually. Identify maximum effort inpractice when it is happening so youknow what it is.

Demand that you make a choicewhether to give all you have—or not.Don’t kid yourself with your answer.

Expect consequences for bad choicesthat do not fit the identity of the team.Each person on the team has beenasked to give something they have com-plete control over: their effort.

Ask, before each drill, “What am Ithinking about?” (Answer: My level ofeffort.) During the drill, when the effortlevel sags, ask, “What am I thinkingabout?” Sometimes we just forget to givemaximum physical effort as ourthoughts go elsewhere, especially duringlong routine drills.

Rate your effort after each drill, indi-vidually and as a team, until maximumeffort is the rule, not the exception.This means completing each drill allthe way through without shortcuts.(Shortcuts do not improve self-worth,but drive it downward.)

Work all sides of a practice drill, so itis truly game-like (e.g., the defense onan offensive drill should play as if it werea real game).

Stop and reflect on how confident

OPTIMUM PERFORMANCE

28 COACHING MANAGEMENT

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30 COACHING MANAGEMENT

OPTIMUM PERFORMANCE

and prepared you feel when you work ashard as you can all practice, every prac-tice. Stop to reflect on how good you feelas a person after you’ve worked as hard asyou can.

Notice each physical letdown and con-sciously try to reduce the number of let-downs.

Support teammates, whether you areon or off the court. During games, benchplayers should help the players in thegame achieve the level of effort everyonepractices daily.

Naturally, athletes who have the com-mitment toward maximum effort in everypractice will play better in games. Butmore importantly, each member of theteam learns how to raise his or her self-worth. They feel more confident and pre-pared and have learned that hard workhas more dividends than just playing bet-ter. They respect themselves.

Writing GoalsSetting written goals is another way to

gain self-worth. Before practice every day,

each athlete must write down three goalsto be worked on that day. Why shouldyou insist that players construct writtengoals?

1. Scientific evidence shows that set-ting goals, with a coach’s feedback,improves players’ performance.

2. When players write down what theyhave to do to improve, they remembergoals better and make more progress.

3. Setting daily goals helps playerstransition to practice time. By handing intheir goal books as they come into thegym, athletes think about their sport andclear their minds of whatever they havejust been doing.

4. The discipline required to run aplay all the way through is the same typeof discipline required to bring writtengoals every day. I have found that if youinform kids of what is expected of them,they see parallels between what they dooff the court and what they can accom-plish on it. As coaches, we establish disci-pline in a number of ways, andgoal-setting can be one of them.

The type of goals set is very important.Goals should be challenging, yet realistic.They should be performance-related,specific, and quantifiable. And theyshould be short-term, as we want successevery day so athletes can see their ownprogress.

For example, a goal of “making betterpasses” is not specific enough. Instead,the coach should work with the athlete todiscover how to achieve that goal. If theathlete is not getting her arms level dur-ing her passes, then that should be thefocus. A better goal for this athlete couldbe, “Think level platform every time I amon defense.”

Giving feedback on goals is alsoimportant. After the players drop offtheir goal books and start warming up, I,as an assistant coach, make the time toread their goals, make comments, and tryto remember their goals during practiceso I can see how they are doing.

Creating a Positive EnvironmentBeing positive all the time is not

easy—for coaches or athletes. Thus,the program actively teaches the men-tal skill of being positive and demandsthat coaches model it. Here is what wedo to make a positive environment aconstant:

■ We make sure all athletes under-stand and accept that people learn faster

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COACHING MANAGEMENT 31

OPTIMUM PERFORMANCE

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and perform better in a positive envi-ronment.

■ We make sure athletes understandthat it is a skill to be actively positive. Weagree to practice this skill every time wemeet and model it for each other.

■ We notice and correct negativebehavior as soon as it happens in our-selves and others. We make sure it iscorrected in a positive way, such as, “Iunderstand your frustration, but staypositive.” To encourage this, we noticeimpatience, sarcasm, negative tone,rolled eyes, and other body language inourselves and others—then we saysomething about it.

■ We frequently ask ourselves andothers, “What are we thinking about?”to determine if we are having negativethoughts that hurt our performance.Everyone practices replacing negativethoughts with positive ones.

■ We encourage loud and frequentsupport from those not in the drill dur-ing practice.

■ We actively attempt and encourageothers to see the good in people, get-

ting past old differences for their ownhappiness and the unity of the team.

■ We teach and model that construc-tive criticism from others is instruction—it is not about you as a person, but aboutyour play. We recognize defensivenessand practice changing it.

■ We acknowledge as a group thatthe bench has the most difficult job onthe team. As coaches, we must take thetime to teach them how to be positivewithout the self-worth gained from play-ing. For example, have them work onreplacing negative thoughts (“Why aren’tI playing?”) with helpful thoughts(“How could we do that play better?”).My teams have won many games withinsights from the bench.

Too Much Time?For those of you thinking this all takes

too much time, I can tell you from expe-rience that because players learn fasterin this environment, the amount youcan fit into a practice increases. Moreimportantly, the quality of the practiceimproves.

What you will find over time is that youare not using more words, just differentones. You can concentrate your critiqueson the cause of the error instead of theresult, making corrections more perma-nent. And because the athletes aregrounded in the material, they willrespond to your coaching much morequickly.

But, beyond this program helpingyour athletes on the court, it can helpcreate a society that Luther HalseyGulick began to talk about a centuryago, adding in what we now know aboutthe mind-body connection. If we stan-dardize coaching to include practicingthe skill of being positive, millions ofyoung people will become adults whoknow the power of positive thinking. ■

To request a copy of the curriculumoffered by GetPsychedSports.org,the author can be contacted at:[email protected] group’s Web address is:www.getpsychedsports.org.

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or decades, sports nutri-tionists have been preach-ing the same message: Tofuel working muscles, ath-letes need to get themajority of their caloriesfrom carbohydrates.

Lately, though, carbo-hydrates’ reputation hastaken a hit as a new mes-

sage has been gaining volume: Carbo-hydrates make you fat.

No one can blame student-athletesfor being confused, but what do theyreally need to know about finding theoptimal nutritional balance? And howcan you help them separate out themessages that pose risks to their healthand performance?

Debunking MythsHoards of American dieters are tak-

ing carb-bashing to heart, gobbling up

10 million copies of low-carb guruDr. Robert Atkins’ New Diet Revo-lution since its release in 1992.Models and celebrities con-tinue to add themselves tothe list of those attribut-ing their million dollar-physiques to cutting carbs,and a dizzying array of“low-carb” products com-pete for space on super-market shelves.

So should athletes lookingto lose a little weight considerlow-carb diets? Sports nutritionistshave a clear answer: no, never.

Gale Welter, Nutrition Counselor forthe University of Arizona athletic depart-ment, explains: “Very-low-carbohydratediets were designed for people who arevery overweight and have insulin resis-tance. Student-athletes, even ones whowant to lose weight, are incredibly

unlikely to have insulin resis-tance. Their glucose up-

take is going to be fan-tastic, just by virtue of

their high activitylevel. These dietswere not designedfor a population ofcollege athletes.”

But student-ath-letes are certainly

not immune to themarketing. “Student-

athletes see their peers los-ing weight fast on low-carb

plans, and they want to try them too,”says Matt Radelet, Associate AthleticTrainer at Arizona. “Along with wantingto lose weight to perform at their best,there are powerful social pressures to

COACHING MANAGEMENT 33

Laura Smith is an Assistant Editor atCoaching Management.

NUTRITION

That is the question many athletes are wondering thesedays as everyone and their best friend seem to be losingweight on low-carb diets.

Carbs: To Cut or Not?

FBY LAURA SMITH

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look a certain way, especially for womenin this age group, and that can add up todrastic dieting.

“Over the past year or so, it’s becometough to combat the messages they’regetting,” he continues, “but it’s criticalthat we educate athletes about the risks.”

Those risks can be both short andlong term. A diet that severely short-changes athletes on carbs saps theirmuscles of needed glycogen, compro-mises their performance, and can leadto health problems.

“Carbohydrates are the primarysource of fuel for working muscles,” Wel-ter explains. “Athletes trying to eat very-

low-carb diets are taking away their pri-mary fuel and making their bodies jumpthrough additional hoops. They’re atgreater risk for losing lean mass. I tellthem, ‘Sure, you may lose some weight—you’ll lose some water and some mus-cle—weight you didn’t want to lose.’”

“A very-low-carb diet is not going togive them the energy they need, sothey’re not going to make the strengthgains they need to perform at theirbest,” agrees Suzanne Nelson Steen,Director of Sports Nutrition for theUniversity of Washington athleticdepartment. “By limiting their carbohy-drates, they’ll limit their glycogen

stores, which will limit their ability toexercise at a high intensity. And if theycan’t train at a high intensity, they won’tbe able to perform at a high intensity.In addition, they’ll be more prone toinjury because they’re fatigued.”

The long-term health consequencesare just as damaging. “The biggest dan-ger is that if you’re eating all protein,you’re cutting out foods like bagels,bananas, and breads,” says Nancy Clark,Nutrition Counselor at SportsMedicineAssociates in Brookline, Mass., andauthor of the best-selling Nancy Clark’sSports Nutrition Guidebook. “This meansyou’re not getting enough fiber or can-cer protective phytochemicals. Everymajor medical association recommendsfruits and vegetables and whole grains aspart of a healthy diet—and those con-tain carbs. To eliminate them is counterto a plethora of health wisdom.”

Caroline Hodges, Nutrition Coun-selor at the Elmira (N.Y.) Nutrition Clin-ic, who works with Cornell Universitystudent-athletes, finds that eating-disor-dered athletes can be particularly sus-ceptible to the low-carb message.“Athletes with an underlying eating dis-order are the most likely to want toseverely restrict carbs, and that is a hugeconcern,” she says. “Eating-disorderpatients are typically very sensitive toserotonin level changes, and becauseserotonin is a byproduct of carbohydratemetabolism, a low-carbohydrate intakedepletes the serotonin levels in thebrain. With lower serotonin, these ath-letes become more depressed and moreobsessed, and that makes their eatingdisorder worse.”

Most sports nutritionists recommendathletes follow a diet that takes 65 per-cent of its calories from carbohydrates,although they sometimes advise going abit lower for athletes whose aerobic out-put is low. Leslie Bonci, Director ofSports Nutrition at the University of Pitts-burgh Medical Center, suggests that tohelp athletes put this percentage intopractical terms, athletes might visualizetheir plate as divided into thirds. “Theprotein should fit on one third, while therest of the plate should be covered withcarbohydrate-containing grains, fruits,and vegetables,” she says.

Smart CarbsBut what can you do when an athlete

is set on trying out a low-carb diet? The

H E A L T H Y W E I G H T L O S S

NUTRITION

34 COACHING MANAGEMENT

ne of the best ways to steer weight-conscious athletes away fromdiets dangerously low in carbohydrates is to offer tips for a healthyalternative plan. First, it’s important to encourage them to restrictweight-loss efforts to the off-season.

“The first thing I tell them is, ‘Don’t try to lose weight during yourseason, or you will end up decreasing your performance,’” says Uni-

versity of Arizona Nutrition Counselor Gale Welter. “It’s a difficult message toget across, because during their season is exactly when they are under pressureto improve, and they think that they can do that by losing weight. But to loseweight, they have to create an energy deficit, and that really risks decreasingtheir performance.”

Then, instead of restricting carbs, Welter offers other suggestions. “I tell themto get very tight with the quality of the foods they’re eating, reduce their calo-ries, and depending on their sport, consider increasing the aerobic work they’redoing,” she says. “Athletes in power sports who want to lose fat may thinkthey’re getting a lot of exercise, but they may actually need to get more cardiooutput going.”

Welter also cautions against trying to lose weight too quickly. “If an athletechronically over-restricts their calories, the body can over-ride it for a while andget the work done,” she explains. “But they will eventually fall apart, becausethey can never fully recover until they re-fuel themselves.”

Encouraging athletes to consider their body composition rather than their weightis another way to promote healthy eating. “Body comping is always my prefer-ence, instead of looking at a number on the scale,” says Caroline Hodges,Nutrition Counselor at the Elmira (N.Y.) Nutrition Clinic. “It can be very helpfulwith athletes who think they need to lose weight, because it gives themaccurate information about exactly where they are.”

Often, a closer look can reveal that an athlete’s weight is fine as is. “If an athletebelieves they should lose weight, I first ask them, ‘Okay, why do you need todo that?’” says University of Arizona Associate Athletic Trainer Matt Radelet.“‘Are you saying that because your performance has dropped off and you thinkthere is a connection? Or are you just saying that because you’ve gained a fewpounds over the season?’ If we can’t make a connection between performanceand the need for weight loss, we have to seriously ask why they think they needto lose weight.”

O

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best approach is to ask them to firstexamine the type of carbohydrates theyare consuming.

Many college-age students consume alot of empty calories. If athletes can rec-ognize which of their carbohydrates arecoming from refined sugars and replacethem with healthier carbs, both weightloss and increased energy will follow.

“When we tell athletes ‘high carb,’they tend to hear ‘high sugar,’” NelsonSteen says. “I think the best message is,‘It’s important to eat sufficient carbohy-drates, but you’ve got to think about thekinds of carbohydrates you’re eating.’”

“Student-athletes tend to get an over-whelming amount of sugar in theirdiets,” Clark agrees. “It’s important thatwe educate them about the fact thatcarbs come in many different categories,and they aren’t all created equal. Youhave fruits and vegetables and wholegrains, which are very health-promoting.Then you have Twizzlers and Big Gulpsodas, which is the logical category foran athlete to limit.”

Even foods that don’t appear sugar-laden can be replaced with more nutri-tious carbohydrates. “They may not beeating chips and cookies, but they maybe living on white bread, bagels, andcereal,” says Welter. “If that’s the case,they probably don’t realize how manycalories they’re taking in, and that couldbe the source of the unwanted weight.

“Cutting back on simple sugars willfacilitate weight loss without sacrificingenergy, so I advise them to make somesubstitutions,” she continues. “Instead oftwo big bowls of cereal, how about wholewheat toast with peanut butter and a cupof yogurt or some scrambled eggs? Thetraditional bagel with cream cheesepacks 500 calories. Instead, they can

have a piece of fruit and yogurt, a sliceof whole wheat bread, and a soft-boiledegg for fewer calories than that onebagel. They’re always amazed when Ipoint that out.”

Timing Is EverythingIt’s not only the quantity and quality

of carbohydrates that matter for student-athletes. Timing is another key piece ofthe puzzle. In order to fuel themselvesfor their activity and then recover, ath-letes need to be eating carbohydratesthroughout the day.

“With their crazy schedules, that issuecan become even more important thannumbers and percentages,” NelsonSteen says. “I tell our student-athletesthey need to be grazing. It’s reallyimportant to help them build frequentmeals and snacks into their busy sched-ules because they’re constantly goingthrough the cycle of getting fuel to exer-cise and then recovering from exercise.”

Along with eating carbs throughoutthe day, nutritionists have suggestions

for what to consume during the timeimmediately surrounding practice. Pre-exercise, athletes need foods high in car-bohydrates along with some protein,Welter says, and during practice, she sug-gests a small amount of a high-carb food.

Post-workout meals and snacksshould contain about 6 grams of pro-tein, along with about 35 grams of car-bohydrate, Nelson Steen says. “It’s alsoimportant for them to eat their post-workout carbs within 15 or 30 minutes,because there is an enzyme active intheir bodies at that time that encouragesglycogen repletion,” she explains.

Educating Your AthletesGetting your athletes to understand

the science and not believe the hype canbe done through workshops, handouts,and individual counseling. The key ismaking the information easy and conve-nient.

“I try to give my athletes very practicalstrategies,” Nelson Steen says. “I givethem recipes and quick, easy ways theycan get fuel so they can feel better dur-ing practice and make the strengthgains they need.”

Knowing what’s in your school’s cafe-teria can be another great way to help stu-dent-athletes choose healthy carbsthroughout the day. “I have listings offoods that are in every dining hall and eat-ing area,” says Nelson Steen, “so we cantalk about what their actual choices are.”

Even if your educational efforts can-not include guidance from on-staffnutritionists, you can still inform yourathletes with a simple message. “It’s allabout balance,” Nelson Steen says. “Thenext extreme diet they come across maylook attractive, but it’s up to us to armthem with the information to choosereasonable behaviors that are going tobe best for their health and their per-formance.” ■

This article originally appeared in Coach-ing Management’s sister publication,Training & Conditioning.

NUTRITION

COACHING MANAGEMENT 35

At the University of Arizona, Nutrition Counselor Gale Welter helps her athletesmake good food choices through handouts she posts on her department’s Website. Topics include “Fast Food Best Bets,” “Pack & Go Foods,” “Power

Switches,” and guidelines specifically for volleyball players. They can be found at:

www.health.Arizona.edu > click on Online Library > click on Nutrition > click on Sports Nutrition

H A N D O U T S

Timing is another key piece of the puzzle.In order to fuel themselves for their activityand then recover, athletes need to beeating carbohydrates throughout the day.“I tell our student-athletes they need tobe grazing,” says Nelson Steen. “It’s reallyimportant to help them build frequentmeals and snacks into their busy schedulesbecause they’re constantly going throughthe cycle of getting fuel to exercise andthen recovering from exercise.”

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Request No. 124

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COACHING MANAGEMENT 37

Uniforms & Apparel

NeuEdge Sportswear800-486-2788WWW.NEUEDGESPORTS.COM

NeuEdge Sportswear is a domestic sports-wear manufacturer specializing in state-of-the-art custom-sublimated uniforms. Thecompany’s dyed uniforms feature a widevariety of graphics and lettering that is

guaranteednever tocrack, peel,or fade.Jerseys areavailable inlong andshort

sleeve, sleeveless, tank, and fastback.The entire process is done at the NeuEdgemanufacturing facility in Pennsylvania. Thismakes for rapid turnaround time and ahands-on level of quality. Visit the compa-ny’s Web site for a complete lineup ofbeautiful, custom-dyed NeuEdge uniforms.

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Also available from NeuEdge Sportswearare custom-sublimated, dyed stretchshorts. Specifically designed for volleyball,

theseshortshave afour-inchinseam

and inside drawstring. They come in avariety of designs.

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Pro Look Sports800-776-5665WWW.PROLOOKSPORTS.COM

Over the past six years, Pro Look Sportshas become the fastest growing teamsportswear company for one reason: fully

custom, qualityuniforms. Pro Look uni-forms are made of thefinest materialsavailable, cut and sewnto your exact specifica-tions. There are noadditional costs forembroidered logos orsoft, tackle-twill namesand numbers. All work

is backed by a two-year guarantee.Circle No. 202

Pro Look Sports, well-known for quality bas-ketball uniforms,makes the best high-end volleyballuniforms and offersthem at extremely lowprices. Like the com-pany’s basketball prod-ucts, quality is neversacrificed. All uniformscarry custom tackle

twill and embroidery, as opposed to com-petitors' products made with silk screens.All uniforms come with a two-year guaran-tee, and all upgrades are free. There areno minimum order restrictions.

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Russell AthleticWWW.RUSSELLATHLETIC.COM

The Match Point jerseyand short is a loose-fittingvolleyball uniform that fea-tures Russell Athletic’shigh-performing pebbleknit fabric, which wicksmoisture away from theskin, keeping athletes cooland dry. The textured fab-ric is 100-percent nylonand extremely soft, provid-

ing exceptional comfort for athletes. Styleelements include a feminine box neck, asleeveless cut, and optional custom braid-ing down the leg or arm. All these featureswill make your team's uniforms stand outon the court.

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Get your volleyball teaminto this sleek, form-fittinguniform that featuresRussell Athletic’s Dri-Powerstretch technology. TheSide Out jersey and shortset enhances performanceand mobility for players onthe court by wicking sweataway from the body, keep-ing athletes dry and com-

fortable. The 90-percent polyester,10-percent stretch jersey features a styl-ish, piped-tab V-neck and a two-coloredversion of Russell’s compression shorts.

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Spike Nashbar800-774-5348WWW.SPIKENASHBAR.COM

The Mizuno Matrix® women’s jersey ismade of 100 percent MzO™ microfiber poly-ester with LYCRA®. A revolutionary close-to-

the-body design, stretchfabric, and moisturemanagement make thisjersey a great choice forany volleyball team. It isavailable in sizes XSthrough XL, and inwhite, navy, red, royal,black, forest green, andmaroon.

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The Volleyball Market866-999-3004WWW.VOLLEYBALLMARKET.COM

In May of 2005, The Volleyball Market willintroduce its exclusive Price Buster customteam program, featuring multi-colored,heavyweight, screen printed T-shirts fromtop-quality American manufacturers such asHanes, Gildan, Fruit of the Loom, and

JerZees.The prod-uct linewill

include one- and two-color screened motiva-tional T-shirts (starting under $4), and two-and three-color custom-printed team practiceT-shirts (starting under $5). Custom matchT-shirts will be available as well, featuringthe school logo, team name, and four- tosix-inch numbers, screen printed front andback, starting at less than $6 apiece.

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Your players will love The Volleyball Market’sspandex, featuring a unique low-rise“California cut” and a three-inch inseam.The material is 88 percent moisture-wicking

polyester microfiberand 12 percent Lycra®Spandex for cool com-fort and a stylish fit.The silky-soft fabricwicks moisture awayfrom the skin, keeping

the athlete cool and dry. The Spandexallows 4-way stretch for complete freedomof movement. A CoolMax® lined crotchpanel and smooth flat-locked seams createthe ultimate in comfort. Designed and proud-ly manufactured in southern California, theystart under $13 and are available exclusive-ly from The Volleyball Market.

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www.AthleticBid.comCheck out www.AthleticBid.comto contact these companies.

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Catalog ShowcaseWeb News

Power Systems, Inc.800-321-6975WWW.POWER-SYSTEMS.COM

Since 1986, Power Systems has been aleading supplier of sports performance,fitness, and rehabilitation products andprogramming. The company prides itself onbeing the one resource for all your training

needs. The 2005 cat-alog has a new look,with better graphicsand photos. Itincludes sections oncore strength, medi-cine balls, speed,plyometrics, agility,strength equipment,strength accessories,

and fitness assessment. The catalog fea-tures hundreds of new products and dozensof products available exclusively from PowerSystems. The company has even loweredsome of its prices, enabling the customer toget premium products for less. Call or visitthe company Web site for your free copy.

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38 COACHING MANAGEMENT

NEUEDGE VOLLEYBALL PRODUCTS FEATURED ON THE WEBAn on-line catalog of available stock and custom uniforms and accessories for volleyball canbe found on NeuEdge’s Web site. Use the color selector to explore the many options avail-able for customizing your team's uniforms. View detailed information on all the company’squality products, then use the retail locator to find a dealer in your area. Or, use the contactinformation on the site to get in touch with a NeuEdge representative.www.neuedgesports.com

UNIFORM COMPANY OFFERS SPECIAL WEB TOOLS FOR COACHESPro Look Sports has added a wonderful resource to its Web site just for coaches. It’s calledthe Coaches Area, and it provides coaches with a myriad of tools, from referral bonuses toorder tracking. The Coaches Area also contains the company’s Reference Area, offering anentire library of uniform design tools to enhance and simplify the design and orderingprocess. The Coaches Area is a backstage pass to Pro Look Sports. It’s simple to use—just visit Pro Look’s site, click on the “Sign Up” button, and your log-in information will besent to the e-mail address you specify.www.prolooksports.com

SPORTS IMPORTS’ IMPROVED SITE OFFERS YOU MORE PRODUCTS, PROGRAMS,AND INFORMATION

As the need for immediate information grows, the Sports Imports Web site has grown aswell. The company has created an on-line store to make ordering new and replacementitems even easier. Details on all of Sports Imports’ new programs and that great Senohequipment are now available on the Web. Please visit the site to see all the updates and toorder a current catalog packet. If you are planning or remodeling a gymnasium, the companyhas the tools to help you design the best facility for your needs—check out the FacilityPlanner section for details.www.sportsimports.com

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

A D V E R T I S E R S D I R E C T O R Y

CIRCLE COMPANY PAGENO. NO.

212. . . . . Airborne Athletics (AirCAT TEAM ) . . . . . . 39

213. . . . . Airborne Athletics (Networks) . . . . . . . . . 39

214. . . . . American Athletic, Inc. (equipment). . . . . 39

215. . . . . American Athletic, Inc. (volleyball systems) 39

235. . . . . Ballgirl Athletic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

231. . . . . Barry University . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

217. . . . . Bison (Centerline Elite) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

216. . . . . Bison (volleyball post padding) . . . . . . . . . . 39

233. . . . . Dimensional Software (Pocket Volleyball Ace) 41

232. . . . . Dimensional Software (TapRecorder) . . . . 41

234. . . . . eFundraising.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

230. . . . . Game Plan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

236. . . . . Gatorade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

219. . . . . Jaypro (PVB-3000). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

218. . . . . Jaypro (VRS-3000) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

220. . . . . JV Pro, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

200. . . . . NeuEdge (custom-sublimated uniforms) . . . . 37

201. . . . . NeuEdge (stretch shorts) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

222. . . . . Porter (Powr-Line) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

221. . . . . Porter (Powr-Net) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

210. . . . . Power Systems (catalog). . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

237. . . . . Power Systems (Power Jumper) . . . . . . . . 42

238. . . . . Power Systems (Power Program). . . . . . . . 42

223. . . . . Precision Passer (RI Blast) . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

202. . . . . Pro Look Sports (uniforms) . . . . . . . . . . . 37

203. . . . . Pro Look Sports (volleyball uniforms) . . . . . 37

204. . . . . Russell Athletic (Match Point). . . . . . . . . . 37

205. . . . . Russell Athletic (Side Out). . . . . . . . . . . . 37

224. . . . . Schelde (Collegiate 4000 Series) . . . . . . . . . 40

225. . . . . Schelde (upgrade kit). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

206. . . . . Spike Nashbar (Mizuno jersey) . . . . . . . . . 37

239. . . . . Spike Nashbar (Pro Spike Trainer) . . . . . . . 42

227. . . . . Sports Imports (Attack Volleyball Machine) . 40

226. . . . . Sports Imports (Senoh Net Systems) . . . . . 40

228. . . . . Sports Tutor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

207. . . . . The Volleyball Market (Price Buster). . . . . 37

208. . . . . The Volleyball Market (Spandex shorts). . . 37

240. . . . . VertiMax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

127 . . . . AirCAT (Airborne Athletics) . . . . . . . . . BC

116 . . . . American Athletic (AAI) . . . . . . . . . . 19

110 . . . . AVCA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

115 . . . . Ballgirl Athletic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

117 . . . . Barry University . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

108 . . . . CL Activewear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

120 . . . . Digital Scout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

112 . . . . eFundraising.com . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

126 . . . . Game Plan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IBC

101 . . . . Gatorade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

106 . . . . Jaypro. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

111 . . . . JV Pro, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

100 . . . . Networks (Airborne Athletic) . . . . . . . . IFC

107 . . . . NeuEdge Sportswear . . . . . . . . . . 10

118 . . . . Porter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

125 . . . . Precision Passer (RI Blast) . . . . . . . . . 41

113 . . . . Pro Look Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

124 . . . . Pro Look Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

114 . . . . RAM Graphics (Spirit Wear). . . . . . . . 18

121 . . . . Schelde North America . . . . . . . . . 30

102 . . . . Spike Nashbar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

119 . . . . Sports Imports (Attack Machine). . . . . . 26

103 . . . . Sports Imports (Senoh Volleyball) . . . . . . 6

109 . . . . Sports Tutor (Volleyball Tutor) . . . . . . . 12

104 . . . . The Volleyball Market . . . . . . . . . . . 7

122 . . . . The Volleyball Market . . . . . . . . . . 31

123 . . . . VertiMax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

105 . . . . Volleyball ACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

For Quicker Response, RequestInformation From Advertisers On-Line at

MomentumMedia.com

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COACHING MANAGEMENT 39

Volleyball Court

Airborne Athletics, Inc.888-887-7453WWW.AIRCATVOLLEYBALL.COM

AirCAT™ TEAM is an air-powered trainingmachine that does much more than justserve. Use it for spiking, setting, passing,

and digging drills,too. It’s perfect forall volleyballprograms, fromyouth to adult. TheAirCAT’s featuresinclude a 10-ballautomatic feeder,remote control ortimer operation,adjustable ballspeed and trajecto-

ry, and a rechargeable battery. Easy set-upand portability around the court make theAirCAT effective in team practices as wellas individual workouts. This product isendorsed by USA Volleyball. Visit the com-pany's Web site for more information andto request a free video.

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Manage your players and your space withNetworKs from Airborne Athletics.NetworKs catches and collects volleyballs

so you don’thave to wastevaluable train-ing timedoing it your-self. The frontnet is 10 feetwide andadjustablefrom a height

of 6 feet to 9 feet, making it ideal for allages and skill levels. Practice hitting, serv-ing, setting, or passing into NetworKs.Use it during the season for an extra train-ing station, or in the off-season to keepyour players sharp. It’s perfect for team orindividual use. Airborne Athletics recentlyreduced the price of NetworKs, andredesigned it to allow for easier storage.Visit the company’s Web site for moreinformation and to request a free video.

Circle No. 213

American Athletic, Inc.800-247-3978WWW.AMERICANATHLETIC.COM

Founded in 1954, AAI manufactures top-quality volleyball equipment for competi-tive, recreational, and physical educationuse. AAI’s equipment is recognized byplayers and coaches alike for its sturdy

and resilient design, especially when com-pared with competitors' products. AAI’s vol-leyball product line includes systems,

uprights, refer-ee stands,pads, nets,training equip-ment, andaccessories.AAI volleyballsystems areused extensive-

ly at major national and internationalevents. AAI is the official net system sup-plier to USA Volleyball.

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AAI volleyball systems are easy to set up,adjust, and transport. The uprights areconstructed of lightweight aluminum or

heavy-duty steeland are compatiblewith most floorplates. AAI systemsfeature unique pow-der-coat paint,which resists chip-ping and fading. Acomplete volleyballsystem for a single

court includes two uprights, protective endpads, a net, and an antenna package.Custom colors are available for refereeplatforms and pads.

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Bison, Inc.800-247-7668WWW.BISONINC.COM

Customize your court with volleyball postpadding that sports your team or schoolname. Bison volleyball post padding meetsall NCAA, NFHS, and USVBA rules. Paddingand lettering are available for stationary and

portable standards.High density, 11/2-inch thickfoam protects yourplayers to a heightof six feet. Paddingfor stationary stan-dards is availablein 12 schoolcolors. While it’sdesigned to fit

Bison volleyball standards, the stationarypadding will also cover most other manufac-turers’ in-floor volleyball systems. Bisonpadding can be customized with up to 10block letters, in your choice of white, black,royal blue, scarlet, or gold.

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Do you prefer the rigidity of steel, or theweight advantage of aluminum? Whicheveryou choose, there is Bison’s Centerline™Elite equipment to meet your needs, witheither steel or aluminum telescoping stan-dards. A unique Auto Track spring-assistedheight adjustment combined with a

machined 26:1gear ratio winchassures that thenet is alwaysbowstring tight.The standardsand winch arecovered by a life-time limited war-ranty. Postpadding, avail-able in 12 col-

ors, can be customized with your schooland team names. Bison is the exclusiveofficial supplier of volleyball equipment forthe NFHS.

Circle No. 217

Jaypro Sports800-243-0533WWW.JAYPRO.COM

Jaypro’s new VRS-3000 referee standfeatures a sturdy two-leg design and a bluepowder-coat finish. Theclamp-on frame, madeof 1 5/16-inch steeltubing, mounts tomost standards. Theplatform padding addsextra comfort for refer-

ees. Optional padding is available.Circle No. 218

The new PVB-3000 three-inch steel volley-ball system from Jaypro combines steel’s

strength in thebottom section withaluminum’s lightweight in the top sec-tion in classic style.With the FlexNet, ten-sion is placed directlyon the net headband,with no extra cables,straps, or tie-offsneeded. Pin-stopheight adjustments

range from 6’ 6” to 8’ 2”. The uprightsare three inches in diameter and fit mostexisting floor sleeves.

Circle No. 219

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Volleyball Court

JV Pro, Inc.800-962-2440WWW.JVPRO.COM

JV Pro offers custom-made freestandingand convertible bleacher-mounted scoring

tables. Standardoptions includean LED posses-sion arrow withbonus indicators,illuminated shat-

terproof lexan panels, heavy-duty soft rub-ber casters for easy movement, andcollapsibility down to 16 inches for easystorage. JV Pro also offers heavy-dutycourtside chairs in school colors and fea-turing your logo or mascot to complementyour scoring table. These products createthe perfect image for your sports program.

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Porter Athletic Equipment Co.800-947-6783WWW.PORTER-ATH.COM

A breakthrough design for volleyball equip-ment, Porter’s Powr-Net® system isattached overhead and controlled electroni-

cally. Thesystem isideal for facil-ities requiringinstant andfrequentcourt setup.

The entire system, including the net,judge’s stand, and padding, quickly foldsinto the overhead storage position with thesimple turn of a key. Call the company forinstallation locations across the country.

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The Powr-Line® professional volleyball sys-tem from Porter Athletic Equipment isdesigned to accommodate competitive vol-leyball at all levels. It meets the demands ofchampionship play with maximum safety,

quick set-up, and easystorage. This high-strength, lightweightaluminum volleyballsystem allows micro-adjustability of the netsettings. The Powr-Winch® self-adjustingnet-tensioning mecha-nism is sensibly

designed to provide the ultimate durable yetsafe and simple net-attachment system. Itfits 3”, 3 1/2”, or 4” diameter floor sleevesto accommodate new or existing facilities.

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RI Blast, Inc.401-932-9106WWW.PRECISIONPASSER.COM

The Precision Passer is a net-suspendedtarget that offers big advantages over itscompetition. It’s lightweight but durable,

set-up is simple,and the collapsi-ble frame allowsfor easy storageand transport.The PrecisionPasser hangs on

the net rather than sitting on the ground,making it a safer choice for your players.And for budget-conscious coaches, thebiggest advantage may be the price—thePrecision Passer is available at a fractionof the cost of other targets.

Cirlce No. 223

Schelde North America888-724-3533WWW.SCHELDESPORTS.COM

Schelde has introduced the new Collegiate4000 Series, the next generation in tele-scopic and slide-rail volleyball systems.Made of high-tensile strength, lightweight

Duraluminum, theCollegiate 4000 Seriessystems can be set upeasily by one person inless than five minutes.A new winchmechanism offersgreater range andsmooth action for easynet tensioning. The net

height adjusts easily and securely thanksto Schelde’s exclusive lever lock. Simplyrelease the lever, adjust the net height,and push the lever down to lock it in place.Check it out for yourself on Schelde’s Website.

Circle No. 224

If you own an older Schelde Collegiate vol-leyball system, you can now enjoy theadvantages of a new Collegiate 4000 sys-

tem with a simple, inex-pensive upgrade. Theupgrade kit takes only afew minutes to install.Just remove the endcaps, slide off the oldUnirail assembly fromyour existing posts, slideon the new state-of-the-

art Collegiate 4000 assembly, and your sys-tem is now fitted with the latest technology.

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Sports Imports, Inc.800-556-3198WWW.SPORTSIMPORTS.COM

Sports Imports, the world leader in volleyballnet system sales, supplied its Senoh net sys-tems for all indoor and outdoor volleyball com-petition at the 2004 Summer Olympic Gamesin Athens. Senoh is the only net system used

for Olympic com-petition, eversince volleyballpremiered as anofficial sport atthe 1964 gamesin Tokyo. Senohwas also selected

for beach volleyball when that sport wasadded in 1996. The system is endorsed bythe Federation Internationale de Volleyball andthe American Volleyball Coaches Association.

Circle No. 226

The Attack Volleyball Machine from SportsAttack, distributed by Sports Imports, chal-lenges professional men’s and women’s vol-

leyball programs. Ball speedsof up to 70 mph with accura-cy and repetition are assuredin every drill. The throwing-head release points adjustfrom 5’ to 9’ 6”, for every-thing from setting to men’sover-the-net serving and spik-ing. Horizontal and verticalthrowing-head movementallows the coach to instantlytarget any point on the

court, simulating real game situations.Circle No. 227

Sports Tutor800-448-8867WWW.SPORTSMACHINES.COM

Both the gold and silver models of theVolleyball Tutor can vary ball trajectory andspeed to produce any desired set or pass,and deliver serves at speeds up to 60 mph.The gold model can automatically throw six

volleyballs at intervalsranging from five to 20seconds. The unit iscompletely portable,and is available witheither AC or batterypower. The silver mod-el’s release point is 5’6” feet high, and fea-tures a separate dial to

control the amount of topspin or underspin.The Volleyball Tutor starts under $900.

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40 COACHING MANAGEMENT

Page 43: Coaching Management 12.11

More Products

COACHING MANAGEMENT 41

Advanced Imaging Solutions, Inc.800-959-9148WWW.ADVANCEDIMAGINGTECH.COM

Game Plan™ Volleyball Edition is thesport’s preeminent digital video editingand analysis system. Developed in cooper-ation with top collegiate volleyball coaches

exclusive-ly for thesport ofvolleyball,Game

Plan Volleyball Edition incorporates next-generation video compression with unsur-passed features, such as simultaneousrecording from multiple camera angles,live game breakdown, the sport’s most in-depth reports and statistics, networkingcapability, unlimited coaching stations,and enough internal storage capacity formultiple seasons worth of quality videoand data.

Circle No. 230

Barry University800-756-6000WWW.BARRY.EDU/HPLS

Barry University’s MS program inMovement Science offers a variety of spe-cializations to prepare you for a future inathletic training, biomechanics, exercise

science, orsport andexercisepsychology.You canalso choosethe new

general option, which allows you to cus-tomize your MS program with classesfrom all four specializations. Whicheverspecialization best meets your needs, youwill benefit from state-of-the-art laboratoryand research facilities, internationally-respected faculty, and Barry’s ideal southFlorida location, which offers access tochallenging opportunities for graduate clini-cal placements. Call today to learn more.

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Dimensional Software877-223-8225WWW.ACE4VB.COM

The TapRecorder™ is a new handheldsoftware tool from Dimensional Software.Combined with PracticeStats™ templatesfor volleyball, the TapRecorder is an excel-lent tool for recording and summarizinginformation right on the court. Using aspreadsheet format and requiring a single

tap to record data,TapRecorder applica-tions can becustomized to quicklyand easily record theinformation youneed. You can trackany kind of countsand ratings, andmonitor performance

and selected stats during practice drillsand scrimmages.

Circle No. 232

Volleyball Ace (for Palm handhelds) andPocket Volleyball Ace (for the Pocket PC)

version 5is the lat-est incar-nation ofhandheldstats soft-ware from

Dimensional Software. Features includeper-game and summary stats, box scores,serve and pass ratings, points-per-rotation,and hit charts. New features include quicksubs, sub reminders, custom desktopreports, and HTML output for the Web.Stats can be automatically uploaded to aPC or Macintosh for printing and furtheranalysis.

Circle No. 233

eFundraising866-825-2921WWW.EFUNDRAISING.COM

Try eFundraising’s On-line FundraisingProgram, a new way to raise money quick-ly and easily. With your free, personalizedWeb site, complete with a magazine store,your supporters can purchase magazinesubscriptions on-line and 40 percent ofeach purchase amount will go back to your

group. Simplyenter the siteand send e-mails tofriends andfamily acrossAmerica, invit-ing them tovisit your on-line store andbuy, renew, or

extend their magazine subscriptions tohelp support your group. They’ll save up to85 percent off the newsstand price onover 650 magazine titles while you earn a40-percent profit.

Circle No. 234

Technology That is LightYears Ahead“If you want to build a championship

team, you must find a way to optimize thetime that you spend with your student-athletes. They need to focus onschoolwork and they only have so muchtime to devote topractice. Wastingprecious practicetime on mundanethings like settingup and adjustingequipment reallydrives the kidsnuts.

“That’s whySchelde volleyballequipment hasbeen so vital toour success atUSC. Schelde equipment is easy to putup and take down. The net is alwaystaut and easy to adjust. All of our play-ers can handle it with ease, and theylike the equipment. If you have qualityequipment that goes up quickly, you’vegot more time to focus on the individualskills of each student-athlete. Having thetime to develop the full potential of everyone of your players, so that they can allcontribute to your success, is the realkey to building a championship team.

“Schelde’s engineers really have the rightidea. Their technology is light years aheadof anything else on the market, and theirequipment looks beautiful, which I thinkmakes the entire sport look moreprogressive. We want our team to be onthe cutting edge, and Schelde equipmenthelps us get there.”

Mick Haley, Head CoachUniversity of Southern California2002 and 2003 NCAA Division I

National Volleyball Champions

Schelde North America4180-C 44th St. S.E.Grand Rapids, MI 49512888-SCHELDE (724-3533)[email protected]

WWW.SCHELDESPORTS.COM

Testimonial

Page 44: Coaching Management 12.11

More Products

Ballgirl Athletic203-359-8700WWW.BALLGIRLATHLETIC.COM

Ballgirl Athletic begins and ends with thefemale athlete. It is Ballgirl’s mission to be

your athletic uniformbrand of choice,because you deservethe best. Ballgirl offersuniforms designed bywomen for women; uni-forms that provide thebest in performance,

fit, and comfort; uniforms that can bereplenished from year to year; and a compa-ny that is dedicated soley to the female ath-lete. Try Ballgirl on and feel the difference.

Circle No. 235

Gatorade800-88 GATORWWW.GATORADE.COM

Gatorade® Thirst Quencher’s optimal formu-la contains electrolytes and carbohydrates. Itis based on more than 30 years of scientificresearch and testing. Nothing rehydrates,replenishes, and refuels better thanGatorade Thirst Quencher—not even water.REHYDRATE—Gatorade has the flavor to

keep your athletesdrinking, and asix-percent carbo-hydrate solutionthat’s optimal forspeeding fluidsback into their

systems. No fluid is absorbed faster thanGatorade. REPLENISH—If your athletes don’treplace the electrolytes they lose when theysweat, they risk becoming dehydrated, whichcan take them out of the game. By puttingelectrolytes back, Gatorade helps athletesdrink more, retain fluids, and maintain fluid

balance. REFUEL—Unlike water, Gatoradehas the right amount of carbohydrates (14grams per eight ounces) to give your athletes’working muscles more energy to help themfight fatigue and keep their mental edge.

Circle No. 236

Power Systems, Inc.800-321-6975WWW.POWER-SYSTEMS.COM

Develop explosive vertical power andendurance while increasing change-of-directionspeed with the Power Jumper. This portable

plyometric training sta-tion offers resistancejump training indoorsor outdoors and has arubber bottom to pro-tect flooring. Theopen-frame trainingarea measures 30” x

50” and is counter-weighted with weightplates (sold separately). The Power Jumperis available with a standard waist belt, XXLwaist belt, or shoulder harness, and fourlatex resistance tubes (regular or extra long).

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The Volleyball Power Program by PowerSystems is a 12-week training programdesigned to improve the performance of vol-leyball athletes. The package includes all the

necessary equipmentfor developing thespeed, agility, andquickness needed toexcel in this verycompetitive sport.

The program includes a pro agility ladder, a6-lb. Power Med ball, a lateral stepper, aVersaDisc, a 4-lb. Power Grip ball, an econo-my Power Jumper, a nylon carry bag, a PowerProgram manual, and your choice of a VHStape or a DVD. The video shows the proper

way to use the equipment and the manualtakes you step-by-step through the program.Contact Power Systems for more informationon other products and programs.

Circle No. 238

Spike Nashbar800-774-5348WWW.SPIKENASHBAR.COM

The Pro Spike™ Trainerimproves spiking technique,power, approach, arm swing,and endurance. It teachesplayers to hit correctly on topof the ball, and it allowsincreased repetitions withouthaving to chase balls aroundthe gym. This trainer adjustsin height from 6 1/2 feet to11 1/2 feet in two-inch incre-

ments. The ball is not included.Circle No. 239

VertiMax800-699-5867WWW.VERTIMAX.COM

No matter whatkind of lower-bodystrength and speedtraining you aredoing, it falls intoone of three cate-gories: heavy resis-tance, plyometrics,or low-load, velocity-

specific training (the VertiMax). If heavyresistance were 10 on a scale of one to 10,and if plyometrics were one, VertiMax wouldbe five. It’s plyo with overload: the best ofboth worlds. VertiMax offers maximumtransfer to the field.

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“Only the VertiMax V6 incorporates upper-body loading into analready highly-effectiveexplosion trainingdevice. Training theupper body to improvethe lift aspect of verti-cal jump is a giantbreak-through. You canuse it for arm action inthe running phase,

jam techniques, or combine all resistancebands for run-into-jump maneuvers. I cansay without hesitation that this device canbe of great importance in any training pro-gram.” —Garrett Giemont, ProfessionalFootball 2002 Strength & ConditioningCoach of the Year

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42 COACHING MANAGEMENT

401-932-9106

riblastCM1211.indd 1 10/25/04 9:49:25 AM

Request No. 125

Page 45: Coaching Management 12.11

MULTI-DIMENSIONAL VOLLEYBALLTRAINING WITH DOUG CAMPBELL

Doug Campbell is President ofAirborne Athletics, Inc.Airborne has been producing

and selling ath-letic trainingequipment forvolleyball andbasketball pro-grams through-out the U.S.

since 1997. The company’sequipment uses patentedpneumatic technology called“Consistent Air Technology”(CAT). This allows products likethe AirCAT to offer maximumcontrol, power, and consisten-cy in ball delivery. Airborneproducts quickly adapt to theparameters of virtually anydrill, with precise executionand without wear to the ball.By delivering over 1,200 ballsper hour and freeing up thecoach to focus on coaching,Airborne makes practicesessions more productive andimproves skills faster.

Company Q & A

WHAT SHOULD HIGH SCHOOLS,COLLEGES, AND OTHER VOLLEY-BALL PROGRAMS BE LOOKINGFOR IN A TRAINING MACHINE?Programs should look for a machine thatcan help them improve in multiple areas ofthe game. Far too many training machinesare one-dimensional. They focus only ontossing the ball at high speeds and give nothought to the consistency of the ball place-ment. A machine needs to not only hit andserve the ball at competitive speeds—itshould also be able to deliver the ball pre-cisely enough to simulate a quick set, ashoot set, a perfect pass, or even an over-pass that bounces off the top of the net.For a training machine to be worth owning,it needs to be versatile, effective, anddependable.

The AirCAT is the only training machine withthe power and the consistency to be usedin practically any team or individual drill.Whether hitting, setting, passing, digging,tipping, blocking, or serve-receiving, theAirCAT can quickly adapt to the parametersof each drill with precise execution, power,consistency, and no ball wear. Plus, theAirCAT will free the coach from tossing ballsor feeding balls into a machine, since itcomes with an automatic ball feeder and aremote control.

HOW DOES THE AIRCAT COMPARETO OTHER TRAINING MACHINES?The AirCAT uses an incredibly powerful andaccurate air-driven launching system(Consistent Air Technology™) to deliver vol-leyballs to a precise location, time aftertime. This increases player proficiencythrough precise repetition and muscle mem-ory. Other training machines employspinning wheels which do not deliver theball consistently to the desired locationbecause the machines cannot adjust for dif-ferences in ball texture and size. The spin-ning wheels also cause ball damage. Withthe AirCAT, there is no ball wear. The AirCATis battery operated and can be run via auto-matic timer or with a wireless remote, soyou are not stuck feeding balls into themachine. The AirCAT is the only “complete”training machine for all players.

HOW CAN TRAINING WITH THEAIRCAT BENEFIT PLAYERS ANDPROGRAMS?The AirCAT is designed to be used for teamas well as individual training and condition-ing. It is adaptable for virtually any practicedrill or training, including hitting, digging,serve-receive, setting, overpass, tipping,and blocking. Because it comes with a ballfeeder and a remote control, the AirCAT alsoallows individuals to practice on their ownwithout the need for anybody to toss balls.The AirCAT has the ability to launch 1,200balls per hour, making it effective for in-sea-son and off-season workouts. It is fun,easy, and extremely safe to use.

WHAT LEVEL OF PROGRAMWOULD BENEFIT FROM USINGTHE AIRCAT?The AirCAT has been on the market for overseven years, and in that time programs atall levels have benefited from using it.International and NCAA Division I teamssuch as the U.S. National Team, theUniversity of Minnesota, the University ofMaryland, and other top programs all havean AirCAT. It is also used by successfulsmaller colleges such as Faith Baptist,Southwestern, and Rochester CommunityCollege, along with thousands of highschool and junior high programs. Teamsthat use the AirCAT have become statechampions in the last several years in manystates, including Minnesota, New Mexico,Tennessee, California, and Texas!

AIRBORNE ATHLETICS, INC.116 W. MAIN ST.BELLE PLAINE, MN [email protected]

WWW.AIRCATVOLLEYBALL.COM

Page 46: Coaching Management 12.11

MAINTAINING A COMPETITIVE EDGEWITH SPORTS IMPORTS

Brad Underwood is thePresident of Sports Imports,the exclusive distributor ofSenoh Volleyball netsystems. “I am proud of ournearly 30-year history of ser-vice to the volleyballindustry. Our customers havecome to rely on us as aresource, not only forequipment and courtdesign, but also fortraining and industryinformation,”Underwood says.

Company Q & A

TELL OUR READERS A LITTLE BITABOUT YOUR COMPANY.Since 1976, Sports Imports has helpedcoaches understand the benefits that a quali-ty net system can provide to their players andprograms. We’ve also offered ways to demon-strate that value to athletic directors. We area great resource because we know thesport—we play and coach volleyball ourselves.

We’ve seen first-hand how the legacy of asub-standard net system can haunt a pro-gram for years, when purchasing managersand contractors make decisions based onlimited knowledge or short-term goals.

WHY IS HAVING A QUALITY NETSYSTEM SO IMPORTANT?Nothing is more embarrassing than notachieving proper net height for competitionplay. Referees continually tell us about gamedelays and setup problems caused by a sys-tem that cannot achieve or maintain competi-tion net height. And that’s not to mention theheadaches and frustration of setting up asub-par net system for day-to-day practice.

WHAT MAKES THE SENOH DESIGNDIFFERENT?Senoh is the acknowledged world leaderbecause our net system design is the mostdurable and reliable on the market. It’s sim-ple: Our uprights achieve accurate net heightevery time and never lose the ability to main-tain it. And coaches are thrilled with the easysetup and storage. Also, our steel uprightsare nearly indestructible—just ask our

customers who are reconditioning theiruprights purchased in 1978.

WHO USES SENOH NETSYSTEMS?Our systems are installed at more than17,000 gyms and arenas across the country,including 90 percent of all Division I collegeprograms. Our equipment is the mostrespected by coaches, and Senoh is the onlynet system ever to be endorsed by both theFIVB and the American Volleyball CoachesAssociation. That’s why the NCAA selectsSenoh for its national championships yearafter year, and why every Olympic volleyball

competition has been playedon our systems, including bothindoor and beach volleyball.

IS IT HARD TO SWITCHTO A SENOH SYSTEM?Our system, unlike others,quickly adapts to all other floorsleeves without destruction ofyour floors or any modificationof our superior design.

DO GOOD UPRIGHTSMEAN GOOD VALUE?Yes, you definitely get whatyou pay for. We hear it everyday: Lesser-quality productswear out and diminish thequality of play. Too manytimes, we see coaches upsetabout a purchase by a contrac-tor or purchasing manager who

made a decision based only on price.

Senoh’s durable system will provide you withdecades of high-quality play—and we guaran-tee it with an unmatched warranty. You can-not buy a higher-quality, more durable netsystem.

We love to see 15-, 20-, and 25-year-olduprights sent to our warehouse for cosmeticreconditioning. We quickly put these uprightsinto “like new” condition and ship them back.After all our years in business, we do not yetknow the true life span of a Senoh steelupright. To me, that is value.

Overall, our advice to coaches, no matterwhat system they decide on, is this: Spendthe time to be directly involved in the buyingprocess. Do the research. Make sure youunderstand all aspects of the system you arebuying and its long-term value. We promise:Quality means a competitive edge for yourprogram.

SPORTS IMPORTSP.O. BOX 21040COLUMBUS, OH [email protected]

WWW.SPORTSIMPORTS.COM

Page 47: Coaching Management 12.11

Game Plan™ : the complete digital video analysis systemthat lets you drill deeper. Play to your strengths; exploit youropponents' weaknesses. Prepare to win.

Call for free information at 800-959-9148 orvisit us on the web at www.gogameplan.com

Request No. 126

Page 48: Coaching Management 12.11

1. Precise, consistent air-fedball deliveryThat’s what you getwith AirCAT ™. Its patentedConsistent Air Technology™

delivers up to 1100 ballsper hour with air, whichis much more consistentand adjustable thanthe traditional spinningwheels projection (theaccuracy of spinningwheels can vary as ballwear, age or inflation varies). With AirCAT ™ youget precise, consistent ball delivery for moreeffective drills.

2. More than a serving machineThanks to the precision and adjustability of air,AirCAT ™ can throw a hard serve, simulate asoft set and everything in-between!

This allows you to create virtually any situationfor game-like drills that will make every playerbetter!

3. No ball wearSpinning wheels can damage volley-balls. Besides being costly, resultingball wear means even less consistentball projection. Air does no damage to volley-balls, which means much longer ball lifeand exceptional consistency!

“AirCAT ™ is going torevolutionize volleyballtraining.”

- Karch Kiraly

Airborne Athletics, Inc.116 West Main Street, Belle Plaine, MN 56011

web: www.aircatvolleyball.com

Why winning coaches buy the AirCAT ™, thevolleyball training machine that uses “AIR”(not spinning wheels) to launch precise sets andpasses, and powerful spikes and serves…

4. Approved and endorsed byKarch Kiraly and USA Volleyball,and used by winning coaches atall levels – Need we say more?

Other reasons to buy• Players can train by themselves• Battery operated (built-in charger; no electrical

cords on the court)• Wireless remote control or timer operation• Automatic ball-feeder• Adjustable ball speed and trajectory• Easy to use• Safe

For a FREEvideo andbrochure

call toll-free1-888-88SPIKE(1-888-887-7453)

or email request [email protected]

Hitting/Spiking Setting/Tipping Serve/Receive, Blocking Passing

“Every program in the countrycould benefit from the AirCAT ™

training machine. It’s valuablefor all levels of play.”

- Toshiaka Yoshida - Head Coach, Women's USA National Team

Request No. 127