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■ Improving Vertical Leap■ New Ideas In Recruiting

Game ChanGerUtilizing the three-point shot

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CONTENTS Coaching ManagementBasketball EditionPreseason 2009

Vol. XVII, No. 6

COVER STORY

Game Changer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Nothing swings momentum like a timely three-pointer . Teaching players when and how to take advantage of their long-range abilities can give your team a decisive advantage .

RECRUITIng

In Their Dreams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23How do you make high school prospects picture you in their future plans? By being a great salesperson .

STREngTh & COndITIOnIng

Reaching New Heights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29Building the strength needed to improve vertical leap will do more than help your players jump higher . It will also make them better overall athletes .

29

LOCKER ROOM Bulletin Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3Twitter takes the game by storm … Player gives coaching a try … Shat-tered backboard impacts season … Florida Gulf Coast University on the rise .

Q&A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Bob Burchard, Head Men’s Coach at Columbia College, discusses his coaching philosophy and the dynamics of competing at the NAIA level .

On the cover: University of Michigan guard Stu douglass fires from deep against the University of Iowa last season. At Michigan, the three-point shot is a big part of head Men’s Coach John Beilein’s offensive strategy. Story begins on page 14.

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The Coaching Management Basketball edition is pub-lished in August and March by MAG, Inc . and is dis-tributed free to college and high school coaches in the United States and Canada . Copyright © 2009

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ADVERTISERS DIRECTORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42BASKETBAll COURT EqUIPMENT . . . . . . . . 34COACHING AIDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 NEW PRODUCTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

TEAM EqUIPMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39STRENGTH & FITNESS EqUIPMENT . . . . . . . 41OVERTIME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

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Coaches Are All A-TwitterPerry Hunter, Head Boys’ Coach at Henryville (Ind.) High School, likes to keep up with technology. He often com-municates with his players via text message, regularly sends out an e-mail newsletter to alumni and fans, and main-tains a Web page for his team. When he first heard about Twitter, though, he was not overly impressed.

“Then I found out (Indiana University Head Men’s Coach) Tom Crean was on Twitter, so I started following him,” Hunt-er says. “I like the things he posts. There’s a lot of motiva-tional information and not too many of the ‘I’m going out to lunch now,’ statements like you see from some users. So I decided to see how I could get more out of it.”

Twitter calls for users to post short messages (140 characters or less) answer-ing the question, “What are you doing?” The messages, called tweets, are posted on the sender’s Twitter page and sent to other users who have signed up to “follow” them. Tweets, which often contain links to Web pages or pic-tures, can be posted and read from either mobile devices like cell phones or on the Web at: Twitter.com. Users can also send direct messages to spe-cific followers or allow only approved followers to view their posts.

Although sometimes derided as a place where people post minutiae of their everyday lives, the service, which was created in 2006, has spread like wildfire among coaches as people in athletics have found ways to make it useful. Among those joining the Twit-ter frenzy are Crean and John Calipari, Head Men’s Coach at the University of Kentucky. Both have received a lot of media attention for their

tweets and are in a lightheart-ed battle to see who can get the most followers.

Why would coaches be inter-ested in the latest Internet sen-sation? Some see Twitter as a valuable recruiting tool. Others think it’s a great way to main-tain contact with players dur-ing the off-season or to stay in touch with alumni and fans.

“I occasionally want to remind our players during the off-sea-son that I am still their basket-ball coach,” Hunter says. “And I can use Twitter to do that with one message instead of sending out separate messag-es to everyone.”

Matt Bowen, Head Men’s Coach at Bemidji State Uni-versity, plans to use Twitter as a way to keep fans up to date. “We’re in a small town in northern Minnesota and we get some decent media cover-age, but I see Twitter as way we can create more of a bas-ketball atmosphere here,” he says. “When we travel, I’ll be able to post links to pictures of us on the road, relay how the pregame shootaround went, or even how the bus trip is going. It can give our fans and alumni a little better insight into what we’re doing throughout the season.”

Beyond generating attention for his team, Bowen also sees great potential in Twitter as a professional development and networking tool. He’s follow-ing several people who regu-larly post coaching-related information, including Calipari, NBA coach Eric Musselman, and USC Head Football Coach Pete Carroll.

Bowen initially found people to follow through the site’s search feature. Now he looks at fellow followers of those he follows assuming there will be some shared interests there.

“That’s how I found this guy in Australia who I follow,” Bow-en says. “I can always expect

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LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD

Here are the Twitter user names for coaches mentioned in this story. To view their posts, go to: twitter.com/ followed by the user name.

Matt Bowen, Bemidji State University: CoachMattBowenJohn Calipari, University of Kentucky: UKCoachCalipariPete Carroll, USC Head Football Coach: PeteCarrollTom Crean, Indiana University: TomCreanHoops Help (Australian basketball site): HoopsHelpPerry Hunter, Henryville (Ind.) High School: CoachHunterHHS

University of Kentucky Head Men’s Coach John Calipari and Indiana University Head Men’s Coach Tom Crean are engaged in a friendly contest to see who can get more fol-lowers on Twitter, the newest social networking sensation.

when I wake up to find about seven new posts from him. Often, it’s a quick little quote or coaching tip from guys like Bill Self or Bob Knight. But back in April he had a link to notes from a clinic Al McGuire did back in the mid 70s.”

Bowen doesn’t plan on mak-ing Twitter a focal point in

recruiting, in part because he’s not sure how long it will be allowed. So far, the NCAA has said that using Twitter is per-mitted as long as coaches do not violate general rules pro-hibiting comments about spe-cific recruits. But the NCAA also allowed text messaging to recruits before ultimately banning it.

4 CoaChing ManageMent CoachesNetwork.com

“Twitter does have the poten-tial to send direct messages to student-athletes and to sell yourself and your program,” Bowen says. “I know the NCAA is always looking into ways coaches can contact kids and how they’re going to benefit or hurt the student-athletes.”

For all its possibilities, Twit-ter is still in its infancy, and no one knows for sure where it will end up. In Hunter’s view, the true test of its usefulness is a matter of time. “A lot of coaches, especially high school coaches, are wary of some-thing that will be too time consuming,” he says. “If this takes up too much of my time, then I won’t deal with it. But if it ends up helping me be more efficient, then I will con-tinue to use it, and I will tell everyone I know about it.”


was one of the more frustrat-ing things I’ve experienced because I saw it, but couldn’t get the players on the floor to react in time,” says Wallis, who was the team’s starting point guard prior to his injury. “But that’s what coaches go through every game. That’s when I realized what it was like to be in their shoes.”

Having traded his high tops in for dress shoes, Wallis watched as Washington blew

out Amherst and captured the program’s first national title. In scouting Amherst, Wallis attended its semifinal game and broke down film from six regular season games.

He also diagrammed plays and made personnel sugges-tions. Wallis admits being ner-vous about the assignment, but Head Coach Mark Edwards never had any doubts Wallis would handle his new responsi-bilities like a seasoned vet.

“Once we knew he wasn’t going to be able to play, there was a mutual understanding that we would try to keep him involved,” Edwards says. “I said, ‘Why don’t you help us out as a student assistant?’ He jumped at the oppor-tunity and was an excellent resource.”

Wallis spent much of his time grooming the players who replaced him at the point. “As a point guard, Sean was

Last season, Sean Wallis ran the point for the Washington University men’s team during its second consecutive NCAA Division III national championship run. Two years ago, Wallis injured his knee and helped lead the team as an assistant coach. He says his stint as a coach has made him a better player.

n To sign up for a Twitter account, go to: Twitter.com.

n To search for postings, or “tweets,” on specific subjects, go to: search.twitter.com.

Walking In a Coach’s ShoesDuring the 2008 NCAA Divi-sion III national championship game against Amherst Uni-versity, Washington Univer-sity junior Sean Wallis recog-nized the opposition’s play call and alerted his teammates to an upcoming backdoor cut. Despite his foresight, Amherst beat the Bears on the play for a layup and Wallis felt an emotion completely new to him—frustration only a coach can know.

Wallis read the play because he scouted Amherst as an assistant coach, a position he assumed after suffering a season-ending broken leg and torn knee ligament three games into the 2007-08 cam-paign. “That backdoor play

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a coach on the floor so it was logical he could give us input and help improve the execu-tion of our system,” says Edwards. “He was sensitive

to the challenges the players face on the floor, not just what should work or looks good on paper. Sean knows what makes plays successful, and I thought that was very important in designing our system.

“And of course, he had a

great rapport with the play-ers,” Edwards continues. “As a team captain, they already had a great amount of respect for him. The big thing was

teaching Sean to look at the game as a puzzle and see all the pieces.”

When Wallis returned to the court for the 2008-09 season, Edwards noticed a change in his play. “Instead of just run-ning an offense to get a shot,

he was running an offense to involve his teammates,” says Edwards. “I think a lot of that came from the fact that he was able to observe how

offenses are construct-ed.”

Wallis says his time as a coach helped him appreciate the value of each possession. Last season, Wallis’s assist to turnover ratio improved to 3.0 from 1.9 in 2006-07. But more impressive than his stats was his lead-ership in helping the

Bears successfully defend their national championship.

While Wallis says each title sea-son had its own flavor, winning the first as a coach was not bit-tersweet. “Obviously I would have loved to be on the court, but that moment was still spe-

cial for me,” he says. “There’s a different elation when you know it’s your gameplan as opposed to your play that real-ly contributed to the team’s success. The two titles felt dif-ferent, but both were great.”

Wallis received a medical red-shirt after missing most of 2007-08 and will return to the hardwood next season as a fifth-year senior. Edwards rec-ognizes that Wallis was par-ticularly well-suited to coach, but notes that any player in a similar situation can be given the tools to contribute.

“The key to making that tran-sition work is being sensitive to the kid’s attributes,” says Edwards. “Whether they are a good teacher, a good motiva-tor, or an astute observer, you pick out their strong attributes and figure out how to integrate them into your program.”

“The key to making that transition work is being sensitive to the kid’s attributes. Whether they are a good teacher, a good motivator, or an astute observer, you pick out their strong attributes and figure out how to integrate them into your program.”

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Florida Gulf Coast Rising FastSeven years ago, the Flor-ida Gulf Coast University women’s basketball team practiced outside on unlined courts and chain-link net hoops. Two years ago, FGCU became the first team to claim a Women’s National Invitational Tournament bid in its first year of NCAA Division I competition. Last season, the team earned its first vote for the Associated Press Division I Top 25 Poll and made a second consec-utive trip to the WNIT.

It has been a fast, success-ful, and unexpected transi-tion that has seen the Eagles go from the NAIA to NCAA Division II, and now Division I. How did Head Coach Karl Smesko do it?


Florida Gulf Coast University Head Women’s Coach Karl Smesko led his team on a successful journey that has seen the Eagles transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II, then to Division I. Last season, just FGCU’s second in Division I, they made a second consecutive Women’s National Invitational Tournament appearance.

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“When I first got here, I would never have dreamed that we could go from practicing on blacktop to beating the Uni-versity of Florida and getting into the WNIT a second con-secutive time,” says Smesko. “Back then, I was consumed with figuring out where we were going to practice and who we could play. There was too much work to have time to dream about some of the things we have accom-plished.”

FGCU captured the Atlantic Sun Conference regular sea-son title last year with a team that returned only one starter. Under Smesko, the Eagles have compiled a 180-34 record and in 2007, they played in the Division II national champion-ship game—the only contest FGCU lost that season. The team will not be eligible for Division I tournament play for two more years.

A big reason for the team’s success is Smesko’s ability to incorporate players other teams overlook. With few ath-letes taller than six feet, FGCU runs a motion offense light on set plays, and heavy on screens and three-point shots, and Smesko’s teams typically feature players who can all dribble, shoot, and pass.

“We try to play to the strengths of the talent we have,” says Smesko. “It’s not easy for us to get 6-foot-4 players, so we do a lot with the players who are overlooked or would be classified as tween-ers—maybe too slow for one position or not big enough for another. We play an up-tempo style where a variety of players can succeed.”

Smesko’s offense focuses on spreading the floor with athlet-ic players who use their speed and shooting skills to over-whelm bigger, slower teams. Last year, the Eagles led the Atlantic Sun in scoring, assists, scoring margin, and field-goal and three-point percentages.

“Another thing that’s helped is we’ve had really good chemis-try and players who work hard and play well together,” says Smesko. “That’s helped us beat teams that may have more individual talent.”

Last year’s early-season win over Florida, which finished the season ranked 23rd in the final AP poll, helped build credibil-ity and a fan base—two impor-tant tools for recruiting, the task Smesko says has been the most challenging since join-ing Division I. “At the Division II level we would only sign one or two players early and feel okay knowing we could still get quality players late in the school year,” he says. “At this level, there are not as many opportunities to get really good players late in the pro-cess. Division I teams force kids to make decisions earlier than our coaching staff was used to.

“The transition is definitely challenging,” he continues. “But I’ve found that if you have been successful at a pre-vious stop, it translates to the level you’re moving up to. Just believe in your system, find the right players to fit it, and stick with it.”

Broken Backboard Shatters DreamsLast season, a pregame dunk by Harlem (Mont.) High School star guard Isaiah Martin didn’t just shatter the backboard, it crippled his team’s chances of qualifying for the state cham-pionships and left Head Coach Harlan Mount to explain to his players why they had to for-feit the game. But instead of lamenting lost opportunity, Mount turned the bad news into a teachable moment.

“In my years of working with youths, I’ve always told them life can throw some wicked curves,” says Mount. “All you can do is pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and keep moving forward.”


On the Fort Belknap Reserva-tion, where the players live, basketball is a very big deal. The 2008-09 season was sup-posed to be a rebuilding year, so it came as a surprise when the Wildcats finished second in their district while handing the champs their only district loss of the season.

After taking second place at their district tournament, the Wildcats arrived in Cut Bank, Mont., on March 5, ready to


play Shelby High School in the first round of the Class B Northern Division playoffs. That’s when Martin’s ill-timed slam dunk, minutes before the opening tipoff, upended Harlem’s season.

The Montana High School Association forbids dunking during warmups, and if a back-board is broken by a pregame dunk at a postseason tourna-ment, the offending school automatically forfeits and

A pregame dunk by a Harlem (Mont.) High School player shattered a backboard before the team’s first round Class B Northern Division playoff game. Having violated a Montana High School Association rule that forbids dunking during warmups, Harlem was forced to forfeit the game.

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is financially responsible for replacing the glass. In the 10 years since entering the rule-book, the penalty had never been applied, and Mount says it was not uncommon for play-ers to dunk before games, even with officials present.

In fact, prior to earlier tourna-ment games, players from oth-er teams dunked in warmups, so when Wildcat players asked Mount for permission to do so, he granted it. But when Martin, a 5-foot-11-inch guard, thundered home a stuff that shattered the glass, there had to be consequences. Mount expected a technical foul—the penalty that would have been incurred during the regular season. Instead, tournament officials showed him the rule-book, explained their call, and awarded Shelby, the eventual state runner-up, a 2-0 win.

Returning to the locker room, Mount sat his players down for some straight talk. “I told them we forfeited the game, and no matter how harsh they thought the penalty was, the rule was written in black and white, and we needed to accept it,” says Mount, who directs the Native American Career and Technical Educa-tion Program at nearby Fort Belknap Community College. “Isaiah felt really bad, and you could see the spirit drain out of our players. They were pret-ty disappointed, but growing up on the reservation, they’ve gotten used to handling adversity, and they were able to put it behind them.”

The forfeit sent Harlem into the loser’s bracket of the dou-ble-elimination tournament, where it came back to defeat Poplar High School, 68-54. The following day, the Wild-

cats lost to Cut Bank High School in overtime, ending their title hopes, 76-73.

It was a hard lesson for the team—and for Mount, whose contract wasn’t renewed for the 2009-10 season—but

that wasn’t the end of the story. After reading about the incident on the Internet, the president of Pizza Hut sent chocolate dunkers for the whole school, and a sym-pathetic Texas businessman


wrote an $859 check to pay for a new backboard.

“The lesson I drew for my kids is to do the best they can, no matter what happens,” says Mount. “These kids don’t have much to look forward

to—the poverty here is out-landish, and there’s about 60 percent unemployment. So we use basketball to teach them about life, and if I’ve helped them believe in themselves, then I’ve done my job.”

“No matter how harsh they thought the penalty was, the rule was written in black and white, and we needed to accept it ... They’ve gotten used to handling adversity, and they were able to put it behind them.”

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CM: Describe your re-tooled lineup.Burchard: We had a five-man blue team, a five-man white team, and one player who took the court whenever someone got into foul trouble. We subbed five for five, rotating every five minutes.

The blue team was more athletic and would attack the basket quickly on every

Q AThe Columbia College men’s team opened the 2008-09 season with five straight wins, beating opponents by a total of 125 points. But by midseason, its record dipped to 13-6 and Head Coach and Athletic Director Bob Bur-chard decided the team needed a change. He divided his squad into two separate units, which platooned in and out of games every five minutes.

It was a huge gamble with a sizable payoff. The Cou-gars won 10 of their next 11 regular season games and captured the American Midwest Conference Tournament title. Columbia, which entered the NAIA Division I Tournament ranked 19th, then toppled four

opponents in five days before losing to Rocky Mountain College in the national championship game.

For Burchard, who has posted a 531-193 record in 21 seasons as Head Coach at Columbia, this year demon-strated the importance of involving every member of his team. In this interview, he talks about preparing for the national tournament, serving as NAIA representa-tive for USA Men’s Basketball’s Collegiate Committee, and teaching student-athletes to “ride the wave.”

&Bob Burchard Columbia College


possession. That lineup featured an All-American post player and a polished point guard who really controlled the game. The white team was more physical and more patient, typically passing the ball eight or nine times during a possession. One team applied pressure by attacking the basket and the other wore opponents down by making them guard us for long periods of

time. The cumulative effect was very fatiguing for our opponents, who basically had to play against two different teams in the same game.

Why did you shake up your rotation? Early in the season, when we used a more traditional rota-tion, we were asking a few players to carry too much weight. To get to the tour-nament, we needed to rely on our entire team, and this platoon system forced us to do that.

The guys on the floor knew they were coming out after five minutes, which really upped their play because they didn’t have to conserve energy. Meanwhile, the five players waiting on the bench knew they were about to rotate back in, which kept them engaged in the action. There were no substitu-tions for errors—we were committed to the plan, which helped players fight through the tough parts of games.

What does it take to make a system like this work? You need mature, unselfish players because you’re asking your best athletes to give up playing time. We had an All-American, Christian Lewis, and early in the season, I wanted to give him as much playing time as I could, but it was wearing on him. Once we reduced his on-court time, he began playing at a higher level, and his stats suddenly improved. Instead of playing 30 minutes, he logged 23 or 24, but he was playing more efficiently. That became true for everybody.

Did this strategy improve team morale?Basketball is 100-percent a team sport. Whether you’re using this substitution pattern or another one, if you can find a way to give everyone on your team a job, they’re going to play at a higher level. It’s human nature—people want to feel valued.

It reminds me of my first job coaching junior high school girls’ basketball. Before the season, we had a huge discussion about what color sneakers we were going to buy. We chose $20 purple Chuck Taylors, and after our first game, a par-ent came up to talk to me. I thought she was going to congratulate me on the win, but the first words out of her mouth were, “Coach, I paid good money for my daughter’s shoes and I expect her to get on the court and use them.”

That’s when I realized I needed to find her daughter a job and convince her she was the best person for that job. So I turned her into a defensive stopper, and she became the best defender we had. She had an identity, and she loved it. Every-

Columbia College’s Christian Lewis boxes out during the 2009 NAIA Men’s Division I National Champion-ship game. Head Coach Bob Burchard and the Cou-gars had a dramatic midseason turnaround last year.

one says they want to win, but more than that, everyone wants to know they’re bringing something to the team.

How did you come up with the slogan “Ride the wave?” When we got to our conference tourna-ment, we were a bubble team on the verge of being eliminated from national

tournament consideration. In our first-round matchup, Williams Baptist College had the last shot of the game, and the ball went as far down as possible before spinning out of the hoop. If that shot had gone in, it would have ended our season. Instead, we won by one point, and sit-ting in the locker room after the game, our guys were shell-shocked by their good fortune.

I was amazed to see the effect on the team. So I told them about surfing. I said, “If you ever watch surfers, you’ll see them sitting on their boards for a long time, watching the waves come and go. When the surfers finally see a wave they like, they paddle like crazy to catch it. They may disappear under the curl, but if they don’t fall, they’ll pop out the other side, riding the wave of their life.” And that’s what happened to us. We’d been paddling like crazy to catch that wave, and in the game against Wil-liams Baptist, we disappeared for a bit. But we popped up again, and I told them to ride the wave as long as we could.

That was our rally cry for the rest of the year, and the guys became more relaxed as the postseason progressed. In the conference semifinals, we played an amazing game against the third-seeded team. Then in the final, we had a great performance against McKendree University, who had beaten us seven straight times. We got on top of that wave and rode it to the national cham-pionship game.

What happened in the national title game? Going into the final, I was interested to see how television coverage was going to affect us. The game was broadcast

on CBS College Sports, and it was the first time we had to deal with television timeouts, which really threw our platoon system out of whack. Before, we subbed every five or five-and-a-half minutes, not four, which is when the TV timeouts occurred. A lot of our strength was due to the momentum generated by our rotation and the fatigue it caused our

opponents. The extra timeouts elimi-nated the fatigue factor.

Also, Rocky Mountain was really good. They’re a big, physical team with a very quick point guard, an NCAA Division I transfer on the wing who shot the ball well, and a strong center who had 24 points and 20 rebounds against us. We never found an answer for him, and he got our best defender in early foul trouble.

The NAIA bills its championship as “college basketball’s toughest tourna-ment.” Is that accurate?No question about it. The games go very quickly, and if your top guys are out of sync, you can be out of the tournament before you even know it. Plus, the NAIA plays eight games on one floor, so they shorten the downtime during the games leading up to the championship contest. They only give teams eight minutes of warmup on the floor before the game starts, and they cut halftime from 15 to 10 minutes.

In the NAIA, we don’t have the ability to scout teams on television like coaches do in NCAA Division I, so preparation time is compressed. It’s a grueling, exhausting affair—we played five games in six days.

Are there misconceptions people have about coaching in the NAIA?A lot of people only identify with the NCAA, but the level of competition in the NAIA is amazing. The question we get most often from recruits is, “Who do you compare to?” I tell them NAIA Divi-sion I is very similar to NCAA Division II, and they’re usually surprised to hear that NAIA Division I basketball schools are allowed to hand out more athletic schol-arships than NCAA Division II. If you get


to the national tournament, you’re going to see a level of play that is very high and very similar to the best NCAA Division II teams.

You’ve reached the national tournament 13 times in the last 15 years. What does that say about your program?We’re so proud of that consistency. It revolves around two things: who we recruit and how we approach the game. Wins and losses are just single events. What’s really going to determine success is who we are, how we treat one another, and how we work together. That’s what the coaching staff tells our players, and we recruit student-athletes who take that philosophy to heart.

What is your relationship with USA Basketball? In my first opportunity to serve with USA Basketball, I was a court coach, which means I went to the collegiate level trials and helped with player selection. In my second, which I just completed, I was on the Men’s Collegiate Committee, and we were responsible for selecting coaches for the collegiate events and choosing play-ers for each team.

For me, every one of these events was like a coaching clinic with the best coaches in college basketball. I took a ton of notes. The greatest challenge was having to select teams at the highest level. We brought in 30 players to try out for each, and it’s a safe bet that none of them had ever been cut from a team before, so the selection process was very complex.

What’s the most important lesson you learned this season? It takes a lot of hands to lift a heavy load. For the rest of my career, I’ll be com-mitted to fully utilizing everyone on the team.

We had an amazing ride, and we’ll remember it for the rest of our lives. We rode the wave, and now we’re picking up our board. But there’s going to be another wave, and we’ll just sit back until we’re ready to catch it and ride it for all it’s worth.

“I told them to ride the wave as long as we could. That became our rally cry for the rest of the year, and the guys became more relaxed as the postseason progressed ... We got on top of that wave and rode it to the national championship game.”

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BY MIKE PHELPSAt IowA StAte UnIverSIty, the weapon of choice for the women’s team is long range shooting. Last season, the Cyclones rode a wave of hot three-point shooting deep into the nCAA Division I women’s tournament, setting a single-season school wins record along the way.

the team’s reliance on the three was never more evident than in its dramatic 69-68 win over Michigan State University in the Sweet 16, when the Cyclones bur-ied two threes in the closing minute, cap-ping an 8-0 run to finish the game. the victory cemented the team’s second-ever berth in the tournament’s elite eight round.

throughout the tournament, Iowa State consistently scorched the nets from deep, knocking down at least 10 three-pointers in each of its three victories, including 16 in a first-round win over east tennessee State University, and 43 total, finishing just one shy of the nCAA tournament record. For the sea-son, the Cyclones finished sixth in the

nation in three-pointers made per game (8.1), draining a season-high 18 in a mid-December win over the University of Detroit Mercy.

“If the three-point shot is part of your repertoire, you’ll almost never feel like your team is out of a game,” says Bill Fennelly, Head women’s Coach at Iowa State. “If your team is overmatched tal-ent-wise or you have to find creative ways to stay in a game, and you can knock down 10 three-point shots and hold the other team to two, you’re up 24 points. we use the three-pointer from a tacti-cal standpoint to give us an advantage against teams that are more athletically talented.”

Since the nCAA officially adopted the three-point shot in 1986 and it was intro-duced at the high school level in 1987, it has become basketball’s great equalizer

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


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COVER STORY

University of Michigan guard Stu Douglass fires from deep against the University of Iowa last season. At Michigan, the three-point shot is a big part of Head Men’s Coach John Beilein’s offensive strategy.


COVER STORY

It Adds UpSo what is the allure of the three-point

shot? For some coaches, it comes down to simple mathematics. “Statistically speak-ing, it’s a pretty efficient way of scoring,” says Jim Mullins, Head Men’s Coach at Ithaca College, where the Bombers fin-ished the season ranked 17th in the final 2008-09 D3hoops.com poll. “Shooting 33 percent from behind the arc is the equivalent of shooting 50 percent inside. obviously your goal is to shoot higher than that, but you really only need 33 percent to even things out.”

At Ithaca, adhering to that formula translated to on-court success this past season, as the team shot nearly twice as many threes as its opponents and col-lected 40 percent of its total points from behind the arc, while setting school records for victories (24) and points per game (88.4). And with nearly 10 made threes per game, the aptly named Bombers finished fifth in nCAA Division III in that category.

Mullins hasn’t always placed such an emphasis on the three, but felt the approach suited the smaller line-up Ithaca used this past season. the Bombers turned the perceived weak-ness into a strength, creating match up problems for bigger teams. “early on, there may have been a perception that we wouldn’t be able to match up against bigger teams, but our philosophy was how are they going to match up against us?” Mullins says. “they might have to send a bigger, less mobile player out to cover one of our guards.”

As a result, Ithaca found most of its openings through the general flow of its high-tempo offense. “we emphasize one style of play at all times,” Mullins says. “Push it up the floor, possibly penetrate and kick out or execute a dribble hand-off. we try to spread the floor and open driving lanes, which allow our shooters open looks.”

At the University of Michigan, Head Men’s Coach John Beilein fills his lineup

by de-emphasizing the importance of size and athletic ability and opening up the game for players and teams whose strengths lie more in the technical skills associated with perimeter shooting. It has impacted how the game is played, causing the coaching community to re-evaluate its approach to teaching both offense and defense and the match-up problems a team stacked with efficient three-point shooters can present.

As any coach who has had success from beyond the arc will attest, how you prac-tice three-point shooting directly affects in-game results. whether its during the flow of your offense, in an unsettled situ-ation after an offensive rebound, as part of a break, or on a set play after a dead ball, there are handfuls of ways to find open looks for your players. the keys are creating offensive opportunities that free up three-point shooters, identifying high-percentage situations, and training your players to execute in optimal three-point shooting situations.

Bill Fennelly, head Women’s Coach at iowa State University, is, admittedly, a big num-bers guy. So when he game plans to stop opposing three-point threats, he lives and dies with game film, scouting reports, and percentages.

“I tell my players that we’re going with the numbers and if they make it, they make it,” he says. “If the best three-point shooter on the opposing team makes a shot, that’s my players’ fault. But if the worst three-point shooter makes one, it’s my fault. We’re going to let them shoot and defend that way.”

Duggar Baucom, head Men’s Coach at the Virginia Military institute, labels opposing shooters as either run-out players or walk-out players. Run-out players are those he wants his team to closely contest on every shot, while walk-out players are the ath-letes who would rather put the ball on the floor and drive to the hoop, so Baucom wants to invite those players to shoot from deep.

“There are usually only a couple of run-out players on a team,” Baucom says. “We know who those guys are, based on their percentages, and we’ll close out on them very quickly and leave our feet to fly out and really con-

test their shots. We’ll give a walk-out player a little more space and dare him to shoot a three-pointer, because we know he’s not comfortable from that range.”

at ithaca College, head Men’s Coach Jim Mullins takes that theory a step further, and when nec-essary, designates one defender on his team to shadow an opposing shooter who is extraordinarily dangerous from beyond the arc. “We tell our player not to leave that shooter under any circumstances,” Mullins says. “That defender has no help-side responsibilities. The basketball purists might say Ithaca’s help-side defense is in the toilet, but we’re doing it for a reason. We’re recognizing how that individual can hurt us and we don’t want him getting touches.”

At the high school level, Don Showalter, head Boys’ Coach at Mid-Prairie high School in Wellman, Iowa, tries to make opposing shooters put the ball on the floor. “At our level, the three-point shot is more of a stand-and-shoot shot,” he says. “We close out and try to make them put it on the floor and move left or right. If our players have to come from a distance, we tell them to just run at the shooter with both hands up. Anything you can do to disrupt the shooter, even a little bit, will help.”

LONG RANGE DEFENSE

with quality three-point shooters to cre-ate matchup nightmares for his oppo-nents. For example, Beilein will identify one or two defenders on the opposing team who have problems covering the entire court. He then adjusts his lineup to create mismatches and take advan-tage of those players’ perimeter defi-ciencies to free his shooters for open three-point looks.

“they might be good post players, but they might not be adept at stepping outside and chasing a player around a couple of screens,” he says. “one of the biggest things we look for is who we can get open, and finding our best option.”

For Beilein, that doesn’t always mean playing a lineup of five guards. After all, his west virginia University teams from 2003 to 2006 featured the long-range heroics of 6-foot-11-inch Kevin Pittsnogle. Despite a limited low-post repertoire, Pittsnogle found repeated success dragging opposing centers to the three-point line, and making them pay for their unfamiliarity and discom-fort away from the basket.

“we recruit from a standpoint where ideally we’d like to have everybody able to make three-point shots and have to be guarded, because it takes away from a lot of help-side defense,” Beilein says. “when I had Kevin Pittsnogle, that’s when I began to appreciate what having five shooters on the court can mean—especially if your big man is your best shooter.”

the virginia Military Institute’s men’s team was the highest scoring squad in Division I this past season, with 44 percent of its points coming from three-pointers. Long range freedom is part of Head Coach Duggar Baucom’s philosophy of allowing his athletes to play freely. In developing his schemes, Baucom talks to his players about shoot-ing in rhythm and within their range. Because he wants his players comfort-able on the court, Baucom knows he has to loosen the reins at times.

“I think a lot of coaches are very con-trolling,” he says. “I call them joy stick coaches because they like to control every movement. I’m the very opposite of that. we talk about it in detail during our drills, but when they’re out there playing, we want them relaxed and ready to pull the trigger from beyond the arc. If the shots are going in, it’s a thing of beauty.”


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When To Shoot Iowa State’s game winner against

Michigan State, which came with fewer than 30 seconds to play, didn’t come off a set play, a screen, or even a drive-and-kick situation—it was the result of an offensive rebound, one of Fennelly’s favorite times to shoot an open three. “During a shot, the defense’s number one goal is to box out and get the rebound,” he says. “But if they don’t get the ball, often times they’re nowhere near the player they’re supposed to be guarding. when we collect an offensive rebound, we sprint to our transition spots outside the arc and get ready to shoot.

“when the defense is disorganized, you’re going to get some open looks,”

Fennelly continues. “I don’t know if there’s a bigger play in the women’s game than a three-pointer off a rebound.”

If a defender is able to collapse on the shooter quickly, Fennelly tells his players to look for one more pass. “I instruct my team to be ready to shoot off of that first pass, but if someone is rushing out to guard you, look to pass around the perimeter, because there’s no way the defense can recover and guard two open players,” he says. “your team might collect 10 to 15 offensive rebounds per game, and if you can get three to six points knocking home three-pointers in those situations, it’s huge.”

Iowa State also likes to shoot three-pointers on inbounds plays, as well as on the break. Fennelly equates dead ball situations to special teams plays in foot-ball. “I think teams often don’t defend inbounds plays with the same zeal or attention to detail they do on a normal half-court play,” he says. “So we spend an amazing amount of time working on them.

“we can put each player exactly where we want,” Fennelly continues. “we

choose who’s making the pass, who’s set-ting the screen, and where we’re taking the shot from. the person in-bounding the ball has a clearer look at the floor than they would bringing the ball up in a half-court set.”

Fennelly also emphasizes taking the first available good shot, which is often a three-pointer early in the shot clock before the defense is set. “the key is to teach your post players to run the floor hard, go to the rim, and force the guards to follow them into the lane,” he says. “this will open up the skip pass or a screening situation for your outside shooters.”

Shooting three-pointers in transition can also open up additional offensive rebounding opportunities. “one of our

philosophies is to not only look for the long range shot off the break because you’re more likely to be open, but also because it provides better offensive rebounding position for our other play-ers,” says Don Showalter, Head Boys’ Coach at Mid-Prairie High School in wellman, Iowa, and Head Coach for the 2009-10 USA Basketball Men’s Developmental national team. “our bigs are moving full speed towards the basket, which makes them harder to box out.”

Like Fennelly, Showalter likes to use ball reversals and skip passes, especially in transition. His teams also utilize an inside-outside game to find looks within the bounds of their regular offense. “on a break, if we feel the defense is com-ing back into the lane, we’ll skip from one wing to the other wing, or to the baseline, and get open looks that way,” Showalter says. “And within the offense, if you have a decent post player, he’s going to draw attention. From the post, he can kick it out to the opposite wing or opposite baseline for a good three-point look.”

But even the scenarios that seem most ideal for shooting three-pointers should be tempered by specific time and score situations. For some teams, this change creates a significant twist on its philosophy, and coaches have to guard against taking their team out of its offensive rhythm.

west Liberty University led nCAA Division II in three-pointers per game last season, and has led the division in scoring in each of the last four years. So when Head Men’s Coach Jim Crutchfield decides to take the air out of the ball, he does it with caution.

“we’re a team that scores 100 points a game, so it’s tough to put the brakes on,” Crutchfield says. “we wait until it’s late in the game when we know we’re

only looking at four or five possessions.”even when west Liberty does slow

down, that doesn’t mean it abandons the three-pointer. the Hilltoppers just wait a little longer before firing away. “I tell my team that we can usually get that same open three-point look later in the shot clock,” Crutchfield says. “we’re too good to not be able to get that shot with 10 seconds to go, rather than 30. I don’t think there’s anything more devastating to a team that’s behind than playing defense for 31 seconds and then having someone drain a three-pointer with no time on the shot clock. It’s the ultimate dagger.”

It’s also important to develop a peck-ing order of shooting options within your team. In many cases, this will work itself out over time as players learn who the most consistent three-point options are. But other times, a coach must step in and lay some ground rules.

“For some of our players, we have the second touch rule,” Fennelly says. “If they receive the first pass and there are 25 seconds or more on the shot clock, they don’t get to shoot it. the


COVER STORY

“For some of our players, we have the second touch rule. If they receive the first pass and there are 25 seconds or more on the shot clock, they don’t get to shoot it. The second time they touch it, they can shoot it. For our better shooters, it’s any time, any place—if you’re open, shoot it. Offense is not equal opportunity for every player.”

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COVER STORY

second time they touch it, they can shoot it. For our better shooters, it’s any time, any place—if you’re open, shoot it. offense is not equal opportunity for every player.”

Drilling DeepSuccessfully implementing the three-

point shot into your practice routine requires more than simply setting up a rack of balls beyond the three-point line and telling your players to fire away. Instead, top coaches like Beilein believe it’s important to design drills that closely mimic game situations.

“A lot of coaches tell their kids to go out and just shoot until they make 100

three-pointers,” he says. “But did they take those shots at game speed? Did the pass come from a gun or rebounder standing underneath the basket? I like to think very few passes come from underneath the basket when you’re already squared and looking right at the ball. that’s an easy shot and you don’t get many of those in a game.

“Most shots occur when you’re run-ning away from the basket, with the pass coming from the top of the key or the wing,” Beilein continues. “you have to catch the ball, turn your hips, and get into your shot. we do more drills like that, always working at top speed.”

Beilein also has his shooters practice three-pointers from nBA range, because that’s where many of the available looks will be come game time. “I’d rather have an open three-pointer from nBA range than a tightly guarded three from the college line,” he says. “It’s important that when you shoot in practice, you shoot as much from deep as you do from directly behind the line.”

At vMI, Baucom also tries to make his shooting drills mirror game situa-tions. whenever the Keydets practice, they do it at full speed, which allows

them to get comfortable with where they’re supposed to be during games and how they should be spaced out relative to their teammates. Baucom also likes to create intense competition in his three-point shooting drills and put his players under the type of pressure they may feel in a game.

“we’ll split up into two teams and the first team to hit seven three-pointers wins,” Baucom says. “then the losing team has to do extra running. the play-ers can come down to the gym on their own time if they want to shoot relaxed, but everything we do in practice is com-petitive. Players build bad habits by just going out there and shooting relaxed all

the time. when we’re playing Kentucky and those 6-foot-9 guys are closing out on you, it’s anything but relaxing.”

At Iowa State, Fennelly also likes to turn his three-point shooting drills into incentive-laden challenges. His players shoot from various spots on the court, having to make a certain number at each before they move on, or see how many three-pointers they can make from one spot in 30 seconds. the Cyclones also use a lot of breakdown drills where, for example, they run just the back end of a certain play to simulate the shots that will be available during game situations.

“every three-point shot we take in practice is a shot our players will get in our offense,” Fennelly says. “All of our breakdown drills are reflective of our offense, which helps the players be more comfortable once they’re in a game.”

He also works with some of his more advanced players on developing simple one-on-one moves that can help the play-ers free themselves for a good three-point look. “In the women’s game, there are not a lot of athletes who can catch, jump, and shoot it over top of defenders from beyond the three-point line,” Fennelly says. “So they’ll probably have to be wide

“I’d rather have an open three-pointer from NBA range than a tightly guarded three from the college line. It’s important that when you shoot in practice, you shoot as much from deep as you do from directly behind the line.”

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COVER STORY

open to get off a shot. we teach players to ball fake and take a slide dribble to the left or right to create space. we’ve worked hard on doing one penetrating dribble between the legs, stepping back, and shooting a three-pointer.”

Mullins and Showalter both use varia-tions of an effective drill at Ithaca and Mid-Prairie, respectively. the Bombers employ a 55-second shooting drill, which utilizes three players—a rebound-er, passer, and shooter—and two basket-balls. each player does one job at a time and they rotate every 55 seconds. “they should be able to get off a significant number of shots,” Mullins says. “we’ll do that drill from the right wing, to the top, then to the left wing, and if each guy takes 55 seconds, the entire drill only lasts nine minutes and they should be able to get off 60 to 75 shots each.”

Showalter also uses three players and two basketballs, but with an added twist. In his drill, each player is in near-con-stant motion. After one player takes a shot, he gets his own rebound and passes the ball to a teammate stationed behind the three-point line. After mak-ing the pass, the player relocates to a different spot along the perimeter and awaits a pass from the third player, who just rebounded his own shot. “It’s a con-tinuous, high-intensity shooting drill,” Showalter says. “the players learn to fol-low up after their own missed shots.”

Drills during practice should also help your shooters build confidence. Sometimes that means slowing down the pace and getting back to basics. while Crutchfield agrees with his peers that the majority of shots in practice should be taken under game-like circumstances, he also sees the value in simply letting a player shoot stationary from the three-point line.

“If a guy is struggling a little bit, we’ll put him behind the line and start feed-ing him,” he says. “If he makes six of 10 shots, it brings his confidence back up. If you’re shooting stationary and you’re comfortable, all of our guys are going to be able to shoot 60 percent. I think it’s important to shoot confidently. If a player has a question mark in his head when he’s shooting the ball, he won’t shoot as well—or at all, and then he’s taken himself out of the offense.”

Line Of The Timeswhenever Fennelly teaches shooting

at camps, he tells a joke about the three. “that’s the shot that everybody wants to make,” he tells the crowd. “the shot is so exciting, even the officials throw their hands up in the air when one swishes through the net.”

Since its inception, the three-pointer has added a new element of excite-ment to the game for fans, players, and coaches alike. the long-range shot has become an integral part of the game at all levels, with many teams basing their

entire offenses around it, and defenses around stopping it.

vMI made nearly 14 three-pointers per contest last season, more than many teams attempted in a game when the line was first introduced. “that’s just mind boggling to me,” Baucom says. “I’ve always been kind of enamored with the three-point shot, and now that we’ve transitioned to playing this way, it’s become our niche. I can’t imagine coaching without the three.” n


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Circle No. 113

ne of the most challenging aspects of being a coach today is that you have to be good at so many different things. You need to be up to date on the latest training techniques, able to commu-

nicate well, organized, in tune with kids, and full of new ideas. If you’re a college

Dan Tudor is the founder of Selling for Coaches, a program designed to help coaches improve their recruiting, marketing, and communication skills. He conducts personalized on-campus workshops for colleges across the country and can be reached at: www.SellingForCoaches.com.

IN THEIR DREAMS

RECRUITING


CH

RIS

GA

SH

O coach, you also need to be a first-rate salesperson.

A salesperson? Yes. To effectively recruit the student-athletes you want in your program, you must learn the art of selling.

Your first thought is probably, “No way! Sales is the last profession I’d enter.” But I’m not talking about becoming the

pushy car salesman who sold you your Ford Focus. I’m talking about under-standing how to sell a Cadillac to even a reluctant buyer.

You may not like to think of recruit-ing as selling, but it is. You are trying to convince a young person to choose your school over others. You are promoting yourself as a great coach and parent fig-

How do you make high school prospects picture you in their future plans? By being a great salesman.

BY DaN TuDor

www.highschoolsports.net

ure. If you don’t use effective sales tech-niques, you are entering the recruiting game without a game plan.

Buyer’s MarketBusiness author and sales guru Jeffrey

Gitomer has a saying: “People hate to be sold, but they love to buy.” That’s a great thing to remember when you’re recruiting student-athletes. Ask yourself this question: What is it you’re selling, and is that what they really want to “buy” from you?

A common answer to the first ques-tion is “a scholarship” or “my college” or “our program’s successful history.” While those are all adequate answers (and answers most of your competition would give), they aren’t the best answers.

It’s a little like asking a car salesper-son what they’re selling. If I heard them answer, “I’m selling a car” or “I sell Fords” I would guess that they’re a mediocre salesperson. On the other hand, profes-sional, successful salespeople will answer the same question by saying, “I’m sell-ing the dream of owning a new Ford

Mustang convertible” or “With gas prices going through the roof, I’m selling my customers on great-looking cars that get fantastic gas mileage, which saves them lots of money.”

As a college coach, you’re selling a lot more than a scholarship or a college. You’re selling the dream of competing at the college level. Or the dream of having college paid for and getting a great start to a successful life. Or the dream of being wanted and appreciated for all of their hard work and sacrifices.

A key to signing recruits is finding out what your prospect’s dream is. If you can discover what they want to buy, you can offer it for sale.

When it comes to approaching indi-vidual prospects, I find that today’s col-lege coaches tend to have one standard approach, which doesn’t vary much from athlete to athlete. But every recruit—just like every customer in the business world—is different. They have different needs and motivations. In sales, these are called “hot buttons”—the things that get a customer’s attention and cause them to

buy. Coaches who don’t take personalized approaches with athletes, and don’t take the time to understand why an athlete would choose their school, are probably going to be unsuccessful when it comes to consistent recruiting success.

Don’t get me wrong—you’ll still sign recruits. Probably even enough to fill your roster and be competitive year in and year out. However, you will never really understand why one athlete responds to your message and another doesn’t. And odds are, the one who doesn’t respond will be the one you really, really want.

Getting To Know ThemFor coaches to make the most of their

time with a prospect (whether it’s an hour with an entire family or 10 minutes over the phone), they usually talk. A lot. They talk about their college. Their team. Themselves. They spew facts, figures, sta-tistics, winning percentages, and more.

Going back to the car example, an average car salesperson would make the most of their time by quoting engine size, horsepower, stereo features, and on

RECRUITING


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interacts with his family can also provide clues to help you tailor your approach, as can their economic situation. For exam-ple, a prospect with a single mom living in a two-room apartment will probably have a different motivation for deciding which

school to attend—and why—than a pros-pect living in a six-bedroom house.

Along with asking questions and noticing clues, you have to find out what the prospect’s hesitations might be. Every athlete has some objection to what you’re offering, from “I don’t think

when recruiting a player. Not only do you have to connect with the athlete, you have to connect with the athlete’s parents. Furthermore, you’re probably going to need to sell to the athlete’s high school coach, too.

Along with asking ques-tions, you can get to know your prospect by looking for clues around them. The first thing good salespeople do when they walk into a new client’s office is take a mental inventory of the surroundings. They notice any pictures on the wall, whether the desk is messy or organized, and if a hobby is evident.

Connecting with a pros-pect may be as simple as noticing a picture and asking them about it. Or taking note of the trophy that sits prominently in the liv-ing room. But don’t just say, “Beautiful trophy.” Ask them about where and why they won it. What was the game like and how did their team perform?

Observing how the student-athlete

and on and on. If I’ve jogged a memory or two of a past agonizing car buying experience, good. Remember how you felt? If you’re like me, you probably just wished the guy would stop talking long enough for you to look at the car.

Compare that to professional, success-ful car salespeople. They ask questions right off the bat. They spend time getting to know their customers—their needs, wants, and how the car is going to be used day to day. They then mold their sales approach to the customer.

Coaches who struggle at recruiting are often too busy rattling off facts and figures. Instead, they should be doing more listen-ing than talking. When I work one-on-one with coaches to help them develop win-ning recruiting strategies, I recommend they try to talk only 20 percent of the time when they are engaging a prospect over the phone or during a visit. (See “Best Questions” on page 26 for examples of how to get prospects talking.)

Of course, the questions shouldn’t only be for the prospect. Coaches actu-ally need to make multiple sales pitches

RECRUITING


Connecting with a prospect may be as simple as taking note of the trophy in the liv-ing room. But don’t just say, “Beautiful trophy.” Ask them about where and why they won it.

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RECRUITING

BEST QUESTIONSWhen trying to connect with a prospect, the more they tell you about themselves, the closer you get to really knowing how to recruit them. How do you get them talking? The key is asking open-ended questions that will provide more than a yes or no response. Here are some suggestions:

What prompted you to consider our program?How they answer allows you to find out what they’re thinking and why they’re thinking it. You can then use that information to further the recruiting process. It’s a great question to begin to understand their dreams, and can easily lead to lots of good follow-up questions. Listen to their answers carefully, and find ways to point out why their interest is justified.

What are your expectations of our program?You’re looking for a “to-do” list here. From this ques-tion, prospects may tell you exactly how to recruit them, and exactly what would cause them to choose you as their college coach.

What thought process Will you go through to determine hoW you’re going to choose a college?You may have to press your prospect on this one, since they probably haven’t verbalized it to anyone before. You’re trying to see who else is involved in the decision, how serious they are about assessing different options, and specific things they will be looking for in a program.

What are your thoughts right noW in terms of Where you Want to continue your athletic career? Okay, this one takes a little guts, but can yield a gold mine of information. It’s important to note that you aren’t asking them for a commitment. You’re just asking for their “thoughts” at that moment. That’s a big dif-

ference, and should give your prospect enough wiggle room to feel comfortable answering honestly.

What challenges does the recruiting process create for you and your family?This is what I call a wildcard question. It might yield very little information, or you might get a wealth of insight into the family dynamics associated with the stressful recruiting process. It’s also a question that will frame you, the questioner, as someone who is concerned about the entire family.

What are the best parts of the recruiting process? Their answer to this might be an important key in uncovering your prospect’s “hot buttons.” Once they tell you the best things about the process, make sure your recruiting efforts touch on those positive aspects.

What other items should We discuss?Let your prospects bring up anything that is on their mind. This is a great question to prompt them to talk about any concerns so that you can address them as soon as possible.

hoW Will you make your final decision?Make sure they give you specifics. Ask follow-up ques-tions to their first answer. You can simply say, “And then what?” over and over again until you get to the real source of their decision—a school’s major, the coach, their parents’ input, their coach’s input, or even what kind of uniforms you have. The bottom line is that you’ll know what their decision rests on.

you fast break enough,” to “Your school is too far away.”

If you don’t ask recruits what their res-ervations are, you’ll be clueless about why they don’t sign with you. If you do ask, you can address their concerns. Even if you can’t change the fact that your school is far away from their hometown, you can talk about how your team is a family itself and how your current athletes stay in touch with their families.

Think back to a prospect you lost to a competitor last year. Do you know why they didn’t sign with you? I do. You left an objection unanswered. Addressing nine out of 10 concerns isn’t good enough. Every objection has to be answered, and you need your prospect’s assurance that

it has been answered well.Asking questions and noticing their

surroundings not only helps you build a personal sales approach, it tells the prospect you care about them. And the two need to constantly be intertwined.

In Your CourtEven though you want to tailor your

approach to each individual prospect and let them do most of the talking, that doesn’t mean you give up control of the recruiting/selling process. In fact, the opposite is true.

It’s important that as the coach, you guide the prospect through an orderly, planned, systematic process. That begins with getting to know each other, then

talking about why your program is best suited to their needs and goals.

You can also use what are called “trial close” techniques throughout the sales process. That means asking questions like, “When you sign with us, do you have any requests for a specific dorm or room-mate?” Controlling the process means gently directing the conversation toward the outcome you desire.

A key to the whole formula, of course, is then “asking for the sale.” However, many coaches neglect to do this very simple thing. In my opinion, once you find an athlete who you know you want for your team, it’s never too early to ask if they are ready to commit to your program. If you’ve built trust, gained an

RECRUITING

genuine. Being “real” with a prospect is the key to connecting, and the best way to do that is to be aware of your own unique sales personality and how it is viewed by prospects.

This approach is not about changing your style or your personality. It’s about recruiting that leads to the best results. It’s about finding your own natural sales approach and letting it flourish. n

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

understanding of the athlete’s needs, and successfully addressed any objections, the next logical step is to ask for the sale. You’ll be surprised how often and how early you get a positive response from your recruits.

One tactic that usually backfires, how-ever, is using threats to get their commit-ment. When you say, “We’ll need you to give us a yes or no by Wednesday or the scholarship is off the table,” you’ve come on too strong for today’s athlete.

It’s also poor form to use further threats—or any negative response—if the prospect’s answer is, “No thanks.” I recently read an article that detailed the story of a very well-known sports pro-gram that black-balled a local high school coach when a prized recruit chose an out-of-state school instead of the local uni-versity. All this did was build a bad name with people the college coach should be counting on for “sales leads.”

Instead, what if the coach sent a letter of congratulations to that athlete and their family (and high school coach), wishing them best of luck in the future

and thanking them for the chance to speak with them? That leaves the kind of impression that will help a coach have future sales success. Plus, if the athlete ever thinks of transferring to a different school down the road, the coach who congratulated them will be the one they remember.

Act like the professional you are, and lose with grace. Good salespeople do it all the time. It will pay off for you later, and more than that, it’s the right thing to do.

Be Natural

By now, I hope I’ve convinced you to embrace the strategies of the best sales-people in your recruiting game plan. But you may wonder: Can these ideas mesh with who I am? Definitely.

Coaches need a firm understanding of their strengths and weaknesses when it comes to recruiting, and must approach their prospects in a manner that seems

Being “real” with a prospect is the key to connecting, and the best way to do that is to be aware of your own unique sales personality and how it is viewed by prospects.


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hether it’s to soar above the rim to grab rebounds and dunk, elevate higher on jump shots, or to rise up and block an opponent’s shot, every player wants to increase

his or her vertical jump. But athletes who have developed vertical power can actually do much more.

The rafter-scraping leaps that wow fans and make the covers of magazines are impressive, but they are just the icing on the cake. Developing vertical jump means an athlete has a powerful single- and double-leg triple extension, which is a vital component of many high-level athletic activities.

Effectively training this area will result in increased force application into the ground. As a result, the athlete also

STRENGTH TRAINING


W By Jeff CoNNors

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Jeff Connors is Assistant Athletic Director for Strength and Conditioning at the University of North Carolina. He oversees the department’s entire strength and conditioning program and also works specifically with the women’s bas-ketball and football teams. He can be reached at: [email protected].

Building the strength needed to improve vertical leap will do more than help your players jump higher. It will also make them better overall athletes.

Reaching new heights

University of North Carolina guard Rashanda McCants rises for a layup last season. A vertical jump training program has the Tar Heel women flying high.

STRENGTH TRAINING


develops the ability to overcome inertia out of a static position, improve the accel-eration and maximum velocity phases of a sprint, and increase leg driving power against resistance. Improvement in tests such as the broad jump, vertical jump, and linear acceleration will occur, but they are just the by-product of a com-prehensive explosive strength-training program.

foundational strengthThe starting point for developing all

these attributes is foundational strength. Most programs employ traditional slow velocity multi-joint exercises to meet this objective. They might include the back squat, single-leg squat, step up, lunge, front squat, split squat, Romanian dead lift, and over-head squat.

In our program, we empha-size the back squat and back squat variations, barbell step ups, tri-planar lunges, and a number of exercises that tar-get the hamstrings and glutes. We also focus on strengthening the hip flexors and the remaining areas of the core.

Why is foundational strength so important? A reasonable number of stud-ies have concluded that this particular type of strength development improves hip rotary power, as measured by vertical jump. Through years of experience, we have found that the back squat and back squat variations are key to foundational strength.

Even though most of our athletes were heavily recruited high school stars, it will take them at least a couple years to develop the foundational strength needed to affect vertical jump. Many college athletes played multiple sports in high school and were not involved in a consistent strength program that was intense or frequent enough.

Our goal is for each athlete to develop foundational strength to the point where we can work on more specific, intense plyometrics. But we never progress until the athlete is ready. For example, we had a football player who could not signifi-cantly improve his lower-body strength due to a number of injuries. But when he was able to complete a full year of train-ing, he improved his back squat weight by 100 pounds. He also established a new

team record for linebackers with a verti-cal jump of 40 inches. The measurable improvement he demonstrated was due in part to being able to finally establish a foundation of strength.

our recipeThe ingredients for building founda-

tional strength in our program include the back squat as the primary movement. The back squat has obvious specificity to rotary hip movement, and it works the major muscle groups that originate athletic movement. In addition, subtle changes in stance can conveniently target

different muscle groups—for example, the high bar squat is specifically executed out of a vertical jump stance. Finally, the squat is a great exercise for hypertrophy.

We use six-week training cycles in the off-season and three-week mini cycles in-season. Athletes perform five reps or fewer to target fast-twitch muscle recruit-ment, straining through heavy weight and striving toward a new max-effort triple once a week. Our second day is a maximum velocity training day using 55 to 76 percent of single-rep max with no more than three reps and short rest intervals. We also use band tension with accommodating resistance off a box, with the speed of the bar ranging from .7 to .8 on a tendo unit. Monitoring foun-dational strength by straining through heavy weight and then moving to lighter weight for maximum bar speed with accommodating resistance has been another key to our program.

Athletes with a few training years under their belts might spend the first year alter-nating their workouts on the second day between high velocity and hypertrophy. Many young athletes will need to con-tinue training in a developmental fashion aimed at basic strength before shifting to more high velocity training.

In addition, the importance of train-

Athletes with a few training years under their belts might spend the first year alternating their workouts on the second day between high velocity and hypertrophy.

Virtually all professionalteams use the VERTECto improve lower bodypower and jump reach.

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Monday

n Submaximal tempo runs

n Lower-body foundational strength training (maximum effort)

n Foundational upper-body training

n Olympic lift teaching day with medium resistance

n Bench press and block clean

Tuesday (Absolute Speed)

n Dynamic warmup

n Neural drills

n Resistance modalities

n Full-speed maximal effort sprints or drills

Wednesday

n Submaximal tempo runs

n Component upper-body lifts

n High velocity lower-body lifts

n Component Olympic movements

n Box squat

Thursday (Absolute Speed)

n Dynamic warmup

n Neural drills

n Bounding

n Resistance or assistance modalities

n Sand pit strength training

Friday (No run day)

n Heavy Olympic lifts

n High-velocity upper-body lifts

n Component lower-body lifts

n High -volume plyometrics

n Bench press

North Carolina uses the above schedule to facilitate power development during the off-season.WEEKLY SCHEDULE

ing the posterior leg cannot be overem-phasized. Our favorite exercises for the hamstrings and glutes include Romanian dead lifts, glute-ham raises, reverse hyper-extensions, negative accentuated leg curls, and resisted movement drills such as a low pedal in a sand pit or straight-leg bounds with a sled.

One of our favorite choices for devel-oping the total leg is the plate-loaded Power Runner. Our athletes perform any-where from 20 to 40 reps in a set with heavy weight. This exercise is also used explosively to reiterate force application during the acceleration phase of sprint-ing. We also use this exercise, together

with barbell step ups, to train each leg independently. And we’ll combine it with a back squat in a superset when working on hypertrophy.

This combination of exercises and schedule has given us the best results. Several all-time vertical jump and broad jump records were set this past year, and

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especially helps develop the second pull and eventually an improved single-rep max power clean.

We have also established a specific speed-to-intensity ratio for this lift so that our athletes get the most out of it. We block clean with 70 percent of single-rep max at 2.0 meters per second, and decrease the velocity by .2 meters per second for every three-percent increase in training weight. For example, if we are using 82 percent of single-rep max, our speed expectation would be 1.2 meters per second. Obviously, to develop a higher level of power output, we want to increase the speed of the bar with the same weight, increase the weight with the same speed, or do a combination of both.

It is important to note that these exercises require coaching every single repetition to facilitate maximal vertical force production. When it comes to training with the intent to be as fast as possible, specific feedback is critical.

Since one of our goals with this exercise is for the athlete to increase acceleration of the lift, we also need


STRENGTH TRAINING

sprint times were also favorable under this routine.

Lots To ConsiderWhen moving our athletes to more

high-velocity training, there are some additional issues to consider. A major one is how to counteract inhibitory

deceleration—that is, how to limit or the slowdown at the peak of the lift. The use of accommodating resistance in our pro-gram has been a trial-and-error process.

We have found that exercises such as the resisted squat jump have value because full extension is expressed without the

inhibitory factor. Using the Vertimax power training system, a weighted vest, or medicine ball routines also work well, as they require acceleration and facilitate maximal effort hip extension. The Smith Machine, with a braking device to enable safe return to the starting position, is most productive when used with 30 per-

cent of single-rep max. This is notable because it would be quite difficult to wear a 150- to 200-pound weighted vest or perform jumps with a 150- to 200-pound medi-cine ball.

Olympic lifts are also key to enabling athletes to accelerate the bar to its highest point with

maximum force and full extension at the ankle, knee, and hip joints. We have experimented with every primary and component Olympic lift over a 25-year period and have found that the block clean with the use of a tendo unit to measure velocity is most effective. It

When our athletes squat off a box, they relax very briefly and then accelerate with maximum speed, intending to “rattle the plates” at the top.

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CoaChing ManageMent 33

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to consider how to limit the eccentric stretch. We want to force the athlete to work harder to initiate acceleration of the bar. That’s why we prefer moving weight from a static position in some of our component exercises both in the rack and on the platform. When our athletes squat off a box, they relax very briefly and then accelerate with maximum speed, intending to “rattle the plates” at the top.

I prefer the block clean to the hang clean for the same reasons. It challeng-es the stretch reflex of the athletes by forcing them to move from a paused position. This also helps the athlete to become more explosive out of a normal stretch reflex.

The final part of our program includes some speed and plyometric work. We emphasize single-leg bounding, power bounding, and speed bounding. We per-form these exercises with mini-hurdles to increase stride length, and we also use a weighted vest to enhance the stimulus. In addition, we blend the speed bounds into turnover drills to increase stride frequency.

In the weightroom, we use vertical/lateral plyometric drills. Our favorite drills include a single-leg thrust off of a box, box jumps, side lateral jumps, skis with a medicine ball twist, continuous Bear machine jumps, and various com-binations on the Vertimax.

Into A scheduleAnother important consideration is

the volume and scheduling of training. The choice and frequency of exercises is very important to avoiding overtraining and ensuring proper recovery. Neural fatigue is a primary reason that athletes stop making gains.

One training program that facilitates recovery but allows for an adequate level of training is a three-day lift and four-day run schedule. (See “Weekly Schedule” on page 31.) With this sched-ule, Tuesday and Thursday are abso-lute speed training days and include an extensive dynamic warmup, neural drills, bounding, full-speed resistance running, and sand training. Athletes also run on Monday and Wednesday before lifting, but they are tempo runs (75 to 90 percent of max effort). Friday is a lift day with high-volume plyometrics and no running.

We measure our total volume of bounding and plyometric training to ensure we do not overtrain. Total vol-ume includes the reps performed as part of the speed training on Tuesday and Thursday and the heavy plyometrics in the weightroom on Friday. These concepts are also adaptable to a four-day split routine.

Helping athletes reach new heights, both literally and figuratively, starts with an emphasis on the foundation. From

there, the considerations of inhibitory deceleration, eccentric strength, and recovery must all be balanced in order to develop an effective jump training program. n

A version of this article has appeared in other sport-specific issues of Coaching Management and in our sister maga-zine, Training & Conditioning. To access more articles from T&C, please visit: www.Training-Conditioning.com.


STRENGTH TRAINING

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Cleaner Is BetterThe only way to keep gym floors in top-notch condition is with daily maintenance. For more than 15 years, Courtclean has pro-vided one of the easiest, most effective ways to pick up dirt, dust, sweat, and body oils. In just five minutes, you can clean an entire basketball court and start play immediately. With school budgets being slashed, Courtclean offers a way to reduce maintenance costs with a low-priced product that’s proven effective. TKH Design/Courtclean • 800-900-2481 • www.courtclean.com Circle No. 512

COMPANY NEWSBASKETBALL COURT EQUIPMENT

High School Sports Technology Alliance FormedA new alliance of industry-leading companies has been formed to bring high school sports video to the next level. For the first time, the High School Sports Alliance will integrate game breakdown technology, video upload capability, and Internet distri-bution to local communities and the media, reaching millions of teens, par-ents, and fans.The companies involved in the alliance are Schedule Star, CoachComm, Video For Athletes, and Game Plan. In total, the alliance members account for rela-tionships with more than 16,000 high schools and nearly every football coach in the nation.“What’s been missing has been a push-button simple way for coaches to pack-age and send high school sports video where teens, parents, and fans can view it,” says David McPherson, who heads up HighSchoolSports.net, Schedule Star’s consumer Web site. Initially, the collaboration will allow video to be repurposed for publicity and for use by the players themselves. Game Plan developed the QuickEdit EZ software that Schedule Star and CoachComm will market, and Video For Athletes aggregates and licenses the video in its leading game-film exchange. In total, more than two million still photographic images and nearly 100,000 video highlights are available, including full-game video for nearly 30,000 athletic contests.The alliance looks forward to working with high school coaches and adminis-trators across the country as the tech-nology platform grows and expands.

Schedule Star1145 Market St.Wheeling, WV 26003800-258-8550Fax: [email protected]


Play to Your StrengthsRick Torbett’s Read & React Offense consists of 17 teachable layers. Use it as your team’s offense, or develop your entire program in a building-block progression. It’s adjustable to any set (five-out, four-out, or three-out), to any defense (man, zone, trap, or press), or to the strengths of your personnel. It provides simple reads that lead to staggered screens, give-and-gos, dribble handoffs, dribble pen-etration, and more. This system is already being used by teams at all levels. Better Basketball, Inc. • 800-BETTER-B www.betterbasketball.com

All Types of TrainingM.A.S.A. wants to help make your basketball practices more productive, so the company offers a variety of effective training aids. Among them are rebounders designed to help athletes improve balance, timing, and coordination under the rim, and the Three Point Shooter Ring, which reduces the size of a standard rim to help players improve their shooting accuracy. Several models of tossbacks are also available, so your ath-letes can work on their ball handling, pass-ing, and rebounding skills. M.A.S.A. 800-264-4519 • www.masa.com Circle No. 516

A Key AssistSchedule Star’s patented Game Wizard™ saves you time and sets defaults for the things athletic directors and coaches are always scheduling for games, such as facili-ties, transportation, and departure and return times. When you schedule your varsity team for any sport, Game Wizard automatically schedules the sub-levels of that sport. Schedule Star is all about keep-ing you ahead of the game. Go online to get started today. Schedule Star 800-258-8550 • www.schedulestar.com Circle No. 517

Power and ControlThe Dominator complete post station by Shoot-A-Way is a versatile rebounding/post footwork machine that focuses on teaching players to rebound with power and control and to use the correct footwork to finish with contact. It features optional block-out pads with adjustable arms that act as shot blockers. The Dominator has an optional standard backboard and rim that can be attached to turn it into a portable adjust-able-height goal. Shoot-A-Way 800-294-4654 • www.shootaway.com Circle No. 518

A Smarter Way to LearnWiffletree World, based in Arlington, Texas, is a software solutions company focused on providing affordable, applicable, and usable software products that assist both coaches and players with the tools that will help them reach their full potential. Wiffletree has developed and sells a number of products for basketball: Video Hoops and Video Hoops Lt for video editing, LiftThis for strength training, and Combo for player performance reporting. Wiffletree World, LLC 817-460-3530 • www.wiffletree.com Circle No. 519

All the EssentialsBetter Basketball’s Seven Player Development Videos cover the seven primary skills: shooting, passing, post play, defense, ball handling, one-on-one offense, and scoring without the ball. There are bonus sections with NBA stars like Jason Kidd, Chauncey Billups, and Mike Bibby. These videos are packed with clearly explained fundamen-tals for young players, and advanced tech-niques for high-level players and coaches. Each video not only explains the “how” behind a technique, but the “why” as well. Better Basketball, Inc. • 800-BETTER-B www.betterbasketball.com

You’re in ControlThe Coaches Clipboard on HighSchoolSports.net has free tools for coaches to showcase their teams all in one location. Coaches can save time and get the tools they need to stay ahead of the game. Add, postpone, or cancel events and practices, enter scores and stats, access your roster, and get cumulative player and team stats, all on HighSchoolSports.net. Go online and start saving time today. HighSchoolSports.net • 800-258-8550 • www.highschoolsports.net Circle No. 520

Fast-Paced WorkoutsSimplicity and dependability best describe the 6000 Series Gun. The Gun zips out passes from 15 to 35 feet and will throw to one spot or rotate to a series of spots around the perimeter. The optional computerized scoreboard displays “makes,” total shots, and shooting percentage. The fast-paced work-out forces players to get game shots at game spots at game speed with the right amount of arc. This product is protected by a five-year warranty. Shoot-A-Way • 800-294-4654 www.shootaway.com Circle No. 521

COACHING AIDS Improve Your Game


N e w P r o d u c t s

KeycleanUnique features:

• Designed for quick pick-up of moisture and dirt• Lightweight microfiber mop with six-foot adjustable

stainless steel handle• The perfect companion to the Courtclean Damp

Mop System• Available in 24" and 36" versions

Benefits for the user:• Eliminates germs, mites, fungus, mold, and bacteria• Super-absorbent and leaves a dry surface• Cleans, polishes, and buffs

TKH Design/Courtcleanwww.courtclean.com800-900-2481Circle No. 526

Miscore wireless controlsUnique features:

• Handheld sport-specific control for basketball, football, and baseball

• Designed for facilities of all sizes, from small recreational venues to large complexes

Benefits for the user:• More control options in a smaller package• Equipped with Fair-Play’s revolutionary frequency-hopping

technology that enhances immunity to radio interference

Fair-Play Scoreboardswww.fair-play.com800-247-0265Circle No. 528

www.sportsinsurance-kk.comUnique features:

• Provides online insurance quoting and purchasing capabilities for amateur sports teams, leagues, tournaments, and events

Benefits for the user:• This new Web site is easy and convenient to use• Allows customers to purchase and receive proof of

coverage immediately when using a credit card

K&K Insurance Groupwww.sportsinsurance-kk.com800-426-2889Circle No. 527

Personalized Boxx seats®

Unique features:• Personalize each chair with

a team name, player name, logo, and more

• Give advertisers a novel way to add a slogan and logo to each chair

Benefits for the user:• A great fundraising option: purchase two to four additional

chairs and auction them off during an event to help raise money for the school

• A creative gift• Two free personalized chairs for every 24 purchased

(offer ends Nov. 30)

Clarinwww.clarinseating.com800-323-9062Circle No. 525

NEW PRODUCTS


COMPANY NEWS

Creative Fundraising Ideas that Bring In the Bucks

Clarin927 North Shore Dr.Lake Bluff, IL 60044800-323-9062Fax: [email protected]

Courtside logo chairs are a great way to show the competition that they’re in the house of a winner. Now you’ve got a new way to help pay for them. Clarin Fundraising Programs help school administrators, boost-er clubs, and student groups use Clarin Boxx Seats® logo chairs to develop new sources of fundraising for their school programs and other capital initiatives.

AuctionsA logo chair is a great item to auction off at your next event. One school placed its order for 24 chairs and decided to purchase four extras to auction off. At the booster club’s next event, the chairs brought in $200 a piece. The community loved the unique chairs and the money generated from the auction paid for a significant portion of the school’s chair order.

Another unique idea is to auction off a small number of logo seats at the begin-ning of a sports season, but wait to give the chairs to their new owners until the season ends. You can then personalize each chair with a Power Band graphic placed in the chair frame, printed with the buyer’s name. Throughout the season, players can add sig-natures, stickers, and other personal touches to each chair. At the end of the season, the person who bought the chair will have a one-of-a-kind logo seat from a memorable sports season.

Donations and RecognitionPower Bands placed in the top channel of the logo seat allow a school to personalize

each chair with a donor’s or player’s name. The school can increase donor rates by giv-ing individuals the option to take a chair home at some point. For major donors, you can designate a premium seating area with your logo chairs during events.

Corporate SponsorshipLocal companies are always looking for new ways to get the word out about their business. Contact your local businesses with sponsor-ship opportunities to include their corporate logo and message on the school’s logo chairs. Multiple logo locations on each chair offer more discrete and highly visible branding options for advertisers to choose from. Plus, advertisements can be swapped out so the school can sell the space more than once.

For a limited time, Clarin will help you get your logo chair fundraiser underway with this special offer: Get two free personalized chairs with each purchase of 24. Use promo code HSCHAIR when placing your order. This offer ends Nov. 30.


Everything You Need TEAM EQUIPMENT

Take a Load OffThe 118 Stool by Clarin Boxx Seats is perfect for locker rooms, athletic training rooms, and more. Choose a frame and vinyl color to match your school colors, and add your logo to the seat. Clarin 800-323-9062 • www.clarinseating.com Circle No. 530

Feet FirstThe Nfinity basketball shoe is specifically designed for female athletes. Nfinity’s BIONIQ outsole technology addresses pronounced Q Angle in female athletes to protect the knees during pivots and quick direction changes. This shoe also features QChannel technology to help center the foot and weight when playing. Ultra light-weight at 11.1 ounces, it has interchange-able color cards for customization and comes with a free shoe case. girls got game 800-554-2779 • www.girlsgotgame.com Circle No. 531

All-Around SupportThe Mueller MAX knee strap is a light-weight and comfortable support for relief of

pain associated with soreness, stiffness, and arthritis. Compression tubes target above, below, and on both sides of the knee. This lightweight and comfortable support pro-vides targeted compression without reduc-ing mobility. Upper and side compression tubes target misalignment and help improve patellar tracking. Breathable mesh fabric allows for an all-day comfortable fit. Mueller Sports Medicine • 608-643-8530 www.muellersportsmed.com Circle No. 532

Stretch It RightWhile aiding in physical mobility and flexibility, the Stretch EZ’s cradle design encompasses the foot to allow for a com-fortable stretch to the foot, heel, Achilles tendon, hamstring, quadriceps, inner and outer thigh, and calf. This unique stretch-ing aide assists in the treatment of plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, and strains and inju-ries to the calf, thigh, hip, and low back. Call OPTP or go online for more informa-tion or to request a free catalog. OPTP 800-367-7393 • www.optp.com Circle No. 533

JV PRO, since 1996has been the premier choice

for arena and gymnasium courtside requirements.

Scoring TablesSeating Systems

Wall PadsPodiums

For moreinformation contact:

2600 Harrison AvenueRockford, Illinois 61108

Phone: 815-229-1600 800-962-2440 Fax: 815-229-3308Webpage: @http://www.jvpro.com E-mail: [email protected]

Driving hard to the basket, diving for loose balls, leaving it all on the court - that’s what makes winners. Courtclean® helps you get the edge by providing

a clean surface which allows for better traction and a truer response.

800-900-2481www.courtclean.com

The winning edge

Circle No. 123 Circle No. 124

www.jvpro.com

www.courtclean.com


TEAM EQUIPMENT Everything You NeedSmooth MovesThe Volt ankle brace is engineered to include the latest carbon-fiber technology. The polypropylene shell is reinforced with carbon fiber—the same high-performance material used in racing cars and bicycles. It also features a molded bearing-design perfor-mance hinge for smoother range of motion, strengthening ribs for a thinner profile, and fabric-backed EVA foam pads for durability and comfort. Active Ankle Systems, Inc. 800-800-2896 • www.activeankle.com Circle No. 534

Crucial ProtectionThe BodyGuard is a 100-percent custom-made compression short that delivers com-pression, support, muscle heat circulation, strain distribution, and impact absorption. It reduces the effects of injuries and trauma to the groin, hamstring, quadriceps, thigh, pelvis, hip pointer, hip flexor, and lower back. The Bodyguard has a 360-degree groin protector sewn into the crotch. It “floats” between the legs and conducts all explosive movements in the groin area out and back evenly. The BodyGuard is a “pelvic shock absorber,” protecting the groin and an exoskeleton of thin muscle envelop-ing the lower body from the waist to the knees. Antibody, Inc. • 877-546-2639 www.antibodywear.com Circle No. 535

Because Time MattersWithout proper care, a knocked-out tooth begins to die in 15 minutes. The Save-A-Tooth® emergency tooth preserving sys-tem utilizes Hank’s Balanced Salt Solution (HBSS) to not only preserve, but also reconstitute many of the degenerated cells. The patented basket and net container are designed to protect tooth root cells. This is the only system that keeps tooth cells alive for up to 24 hours. Save-A-Tooth® 888-788-6684 • www.save-a-tooth.com Circle No. 536

Play for a CureYou believe in women, and so does girls got game. Show your support for women by wearing pink items during your Play for a Cure games this season. girls got game offers an entire line of pink items to help athletes show their support and pride. With every item purchased, a dona-tion will be made to the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund, Inc. girls got game 800-554-2779 • www.girlsgotgame.com Circle No. 537

Help from DowntownThe Mueller Shooter Sleeve helps players hit three-pointers with a unique compression fit that keeps muscles warm and less fatigued. The Shooter Sleeve can also be used to cover cuts, scrapes, and other surface injuries and protect the arm from further harm. Made of smooth black Lycra fabric, the unique seamless design prevents skin irritation. Snug bands at the top and bottom keep the sleeve in place and prevent slipping or bunching. Mueller Sports Medicine • 608-643-8530 www.muellersportsmed.com Circle No. 538

A Professional LookOakWood Sports is a premier custom wood locker builder, with experience in design, construction, delivery, and installation. For new builds or renovations, the company takes care of your locker needs from start to finish and beyond. With more than 200 lock-er rooms completed since 1998, OakWood’s experience and knowledge ensure that your locker system will be visually stunning and highly durable. OakWood prides itself on meeting the specific needs of each customer. OakWood Sports, Inc. • 517-321-6852 www.oakwoodsports.com Circle No. 539

Simple StabilityThe Active Ankle Power Lacer is designed for the athlete who desires added support in a lace-up style ankle brace. It features distinc-tive Y-shaped vertical stabilization straps for control of the forefoot and heel, dual spring stays for ankle support, and a neoprene nylon shell for comfort. The unique “pull and play” design allows for easy use by ath-letes. Active Ankle Systems, Inc. 800-800-2896 • www.activeankle.com Circle No. 540

For Shoulders In NeedThe Angle Shoulder Brace is a 100-percent custom-made compression shoulder brace that delivers compression, structural sup-port, muscle heat circulation, strain distribu-tion, and impact absorption. It’s designed to reduce the effects of shoulder separations/subluxations, dislocations, joint instability, impact trauma, and post-operative complica-tions, while reducing genetic shoulder insta-bility by compressing, compartmentalizing, and stabilizing the shoulder joint and the musculature of the entire shoulder region. Antibody, Inc. • 877-546-2639 www.antibodywear.com Circle No. 541


Weighing InThe Athlete’s Guide to Making Weight analyzes today’s top athletes, competitive trends, and positional demands across 21 sports to help determine—and achieve—optimal competitive weight. Competitors will be able to create meal plans tailored to individual needs and goals. Whether athletes need to gain muscle, lose fat, or control water weight, this book can help them reach their target weight without sacrificing safety or performance. Human Kinetics • 800-747-4457 www.humankinetics.com Circle No. 542

Reduce Groin InjuriesThe High Stepper develops explosive power in the hip flexors and legs in a running motion, substantially increasing athletes’ speed, quickness, and durabil-ity. Coaches notice fewer groin injuries with their athletes after training on the High Stepper. It can improve 40-yard dash times, decrease groin injuries, and train the legs to explode higher and more powerfully. Powernetics • 800-829-2928 www.powernetics.com Circle No. 543

Wedge with an EdgeThe versatile Pilates & Yoga Wedge can be used in a variety of ways for added comfort and to alleviate overstretching or pressure on the joints. Use the wedge under heels, knees, or sit bones in forward bending exer-cises to maintain alignment and achieve a deeper stretch. For tight or problem wrists, use the wedge for added comfort and sup-port. For more information or to request a free catalog, call OPTP or go online. OPTP • 800-367-7393 • www.optp.com Circle No. 544

The Name Says It AllBigger Faster Stronger, second edition, provides a complete conditioning system used by thousands of high school, col-lege, and pro teams. Including the most current strength training techniques and exercise variations, program implementa-tion guidelines, and a tracking system, this book will help establish the solid foundation needed to compete. Athletes and coaches will also find information on timely topics, such as safety in weight training, nutrition, and steroids. Human Kinetics • 800-747-4457 www.humankinetics.com Circle No. 545

Leaping HigherThe TurfCordz Jump Belt is increasingly gaining interest and acceptance by high-level athletic trainers as a training tool for obtaining advanced levels of vertical leap and agility in athletes. The unique design of the Jump Belt provides anchoring straps to mount to a stationary object, or the product can be used with an athletic trainer’s assis-tance. With five resistance levels of tubing to choose from, even the most advanced athlete will see benefit from this training tool. The adjustable waist belt can accommodate up to a 38-inch waist. Order item S130 and specify resistance level silver, yellow, green, red, or blue. NZ Manufacturing, LLC 800-886-6621 • www.nzmfg.com Circle No. 546

A Shoulder’s Best FriendThe Shoulder Rotator, available from Powernetics, develops powerful strength in the shoulders, arms, and forearms for throwing, shooting, spiking, and more. The motion of the Shoulder Rotator is also great for rehabilitating shoulders to rebuild strength and flexibility. Powernetics 800-829-2928 • www.powernetics.com Circle No. 547

Reach New HeightsVirtually all professional and college sports teams and the NFL Scouting Combine use the Vertec jump-training system, distributed by Sports Imports. It is one of the best ways to evaluate and improve jump reach and lower-body explosive power. The Vertec jump-training system challenges athletes to improve their vertical leap through instanta-neous feedback and recognition. The process is simple, offering a true vertical target, visual motivation, and an immediate, accurate mea-sure of success and growth. A wall-mounted version is now available. Sports Imports 800-556-3198 • www.sportsimports.com Circle No. 548

Jump AheadImprove jump height and reaction time for better overall performance. The Pro Power Jumper from Power Systems lets athletes train with maximal jumps for power, repeat-ed jumps for reaction and endurance, and lateral jumps for improved agility. In addi-tion to a large 30” x 50” non-slip jumping platform, it includes a harness or waist belt (standard or extra large) and regular or long resistance tubing to fit athletes of different heights. Power Systems • 800-321-6975 www.power-systems.com Circle No. 549

Building Better Athletes STRENGTH & FITNESS EQUIPMENT


DIRECTORIES

Advertisers Directory

Products Directorycircle company Page No. No.

circle company Page No. No.

540. . . Active Ankle (Power Lacer) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

534. . . Active Ankle (Volt ankle brace) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

541. . . Antibody (Angle Shoulder Brace) . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

535. . . Antibody (The Bodyguard) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

509. . . Bison (T-Rex) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

501. . . Bison (Tall Unbreakable Backboards) . . . . . . . . . . . 34

530. . . Clarin (118 Stool) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

502. . . Clarin (3400 Chair) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

525. . . Clarin (Personalized Boxx Seats) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

512. . . Courtclean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

526. . . Courtclean (Keyclean) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

510. . . Fair-Play (MiScore) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

528. . . Fair-Play (new product) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

503. . . Fair-Play (video displays) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

531. . . girls got game (Nfinity) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

537. . . girls got game (Play for a Cure) . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

520. . . HighSchoolSports.net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

545. . . Human Kinetics (Bigger Faster Stronger) . . . . . . 41

542. . . Human Kinetics (Guide to Making Weight) . . . . . . 41

508. . . Institutional Basketball Systems . . . . . . . . 35

511. . . Jaypro (Basketball Replacement Package) . . . . . . . . 35

504. . . Jaypro (Safe-Pro Bolt-On Edge Padding) . . . . . . . . . 34

505. . . JV Pro, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

527. . . K&K Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

506. . . M.A.S.A. (basketball facility products) . . . . . . . . . 34

516. . . M.A.S.A. (training aids) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

532. . . Mueller (MAX knee strap) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

538. . . Mueller (Shooter Sleeve) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

539. . . OakWood Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

544. . . OPTP (Pilates/Yoga Wedge) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

533. . . OPTP (Stretch EZ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

543. . . Powernetics (High Stepper). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

547. . . Powernetics (Shoulder Rotator) . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

549. . . Power Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

536. . . Save-A-Tooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

517. . . Schedule Star . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

521. . . Shoot-A-Way (6000 Series Gun) . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

518. . . Shoot-A-Way (The Dominator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

500. . . Spalding (portable backstops) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

507. . . Spalding (Replica Pro Ball Rack) . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

548. . . Sports Imports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

546. . . TurfCordz/NZ Mfg. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

519. . . Wiffletree World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36



108. . . Active Ankle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

122. . . Antibody (The BodyGuard) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

109. . . Bison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

104. . . California University of Pennsylvania . . . . . 6

105. . . Clarin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

114. . . CoachesNetwork.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

124. . . Courtclean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

106. . . Fair-Play Scoreboards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

110. . . girls got game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

113. . . HighSchoolSports.net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

119. . . Human Kinetics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

111. . . Institutional Basketball Systems . . . . . . . . 20

101. . . Jaypro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

123. . . JV Pro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

115. . . M.A.S.A.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

102. . . MilkPEP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

100. . . Mueller Sports Medicine . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC

112. . . OakWood Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

116. . . OPTP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

125. . . Powernetics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IBC

121. . . Save-A-Tooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

126. . . Shoot-A-Way . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BC

107. . . Spalding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

118. . . Sports Imports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

117. . . Strength Systems, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

120. . . TurfCordz/NZ Mfg. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

103. . . Wiffletree World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

COMPANY NEWS

Insurance Group Launches Online Quoting and Purchasing Tool

K&K Insurance Group has announced the launch of a new Web site to provide online quoting and binding capabilities for sports teams, leagues, tournaments, and events. The new site is simple to use and provides an option to purchase cov-erage immediately using a credit card.

K&K, a leading provider of sports, leisure, and entertainment insurance programs, is a key supplier of coverage to the sports and recreation industry and is pleased to offer this innovative design for its clients’ convenience. The site can be found at www.sportsinsurance-kk.com.

The program has been specifically designed to meet the insurance needs of U.S.-based youth and adult amateur sports teams, leagues, tournaments, and events. Coverage provides important liability protection for the organization, including employees and volunteers. Covered options consist of practices, try-outs, clinics, games, playoffs, and tourna-ments, as well as registrations, meetings, concession stand operations, parades, picnics, awards banquets, ceremonies, and incidental fundraising activities.

The program offers commercial general liability; legal liability to participants; medical payments for participants; and for teams and leagues, hired auto and employers’ non-ownership liability.

Coverage for camps, clinics, sports and entertainment facilities, and profes-sional sports teams and events is also available. K&K Insurance Group is a managing general underwriter offer-ing more than 50 specialty insurance programs to the sports, leisure, and entertainment industries.

K&K Insurance1712 Magnavox WayFort Wayne, IN 46804800-426-2889Fax: 260-459-5120www.kandkinsurance.comwww.sportsinsurance-kk.com


www.betterbasketball.com

OVERTIME

Find more coaching resources at the new Coaches Network!

Where coaches connect and parents engage.

You can find more information related to coaching on CoachesNetwork.com, which has been completely revamped to better help coaches. We now offer expanded editorial resources, including articles addressing a wide variety of issues facing coaches today.

Articles on the site include:Gain Without Pain Why over-training can be as bad as under-training.

Meet the Parents A coach explains how he establishes the roles parents play.

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In existence since 1981

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

www.powernetics.com

THE ORIGINALThe SUPER CAT is in basketball and athletic programs all across America. The Super Cat has been proven to be the most effective machine in developing the “Power Potential” of athletes. Other machines don’t come close to the Super Cats durability and safe operation to outlast any strenuous workout regiment. We are record-ing the highest vertical jump on athletes in weight training history.

The SUPER CAT will give your program the edge in vertical jump and quickness to take you to the next level.

Explosive Exercises:

• Quarter squat jumping• Angle squat jumping • Angle squats

School colors available7-year warranty

Develops the “POWER POTENTIAL” of every athlete.The Super Cat will dramatically increase the speed, quickness and vertical

jump of your athletes.Coaches call TODAY for your FREE instructional video!

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Circle No. 126

coaching management 17.6

Documents

coaching philosophy

coaching aids

com coaching management

s o n e d i t i o n

p r e s e

team equipment

head boys coach

high school coaches