Welcome back to what promises to be another great sports year!

Sidelines brings you late-breaking stories, links to Coach & AD editorial features, news you need from manufacturers and suppliers, and a chance to interact with fellow coaches and ADs on subjects of mutual interest. It also provides you with an opportunity to tell our editors about topics you need to know more about from the coaching world.

And don’t forget to visit www.coachad.com. It’s better than ever!

Best,

Kevin Newell
Editor, Coach & Athletic Director Magazine

Reducing Risk of Catastrophic Football Injuries Is Subject of DVD Distributed to High Schools Across the Nation
Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine and the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) combine forces to educate and provide preventive measures

With football season underway, the Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine has funded the distribution of a 14-minute video, “Heads Up – Reducing the Risk of Head and Neck Injuries in Football.” Produced by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA), the DVD communicates how athletes should play safe to avoid concussions, neck sprains, and catastrophic injuries such as paralysis and quadriplegia.

Featured Instructional Story
Winning High School Baseball by the Books

High school coaches do not have to target and recruit athletes to fit a specific philosophy.  Since most schools have a roster of decent athletes who are eager and teachable, the coaches need merely adapt to the athleticism of the players.

Featured POWERLINE Story
Career Path for the Strength/Conditioning Professional

The strength and conditioning profession has certainly burgeoned over the past 30 years in both supply and demand.  Running parallel with this progress has been the heightened interest by many young people in career opportunities in the field.

Featured A.D.Ministration Story
Mentoring Your Coaches

Since mentoring has never been a generic art form, there are several things you may want to consider when implementing or restructuring a mentoring program for your coaches.

Featured Sports Medicine Story
The Evolution of Prophylactic Knee Bracing in Sports

For some coaches and athletes the term "knee brace" conjures the unpalatable image of Joe Namath and his big, bulky Lennox Hill brace from 30 years ago. 

Featured National Collegiate Scouting Association (NCSA) Story
Running Into Cross Country Roadblocks

I would like to describe my recruiting process and college experience to show that many times you can turn adverse situations into positive ones. My story proves that that hard work early in your high school career will make life much easier when you ultimately choose a college.

Featured Product of the Month
Pete Newell’s Playing Big, from Human Kinetics, offers a rare opportunity to learn from a basketball coach who has taught Shaquille O’Neal and Bill Walton the finer points of post play and added new inside dimensions to the perimeter games of Shawn Marion and Scottie Pippen.

Did You See This?
Not Your Average Joe…

According to The Los Angeles Times, since 1966, when Joe Paterno became head football coach at Penn State, there have been 798 coaching changes in Division I-A college football. And all but one school has had multiple changes in that time – Penn State!