LOCKER ROOM BULLETIN BOARD ment as well. “One thing we know is that bacteria love damp, moist environments, which means protective equipment is a potential danger area,” Duffy says. “How many times do you see athletes finish practice and throw their gear in a bag or locker instead of letting it dry out? It’s a simple step, but it can make a very big difference.” The best thing you can do as a coach is educate your players on what MRSA is and how simple preventative measures can make a difference. Early detection and proper diagnosis are the keys to treating MRSA, and any player should see a doctor if a wound is not healing quickly.
Libero Nets Good Results It’s been four years since the libero was introduced as an experiment in high school play, two years since the position became a rule in all states, and one year since the libero began serving. How is it affecting the high school game?
chance she gets. It brings another offensive weapon to the team and a new level of enthusiasm to your side of the court.” The libero has even won over coaches who were initially skeptical, like Betty Wroubel, Head Coach at Notre Dame Preparatory School in Pontiac, Mich. “I came into this change thinking I wasn’t going to like it,” she says. “I thought it would keep another defender from playing. “But it hasn’t done that at all,” Wroubel continues. “It’s given us more flexibility to use those other defenders to substitute for somebody who might be having an off-day, and it’s made the libero work even harder to contribute to her team. She’s the one calling defensive formations and getting everybody on the same page defensively. I’ve been
converted. I think it’s a great rules change.” After experimenting with different kinds of substitutions in 2006, Wroubel consistently used the libero for middle blockers in 2007. She is pleased to see the change creating new opportunities for shorter players and giving the defense a well-deserved boost. “In the last five years, the offensive game has exploded with bigger, stronger, faster hitters,” Wroubel says. “With the libero, the defensive game is now keeping pace with the offense. It’s become one of the most important roles on the floor, making that player every bit as important as the big guns on the offensive line.” For the upcoming season, the NFHS has decided to officially rename the “assistant scorer” the “libero tracker.” In future
years, the Volleyball Rules Committee is considering other proposals to fine-tune the position, including one to modify the color of the libero uniform. “At this point, the remaining concerns coaches and officials have are mostly about rules interpretations and the color of the uniform,” says Peter Balding, Assistant Boys’ Coach at Punahou School in Honolulu, and a member of the rules committee. “Sometimes, the uniform isn’t in a contrasting color that would make the libero immediately distinguishable by the referee, so we’re looking into requiring liberos to wear uniforms that do not include any of the colors in their teammates’ uniforms.” For more information on high school rules changes, go to: www.nfhs.org.
“The libero has been very well received,” says Becky Oakes, Liaison to the NFHS Volleyball Rules Committee. “Once teams began to get a feel for the position and the student-athletes who could fill it, coaches wanted liberos to be able to serve. So that’s what the rules committee recommended for last year. Overall, we are hearing positive feedback from coaches and the implementation has generally been smooth.” In Ohio, which began experimenting with the position three years ago, Don Conser, Head Coach at Salem High School, applauds the changes loudly. “I really liked allowing the libero to serve,” he says. “If you have an athlete who can play the libero and serve, it gives your team a great advantage to let her serve every
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With the libero now fully integrated into high school play, more coaches are embracing its use. Kori Valentine, an All-State player at libero, helped Notre Dame Preparatory School in Pontiac, Mich., win its first state title this fall.