Varsity Magazine

CONTENTS FEBRUARY 26, 2015 ■ VOLUME 5, ISSUE 27 STEVE GOTTER STEVE COVER STORY THE LONG ROAD BACK An injury slowed Josh Gasser, but thanks to his own work ethic and the dedication of his athletic trainer, there was no stopping the player who’s become known as ‘Captain America.’ FEATURES WOMEN’S BASKETBALL IN [FOCUS] LASTING LESSONS The week's best photos LUCAS AT LARGE Even though he never saw her play a Badgers ready to rumble college game, Jacki Gulcznski’s late brother is with the Badgers senior THE VOICE every time she takes the floor. No rush to curtail celebration BY THE NUMBERS Facts and figures on UW WHAT TO WATCH LUCAS AT LARGE Hockey, hoops and more MADE FOR MARCH ASK THE BADGERS Championship season Strength coach Erik Helland’s DAVID STLUKA DAVID BADGERING year-round work with the Badgers Chase Kinney (Swimming) has a specific focus — preparing INSIDE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL them for the grind of tourney time. Building for the future INSIDE-SCROLL MEN’S FOR HOCKEY MORE Badgers making progress Wisconsin Athletic Communications Kellner Hall, 1440 Monroe St., Madison, WI 53711 VIEW ALL ISSUES Brian Lucas Director of Athletic Communications Julia Hujet Editor/Designer Brian Mason Managing Editor Mike Lucas Senior Writer Matt Lepay Columnist Drew Scharenbroch Video Production Amy Eager Advertising Drew Pittner-Smith Distribution Contributors Paul Capobianco, Tam Flarup, Kelli Grashel, A.J. Harrison, Brandon Harrison, Patrick Herb, Diane Nordstrom Photography David Stluka, Neil Ament, Greg Anderson, Steve Gotter, Jack McLaughlin, Cal Sport Media, Icon Sportswire Cover Photo: Darren Yamashita Problems or Accessibility Issues? [email protected] © 2015 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. All rights reserved worldwide. LUCAS AT LARGE BY MIKE LUCAS » UWBADGERS.COM Helland has Badgers ready to rumble isconsin basketball Flying home from Penn State, ketball season,” he said, “there’s strength and condi Helland was rereading the Gable an ebb and flow with the energy W tioning coach Erik Hel chapter; many of the passages level of your team and an ebb land kept some fast company were marked in yellow high and flow in the energy level of on a recent flight by “traveling” lighter. “Gable had a very relent your individuals and certainly with Dan Gable, the legendary less style,” said Helland, who within the context of the game college and Olympic wrestler has two sons wrestling in high you see the same things. and coach; Randy Couture; a school. “He felt that if you got “What I wanted to impress former UFC title-holder and out in front of your opponent, upon our guys, and, interesting Hall of Famer; Marcelo Garcia, a and put pressure on your oppo ly, this goes back to running the submission specialist and world nent, you could get into his con hill in the offseason, is ‘When champion in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu; ditioning to the point where he you are tired, are you mental and Josh Waitzkin, a chess prod would really stop competing.” ly strong enough to overcome igy also skilled in the martial Helland will take some of that obstacle? Can you maintain arts. more intriguing observations your focus and push your op As he is wont to do, Helland from these world-class competi ponent to doubt his will to con took the time to probe and ex tors and embed them in various tinue to fight?’ Those kinds of plore the minds of these afore messages to the UW players. “If things are relevant to the guys mentioned warriors who were you look at the course of a bas at this time of the year.” ” profiled, along with others like extreme ultrarunner David Horton, in a national best-seller authored by Sam Sheridan and entitled The Fighter’s Mind: Inside the Mental Game. Helland has taken the book with him on most trips. “I kind of like the combat sports because I think it’s a pure expression of compe tition,” said Helland, who’s completing his second sea son with the Badgers after honing his professional craft for 25 years in the NBA with the Chicago Bulls. “If you go out on the mat or you go into an MMA fight or boxing match, whatever the DAVID STLUKA DAVID case may be, it’s just you and the opponent.” -PAGE 1 OF 2 LUCAS AT LARGE BY MIKE LUCAS » UWBADGERS.COM The Badgers are nearing the work.” that you have to build with,” end of the Big Ten’s regular sea There is a reality that strikes Helland said. “It’s the behaviors son; only three games are re every player as the calendar that you associate with how maining, two on the road. Hel turns to March. “We’ve been go they’re going to tolerate these land has paid close attention to ing for months and we’ve been stressers. As the stress goes the cumulative effects of anoth going hard,” Gasser said. “This up, we try to do some things to er grueling conference schedule. is the time of the year when accelerate the recovery process. “Especially,” he said, “with our your body can start getting achy The building blocks are good guys who are playing heavier and sore; no one is really 100 nutrition and good sleep hab minutes and are starting to ac percent at this point because of its.” cumulate a little bit of mileage. how hard you’re playing and the Additionally, there will be soft We’re very conscious of that.” number of games. So with Erik, tissue treatment, massage ther This is where his extensive we’re doing all of the little extra apy, hot and cold hydrotherapy, NBA background can pay divi recovery things.” extra stretching and NormaTec dends. “Because you’re really The players will still lift heavy sessions that reduce swelling looking at how the individual amounts, but Helland will re and soreness. “We have a nice is tolerating their situation,” he duce the volume of work. “Re little battery of modalities that said. “I look at the starters with covery is always a cornerstone we can use,” said Helland, eye heavy minutes on a com ing the challenge of play pletely individual basis. I HELLAND ON BUILDING TOWARD MARCH: ing multiple games over don’t throw them into any ”‘ARE YOU MENTALLY STRONG ENOUGH multiple days in the Big group model. Each tolerates TO OVERCOME THAT OBSTACLE? CAN Ten and NCAA tourna ‘stressers’ differently. It can YOU MAINTAIN YOUR FOCUS AND ments. “The recovery and be game stress, practice PUSH YOUR OPPONENT TO DOUBT HIS margin of error is very stress, training stress, per WILL TO CONTINUE TO FIGHT?’ THOSE small.” sonal stress.” KINDS OF THINGS ARE RELEVANT TO In this timeframe, Hel Nobody has played THE GUYS AT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR.” land said, “My feeling is more minutes than that as the season kind school record-holder of narrows, our world Josh Gasser, a believer needs to become a lit- in Helland’s training and tle bit smaller.” motivational techniques. And the focus, he “He has done a great job stressed, also has to in every aspect, really,” narrow as far as “really he said. “With recovery, locking into what has he’s focusing on how our to be done and maybe bodies are feeling, how casting aside things our minds are doing. that are not really nec- He wants us to be feel essary.” ing as good as we can Overcoming fatigue for games, whether that and imposing your will means STLUKA DAVID taking a day off — a fighter’s mind — or doing a little lighter are intrinsic to March. ■ -PAGE 2 OF 2 THE VOICE BY MATT LEPAY » VOICE OF THE BADGERS Let’s not rush to curtail the celebrations ot that anyone with the Be it the Grateful Red in Madi occurred at Kansas State, then Badgers wanted to see son, the Izzone in East Lansing, the school should be penalized. N it, but when the fans the Orange Krush in Campaign Simple as that. Thoughts of a fi poured onto the court following or anywhere else. A charged-up nancial hit tends to get anyone’s Maryland’s 59-53 victory Tues crowd is an important element attention. If it is one moron day night, the players, coaches of the college atmosphere. taking a cheap shot at a player, and everyone else connected to Can it be a bit excessive at make sure that person never the Wisconsin program made it times? Sure. Rushing the court attends another game. Ever. The safely to their locker room. after beating the 24th-ranked last thing a disappointed losing As court rushes go, it was team in November is a little team needs to deal with is being smooth. The security personnel much, but let’s face it, people trampled or having someone’s in College Park, Maryland, knew love being on TV. And TV loves jaw cracked by a pseudo-tough what they were doing and they showing fans high-fiving the guy who throws a punch and executed the plan without inci players. It makes for a cool high runs away. dent. light. Would it be easier to just ban One night earlier in Manhat court rushes? Probably. If I was tan, Kansas, such was not the in charge of game management, ALL I ASK FOR IS SOME case. After Kansas State pulled the idea might sound great. But COMMON SENSE. AS LONG off its upset victory against rival I am not. I am a fan of college Kansas, the court storming got a AS THE VISITING TEAM CAN athletics, in no small part be bit scary.

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