The Tennessee Way

The most valuable person in the Lady
Vols basketball program could be a
former strength and conditioning
coach for Notre Dame’s football team.

Heather Mason, who is in her
seventh year at UT, is the mastermind
behind a rigorous workout regimen
that has drastically improved the
team’s mental
and physical approach.

“We call it the Tennessee Way,”
said Mason, who was promoted
to assistant athletics director for
strength and conditioning last
year. “It is very intense and everyone
is held accountable because of
an extremely disciplined training
style. It’s not the Heather Mason
way—it is the Tennessee Way.”

Whether it involves running
Gate 10 at Neyland Stadium, going
to the indoor football practice
facility, pushing grocery carts
on sleds with up to 200 pound
weights or flipping tires to a semi-
truck, the timed workouts have
brought a sense of urgency and
competitive spirit. Players don’t
want to become the weakest link
and can accomplish results they
never dreamed possible.

“I might tell you that Heather is
the best I have ever worked with
in this area,” Lady Vols coach Pat
Summitt said. “Bodies have changed and minds have gotten
a lot tougher mentally.”

It all started last March after an embarrassing loss to
Ball State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
It was the first time that UT failed to reach the second
round, much less advance to the Final Four.

Right after that loss, players were asked to make a commitment
to get better. After something of a boot camp
atmosphere, they emerged much
stronger. There are several key
components in this new resolve.

“They invested in this program
in the summer,” Summitt said.
“They were just pouring sweat
and that developed a mental
toughness and attitude this group
did not have a year ago. It’s the
reason we are playing as well as
we are right now.”

Players encouraged each other
and the bonding experience led
to a better team concept. It was
a strength and conditioning
perfecta.

Mason, 33, is a volleyball
standout and was the team’s captain
at the University of Cincinnati
in 1998. She spent five years
at Notre Dame and was the top
choice among three candidates
recommended by long-time Lady
Vols trainer Jenny Moshak.

“Jenny found her,” Summitt
said. “Heather was by far the
most impressive. I wish more people could watch her
train our team. They would go, ‘I am not believing this.’
She just does not let anyone take shortcuts. She’s always
saying there are no shortcuts to success. With Heather,
there’s accountability the whole way.”

Just imagine how players feel when they go to a grocery
store and push a shopping cart. It’s a far cry from
the grueling timed sprints on artificial turf with 100 to
200 pound weights in the buggy. Former UT football
strength and conditioning coach Johnny Long brought
the concept to the Vols. It is a
great way to improve ankle and
knee strength and hip power.

“It’s also a mentality to go as
hard as you can for as long as
you can,” Mason said. “Iron will
doesn’t break and neither does
our will.”

A sign on the wall—and a
quote from Albert Einstein—is
an indication of the unique
approach. “The definition of insanity
is trying the same thing
over and over and expecting
different results.”

There are several areas and individual success is
rewarded, often with less wind sprints.

It can be as bizarre as flipping a semi-truck tire to
improve the squatting technique, pushing sleds with
weights that range from 45 to 90 pounds or a 50-yard
dash down and back. Players also experienced the
“mano on mano” approach of tug-of-war.

When everything was finally over, Sydney Smallbone
emerged as the Iron Will Champion. Angie Bjorklund
finished second. Former Webb School standout Glory
Johnson displayed the most improvement.

“Glory is such a phenomenal athlete,” Mason said.
“She has so much physicality and is so gifted athletically.
Where she gained was in her approach mentally.
She might have been tempted to shut it down mentally
before. She was really challenged in the eight inches
between the ears. We call it ‘neck up training.’ The
training really benefited her mentally.”

Alicia Manning was another winner in mental
toughness. Briana Bass improved her communication,
thanks to the Tennessee Way.

“We embraced it,” Mason said. “Absolutely.”

She could be the MVP for all Lady Vols.

Heather Mason responds with a slightly embarrassed
laugh.

“That’s awful nice,” she said. “I have not heard that,
but thank you. We just put our head down and go to
work. That’s all we know.” EK

Chuck Cavalaris is a freelance writer in Knoxville.