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University of Massachusets Athletics
Team Behind the Team: Boston Alverson
December 23, 2020 | Women's Basketball
Alverson serves as sports performance coach for the Minutewomen
Team Behind the Team is presented by UMassFive
AMHERST, Mass. – University of Massachusetts women's basketball continues its Q&A series, Team Behind the Team, as the program will feature several key members of the support staff and their roles with the Minutewomen.
Next in the series is sports performance coach Boston Alverson. Alverson works closely with the Minutewomen and the coaching staff to help the squad in the weight room and beyond, preparing the team to work at a high level in practice and on gamedays.
Name: Boston Alverson
Position: Sports Performance Coach
At UMass Since: Summer 2019
Hometown: Independence, Missouri
What does a normal day look like for you around UMass and with the women's basketball program?
"It honestly depends on the day. If there's lift in the morning I'll come in early to get the student-athletes warmed up and address anything they need. There's planning for the day around meetings and whatnot. We'll come back for practice and warm up for that. During practice, I'll manage the team's Catapult system, so we can look at data from practice later." [Editor's note: the Catapult system is worn by student-athletes during practice to track different elements of their performance.]
What are your areas of focus now in your second year around women's basketball?
"I've been observing practice a little more to make sure the team is staying fresh. That's a big way the Catapult system helps us. I can take that information to Coach Verdi occasionally, show him some things and help adjust practice if needed. From year one to year two, you're more familiar with the team and vice versa. Having only three newcomers, the team knew expectations so there wasn't a transition like the year before. Our strength is better, so we can dive into some more individualized work with the student-athletes, based on who needs what."
How does the collaboration work between you, athletic training and the coaching staff?
"I work pretty closely with assistant coach Mike Leflar–he's my liaison with the coaching staff. He'll inform me on what we're doing at practice that day. Our athletic trainer, Kristen Hastings, is in the same building so I can chat with her and we can make a plan for who needs what. If Kristen sees someone for treatment, she can come over to me and we can modify what they need to do in the weight room. If someone is going through rehab, we can work with the coaching staff on a plan to get them through rehab. Everyone's in one building and everyone knows what's going on any time of day."
Why is strength and conditioning so important to the success of a team?
"One, from a confidence standpoint. The student-athletes build confidence in the weight room as they see themselves get stronger, and they'll be more confident on the court. Especially for a freshman going from high school to college, there's a big jump. A lot of high school kids don't get a ton of time in the weight room. We also deal with the conditioning side of things to get the team ready for whatever Coach Verdi needs. Every coach is different and every team is different. The style of play that we want to play, I can condition them to that and tailor a plan to what the coaches want."
Why UMass and why this area?
"Our sports performance staff as a whole is awesome. We may not see each other all the time, since we're spread all over campus and have a lot going on. But when we do get together, it's fun and we never miss a beat. From the sports performance side, we're a great close family that can joke and have good conversations. Being with women's basketball has been great. I can work with the girls every day, one-on-one, and really understand who they are. The opportunities here are endless and the staff is great. My wife and I hike a lot; we actually took our baby out hiking–there's so much to explore out here. It's fun to get out and take advantage of things like that."
What's something the average person might not know about you?
"I was a cheerleader in college. I didn't play any sports, but I did cheer for all four years of my college career."
Follow UMass women's basketball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@UMassWBB) for the latest news and updates around the team.
Previous "Team Behind the Team" Profiles
December 16 – Assistant Director for Learning Enhancement Colby Hall
October 13 – Director of Student-Athlete Development/Diversity and Inclusion Officer Amanda Ekabutr
September 29 – Senior Assistant Director/Academic Success Elizabeth Smith Hamlet
September 15 – Director of Sport Psychology Dr. Nicole Gabana
August 26 – Administrative Assistant Katie Lenois
AMHERST, Mass. – University of Massachusetts women's basketball continues its Q&A series, Team Behind the Team, as the program will feature several key members of the support staff and their roles with the Minutewomen.
Next in the series is sports performance coach Boston Alverson. Alverson works closely with the Minutewomen and the coaching staff to help the squad in the weight room and beyond, preparing the team to work at a high level in practice and on gamedays.
Name: Boston Alverson
Position: Sports Performance Coach
At UMass Since: Summer 2019
Hometown: Independence, Missouri
What does a normal day look like for you around UMass and with the women's basketball program?
"It honestly depends on the day. If there's lift in the morning I'll come in early to get the student-athletes warmed up and address anything they need. There's planning for the day around meetings and whatnot. We'll come back for practice and warm up for that. During practice, I'll manage the team's Catapult system, so we can look at data from practice later." [Editor's note: the Catapult system is worn by student-athletes during practice to track different elements of their performance.]
What are your areas of focus now in your second year around women's basketball?
"I've been observing practice a little more to make sure the team is staying fresh. That's a big way the Catapult system helps us. I can take that information to Coach Verdi occasionally, show him some things and help adjust practice if needed. From year one to year two, you're more familiar with the team and vice versa. Having only three newcomers, the team knew expectations so there wasn't a transition like the year before. Our strength is better, so we can dive into some more individualized work with the student-athletes, based on who needs what."
How does the collaboration work between you, athletic training and the coaching staff?
"I work pretty closely with assistant coach Mike Leflar–he's my liaison with the coaching staff. He'll inform me on what we're doing at practice that day. Our athletic trainer, Kristen Hastings, is in the same building so I can chat with her and we can make a plan for who needs what. If Kristen sees someone for treatment, she can come over to me and we can modify what they need to do in the weight room. If someone is going through rehab, we can work with the coaching staff on a plan to get them through rehab. Everyone's in one building and everyone knows what's going on any time of day."
Why is strength and conditioning so important to the success of a team?
"One, from a confidence standpoint. The student-athletes build confidence in the weight room as they see themselves get stronger, and they'll be more confident on the court. Especially for a freshman going from high school to college, there's a big jump. A lot of high school kids don't get a ton of time in the weight room. We also deal with the conditioning side of things to get the team ready for whatever Coach Verdi needs. Every coach is different and every team is different. The style of play that we want to play, I can condition them to that and tailor a plan to what the coaches want."
Why UMass and why this area?
"Our sports performance staff as a whole is awesome. We may not see each other all the time, since we're spread all over campus and have a lot going on. But when we do get together, it's fun and we never miss a beat. From the sports performance side, we're a great close family that can joke and have good conversations. Being with women's basketball has been great. I can work with the girls every day, one-on-one, and really understand who they are. The opportunities here are endless and the staff is great. My wife and I hike a lot; we actually took our baby out hiking–there's so much to explore out here. It's fun to get out and take advantage of things like that."
What's something the average person might not know about you?
"I was a cheerleader in college. I didn't play any sports, but I did cheer for all four years of my college career."
Follow UMass women's basketball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@UMassWBB) for the latest news and updates around the team.
Previous "Team Behind the Team" Profiles
December 16 – Assistant Director for Learning Enhancement Colby Hall
October 13 – Director of Student-Athlete Development/Diversity and Inclusion Officer Amanda Ekabutr
September 29 – Senior Assistant Director/Academic Success Elizabeth Smith Hamlet
September 15 – Director of Sport Psychology Dr. Nicole Gabana
August 26 – Administrative Assistant Katie Lenois
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