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42 IllustrateD volume 24, issue 4 f Those groups structure programs, too, in conjunction with sports performance, to keep injured players in- volved on the sidelines and staying in shape and work- ing to fuel players with the right nutrition for optimal performance. Clark has the benefit of a $100,000 piece of equip- ment that executes DEXA scans, an X-ray technology that measures lean body mass and fat mass. She called it the "gold standard" for that kind of information, and it provides hard facts about athletes' body compositions that can spark changes in training. It's also how Carl- isle was able to spout off what percentage of the players have made increases in those areas — football players get scans at least three times a year. "It's really powerful information for the guys because they come in and look at it, and there's not a whole lot of arguing about what happened" between scans, Clark said. "It helps us give advice to the individual but it also helps us with our programming in general. Do we need to change things up in some way to make sure they're holding on to more of their lean mass during that time when they tend to lose? Right now, the emphasis would be building it. They've got this resistance training and conditioning in place that's intended to build mass, and they've got to have the nutrition piece to actually allow that to happen. "It's been fantastic because without this more tan- gible piece of feedback, it's a really hard sell to these young guys. … It can be tough to sell nutrition without some real obvious effect, and this is one of those things that helps us really sell it to them and get them on board (that) what you're doing makes a difference every day." Boersma's staff has a different approach during this period of the year, compared to the season — acting in a support role to the sports performance staff, not the coaches, to address nagging injuries and get players back in action in a timely fashion. There's more of a conscious approach on slow recovery for nagging inju- ries over this offseason break, but typically the intent is for those to be resolved by the start of spring ball. That's achieved by slotting those players in the "Level 1" group and keeping them active. So, though they may not be developing as much as everyone else, they're not staying stagnant or moving in the wrong direction, Boersma said. It's an approach that's worked this offseason, especially. Purdue ended its winter offseason work with no nag- ging injuries remaining from the season. "Our nagging injuries that did not require surgeries have all resolved. That's good. That's a step in the right direction," Boersma said. And only one of many, he thinks, in regards to the comprehensive winter program. "I think the stuff that Coach Carlisle and his staff put together and the cohesiveness of our whole unit, I think is very, very indicative of where we could be go- ing," Boersma said. "It's upbeat. The things that Coach Hazell is implementing and the people that he is using, Coach Carlisle and Coach Davis, and the support he's getting from down in my area, it's the set up for a good storm. It should be great." j Tom Campbell Players get to ring the ball when they've reached a personal best, and Robert Kugler was one of them, getting a PR on squats on the final day of testing Feb. 14.