Home away from home is no vacation for NIU coaches and their staffs.

Booking the right hotel can keep a coach’s hands full when deciding the best location for his or her team, said men’s tennis coach Pontus Hiort.

Coaches have a lot more to look for than just a bed when preparing for away contests.

NIU men’s head basketball coach Ricardo Patton said he always tries to find a hotel near the facilities the team's need.

“We certainly try to select hotels that are in close proximity to where we are playing,” Patton said. “With inclement weather during basketball season, we don’t want to stay too far out and let the weather pose a problem for the team.”

Along with concerns for the weather, Hiort worries about his team’s academics while on the road.

The tennis coach prefers to book the hotel only one night prior to the actual match-up. This way, Hiort doesn't pull his athletes away from their class schedules, he said.

“We try to get all the logistics figured out ahead of time,” Hiort said. “That way, the guys are able to focus on their academics, and not worry about outside factors.”

It can take a lot of time for a coach to find the perfect hotel for their team, the coaches said. Since Patton was a new coach at NIU, his staff relied heavily on advice from other coaches in the athletic department.

“Most of the time – particularly in the MAC conference – we lean heavily on our women’s [basketball] coaches to find out what hotels were comfortable for their players,” Patton said.

By using past experiences, new coaches like Patton were able to cut down their workloads and focus on the task of competition.

However, drawing up plays and keeping the team motivated is only a part of an NIU coach’s responsibilities.

Booking hotels may only be behind the scenes work for some. But for NIU coaches, it’s one of the first steps to leading the team to an away victory.

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