Signalfan revolutionizing play-calling for some field hockey coaches

By GIUSEPPE UNGARO Managing Editor Every coach looks for an edge that could be the difference between winning and losing.Whether it’s watching game film a little longer or adding different practice drills, the goal is to improve as a team. Mainland Regional field hockey coach Jill Hatz turned to a family invention to help her squad. The Mustangs use the Signalfan, an innovative coaching tool invented and designed by former Atlantic City assistant softball coach Jill Cakert, who is Hatz’s aunt. The tool features six different colored plastic blades, all attached at the end. The coach chooses which colors and what direction the blades are pointing, which indicate the play to the players. Ventnor resident Jill Cakert invented the Signalfan several years ago with softball coaches in mind, but several South Jersey field hockey coaches are using the invention, as is Philadelphia Eagles coach Chip Kelly. Here Cakert displays the ‘thank you’ note she received from Kelly for sending him a Signalfan. (Glory Days Magazine photos/Dave O’Sullivan) “Our corners have improved,” Mainland senior Sydney Losco said. “With the Signalfan she either uses a certain color or a certain number and it’s very helpful. It is easy to see and we know exactly where the ball is going. I really like the Signalfan. It’s a good invention and I’m glad she uses it.” Entering the week, the Mustangs sit atop the Cape-Atlantic League standings along with Egg Harbor Township, whose coach, Jen Costa, also uses the Signalfan. Shawnee, one of the state’s top teams, also uses it. The coaching tool may not be the reason why Mainland and Egg Harbor Township are in first place, but it certainly helps. Instead of players trying to listen to a shouting coach from across the field or to pick up quick hand signals, the coach uses the Signalfan, which also disguises the plays from the opponent. “It makes it easier to communicate with the girls in the excitement of the game, instead of me yelling verbal cues and calling out plays,” said Hatz, who began using the tool four years ago when she took over the Mainland program. “This is easier for coaches to use and it’s a unique and effective way to communicate with the team.” The Mustangs (11-2) beat rival Ocean City this season for the first time in 20 years, and also have a win over the Egg Harbor Township (9-1). The program is having one of its best seasons in years, and the Signalfan has been a part of the upswing. Mainland field hockey coach Jill Hatz, niece of Signalfan inventor Jill Cakert, uses the device to relay corner plays to her team. “Everything we do helps and the Signalfan is a part of it,” Hatz said. “The Signalfan helps us. It did against Ocean City.” It also has helped coaches in different sports all over the country, as well as internationally. The Philadelphia Eagles made it part of their signal calling this season after Cakert sent one to head coach Chip Kelly in August. “It was the best feeling,” Cakert said about seeing her invention on national television during the Eagles’ Monday Night Football game in September. “I know it takes someone innovative to embrace the Signalfan.” Cakert, a Ventnor native, invented the Signalfan seven years ago after realizing that players had varying success trying to decipher hand signals from different coaches. More and more teams, including local teams, are using the tool each year since the idea popped in her head while in her kitchen one day. “When I first got the idea I didn’t think it would impact the game of softball, field hockey or whatever,” Cakert said. “I was thinking about softball, and nobody loves the game more than I do. There may be more people educated coaching it, and I’m always learning. I don’t know everything. But I can have an impact. I do love the game and I’m trying to make it better.” She is also making other teams better, such as her niece’s squad. “She shared the excitement with me from the beginning of the process,” Hatz said. “I supported her and I thought it was genius. My best friend is (former EHT coach) Jacklyn Roesch and she was using it before I became head coach at Mainland. From having a conversation with Jacklyn, it is great for field hockey, I know it was invented with softball in mind, but it is useful for field hockey.” Mainland players said they liked it from the start. “I liked it and the whole team liked it,” Losco said. “We know where the ball is going to go. It makes it easy for us to see. It is something easy to use. We have different options on corners and we know where to be. It makes us prepared.” The Signalfan Invented by: Jill Cakert of Ventnor. How it works: A coach can select any combination of colors, number of blades, and the direction in which they are held to signify a play. Why it works: There are thousands of combinations, thus making it virtually impossible for an opponent to dicifer. Contact Giuseppe Ungaro: gungaro@acglorydays.com; On Twitter: @GDgisepu