Posted: 5/3/06
Summer weight lifting program starts soon
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Joe Drennan
Sports Editor
If Forest Lake High School football coach Matt Cleary and other FLHS coaches have their way, as many students as possible will enroll in the schoolís summer weight lifting program.
The program is open for boys and girls in grades seven through 12 and starts June 9 and runs all summer.
ìThis is a collective weight program that several of us coaches put together,î Cleary said.
ìThere was a lot of input to this and thatís whatís exciting. I think itís going to be a huge thing once kids realize that it only takes one hour a day to get better.î
The weight lifting program has taken into account the different needs of all the sports and has the kids working not only on strength, but speed and agility as they also work on plyometrics.
While some of the exercises in the program may benefit a basketball player the most, Cleary says many of the kids who play other sports are surprised to find out that those exercises also help them in their own sports.
ìEvery lift will benefit each sport and weíll explain to the kids how it will benefit their sport,î Cleary said.
Cleary wonít be the only coach up in the weight room, heíll be joined by Joe Jurasin and Jeff Wilson. Other coaches will probably help out periodically, and some more may be needed if enrollment numbers are high enough. The coaches will give the kids not only the knowledge of how to properly lift weights, but the motivation to stick with it.
ìI donít think a lot of kids understand that it takes hard work in the offseason of their sport to be successful,î Cleary said. ìWe want success in every sport here (at FLHS) and we think this is part of the answer.î
Facilities
The summer weight lifting program will take place at the high schoolís weight room, something Cleary thinks can benefit from the program.
ìAny excess money from the program will go into new equipment,î Cleary said.
With some of the equipment homemade, Cleary is eager to generate the funds to provide kids with better equipment. The possibility to expand the weight room is also there as Cleary says FLHS is fortunate to have what he considers a great set-up in their gym to allow for a total fitness center in the mezzanine.
ìThe possibilities are there to expand,î Cleary said. ìWe just need to have the desire from the kids.î
Benefits
ìWeight lifting does a couple of things,î Cleary said. ìIt makes a school competitive sure, but it makes the kids care about their sport because theyíve put so much work into it in the off season. It also reduces the risk of injury.î
With the program in its infancy, Cleary points out that most of the other Suburban East Conference schools already have similar programs established and this will help bring the Rangers up to par in their off season preparation.
ìThe analogy I tell my players is you canít become a doctor by just showing up at a hospital, and you canít be a good athlete by just showing up,î Cleary said. ìIt takes training. Thatís what med school is for doctors, training, and thatís what this weight program is for our athletes, training.î
Forest Lake Times
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880 SW 15 St.
Forest Lake, MN 55025
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