Strength & Conditioning Builds Student Strength Physically & Mentally
posted April 30, 2021
Walk by our weight room during a school day, and you'll hear the sounds of weights clinking, students grunting through their pain, and coach-like encouragements. It's the sounds of athletic motivation and dedication.
We love rooting on our Cardinal Comets in games and at meets, but we wanted to find more ways to support our student-athletes. Enter a new version of our strength and conditioning class.
"High school student-athletes are busy, especially at a small school where they play multiple sports," Landon Miller, Cardinal high school principal and head football coach explains. "There is no 'off-season.'"
To give our high school student-athletes time to train during their busy schedules, we restructured our strength and conditioning class. It now occurs during two periods each school day. Our athletes can get the training they need without adding an extra extracurricular to their after-school schedule.
"The class has made a major difference in the students physically and mentally," says Derek McIntyre, strength and conditioning coach.
Mr. McIntyre joined our Cardinal staff at the perfect time as we relaunched the program. He serves not only as our strength and conditioning coach but also as our high school weight training teacher, middle school PE teacher, assistant coach for boys basketball and football, and more. He's been a great fit for getting our students motivated to set and meet training goals.
"My maxes have gone up, and I feel a lot stronger," says student Shaelyn. "My goal in this class is to become the best version of myself."
Mr. McIntyre is thankful that the administration has supported the program and provided the resources needed to make it successful for students like Shaelyn.
"I want to stress the importance and value of having the administration's and school board's support," Mr. McIntyre says. "Without Mr. Pedersen and Mr. Miller, my job would be pretty hard."
He points out that many other schools equal to Cardinal's size don't have the same level of support.
"We know that high school sports are a vehicle to shape future character in our kids," Mr. Miller explains. "When sports are successful, more kids tend to go out for those sports. If we follow that logic, we are able to build positive character in more kids if they go out for our sports. To be successful, we have to be the best prepared."
Mr. Miller and Cardinal Superintendent Joel Pedersen's backgrounds in high school athletics have helped them understand the importance and value of the program.
"We have been very lucky that Joel Pedersen is so supportive of high school athletics," Mr. Miller says. "He has been a leader in this area in terms of giving the student-athletes the resources to be successful. We are very lucky to have him and these resources at Cardinal."
Thanks to those resources, in addition to improving their physical-selves, students find the strength and conditioning class also assists with their mental wellbeing.
"I get to relieve stress and get my ideal body to gain self-confidence," student Christian says.
Mr. McIntyre echoes those feelings, explaining that students have to build upon their character to meet their weight room goals. They learn to rise to their commitments, take pride in their achievements, and push through mental blocks.
"The weight room is a tough place where you will face some adversity," he says. "You know coming in here you will have to put in the effort and work each and every day in order to persevere and overcome some fears."
His goals for the class are to continue to assist students in improving their athleticism and their health. He hopes to provide them with the education needed to make exercise and health choices a part of their lifestyle. In addition, he wants to see the program grow and be the best it can be for the students.
With the help of Mr. Miller and Mr. Pedersen, Mr. McIntyre is working with the community to find those who might be interested in sponsoring the weight room.
"I plan to continue to get our community involved, whether it's through social media or some fundraising for awareness type of events that are hosted by our students," Mr. McIntyre says.
The class is open to students in 9th through 12th grade and, while created for student-athletes, any students can join. Though they should note, it is a more advanced weight-lifting class that focuses on conditioning athletes for speed, agility, and strength. A basic weight training class and an 8th-grade introduction to weights class are also available to students. Contact Mr. McIntyre to learn more and follow the class on social media for updates, like their upcoming apparel fundraiser!
