Courtesy photo
Courtesy photo
Pam Dudding
Contributing writer
It is an unusual sound to hear students already at school at 7 a.m., starting their weight program for sports.
Coaches Jimmy Fisher, Jayke Dowdy and Roland Donithan are excited that their football players are pushing themselves to be better athletes, which also requires discipline to arise early every morning for their workouts.
Currently they have 7 a.m. workouts three times a week with Dowdy and Donithan.
“The kids bought into the process and sacrificed sleep for a chance to get better,” Dowdy shared. “Their hard work has paid off.”
He added that they had three players to make the 700-pound club which were Isaac Lucas, Noah Paxton and Josh Craft.
They also had one player who has made the 800 club, Caleb Fields.
“We also saw everyone in attendance get much faster and more explosive!” Dowdy exclaimed. “I love the morning lifts because it allows them to play other sports or work in the afternoons without sacrificing weight training.”
He added, “If you look around the state, all of the well-run programs in every sport are in the weight room.”
“We are happy that we had enough donors and raised enough money to meet our obligations on the new racks that we ordered,” said Fisher. “However, we still need another piece of equipment for this room and two to three more for another room. We also need bars, plates, belts, bands, Bumper plates, dumbbells, etc.”
Dowdy admitted that when they hit the new weight room, their grogginess wears off quickly when “the music starts blaring, and the kids absolutely get after it.”
“It’s something that will become an offseason rite of passage for the program moving forward,” Dowdy shared. “This groups of kids proved that it works and it’s worth it.”
“We are so appreciative of each donor, as it is the donors who have made all of this possible!” Fisher said.
However, their hopes are to complete the needs of the weight room for the athletes.
“Please consider donating if you have not already,” Fisher shared. “We hope to have the room completely done in time for the schools open house. This new strength training space would not be possible without each one of you who have already given.
