The season may be over, but many football players and other athletes are already working to improve their fitness for next season.  The new weight lifting club was created for the sole purpose of making athletes better.  Four days a week after school, one can see many athletes striving to take their game to the next level.

The idea for the club was thought up by head football coach Beau LaBore, and wide receiver coach Mike Weiss.  They wanted to start working towards next season immediately after this season was over.  They also get to take full advantage of the great new weight room.  The sessions are from 2:30-4:00 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.  They also made lettering an option for athletes involved.

It is never too early for a team to start working towards next season.  The athletes one would find in the club are highly motivated to work towards their goals for next year.  Most of the reasons why athletes joined the club are similar.

“I joined to exceed in my athletic ability and stay in shape,” said junior Johnny Randazzo.

The weightlifting club also focuses on speed and agility in addition to strength.  They stress that speed and quickness are just as important as strength.  Sprints and plyometrics are commonly used for this.

“We start out with sprints, and then move on to whatever lifts we have for the day,” said junior Brooks Carroll.

With only one or two advisors in the weight room at once, the athletes are in control of how hard they want to work.  Luckily, almost all of them seem motivated enough to work hard.

“In a normal session we warm up then do conditioning then we look on the board for what to do, and then we do core to finish it off,” said Randazzo.

The participating athletes are also able to bond during their time in the weight room.

“My favorite part about the lifting club is being with my friends,” said Randazzo.

“Being able to be with my friends and getting a good workout in at the same time is my favorite thing about the weightlifting club,” said Carroll.

Consistency is stressed a lot and poniesfootball.com reminds athletes that one begins to lose muscle strength after one week of inactivity.

“Consistency is key, and if I miss a session I still get my workout in at ETS,” said Carroll.

A unique feature about the weightlifting club is that players are allowed to earn a varsity letter if they meet certain requirements.  A few include: attend 90 percent of the strength and speed sessions, show progress in squat, bench, clean and be able to show proper lifting and spotting technique.

Next year’s juniors and seniors are already preparing for next season.  Hard work in the off season often leads to success on the field during the upcoming season.  Fans will all be cheering hard for them next season, and hopefully their hard work will pay off.