By Jackson Teal
“Project 2020” was a plan to implement a $6 million fitness center that would ultimately become the envy of East Central Indiana.
The high-end nature of the weight room along with the size of the facility gives it the ability to house 100 athletes at once.
It is unacceptable to not “max out” the weight room’s full potential.
We have a weight room that if used properly can improve athletic performance, increase confidence and even change students’ lives.
On weekends and weekday evenings there is too much downtime in the weight room that could be filled up with Eagle lifters.
Some might say we already have a solution to this problem. We offer a weightlifting class at Delta.
The class raises its own problems, however.
Freshman students are not able to take the course.
Sophomore students can only take the weightlifting class for one semester in their sophomore year unless they are involved in two varsity sports.
The class is open to juniors and seniors, however.
Another stipulation in taking the class is it takes a period out of your day when some people need an academic class in that slot.
So if you are not a star athlete or you want to spend all day taking academic classes to prepare for college, how are you supposed to utilize the weight room?
If we hired a part-time facility supervisor we could offer walk-in times throughout the week after school, on weekends and even during the summer.
The standing rule in the weight room is that outside of the school day there must be a head coach or approved assistant coach supervising the weight room while people are lifting.
A facility supervisor would provide the needed oversight along with a way for students to enhance their knowledge about lifting.
Paying a facility supervisor could be difficult, but there are many avid lifters that would utilize the walk-in times and even pay a slight fee. If we implemented a $2 walk-in fee the director position would pay for itself over time.
Although the more lifters that come in would raise more money, it brings another problem to mind: the supervisor could become overwhelmed. Therefore, there must be a way for students to prove basic knowledge so they can be somewhat independent.
If any Delcom student in high school or middle school simply watches a safety and basics orientation video, they should be able to use the weight room.
If there is a way for the weight room to have supervision, and it is cost effective, then the only items left to address are the positives.
An undeniable plus to offering the student body access to the weight room is what the world of weights can do for a person. Seeing your body progress over time not only rebuilds your physical state but does wonders to a person’s state of mind.
A study conducted by the National Institute of Health states appropriate weightlifting can promote psychological well-being, self-esteem, pain tolerance, cognition, and perhaps character development.
For athletes, lifting weights not only affects mentality, it can reshape skills. If an athlete wishes to excel in a sport, weightlifting is a must in most sports.
Another study conducted by the National Institute of Health states physical variables, such as body composition, strength, and power, are improved by weightlifting training in young athletes.
Stepping through the weight room doors can lead to a world of possibilities.
We must give the student body more access to the weight room so that Delta as a whole can “max out” its potential.
If you are passionate about this issue as well, email me at teal2027821@delcomschools.org and we can build support for the idea. Then we can alert groups like the Fly team, student council and even the school board.
Power in numbers!
NOTE: This column represents the personal opinion of sophomore Jackson Teal. It does not necessarily represent the opinion of the Eagle’s Eye newspaper or Delta High School.
