Boys join conditioning program
By Donnie A. Lucas
Summer conditioning, along with limited sport-specific training for junior high and high school aged students, is underway and will continue for several more weeks.
The conditioning and football specific training for boys started on Monday and will continue for six consecutive weeks, while the girls’ summer program began on June 7 and will continue through the month of June. The girls will take the first week of July off but return for two more weeks of training in July.
Both programs meet daily on Monday through Thursday for six weeks, which is regulated by UIL rules.
The girls meet from 9:00 a.m. until 10:00 during the four weeks of June, which ends July 1. Following a two-week break during the first half of July, the girls will resume workouts on July 19, continuing through July 29.
Conditioning is being conducted by coach Tate Thompson this week, along with other assistant coaches on the girls side.
“We were down a little this week with 15 girls,” Thompson said. “We are pleased with the numbers we have seen so far. There are some girls who have jobs, so we are sending out workouts for them to do on their own.”
In addition to the agility and conditioning workouts, sport specific training will be held from 10:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays. Junior high basketball and high school volleyball will train on Mondays, while high school basketball and junior high volleyball will meet on Tuesdays.
The girls will also be able to take advantage of an open gym at 10:30 a.m. on Thursdays.
Boys Start Monday
On the boys side, the summer program started Monday with about 25 high school players and over 15 junior high athletes.
“I thought we had a good sized group for the first week,” coach Rod Britting said.
The boys will meet for strengthening and conditioning at 7:00 a.m. and continue for an hour to an hour and a half. The earlier meeting time is to accommodate participants who have summer jobs.
Sport-specific training for football is set for Mondays and Wednesdays starting at 5:30 p.m. throughout the six-week period that will end June 23.
Both the girls and boys programs are open to all students entering grades 7-12 in the fall and are open to all regardless of the sport or sports they participate in during the school year.
“The strengthening and conditioning drills will be geared to benefit all sports programs, not just football,” coach Denney Faith said. “Everyone is welcome.”
Students are allowed to use the school’s weight room from 7:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on regular work days for staff members.
Open Gym
Girls coach Tate Thompson said that open gym time will be available from 10:30 a.m. until 11:30 p.m. on Thursdays during a consecutive six-week period that started June 9. The gym will be available for basketball from 10:30 a.m. until 11:30 p.m. on June 17 and 24 only.
Camp & Two-a-days
A special camp just for high school volleyball players is tentatively set for July 26-29. “I’m having a hard time finding a coach to conduct our team camp, so we may change what we are doing,” Reneau said. “That is not definite yet.”
Both volleyball and football two-a-days will start on Monday, Aug. 2.
Students will need to bring completed and signed paperwork on the first day of two-a-days, along with a completed physical exam unless they received a physical in May at the school.
Faith said that most students took advantage of free physical exams during May. However, anyone not undergoing an exam at the school will have to obtain one at their own expense before two-a-days begin.
