Athens Area SD coaches outline growth of strength-and-conditioning and powerlifting programs; ask for modest summer resources

At the district’s May meeting, strength-and-conditioning coaches described a program that has grown rapidly in 18 months, is using a TeamBuilder app to manage workouts, and is seeking modest additional time and budget to meet demand and maintain safety.

Nicole Golden, introduced as a strength-and-conditioning coach, told the board the staff are “the weight room people” and described the program’s daily schedule and role supporting multiple sports. "We're just like support for your teams. We are the weight room people," Golden said, introducing the coaches and athletes who joined the meeting.

Kai, the program’s lead coach, described how the program moved from paper logs to the TeamBuilder app so athletes can view sport-specific workouts on personal devices. He said the program operates Monday through Thursday with additional half-hour sessions, and that capacity is strained: "We cap it at 12. So it's a pretty big difference. 19 is crowded," he said, referencing March attendance figures.

Why it matters

Coaches told the board that the program supports athletic performance, injury prevention and athlete confidence, and that its rapid growth creates safety and scheduling challenges. Coaches requested more coaching hours or budget to avoid overcrowded sessions and to run private team sessions and summer clinics.

Program details and results

- TeamBuilder accounts: coaches reported about 260 athletes have accounts and programs in the system. - Capacity and attendance: in March the program recorded an average of 19 athletes per session while the safe cap is 12, producing occasional sessions with 20-plus athletes in limited space and supervision. - Summer plans: coaches proposed summer lifting clinics including instruction in Olympic lifts (deadlift, power clean, snatch) and open gym hours, and said they had surveyed demand for morning and afternoon sessions. - Powerlifting results: the district’s nascent powerlifting team competed in multiple meets this year; coaches reported ten total trophies at a regional meet (six first-place, three second-place, one third-place) and said the women’s team placed second at the state meet. Coach Golden said several athletes qualified for nationals and that one athlete broke two state records.

Coaches emphasized safety and supervision as the chief constraint on serving more athletes: Kai said there was typically one coach for crowded sessions and that more staff hours would allow safer, staggered sessions and additional private team work.

Board and administration response

Board members asked about attendance data and reporting; the coaches said they already track attendance in the TeamBuilder app and offered to generate regular reports. “We can absolutely generate reports because we have the TeamBuilder,” one coach told the board.

The administration acknowledged the program’s competitive success and said they will consider modest budget or scheduling support. Coaches said they plan to partner with football and local teams for summer training and a combined meet planned for July 26.

Student-athlete examples

Coaches highlighted individual progress as evidence of the program’s impact: Braden Pettit, a swimmer, dropped four seconds in the 200 individual medley and improved in the 100 breaststroke; Sean Peters moved from bench-pressing 135 to 245 in several months while also improving in track and wrestling, coaches said. Several student athletes introduced themselves to the board during the presentation.

Next steps

Coaches asked the district for additional scheduled coaching hours in the school year and modest summertime support to run clinics and private team sessions; they also plan to provide the board with attendance reports on request.