Strength Program Update...

As I became more comfortable with my role as a P.E. instructor I felt as though there was more that I could bring to the table here at the Wang YMCA. With the formation of my new Strength and Conditioning program I was initially nervous of two things: that kids would not sign up and that those who came would not stay committed. Now in its second week, the program has seven members, five of which are boys in grades 9-12 and two are girls who are both seniors. Many of these kids participate in basketball, wrestling and football while the girls also play basketball but have a passion for boxing. I’ve been working with both groups to help them achieve their goals of being bigger, faster and stronger through a series of structured workouts that utilize all aspects of the Wang YMCA. With the weather finally feeling like spring for once, I held the running portion of the program on the roof of the Y which the kids seemed to really enjoy. I structured the schedule so that the five boys will arrive at 3pm, do their conditioning first then hit the weight room around 330pm where I break down that day’s workout and introduce new lifts and techniques each day. I then have the girls coming in at 330pm on a similar schedule to the boys, run first, lift after. This gives me the opportunity to work with both groups individually as they both require different speeds and weights. All five of my guys know their way around a weight room so it is easy for me to leave them and work with the girls who are just getting a feel for everything. So far the program is increasing in popularity and I could not be more excited for what is to come.