MIKE BROOKS • Provided to Great Basin Sun
PCHS athletes try out the new equipment in the weight room.
Pershing County High School's weight room now has 10 power rack stations, each equipped with flooring, benches, weights, kettleballs, pull-up bars and more.
It's all branded with the Mustang logo.
Weight training has been the bedrock of the athletic program for a long time.
The boys on Mike Brook's wrestling and football teams are already seasoned lifters.
They and the other athletes began using the equipment shortly after it was installed in mid-May.
“There is a short learning curve. They’re basically doing the same exercises they’ve been doing but now they can complete them more efficiently.” Brooks says he sees many benefits to the upgrade.
"With quick adjustments, the kids can move from squats, to bench, to dead lift, and so on without leaving their stations. Everything they need is right there," he said. "Because everything is efficient, we have about ten times more equipment but more space as well. Effectively, instead of having two areas for the kids to bench press there are now ten. The transitions are much shorter."
Research shows that, besides building muscle, weight training reduces the risk of sports injuries. When injuries do occur, they tend to be less severe.
Young female athletes build bone density, a protection from osteoporosis later in life. Weight training may also lead to better outcomes on the field, court or track.
MIKE BROOKS • Provided to Great Basin Sun
Jacob Henderson gets ready to train in the PCHS weight room.
"Weight training is important for player development and the safety of our athletes and students. 'Bigger, faster and stronger' is the goal of any team," says Brooks.
The new weight room was one of Russell Fecht's last big projects before he retires this month after 25 years with the school district, including nine as superintendent.
He was at the helm during the challenging Covid years and coached Mustang baseball every spring, first as head coach and then as an assistant when he became the district's top administrator.
The school district purchased the power racks from Dynamic Fitness and Strength with capital improvement funds.
With installation, the price tag came to over $200,000.
Dynamic Fitness is based in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and has worked with colleges and high schools across the country to build state-of-the-art weight rooms for student athletes.
All of the sports teams will use the equipment. In addition, PCHS offers two weight training classes and hopes to add more in the 2024-25 school year.
The room will be in use throughout the summer and Brooks expects robust participation in the fall.
Fecht's younger son, Conner, gave the new equipment an enthusiastic thumbs up.
"The equipment is excellent," he said. "A big thank you to everyone who made it possible. It allows us to do a more significant number of lifts in less time. I especially appreciate how each lifter benefits from having their own personalized space. I can already see future Mustangs getting swole."