“Preparing them for what it takes to play”

Penelope Dickinson

Conifer’s football team is helping West Jefferson Middle School kids learn how to lift weights safely and correctly. Through this program, the kids can pick up safety and proper lifting skills from the high school students. “I think helping them improve a lot since they are starting at a young age,” sophomore Jack Van Airsdale said.

The Conifer High School football team has been teaching West Jefferson Middle School students how to properly lift weights and do conditioning exercises. Their goal is to prepare younger students for their future careers as high school football players.

“We are teaching kids how to work properly and how to strengthen, train, and condition,” Varsity football player, junior Micheal Metzger said. 

This program provides an opportunity for student-athletes to prepare themselves and gain an advantage over their classmates.

“They’ll be more advanced than their peers who aren’t doing this now and it will just improve the team each year that they doing more and more,” football coach Doug Wolanske.

Wolanske has been coaching for 11 years, four of which have been at Conifer.  Wolanske has been helping young football players learn how to lift and condition. 

“I like helping the young guys learn the sport and I think it helps improve every aspect of their lives,” Wolanske said.

The middle school kids come to the high school on weeknights from 6:00 to 8:00 and learn how to correctly lift weights and how to be as safe as possible in the weight room.

“Overall, we are teaching them this because we want to learn how to be safe and lift weights without hurting themselves,” Metzger said.

To benefit the players for their future seasons, this weightlifting program can help them grow and improve. Getting young football players in the weight room is improving their strength and speed. Conifer high school football players are at the trainings, helping to coach the younger players.

“For the kids getting in the weight room and getting them more prepared for the future and the older kids it’s just making it so the team gets together becoming a consistent thing creating a stronger team,”  said sophomore Jack Van Airsdale who plays Varsity football with Conifer.