Reagan Fit Welcomes All
WRITTEN BY GABBY NEWTON
“Keep the body moving” - that’s the Reagan Fit motto.
Every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday after school open workout sessions are held in the the hallway behind the gym, otherwise known as the “dawg pound*.” Three of Reagan’s very own teachers, Mr. Poltrock, Mr. Shefferly, and Mr. Roman, lead a dedicated group of husky students/athletes in an hour long period of exercise.
“It started as an idea. Coach Roman and myself, we saw a need to have some sort of weightlifting club at our school,” says Coach Poltrock.
Most simply, it presents the chance for students/athletes to be active and stay in shape during the cold winter months.
“Keep the body moving” - that’s the Reagan Fit motto.
Every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday after school open workout sessions are held in the the hallway behind the gym, otherwise known as the “dawg pound*.” Three of Reagan’s very own teachers, Mr. Poltrock, Mr. Shefferly, and Mr. Roman, lead a dedicated group of husky students/athletes in an hour long period of exercise.
“It started as an idea. Coach Roman and myself, we saw a need to have some sort of weightlifting club at our school,” says Coach Poltrock.
Most simply, it presents the chance for students/athletes to be active and stay in shape during the cold winter months.
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“Reagan Fit is great! It provides opportunities for us competing athletes to condition and build muscle during or before a sport season. Reagan Fit is taught by the best coaches I know. They teach you exercises step by step to make sure you don’t fail,” returning junior Joseph Xiong says.
Rest assured, however, Reagan Fit welcomes ALL members of the student body - beginning or experienced, sportsperson or not. “We wanted anyone who wanted to go and get fit and improve themselves. You don’t even have to be an athlete,” remarks Coach Roman. This is Reagan Fit’s second year in operation and attendance rates are the highest they’ve been, averaging between 30 and 35 students each day. The coaches accredit this positive reception to better organization in comparison to the last year. |
“We have a broad spectrum of students here. We’ve got soccer players and football players… even kids who are not in sports to my knowledge, either, just ones who are interested in getting more fit. We’ve even had teachers ask, ‘can I come down and lift?’ Coach Roman laughs. “The answer is absolutely. Reagan Fit,” he insists.
The Reagan Fit approach to fitness is similar to that of Crossfit. Participants spend half the time completing speed and agility drills, simultaneously improving cardiovascular endurance, with ladders and plyometric movements. The other half of the time is dedicated to building muscular strength and endurance via weight lifting with barbells, in addition to body-weight exercises. "Keep the body moving." |
“We’ll try to do as much as we can with limited equipment. The goal is to get them using as many muscle groups as they can in order to make the most use out of a short amount of time,” Coach Poltrock comments.
The program has an undeniable convenience factor; being that it takes place within the building right after school, it’s the perfect way for any student to maintain an active lifestyle with little scheduling conflict. On top of that, it poses additional benefits for students such as newfound camaraderie and self-confidence. At Reagan Fit, personal growth is just as important as engagement with peers.
VIDEO PROVIDED BY JOSEPH XIONG |
“Reagan FIt is a great place to workout and have fun because the coaches push you to the max and your friends are there to pull you up when you can’t do anymore,” veteran attendee Devin Cooper exclaims (grade 11). “They’re setting the ground for their routines, for how they’re gonna go out and live their lives beyond high school, into college, and beyond. If they’re able to take part in that healthy and active lifestyle now, it just becomes natural and they will continue that throughout their lifetime. We’re happy to provide that here,” Coach Poltrock reflects. |
Participants also learn commitment and perseverance in the face of new challenges.
“Gains are made through consistency. What we’re trying to do is just reinforce good qualities like work ethic, responsibility, and accountability. That’s part of what sports is about - you know - strengthening character,” Coach Roman adds.
The coaches agree that the best part of Reagan Fit is seeing the whole group come together at the end of every session.
"...we turned a hallway into an existing, workable area of our school that is valuable to some kids and to our athletic program.” |
“We get a lot of pride seeing these kids do their ‘HUSKIES’ breakdown,” Coach Roman mentions. “It’s not like it’s the football team breaking down, or the soccer team breaking down, it’s Reagan breaking down. We’re all huskies - even if we can’t find the mascot,” he jokes.
“I think one of the things, at least that I’m proud of, is that we turned a hallway into an existing, workable area of our school that is valuable to some kids and to our athletic program,” Coach Poltrock commented. |
As for increasing dawg-pack numbers: “That’ll be a new challenge - figuring out how to accommodate more people. We may add more coaches, or more space,” says Poltrock. However, this is quite a good challenge to have.
Reagan Fit welcomes all students (and staff) to come out to the dawg pound and break a sweat in the good company of fellow huskies.
*Credit for this nickname is shared equally between Coach Poltrock and Coach Roman, in addition to other “dog… named… things…” (i.e, storage spaces/facilities around the school)
Reagan Fit welcomes all students (and staff) to come out to the dawg pound and break a sweat in the good company of fellow huskies.
*Credit for this nickname is shared equally between Coach Poltrock and Coach Roman, in addition to other “dog… named… things…” (i.e, storage spaces/facilities around the school)