Marble Falls Lady Mustangs make most of first week of voluntary workouts
The Marble Falls High School weight room was so crowded that visitors had to be careful with every step and willing to turn and twist to avoid bumping into athletes who are participating in voluntary strength-and-conditioning workouts.
And the crowd wasn’t by the Marble Falls High School boys; rather it came from the Lady Mustangs representing grades 7-12 and the seventh- and eighth-grade boys.
About 38 Lady Mustangs and 40 middle-school boys attended the first week of voluntary sessions, a solid number for both.
“I would say for day one, it’s very positive,” Marble Falls High School assistant athletic director and girls coordinator John Berkman said. “I know we’re missing some of our older volleyball and basketball players who are at sports camps, church camps, etc.”
Strength-and-conditioning coach Richard Scales is leading the summer program. He met with the Lady Mustangs coaches weeks before the voluntary sessions were launched to create a program that meets the needs of the Lady Mustangs.
“We’re focused on skill work,” Berkman said. “We have more focused and dedicated time. The obvious ones are strength and speed and tenacity of the form in certain lifts. If you’re doing things incorrectly, you don’t do a good job of preventing injuries. Now everybody is on the same page, and we have multiple coaches around our kids.”
The move to District 24-4A from District 25-5A has given the athletics program a positive boost. Coaches believe players will see the results of their commitment to working hard when they’re playing in their seasons. It’s why Berkman was happy to see so many athletes representing different sports at the voluntary sessions.
Coaches walked, observed and changed how athletes were lifting to meet Scales’ standards. Meanwhile, Scales walked around the weight room and blew whistles to indicate the time at stations had ended. Before athletes started a new lift, Scales gave instructions and encouragement.
“It’s high energy being around him and the other coaches,” Berkman said.
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