Marble Falls ISD weight rooms get big upgrades thanks to booster club’s contribution

The Marble Falls Athletic Booster Club unanimously voted to contribute $19,000 towards upgrades to the weight rooms at Marble Falls high school and middle school during a meeting Aug. 4. Those votes electrified attendees, coaches and the athletes.

“There’s tingling in my arms,” club president Shannon Roberts said. “I’ve never seen that type of excitement in the room. We have goals, and this is what we do as a booster club.”

That is take care of the student-athletes by assisting coaches in helping them obtain equipment and other needs to give the Mustangs and Lady Mustangs every opportunity to succeed.

“My goal has always been to generate more,” Roberts said. “It’s for the athletes – that’s what it’s all about.”

She pointed out it’s rare the club is able to make contributes that address the needs of both campuses that benefit both athletic departments. That’s what delighted her the most.

“I trust my coaches, my athletic director,” she said. “I feel really good about it. It’s exciting to help all levels.”

Hours after the vote, athletic director and head football coach Brian Herman could barely contain his enthusiasm.

“I almost get chills thinking about that meeting,” he said.

To their credit, coaches met to discuss the needs of the athletic department long before the booster club met to take a vote. Herman said all coaches at both campuses have made “big shifts” in adding weightlifting programs to their training. Richard Scales, who serves as the department’s weight and conditioning coach, and Doc Harrington, who is the athletic coordinator for sports medicine and middle school athletics, told Herman the weight rooms needed to add equipment and update other items because of basic wear and tear. Herman concurred.

Then another terrific addition happened that sent a clear message about these projects’ importance. The University Interscholastic League allows training camps for high school athletes participating in fall sports to begin the first Monday in August. So that means the end of the voluntary strength-and-conditioning sessions that extend to seventh and eighth-graders. This year, Marble Falls coaches decided to continue to offer the session to the younger players, on Harrington’s recommendation, if they committed to come.

“We had over 60 athletes at the middle school continue strength and conditioning,” Herman said.

That number spoke the loudest to the booster club.

When they compiled the list and began price checking, the total was $32,000 for the upgrades, which was more than the booster club could contribute. So the athletic department will divide the list in two, Herman said.

“I couldn’t be more excited and proud of our club, our coaches, our school and our community,” he said.

Roberts said she looks forward to being able to show the businesses and the members where their money is going, which in turn helps pave the way for success.

The booster club is in the midst of a membership drive, and Roberts noted fans have plenty of options to get involved. The club is organizing the annual Meet the Mustangs event, which is at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 18, at Mustang Stadium and Max Copeland Gym, 2101 Mustang Drive. The event includes free hot dogs, bags of chips, bottled water and cookies. Fans can become club members, buy attire and gear, and participate in student-led activities as well as meet the athletes and coaches representing the community.

Roberts emphasized the club exists to help all athletic programs and there’s plenty of room for more people who love sports, love athletes and love the Mustangs to join.

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