MHS Receives Funding for Weight Room

New+weight+racks+from+the+weight+room+remodel.+Photo+courtesy+of+Larry+Calhouns+Twitter.

New weight racks from the weight room remodel. Photo courtesy of Larry Calhoun’s Twitter.

Ben Szalinski, Sports Editor

Over winter break many students may have noticed the updates to the weight room. Through a $100,000 donation from a private donor, the school added new benches, equipment stations, dumb bells, boxes and battle ropes.

All these new additions were made possible through a man that contacted Head Varsity Football Coach Larry Calhoun.

“I received a handwritten note [in early August] from a man I didn’t know, and he said he wanted to help,” recalled Calhoun.

Calhoun said that he was originally embarrassed when he received the note from the man, who is a Mundelein resident, because the man did not know Calhoun but had kids who were once former students at MHS. The gentleman was impressed with the direction of the football program and Calhoun’s coaching style, but Calhoun recommended that the money goes to benefit “something for everyone in the school to take pride in.”

To add to the repainted white walls of the weight room and improved sound system, students in Student Athlete Leadership Team have been helping identify graphics of sports teams at Mundelein to put on the walls. The goal is to create a functional weight room but one that also looks like one found at colleges.

All of the updates benefit the football team, but Calhoun said he wants it to benefit everybody.

“Every sport could benefit from stronger athletes… [Students] can benefit psychologically as well as physically,” he said.

Physical Education Department Chair Justin Hart reiterated Calhoun’s vision.

“We wanted it to benefit all students in the school, even if they’re not in P.E,” Hart said.

The students are just as excited as Calhoun and Hart. Many are thrilled about being able to use new equipment and about more space to workout. Now students feel like they have the ability to do workouts that are specific to their goals.

“One of the things that I like is that the workout room is big and open for everyone now. Now people have their own benches and use the new barbells and benches,” said Junior Henry Deap, a frequent after school user of the weight room.

Hart also noted that the increase in space has been important in allowing students and sports teams a better environment for working out.

“More space allows them to do different activities, like circuits, in a safer environment because you don’t have all the cracks in the floor or weight racks in your way,” said Hart.

Students and coaches from a variety of sports and P.E. classes continue to be excited about the additions and have plans to benefit from the weight room changes for years to come.