A Sophomore Strength Training class is being offered as a PE credit this semester for the first time. 

After two years in the making, and finally gaining approval, the class was made possible under the leadership of PE teachers Brian Bergman and Daniel Bilewaski. 

“Our goal when creating the class was to give students the opportunity and resources needed to complete strength training during the school day,” Bergman said. 

The class is offered to all sophomore students, and is not just for athletes, Bergman said. There are currently two classes during the first semester, with 36 students in each class. Students spend three days a week in the weight room, one day in the field house and one day in the classroom. 

Sophomore Strength Training is completely centered around students’ own personal goals. Grace Kovacs ‘24 and Noah Pfafflin ‘24 are currently enrolled in the class and have been working on setting their personal fitness goals. 

“My goal for this class is definitely to improve and increase my strength during this first semester since I don’t have a lot of time outside of school to get to a gym,” Pfafflin said. 

Students in the class use a cloud-based app called AthleticU  that collects data, tracks progress and provides feedback regarding their workouts.  

“I like that [the students] are in groups [because then they] don’t feel as pressured to try to lift as much as possible,” Kovacs said. “You are able to work at your own pace with your friends and if you weren’t able to lift as much as you hoped, you don’t feel embarrassed. Successes are celebrated.”

Because South Campus is an older building, there are spacing challenges that the classes have to overcome.

“The facility is not great for large numbers and there is no air conditioning during the hotter days,” Bergman said. “We hope for a building upgrade in the near future that will finally meet the needs of our students, increase student safety, and meet the expectations of high school weight rooms compared to other local high schools.”

The students are also able to work on improving their technique in a safe environment, which prevents injury.

“This class has been a way to wake me up in the morning, connect me with some amazing people, and has shown me that weightlifting isn’t as intimidating as it’s made out to be,” Kovacs said.