Red Lake High 歪歪漫画 athletes used to have a weight room to use. But not one quite like this.
The Warriors鈥� previous facility was a small, dimly lit space off to the side of the high school鈥檚 main gymnasium. It contained just a few stations and not nearly enough space to house a full team.
ADVERTISEMENT
Times have changed. Red Lake recently opened up a spacious new weight room funded in large part by a generous grant from the Thielen Foundation, and the new gym is a big hit. Spirits were high on a recent Wednesday as the Warriors boys basketball team got their strength training in ahead of practice.
鈥淭here was a lot of hype,鈥� said athletic director Nolan Desjarlait. 鈥淚 was stoked, the kids were stoked. Because compared to the other weight room we had, there was really (no comparison). This is really a big upgrade for the students.鈥�
Red Lake was among a number of schools under consideration for the Thielen Foundation鈥檚 grant, and when images of the Warriors鈥� past weight room were shared with those at the foundation, choosing Red Lake became a no-brainer.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e pretty excited,鈥� said Red Lake superintendent Tim Lutz of the students. 鈥淣ot only the kids on various teams, but kids who are in the gym or PE classes, they are anxious to get in there. I can't tell you how many times I have had athletes come up to me over the last month or so (and say), 鈥楬ey, when is that weight room going to be ready?鈥欌��
It鈥檚 ready now, and the Warriors are diving in. For Gerald Kingbird Jr., a standout multisport senior athlete at Red Lake, the new facility arrived just in the nick of time as he seeks to get stronger for a potential future in college athletics. Red Lake鈥檚 athletes used to work out at training facilities off campus, but now, everything they need is a short walk away.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been pretty good,鈥� Kingbird said. 鈥淭he weight room will get me right. I just have to take advantage of it and be in there as much as I can. It鈥檚 going to be good (for the underclassmen). Hopefully in the future, you鈥檒l see some more people that have muscle on them.鈥�
The applications of the weight room extend beyond the athletic teams at Red Lake High 歪歪漫画. Desjarlait expressed interest in welcoming the community for open workouts.
ADVERTISEMENT
鈥淚 have (heard) a lot of community feedback,鈥� Desjarlait said. 鈥淓veryone鈥檚 saying, 鈥榃hen are we going to have open hours for adults?鈥� There are a lot of people who do powerlifting around here. It's a big, huge plus (to have this). It's the kids first, and then it'll be community after that. But if it becomes so big, we might have to only let them come in on weekends.鈥�
For Lutz, involving the broader community in the weight room dovetails with a desire to share the school鈥檚 resources with those who have helped support Red Lake students away from campus.
鈥淚've always believed that a school is one of the focal points or centers of a community,鈥� Lutz said. 鈥淭he partnership that the school district has with this community is really important. It鈥檚 crucial. So anytime we can provide opportunities for people to come in and experience whatever we're doing, or to utilize our facilities and our infrastructure, it's an opportunity to build goodwill and to continue the partnership with parents and community members.
鈥淲e often go out to the community and ask for their support. So it's nice to be able to provide support and opportunities for the community as well.鈥�
As the boys basketball players worked through their workout stations while being coached by former Red Lake star Rob McClain Jr., the transformation was happening in real time. For Desjarlait, who has invested so much into Warriors athletics over decades, the payoff of the space has validated his vision of what Red Lake can be as an athletics program.
鈥淚t's a good feeling (for) myself and then also the kids,鈥� Desjarlait said. 鈥淭his is for the kids, for now and in the future. This will help them mentally also. They can release some stress, build some mass for all our students, boys and girls. 鈥� I want to see the kids grow. I always tell the (younger) kids, 鈥榃hen you guys get older, we're going to hit the weight room. You guys are going to be walking around all massed up.鈥欌��
The Trust Project
