This Illinois high school knows how to stay on top

#8 Tyler Krebs #36 Steve Hapanovich #25 Eric Chandler #34 Alex Hembrey #53 Rich Kersten #43 Cole Connington #55 Matt Leinbforth #65 Hayden Baker #67 Ben Luedtke #7 Chad McCarron #24 Trent Sorenson #6 Alex Lyons This Illinois high school knows how to stay on top he athletes at Cary-Grove High School in Cary, Illinois, could choose from any number of justifiable excuses for failure: They are the smallest school in their division, the school budget is tight, and the weightroom is so inadequate that the athletes have to perform many of their exercises in the hallways. But rather than looking at these realities as obstacles that guarantee failure, the coaches look at them as challenges.

The result is that Cary-Grove has one of the most successful athletic programs in the state. Some of their athletic accomplishments last year, for example, include state championships in volleyball and football. Head football coach Bruce Kay, who has been coaching for 32 years, had gotten close to the top, losing only six games in six years, but the big prize eluded his Trojans until they defeated The Trojans only Providence 34-17 in lost six football the championship games in six game last winter. It years, but it wasn’t until 2009 was their first state that they capfootball championtured their first ship since the school state championopened 49 years ago. ship.

TKay, who also serves as the athletic director, encourages all athletes to compete in multiple sports because with 1,900 students, they are at a disadvantage due to their relatively low school enrollment. When Kay was asked what the biggest differences are between coaching athletes now versus when he started, he replied, “Success requires a year-round commitment, but the biggest difference is the weight training – you have to get strong in every sport.”

Fortunately, at Cary-Grove, getting athletes into the weightroom is not a problem. Kay believes that a culture change has been responsible for the large number of girls who are lifting but that all his athletes are “extremely dedicated” to the lifting program. He says that the sports with the highest representation in the weightroom are football, soccer, baseball, softball, boys basketball and girls track. “You have to give credit to our head coaches, who hold the kids accountable for their lifting,” says Kay. “The kids in the programs know that if they don’t lift in-season, then many of them will not get to play.”

This is especially true with the football team, which has no intention of becoming complacent with their state championship victory. “This is the first state championship they’re won, says Kay. They lost six games in six years, and with those losses The Trojans’ volleyball team shown in action and posing for a team photo after winning the 2009 state championships. their support of the athletic program. Cary-Grove has a physical education program that is fitness-based and is offered five days a week for all nine periods of the day. And everyone – even athletes – must participate.

“Each semester every student gets a cardiovascular test, and with that test a student is placed at a specific cardiovascular level. If a kid gets a high score, they are exempted from performing the cardiovascular days.” Kay says that being able to lift during the school day enables athletes to focus on their sports workouts after school. Kay did encounter some opposition to the BFS program many years ago from athletes in sports other than football. “Those kids said they didn’t want to do a football program, but I told them BFS isn’t a football workout – it’s a workout designed for athletes, and it includes plyometrics and agility work.”

As a result of the turnaround in attitude, there are now kids in sports other than football who are bench pressing over 250 pounds and cleaning over 200 pounds. Kay adds, “We may not have the strongest athletic teams, but what we have here at Cary-Grove High School is athletic strength.” 3KRWRV1LFN*RVKH it was always a big play here or there, so our kids know they have to maintain a great work ethic for next year and focus on winning another state title.” For all sports, Kay stresses that it is vital to lift in-season. Their athletes lift in-season two days a week, focusing on the squat and bench press one day, and cleans and towel bench presses the other day.

Auxiliary lifts can be used, but Kay says the weightroom is so small that it’s necessary to perform plyos and agility exercises in the hallway. Kay says that allowing athletes to make this compromise is a credit to the administration and Cody Neckvatal Because so many athletes are using the weightroom to become stronger for their sports, plyometrics and agility drills are performed in the hallways.

Set includes three 20” boxes, one 32” box with booster and a plyometric box jumping video.

$599 Stock (Black Paint) #320256 Call for custom pricing Our Plyo Boxes are fully stackable to save space.

DEDICATED TO HELPING ATHLETES SUCCEED SINCE 1976

From BFS Magazine — May/June 2010. Part of the BFS Magazine Archive (1980–2014).