By: Owen Trumbull

You may think that after fall has turned to winter and football season comes to an end that the players just sit and wait for next fall. This is not so; throughout the winter, players from grades eighth through eleventh gather in our weight room and get stronger for the upcoming football season.

Compared to last year’s workout, this year’s are much more organized, as Jared Beers explained when The Squire interviewed him on the topic. Jared said, “My favorite part of the new workout program is the level of organization.” Many find this helpful because it helps build muscle and makes each player faster. The motto that the team is following this year is “bigger, faster, and stronger.” Part of the organization is that Coach Penley handed out binders to each player so they could keep track of their personal records in the weight room. For Jared, it is obvious this has helped. He shared, “I believe that the squats have helped me become faster and stronger.”

Also included in the binder Coach Penley handed to the players, is the playbook for the upcoming football season. The playbook is looked at during a portion of every workout session. The sessions are held every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 3:00 to 5:25. During the session, Coach Penley picks a play and spends approximately twenty minutes explaining it. On the subject Jared added, “Coach Penley breaking down everything for us helps me a lot.” During the next season, these breakdowns will help the players execute the plays to the best of their abilities and help your Eisenhower Knights go as far as the can into the season.

Although it may seem as if the new program is flawless, there are still parts of the workout to be incorporated. When asked if there was anything he could add into the workout, Jared said, “I would add more cardio into the program.” Cardio includes activities such as running, that train your body to be able to function better on lower levels of oxygen. This is helpful to the football players because, on average, a football play lasts for six seconds. Not only is this six seconds of running, but it is also physical contact with other plays on the field, causing more oxygen to be needed. This is where cardio comes into play; it allows the players to have more physical capabilities, with lower amounts of oxygen.

To sum up the interview with Jared, The Squire asked him if he had anything else to say about the program or any added information to share. Jared added, “Join early so you (players interested in joining the football team) don’t fall behind when season comes around.” So keep Jared’s words in mind and join the football team so you can be part of the Eisenhower Knights Football program.