Sweat dripping onto the platforms, the clank of dumbbells on the ground, and the occasional “Yuh!” bellowed from Coach Weeks’ mouth are all experiences seen and heard every morning and afternoon from the third story of the Jesuit athletic tower in the weight-room.
The state-of-the-art facility has helped put Jesuit athletes in the top physical condition of their athletic careers. Under the guidance of Coach Jeremy Weeks, every Jesuit athletic team visits the weight-room at least twice a week, allowing them to get stronger, which then converts to success on the field or court.
A large part of this strength comes not only from the weight lifting, but also from the nutrition athletes put in their bodies. When Coach Weeks became the Director of Athletic Performance at the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year, he vowed to focus on this nutrition aspect of athletics.
As part of his plan, Coach Weeks created a partnership with the company Gatorade early in the 2012-2013 school year. This allowed for Coach Weeks to provide Gatorade products to Jesuit athletes for a discounted price. Fostering the relationship between the two sides, Gatorade sent down two spokespersons to Jesuit from January 23-25 to provide informative presentations, complimentary products to athletes, and other advice in a series deemed “G week” around Jesuit.
One of the spokespersons sent from Gatorade for “G week”, was Jesuit Dallas graduate Kyle Wilson ’02. Wilson played basketball at Jesuit and was a 3 year letterman for the Rangers, while also doing exceptionally well in the classroom. Growing to be 6’9” by his senior year, Kyle Wilson earned a basketball scholarship to the University of Illinois, a traditional Big 10 basketball powerhouse. After a rough freshman year, he transferred to Wichita State University where he played from 2004-2007.
Wilson played very well for the competitive mid-major Shockers, even making the Sweet 16 in 2006. After college, Kyle hopped across the pond to play professional basketball for a club called TBB Trier in Germany. Since then, he has played professionally in Cyprus, Austria, Hungary and most recently Israel. Shortly after the 2012 season ended, Wilson was hired by Gatorade to travel around the U.S. as a spokesperson for Gatorade’s new product line, the “G Series’.
His visit back to his alma mater this past week was full of memories, as he remarked “how much the school has changed since [he] was here,” but joking that the “gym still smells the same.”
Wilson and his partner, Kendall Smelser, a former professional swimmer and a graduate of Texas A&M, gave presentations to all Jesuit athletes. They talked about the importance of putting the right foods and fluids into your body in order to succeed. After each session they had a trivia game, and if students answered correctly, they could receive free Gatorade merchandise.
They also showed a video clip showing popular athletes such as Kevin Durant, Serena Williams, and Robert Griffin III and how they use Gatorade products to help them succeed. The presentation was then followed with a brief explanation of the new “G Series”. The “G Series” is a line of sports drinks/products designed to assist athletes with sustenance before, during, and after athletic endeavors. The students were then each provided with a pack of the “Before” Gatorade chews, small gummy tablets filled with carbohydrates and proteins, which they were allowed to consume.
Shortly after, the athletes then performed their normal workouts with breaks in between sets to drink free yellow and orange “During” Gatorade from coolers around the weight-room. After their lifting was complete they enjoyed the “After” Gatorade, a vanilla or chocolate protein shake. Throughout the day, many eager student-athletes asked Kendall and Kyle about how to improve their nutrition through the “G Series”.
Many students thought “G Week” was a huge success. Sophomore basketball player Cameron Martin said he “learned a lot about the importance of filling your body up with the right stuff.” Junior baseball player Chris Muller was so full of excitement of his new found knowledge that he exclaimed, “I love Gatorade!”
Even the baseball team’s nutrition expert Luke “where is my protein” Gibbons ’14 was impressed with the presentation saying, “Even with my thorough knowledge of sports nutrition, I really enjoyed what they had to say. They showed us that Gatorade has the tools to provide elite athletes with the nutrients they need.”
Overall, “G Week” was a win-win for all those involved. A successful alumnus got to return to his old school and students got to increase their knowledge of nutrition while tasting free Gatorade products. Who knows? Maybe Gatorade will even change their motto to “Nutrition for others”.
