As dozens of athletes finish their grueling morning workout, grabbing water bottles and wiping away sweat, a deafening yell pierces through the weight room: “PLATE CHECK! GET YOUR PLATE CHECK!”
Any seasoned Jesuit athlete recognizes Coach Weeks’ repetitive but meaningful order given during every single lifting session. The plate check is an athlete-led cleaning of the weight room, and serves as a true testament to the impressive care and planning that goes into every workout given by the Jesuit Training Faculty. It is precisely this care and planning that allowed Jesuit to receive the Strength of America Award on July 11, 2014 for the second year in a row.
The Strength of America Award is given by the National Strength and Conditioning Association and is awarded to high schools based on the following criteria: organization, maintenance, education, programming, coaches, and coaches’ education.
Coach Jeremy Weeks believes Jesuit stood out especially in the areas of organization and coaching.
“Everything we do here is progressive – it’s part of a plan. Nothing is done here on a whim…everything is planned, everything is structured, everything is organized.” Coach Weeks believes it is this meticulous organization that allows the Jesuit Training Faculty to so effectively provide help to as many students as they do during the course of a week. “Without it being organized and structured, it becomes chaos,” remarks Coach Weeks on the importance of planning.
Additionally, Coach Weeks expressed his pride in the coaching staff of the Jesuit Facility, remarking that this particular aspect set Jesuit apart from its competitors for this award. Coach Weeks emphasizes the importance that “both of the full time coaches are [Strength and Conditioning] certified, which is very unusual on the high-school level.” He believes that this is “a big reason why [the Jesuit Training Faculty is] able to provide a great program for [the] kids.” Moreover, Coach Weeks mentioned his goal for the future of the coaching aspect of the program: “we want all of the Strength and Conditioning Coaches to become [Strength and Conditioning] certified.”
Over the past five to seven years, some drastic changes have significantly improved the quality of the Jesuit Training Facility, and have allowed Jesuit to win the Strength of America Award two years in a row. Jesuit Athletic Director Steve Koch commented on the impressive changes in recent years: “Our Athletic Performance Department has changes in our programs that rival college programs. They have moved well beyond just the weight training of the past. It is now a complete program dealing with strength, conditioning, diet, hydration, rest, and mental preparation.”
Furthermore, Mr. Koch commented on where he believes the future of the Jesuit Training Program lies: “Moving forward, Jesuit Athletics will continue to strive for excellence in its competition in the UIL with the bigger public schools in our division as well as in non-UIL sports. The strength, conditioning, and physical and mental preparation of our athletes are crucial in competing at this level on a consistent basis.”
Coach Weeks also offered his view on the ultimate goal of the Jesuit Training Program, remarking that he wants “to teach [the athletes] to be aware of what training is.” “We want to be able to help [the athletes] become better in [their] individual sports,” a belief that serves as the basis for an incredibly well rounded and effective Strength and Conditioning Program.
The Jesuit Strength and Conditioning Program has thrived in recent years, and will to continue to succeed in the future, thanks in large part to the dedication of the coaches and their extraordinary effort to make the program the best it can be.
