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McDowell running back Josh Ellis does bench presses on one of the school's new power racks. The new weight room represents a huge improvement from the Titans' former facility.
The COVID-19 shutdown took a tremendous toll on nearly every aspect of society. For an already beleaguered McDowell High weight room, it was the final straw.
But the Phoenix has definitely risen from the ashes.
McDowell High has a brand new weight-lifting and training facility that is far superior to the old one and should help keep athletes and students in shape for decades to come.
Students in a weight-training class use the new weight room at McDowell High. Visible at right is part of the facility's indoor turf surface.
For the first 48 years or so of the school’s existence, McDowell High’s weight room was located off the main gym floor behind the locker rooms and coaches offices. With no windows and virtually no air circulation, the room was ill-suited to the task.
Some of McDowell High's new power racks are shown in this photo of the new weight room.
“We always had to run dehumidifiers in there,” said Titans head football coach Darrell Brewer. “There was no climate control. We had to keep fans running to move the air. When we shut down for a couple of months (in spring of 2020), there was no one in there to do that, and when we came back, things were bad. The bars and weights were rusted. The belts had mold growing on them. It was awful.
“We talked to some weight companies, and they said the only way to avoid that is to have a climate-controlled room.”
Fortunately, it wasn’t difficult to find a new space. The school’s band and chorus classes moved into a newly opened room on the upper level of the auxiliary gymnasium, and with a little remodeling, the old band and chorus rooms were a perfect fit. The room is open, airy and well-lit.
“The band got the new room, and I would have been happy with either one,” said Brewer.
Titans head football coach Darrell Brewer instructs students in the weight room.
New racks and weights by Dyna Body were the next step in the upgrade. With a dozen new fully equipped power racks sporting Titan colors and logos, 12 fresh heavy duty benches, and a full complement of rubber-coated plates and dumbbells, the facility rivals that of many colleges. Twelve small groups can now do squats, deadlifts, power cleans, bench presses, dips, pullups and countless other strength movements at once, maximizing the time they spend training.
A 20-yard by 10-yard portion of the space was set aside for indoor turf, and Board of Education member Donnie Suttles, who runs Mountain Elite Sports and is the national baseball and softball spokesman for FieldTurf, donated the entire project. In addition to lifting, players and students can now improve their short-burst explosion with sled pushing and pulling, among other things. A 20X5 section of the royal blue turf is already in place with plans to finish the surface in the near future.
“It’s really nice,” said Suttles. “It has a 5mm pad under it, so the sleds will pull easily, and it’s non-abrasive so the kids won’t get scratched up. And it will last. It should be a good 15 years before it has to be replaced. Anytime you have a weight room that nice, anything like turf you can put in right away really helps.”
Other local folks have helped out as well. Columbia Forest Products donated wood to make new boxes for box-jumps and box-squats. Athletics Director Joe Cash said Charity Webb and Debbie Thomas were instrumental in securing the donations. Chad Brewer from the school’s CTE department built the boxes.
McDowell football player Braydan McNeil does some dumbbell curls.
The price tag for the whole thing was slightly less than $100,000, small change where school systems are concerned. Brewer said the school got more than its money’s worth.
“I can’t see a weight room being any better anywhere,” said Brewer. “It’s as good as anybody’s, and it will be here for years to come.”
Brewer said the football program isn’t the only entity that will benefit. Athletes in every sport can use the weight room to become stronger and more explosive, and non-athletes who participate in weight-training classes will reap the benefits as well.
“It stays full all day,” said Brewer. “For three periods, it is slam-full. There are between 30 and 40 kids in every weight-training class. Just with the sheer number of kids using it, we needed a new weight room badly.”
New sit-up and hyperextension benches are part of the Titans' weight room.
Much of the equipment from the old room, which was purchased in 2014 thanks in no small part to the fund-raising efforts of local powerlifter and gym owner Joey Smith, was still in working order, so the high school donated it to East McDowell Middle School, which was also in dire need of new equipment.
“East came and took whatever they wanted, so it worked out well for them, too,” said Brewer.
The coach said he appreciated the help of former schools superintendent Mark Garrett and the board of education in realizing the project.
Titans head football coach Darrell Brewer writes up a workout for students.
“I have to thank Mr. Garrett and the school board,” said the fourth-year head coach. “They really jumped in. And Donnie donated the turf and we absolutely appreciate that.”
Cash said the entire athletic department appreciates the upgrades.
“We really have to thank Mr. Garrett and the school board for making the investment in our weight-training and PE classes and athletics,” Cash said.
Brewer added the students and athletes have responded favorably.
“They were tickled to death,” he said. “They take some pride in it, and it’s something we can all be proud of.”
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McDowell running back Josh Ellis does bench presses on one of the school's new power racks. The new weight room represents a huge improvement from the Titans' former facility.
Students in a weight-training class use the new weight room at McDowell High. Visible at right is part of the facility's indoor turf surface.
Some of McDowell High's new power racks are shown in this photo of the new weight room.
Titans head football coach Darrell Brewer instructs students in the weight room.
McDowell football player Braydan McNeil does some dumbbell curls.
New sit-up and hyperextension benches are part of the Titans' weight room.
Titans head football coach Darrell Brewer writes up a workout for students.