With each stride taken, participants at Lehman High’s annual power camp fought to reach the finish line, even while strapped to a sled anchored with several pancake weights.
The drill seemed simple enough. Strap one’s self to a weighted sled and sprint downfield several yards, then return.
In practice, however, the feat was much more challenging. The methods behind the madness of the drill, however, went far beyond the exercise.
For many middle and high school athletes who take part in the camps, improving over the summer could help prepare for competition at the 6A level.
Allison Castillo, an assistant coach at Hays High who coordinates the girl’s power camp, said her program aims to train for a well-rounded athlete and not for a specific sport.
Some of the exercises at the Rebel girls camp include lifting weights, as well as Speed Agility and Quickness (SAQ) drills, which consist of jumping, quick movements and plyometric.
Roughly 80 students attend the camp, with the numbers rising after the 4th of July.
“We want athletes to be well rounded and to able to improve in their movements, reaction time and be able to jump and change directions,” Castillo said. “Those movements can be used through all sports.”
One of the benefits of the camp is the strength training that comes with it. Castillo said strength training helps prevent injury by keeping muscles in shape.
It also helps athlete’s enhance their performance on the field, along with improving athletes’ stamina, which could be called upon if a team reaches the postseason.
The power camp also allows for athletes to learn the mechanics of certain athletic actions.
“When you have a kid that you can show them the meaning of putting themselves in position to be better than their peers and the people they compete against, it motivates them ... Kids who come up every single day, they’re getting bigger and stronger.”
John Proud, Lehman High strength and conditioning coordinator
“When we go toe-to-toe with someone that’s at the same skill level we’re at, the team in the best shape at the end will pull through,” she said.
John Proud, Lehman High strength and conditioning coordinator, said one focus of the Lobos’ power camp is to get athletes of all abilities off of the couch and mobile during the summer.
But the camps also provide a way for students to make themselves more athletic, no matter what sport they play in.
Playing at the 6A level, both Hays CISD schools are in the one of the “toughest districts in the state,” Proud said. Both schools go up against the likes of Lake Travis, Westlake, Vandegrift, Vista Ridge and Leander.
“Our kids understand that,” Proud said. “To see them put the work in they need, it shows the success they’re trying to earn right now.”
Workouts range from the usual workout routines – weightlifting, running wind sprints – to unconventional exercises, such as sled pulls and tire wrestling.
The drills are conducted in a competitive atmosphere. Adding competition not only prepares students for the field, but also breeds motivating when conducting the drills.
“It doesn’t make it something where you’re being told to do it, but that you’re having fun doing it,” Proud said. “We try to make it to where they want to come here.”
Use of social media has also played a role in getting students out to the camps, Proud said. So far in 2017, Lehman’s attendance at such camps has increased, with campers ranging from middle school to high school varsity starting athletes.
“When you have a kid that you can show them the meaning of putting themselves in position to be better than their peers and the people they compete against, it motivates them,” Proud said. “Kids who come up every single day, they’re getting bigger and stronger.”
At Hays, Castillo said over 85 percent of her athletes compete in club or select sports, and are regularly active.
“A lot of them go to athletic camps and maybe other camps that are involved with church or leadership groups,” Castillo said.
Castillo said those who show up show their dedication, primarily returning varsity atheltes, who are seen as the leaders.
She said middle school athletes that attend could also see how the varsity athletes perform athletic actions, and what the expectations are at the high school level.
Proud believes what’s taught at camp correlates to the real world. Striving to complete a repetition in the weight room or finish a run is the motivation a student may use when completing a task at work.
“It sets them up for success in the real world, too,” Proud said. “In a job interview, they’ll work just as hard to beat others for that job. It all correlates.”
