Ottumwa athletes in grades 7-12 are invited to participate in summer weight lifting, starting July 1. Students will register on the first day and are required to wear masks during their sessions. Every athlete will receive Muscle Milk and a free lunch after each workout.
Students and parents will notice several changes to the 2020 summer schedule. Ottumwa hired Luke Goemaat as the new Strength and Conditioning Coach. Goemaat will lead this effort for middle and high school athletes on a part-time basis, including summer and before and after school. This will include individualized workouts for athletes during their physical education class as well. He has a degree in Exercise Science from Simpson College and served as a strength coach after graduating. He then earned his Physical Education degree and has a Special Education endorsement. He currently is a special education teacher at Evans Middle School.
With approximately 400 student athletes in the district, he will be busy! Group sizes will be kept small and students will be training with their teammates. "I plan to run the program like a college program with a philosophy of year round training," said Goemaat. "It will be individualized to meet the unique demands of the individual sports students play." There will also be a strong emphasis on technique for students in grades 7, 8, and 9.
Seven assistant strength coaches will assist during the summer program. The district will also offer a weight lifting class at Evans Middle School for the 2020-21 school year.
Coaches also donated funds to purchase Team Builder, an online strength and conditioning software program used by several schools in the CIML as well. The program will allow Goemaat to track progress on each individual athlete. This will allow him to make adjustments to their training to ensure they are in the best condition possible. In the future he also plans to talk to students about nutrition and sleep to ensure athletes understand how all of these things contribute to performance.
The goal is to help our athletes be in the best shape for their unique sport while reducing injuries. The summer program will run through Friday, August 21 and is free to all students. Students who participate in football and volleyball will end on August 10.
| Athlete | Days | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7th-8th Grade | M-W-F | 9-10 AM | Evans Middle School |
| 9th Grade | M-W-F | 7-8 AM | Evans Middle School |
| 9th Football | M-T-TH-F | 7-8AM | OHS Weight Room |
| 10th Football/Wrestling | M-T-TH-F | 8-8:45 AM | OHS Weight Room |
| 8:45-9:30 AM | Schafer Stadium | ||
| 11th-12th Football | M-T-TH-F | 9:30-10:15 | Schafer Stadium |
| 10:15-11 AM | OHS Weight Room | ||
| 10-12th Volleyball/Girls Basketball | M-W-F | 8-8:45 AM | Schafer Stadium |
| 8:45-9:30 AM | OHS Weight Room | ||
| Soph/Varsity Baseball | Sunday | 7-8 PM | OHS Weight Room |
| T-TH | 9-10 AM | OHS Weight Room | |
| 9th Baseball | Sunday | 6-7 PM | OHS Weight Room |
| TH | 9-10 AM | Evans Middle School | |
| Boys Basketball & Boys/Girls Track | M-W-F | 9:30-10:15 AM | OHS Weight Room |
| 10:15-11 AM | Schafer Stadium | ||
| Soccer/Swimming - Boys & Girls | M-W-F | 11AM-12 PM | OHS Weight Room |
| Softball | T-TH | 11 AM-12 PM | OHS Weight Room |
| CC/Tennis/Archery/Bowling | T-TH | 7-8 AM | OHS Weight Room |