Greater Latrobe using workout classes to ease athletes' after-school schedules

Alex Tatsch appreciates the fact he now can get home from his practices with Greater Latrobe's Wildcats football team in time to eat dinner before 7 p.m.

"Getting done earlier just makes your life so much easier," the Penn State-bound senior linebacker and running back said of his after-school commitment to the team. "You have time to get your homework done. You have time to relax and let your body recover."

Tatsch is among 480 student-athletes in grades 9-12 at Greater Latrobe who have more flexibility in their evening schedules because of a new one-credit athletic performance course offered during the academic day. The district supports 18 athletic programs.

The new course represents a shift in the way the district supports its athletic programs, focusing resources and attention on athletes' physical preparation. It is meant to relieve some of the pressure coaches and players faced in finding time after school for beneficial workouts.

Holly Farnese, executive director of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Directors Association, sees the new Greater Latrobe course as "a nice support from a school district. I respect the decision of the school district to put a priority on student health. I think it's a great opportunity for athletes to stay safe and make sure their strength is up and they're in good health."

James Conway, executive director of the Westmoreland Intermediate Unit — the regional organization in the hierarchy between local school districts and state education officials — noted it's up to districts to design their courses, including health and physical education offerings, as long as they meet state standards. He said it's a positive move to provide students more options to individualize their education.

"We are always looking for ways to be more flexible and provide greater choices for students," he said.

Tatsch reports to the weight room every other day for a 90-minute athletic performance session. With guidance from Greater Latrobe's coaching and physical education staff and the school's TeamBuildr app on his phone, he'll spend that time rotating through workout stations to pursue personalized fitness and training goals.

"That hour-and-a-half lifting session is now being done in the school day," said Zac Heide, Greater Latrobe's athletic director. "The coaches can focus on game readiness and X's and O's rather than having to hold those kids after practice to get those workouts in."

Athletes encouraged

The new athletic performance course is an elective at Greater Latrobe, but school officials want all students involved in sports to take it, according to Jon Mains, assistant to the superintendent for secondary education. He said scheduling the course did not take away from time available for teaching academic subjects.

"It's offered four periods a day. Every student who requested the course who was an athlete was able to get it," Mains said, adding, "Even if you're a non-athlete, you can still take this class."

Since the Greater Latrobe course is offered throughout the year to students participating in various sports, Heide said, their workout can vary depending on whether their sport is in season.

"The basketball kids right now are doing preseason strength and conditioning kinds of things," he said, "whereas the football players are getting more of the things for repair, recovery and maintaining rather than trying to build muscle.

"There's a lot more that goes into being a student-athlete than just picking up some weights and throwing them around."

Kyle McNeil, a senior shooting guard on the Wildcats basketball team, has been completing a full-body workout during his time in the weight room.

"It's going to set me up well for the season," he said. "I'll be heavier and my cardio will be better."

Seniors Chiara Mongalluzzo, who is in the thick of the girls' volleyball season, and Avi Mucci, who is on the track team, said the athletic performance class is helping to keep them in a regular training routine.

"If I didn't have this class, I probably wouldn't be working out right now because I'm in season," Mongalluzzo said. "I have practice and games every day. Now I'm forced to work out, which is good."

She said the in-school sessions help support the physical therapy she's receiving for a shoulder injury that sometimes give her trouble.

"I do a lot of band work for my shoulder," she said, "and I do work on my legs so I can jump. I do box jumps and squats."

Mucci combines exercise bands with weights to strengthen and improve mobility in her hips.

"I do want to build muscle," she added. "That always makes you faster."

"Sometimes I do get lazy and forget to work out, but this will keep me on task," Mucci said of the performance class. "I think I'll be more in peak shape when I start track."

Mains said the drive to develop the athletic performance course was led primarily by Tim Evans, who heads Greater Latrobe's health and physical education department and the instructional team that works with students in the course. The former owner of several gyms, he also operates a personal training service and is a strength coach for some sports at Hempfield Area School District.

"What we are offering our kids aligns with what a Division I college athlete would have," Evans said of the new Greater Latrobe class. "No matter what sport they have, they get personal training during the day."

Four faculty members who are certified as personal trainers are overseeing the new program without any additions to the district staff, Evans said.

Students who don't participate in sports are able to enroll in an alternate weight training class at the high school.

"We're not excluding those kids," Evans said. "We're just making sure the athletes aren't hindered by their game schedules. Now kids have a lot more things going on.

"This was becoming a necessity since more kids were getting hurt and sitting on the sidelines. Most of them are playing sports year-round."

Facilities updated

The senior high weight room has received a makeover, with $60,000 worth of new workout equipment, Evans said, thanks to a grant from the Greater Latrobe Partners in Education Foundation and some additional funding from the district's physical education and athletic budgets.

He said the upgraded weight room wasn't affected when water recently ran over from the school's nearby swimming pool and caused damage in the main gym . Insurance is expected to cover most of the cost of replacing the gym floor, with the district responsible for a $25,000 deductible.

Students who are enrolled in the athletic performance class have the option to buy health-oriented food prepared by Latrobe business R. Klean Meals and delivered to a refrigerator case in the weight room.

"The meals are ready to go immediately after their workout to make sure their body has the post-workout nutrition that they need," Evans said.

He reached out this summer to the food store, which labels its meals with calories, carb and protein content and other nutritional information for the diet-conscious.

The food is discounted at $10 per meal and $5 per snack, compared to the normal meal prices of $12 to $15 the store charges.

Tatsch sampled a meal of steak, potatoes and broccoli.

"If I don't have time to make lunch in the morning or I don't have anything left over from last night's dinner for lunch, it's a great alternative," he said.

He said he focuses on protein among other nutritional components to stay in good condition and maintain his weight of about 215 pounds during the football season.

He said he can sweat off five pounds during a game.