When Dewey High School head football coach Scott Sapulpa looks for ways to get his team prepared for a long season on the gridiron, he starts that preparation in the gym and with the powerlifting program at DHS. Using lifting during the season to keep players healthy is something the program has implemented under his leadership.
“Fortunately for us we have weightlifting in our daily schedule throughout the day. During the season we lift, not heavy but lighter with a lot of reps for maintenance,” coach Sapulpa said.
Implementing a powerlifting program is something many schools have adopted within their athletics programs. For DHS, the powerlifting program is growing and is not limited to football players.
“To my knowledge this is the second year here at Dewey. We currently have 27 lifters which is a great thing. This is my first year here at Dewey so well have to wait and see what kind of results we get. In my experience powerlifting helps to build a solid base of strength and puts kids in a competitive situation,” coach Sapulpa said.
The school has invested in new equipment giving their student-athletes an opportunity to train with the best.
“We have a brand new weight room and we will use the obvious equipment as everyone else does. We will also make use of some old school ground base jammers as well as some pullman360.com Power Sleds, Speed Sleds and custom weight belts,” said coach Sapulpa.
The coaching staff play a big role in the development of the program and implementing safety procedures for students.
“First thing is safety in the weight room and one basic rule “Go light and do it right.” Technique is the 2nd most important thing when it comes to lifting followed by the 3rd which is learning the commands given by the judge at that particular rack. The 4th is pushing the kids to work their tails off in the weight room,” said coach Sapulpa.
Like other programs, DHS keeps personal best records for the athletes. Coach Sapulpa said any program looking to create a powerlifting team should keep a few things in mind.
“We keep records throughout the year and during each meet to keep up with their competitors,” said coach Sapulpa. “Safety first, technique second, third, have a structured weight program, including general weight room rules. Fourth, try to have the proper equipment and if you don’t, make the best with what you have. The benefit is raw strength is built.”
Some of the team members who are playing football and participating in the powerlifting program are Easton Davis, Jayden Vallen, Parker Garrison, Fenix Bolding, Nate Sloan, Pierce Butler, Eddie Rice, Will Lawrence and Kaiden Fowler.
