Over the summer, Redwood Athletics received a revamped weight room, courtesy of sport-specific organizations such as the Redwood Pigskin Club. The purpose of the new weight room was to increase space and allow more athletes to train at once. Redwood football players took out all of the old equipment in August to allow for new equipment to fill the empty racks.

For the first few weeks of August, the weight room, which is adjacent to the P.E. classroom, was cleaned and painted. The old squat racks were moved outside and two brand new racks were placed on the south side of the room. Two of the old racks were moved to the north wall in order to create more space for team meetings and bodyweight exercises. More free weights now line the west side wall, almost double the amount as before.

The varsity soccer team, which starts in October, also plans on utilizing the weight room this year and some players have already taken advantage of the space. According to senior Noah Sary, he believes that this renewed space could contribute to the team’s success.

“It will definitely get us a lot stronger and prepared for other teams. It’s varsity, there are some big guys and we need to get stronger to compete,” Sary said.

Gallery • 6 Photos

New black squat racks are pushed up against the south wall

Other new additions include medicine balls, barbells, free weights and TRX equipment. Due to all the new equipment, there is less room for personal belongings which makes it difficult when big groups come in. 

Ever since the new weight room’s opening, many different sports teams have enjoyed the reinvigorated space, especially the basketball team. According to junior basketball player Dominic Wyllie, the basketball team starts tryouts in October and their offseason program utilizes the weight room often.

“It’s a great way to build community with your team whether it’s basketball, water polo, or football. Everyone gets in there, they do their workouts and they grind as a team,” Wyllie said.

One of the main goals when remodeling the weight room was to allow for team-wide workouts. Another major point of emphasis was to fix the old and inconsistent air conditioning, allowing for better airflow and cooler temperatures while teams are lifting.

“The new equipment allows for a larger amount of people to be in there because before there was a limited amount of stuff and it would get too hot in there,” Wyllie said. “We’re in there twice a week, not just juniors and seniors but with the sophomores and freshmen. We’re building a program through it.”

Head varsity basketball coach Jay DeMaestri agrees with Wyllie that the new facility will help the team this season.

“Being in shape can only bring positive results. The stronger you are the more you can take,” DeMaestri said.

The new weight room can only be used for team activities or when a coach is present.