Most high school sports teams’ seasons only consist of three months. So, what do they do for the other nine months in preparing for the following season? Throughout the years, many WHS varsity teams have been crowned state champions. However, while they are not in season, many of the teams are in the weight room lifting and improving as a team.
The boys lacrosse team spends all of the fall and winter in the weight room as a team. They aim to strengthen their team chemistry while also building upon their success to repeat as Group 4 state champions.
Senior captain Luke Spaide has been lifting with the lacrosse team for the past four years, and has learned a lot over the years. As a captain, Spaide is responsible for ensuring a good number of people are at the lifts daily. “Encouraging the team to show up to lifts is leading by example, so showing up every day for myself sets an overall message for the team,” said Spaide. “Many of the guys love the weight room and want to get strong, so it’s not a major task for them to show up every day.”
Head coach William Werthimer has been running the weight room for the team ever since he began his coaching career. Leadership and communication are a huge part of the team’s success and it is something that they carry with them for the entire year.
Werthimer stated, “If you have someone’s back, kind of year-round, in the weight room during the off-season, into ISP and captain’s practice, all the great things that our program has been doing, it just gives a sense of family togetherness during the season, which helps the team be successful.”
The consistent team-oriented lifting runs throughout all sports at WHS. There’s no difference for the reigning state-sectional champion baseball team. The leader of this group, senior captain and starting catcher Liam Sullivan said, “I think that the most important thing is cultivating an environment where everybody gets along, but we’re all there for the same purpose, and that’s to get better.”
The entire lifting process takes place with one goal in mind for every team. “I think that everybody knows it’s almost go-time, so we’re all pulling at the chain to get going. Buying into that and seeing the success we had last year is really making everybody excited to go play,” Sullivan said.
As lifting styles and schedules differ for every team, the importance remains the same at all levels. The impact runs deep for the football team, as they lift as a team every day. As a captain, it’s senior Jake Zemsky’s job to rally the players and make sure attendance in the weight room is consistent. “We send out a weekly message, talking about how many people are showing up with the numbers. We’ve noticed how important it is for everyone to show up to every lift, and it ensures success,” Zemsky said.
In every program at WHS, the weight room isn’t just a working part of the process, it’s proven to lead to future success and countless trophies for the Blue Devils.
