Students in grades 6th-8th at Webster Middle School are invited to attend the Cedarburg High School weight room for a high-energy, high-tempo workout led by Coach McDonnell. 

The program is designed to give students a safe, enjoyable introduction to working out, incorporating both weight training and speed-and-agility exercises. Students will learn proper mechanics to develop motor skills and patterns as they grow as athletes. Students from any sport are welcome to participate, as all sports require athleticism, speed, and strength. The program will emphasize speed, jumping, and landing. The goal is to build overall athletes! 

Speed, Acceleration & Agility

One of the program's primary objectives is to enhance the students' overall speed. Emphasis is placed on the quality of movement and mechanics, and not the quantity of weight lifted. Students will begin with a range of fundamental movements and bodyweight exercises as they start the process.

Strength & Endurance

Resistance training offers numerous benefits at all ages, including increased neural drive, enhanced motor unit synchronization, improved muscular strength and hypertrophy, enhanced sport performance, overall fitness, and, most importantly, injury prevention. Introducing a well-designed strength and speed program that incorporates progressive skill development at a young age will increase bone density and improve an athlete's body composition. It also provides them with a foundation as they progress into high school. We understand that kids today are very busy with other activities. Therefore, we don't expect them to attend every session. Instead, they attend as often as they are available. Any gain is great! We want it to be fun and engaging, and lead into something they want to do long-term, as we strive to build successful programs at the high school level.

Injury Prevention

Each day starts with a dynamic warm-up. Afterward, the group participates in three sets of activities that vary each day. They learn the movements and must be checked by a coach for proper form before they can add weight to the bar. Rep counts will be high, with a focus on form rather than weight. The bulk of the workout consists of auxiliary lifts, such as med ball slams, core work, push-ups, and jumping or landing exercises.  On a typical day, the last 10 minutes are spent in a group competition or a fun finisher. Sometimes the workouts will last longer, and that part is missed. Some days, the lifting workout will be short or even skipped, and the focus will be speed, agility, jumping, and landing. These drills are often fun and competitive in nature. Regardless of your athletic ability or the sport you play, we encourage you to participate! 

Any questions, please contact Coach Mac at mmcdonnell@cedarburg.k12.wi.us. We look forward to working with your athletes and helping them reach their full potential!