New building shows that students' health is a major priority

By Cam Lawrence

Photo from Sarah Bratton

Now that the long-awaited building is in use, freshmen are taking their Health and Wellness class in Ms. Seebeck’s room for yoga and the weight room for strength and conditioning, and athletic director John Bartholomew has made it clear that the weight room is allowed and encouraged to be used by all upper school students. 

The strength and conditioning program will be run by athletic trainer and strength and conditioning specialist Claire Betti. Betti graduated from Florida Gulf Coast University and is a Certified Athletic Trainer. In the Strength and Conditioning class, Betti will lead workouts every day of the week, giving students the option to come in during the day, before school or after school to exercise. 

“My goal for all the girls at St Mary's is for each girl to begin creating healthy habits that she can carry on throughout her life. I want every girl to feel confident when she walks into a gym or weight room that she can accomplish her goals, and it will make her stronger physically and mentally.” Betti said. “For the athletes at St Mary's, I'm confident that strength and conditioning coupled with sport-specific practices will make St Mary's athletics and the performance of each girl increase tremendously.”

Accessing the weight room is not difficult; students may go during an ALAPP or free period. All high school students can also take yoga classes with Ms. Seebeck or any other choices found on the schedule on the website. 

“I am excited for our students to learn about weight lifting and the benefits that it provides. I am also excited that we have the ability to train and practice for our outdoor sports even in inclement weather.” Bartholomew said. “I think the students that end up taking advantage of our strength and conditioning program will quickly realize how good it feels and how it can help relieve stress from a regular day. I hope that this will impact our entire student body, and help to build a sense of community amongst us all.”