Hillsborough's Fittest: Program Readies Athletes For Field

Lazy summer mornings—and evenings—aren't a part of Hillsborough athletes' summer plans.

That's because many of them, ranging from high school seniors to fifth to eighth graders, spend at least part of the time at the Hillsborough High School field house, perfect strength workouts that translate to better performance on the field.

Led by Hillsborough High School Health and Physical Education teacher Jim McFarland and several high school teachers and coaches, the focus is on ensuring athletes are fit, strong and prepared for their sports.

The summer courses meet on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings with special sessions for freshman athletes. There, they'll focus on strength exercises and conditioning exercises for their sports, McFarland said. During the evening, the football team has a special session to drill strength exercises and conditioning drills, with each athlete working on a personalized program.

The Monday, Wednesday and Friday sessions are free for Hillsborough students.

Tuesdays and Thursdays, the coaches work with the district's fifth through eighth graders and the seventh, eights, and ninth through twelfth graders. Though the Tuesday and Thursday sessions are paid programs, it is priced at roughly a third of private courses, and a portion of the proceeds benefit the weight room facility, McFarland said.

In addition to the summer programs, the Tuesday and Friday courses continue during the school year—though McFarland noted the coaches are seeing lower participation lately. That concerns McFarland and many of the coaches, since the basis in strength, conditioning and proper movement improves athletes' fitness and prevents injuries.

"There is concern that I and some of the health professionals, exercise science professionals, and area coaches have where we feel that more families are opting for summer sport league and tournament play, and multiple sport camps and do not feel that they have time or energy for fitness and sport conditioning," he said. "This is a big issue as there are more overuse injuries occurring today because the fitness levels of these athletes is not such that they can play sport year round without mental and physical repercussions."