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At the high school the upholstery on the weight bench is shredded and, next, the weight machines are held together with duct tape in a dim workout room.
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At the high school, previous, the upholstery on the weight bench is shredded and, above, the weight machines are held together with duct tape in a dim workout room.
By Larry Skiba
At the high school, below, the upholstery on the weight bench is shredded and, right, the weight machines are held together with duct tape in a dim workout room.
The workout room at Frazier Mountain High School can best be described as a medieval dungeon built above ground to earthquake specifications.
It is a 40 x 20 x 11 foot room, made up of dull gray concrete walls with poor lighting and inadequate ventilation.
The equipment inside is old beyond its years and suffers from years of neglect. I’m sure if this workout room was located in our state prison system, one or more enterprising inmates would sue the state for cruel and unusual punishment.
Well that is the downside, the upside is that all these problems can be fixed at little cost.
We Can Fix It
All of these problems can be overcome with the donation of paint and time. This is the list that I’ve compiled for what we need to make this a nice place for our student athletes to do their physical training.
Paint: A donation of a lightcolored paint-enough to paint a 40 x 20 x 11 foot room and its
The walls are concrete so a compatible paint is needed. Paintbrushes, rollers and buckets will also be needed.
Lighting: The lighting is substandard. Light colored walls and ceiling may improve the brightness but new upgraded fixtures are needed.
Equipment: All the upholstery on the workout machines and benches is torn, rotten or missing altogether. This is from use, sweat and, in some cases, years of neglect. Some of the weight machines are so bad I would not sit on them.
The metal sections of the equipment are in need of fresh paint, cleaning and in some places welding. Some of the equipment with chains and gears needs to be cleaned and oiled.
Sound system: An important part of any workout room is background music. At this time there is a beat-up sound system sitting on two broken speakers. There is no need for a high-priced system, just one with matching parts and some kind of cabinet to put it in. Someone may have these items not being used and be willing to donate them.
Many Hands Make Light Work
Between the football team, FMHS Booster Club, concerned parents and community organizations, the painting could be done in a single weekend and the other projects could be finished as the time permits. What is needed is the commitment.
One of the most important things about a workout room is that people have a desire to be there. It has to have a comfort level. I would be happy if the kids want to be at the workout room after school rather than hanging around one of our local liquor stores.
Skiba can be reached at 248-1914 if you would like to help. Skiba, of Lebec, is a weightlifter who works as a celebrity bodyguard in Los Angeles.
This is part of the October 22, 2010 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.
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