Five things to consider when upgrading your weight room

Weight rooms are becoming a hot commodity in high school sports. Here are five things athletic programs should consider before undergoing a training facility project.

1. Consult with coaches.

2. Itemize needs.

Weigh what coaches want against what the program can afford. There likely will be some difficult decisions ahead when athletic directors are not able to accommodate all coaches and programs, but that’s typical with all facilities projects. Just try to give everyone something that moves their teams forward.

3. Organization for optimization.

Don’t just drop new equipment into the weight room and let the athletes roam free; there must be structure. Athletic directors and strength coaches must sit down and discuss what best maximizes flow and the number of athletes who can train at once. There might be precious little time for teams to train, so don’t make it difficult on them.

4. Think outside the box.

When talking about training space, most programs will focus on racks, benches and free weights. But what about plyometrics or conditioning? Don’t limit the facility to traditional equipment and training programs.

5. Room for growth.

Training evolves, and so does the equipment. The school might not consider changes for another 10 or 15 years, but when the time comes, are you ready to accommodate the improvements? Do whatever possible to leave space for future projects.

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