By TYLER ROMANO
Contributing Writer
Our school’s sports teams continue to grow and get better every year. They compete in the classroom and on the field. These athletes also help bring together a strong community for those who like to attend the games.
Off the field, you’ll see many athletes make the Dean’s list as well as many teams have an average GPA north of three. On the field, women’s soccer has produced a national championship, ten NE-10 conference championships, and 21 straight winning seasons. Men’s soccer made the regional tournament for the first time this year, and both lacrosse teams seem to be turning a corner in their development. On the courts, volleyball got significantly better, and our basketball teams continue to compete every year. Baseball also advanced as a playoff team last spring.
Despite all this success and hard work on and off the field, one important aspect of our athletic program is woefully inadequate: the weight room. Many machines break from time to time and since there are only three treadmills, one elliptical, one stationary bike, and five squat/free weight zones, the weight room becomes unusable.
“There are not enough racks, machines, free weights, and space in general to work out comfortably amongst others. This is not particularly great when our squad has 41 girls and makes workouts longer than necessary,” said one women’s soccer player.
It seems the weight room has been an afterthought for a while now. “We haven’t gotten any new equipment since 2019 and that was just dumbbells. The machines are still rundown. It’s concerning because some squeak when you use them and feel like they may break,” said one baseball player.
The weight room is for all students, faculty, and athletes. It is surprising to see no renovations or updates be made for so long. Exercise has not only been proven to help athletes, but it also helps the mind and body of anyone who chooses to use the facility. Some may need it to relieve stress from school work or anything else in life.
Routines are huge in college, and with limited numbers of students allowed to work in the weight room, it makes it harder for people to create their schedules. “The hours are sporadic and never consistent from week to week which makes it impossible to get on a healthy routine. The school needs to fill the position with the student body to help create a fixed schedule rather than just allowing people who qualify for a work study,” said one athlete.
Our school community would benefit greatly from more student job opportunities, and our athletes would really enjoy the ability to get on a routine.
It would encourage student athletes to see the school stepping in to revamp the weight room and other facilities, and it would benefit the entire campus community, not just athletes. The sports teams constantly give the Saint Rose community everything they have, so it is in turn time for us to give them everything we have.
“More than half of the sports teams here don’t have locker rooms. Many of them also have to drive 15 minutes to their practice. On top of that, we don’t want to have to spend our money on a gym membership due to the lack of modern equipment and time availability at our school’s facility,” said one athlete.
Coming to our school, no one expected our facilities or atmosphere to have what a large state school has, but we do expect to be given the best opportunities to succeed. That starts with new equipment, regular hours when the weight room is open, and better care of the equipment that is there.
Despite all the obstacles our athletes face, they continue to persevere and overcome any issues on their way to growing on and off the field or court as an individual and a team. One wonders how much more we could accomplish with a modern and fully functioning weight and fitness room.
