by Nate Gordon ’16

“I can’t think of a better way to spend dollars.” These are the words of Mark Conroy, the

Athletic Director and Head Football Coach at Williston, speaking about the new trainers at Williston. This is the first year that there are strength and conditioning coaches working a few days a week in the gym and they are making a difference.

Last year, Williston had a pilot program with these trainers, who worked with the athletes who participated in the after-school fitness program. Then, in the spring, they worked with the track and field, baseball, and softball teams.

Head trainer Justin Geyer is a graduate student at Springfield College. He and the other trainers come to Williston from Conca Sport and Fitness, a gym based in West Springfield.

There are many reasons why Williston has chosen to employ new trainers. The first is to help athletes reach their full potential by teaching them the proper training techniques. “It is just really important to be able to properly use the weights,” Conroy says.

Another reason is to give athletes more structure to their workouts and have them make the most of their time. “(The new workouts) are fast-paced, and my technique has gotten much better,” says Danny Gould, a Varsity Football player.

Finally, as Conroy says “we really have a great facility, but what we needed to go along with it was the [training] expertise.” Everything in the training room has been replaced within the past three years, including the cardio and strength training machines, and the number of power racks.  In past years, the coaches of teams have been the ones to run the training sessions, which as Conroy puts it, “was not adequate.”

Conroy says that he sees many more students coming to the gym in the middle of the day. This could be a result of the new academic schedule Williston put into place at the start of this school year. Now, students may have blocks of about two hours or more on specific days. What Conroy is saying is evident; as he was interviewed, a student could be seen working out in the weight room.

The trainers will be working with many teams, not just at the varsity level. If a team is not working with the trainers, there are many other opportunities for athletes to take advantage and make the most of having these trainers. Students can join groups that train together for one sport.  They can also ask trainers to create workouts for them that they do individually, checking in with the trainers periodically. And as a result of the new schedule, there are many time slots where athletes can integrate this into their day. “[The trainers] are there to consult and advise any student who wants to get on a program,” says Conroy.