Following the beginning of the new school year, the weight room on campus has seen an influx of efficiency and spirit for the dedicated Monarchs, working hard to improve themselves athletically. The new program, adapted from the setbacks of last year, guarantees an environment brimming with productivity. The strength coaches have committed to emphasizing the importance of self-discipline and motivating athletes to reach their fullest potential. 

At Mater Dei, the weight program has helped many players grow in their athletic performances. However, younger players felt an imbalance between themselves and the more experienced teams, which caused non-varsity athletes to have less time for training opportunities. Taking this into consideration, Mater Dei strength coaches collectively made the decision to establish firm standards for all athletes in the weight room, no matter the level. Strength Coach Trent Mondini strives to foster a community within the weight room for athletes to feel comfortable while also feeling challenged.

“Seeing how athletes would come in here and they wouldn’t be excited to lift, or it didn’t seem like an environment that they wanted to be in, we wanted to create an environment that they could crave,” Mondini said.

This year, the atmosphere of weight training brought higher intensity and harder workouts for all competitive teams. After comparing experiences from last year, many athletes recognize the necessary changes made for the betterment of the program. Sophomore Maella Davila appreciates the newly energized environment in the weight room and feels it is better than last year’s experience.

“Last year, there wasn’t as much of a drive to perform at the best level we could, or [an incentive] to push ourselves as hard,” Davila said.

During weight training, Mondini began to enforce specific rules to keep athletes disciplined. These guidelines seemed minor, but they proved very effective as players adapted to build healthier habits. Athletes responded positively to the newfound intensity and quickly improved their work ethic.

“Once the initial process was going, there was a lot of resistance,” Mondini said. “We just had to keep teaching the kids how important it is to put the logos right side up, or put the clips on the bar in the right spot,” Mondini said. “If your environment isn’t up to a standard, then everything else is kind of all over the place.”

Davila enjoys the recently implemented standards in the weight room. As a member of the JV volleyball team, she must maintain a level of competitiveness and grit to advance to the next level. Davila admires the strength coaches’ efforts to rebuild the athletic weights program.

“The weights coaches have pushed the program and [helped] all of us reach the level we want to be at,” Davila said. “They’ve given us [tons of] motivation.”

Strength Coach Reagan Appleby challenges her athletes through tough and demanding training. Appleby strives to uphold a high criteria for every player that walks into the weight room. She aspires to build a prestigious program utilizing the instilled methods.

“We want to be the best strength and conditioning program in all of high school athletics,” Appleby said. “Having that goal in mind, we have to change things. [We have to] be more strict and more disciplined on the little things to get better.”

The changes have brought successful results for athletes across disciplines. Appleby hopes not only to build accomplished athletes, but also develop good people in the process. Adhering to the high Monarch standard helps players become the best version of themselves within and out of their respective sport. 

“They really like it. I think discipline and love go hand in hand,” Appleby said. “When you can do those things at the same time, kids start to thrive, and it produces a really healthy and good environment.”

Although the strength coaches utilize demanding techniques, players understand that difficult training is crucial for their improvement. In order to become an elite athlete, players must commit to a relentless process to enhance individual willpower. Appleby strongly prioritizes the teams she coaches and supports her athletes as much as she can. 

“They don’t really care how much you know until they know how much you care,” Appleby said. “So I first try to show them that I care about them, and I want the best for them. [We] enforce a standard and remind them of that standard. When they fall below it, [we] bring them back up to it. [They know] at the end of the day that I do it because I love them, and I care about them.”