Cole Topham
ASU Student Journalist

Valley Christian's new weight room is a 'game-changer'

October 26, 2020 by Cole Topham, Arizona State University


Inside the Trojans' brand new Sports Performance Center (Photo courtesy of Valley Christian Athletics).

Valley Christian’s 2020 football season can be characterized by adjustment and adaptation. The team will only play seven games this season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Trojans also lost 17 starters to graduation. Numerous young players are learning quickly in new roles. 

But the biggest change is Valley Christian’s brand new Sports Performance Center, a $200,000 renovation that immediately contributed to the enhancement of the school’s athletics development and training regimen.

The team is off to a terrific start with a 3-0 record and the No. 2 spot in the 3A Metro East standings. Coach Jake Petersen credited the upgraded facility for driving the energy and success of his players.

“The new facility has created a motivating environment by itself,” Petersen said. “Much of our success over the past few years is due to kids being all-in and fully dedicated to strength training.”

The facility walls are bathed in the Trojans’ royal blue and stark white colors. A strip of artificial turf is located in the middle, complete with the school’s logo, hash marks, and painted-on agility ladders. On both sides, multiple power rack stations house a variety of weights, dumbbells, kettlebells, medicine balls, and resistance bands.

Junior offensive and defensive lineman Jacob Booth is enjoying the convenience of the new weight room.

“I like the versatility of the racks because I don't have to go from one place to another,” Booth said. “I pretty much can do all my lifts and get them all done at the same exact rack. I don't have to wait on anyone because we have a bunch of bars toward the end of the room that other people can use as well. It just helps keep a good tempo.”

The extra space allows the team to spread out and maximize social distancing as well. The Trojans are subject to a temperature check when they enter the room and are required to wear masks at all times except when lifting. A maximum of two players are assigned to a certain rack and are responsible for sanitizing the equipment after they have completed their workout.

“I can't imagine how the COVID situation would be in that small weight room that we had,” Booth said. 

This year, the Trojans are using a new software called TeamBuildr to structure their workouts. TeamBuildr is an app that teams can use to track its athletes’ weight-training programs. It can be customized to every sport and individual and even has leaderboards to promote friendly competition among the athletes.

Junior running back and outside linebacker Kaden Majercak remembers being unenthusiastic about the school’s previous platform. The switch to TeamBuildr has been a great experience for him.

“I really like it,” Majercak said. “It gives you exactly what to do and it’s nice to be able to follow something. You just log in with your weight and amount of reps and it will tell you your maxes and what you should be doing.”

Booth and Majercak both agreed the redesign of the weight room and functionality of TeamBuildr have made the space less daunting and encourages the involvement of every team member.

“In the old weight room, people were so intimidated because there were only two squat racks and two bench racks,” Booth said. “Some dude would bench like 250 pounds and then a smaller sophomore would come over, have to take all that weight off, and bench 95 pounds. Now, with all of it opened up, a lot more people are motivated and confident to be able to do their lifts and be able to do more.”

The players expect Valley Christian to attract prospective student-athletes over the next few years. 

“A lot of my friends saw it on my social media,” Majercak said, “and they were all shocked because it's better than these 6A and 5A schools. They were pretty impressed by it.”

Petersen is excited to witness the weight room’s impact on the ensuing years of Trojans football.

“Investing in a project like this was much needed to continue to build a great football team,” Petersen said. “Those that spent time [building] and donating to this new Sports Performance Center felt that it has been a game-changer for our future.”