Jared Cohen
Show Low High School has been looking for something to bring a commitment from students of all age levels. The Show Low School District may have figured out how to achieve the unity from their students that strive to achieve.
A new type of curriculum called the interscholastic athletics program will be provided to all students from middle school through high school beginning for the 2012-13 school year.
“Our students have the tendency sometimes to not be as committed to our programs as we would like them to be and we want to build a program that will build unity between age levels,” explained Show Low High School Principal Farrell Adams. “As we worked as a team of coaches district wide with our administrators and coaches it became obvious that we needed something like an interschoolastic athletics class where kids could work together as a unit and they an keep each other excited about being in athletics.”
“This program is going to be the foundation of what we can jump from and bridge from to the next level of success academically and athletically,” added Show Low Superintendent Kevin Brackney.
Students from Show Low High School have already shown that this is something they would be interested in, as more than 300 girls and boys have signed up. In conjunction with the goals of this program and the number of students already showing interest, two brand new weight rooms are being built at the high school, one for boys and one for girls.
“There is just a full array of people who are committed to wanting to be the best at what we do,” Show Low head football coach Randy Ricedorf stated. “It doesn’t mean we are going to win championship after championship. What it does mean is our kids are going to have a foundation where they develop mental and physical strength along with a chemistry that’s built in the weight room that’s second to none.”
A burning topic around the country has been youth fitness, as well as the issue of concussions in football and many other sports. This program hopes to create the ability to teach students the importance of taking care of your body, build strength and also have the ability to have the most up to date equipment and supplies to lower the risk of injury.
“We want to look at athletic programs that develop students and athletes that have less injuries,” said Brackney. “The interschoolastic athletic program will help them get stronger, will teach them the tumbling, the skills they need to take falls and be successful in that respect.”
Show Low High School has really been on the map athletically because of the success of the football team, having won four state championships since 1999. Through this new program, it is the hope to bring that on field success to all the other sports as well.
“We believe we have a system that has proven success in football that will translate into some of out other sports,” said Ricedorf.
“Another concern we had is our girls sports,” added Adams. “All that was given to boys didn’t sound like it was quite being given to the girls as far as an aggressive weight program and a strength and conditioning program an we wanted to increase that.”
The Show Low School District firmly believes that success, leadership and confidence on the field builds success, leadership and confidence in the classroom. It is with that notion that the district is investing so much into this new program with the facilities being provided.
“The two go hand in hand. If your succeeding athletically, you feel good about yourself, your confidence level rises an therefore your academics will also rise,” explained Brackney.
The district looks to be doing whatever it takes to provide their students with the best possible outlets for success. In return, the unity and commitment that they demand from their students could be the ultimate result.
For more Arizona High School Athletics, follow Jared Cohen on Twitter at @JaredPros2Preps.
