A NEW SPACE: Gloucester High School weight room and fitness center to receive and upgrade

Gloucester Large School’s bodyweight space and health and fitness center is set to have a new glance.

In January, the Gloucester Fishermen Athletic Association, a local non-income firm that will help Gloucester athletes in quite a few techniques and was a driving drive driving the Newell Stadium project that was finished in 2013, began raising resources to rehabilitate the conditioning facility at the college. The group has held numerous fundraisers due to the fact for the venture, which has a spending budget of $120,000, and a private donor has promised to match the 1st $50,000 donated.

Over the yrs, the bodyweight space has develop into a little bit out-of-date and in need to have of an update with some of the devices deteriorating.

“The space had not been touched in well above 20 many years,” GFAA President Kristin Michel said. “The tools is ruined and relatively makeshift. We felt it was time for a refresh to meet the student’s demands.”

A obtain order has by now been signed and the project is slated to start this summer. All of the aged tools has been removed from the facility and the first buy of business later on this summer will be to put in new flooring. Soon after the flooring are put in, the exercise tools will be mounted.

The GFAA labored carefully with quite a few GHS coaches and workers including football coach Dan O’Connor, cross country mentor Ali Mitchell, observe and subject coach David Coleman, assistant discipline hockey and girls hockey mentor Don Riley, GHS bodily schooling trainer Jim Unis, who employed the conditioning middle as his classroom through the 2021-22 faculty yr, and former GHS Athletic Coach Alyssa Williamson.

The target for the coaches and employees is to make the facility a place the place all athletes can get the job done out.

“We require a area on faculty grounds in which the children can do every thing they need to have,” O’Connor said. “We want this to be a location for all athletes to work out and a spot that performs for physical education lessons much too. It builds camaraderie not only in each individual crew but inside the athletic system as a full.”

The updated weight home and fitness heart will attribute up-to-date products of all kinds. Two decade previous pulley devices will be changed with brand name new, up-to-date versions. The aged weight benches, lots of of which were being torn and in rough condition, will also be replaced. Exercising machines this sort of as stationary bikes will be added to the room as properly, changing older variations that have been in the room because it was constructed in the late 90’s. It will also feature a strip of turf to assist athletes perform on their footwork and quickness.

It will also be a major assist to athletes wanting rehabilitating from injuries as present GHS Athletic Trainer Jason Mason will be able to work with athletes to enable restoration. At present Mason does his rehab do the job at Addison Gilbert Hospital.

The new facility will be named in memory of Greg Swinson, who taught historical past and science in the Gloucester General public School process for 35 yrs. Swinson was also a former assistant football mentor at GHS who was recognized for his determination as a toughness and conditioning coach and his sense of humor, producing tricky do the job pleasurable for the athletes. He was a mainstay in the GHS pounds place, aiding all Gloucester athletes discover how to do the job out for their precise sports.

“He put so significantly time and effort into assisting athletes in the weight area,” O’Connor explained. “He taught hundreds of athletes in all sporting activities, myself included, how to workout the appropriate way, the secure way and to have pleasurable with it. It’s a fitting honor to title it right after him.”

Fundraising is continue to ongoing for the facility and donations are still staying acknowledged. Appear to GHS Health Centre Rehabilitation Job and the GFAA’s venmo site to make a donation. The hope is to have the physical fitness center done by the time the 2022-23 faculty yr starts in the drop.

Workers writer Michael Cronin contributed to this report.