RHS uses grant to upgrade weight room

J.R. Tidwell/FCT Kaelon Bonds uses some of the equipment in the Russellville weight room to do a power clean during a workout.

RUSSELLVILLE — Football is a contact sport.

One of the first things any new player learns is that physicality, strength and endurance are a must to play the game, and participants must work hard to excel at the sport.

One of the best ways to prepare football, if not the best way, is to hit the weight room.

Lifting weights increases strength and endurance, and done properly the exercise will lead players to a better performance on the field.

Schools that take weight training seriously will have an automatic advantage over any team that slacks off in the weight room come this fall.

When it comes to Russellville High School, weight training is taken seriously.

“Our number one goal as a program is to be the most physical and the strongest,” Russellville head football coach Michael Jackson said. “We lift year-round, and our kids have improved because of it.”

The Russellville City Council recently awarded the Golden Tigers a grant in order to upgrade their weight-training facility with new equipment.

“The number one tool in preventing injuries and being successful at football is built one day at a time in the weight room,” Jackson said. “That’s why we take so much pride in our facility.”

Stronger players leads to a stronger performance, and as Coach Jackson said, the best way to stay healthy while playing football is to be physically fit.

The upgrades that Russellville has added to its weight room will surely aid the players in reaching their goals.

“We would like to thank [Mayor Troy Oliver] and the City Council for allowing us to upgrade our weight facility to rival that of any school in the state,” Jackson said.

The Golden Tigers will host Giles County (Tenn.) for a spring football game at 7 p.m. on May 18 at Tiger Stadium.