June 19, 2019
Pump it up
BY TYSON SMEDSTAD
How does he do it? How does Garrison High School coach/teacher Justin Folk inspire 20 or so kids to get up at 7 a.m. during the summer to come to the high school to lift weights?
He must be doing something right because they are there. What many may not realize is that Folk puts much of his summer free time into the program – all unpaid.
“I just want our athletes to get better,” Folk said. “They just have to want to get better.”
The summer lifting program runs all summer, Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. It’s for student athletes, and kids here visiting parents for the summer, from seventh grade to seniors.
Superintendent Nick Klemisch also helps run the program throughout the summer.
Folk said Klemisch is very good at starting with younger athletes and building on the basics. “That’s where Klemisch excels, he does all body weight stuff to get them to have good form, and then will start moving up to harder things comes July,” said Folk, “where I’m not as good at that, I like to just jump in.”
There are two to three workouts planned for each day depending on age, athletic level and what the student has going on that day. Folk has a core group of kids that are always there.
Football Coach Jon Calhoun even drops by to see how the athletes are improving. He’s also been trying to get his player to head to the gym.
He must be doing something right because they are there. What many may not realize is that Folk puts much of his summer free time into the program – all unpaid.
“I just want our athletes to get better,” Folk said. “They just have to want to get better.”
The summer lifting program runs all summer, Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. It’s for student athletes, and kids here visiting parents for the summer, from seventh grade to seniors.
Superintendent Nick Klemisch also helps run the program throughout the summer.
Folk said Klemisch is very good at starting with younger athletes and building on the basics. “That’s where Klemisch excels, he does all body weight stuff to get them to have good form, and then will start moving up to harder things comes July,” said Folk, “where I’m not as good at that, I like to just jump in.”
There are two to three workouts planned for each day depending on age, athletic level and what the student has going on that day. Folk has a core group of kids that are always there.
Football Coach Jon Calhoun even drops by to see how the athletes are improving. He’s also been trying to get his player to head to the gym.
