REMUS — For some students, there are some different barriers that prevent them from participating in some sports like belief in their own ability or disinterest. One graduate from Chippewa Hills School District is looking to create a new opportunity for students through his assistance in creating a powerlifting club at the school.
Max Blackledge, a 2017 Chippewa Hills graduate, made the decision to return to his high school to help his former football team as an assistant coach, and then decided to work together with head coach Mark Pelong on putting together a proposal to start a powerlifting club.
The two proposed the idea for a new club to Chippewa Hills school board members during an Oct. 11 meeting. The proposal is a preliminary step in getting the club approved, notifying students and building membership.
During the meeting, Pelong said the club could be a great opportunity for students who may not have participated in sports.
“This is something that I think there is a need for,” Pelong said. “Whether it's powerlifting or exercise in general, it's something you can do for the rest of your life. There is a lot of great athletes, and you don’t have to be a great athlete, you don’t even have to be a good athlete to be a good powerlifter.”
“Max offered to help us do this, and he is a powerlifter currently,” he added. “He will have the expertise that I don’t have with putting together programs for kids, and it’s something that’ll be open to girls and boys, anyone who’d like to join.”
Blackledge currently works as a driver with UPS, but his experience with powerlifting began his senior year in high school when he discovered the sport through a close friend. He also played football, and later helped coach the Chippewa Hills football team following his graduation for three years.
“Coach Pelong came up with the initial idea, and he reached out to me and I was all for it,” Blackledge said. “I’m just here to help the school and students out as much as I can.
"I’d describe powerlifting as a sport that’s very individualized, but it can be a great team sport if you have good people around you. I think it’s a great way to learn how to exercise and get healthy, but also be competitive and compete in an untraditional sport.”
“I also love coaching, and currently coach powerlifters and so the club will be another great way for me to get my foot in the door with helping other powerlifters become better," he added.
Powerlifting was developed primarily in the United States and England by weightlifters who felt that Olympic weightlifting events placed too much emphasis on technique and not enough on sheer strength.
Each competition normally consists of three lifts: squat, bench press, and two-handed deadlift.
Lifters are allowed three attempts in each lift at weights of their own choosing. The highest poundage in each category is added to produce a total, determining the winner in each weight class.
Blackledge competes professionally and said the club could benefit kids who might be less active during the winter or aren’t active at all.
“It is a different sport and it’s in the winter, and I think it could help those kids who might not do as much in the winter and people who might be less physical,” Blackledge said. “This is going to be a great opportunity for people who don’t want to play a team sport but have an interest in working out and becoming healthier, I think it’ll give kids a new avenue to go.
“I found powerlifting my senior year and it ended up being a great outlet for my after football to continue competing,” he added. “The amount of work you put in really translates to a platform and how well you do which I really like. It’s made me more aware and a healthier person, it feels like a fun job, and every day it makes me want to be better. It’s been a great avenue for me and I’m excited to share that with the kids at Chippewa Hills through my coaching.”
Powerlifting is considered to be a weight-bearing exercise or any type of exercise which puts an increased amount of weight on your bones and joints. It can be very beneficial for your bones in the long run because any physical activity like this is one that helps to build stronger bones.
One of the main benefits that you can reap from some regular powerlifting is that it will help to increase the strength of your muscles exponentially.
According to Blackledge, powerlifting can also be a mood and confidence booster with more improvement.
“I think if people are interested in working out or powerlifting, it’s all about becoming a little bit healthier and stronger,” Blackledge said. “It’s about making improvements each day and focusing on your confidence in getting better, and I think everyone should come out and give it a try.”
“The reason I came back to Chip hills to coach football, and now to help with the powerlifting club, is because of the difference that my coaches made for me when I was in school there,” he added. “I feel like a lot of lessons and life advice that I from coaches made a difference for me, and it made me know I wanted to come back and help when I graduated because I really do feel I can make a difference through coaching.”
Moving forward in the following months, Pelong and Blackledge have plans to focus on solidifying the specifics of getting the club set up, getting final approval from the board of education, advertising to students and beginning to grow their membership.
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October 16, 2021 at 04:06PM
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