FIRTH—A few years ago Norris High School Principal Ryan Ruhl wanted to create a problem.
He wanted to amp up the fitness program in the high school to the point where students needed more space, he said.
With over 120 kids each day using the weight room this summer, the problem had revealed itself.
This summer Ruhl’s problem led to the creation of a new fitness area at Norris that is more than triple the space of the old area with a 4,400 square foot strength training area and a 1,200 square foot cardio area.
Ruhl said the weight room is one of the most used classrooms at Norris.
Last Thursday, students had the chance to use the new weight room and equipment for the first time.
“It is definitely a lot nicer than the other one,” Norris junior Kylie Hohlen said. “The other we were so cramped, so it is nice to be able to spread out.”
The new weight room was outfitted with about $50,000 of new equipment last week, while the district sent most of the old equipment to Kansas City to be reconditioned and painted Norris red and blue.
When the old equipment returns in 6-8 weeks, students will be able to rotate stations in pairs rather than with three students.
The district used funds left over from the district’s 2012 bond issue and money raised by athletic boosters to repurpose old middle school offices in the northeast corner of the high school to create the new fitness area.
Hausmann Construction was the general contractor for the project.
The new weight room features a turf field that has pylo boxes used for jumping exercises on it. Coaches will use the turf for 15-yard shuttles, quickness drills, relay races and speed and agility training.
“It makes it unique,” Ruhl said. “Everybody is just excited about the possibilities they can do with kids.”
The weight room’s new machines allow students to work from both sides. One group can do bench presses, while the other does squat exercises.
Other new equipment includes slam balls, dumbbells and kettlebells.
The weight room also features something else the old room lacked, windows. Natural light comes through multiple windows in the rooms and through a skylight in the ceiling.
The old weight room or “the dungeon” will continue to be used as tornado shelter, storage area and possibly a future changing room for athletes and referees, Ruhl said.
Ruhl said the next phase is to work on the cardio room that is connected to the new weight room.
He said it has been repurposed, but the district is just waiting for more funds to be able to add more cardio machines to the space.
Ruhl added that by summer, they hope to create an entry system to allow community members to use the fitness center because the project was partly funded with bond issue dollars.
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