The Grace College Center for Movement & Wellbeing and the Kosciusko Community YMCA launched the inaugural Youth Summer Lift program. The program, which takes place at the Gordon Health & Wellness Center on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8:30 a.m. and 9:45 a.m., allows 12- to 16-year-olds to learn how to lift weights in a supervised environment.
Mark McQuade, director of healthy living at the YMCA, helped spearhead the collaboration.
“Between the YMCA’s reach for youth programs and the expertise at Grace, we thought this collaboration between both entities would be an effective way to reach the youth,” said McQuade. “We’re striving to teach young men and young women how to lift, how to be safe, and start them on their athletic journey in a welcoming environment.”
Christi Walters, director of The Center for Movement & Wellbeing at Grace, confirmed the need for the programming.
“A lot of kids are not excited about going to a high school weight room,” said Walters. “They don’t know how to use proper form or how to choose the proper weight. This is a great place for kids to engage and become comfortable in a gym setting.”
Twenty students are participating in the program this year, benefiting from a comprehensive workout plan that includes a warm-up, agility training, strength training, and power development.
Eleventh-grade Kutanga Kateule is taking advantage of the program to improve his soccer performance with his team, Hoosier Premier in Indianapolis.
“I just want to get stronger and be more consistent with my lifts,” said Kateule. “The explosive movements that we do here help a lot with acceleration, and my legs feel a lot stronger. It’s good having a coach here to guide you along.”
Karsen Maurer, a senior from Quincy, Michigan, studying exercise science at Grace College, is leading the program as a part of his internship with the Center for Movement & Wellbeing.
“I’ve loved it,” said Maurer. “I decided to major in exercise science primarily because I loved to lift in high school. I love the atmosphere of the weight room and the connections you build, and it’s my goal to bring that to as many people as I can.”
To learn more about the Kosciusko Community YMCA, visit www.kcymca.org/.
For more information about the Center for Movement & Wellbeing, visit www.grace.edu/about/the-center-for-movement-and-wellbeing/.
