Post-quarantine grind begins for GHS athletes

Glenrock students who have been forced to sit on the couch for the past six weeks due to the novel coronavirus finally have the chance to get outside and get physically active thanks to the schools open field workouts.

The open workouts were announced on the Herder Pride Facebook page and will be open to any student on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday of the next two weeks. The workouts will be held in three time increments starting with 6 a.m. to 7 a.m.

The second time slot is 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. and the last session of each day will be 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., all at the Glenrock High School football field. 

Coach Peter Fenster, an assistant coach on the football and track and field teams as well as the head coach of the girls basketball team, ran the 6 p.m. workout and said that the workouts are a way to get the kids active again after a long period of idleness.

“The purpose of these workouts is to get kids up and going after being off the past several weeks with all the COVID-19 stuff. We have athletes from every sport. Football, basketball, track and swimming. We’re trying to cover everything in the workouts. We’re doing a lot of body weights with light lifting, explosions, conditioning and the basics of strength while trying to get them ready for the weight room. We’re trying to get the soreness out of them before June 1.”

With the students typically still being in school at this time, and the state tournament for track and field also traditionally scheduled for the end of May (was scheduled for May 21- 23 this year before the season was cancelled), the school doesn’t usually begin their summer workouts until the first week of June. 

With the recent lifting of some restrictions and approval from the Converse County Health Department, the school decided starting early would be beneficial for the kids, and officials hope restrictions continue to be lifted so they can move workouts in the weight room beginning the first week of June. 

It is a good thing they are starting now, because a lot of kids have fallen out of shape due to the quarantine, according to Fenster. 

“Oh yeah, you can tell they’ve been sitting at home the last six weeks not doing anything. This morning was a good workout, there was a lot of them that were embracing the suck but they’re definitely a little out of shape. We have 65 kids that signed up for track this year, who would normally be in their best shape right about now. Instead the season got cancelled and they’re just sitting at home doing homework. It’s good that the state is allowing us to do this.”

Kade Guenther, who plays football and runs track for Glenrock and swims for Douglas, is using the workouts to show that he’s ready to be a leader going into his senior season.

“I just want to better myself and better my team. I want to set an example for them to really push themselves. I was only able to do one workout today because of work, but I plan on making two tomorrow. These extra workouts really help.”

Around 40 students attended the first day of workouts, but Fenster expects more to show up as the week goes on and the word circulates. 

“We didn’t get approved until Friday so I think the numbers will increase,” he said. “We were kind of rushed to get the word out. We did the best we could over the weekend and kids came, so more should show up as they tell their friends.”