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The Body is a Temple of God; keep it as strong and fit as your Faith is!
By: Charles W. Boatright
The Impact of Strength/Conditioning Routine– The Clinton, MS High School Coach, Andrew Rafferty, has been Named Mississippi’s Coach of the Year
Coach Andrew Rafferty has recently been named Mississippi’s Coach of the Year by National High School Strength Coaches Association, NSSCA. This was reported in the Clinton’s Public School District School Wire Paper and on FOX 40 WDBD during their 9 O’clock sportscast on February 23, 2022.
Last night, while watching FOX 40 WDBD 9 O’clock Newscast, Patrick Johnstone, Sports Director, had a segment on Clinton’s High School Coach Andrew Rafferty, who is Clinton’s High School Strength and Conditioning Coach. Anytime Strength and Conditioning is mentioned on any type of newscast, it has my full and undivided attention. Especially this report on a local High School Coach, Andrew Rafferty, and his combined strength and conditioning program for all sports across the board for both boys and girls sports.
The report by FOX 40 WDBD centered on how the entire Athletic Program at Clinton High School, here in Mississippi, just west of Jackson, has benefited from having a Strength and Conditioning program for all of their sports. The benefit of having a specialized strength and conditioning program at the high school level has an enormous positive impact on these young people’s lives that will extend far beyond their performance, on and off the field or court, but into their adult lives.
One of the biggest impacts that Coach Rafferty has on this sports program was what a young lady commented about the strength and condition program during this report. She commented that it gave her encouragement to face the challenges of life. That is what the benefits of having athletics at the high school level is supposed to provide students, to prepare them for life. A very small percentage will go into professional sports, but have other professions.
I was fortunate to have a head football coach that stressed the importance of strength and condition during my years of high school. You can’t underestimate the importance of strength and conditioning program, even in a person’s teen years that will provide them benefits over their entire life.
Strengthening and Conditioning’s Impact Beyond High School
There are obvious benefits of having a strength and conditioning routine for these athletes who participate in sports, but these athletic activities improve these athletes academic performance. Just some of the benefits are self- esteem, athleticism, cognitive ability, confidence, perseverance, health and fitness, and reducing injuries that are obvious now. But the real impact of athletics with strength and conditioning is how it shapes these young adults’ lives later in their life with improve health, fitness, and performance of never giving up on their pursuits and objectives.
The mindset they are forming today of focusing on their strength and conditioning will transcend throughout their adult life. There are lasting benefits of participating in a high school sport, even if you aren’t the five-star athlete, like Cam Akers with the LA Chargers. The benefits of strength and confidence are self- esteem, athleticism, cognitive ability, confidence, perseverance, health and fitness, and reducing injuries and will benefit these young people’s performance in any profession they choose.
I was involved in sports all through my life, and from the strength and conditioning during high school years, but now also 47- years after high school at age 65. I have maintained a strength and conditioning program, even now at age 65 in my home gym. I consider it my 401(k) plan, but this 401(k) plan is for my health and fitness. The only difference is that your strength and conditioning routine has a better rate of return than your normal 401(k) with a 600 percent on your time and money that you invest working out with strength and conditioning.
The Benefits of Strength & Conditioning Over the Age of 55
If I could give one piece of advice to anyone, regardless of their age, it is to develop a strength and conditioning program NOW and never stop working out. The 30 to 45 minutes you invest, four or five time a week in working out program, pays huge dividends that would be impossible to calculate in enjoying health and fitness as we age. How much value would you place on a life where you enjoy health and well being even during your retirement years?
After I retired at age 57 from Entergy Transmission after 33- years, I started a sportswear and performance business that I’m still involved in today. Due to my strength and conditioning routine, which I do 6 times a week, I can model my sportswear at age 65, in the featured image, above. I’m also able to do an AB Challenge that I did after a photoshoot in our hangar on January 07th, 2023, below. I’m 65 years old in this photograph.
Besides having an obvious health and fitness benefit, strength and conditioning also has an age-defying benefit, as well. There is no skincare product out on the market today that can provide you with the age-defying benefits of a strength and conditioning program can. Your muscles, when being worked with strength and conditioning, release a natural growth hormone that gives your skin that youthful appearance without wrinkles or sagging skin. But that just scratches the surface of the strength and conditioning benefit, as the real benefits are reduced health risks, improving balance, and also cognitive ability as we age.