Coach outlines '1,000‑lb club' and summer training as part of off‑season athlete development

Jordan Ashbrook, the district’s strength and conditioning coach, used the public‑comment period to describe a revived weight‑room program intended to deepen off‑season athlete development.

Ashbrook explained the 1,000‑lb club measures combined totals for bench press, squat, power clean and deadlift and said 26 students have achieved the threshold. He named the students who qualified and highlighted the program’s focus on improvement rather than direct competition between athletes: "We're not comparing student A to student B. It's student A in August versus student A in May."

Ashbrook said the program will run an intensive June schedule—Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m.—and noted two required moratorium weeks (the IHSA week and the Union County Fair), meaning some training weeks are split. He also described efforts to increase female participation and to create additional acknowledgment tiers (e.g., 750/1,000/1,250) to broaden recognition.

Board members and attendees praised the program; the coach emphasized community support and volunteer involvement, including outreach to local firefighters and law‑enforcement personnel to participate with students.

Ashbrook closed by saying off‑season work builds life skills beyond athletics and asked for continued encouragement from parents and the community.