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Coach Gets A Weight Off His Shoulders

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By DAREK SHARP

dsharp@tampatrib.com

Published: February 18, 2009

PLANT CITY - A number of problems beset Jason Strunk in his first year as Plant City Raider football coach, some simply a function of his late arrival on the scene.

Take offseason weight training, for example. With Strunk fully settling in Plant City July 1, there was no way to organize a strength-and-conditioning program. Just getting ready for the season and becoming familiar with his players and co-workers was top priority.

But Strunk is glowing these days, with participation from football players in the strength-and-conditioning program.

"Weight training is the backbone of a program," Strunk said. "Right now, we have 65 kids, all football players, every day from 3:15 to 5:15 after school lifting. They're pounding the weights hard."

Strunk said one reason for the Raiders' lack of success - they went 3-7 last season - was not having the strength of their opponents. But he has been encouraged by the participation.

The program began Dec. 1, and it runs Monday through Thursday.

"We're doing this all the way through, right through the spring football game," he said. "That way, when fall practice hits, during the season you're lifting just a couple of times a week to maintain weight, rather than build it."

Another sign of how seriously the program is being taken: Every football coach is in attendance at each session.

Strunk said about 20 football players are not able to attend because they play other winter sports, but many will join the program when their seasons end.

The Raiders even have their own strength-and-conditioning coach. Strunk hired Cory Kollister to spearhead the routines. He worked at Penn State University in the late 1990s.

"It's really nice to have a coach just for that purpose. We've go this going in the right direction," Strunk said.

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