Northwest Catholic provides training for student-athletes

Northwest Catholic has always been known for its athletics. Since the school’s earliest days in the 1960s, NWC was making its mark on the Connecticut high school athletics scene. Today, with 26 teams, 47 state championships, and 82% of its student body playing at least one sport, Northwest Catholic continues to be part of the Catholic high school tradition of top-notch sports.

What’s different today in the land of high school athletics is a deeper awareness of the roles of training and wellness for young athletes. Youth sports and their attendant rogue training practices, misinformation, and a disregard for psychological health have left some young athletes sidelined. Northwest Catholic is combatting these trends with a carefully designed program to support the whole athlete. At NWC, off-season training regiments, strength and conditioning complements, nutrition education, and sports psychology sessions are helping the school’s athletes perform at their peak.

Emil Johnson, exercise physiologist and strength and conditioning coach, has partnered with Northwest Catholic to offer services to round out an already robust athletics program. Johnson, now managing the Sports Performance Department for the GoodLife Fitness Program at Hartford HealthCare, is an expert in strength and conditioning, nutrition, and sports psychology, according to NWC Athletic Director Ashley Mara. And Mara is delighted to have Johnson and his staff on-ground at Northwest Catholic working with their student-athletes.

Under Mara’s supervision, Emil Johnson and HHC colleague Derek Janko, are providing strength and conditioning training for both teams and individuals. They are also offering sports psychology sessions which guide athletes on goal setting, stress reduction, and performance strategies. In addition, Mara, Johnson, and Janko are offering sessions on nutrition for students through both advisory periods during the school day and at scheduled times after school.

Mara, a 2008 graduate of Northwest Catholic and former Division I athlete and conditioning coach, said, Johnson “understands the importance of wellness.” Mara continued, “He teaches our athletes tactics to get through obstacles.” She concluded, “I met Johnson when we were both working at Yale, and I know firsthand Johnson’s qualifications and success stories. Northwest Catholic is lucky to have him working with our athletes.”

Whether or not a student aspires to play at the collegiate level, NWC now offers services that prepare each athlete for his or her individual athletic goals and translate to a lifetime of good practice and good health. Student-athletes are encouraged to meet with the conditioning team in the school's D'Amico Family Fitness Center on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays after school or contact Ashley Mara at amara@nwcath.org for more information. To learn more about Northwest Catholic Athletics, visit northwestcatholic.org/athletics.