Massapequa Cuts Ribbon at New Fitness Facility

With blue and gold balloons streaming and a fitting gold ribbon tautly tied across the room, Massapequa School District administrators and the Board of Education cut the ribbon on its newly renovated fitness room at Massapequa High School.

The 3,200-square-foot, air-conditioned space features more than 80 pieces of state-of-the-art fitness machines that not only maximize the area to its fullest capacity, but provide something for every fitness need and level.

There are 26 cardio stations with treadmills, spin bikes and upright and recumbent bikes. There are custom rack stations, single stations, a dual adjustable pulley station, two double-tier dumbbell racks and two glute/hamstring stations. There’s also a Smart Board screen/teacher station, a central feature for instruction, as well as five LED flatscreen TVs to televise lessons and a custom sound system.

A goal of the district for some time, the room, which formerly housed out-dated equipment and was underutilized, is now fully equipped to modify and expand the physical education curriculum for students as well as provide some income-generating potential.

Within days of its opening, high school gym teachers have incorporated spin classes into the physical education curriculum with hopes of using other elements in the space to enhance their fitness and wellness instruction.

According to John Piropato, director of Health, Physical Education & Athletics, also envisioned are video models of correct movement patterns for weight training to reinforce safety, distance learning opportunities where students can acquire the latest physical fitness information, heart rate monitoring during physical activity, Fitnessgram testing, assessing and evaluating student progress, and student projects on health and wellness issues.

“The instructional addition to the facility turns the fitness room into a learning lab,” Piropato said. “A perfect example is our tenth-grade Personal Fitness course where students’ personal fitness plans can be researched and practiced in a safe environment.”

Students are welcome to work out after school from 3:15 p.m.to 4:30 p.m. and athletic teams are able to train from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. with their coach’s supervision. Currently the facility is open to the community though a 10-week course called “Introduction to Fitness Training,” offered through the district’s Adult Continuing Education Program. Special needs students are also benefitting from a 10-week, after-school adapted fitness program that runs from 2:30 p.m.to 3:10 p.m. These programs are expected to expand in the future. Summer fitness programs are also on the docket, though the details are still in the works.

Submitted by Massapequa Schools

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