Burnet athletes are shaping up with summer conditioning

JENNIFER FIERRO • PICAYUNE STAFF

BURNET —  Burnet high school and middle school athletes are using their summer to help them prepare for the fall.

For the second consecutive summer, Speed Killz Period is conducting the school’s strength-and-conditioning program, which started the week of June 16.

“Whether you’re in season or out of season, you have to train you body and keep it in shape,” Burnet athletic director and head football coach Kurt Jones said. “You have what’s supposed to be a two-and-a-half month break. Kids have to know they can’t afford to take that break; they can’t afford to take a three-week break.”

Jones said 112 athletes representing both campuses and both genders are participating.

“I’m positive about the ones up here doing it,” he said. “It’s a good number of older kids.”

Jones said many it’s beneficial to the athletes to train two hours a day, four days a week.

Athletes, especially those in football, volleyball and cross country, begin the fall already in shape, so coaches don’t have to spend valuable time on conditioning when they need to be working on plays.

“That’s taking up a good bit of time,” he said. “We’re trying to keep that body in good shape. It gets you ahead of the game.”

Being in condition when the season starts also reduces the risk of injuries.

“When you have kids who don’t buy into some work, those are the ones … with muscle pulls and things,” Jones said.

Also, working together during the summer helps athletes bond because go through the tough workouts together.

“Our kids work hard when they have to work hard,” Jones said. “When it’s time to get after it, it’s not easy. This is the tough work. That’s why it’s so good to get them up here as a team together and see them working. Anytime you’re working hard together, that’s going to provide some of that.”

jfierro@thepicayune.com