Taking a Weighty Approach
Club hopes to lift self-esteem as well as increase athletic abilities Chris Spurlock tried several sports before discovering an interest in weightlifting quite by accident. The 24-year-old was rehabilitating from a college football injury and lifting weights to improve strength when he realized how much he enjoyed weightlifting and wondered how far he could take it. “Once I started lifting, I came here to make that my focus and keep going as far as I could,” Spurlock says. His efforts led him to Crown Point’s Midwest Weightlifting Club, a non-profit organization established in 1998 and dedicated to teaching young people about the benefits of lifting weights. Today, Spurlock is actively involved in international weightlifting competitions and is training for the 2008 Olympic trials. Frank Eksten, director of Athletic Development Specialists at St. Anthony Medical Center’s Sports Medicine Institute and St. Margaret Mercy Healthcare Centers, founded the club as a way to introduce non-traditional sports to area youth. Eksten has coached both young amateur athletes and Olympic team members, and he continues to serve as a national weightlifting team coach for various events. There are now about 60 members in the club, ranging in age from 8 to 23. “Weightlifting is a good activity for kids because it gives them self-esteem and teaches goal-setting and responsibility,” Eksten says. “It’s not about the level of achievement; it’s about the individual journey, developing positive characteristics along the way.” The Midwest Weightlifting Club trains at two Athletic Development Specialists facilities – one in Crown Point, operated by the St. Anthony Sports Medicine Institute, and one at Omni 41 Health and Fitness Connection in Schererville, an affiliate of St. Margaret Mercy Healthcare Centers. In addition to weightlifting instruction, athletes of all sports use the ADS facilities for training in such things as speed and agility, plyometrics and coordination and movement. Kevin DeBraal, director of clinical support services at St. Anthony, says the athletic development programs provided at the two locations underscore the mission of Sisters of St. Francis Health Services, which operates the two hospitals. “We understand the importance of treating, rehabilitating and preventing injuries,” DeBraal says. “Athletes are realizing they don’t have to go to Indianapolis for rehabilitation to treat injuries. We have that expertise right here.” In 2004, the Midwest Weightlifting Club began hosting one of only nine Community Olympic Development Programs in the United States, offering local youth an opportunity to pursue the Olympic sport with some of the country’s top coaches. Instruction in other non-traditional sports such as fencing, rowing and team handball may also be introduced into the local program. “Thousands of kids play soccer and ice hockey,” Eksten says. “We want to help improve participation in non-traditional Olympic sports.” Story by Kari K. Ridge
Photo by Brian McCord
Club hopes to lift self-esteem as well as increase athletic abilities Chris Spurlock tried several sports before discovering an interest in weightlifting quite by accident. The 24-year-old was rehabilitating from a college football injury and lifting weights to improve strength when he realized how much he enjoyed weightlifting and wondered how far he could take it. “Once I started lifting, I came here to make that my focus and keep going as far as I could,” Spurlock says. His efforts led him to Crown Point’s Midwest Weightlifting Club, a non-profit organization established in 1998 and dedicated to teaching young people about the benefits of lifting weights. Today, Spurlock is actively involved in international weightlifting competitions and is training for the 2008 Olympic trials. Frank Eksten, director of Athletic Development Specialists at St. Anthony Medical Center’s Sports Medicine Institute and St. Margaret Mercy Healthcare Centers, founded the club as a way to introduce non-traditional sports to area youth. Eksten has coached both young amateur athletes and Olympic team members, and he continues to serve as a national weightlifting team coach for various events. There are now about 60 members in the club, ranging in age from 8 to 23. “Weightlifting is a good activity for kids because it gives them self-esteem and teaches goal-setting and responsibility,” Eksten says. “It’s not about the level of achievement; it’s about the individual journey, developing positive characteristics along the way.” The Midwest Weightlifting Club trains at two Athletic Development Specialists facilities – one in Crown Point, operated by the St. Anthony Sports Medicine Institute, and one at Omni 41 Health and Fitness Connection in Schererville, an affiliate of St. Margaret Mercy Healthcare Centers. In addition to weightlifting instruction, athletes of all sports use the ADS facilities for training in such things as speed and agility, plyometrics and coordination and movement. Kevin DeBraal, director of clinical support services at St. Anthony, says the athletic development programs provided at the two locations underscore the mission of Sisters of St. Francis Health Services, which operates the two hospitals. “We understand the importance of treating, rehabilitating and preventing injuries,” DeBraal says. “Athletes are realizing they don’t have to go to Indianapolis for rehabilitation to treat injuries. We have that expertise right here.” In 2004, the Midwest Weightlifting Club began hosting one of only nine Community Olympic Development Programs in the United States, offering local youth an opportunity to pursue the Olympic sport with some of the country’s top coaches. Instruction in other non-traditional sports such as fencing, rowing and team handball may also be introduced into the local program. “Thousands of kids play soccer and ice hockey,” Eksten says. “We want to help improve participation in non-traditional Olympic sports.” Story by Kari K. Ridge
Photo by Brian McCord