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Coach Mark Harrison will be in charge of strength and condition- ing for off season football players at LBHS.

Coach Mark Harrison and Head Coach Tater Benson are formulating quite the operation for off season strength and conditioning for the Cavalier football team. They will have two club levels the football players can attain said Harrision and he hopes that the Botetourt View will take pictures of the student athletes who strive to be on top at the end of each six week session.

Part of what the coaching staff is doing is team building. "Rather than players lifting at other places including at home, we want the players to lift together, to help each other and feel part of something greater and to learn our technique." said Harrison. "Ultimately it will make them better players and our squad a better team."

This Sunday, Benson and Harrison are holding a parents meeting at the LBHS Football Field house where they will explain the process. "We know parents have memberships in athletic facilities but we are developing a specific system." He has been in contact with colleges on the East Coast to see what their strength and conditioning programs entail and will hopefully have a major university coming to the school to show the athletes how they do things.

"We hope to keep the athletes involved, but this will be a commitment and we expect them to follow the rules we set forth. There will be unexcused and excused absences, make up sessions and initial training sessions. We will also offer a bonus like T-shirts and plaques on the wall." said Harrison. "We also plan to submit their pictures to the Botetourt View if they are on top after each of our 7 week sessions that carry through until next Summer. We also have a website in the works where we can feature their development."

Harrison, who is a qualified mental health profession in his job with Hall Support Services, also subs at the school. He said the two names for the Strength and Conditioning Clubs are the Cavalier Elite for the top athletes and the Fighting Red Club. He said that he and Benson plan to include the 8th grade players from Read Mountain Middle School if they choose to participate.

"Kids will be better players if they will just attend and work hard," said Harrision.