BY KYLE TROUTMAN ktroutman@cassville-democrat.com
Cassville girls’ athletics initiates all-sport workouts
Cassville’s girls’ volleyball, softball, cross country, basketball, wrestling, soccer and track programs have come together this summer to stave off the July drop-off.
While fall sports volleyball, softball and cross country continue training all summer for their sports, previously, all other sports mainly lifted weights through June, but athletes went their own way in July.
Now, for 90 minutes four days a week, all girls athletes are invited to the gym for weight training, core training, agility training and conditioning. The new program equalizes the girls’ and boys’ sports, as boys athletes at Cassville have had a 2-hour summer training option, now held in the field house, for decades.
“We tried to start this a few years ago when I was hired, doing a summer weight program like the boys,” said Paige Huddleston, Cassville volleyball coach. “Last year, we did it in June, but we got with [Athletic Director] Lance [Parnell] and expanded it because a lot of sports work through June, then lose it all in July because they aren’t doing anything.
“They’ve all been at it, and it’s been fantastic.”
Forste said on the first day of weights, 48 athletes came to the session. Now, the program averages about 20 girls per day.
“It’s about 20 because sometimes basketball has shootouts or softball is doing something,” he said. “In the past, we’d start on the first Monday in June and go through the Fourth of July. There was a focus on fall sports after that, but even last year, volleyball was doing these workouts before practice. Basketball says June is busy, but then they lose everything in July. This keeps all the girls active and on a routine, and it complements the fall sports practices.
“I have wanted something like this since 2018, and it has been a bit disjointed. But now, all of us are on the same page.”
Huddleston said there was no intention to copy the boys, but to offer the girls something more. “We just wanted one cohesive workout program so we could all work all summer,” Huddleston said.
Forste added he hoped the change would improve the participants’ athleticism overall.
“Watching our female athletes get stronger and faster is fulfilling to us coaches,” he said. “We hope that translates to even better results for all our teams.”
