Building Strength, Shaping Futures: Unveiling Our New Weight Room
Lydia Arguelles, Assistant Director of Athletics
This weight room is a game-changer, not just for our athletic program but for our entire school.
As a high school student, I was taught that the weight room was reserved for boys—more specifically, for football players. Walking into a gym filled with free weights and racks felt intimidating, and I had no idea how to use them. More importantly, I was told that strength wasn’t important for me because I was female—that I didn’t need to be strong, and that it wasn’t “ladylike.”
So you can imagine my surprise when, in college, I learned just how critical strength training is for young women. As we grow from awkward kids into strong, capable young women, our bodies undergo significant musculoskeletal changes that create unique movement challenges:
- We grow taller, but our bones strengthen later.
- Muscles and tendons don’t lengthen at the same rate, impacting flexibility and coordination.
- Hip widening and increased body fat affect biomechanics.
- Unlike males, females lack the testosterone needed to gain muscle strength naturally, making weight training even more essential.
Because of these changes—especially shifts in hip and pelvis control, as well as landing mechanics—young women are significantly more susceptible to injury than their male counterparts. Strength training isn’t just important for females; it’s essential.
“This facility represents more than just a space filled with top-notch equipment–it symbolizes growth, dedication, and the unwavering support of our incredible Booster Club members.” - Laura Farrell, Head of School
But beyond performance and injury prevention, the benefits of weight training extend far beyond the physical. A few key advantages include boosting confidence, reducing stress and anxiety, improving focus and concentration, developing resilience, encouraging a growth mindset, enhancing memory and learning, building self-discipline, promoting better sleep, providing an emotional outlet, developing patience, encouraging self-love and body appreciation, helping manage mood swings, fostering a sense of accomplishment, reducing fear of failure, improving self-awareness, and—my favorite—building lifelong confidence.
“This weight room is more than a collection of machines and weights–it is a place where hard work will be done, where our students will learn discipline, perseverance, and what it means to truly commit to their goals.” - Steve Bergen, Director of Athletics
If I had access to this kind of support and outlet in high school, maybe I would have had more faith in myself as I navigated the challenges of growing up.
This weight room is more than just equipment—it’s an investment in each student. In her future, her health, her performance, and her confidence. My goal is for each student to walk into any gym or weight room and know exactly what to do to achieve her goals. Strength and conditioning are the foundation of injury prevention, success, and, most importantly, overall well-being.
This facility will give our Mayfield Cubs the tools they need to reach their full potential.
We dedicate this space to the athletes who will train here, the coaches who will guide them, and the supporters—our incredible Booster Club members—who believed in this vision and made it a reality.
“To our Booster Club members—you have not just invested in equipment; you have invested in the future of our athletes and students, their health, their performance, and their overall confidence during the most vulnerable time of your daughters lives. We are so thankful for your generosity and vision.”
- Lydia Arguelles, Assistant Director of Athletics
