Shippensburg University offers a number of sports, club sports and intramural activities. Of course, even students who do not participate in those activities can still engage in sport. Many people utilize the weight room on campus as their form of exercise, and many are very good at the skill, style, and technique that comes with weightlifting.
Now, for the first time, weightlifters at SU have can be part of their own club led by SU’s own Kyle Fields.
Fields has been leading the charge to get a group together for weightlifters, as many are just as passionate as he is about it. He says that getting a club will help raise awareness of the sport itself, while also promoting the teaching of proper weightlifting technique.
Currently, the group meets at Crossfit gym in Chambersburg, where Fields interns and plans on holding meetings there twice a week, with more serious members possibly meeting four to five times a week.
“When we start off, everyone will learn what weightlifting is about. They will learn the movements and how to get that stuff down,” Fields explains. “I do all the programming for everyone, and we want to set goals for each individual athletes.”
Despite Fields’ best efforts, the group will not be meeting on campus but still will be recognized as an SU club. In fact, Fields suggests that some lifters who are more competitive and experienced are good enough to compete at national weightlifting competitions, and could compete while representing SU.
“One of the biggest competitions for a college athlete is University Nationals, and all the bigger schools, such as West Virginia and Penn State attend,” Fields said. “Now, when an athlete would go on stage to lift that weight, they would be representing Shippensburg University.”
However, this should not discourage non competitors or even just casual weightlifters away from this club. In fact, Fields encourages that anyone can join.
“Weightlifting is a great thing to learn, and not everyone has to be competitive about it. I have friends that just like to lift weights, and they get enjoyment out of it and enjoy getting better. I would suggest to anyone to give it a try,” Fields says.
The SU weightlifting club meets at 4 p.m. on Monday through Wednesday and resume meeting Friday and Saturday.
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