At any given time, on any given day, there is sure to be a steady stream of students and faculty members in the Cardinal Gibbons strength and conditioning room: lifting weights, doing push-ups, or discussing nutrition and fitness. In the middle of all this activity, guiding and teaching participants, is Chris Morland, director of the strength and conditioning program.
With the addition of Morland to its staff nearly a year ago, Cardinal Gibbons builds on its commitment to an all-inclusive athletics department – one that centers on the health, fitness, and safety of its entire school community, as well as to the sports performance and preparedness of its over 800 student-athletes. That commitment is seamlessly integrated into the overall Cardinal Gibbons educational experience, including athletics.
“We really view Strength and Conditioning as a critical component of comprehensive safety and wellness programming for our school,” notes Athletic Director Todd Schuler. “Our strength and conditioning coaches work hand-in-hand with our athletic training staff to design sport-specific and individualized programs that address the pre-season, during-season, and post-season needs of our students, as well as injury prevention and rehabilitation. “
At Cardinal Gibbons Morland, who was a strength and conditioning coach at NC State for 10 years, is developing a program aimed at equipping all students with the tools they need to reach their full physical potential. In addition, he works with our school’s over 45 teams at the freshman, junior varsity, and varsity levels; and with health and physical education teachers to restructure the weightlifting and PE classes
At the same time, the new strength and conditioning program also embraces the Cardinal Gibbons mission of forming young men and women of faith, service, and leadership in church and community.
The program’s two key areas are maintaining consistent training, a minimum of two days a week; and monitoring results, including nutritional needs, Morland notes and adds: “Essentially, I am helping to build champions in the classroom, on the field, and in the community.”
“Coach Morland has brought significant experience and initiative to our Strength and Conditioning Department, as well as a contagious enthusiasm that has immediately impacted all of our students,” notes Principal Jason Curtis. “Our community is fortunate to benefit from his leadership, expertise and boundless energy!”
Since joining Gibbons Morland, who holds a master’s degree in human performance and sports studies from the University of Tennessee, has started a number of initiatives. They include, before- and after- school programs, student and assistant volunteer coach programs, a staff optimal health pilot, and a workout app for students.
In the future, Morland also plans to offer educational workshops for parents, and provide a nutrition and fitness program for faculty and staff, among other programs.
When asked how these initiatives have enhanced the overall Gibbons experience in general and the athletics experience in particular, Schuler says: “With Chris’ breadth and depth of experience at the collegiate level, we’re able to offer programming to our students, athletes, and staff that is unmatched at the high school level. We’ve also been able to develop an intern program staffed with certified strength and conditioning trainers, allowing us to scale our services and meet the needs of every team and student-athlete throughout the calendar year.”
What has the reaction been to the initiatives? “Overall, the reaction has been positive,” Morland says. “The students and staff have been open to trying new things … and I think most of them have enjoyed the fresh perspective.”
“Our coaches love working with Chris,” adds Schuler. “It’s very exciting for them to have such quality resources and support available to help in a specialized area.”
Students agree. Just ask senior William Brown, a varsity football and lacrosse player, who is taking an honors weightlifting II class with Morland.
“I enjoy having a balance between the classroom talk on lifting techniques and nutrition and the implementation of these techniques in the weight room,” says Brown. “We learn it and apply it right on the spot, which is the easiest way to actively learn about strengthening the body.”
