Moses Lake High School plans for training room

MOSES LAKE — The training room at Moses Lake High School is 325 square-feet in size. Twenty-five to 60 athletes are in the room every day.

"It's too small and we need more space," said sophomore and sports medicine student Masheila Thomas, 15.

Students may get a bigger space to work from, as a new training room is included on a list of potential projects funded through the recent bonds sale.

A football storage room of nearly 750 square feet could be converted into a training room, said sports medicine teacher and trainer Gary Clinton.

"We're just using existing space to improve our facilities," Clinton said.

He presented to the school board Thursday on the need for a new training room, along with seniors Bailey Andrews and Rhen Ashby. A layout of the room, based on student designs, includes treatment tables, a space for water therapy, a taping table and exercise equipment such as elliptical trainers and cardio bikes.

"With all this, it would help our athletes immensely by getting them in and out quicker and rehabilitated much faster," Ashby said.

Clinton said while the current room is adequate for basic uses, such as applying ice or stretching, additional space would benefit students out of practice. They could participate in conditioning activities when they are not in physical therapy instead of sitting, Clinton said.

"It's always been my philosophy to do something every day to get better," he said.

The pool works well for conditioning, but sometimes it is unavailable, Clinton said.

Sophomore Alana Vasquez said she included exercise equipment in her design because she hoped students in rehabilitation could exercise and stretch out their muscles.

Clinton worked at two other school districts, and both received new training rooms during his time there. Every athlete at the high school would benefit from the project, he said.

Cabinets and storage spaces would need to be moved out of the storage room to make way for the training room.