West Anchorage High School works toward preparing students to be successful after high school, and part of that prep is instilling a rigorous and beneficial exercise routine. Students meet after school three times a week for a 7th hour P.E. class with teacher and varsity football coach Tim Davis. Students from different sports attend around, and the workouts help them bond and make new friends, while getting in a vigorous workout.

Students must earn 1.5 P.E. credits to graduate, and sometimes the only time to fit in a gym class is after school. The 7th hour workouts occur every Monday, Thursday, and Friday, at 2:15 in Room 50. They have a different workout every day. The main skill that Coach Davis likes to work on is legs and mobility to help prevent injuries. It’s a great place to learn leadership, dedication, and integrity. 

Elijah Holland, a junior, has been going to the after school workouts for three years now. For a person who plays football, track, and rugby, exercise is essential to being a better athlete. “I think working out and staying healthy in general makes you a happier person, and a tougher person in life, and in everything you do,” Holland says. 

Holland is also a big believer in people developing healthy routines in high school instead of starting when they’re older. “I think it’s good to get a foundation when you’re younger… you should always be striving to be healthy even if you’re young,” Holland says.

Junior Jeremiah Asi has been doing the after school workouts for three years as well. Asi plays football and strives to better than his two older brothers, Joshua and Manase, who were both All-State players for West. “I feel like I need to do more. I’m not satisfied with the weight I’m lifting and I need to do more and more so I can prove myself and feel like I’ve accomplished something,” Asi explains. Asi believes more people should try working out and bonding with one another instead of staying at home and being inactive. “I think a lot of kids should come out to work outs after school instead of just going home… it can really help them out with lifting and if they’re interested in football too,” Asi says. 

Justin Poston, a sophomore, has been in the program for two years now. Poston is a multi-sport athlete who plays track and football and is trying to follow in his dad’s footsteps by being a strong high school athlete. Poston believes the after school workouts mix it up,  as different people from a variety of sports are coming together and bonding through training. “I think it’s actually really cool to come together from different sports, trying to achieve different goals, but also working out together, and coming together as a school and a community,” Poston says. 

Poston has a lot of trust in Coach Davis and thinks he’s doing a great job guiding students to be better in shape. “He teaches me a lot in the weight room and out of the weight room as he applies life skills into weight lifting or football. He’s great, he’s a motivator, he can push you to do things he teaches you, and he’s a really good coach,” Poston expresses.

Not only have these three young men been satisfied with the physical results of the after school workouts, but many other people have been satisfied too. It’s also a great way to make friends as everyone that goes there pushes each other to be better and stronger.