Donation gives students a head start on staying healthy

There's no time like the present for Woodbridge Middle School students to get into shape.

Thanks to the generosity of an area fitness company, they now have that opportunity.

After his students achieved middling fitness assessments last year, physical education teacher Ed Wetzel was examining ways to raise those numbers. At the same time, Sport & Health Clubs was looking to rid themselves of unnecessary equipment.

According to senior vice-president of fitness Mitch Batkin, the company was purchasing a much larger facility in Stafford County and needed to either trade in the equipment for a few dollars "or donate to a good cause."

Enter Wetzel, who eventually convinced the Washington-area based company to donate $20,000 worth of exercise machines.

Acquired this summer, the equipment has been a hit with the children so far this year. On Friday, middle school staff and selected students thanked Sport & Health Clubs with a ribbon-cutting ceremony that featured an aerobic demonstration by club employee Gena Burns.

What once was a cavernous room used for wrestling and other team-oriented activities has turned into a lavishly painted, well-equipped gym that sports several universal machines, a few free weight areas, five stationary bikes and a treadmill.

Melissa Lopez, a sixth-grader at Woodbridge Middle, said she loves coming here to exercise. Already a fitness enthusiast who runs with her sister and does workouts on FitTV, Melissa said she likes the fact that the school now has a treadmill.

Seventh-graders Liam Brennan and Elijah Phelps also appreciate the new and improved weight room. Liam plays soccer and baseball and has wrestled in the room before while Elijah, a longtime gymnast, believes the weight room will help in his athletic endeavors.

"It's pretty cool," said Liam.

Volunteer parent Felice Kite helped paint the room. The only thing the school paid for was floor mats and a projector screen, which will be used to air exercise demonstrations to the children, said Wetzel.

Wetzel said he's unaware of any middle school in the county with their kind of setup. And he said the new equipment has allowed him to transform a subject that focused primarily on learning and playing team sports.

"We haven't rolled out the ball once this year," Woodbridge principal Skyles Calhoun said.

Wetzel said having a new weight room is a great opportunity for children to learn how to properly lift weights and use exercise equipment before they start playing sports in high school.

It could also serve as a good bonding tool. Wetzel is hoping to have some family fitness nights where children can come and work out with their parents.

Staff writer Kipp Hanley can be reached at 703-878-8062.