Cold, dirty weight room tests players' endurance 
by Dan Rzewnicki, Editor in Chief
January 7, 2010
So it was the middle of December and I was trying to get my lift on at the weight room/locker room. (Unfortunately, the two things are the same.) However, it seemed to be impossible to lift after the blood in my veins nearly froze due to the lack of sufficient heating (or any heating at all for that matter) in the locker room. That really grinds my gears.
Why is there no heat in the weight room? In the middle of the frigid winter months, heat is necessary, yet there is none. To boot, the room offers little insulation, leaving the weight room and its tenants to wonder if they should just take their chances outside and hope for some sunshine.
However, I shouldn’t be all negative since there is one heat source in the weight room. A very minute amount of heat stems from a large open pipe near the squat rack. However, the pipe happens to be about eight feet off the ground. Since even a seventh-grader could tell someone that warm air rises, one might see the problem faced with the heat coming out at the top of the room to begin with.
The state of the weight room has inspired a new line of jokes: “It might be time to heat the locker room if… “
…there is black ice on the ceiling every day.
…I can see my breath when I am inside but not outside.
…I find myself unable to open my hands after a set of shrugs.
…booger particles freeze in mid air after sneezing.
…not only can I see my breath, but the water vapor simply freezes into ice cubes.
The heating situation in the weight room is dire, in need of immediate repair. Many of the football players and coaches find themselves constantly battling illness the same way Spartans battled Persians. It is an everyday struggle for survival, and the cold is slowly getting the best of us.
Not only is the weight room cold, but it is dirtier than sin. After one set of 6-inches, I find myself looking like Pig-Pen from Charlie Brown. There is so much dirt in the weight room that it is slippery in some places due to the buildup of dirt and dust.
Several football players and coaches were infected with an unknown rash. Was it a staph infection? Maybe. Was it MRSA? Maybe, but highly unlikely. Was it ringworm? Probably not. Did the infection stem from one area that only football players and coaches would have access to, such as, the dirty weight room? Maybe.
I don’t really believe in coincidences.
However, in light of everything, an effort for cleaner weight room is nowhere in sight. Players must resort to their own methods of cleaning, such as crawling on hands and knees with toothbrushes until at least the first layer of grime is removed, or maybe using as many mops as can be found. However, using a mop is like taking a bath. Are you really cleaning or are you just moving the dirt to a different spot?
All in all, the state of the weight room is not good – and probably not healthy. Players find themselves lifting in parkas and ear muffs and avoiding wearing any nice clothes. Having to resort to measures like those in order to live a healthy lifestyle and better the team really grinds my gears.
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