Weston Boosters unveil newly upgraded weight room

Students walked into Weston High School on Nov. 3 and came across something that brightened their Monday morning: a newly refurbished and upgraded weight room.

High School Principal Susan Bairstow, Superintendent Karen Zaleski and Athletic Director Mike McGrath, along with Weston Boosters members, officially cut the ribbon on the project on Friday, Oct. 31, declaring the room ready for use.

Weston Boosters is a nonprofit parent organization with the mission of fostering awareness, enthusiasm and providing financial support for Weston’s athletic facilities and student-athlete programs not covered by the school district’s budget.

Weston High School’s weight room was previously used by some teams but not all, and it lacked equipment suitable for female student athletes.

In total, $19,016 worth of new equipment, including a rowing machine, cross-training equipment and some traditional weight-lifting apparatus was purchased to supplement the existing equipment in the weight room.

“The weight room was very, very old,” said Weston Boosters member Jennifer Betty. “It was not female-friendly. It just hadn’t been [upgraded] in a long time.”

Uncertainty regarding the future of the current school building led to a delay in weight room improvements. Plans for a new middle school and high school are currently under consideration by town and school officials.

“We realized that anything that is going to happen isn’t realistically going to be for another eight to 10 years,” said Betty.

The Boosters’ goal for the weight room was to improve it and make it more accessible to all students without a complete overhaul.

“It’s more inviting,” said Betty. “It was a space that was used by a few athletes. That’s the goal – to make it a space that all of the teams can use and feel comfortable in.”

Betty said Weston coaches typically send over grant requests for needed upgrades.

“We really look for big things that we can get involved with,” said Betty. “We also give scholarships to seniors at the end of the year.”

In recent years, other equipment funded by the Weston Boosters has included soccer goals, football helmets, an ice-plunge tub, scoreboards, cameras and other technology.

Sarah Colao Wallach of the Boosters credited Weston High School Athletic Director Mike McGrath for playing a significant role in identifying the necessary equipment to purchase.

“He really managed the process and did an excellent job of visualizing the space,” said Colao Wallach. “It felt very much like an extension of the boys’ locker room and he really transformed the space into being a gym for all.”