Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Lincoln Puts Resurfaced Track To Use
ATHLETES ATTEND MANDATORY COMBINED ALPHA WEEK WORKOUT
LINCOLN — Work to resurface the outdoor running track at the Lincoln High School Wolfpack Football Stadium complex has been completed and athletic facilities hosting combined workouts.
As of mid-June the project was completed and the track ready for use. The surface has been finished and is for walking, jogging and running only. The school asks the public to please help keep the track nice by not allowing any bikes, skateboards, or related recreational things on the surface at any time.
Lincoln has been working out its athletes in group settings since early July. “Summer Pride” workout practices began Monday, July 9. Starting times for various levels were staggered. Varsity football team members, sophomores, juniors and seniors began their day working out from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Junior high football players (eighth and ninth graders) hit the field from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Seventh graders worked out from 10 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. and fourth, fifth and sixth graders classified as “Young Wolves,” worked out from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. “Summer Pride” workouts were offered free to all Lincoln kids, who wanted to participate.
This summer marked the second year Lincoln athletes underwent an all-sports combined mandatory week long two-hour workout session beginning at 8 a.m. and continuing until 10 a.m. from Monday, July 23 through Friday, July 27. Athletic director Deon Birkes, who has coached almost every sport offered by Lincoln High School including experience while at Shiloh Christian early in his career, supervised the training dubbed “Alpha Week,” an initiative he began in the summer of 2017.
Attendance was mandatory for Lincoln athletes in grades 8-12 if they planned on playing any sport for Lincoln during the 2018-2019 school year, including: football, volleyball, cheerleaders, cross country, golf, mountain biking, basketball, bowling, baseball, softball, soccer, plus track and field.
The “Alpha Week” workout reflected a unification effort by Birkes to build school spirit across the playing field of each sport. Athletes were advised if they chose not to participate in “Alpha Week,” they would not be allowed to practice or play on any Lincoln High School or junior high sports team.
Athletes were expected to dress in apparel appropriate for workouts and bring a water bottle. They checked in at the new football fieldhouse. Lincoln coaches from all sports monitored the workouts, making sure athletes drank lots of water refilling from hydration stations set up across the high school athletic complex.
Workouts were conducted on the football field, newly resurfaced running track and in the fieldhouse weight room. Individual athletes were expected to work hard, encourage others and pick up the slack if they saw one of their teammates in need of help. Each daily workout concluded with a competition between groups of athletes representing various sports.