Next school year, female students may have a new opportunity to enroll in an all-girls Strength and Conditioning class.

The idea for the class came about after physical education teacher Junelle Woolery heard girls discussing their issues with the currently mixed classes.

“I was listening to some ladies discuss how they really hated having to do the competition sprinting stuff against the males in their weights classes,” Woolery said. “I also have had some girls tell me how they want to take weights, but they don’t feel comfortable being in there with the guys.”

Junior Taylor Escobar is one student who is excited about the idea of an all-girls Strength and Conditioning class.

“I feel that girls will be more comfortable and confident in the weight they are lifting in an all-girls class because the people around them would be lifting around the same weight that they do,” Escobar said.

Woolery agrees with Escobar, and adds that there are a few other advantages to the class too.

“I think an all-girls class could do two things for us. First, it would increase our enrollment by getting girls in the weight room who don’t feel comfortable lifting with guys,” Woolery said. “It would also be a good opportunity to crank up the intensity in class. Coach King has talked about how great the girls sessions are in the summer and how they tend to compete with each other more.”

Some of the current weights classes are also over-crowded, according to Woolery, and creating an all-girls class would “clear up some racks and platform space” in these classes.

The earliest that the class could be offered is next school year.

“Before the class can become a reality we have to look at enrollment numbers in February and see if we need to create another regular weights class or not. Right now there is an open space in the master schedule, but if enrollment grows, we will need to offer another weights class,” Woolery said.

Woolery has recieved both positive and negative reactions from female students about the proposed class, but concludes that it is “is important that we offer regular and all-girls classes” so that “everyone has one they feel comfortable participating in.”