In the world of strength and conditioning, the environment plays a pivotal role in shaping an athlete’s experience. While equipment and training techniques are often the focus, arguably, the most important part of a weight room is the flooring. So when a category 4 hurricane hit Coach James McFarland’s facility, causing severe water damage to the flooring and everything around it, he needed a fast and effective solution. Let’s look at Coach McFarland’s story and see how he recovered from this tragedy with the help of Mondo.
McFarland’s Adverse Circumstances
In August 2021, Hurricane Ida became the second-most damaging hurricane on record to touch land in Louisiana. Wind speeds reached a top speed of 149 MPH. Ida tore upward through the Northeastern United States with torrential rainfall, tornadoes, and catastrophic flooding. The storm caused over $2 billion in damages and the deaths of 23 people in the state of New Jersey alone. Hillsborough (NJ) High School was not excluded from the destruction, as water seeped into their gymnasium floor and floated 6 inches high in both of their weight rooms.
James McFarland is a Teacher of Health and Physical Education at Hillsborough High School as well as the Strength & Conditioning Coordinator there. He has been involved with 8 collaborative research studies in youth exercise science at The College of New Jersey and works as an adjunct Professor for their practical exercise science course. In 2018, he was chosen as the National High School Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year by the NSCA. As the one responsible for the Strength and Conditioning program at Hillsborough, it was up to him to put the pieces back together.
McFarland consulted a slew of flooring options to find the one that would meet his standards. During his search, McFarland was connected with legendary strength coach, Ethan Reeve, now the National Director of Strength and Athletic Performance for Mondo. Coach Reeve, with his expertise and understanding of strength coaching and Mondo’s products, played a pivotal role in guiding McFarland to a solution tailored to his specific needs.
“Successful collaborations always start with a mentor and I look at Coach Reeve as a mentor at this point,” McFarland says. “He understood what was happening in the room and what the potential could be for the room, even though I was struggling at that time. I’m most appreciative of that.”
When athletes step into a weight room, their attention is initially drawn to the feel of the floor. Mondo Ramflex and Sport Impact flooring, with their unique textures and exceptional energy returns, ensure that athletes feel comfortable the moment they step into the room. The immediate sense of traction and elasticity is invaluable, allowing athletes to focus entirely on their training.
The Mondo Difference
Weight rooms see a lot of action. From heavy weights dropping to rigorous training routines, the floor undergoes significant wear and tear. Coach McFarland emphasized the importance of having a floor that could withstand the demands of daily use. Mondo flooring is not only built to last, but also requires minimal maintenance. It’s easy to clean, ensuring that the facility remains hygienic, presentable, safe for athletes and the flooring will last for many years. This combination lets coaches and facility managers worry less about having to constantly maintain and repair their floors.
A common issue many weight rooms face is noise generated by equipment being dropped. Mondo flooring addresses this concern head-on. Due to Mondo’s superior shock absorption, the impact of a bumper plate hitting the floor is hardly noticeable. It reduces noise and vibration, allowing students to train without discomfort and learn without distractions.
Mondo understands that different training activities require different types of flooring, so they offer a wide variety of flooring to suit each program’s specific needs. Coach McFarland’s weight room now boasts two different types of Mondo flooring, Ramflex and Sport Impact. This ensures that each section of the room is optimized for the activity being done there, be it weightlifting, cardio, or any other form of training.
“When you think about flooring you think about safety, you think about the traction of things,” says McFarland. “How is it going to hold up over the years? How often does it have to be cleaned? What does it have to be cleaned with? Are we able to do what we want to do because of that flooring? I can check the box on all those things.”
Flooring might seem like a negligible detail in the grand scheme of a training facility, but as Coach McFarland’s experience illustrates, it’s a detail essential to weight room design. Mondo flooring, with its focus on safety, durability, versatility, and noise reduction, emerges as a top choice for training athletes. Whether you’re a coach, facility manager, or an athlete, Mondo flooring promises an enhanced training experience, making it a worthy addition to any training facility.
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Details
Mondo offers extra strong and durable sports surfaces with customizable design for weightlifting areas.
