Most strength coaches are familiar with the importance of quality athletic facilities and the positive impacts they have on students, but Steve Bulette, Athletic Director at Valhalla (Ca.) High School, put these concepts into practice when designing the school’s new training facilities.
As Athletic Director for Valhalla High School, Bulette works tirelessly to build a culture of excellence and pride among his students and athletes. To enact these values into his program, he led the charge to improve the athletic facilities at the school, particularly the weight room, which became a source of pride for the entire school.
While Bulette understood the value of investing in high-quality equipment that could last, he knew he needed to find the right supplier to match his own standard of quality. Enter Samson Equipment Company, the perfect team for the job.
Samson designed and built the new equipment for Valhalla’s weight room, which has become a rallying point for the school, increasing student pride and even persuading prospective families to learn what all the fuss was about. With the completion of Valhalla’s new weight room, Bulette made good on his commitment of providing the best possible resources for his athletes and promoting a culture of excellence in both athletics and academics.
A New Sense Of Pride
Investing in high-quality equipment resulted in significant improvements for students and student-athletes, alike. One of the most noticeable effects Bulette saw was the increased pride that students took in the weight room. The new equipment created a modern and professional environment that inspired students to work harder and show more respect toward the facility. Moreover, the new equipment improved involvement in the weight room for each of the school’s athletic programs, helping students excel within their respective sports.
By providing the best resources possible, Bulette set a tone of excellence that permeated the school and reinforced its culture of hard work and dedication among student-athletes.
With the help of Samson, Bulette and his team brought in equipment that surpassed what was typically available in a high school. The equipment was built to last, allowing athletes to perform at their best while avoiding the need to constantly update and replace it. Samson’s nearly bullet-proof steel is a testament to the longevity of their products.
“The facility that we had before – which sat idle 80 percent or 90 percent of the time – was a mess,” Bulette said. “It wasn’t motivating. It wasn’t something that students took pride in or were eager to even participate in with their coaches. And the coaches weren’t excited about it either. Now our athletes are always asking, ‘Why don’t we go to the weight room?’ And our coaches are excited about it too. It’s grown. Today, it is probably the most used facility on our campus day in and day out.”
A Worthy Investment
Quality equipment and facilities not only enhanced the athletic experience for students but also served as a recruiting tool for potential athletes and families. Investing in state-of-the-art equipment demonstrated a willingness to invest in students and reflected a standard of high-quality education. Choosing a reputable company like Samson was crucial, not just for their highly responsive customer service, but for their attention to detail and the reliability of their products.
“Scott Schroeder was my guy at Samson, and I either called or emailed him whenever I had a question,” Bulette said. “He got back to me incredibly fast. Sometimes, I had a response within minutes. I don’t think that’s typical of most companies. Usually, you’re waiting forever. And not only that, he was the person that I worked with from the beginning.”
Bulette also appreciated the professional renderings that Samson supplied during the planning process, which ensured the final product would meet initial expectations. By providing a three-dimensional representation of the equipment and how it fit into the space, everyone involved had a clear view of how the layout would affect foot traffic and safety.
Additionally, professional renderings served as a valuable tool for fundraising by providing internal and external stakeholders with a solid understanding of how their input would be used and where contributions would go.
“I was able to get the schematics from the architect before the building was finished and sent those over to Scott Schroeder,” Bulette said. “The professional renderings Samson provided helped stakeholders envision our final layout, even though our room wasn’t actually built yet. Those renderings made it so much easier to convince people at the district, that yes, this was the right choice.”
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Samson Equipment provides customized, professional weight room solutions from premium grade materials, to deliver a long lasting, yet affordable product with over 40 years of experience.
