Lakeside Academy IB World Creates Kettlebell Club for Students
by Chloë Ranaldi
Grade 9 students at Lakeside Academy take part in a new Kettlebell club program.
The program is meant to improve students’ confidence, introduce them to new activities, and get students focused on health and well being.
Grateful for the program
“It’s amazing,” said Jacob Simpson-Woldeghiorghis, a grade 9 student at Lakeside Academy. “That’s the one word I would use to describe [the program.] Amazing.”
Simpson-Woldeghiorghis says he’s grateful for the club being offered at his school.
“I really wanted to start going to the gym because I quit mixed-martial-arts and I wanted to get [involved with] something that would help improve my strength and I saw it as a perfect opportunity.”
He says that this club has been a great motivation to continue to work hard in school and keep his grades up– saying this program is a reward.
“My parents have taught me that grades come first. If my grades go down doing this, then I’m done with this program,” he said. “I’m not going to let that happen because I want this.”
Learning to balance physical activity and education
The program started this year for the grade 9 students, at the Kettlebell Club in Pointe Claire.
The program replaces their last period on Wednesday afternoon, so the students know that if they want to stay in this club, they need to catch up on the material they missed.
Tim Parsons, a social work technician at Lakeside Academy says they started the project because they wanted an outlet outside of school for students to exercise and to reward them for their hard work.
By bringing the students to the Kettlebell Club in Pointe Claire it also makes physical activity more affordable and accessible to everyone.
“They build team building skills and they enjoy it,” said Parsons. “They’re having a good time while doing this. It’s another thing added to their day that is different from having to do school work.”
He says it’s about having a balance in school, focusing on your education as well as doing something physical and having fun doing it.
Bringing students more confidence and strength
Grade 9 student Zachary Leblanc says he looks forward to going to the club every Wednesday.
“I joined this club because my friends joined, and they said it was really fun.”
Leblanc says he’s also learned so much from the owner and head coach of the Kettlebell Bell club in Pointe Claire, Louka Kurcer.
“It’s been super fun, the boys are attentive, and engaged, and they are here because they want to be,” said Kurcer.
“Here we’re not a traditional gym with a lot of machines and benches […] we have a martial arts approach to fitness that emphasizes technique, positioning and body awareness and quality over quantity in exercise.”
Kurcer says they teach the students to use their bodies differently, gain confidence, and gain more awareness about how to move.
Student Kyriakos Vlachos said “ I thought it would be a cool opportunity to start working out with a school program, they’ve been pushing us hard.”
Meanwhile, Simpson-Woldeghiorghis says if he got the opportunity to take part in this program again, he would do it in a heartbeat.
Students in the group include: Jacob Simpson-Woldeghiorghis, Zachary Leblanc, Quincy Boafo, Jalil Onufri Jones, Kyriakos Vlachos and Xavier Camus.
