A Fitness Journey
By Nick Imbelli ’99
O
ver the course of my 33 years of life, I have had
the unique opportunity to witness Saint David’s
growth from many perspectives: born into the
Saint David’s community as the son of Michael Imbelli,
later as a student, and most recently as a faculty member
as the school enters the dawn of a new era. Throughout
the years, Saint David’s has always prided itself on helping
develop children into well-rounded young men, with the
four pillars of the school at its core: academics, athletics,
arts, and spirituality. The expansion into Graham House at
the start of the 2018 school year reinforces our commitment
to providing the boys with all of the tools necessary to reach
their full potential and live up to the opening lines of the
Alma Mater, “All That We Can Be.”
It is hard to believe that the school I attended as a child is
still there, standing in the shadows, yet perfectly integrated
into the newly expanded Graham House building. The
new facility is nothing short of magnificent, with its new
entrance, state-of-the-art performing arts theatre, music
suites, multiple gym spaces, and most near and dear to me,
the fitness center.
Department, coupled
with the commitment
of the staff at Cater
to You to providing
nutritious meals,
no doubt plays
an integral role
in keeping our
children
healthy
and
happy.
Saint
David’s continues to strive for excellence in the areas
of fitness and nutrition, by promoting athleticism through
endurance, agility, balance, core, and strength training,
starting at a young age.
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends
60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity daily
for youth and adolescents. In addition to cardiovascular
activities, such as running, cycling, and competitive sports,
research increasingly indicates that participation in a youth
strength training program leads to observable health, fitness,
and performance benefits for children and adolescents. While
“All of the equipment is designed to be adapted to different ability and
strength levels, while reinforcing the development of functional strength.”
As a student, I benefitted from the original expansion,
when Saint David’s purchased the 94th Street Gymnasium
in 1995. At the time, the addition of the gym significantly
increased the size of the Saint David’s campus, and was
equipped with two basketball courts, a recreational room,
and a fitness room. While I fondly remember sports playing
a central role in my time as a Saint David’s boy, I must say
that the only equipment I recall being in the fitness room
were a couple of old stationary bikes. Fast forward to 2018,
and I can honestly say that our new fitness center is second
to none, and it could not come at a more crucial time.
Statistically speaking, it cannot be denied that we are facing a
national health crisis. In 2016, the World Health Organization
reported that 340 million children and adolescents, ages
5-19, were overweight or obese. That staggering number
translates to just about one in five children, and yet the
Saint David’s community, fortunately, remains as outliers
to this statistic. The passion and dedication of the Athletic
many people still cling to the myth that resistance training in
youth is ill-advised and will inevitably lead to injury, there
is significant evidence pointing to the fact that strength
training is safe and effective, provided that the programs are
properly designed and appropriately supervised. Benefits
of youth strength training include increased muscular
strength, enhanced motor fitness skills, improved sports
performance, and decreased incidence of sports-related
injuries. To ensure that students receive the full benefits
of strength training, instructors must put an emphasis on
technique and safety, rather than on the amount of weight
being lifted.
The new fitness center has been designed to optimize space,
provide a versatile approach to fitness, and foster a love for
physical activity. The wide variety of equipment makes the
space suitable for all ages and fitness levels. During fitness,
boys are taught to understand what they are doing and why,
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