On Wednesday afternoons, you can find the Coppell girls basketball team in the weight room, while loud music and encouragement fill the room.

With the help of assistant Willis Tran, the Cowgirls have developed a rigorous workout program to train the bodies of its athletes. The program’s goal is to build overall strength for better defensive and offensive play.

“With anything you look at, you have to look at what they need,” Tran said. “For a lot of sports, it’s all about rate of force production. Your rate of force production is predicated on your total strength, so the things that we really focus on are rate of force production, and quality of movement.”

Tran said physical training helps to build skills that can be practically applied to the game. 

“We want to be able to move in all planes of motion, so our training really reflects our needs on the court,” Tran said.

The impact of the weight lifting program is seen on the court. 

“In games, you can tell we wear other teams down much more quickly because we’re much stronger, and they get physically exhausted,” junior guard Landry Sherrer said. “That’s a big tribute to the weight room.”

For junior forward Paige Slater, the workout program improves her strength on and off the court.

“When I came in freshman year I was not strong at all, but I was pushed to improve by everyone bringing each other up,” Slater said. “Now, I can bench 130, which for me is a lot because as a soccer player as well I never thought I’d be able to bench.”

In addition to basketball skills, the workout program aids in general fitness and ability. 

“My hope is that they will take care of themselves from here on out, and they’ll be proficient enough to go into a gym and know what they want to do,” Tran said. “It’s a true life skill that they’ll hopefully carry on forever.”

The program establishes an environment in the weight room where everyone can do their best.

“Tran plays music and dances with us; it’s all a fun environment that makes you want to be there, even if you’re up at 6:00 in the morning,” Slater said. “Tran is like our friend in the weight room, and it’s a lot better for us than just being a coach.”

The program has helped to strengthen not only the athletes’ bodies, but also their team bonds.

“I know that my teammates are going to be there and that they are going to push me to be better,” Slater said. “A big part of this has been trusting each other, and we’ve become stronger both physically and mentally together.”

The program has gained prominence on social media, with videos being posted on @coach_tran’s account on Instagram. This social media presence only adds to the notability of the program.

“Everyone hears about the weight room when they hear about Coppell girls basketball,” Sherrer said. “If you’re coming into the program as a young player, you want to work in the weight room.”

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