{"id":7915,"date":"2021-01-29T13:34:00","date_gmt":"2021-01-29T18:34:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/floridanewsline.com\/Clone2\/?p=7915"},"modified":"2021-02-09T08:22:23","modified_gmt":"2021-02-09T13:22:23","slug":"pvhs-weightlifting-coach-raises-the-bar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/floridanewsline.com\/Clone2\/ponte-vedra\/pvhs-weightlifting-coach-raises-the-bar\/","title":{"rendered":"PVHS weightlifting coach raises the bar"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Tiffany Merlo Phelps
mail@floridanewsline.com<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ponte Vedra High School senior Emily Libhart struggled to find a sport that she truly enjoyed until she tried weightlifting this year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWeightlifting keeps my mind clear amidst my busy week. The sport keeps you strong mentally and physically and for me it has been an outlet. Also, Coach Rush has worked hard to make the team inclusive,\u201d said Libhart. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coach Mackensie Rush is the first female head coach of the girls\u2019 weightlifting team at Ponte Vedra High School and is one of only two female coaches in the district for girls\u2019 weightlifting. She spent her first year at the school building the roster from seven girls to 29 and is hoping for more next year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rush, also a special education teacher, said weightlifting presents a unique dynamic because athletes not only cheer for their teammates, but also for others on opposing teams during meets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is not something you typically see,\u201d said Rush, who has been coaching for eight years in multiple sports. \u201cWeightlifting is more about individual performance and doing your personal best. Everyone encourages everyone else.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

All athletes must be able to lift a 45-pound bar to qualify for the team, and Rush encourages beginners to join the team. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She uses her own experience with CrossFit, weightlifting, running and being a tri-athlete in high school (soccer, basketball and track) to train the girls during the October through January season, combining cardio, conditioning and strength training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have seen huge improvements by training this way,\u201d said Rush. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Team members agreed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWith Coach Rush\u2019s guidance, I have really been able to lift 20 pounds more than I could last season,\u201d said Madison O\u2019Reilly, a 10th <\/sup>grader in her second year on the team. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Morgan Pratt, a 10th <\/sup>grader in her first year on the weightlifting team, shared similar thoughts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCoach Rush is a great coach who is always supporting and pushing me every time I walk into the weight room,\u201d said Pratt. \u201cBeing on the girls\u2019 weightlifting team is such a great opportunity because I\u2019m surrounded by all these young, intelligent, strong and supportive women who are ready to work hard and have the same interests as me.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rush said she sees her role as one of support and encouragement. And, as a female, she feels that team members relate to her as someone with the same mindset and physique, helping her build the team\u2019s confidence and camaraderie. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is nice to have this role and to be a mentor to the team,\u201d said Rush, who moved to Ponte Vedra Beach from central New Jersey. \u201cAll the athletes at PV High are so self-motivated. I didn\u2019t have to set any rules or restrictions as they exceeded everything that I wanted. I am coaching the best team around.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rush, who is in her ninth year of teaching, is especially proud to have freshman Skyler Sharp on the team as the first ever varsity special needs athlete at the school. As Skyler\u2019s special education teacher, Rush encouraged her to join the team. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe brings a next level enthusiasm to the team. She is always happy,\u201d said Rush. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sharp\u2019s mother, Kayla Sharp, said she and Skyler\u2019s father, Joshua, had their reservations about Skyler participating in the sport at first, but those quickly disappeared as Skyler gained strength and confidence through Rush\u2019s guidance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have always pushed her to try new things and to put herself out there,\u201d said Kayla, sharing that her daughter has Down Syndrome. \u201cShe loves it so much. She loves the team aspect of weightlifting and also the personal challenge.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Angelina Rappa, a junior, joined the team this year to physically challenge herself and \u201cto be a part of a like-minded team.\u201d In addition to all the physical benefits and motivation from Coach Rush, Rappa said she has learned many life lessons too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWeightlifting has proven to me that hard work pays off, and that you should do your greatest to reach your goals, no matter what the status quo is,\u201d Rappa said. \u201cIt has inspired me to take better care of myself and has made me a better person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photo courtesy Mackensie Rush
PVHS weightlifting team.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Tiffany Merlo Phelpsmail@floridanewsline.com Ponte Vedra High School senior Emily Libhart struggled to find a sport that she truly enjoyed until she tried weightlifting this year.  \u201cWeightlifting keeps my mind clear amidst my busy week. The sport keeps you strong mentally and physically and for me it has been an outlet. Also, Coach Rush has […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7923,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-7915","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ponte-vedra"},"yoast_head":"\nPVHS weightlifting coach raises the bar - Florida NewsLine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Ponte Vedra NewsLineBy Tiffany Merlo Phelpsmail@floridanewsline.com Ponte Vedra High School senior Emily Libhart struggled to find a sport that she truly enjoyed until she\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/floridanewsline.com\/Clone2\/ponte-vedra\/pvhs-weightlifting-coach-raises-the-bar\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"PVHS weightlifting coach raises the bar - 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