Laguna Blanca honored for strength, conditioning program

Laguna Blanca School and coach Shane Lopes have been recognized by the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

Laguna Blanca was one of 19 schools — and the only California school — to receive the 2014 Strength of America Award from the NSCA. The award recognizes programs that exhibit the highest standards in the safety and success of young athletes.

Shane Lopes, football coach and strength and conditioning coach at Laguna Blanca.

Shane Lopes, football coach and strength and conditioning coach at Laguna Blanca.

Lopes, who runs the strength and conditioning program at Laguna Blanca, received the award at the 37th annual NSCA National Conference in conjunction with the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition.

“It is truly an honor for Laguna Blanca to receive this award and to be recognized by the National Strength & Conditioning Association,” said Lopes, who also coaches the school’s 8-man football team. “Over the last year, the commitment to training by the students and staff has been exceptional. I am simply guiding the trainees along. The students and the staff are the ones who make the time to train consistently and continue to push their physical limits. As a result, the amount of injuries among student-athletes has decreased and there is an unmistakable sense of camaraderie within the school.”

Lopes designs customized training regimes that are tailored to the skills of each student’s respective sport or individual fitness goals.

“Coach Lopes is able to combine education and athletics into a positive and fun experience for the students and staff here at Laguna Blanca,” said Athletic Director Mike Biermann. “His commitment to implementing a strength and conditioning program has guided our athletes to perform, move, and train better.”