# Our local school gym a nightmare, please read



## Thebach1701 (Jul 3, 2014)

Well, I've been lifting since I was 10 and now I'm 50. I've trained a lot of people and have been in 30 gyms in my life and help set a few of them up. Our local school has a gym that is so unsafe and terribly laid out I'm sure there must be some laws being broke. Either Ocea or the State of Michigan must have gym safety laws. This is a small gym 12 feet wide by 20 long. They have stuff crammed in there so bad it can't be real. A power lifting bench press with built in spotters stand and weight tree and it is 1 inch from the mirrored walls. Obviously you can't get to the spotters stand, and also how long until some kid shatters that mirror and cuts an artery? Your moving 45 lb plates 1 inch away from the mirrors. Stuff is thrown all over the floor, there is stuff to trip on everywhere. They have dumb bells that go from 60 to 120 lbs and they are not in the workout room where they belong, they are in the hall 30 feet away. Any of you big guys want to carry two 100 lb dumb bells 30 feet just to get to where you can use them? The medical supply cabnet that we tax payers pay for, well now there is a lock on it now so if any one gets hurt, I guess tough. Equipment is so close together you can't change plates on a machine unless you bend your back crazy or move a machine. This has to stop. This school has a very non humble attitude, they clearly know nothing about training or how to set up a safe productive gym and our too stuck up to ask for help. What are the laws concerning these issues? Some other parents and I are just about ready to call the Michigan Board of Education but I wanted to find out more first. Thanks


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## JOMO (Jul 3, 2014)

I would try to contact the Building Principle for the school. They are supposed to maintain and care for the buildings and grounds. I can see them changing that attitude when you make a commotion of how unsafe the environment is for the students. Call the dean of students or another higher person of authority and see which direction you have to take. Maybe they can get you in contact with, or if they themselves can take care of the problem by speaking with the other departments.


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## Thebach1701 (Jul 3, 2014)

Building Principle for the school? I've never heard of that. It's a very small school, they have a school board, but they wouldn't have any knowledge of gyms. It's a small town school.


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## JOMO (Jul 3, 2014)

Gym or not, from what you described there clearly is a safety issue. And there should be someone who's duties falls under the care of the buildings. If they don't know the problem cause they don't know gyms, show them. Show them what potential incidents can occur, and what lawsuits they can be looking forward too possibly in the future. Get in touch with anyone on the board.


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## PillarofBalance (Jul 4, 2014)

OSHA laws won't apply to a school gym. And I highly doubt there are laws specifically relative to gym safety. Its strict liability.  Any injured party would have a tort claim.  Schools don't have the money to maintain things like gyms these days.  So complaints will more likely get it packed up and shut down than fixed.

Sounds like my kind of gym. Bit of a dungeon.


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## AlphaD (Jul 4, 2014)

Unless the school produces top rated athletes that become top picks at college, the gym wont have funding.  I agree with Pob, more and likely complaints will more and likely force them to shut it down.


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## Thebach1701 (Jul 4, 2014)

man it sucks it's hard seeing this gym this way when they have what they need to make it a safe productive place, if you guys saw this you'd think it was pretty bad especially when it concerns kids safety and its a school and should care more.


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## Oldebull (Jul 4, 2014)

Bach,
Greetings to a fellow Michigander. Where abouts in MI are you from? I'm an Oakland County boy myself, but have been out of state for a little over 10 years.

I don't have a suggestion on how to make work with the laws or systems. I suggest you talk with the coaches, and express your concerns. Don't just say what is wrong (although do that, and mention specifics), suggest improvements. Is there any gear that can be removed in order to make space?
You didn't mention your role or relation with the school. Coach? Concerned parent? Perhaps, as a Band-Aid, you can spend some time with the student athletes, and encourage/enforce a safety conscious, no nonsense, attitude. Eduacate them, make the best out of a bad situation.
Good luck.


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## woodswise (Jul 4, 2014)

Oldebull said:


> Bach,
> Greetings to a fellow Michigander. Where abouts in MI are you from? I'm an Oakland County boy myself, but have been out of state for a little over 10 years.
> 
> I don't have a suggestion on how to make work with the laws or systems. I suggest you talk with the coaches, and express your concerns. Don't just say what is wrong (although do that, and mention specifics), suggest improvements. Is there any gear that can be removed in order to make space?
> ...





^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ this.


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## BigGameHunter (Jul 4, 2014)

We had this problem when I was in high school.  Our weight lifting coach was also asst. football coach.  This is what he did.  He literally raised hell when one of our guys got 40 stitches from a busted mirror.

When it was off season football and time for the weight lifters to get in their time.  Our football locker room, even the parking lot was used.  I remember one kid asked if we could have some dollies to move this stuff daily.  He got to run bleachers for even suggesting it.  Squat racks were moved outside on nice days and we lifted and returned the gear to the locker room when not in use.  

Then he and several other parents got together and we sold soap, candy whatever we could to get the money to knock out a wall and add 40' x 25' of more bricks for more room.  Took 2 years but it got done and our photos are there of us squatting in the rain and shit to serve as a reminder to the younger weight mutts... where theres a will theres a way.  I miss that old Bastard.  I miss that weight room.


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## DieYoungStrong (Jul 4, 2014)

Sounds like my old high school gym. Except we had a guy who volunteered his time to be our strength coach. He knew his shit too. His daughter ended up becoming a very competitive oly lifter. What a shithole our gym was. Ripped benches and rusted squat racks. 

I'm surprised no one got mrsa in there. 

A place like that builds character.


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