Some high school athletes are starting to lift weights at a younger and younger age as they try to get larger and stronger each year. In some instances, they will take things too far with bad advice from personal trainers for a quick fix. As a way to create a controlled environment for students to work out, Chaminade High School in Mineola has just completed a new state of the art physical fitness center.

The new weight room and fitness facility will have two full-time trainers available to make sure the students get proper training and advice. Results from a 2002 Monitoring the Future Study, which surveyed students in eighth, 10th, and 12th grades, showed that 2.5 percent of eighth graders, 3.5 percent of 10th graders, and 4 percent of 12th graders reported using steroids at least once in their lifetimes.

High school students at Chaminade, like many high schools in the country, had problems with youths using outside gyms and getting bad advice. "There is a whole different culture out there with steroids and physique. Many people were going to other gyms where their needs were not met as they were geared more toward adults," Principal of Chaminade, Brother Joseph Bellizzi said.

The Chaminade physical fitness center will help with the needs of the high school students while providing a safe and controlled environment for the students to exercise in with over 30 stations of free weights, machines and cardiovascular equipment. The facility will be open all summer, which will help athletes like junior Andrew Soucheck, who runs cross-country in the fall. "It's a great way to prepare for the fall season since it will be open in the summer," Soucheck said.

The center was constructed in an old garage on the corner of Jericho Turnpike and Saville Road with two floors added. Construction began at the end of May 2002 and the center opened on April 25. Parts of the building are still being touched up.

"We were looking to expand our facility not just for the teams but for students as well," Bellizzi said.

The 10,000 square foot, three floor facility was built with the help of a woodworking club at Chaminade. The students helped construct the interior walls, sheet rock, ceilings, moldings, insulation, vanities and the bathroom. "The religious brothers and the students worked together on this," president, Father James Williams, said.

In addition to all the weight and fitness equipment there are two locker rooms with two private showers. There is also a media room for coaches to view film.

The state of the art facility will be used for physical education classes and remain open after school. Physical education teacher Mike Scaduto will be one of the full-time trainers and Mike Moran will work with the teams that use the facility. "It's a great new addition to the school. It gives kids a lot to do after school," junior Ken Szal said.

Money for the center came from a surplus in last year's budget, tuition, alumni donations and the Catholic Church. It looks like the Chaminade High School community will have a safe controlled environment to stay in shape for many generations.