By Billy Demos ’23

Throughout the years, Chaminade High School has made various improvements for the benefit of its students. A relatively recent addition to the campus is the Physical Fitness Center (PFC), which provides the students with exercise equipment and a top-tier training facility.

Originally built in 2003, the PFC was remodeled in 2014 for further

improvements and is open for all students, faculty, staff, and even alumni to use. The first floor of the building serves as a garage for maintenance, while the second floor houses dozens of workout machines: treadmills, ellipticals, rowing machines, weights, and more. The third floor has an astroturf floor and can be used for more spread-out agility drills. 

Among those who use the PFC are the members of the recently-created Physical Fitness Club. As vice president of the club, Matthew LoPiccolo ’23 stated, “The PFC and the Physical Fitness Club have become a second home to me following a long school day. The ability to mentally and physically become stronger is enhanced by the coaches and the help of others within the PFC.” Club President Thomas DeAngelis ‘23 added, “The PFC is a home of hard

Work.” 

The club has seen massive success since its inception, leading to its hosting a number of events for the whole student body to participate in. The most recent event was called “The Lift-off,” which required each participant to complete a series of different exercises including a max deadlift, max bench press, and max farmer’s walk.

During the school day, gym class provides students with the opportunity to work out at the PFC. This gives every student a different perspective on the various ways to keep your body in shape, and might even help students find a passion that they may express interest in and can further pursue in the future.

The PFC is also home to many off-season workouts, as various Flyers athletic teams want to make sure they are at the top of their game for upcoming seasons. Athletes continue to lift weights and stay in shape when their team is in-season.

Coach Patrick Dent, for example, holds frequent crew practices during both the off-season and the season itself to make sure his team is capable of holding its own against top-tier rowers.

Coaches Dennis Bligen, Michael Dolce ‘99, Christopher Lynch ‘82, and Kevin Parente ‘82, all of whom were recent recipients of a Master Coach Award, also make sure their football players are at the top of their game by utilizing the PFC’s equipment.

The expansions to Chaminade’s campus over the past 20 years, including the PFC, the Science, Technology, and Research Center (STRC), and the Activity-Athletic Center (AAC), have all been successful in their mission to provide Chaminade students with a full education and better prepare them for their lives ahead. The PFC will remain a staple of Chaminade’s physical education program for years to come.