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Close and friendly quarters for Amity's Football team There's a sacred bond of teamwork and dedication that floats around a football program's locker room. You can't quite put your finger on it, but you can feel it, see it and hear it in the many grunts and clanks of the iron being pumped. In Amityville's weight room it's no different. "[The weight room] brings the team closer together," said Jerome Willis, a linebacker who graduated this year and will play at Nassau County Community College next year. "It makes stronger players, builds character and as far as the team aspect goes, you see others working hard and it motivates you to work harder." Aside from regular sport specific exercises, Amityville coach Chris Taylor set up the 800 and 1000-pound lifting clubs. Obviously kids aren't lifting those weights in one shot, but by combined lifts in the bench press, squat and dead lift they have a chance to reach the marks. Kids who reach those plateaus receive teeshirts that boast their lifting accomplishment. "It gives them motivation for their accomplishments," Taylor said, "and being able to wear something so people can ask 'what's that shirt for?' makes them feel good about themselves." Senior defensive leader Reggie Robinson, who had 84 tackles and one interception last season, leads the team in total weight with 1489 pounds. Rockens Bejuste is about 100 pounds away in second. There are 10 kids in the 1000- pound club and the team lifts either three or four days a week all year long. "It gives us confidence and shows us where we're at," said Robinson, who benches 305, squats 615 and dead lifts 569. "We know we're stronger than half the kids on Long Island. We showed our strength at camps and proved we're stronger than most out there." Taylor is pleased with the effort in the room this past spring. He said the team really started competing with each other to see who can lift the most and a little friendly competition can't hurt.
Amityville will be seeded fourth in Division IV this fall and Robinson says the next plateau to reach is a Long Island title.
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