Laguna Blanca Receives 2015 Strength of America Award

The National Strength and Conditioning Association partners with the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition to grant the Strength of America Award to schools that exhibit the highest standards in the safety and success of young athletes.

Only 24 high school programs from across the nation were selected from hundreds of schools, and Laguna Blanca earned the award for demonstrating excellence in four major categories, supervision, education, program and facilities, and is the only California school to achieve the honor.

Coach Shane Lopes, Dean of Students, runs the strength and conditioning program at Laguna Blanca School, and was honored at the 38th annual NSCA’s National Conference Awards Banquet on July 10, 2015 in Orlando, Florida.

“Our strength & conditioning program would not be a success without the hard work and commitment of the students, support from the Laguna community, and the collaboration of staff members in the athletic department,” Lopes said.

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

“Our goal, first and foremost, is to educate our students on how to approach training with the proper attitude, effort, and technique so that they can reduce the risk of injury and enhance their potential of athleticism,” said Lopes. “Additional outcomes that emerge from our program include a greater sense of camaraderie and an intrinsic motivation to stay fit throughout their lives.”

“Having someone with Shane’s skill and expertise in the area of Strength and Conditioning here at Laguna Blanca has been a great benefit to student-athletes in all of our sports,” said Laguna Blanca Athletic Director and Varsity Girls Volleyball Coach, Jason Donnelly. “He has created an environment where kids feel the benefits of their training through athletics as well as in their everyday lives.”

Lopes was also named Santa Barbara All-County Football Coach of the Year in 2014, and he has served as the Owls’ head coach for past four years.

The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) is an international nonprofit educational association founded in 1978, serving nearly 30,000 members in 52 countries. Drawing upon its vast network of members, the NSCA develops and presents the most advanced information regarding strength training and conditioning practices, injury prevention, and research findings.