Before the lights come on, the stands fill up, and the first whistle blows, work happens behind the scenes to prepare Cedar Crest High School student-athletes for a successful season.
On a Friday morning in the summer, while much of the school is quiet, the CCHS weight room is anything but. Strength and Conditioning Coach Travis Dresch is working with the varsity football team, helping student-athletes build strength, speed, power, and confidence before the Falcons take the field.
“While the rest of the school is sleeping, we’re in the gym putting in the work,” shares Coach Dresch.
That work extends far beyond football. The strength and conditioning program supports student-athletes from nearly every sport throughout the school year and summer, creating a training environment where students across grades and athletic programs can work toward a common goal.
A New Space for a Growing Program
Recent renovations at Cedar Crest High School have transformed the weight room, providing significantly more space and expanded opportunities for student-athletes to train together.
“The new weight room changed what we’re able to do,” Coach Dresch said. “The extra space alone makes a huge difference. It allows us to train larger groups safely while still giving athletes the attention they need.”
The renovated facility features state-of-the-art equipment and technology, along with expanded opportunities for speed and power training. The additional space also allows teams to train together, building camaraderie while encouraging students to challenge themselves and one another.
The weight room is expected to see nearly 80,000 student visits annually, an increase from more than 65,000 visits in the previous space. Students use the facility before school, throughout all eight periods of the school day and after school, as well as during the summer.
But for Coach Dresch, the numbers tell only part of the story.
“What stands out most is the culture,” he said. “The students show up, work hard, and push each other every day.”
That commitment to student-athlete development has also earned Coach Dresch recognition beyond CLSD. He was recently named a Coach of the Year by Power Locker, an honor recognizing his leadership, innovation, and commitment to developing student-athletes.
Coach Dresch sees the recognition as a reflection of the broader team behind the program.
“I’m grateful for the recognition, but I also see it as a reflection of everyone around me—our administration, coaching staff, our community, and especially our student-athletes who put in the work every day,” he said.
The program also uses performance data to help students and coaches understand progress and set goals. Instead of simply recording workouts in a notebook, student-athletes can track their performance digitally and see where they have been and where they are going.
Cedar Crest Head Football Coach Nick Lambros sees that data as an important part of the student-athlete experience.
“It helps the kids get stronger, because they know exactly what they’re doing—where they are, where they’ve been, and where they need to get to.”
The benefits extend well beyond the weight room.
“The work Travis puts in to make sure that they’re educated on their diet, their sleep, on the numbers and why it matters; it’s a huge benefit to their growth as young athletes,” Coach Lambros said.
Five Tips for a Successful Season
While every sport has different physical demands, Coach Dresch shared several fundamentals that can help any student-athlete prepare for a new season:
Be consistent. Quality work every day adds up. Progress comes from consistently showing up and putting in the effort.
Get enough sleep. Recovery matters. A well-rested student-athlete is better prepared to learn, train, compete, and recover.
Eat well and stay hydrated. Proper nutrition and hydration give the body the fuel it needs to perform and recover.
Focus on technique before adding weight or intensity. Building a strong foundation is more important than simply lifting more or training harder.
Be coachable and show up for your teammates. Athletics is about more than individual performance. Listening, learning, and supporting teammates are essential parts of being successful.
For Coach Dresch, those lessons are among the most important outcomes of strength and conditioning.
“As the strength and conditioning coach at CCHS, my job is to help student-athletes get stronger, faster, more resilient, and gain confidence,” he said. “Just as important, we try to build habits that carry over into the classroom and beyond high school—things like discipline, consistency, accountability, and a strong work ethic.”
He has seen those habits make a difference long after students graduate.
“Seeing former athletes come back and talk about how the habits they built here helped them in college, the military, or the workforce is one of my greatest points of pride,” Coach Dresch said. “If students leave Cedar Crest more confident, more disciplined, and believing they can handle challenges, then we’ve done our job.”
Athletics Built on Teamwork
The strength and conditioning program is one part of a larger commitment to student-athletes across Cornwall-Lebanon School District.
CLSD Athletic Director Rick Dissinger said the collaboration among coaches, athletic trainers, and strength and conditioning staff is essential to that commitment.
“Our athletic success relies heavily on total alignment, and our team has complete buy-in across the board,” Dissinger said. “Our head coaches, athletic trainers, and strength and conditioning staff work in close harmony, communicating constantly to align their efforts.”
That collaboration helps ensure training, recovery, and practices are working toward the same goal: helping student-athletes develop safely and reach their potential.
For Coach Lambros, the result is a football program—and an athletics program—that is preparing students for more than game day.
“I’m looking forward to seeing how the kids have grown and developed over time,” Lambros said. “I’m excited for them and to see their development and the young men who have stepped up.”
Dissinger said that preparation represents athletics as a whole.
“Falcon Athletics is built on a foundation of holistic growth, dedication, and unity,” he said. “Behind every game day performance are countless hours of preparation from dedicated student-athletes, passionate coaches, and top-tier support staff.”
As the fall season begins, that preparation will soon become visible under the lights and on the playing fields. Student-athletes will compete, coaches will lead, and families and fans will cheer them on.
But the work that makes those moments possible started months ago—with early mornings, consistent training, teamwork, and a commitment to getting better every day.
For Coach Dresch, that is the heart of Falcon Pride.
“Falcon Pride means doing things the right way even when no one is watching. It’s about working hard, supporting your teammates, and representing Cedar Crest with character and respect. It’s about being part of something bigger than yourself and taking pride in that.”
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