program requirements

To successfully implement the Barbell Club in your school, each program requires the following elements: 

  • Point of Contact within the School. Traditionally, this is the Athletic Director and/or Community Coordinator, but we also feel that a relationship with the school’s guidance counselor or social worker is a key component for the work we do. 

  • Head Coach. The Head Coach is a volunteer who is willing to commit to leading the course and attends all classes. They are required to complete the Coaching Certification Course including Mandatory Reporter and CPR Training.

  • Assistant Coach. The Assistant Coach is required to attend all classes to provide support to the Head Coach. Mandatory Reporter Training is required. While completion of the Coaching Certification Course is not required, it is strongly encouraged.

  • Volunteers. To support our Head Coach and Assistant Coach, our standard is to have no more than five girls to a Coach. So, if you have more than 10 participants, you will need one additional volunteer for every five girls. All volunteers must complete Mandatory Reporter Training. In areas where Raise the Bar Initiative has localized ambassadors, we may be able to provide volunteers for the school’s Barbell Club.

  • Weight Room or Dedicated Training Space. For training purposes, the high school Barbell Club will require access to the weight room or a dedicated training room two times a week for 90 minutes after school. The middle school program requires a dedicated space one time a week for 60 minutes. The room should be able to be locked so training equipment can be secured. The size of your weight room or training space will dictate the amount of lifters who can participate in your program. 

  • Funding. The start-up and operational costs to support the Barbell Club are highly variable depending on each school’s access to existing strength equipment, training space, water, fresh fruits and snacks, and more. Raise the Bar Initiative will work with each school to evaluate its needs and provide recommendations on how to meet them, including our ability to provide partial or full funding.

Raise the Bar Initiative provides Barbell Club programming and will list all necessary strength equipment.

Student lifters also receive the following items free of charge to support their lifting journey and provide a way for them to feel like they are both a part of the Barbell Club and part of a community. 

  • Lifting journal

  • BBC branded t-shirt

  • BBC branded sweatshirt

  • Healthy snacks during each class (DSM Area Schools only)

expanding our footprint

We currently operate the Barbell Club program in Des Moines area schools, but the Barbell Club can easily be implemented in schools across the midwest as long as it has the support within the school and meets our requirements.

donate today

As our Barbell Club program continues to evolve, needs for various pieces of equipment are always on the horizon. Every donation helps us reach that goal and enables the Barbell Club girls to get stronger, one lift at a time.