From the moment Josh Hodges unlocks the door to the high school fitness center each day, he knows he’ll have the chance to motivate and inspire. As a Strength and Conditioning Coach at M-E, his days are centered around helping students become their best selves, both physically and mentally. It’s a job he doesn’t take lightly, and a role he’s humbled to be in.
“It’s an absolute honor to just know that people let me be a part of their journey. To see the growth that kids have, to see their journey and what they’ve been able to accomplish, and how strong and confident they’ve become, whether it’s in athletics or in life, that’s one of the coolest things in the world,” said Hodges.
Along with Physical Education teacher Todd Kariam, Hodges begins the school year with yet another unique opportunity. For the first time ever, the high school is offering a prep course for the Certified Personal Training (CPT) exam through the International Sports Sciences Association. (ISSA) Hodges and Kariam will go through the official workbook, chapter by chapter, and sharing their own experiences in the field.
“At face value, it’s a pretty rigorous exam. It’s 200 questions where you’re covering a wide spectrum of things around the culture of fitness, around the demographics that you’re going to be with, so you need to have kind of a baseline knowledge. We have to know a little bit about a lot of things,” said Hodges.
Upon completion of the class, students may take the CPT exam. Once they pass, they can then become certified, all while still in high school.
“I think this is an awesome opportunity. It gives them an opportunity to get their foot in the door in the field, and then on top of that, it’s kind of a little side-hustle for them. They can make a little bit of extra money. We’re in the side hustle culture so I think that’s an awesome opportunity,” said Hodges.
All sessions are at capacity, with roughly 20 students making up each class.
For Hodges, working with students in a whole new way has been incredibly rewarding.
“I’ve had a lot of students approach me and say, I saw your class, and your name and I signed up, which is exciting. I think it just speaks of how involved I’ve been able to become with the community, and how welcoming the Spartan community has been to me,” said Hodges.
We’re excited to continue growing our options for micro-credentialing programs like this one in the future, providing students with a variety of options following graduation.