TUCSON, Ariz — Steve Schween is very serious about getting Cienega's student athletes in top form, boys and girls, all 500 of them from every sport -- starting their freshman year.
"We're trying to build the entire athlete. They're really good at their sport. They're not the best athlete yet and we try to team them to be the better athlete and better person," said Schween.
Character development is a critical component of this unique strength and conditioning program -- developed by Schween and now in it's 4th year.
"Ordinary effort -- ordinary result," he told his students during a class.
Schween is a competitive power-lifter and has degrees in physical education and health science.
"One of the things the weight room really teaches you about is who you are. You see self confidence, self esteem. That person grow from that small shy, I don't know if I can do this to they've got confidence. You can see them walk around doing things they didn't think they could do."
"We have a packet that talks about --sleep, hydration, nutrition -- the three greatest supplements on earth. They're kids man, they're life is fluctuating up and down. These kids are playing sports, that may be in club, they have homework and they're not getting the best sleep," he said.
And their habits are all tracked online. The student athletes stay in Schween's classes every year, which he says is the best part of the job.
"Lifting weights is cool. Watching them grow is even better," he said.
Steve is one of 9 finalists in the University of Arizona Online Outstanding High School Faculty Awards. The winner will be announced in early March of 2020.
