H.M. King High School’s Powerlifting Head Coach Sam Callis has had his team pumping iron since late November.

“We started just after Thanksgiving and the practices have been going well,” Callis said. “Our numbers right now are about where they were last year.”

The Brahmas’ roster is full of greenhorns this season.

“I have four returners from last year,” Callis said. “So we have a very young group this season consisting of mostly freshmen and sophomores.”

Like any other skipper, Callis is eager to place his developing lifters into the competitive fire.

“Experience is going to come with getting them to that first meet (Tuloso- Midway, January 16),” Callis said. “We will compete at that first meet and start learning from there.”

Powerlifting contests encompass three maneuvers and each participant receives multiple opportunities to hoist as much as possible.

“Competition is based on three lifts in a participant’s respective weight class; the squat, the bench press and the dead lift,” Callis said.

“Judges first decide if a competitor’s lift is correct so there are a lot of technical things that go into these events. The kids get three lifts at each exercise and the best of each one of those three lifts is totaled and that is how each competitor is ranked.”

Callis is hoping this year’s returners can advance past district.

“I expect all of them to compete and make it to regionals,” Callis said. “We had Mark Cortez who made it to state the last two years and is also the only one who advanced to regionals.”

Although the University Interscholastic League chooses not to accredit powerlifting, Callis mentions that the sport still follows league principles.

“Yes I would not mind if they sanctioned powerlifting, but as far as eligibility and all of that we follow U.I.L. guidelines and this sport is still run by a governing body,” Callis said.

“Anyone competing at regionals and at state have to sign a waiver that states that they can randomly be tested for steroids at anytime. Most of our lifters participate in a U.I.L. sanctioned sport of some kind so they have already signed a random testing waiver form.”

H.M. King, Callis said, has nothing to worry about when it comes to steroid use among its athletes.

Since recently implementing examinations, U.I.L. has tested different Brahma athletes for steroids with all of the results coming out negative.

“We begin each season preaching about the negative impact of steroids and show the kids the U.I.L.’s steroid video,” Callis said. “We really stress for them to instead work hard and not take shortcuts, let things come naturally and anyone taking any of that stuff it will affect their body for years to come.”