Marble Falls athletes Forge their way through June

CAPTION: Senior Christian Cervantes doesn’t waste a rep during his weightlifting session. Staff photos by Jennifer Fierro

The Marble Falls Independent School District’s athletic department is taking a well-earned week off after spending the month of June playing 7 on 7 and girls basketball summer league on top of hosting Forge ’26, the summer strength-and-conditioning program.

“Been really encouraged by the consistency and attendance across all groups,” strength-and-conditioning coordinator Karl “Beef” Bielfeldt said. “The kids are having fun in getting after it, and so that’s been encouraging with how they have approached it and then any new athlete that’s coming in new and fresh, they pick up real quick how things need to get done. If you haven’t been here for a couple days or you weren’t here for the first week or so and you show up, so proud of how they’ve jumped in and haven’t really skipped a beat too much.”

The Lady Mustangs, who all work out together in grades 7-12, have been averaging 60 per week. The Mustangs have been averaging 80 spread over a morning session of high school athletes and a midmorning group of seventh- and eighth-graders.

“It’s not bad considering the time of year, between vacations and everything else,” Bielfeldt said. “You get some older girls, they’ll get jobs and same thing with the guys. Sometimes the job as far as the hours available doesn’t allow itself to (come to Forge). Definitely understand the individuals who have to help or have to have that job.”

This is Bielfeldt’s third summer to lead Forge, and he believes the athletes who are attending for the third time are reaping the benefits of that knowledge now. And it goes beyond how their bodies are physically changing in order to get themselves ready for the upcoming school year.

“What we hope for, and I believe we’re starting to see, is that they understand the importance of working as a group,” the coordinator said. “And I don’t want to use the word ‘suffering’ as a group, but it’s when you have a common goal, a common purpose, and you support each other and encourage each other. A lot of times that monotony goes away, because if you care about each other and you like each other, there’s a lot of things you can do. I will definitely see that with our rising seniors; they’ve now been with us two years, they’ve heard (athletic director Keri) Timmerman preach it as far as common purpose.”

He commended the program’s most experienced group for the dedication and commitment to preparing for what’s coming.

“Common goals encourage us to support each other and trying to build that family mantra,” Bielfeldt said. “And of course, every team is a new team, and so they always have to earn the right to call themselves a family and a lot of times that is dependent upon them and how they see their growth as a group. Rising seniors have seen two classes go before them. I’m sure they’ve taken in what they’ve liked and I’m sure they’ve very, very well noted everything they didn’t like. This is a different group of young men leading this group right now. And so I’m encouraged by that as well.”

Forge resumes Monday, July 6.

CAPTION: Senior Suzie Perez is putting herself in the best position to be ready for another challenge year on the pitch.