A new source of motivation in work ethic, attendance, and attitude was unveiled for all aspiring athletes participating in Archbishop Riordan athletics for the 2019-2020 school year in the form of weight bricks.

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There are three tiers of weight bricks: black is for training during the summer, purple is for training during the school year, and gold is for those that accomplish both.

The black weight bricks have been around since the summer of 2018 where athletes were able to earn one in their sport. A year later, Jones decided to implement two more tiers of bricks, thus instituting a new tradition within Riordan athletics.

Ryan Jones ’08, explained, “The initial idea came from the construction that’s happening outside. I was talking with our athletic directors about how do we build a strong athletic program. When you’re talking about the concept of building, what’s a core concept of that? You have your materials and that’s where the bricks come in. You’re trying to build a program, and you do that brick by brick.”

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The bricks are stacked in the front frame of Jones’ office window inside of the gym workout center.

Jones said, “I want to keep this for as long as I’m here, and I plan on being here a long time. I want it to be something that you can come back to and see your name on the wall.”