By ANDY GARDNER

MASSENA -- The Massena Central varsity football coach wants a weight room added to the high school, but Board of Education members want to make sure it isn’t a liability.

Board President Pat Bronchetti said varsity football Coach Nick Zappia contacted him to ask about the facility and said it may not cost much, or anything, to outfit.

“Our football coach sent an email to me asking about a weight room. We’ve had a facility in years past but it’s not a real weight room,” Bronchetti said at the Thursday school board meeting. “Nick seems to think he can get the weights and benches for little to no money at all.”

He said it may be able to go in the auxiliary gym, but Trustee Kevin Peretta was worried about liability.

“Who monitors that … if somebody’s got 500 pounds on there they’re going to crush themselves,” Peretta said.

Superintendent Patrick Brady said coaches would be responsible for monitoring.

“What are the guidelines whereby the coach has … the ability to get the students to go to that (weight room) outside that particular sporting event. What’s the season he can mandate them to use the weight room?” Peretta asked.

“A coach cannot mandate that off season. He can encourage it,” Brady said, adding that coaches can’t use weight room use to determine a roster. “That would go against regulations, so it’s more of strongly encouraging students to take part.”