In a free virtual combine called the High School Throwdown presented by Caffeine & Kilos, USA Weightlifting is searching for high school athletes - ages 13 to 18 - of any weight class to see how they measure up against their peers around the country.
Athletes can submit videos, engage with Olympic coaches, and share their stories, all in hopes of being named the strongest in their class.
Below are some of the frequently asked questions we receive and answers that will help you navigate the event.
How much does it cost to participate in the High School Throwdown?
Participation in the event is free for all athletes.
Where do I go to participate in the event?
Each activity in the High School Throwdown is created to be performed and recorded in any space. You just need some basic weightlifting equipment. Your local gym or high school weightlifting facility is the ideal place to record your reps.
What is the prize given to the strongest athletes in each weight class?
After all of the athlete videos are reviewed following the October 31st submission deadline, there will be a prize for the strongest athlete in each of the weight classes. There will be ten prize winners for the female weight classes and ten prize winners for the male weight classes.
The first prize for each weight class includes:
- a trophy
- a pair of Nike weightlifting shoes
- a one-year USA Weightlifting membership
- a t-shirt
What is the prize given to the strongest school?
The high school that has the best collection of athlete videos following the October 31st submission deadline will earn the title of “The Strongest High School In America”.
The prize for being named “The Strongest High School in America” includes:
- a trophy
- a Rogue Fitness barbellThe top three schools will also receive a banner from USA Weightlifting to hang in their school’s weight room.
Below, you can find more questions and answers on how to find the event, create a profile and participate for yourself.
How do I create a GMTM profile?
To get started with your showcase submission, either log into your existing GMTM profile or create a new one. The process is simple and you can get started here.
What do I do if I am not receiving a sign-in code when I log in?
If your email address is a .edu email or another provider with strict spam settings, you may experience issues receiving your sign in code.
In the event you do not receive a sign-in code, you may want to try a different email or try signing up/in via your mobile phone number.
How do I find the event?
After creating a profile or signing in, you can find the USA Weightlifting High School Throwdown event in the Activities dropdown menu. You can click on any of the links (like the one above) in this article to be redirected to the event.
To access the Activities Menu, go to the homepage and hover over Activities. The dropdown menu should appear and will display the different types of activities on GMTM. The High School Throwdown event is an Online Showcase, so scroll down in the dropdown menu and click on Online Showcases.
This will redirect you to the Online Showcases page where you can see dozens of unique online events hosted by different Olympic teams, professional clubs and college programs. To find the USA Weightlifting event, scroll down until you see the Event Card. Then, click Participate.
To save yourself some time in the future, you can also use the Search Bar in the Tool Bar at the top of the screen. Just click on the Search Bar to start searching from any page on GMTM. Then, start typing to find the athlete, event, or organization you are looking for.
How do I navigate within the event?
Once you click Participate on the Event Card in the Online Showcases menu, you will be redirected to the USA Weightlifting High School Throwdown page. Here, you can view all of the activities athletes will need to complete.
After scrolling through the page, you can start any activity by clicking the Participate Button on the right-hand side of the Activity Card.
Clicking Participate will redirect you to the Activity page. Once there, watch the instructional video that USA Weightlifting has provided to complete the tasks. Some activities will ask for a video submission.
What background information is needed for an athlete to participate?
In the first activity in the USA Weightlifting High School Throwdown, athletes are asked to provide some background information. This information helps USA Weightlifting coaches organize athletes into different age and weight classes, as well as help them get better connected to other coaches, events, and clubs.
The information needed for this activity includes:
- Your email address
- Your current weight to determine your weight class
- Your gender
- Your home or high school address
- Your phone number
- The name of your high school
- Your coach’s name, email address and phone number
- Your date of birth
- Your current grade
Is the information I submit to the High School Throwdown private?
Yes, all information submitted to USA Weightlifting through the event will be private and will only be visible to the event organizers. The information you add to your profile may be visible to the public.
To make your profile private, follow the directions below.
How can I adjust the privacy settings on my profile?
To adjust privacy settings for your videos or your profile, you can go to Account Settings. Account Settings is found on the dropdown menu located at the top right corner of your screen when you hover your mouse over your profile picture.
Once in Account Settings, you can click the Privacy tab on the left side of your screen. This brings up the area where you can set your preferences on privacy settings for your profile and your videos.
On the Personal tab, you can set your profile to Public, Coaches Only, or Private. On the Film tab, you can select which videos you want to set to Public, Private or visible to Coaches Only.
Read more about GMTM Privacy Settings in this article: How To Navigate Privacy Settings on GMTM.
How do I upload a video submission to an activity?
After you've watched the video and read the description explaining how to complete the activity, record your submission. To do this, go to your high school gym or a local gym that has weightlifting equipment to create your video submission. Ask a friend to record your activity using a camera phone or other equipment.
For activities that require a timed metric or measurement, ask a friend to help you record the time or distance while you are performing.
Once you've created your video, save it on your phone or in a folder on your computer. Then find the Upload button on the Activity page and attach your video submission. You can also submit videos as YouTube links.
Once you've attached the correct video and added any other information the Activity asks for, click Submit.
If you have any other questions about participating in the USA Weightlifting High School Throwdown that weren't covered in this article, send an email to support@gmtm.com with your question or issue - or - send us a message using the chat feature in the bottom left of any GMTM.com page.
