Vandebilt Catholic High School Receives the 2025 Strength of America Award

June 18, 2025

Vandebilt Catholic High School raises strength and conditioning standards creating safer programs and facilities for their athletes.

The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) is proud to announce Vandebilt
Catholic High School (VCHS) in Houma, LA as a 2025 Strength of America Award recipient. This award recognizes VCHS to have represented the gold standard in strength and conditioning programs.

Led by our partnering strength and conditioning coaches, Amelia Castell and Patrick Labat of Terrebonne General Performance Training Center, to improve the school’s curriculum, VCHS was measured in four major categories: Supervision, Education, Program, and Facilities. Selected from hundreds of eligible schools, VCHS will be recognized on the NSCA website as having achieved the Strength of America distinction.

The NSCA provides all high schools with concise guidelines. “I am proud to have Vandebilt Catholic High School be part of our ongoing mission to improve the education and programs for all our youth,” says Eric McMahon, the NSCA’s Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager.
Congratulations to Coach Castell and Coach Labat, and the VCHS Athletic Department on this outstanding achievement. READ MORE HERE.

Recent Posts

By Katie Anderson May 6, 2025
On May 1, 2025, the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) announced that VCHS juniors, Reese Landry and Logan Himel were awarded the 2025 All-American Strength and Conditioning Athlete Award. This award recognizes their athletic accomplishments in multiple sports and dedication to strength and conditioning. Nominated by athletic trainers Amelia Castell and Patrick Labat of Terrebonne General Performance Training Center, Reese and Logan exemplify the dedication to athletic excellence and academic achievement that serves as a great example for all student-athletes at Vandebilt Catholic High School. When asked about her nomination for Reese, Coach Amelia Castell stated, “Reese approaches every training session with a determined mindset and consistently gives her best effort, while pushing her teammates to do the same. She has truly taken ownership of her personal fitness and sport performance. Her dedication to self-improvement and ever-positive attitude make her an exemplary candidate for this prestigious award.” The same question was asked to Coach Patrick Labat about Logan, and his response was, “Logan embodies the qualities of an ideal Vandebilt student-athlete, and his success can be traced to his dedication to the weight room. The sports performance program has not only built his physical strength, but fortified his mental strength and confidence which has helped him achieve high levels of performance.” Full bios on Reese Landry and Logan Himel can be found HERE. (click the multi-sport athletes button.) Additional information from the National Strength and Conditioning Association Press Release: “We are proud to have Amelia Castell and Patrick Labat join the NSCA in its mission to safely improve athletic performance,” says Eric McMahon, NSCA’s Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, “Supporting our student-athletes like Reese and Logan guarantees a stronger future for the NSCA.” About the National Strength & Conditioning Association - Founded in 1978, The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) is a nonprofit association dedicated to advancing the strength and conditioning and related sport science professions around the world. The NSCA exists to empower a community of professionals to maximize their impact through disseminating evidence-based knowledge and its practical application by offering industry-leading certifications, research journals, career development services, networking opportunities, and continuing education. The NSCA community is composed of more than 60,000 members and certified professionals throughout the world who further industry standards as researchers, educators, strength and conditioning coaches, performance and sport scientists, personal trainers, tactical professionals, and other related roles.
A group of young people wearing medals are posing for a picture.
March 26, 2025
On Saturday, March 22, 2025, Vandebilt Catholic (VCHS) hosted its 32nd Elementary Literary Rally. Participants in 5th-7th grade from schools in the Terrebonne and Lafourche areas competed in the academic areas of English, Math, Science, and Social Studies. Awards for each subject tested were presented by Mrs. Erica Babin ‘06, VCHS Dean of Academics and VCHS Department Leaders, Mrs. Kayla Starr, Mrs. Mary Catherine Gueldner ‘98, and Mr. Dave Malone. 17 local schools participated.
By Katie Anderson May 6, 2025
On May 1, 2025, the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) announced that VCHS juniors, Reese Landry and Logan Himel were awarded the 2025 All-American Strength and Conditioning Athlete Award. This award recognizes their athletic accomplishments in multiple sports and dedication to strength and conditioning. Nominated by athletic trainers Amelia Castell and Patrick Labat of Terrebonne General Performance Training Center, Reese and Logan exemplify the dedication to athletic excellence and academic achievement that serves as a great example for all student-athletes at Vandebilt Catholic High School. When asked about her nomination for Reese, Coach Amelia Castell stated, “Reese approaches every training session with a determined mindset and consistently gives her best effort, while pushing her teammates to do the same. She has truly taken ownership of her personal fitness and sport performance. Her dedication to self-improvement and ever-positive attitude make her an exemplary candidate for this prestigious award.” The same question was asked to Coach Patrick Labat about Logan, and his response was, “Logan embodies the qualities of an ideal Vandebilt student-athlete, and his success can be traced to his dedication to the weight room. The sports performance program has not only built his physical strength, but fortified his mental strength and confidence which has helped him achieve high levels of performance.” Full bios on Reese Landry and Logan Himel can be found HERE. (click the multi-sport athletes button.) Additional information from the National Strength and Conditioning Association Press Release: “We are proud to have Amelia Castell and Patrick Labat join the NSCA in its mission to safely improve athletic performance,” says Eric McMahon, NSCA’s Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, “Supporting our student-athletes like Reese and Logan guarantees a stronger future for the NSCA.” About the National Strength & Conditioning Association - Founded in 1978, The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) is a nonprofit association dedicated to advancing the strength and conditioning and related sport science professions around the world. The NSCA exists to empower a community of professionals to maximize their impact through disseminating evidence-based knowledge and its practical application by offering industry-leading certifications, research journals, career development services, networking opportunities, and continuing education. The NSCA community is composed of more than 60,000 members and certified professionals throughout the world who further industry standards as researchers, educators, strength and conditioning coaches, performance and sport scientists, personal trainers, tactical professionals, and other related roles.
A group of young people wearing medals are posing for a picture.
March 26, 2025
On Saturday, March 22, 2025, Vandebilt Catholic (VCHS) hosted its 32nd Elementary Literary Rally. Participants in 5th-7th grade from schools in the Terrebonne and Lafourche areas competed in the academic areas of English, Math, Science, and Social Studies. Awards for each subject tested were presented by Mrs. Erica Babin ‘06, VCHS Dean of Academics and VCHS Department Leaders, Mrs. Kayla Starr, Mrs. Mary Catherine Gueldner ‘98, and Mr. Dave Malone. 17 local schools participated.