RHINELANDER - While many are still hitting the snooze, a group of Rhinelander high school athletes are hitting the gym.

A group of about 40 athletes from all different teams work out for two and a half hours from Monday through Thursday.

"We want to be able to compete with anyone and we want to be able to know that we are doing our absolute best," said head basketball coach Derek Lemmens. "We don't want to end the season with regrets, saying we could have been in the weight room a little more, we could have been in the gym a little more."

The program is called Strength 4 Training, and it runs through June and July.

The ultimate goal is a better season for every sport, but it's not just about winning.

Coaches designed the new program in part to bring younger and older athletes together.

"We learned about unity, and that's a big thing," said Matt Quade, a senior who plays basketball and football. "Everyone needs to be on the same page for the goals we set for the team, and even on the same page while we're playing, just to make sure everyone is clicking. And not just playing for themselves, but playing for the team."

The coaches are working through what they call the building blocks of character, lessons will take the players far beyond the gym.

"[I'll] be a leader for my whole life, at my job, in college, in the classroom," said Dylon Wilmot, a football and baseball player. "It just helps to be one of those kids that's looked up to and you're a role model in society."

Lemmens said this program wouldn't be possible without community support for the new, bigger gym.

Story By: Lex Gray