“The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender.” And every single day this summer Rhinelander athletes have been proving Vince Lombardi’s timeless words. Showing dedication and a will to succeed, student athletes have been arriving at the high school bright and early at 7 a.m. this summer, all with one common goal. To work for something larger than themselves. Upwards of 30 athletes have shown the will to work for team success, and coaches couldn’t be more satisfied.

Helping with the supervision of the group are three Rhinelander High School varsity coaches. Hodag Football Coach Jim Moore, Basketball Coach Derek Lemmens, and Baseball Coach Joe Waksmonski all instruct the athletes in the weight room, in the gym, and on the field.

“This is a great opportunity for kids to come out and train together,” said Coach Moore. “If you want the edge in athletics, I don’t care what it is, strength training helps you get to the top. You will throw better, run faster, and jump higher.”

The athletes are taking part in the new computer program; “Bigger, Faster, Stronger,” which sets weekly goals for participants and pushes forward with a rigorous routine. Following the BFS core weight lifts, the athletes do a cardio regimen with Coach Lemmens, who then addresses the athletes about the importance of having quality character and composure in all aspects of life.

“I’d like to thank the athletes for their great effort and I enjoyed working with Coach Joe Waksmonski and Coach Derek Lemmens during the summer,” Moore added.

Words such as confidence, poise and character all ring within the Aspirus Community Fitness Center, and inspired athletes push themselves to new heights.

“We’ve had great numbers so far and been consistent all summer,” said Moore. “We’ve had a great training summer. We want to keep this going and continue into the fall. We want to be our strongest during playoff time and we are working on catching and running exercises. It will benefit everyone.”

Looking forward to the season, a planned parent meeting is scheduled for Thursday August 2nd at 6 pm in the LGI next to the high school library. The meeting will include talking about how to plan to avoid concussions, hand in paper work if completed, and talk about the 2012 season. This will be the first year off eligibility for the Hodag football team following the schools transfer to the Great Northern Conference.

The first day of practice is Aug. 6, and players will be meeting from 8 a.m. to noon in the high school cafeteria to address things such as equipment, lockers, impact concussion testing, and the Hodag discount card kick off.

“We are going to set goals for this season,” explains Moore. “We need to set goals we have control over, like practicing hard and being positive. The rest will come from there.”

For interested athletes, there is still time to prepare. The summer training program is every week, Monday through Thursday beginning at 7 a.m. in the Aspirus Community Fitness Center.

Editor’s note: For more coverage of local sports, visit StarJournalNOW.com and HodagSports.com.