For a small rural school in Indiana, Barr Reeve is doing big things in the weight room. The middle and high school that serves just over 500 students has transformed the weight room over the last 7 years and is seeing the evolution of its strength and conditioning program make lasting impacts on students and athletes. From incorporating technology and programs to renovating the space, Barr Reeve has committed district-wide to the weight room.
Josh Thompson, PE teacher and basketball coach, explains that the small school without a football team doesn’t let size get in the way of supporting students and athletes at Barr Reeve,
“Our community sees the importance of strength and conditioning. We have hard-working and talented athletes we want to support and provide every opportunity to succeed.”
When Josh references the community, he notes that administrators, students, athletes, families, coaches, and teachers are all invested in the weight room. Together, the Barr Reeve community has set the bar for what a school weight room can look like. Here is how they have evolved the program over the last 7 years.
The Original Vision For The Barr Reeve Weight Room
When Josh Thompson first started at Barr Reeve as the PE teacher and boy’s basketball coach, the weight room was somewhat of an after-thought,
“While the tradition of excellence on the court had always been there, we hadn’t been known as a school that really promoted the importance of a strength training program.”
As a result, Josh set out to make the room a priority for not only his basketball team but other sports programs and PE classes at the school. The push also came from baseball coach Trevor McConnell, whose baseball team just won a state title, as well as other coaches from track and soccer who have also put an emphasis on strength and conditioning with their programs. To support this initiative across the program, Barr Reeve implemented PLT4M to help with workouts and tracking in the weight room,
“We signed on early with PLT4M because, as coaches and teachers, we all wear many hats, so turning to a quality and trusted resource was a necessity.”
Quickly, Josh and other coaches started to see the impact PLT4M was having in the weight room,
“Two things stood out to me as a teacher and coach using PLT4M: First, the instructional videos helped everyone, including student-athletes, teachers, and coaches, improve form and technique. Next, the data helped personalize workouts and motivate student-athletes while making life easier for coaches and teachers.”
BR Advanced PE students getting after it today! @PLT4M @BR_Schools pic.twitter.com/Xn2V8ZsZ6J
— Josh Thompson (@coachthompson44) August 20, 2024
Evolving Barr Reeve’s Strength and Conditioning Program
As the program’s early results started to set in with student-athletes, Josh looked to continue the evolution of the weight room at Barr Reeve. Over the last few years, Josh has taken PLT4M and continued to evolve to grow the Barr Reeve strength and conditioning program.
For example, Josh has pushed for middle school students to get more involved so that they can build a strong foundation of form and technique. With a strength and conditioning unit during PE and an emphasis on summer training, Josh explains how middle school students learn and develop critical skills that get them ready for high school,
“With PLT4M, we spend a lot of time on bodyweight movements at the middle school level so that they come to the high school even more prepared to take off running in the weight room.”
Next, Barr Reeve High School has expanded its offerings and has 3 strength and conditioning electives throughout the school day. Soon, Josh says the school hopes to add a 4th section as excitement around the weight room continues to build,
“Our students are seeing the benefits of year-round training and embracing the power of strength and conditioning. It is awesome to see the individual progress and improvement in the PLT4M app and on the court, field, and track. It is making for a lot of buzz at our school.”
At the beginning of last year, Owen could barely do PVC and barbell reps properly. Today he’s working out with 95 pounds as part of his power clean workout. It’s all about small gains and having a focus every time you work out. @PLT4M @BR_Schools pic.twitter.com/oQRTmM8QB4
— Josh Thompson (@coachthompson44) January 3, 2023
More Than Just Weight Training
And while Barr Reeve has made a concerted effort in the weight room itself, Josh explains how the overall goal is not just lifting weights but focusing on total athletic development and injury prevention,
“We have a dedicated day a week where we incorporate things like PLT4M yoga, recovery, and mobility lessons that I display on a projector for all the students to follow along.”
This added element encourages student-athletes to see the complete picture of athletic performance. Altogether, Josh says the hard work in the classes and weight room is turning into more than just weight training success,
“We talk to other schools and programs in our area all the time about what we are doing. We are very proud of our student-athletes and glad that their hard work is being recognized and seen by others in the area.”
Vikings getting after it in the Weight Room today. @PLT4M @BR_Schools pic.twitter.com/8yNcu7HCSZ
— Josh Thompson (@coachthompson44) August 22, 2024
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The Next Evolution Of Barr Reeve’s Weight Room
Over the last 7 years, Barr Reeve has seen a lot of success in a small weight room. But recently, the school made a significant investment and expanded the space to almost 8 times the size. With more racks, new equipment, and lots of other updates, Josh says the updates are a reflection of a supportive community,
“Our administrators have recognized the efforts and supported us every step of the way. We are so excited for the new space and even more opportunities to evolve the weight room with our new equipment and resources.”
Josh says that all the staff take a great amount of pride in the weight room,
“I cannot thank Jeff Doyle (principal), Aaron Ash (AD), and Justin Seal (Maintenance), enough for all they have done to help us push our programs. Ultimately the support of our superintendent and school board providing the financing is what pushed this awesome project across the finish line.”
Now, as Josh looks to take the new space and continue to evolve, he sees PLT4M as a key resource for further success,
“PLT4M has evolved and grown with us. There are new programs and more opportunities every year for us to keep using the technology to support students throughout the school.”
As Josh reflects on all the progress the school has made, he explains the pride he has in the evolution of the program,
“It is something we are all truly proud of. I never would have thought we would come this far over the last 7 years, but the progress of our students in and out of the weight room is truly amazing. We love to showcase all the hard work that goes into our weight room!”
Check out more from Barr Reeve as they post updates and inside looks of the hard work of students:
Beyond blessed to call these two places my classroom! pic.twitter.com/zJzfYfwIES
— Josh Thompson (@coachthompson44) August 8, 2024
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