Rock Falls High School, a 3A school in Illinois with about 500 students, has made strength and conditioning a central part of student life. From football players preparing for the fall, to volleyball players training through the summer, to track and field athletes sharpening their skills, the weight room is consistently filled with energy.
For the past four years, Rock Falls has had a dedicated strength program guided by cycles that match each season — in-season, off-season, or preseason. Students train year-round, whether in smaller after-school groups during the school year or in longer summer sessions open to any student.
The result has been steady growth in participation and performance. As Coach David Chavira explained, “We want to meet students where they are — athletes in season, athletes in the off-season, or even students just looking to stay active.”
Before PLT4M – Organized Chaos
Like many schools, Rock Falls didn’t start with a ready-made system. Workouts were written and tracked through a mix of spreadsheets, whiteboards, and Google Docs. Coaches even linked videos into documents to help athletes learn lifts.
The approach worked, but it came at a cost. “There were a lot of different moving parts,” said Chavira. “We had progressions mapped out, leaderboards on paper, assessments on spreadsheets…everything was there, but it took a lot of time.”
As the weight room grew busier, the challenge was clear: Rock Falls needed a way to streamline the process, so coaches could spend less time tracking and more time working with student-athletes.
Why PLT4M – Bringing It All Together
When Rock Falls introduced PLT4M, it quickly became the centralized hub the program needed. Students could log workouts on their phones or shared iPads, and coaches could adjust weights, sets, and reps without rewriting spreadsheets.
“The ability to take programs that are already made, but also build our own, has been huge,” Chavira said. “Now when we test, it’s recorded automatically. We don’t have to track everything by hand.”
Rock Falls has leaned on PLT4M’s assessment features to help students see progress across a variety of movements that reflect total athletic development. “It’s a great platform to guide us, give feedback, and increase motivation.” Chavira added.
Training for Every Season
Strength training at Rock Falls isn’t limited to one sport. Football players, volleyball athletes, and track and field athletes are some of the most active groups in the weight room, but sessions are open to all.
In the summer, Rock Falls runs multiple training windows each day to accommodate student schedules. During the school year, smaller groups train after school with cycles tailored to their season. Programs shift focus based on whether students are building strength in the off-season or maintaining during competition.
This flexibility allows Rock Falls to support a wide range of needs. A football player in November might focus on maintenance, while a track athlete in February is ramping up for spring competition — all within the same system.
Data, Leaderboards, and Culture
Beyond the sets and reps, Rock Falls has built a culture of accountability and excitement through testing and leaderboards. At the start of a cycle, students establish baselines. They test again midway and at the end, giving three checkpoints throughout the program.
Leaderboards play a major role. Results appear in PLT4M, shared on a local Facebook page, and sent out via the Remind app. Students see where they rank and who they’re chasing.
“They look at it quite often and make comments,” Chavira said. “They know who’s in the top five or top ten, and it gives them something to go after.”
This competitive but positive environment keeps students engaged, motivated, and eager to improve.
Coaches + Resources in the Room
With 40–50 students training at once, Rock Falls knows no coach can be everywhere at once. PLT4M’s video library provides students with an extra resource, especially when performing complex lifts.
“We want to prioritize teaching, developing, and growing,” said Chavira. “Having that secondary resource available via PLT4M videos helps a lot. Students can watch the videos and we can really get more in-depth on form and technique.”
Videos have also supported Rock Falls’ use of yoga and recovery sessions. Football players, for example, now use yoga on Mondays as part of their recovery process.
Bonus: Example instructional video from the PLT4M library.
Support Beyond the App
While PLT4M has helped Rock Falls streamline daily training, support from the PLT4M team has been just as important. Coaches received guidance on reporting, attendance tracking, and program design.
“One of the best parts has been the quick response when we have questions,” Chavira said. “The professional development has been really solid, and that guidance has been huge for us.”
As Rock Falls has continued to invest in its facilities, coaches have gained confidence in customizing and manipulating programs to match the equipment and needs of their students.
Facilities, Growth, and the Future at Rock Falls
Over the last three years, Rock Falls has invested heavily in its weight room. The improved facilities, combined with PLT4M’s flexible platform, have helped the school evolve its program each year.
“This past year we took it a step further,” Chavira said. “We started with pre-packaged plans, but now we’ve been able to build and adapt programs that connect directly with the equipment and resources we have.”
The result has been steady improvement not only in performance metrics but in student engagement. The weight room is no longer just a place to lift — it’s a hub of growth and connection.
Rock Falls High School has created a thriving strength and conditioning program by blending tradition with technology. What once required spreadsheets, whiteboards, and endless manual tracking is now streamlined through PLT4M, freeing coaches to focus on teaching and inspiring students.
For Rock Falls, the shift has been less about technology for its own sake and more about what it makes possible: students who see their growth, chase goals, and build a culture of strength together.
As Chavira put it, “The kids see that the work is paying off. That’s what makes it all worth it.”
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