During his first semester, Parde faced a defining moment in Anatomy & Physiology I. After receiving a failing grade on his first major exam, he found himself at a crossroads.

“In that moment, I had to decide if following the medical career path was really what I wanted to do,” Parde said. “I wondered if I was really cut out for chiropractic school if I couldn’t pass my first anatomy test.”

Rather than turning away from his goals, Parde leaned into the support system that drew him to �㽶��Ƶ in the first place. He began meeting almost daily with Dr. Brie Myre, assistant professor of biology. Together, they reviewed previous lessons and prepared for upcoming quizzes and practicals. The personalized attention paid off: Parde turned his grade around, finishing the course with an A.

“This isn’t something I could’ve done without the help of Dr. Myre and the student-to-faculty ratio here,” he noted.

Parde has since maintained a stellar 3.85 GPA while balancing a heavy course load that included chemistry, kinesiology, anatomy & physiology, and research methods and statistics. His academic dedication is matched by his involvement on campus.

A recipient of both athletic and academic scholarships — including the Trinity United Methodist and Ruth and Darrell Berg Scholarships — Parde spent two years as a tight end for the Bronco football team, earning recognition as an NAIA Scholar-Athlete.

His favorite athletic memory? “Beating Midland my freshman year and taking back the trophy,” he said.

Beyond the football field, Parde has served the campus community as a resident assistant and served as the head RA. He also worked part-time in the sports department at the YMCA, supervising youth programs. During breaks, he gains hands-on experience in his future field by working at Kepler Family Chiropractic, as well as Hillcrest Country Club.

As he approached graduation, Parde looked back fondly on the relationships he built, particularly the collaborative experience of completing his senior capstone research project with classmate Brock Buresh titled “Acute effects of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation versus static stretching on range of motion in healthy adults.”

Parde caught the attention of the faculty from the start.

“Carson was a student who came in with a plan, and executed it to perfection,” said Casey Molifua, senior lecturer in the Physical Education and Human Performance Department. “Beyond his academics, he’s a student who engages with not only his coursework but with the student body as a whole. He was a joy to have in class and although we will miss him, we know he will do great things!”

When asked why he chose �㽶��Ƶ, Parde said it was the smaller class size and the opportunity for career growth. “I’ve been blessed with long-lasting relationships with teammates, peers and professors that have prepared me for what’s next,” he said.

Parde’s next chapter will take him to Davenport, Iowa, to attend Palmer College of Chiropractic in the fall.

By Dr. Matthew Beeler, associate professor of exercise science

Branson came to �㽶��Ƶ from Lawrence, Kansas, where she excelled at school and on the volleyball court — and is involved in as many aspects of campus life as someone could possibly be.

She’s a member of multiple groups on campus, including Bronco Move; Alpha Chi, the collegiate honors society; and Psi Chi, the psychology national honors society. Branson said she works so hard in order to prepare herself for a career as a counselor in clinical mental health counseling. She plans to attend West Virginia University for her master’s degree in the fall.

She holds a 4.0 GPA and was recently named �㽶��Ƶ female scholar athlete of the year, where she was a three-year starter for the volleyball team.

The accolades don’t stop there. She attended �㽶��Ƶ on the Ringland Scholarship where she is a dual major in and psychology with a minor in strength and conditioning. During her time on campus, she earned Dean’s List four straight years, was named an NAIA scholar-athlete and received CoSIDA academic all district honors.

Branson also has a talent for academic research.

She recently completed two senior capstone projects centering around the impact of coaching feedback on women’s confidence and sports performance. She credits her advisors, Dr. Rachael Robinson-Keilig, associate professor of psychology, and Casey Krolikowksi, assistant professor of exercise science, for helping her navigate the rigours of college and for being support structures for her to lean on.

She said the unique community at �㽶��Ƶ also helped her learn and grow.

“I love the community. As someone who didn’t grow up in Nebraska, �㽶��Ƶ has a community like no other,” Branson said. “Not only do you meet many students from different backgrounds and form close friendships with, but the faculty here are supportive and welcoming and care about you and work with you to help you achieve your goals.”

Branson has continually impressed the faculty with her dedication and focus, as well as her constant bright presence on campus, Krolikowksi said.

“She embodies the growth, ethics and mindset we hope to foster here at the College and we wish her the best as she ventures into the world as a �㽶��Ƶ graduate,” she said.

By Dr. Matthew Beeler, assistant professor of exercise science

In what could be described as an athletic trainer’s dream job, exercise science graduate Julyah Wilson ’22 interned this past summer with the New England Patriots, the NFL team that dazzled fans during the Brady-Belichick era, won a record six Super Bowl titles and continues to sell out every home game.

Wilson, a former Bronco track athlete, earned her master’s degree in May 2024 from the University of Nebraska Omaha, which holds two places each year in the graduate athletic training program for �㽶��Ƶ students who meet admissions criteria.

The two-year program focuses on training techniques, orthopedic assessment and therapeutic interventions.

For one of her required clinical rotations, Wilson interned with the University of Alabama football team, an experience that planted the seeds for the Patriots’ offer.

“I did well at Alabama and built a great connection,” Wilson said. “One of the athletic trainers I worked with is now with the Patriots. He reached out to me and asked if I was interested in a paid summer internship. Of course, I said yes.”

Before heading east, Wilson passed her board of certification exam to become a certified athletic trainer.

This story originally appeared in the 2024 HC Today.

A summer at Gillette Stadium

The Patriots put Wilson up in an extended-stay hotel in Wrentham, about 10 minutes from Gillette Stadium in Foxborough. Arriving at the stadium’s athletic training room at 6 a.m. each day, she treated rookie and veteran players for ankle injuries, quad strains, sore backs and other ailments and helped with stretching and hip mobility exercises.

After treatments, the players practiced on two different fields in the hot summer sun. Wilson and her colleagues swarmed like bees during breaks in the play to hand out water and Gatorade. After team meetings, she headed back to the athletic training room to treat more players.

The NFL experience didn’t intimidate Wilson, who also completed practicums with Bellevue West and Papillion LaVista High Schools in Nebraska, Iowa Western Community College and Creighton University’s women’s basketball team in Omaha. Working for the pros did require greater awareness and focus.

“NFL teams are way more fast paced. You have to keep your head more on a swivel than you would for a college or high school team. And there’s definitely more hands on deck, people on the staff. Earlier days, longer hours and different kinds of treatment strategies,” she said.

While interacting with players in the athletic training room, Wilson found them cordial and friendly. Her contacts included veteran players like safety Jabrill Peppers and defensive end Deatrich Wise and rookies like Marcellas Dial, a recruit from the University of South Carolina.

Wilson remained with the team until the “cut down date” in late August when NFL teams trim their preseason teams from 90 to 53.

Learning the fundamentals at HC

A number of factors contributed to Wilson’s decisions to major in exercise science and become an athletic trainer. As a high school athlete in Aurora, Colorado, she was injured and had shoulder surgery, an experience that piqued her interest in therapy and recovery. She was intrigued by an anatomy class her senior year.

“Those things just played together to make me want to be an athletic trainer,” she said.

Recruited as a sprinter on �㽶��Ƶ’s track team, she qualified for nationals four consecutive years, was named All Conference and All American, and was GPAC champion in the 200m, 100m and 60m dashes. A dean’s list student, she was named to Who’s Who in 2022 in recognition of her contributions to the campus community.

Wilson counts among her inspirations �㽶��Ƶ faculty Casey Molifua and Dr. Matthew Beeler from the Department of Physical Education and Human Performance, which offers the popular exercise science major. This academic year, exercise science is one of the largest majors on campus among returning, full-time undergraduates, second only to business administration.

“Beeler introduced me to the UNO Athletic Training Program. Casey was aware of what I wanted to do and helped me find the path to take. They both guided me on what to do next and were very helpful,” she said.

Wilson recently landed a job as assistant athletic trainer for women’s soccer and softball and men’s wrestling at Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln.

“I can relate to athletes since I also competed in sports and had injuries,” she said. “Athletic trainers are people athletes can talk to outside of their coaches and parents. We’re people they can trust. I find that very fulfilling. The athletic training room is a healing place, mentally and physically.”

By Judee Konen ‘85

His goal was — and is as he looks to graduation and a master’s degree biomechanics — to help athletes succeed and improve just like the pitching evaluation that helped him grow as an athlete.

The exercise science major from Missouri Valley, Iowa, found out about the Pitching Lab during the 2021 College World Series. The lab had a booth setup, and after a visit, Fichter was hooked, and soon scheduled a visit so he could tour the facility and lab.

Fichter said he developed a strong interest in biomechanics during his sophomore year as a pitcher on the �㽶��Ƶ baseball team. Biomechanics is the movement, force and mechanics of an athlete’s pitch or swing, and the lab aims to help athletes with knowledge and understanding of how their movement affects their health and performance.

Using high-speed cameras and sensors, the lab captures the pitch or swing of baseball and softball players, or the swing of a golfer.

After an evaluation, the Pitching Lab’s experts provide detailed analysis that can be used to develop a training program targeted at addressing each athlete’s specific needs.

After his visit, he suggested to his �㽶��Ƶ coach that the team should visit the Pitching Lab for practice and winter evaluation. His coach agreed.

“I’m glad I mentioned the lab to my coach. He thought it would be a good practice experience for the pitchers and for the team overall,” he said.

Fichter was especially interested in all it takes to make the lab work — how the camera and computer helps the biomechanists share how the athlete’s form looked and what needs to be corrected.

Fueled by curiosity, Fichter reached out to Brian Knarr, the lead biomechanist of the Pitching Lab. He wanted to keep in contact with Knarr to ask questions and learn more about the program. Soon after, Fichter reached back out to Knarr and asked about internship opportunities.

“I think what really helped me secure the internship was the fact I was in constant contact with Brian Knarr. It helped a lot in the process, so I am grateful I stayed in touch,” Fichter said.

In addition to his regular internship duties, he took time to shadow some of the master’s program students at UNO as they would break down the data from a session, then consult and offer feedback to the athletes about their results.

“Sitting in on these consultations is rewarding, especially seeing the players and coaches receive feedback from the biomechanist based on the results from the study. Seeing the player taking the feedback and wanting to improve after further evaluation is even better,” he said.

Fichter said that without the resources at �㽶��Ƶ, he wouldn’t have gotten the internship.

He credits exercise science professor Casey Krolikowski ‘19 with helping him secure the internship by giving him a reference and encouragement to push forward. He also appreciated his former baseball coach, Patrick Williamson ‘16, for accepting Fichter’s idea to take the team to the pitching lab to get evaluated.

After graduation, Fichter said plans to attend the University of Nebraska Omaha for a master’s degree in biomechanics and then work in a movement or biomechanics lab where he can help athletes succeed.

By Cecilia Velarde, a senior marketing and communication studies double major from Loveland, Colorado.

Anderson transferred to �㽶��Ƶ from Central Community College (CCC) as an agricultural science major. However, she knew her real calling was working with people in healthcare, in part because she faced several major challenges on her way to becoming a standout student.

After graduating from CCC in 2019, her father was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Anderson spent two years helping keep the family farm running, working a part-time job and keeping her dad company during chemotherapy. It was at these appointments where she observed how impactful healthcare providers can be in people’s lives.

She decided to combine her love for sports with her desire to impact lives and chose exercise science and physical therapy as her future careers and enrolled at �㽶��Ƶ in 2021.

She did not waste any time when she chose �㽶��Ƶ. Anderson received the Bobby Gottsch Difference Maker Scholarship and a Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship, as well as making the Dean’s List four times. She’s also been a volunteer Special Olympics coach in powerlifting since the spring of 2023.

In addition, Anderson works at Children’s Rehab Center and Balance and Mobility in Hastings as a rehabilitation tech. Through her volunteering, work opportunities and her stellar performance as a student, Anderson was accepted at College of Saint Mary in Omaha to begin her doctoral studies in physical therapy this summer.

When Anderson is not being a standout student, helping others or helping on the family farm in Minden, Nebraska, she is an avid pickleball player and runner. Her most memorable moments at �㽶��Ƶ have been creating new friendships and spending time learning in the classroom with her classmates.

She came to �㽶��Ƶ “because of the opportunities available and the smaller class sizes. The professors at �㽶��Ƶ care about you as a student in their classrooms and as an individual outside of the classroom,” she said.

Anderson is a testament to what is possible when you dedicate yourself and work tirelessly towards a goal.

When asked about coming to �㽶��Ƶ, Anderson said, “I am very happy with the decision I made for myself; I have never looked back and I have acquired a great deal of confidence in myself.”

Her professors said they delight in having her in the classroom and agree that Anderson will do great things in her career.

“It has been inspiring to witness Alyse’s remarkable journey of personal growth,” said Casey Molifua, a senior lecturer of Physical Education & Human Performance at �㽶��Ƶ. “She has demonstrated resilience in the face of adversity, and I am confident that this resilient mindset will serve as a catalyst for her ongoing growth in all facets of life.”

By Dr. Matthew Beeler, assistant professor of exercise science

“Physical therapy has always been something I envisioned doing. It enhanced more once I got to �㽶��Ƶ and started taking the courses that supported physical therapy,” said Simonsen, who is majoring in exercise science.

Opportunities dating back to his senior year of high school, Simonsen has continuously sought to expand his knowledge in physical therapy.

In 2021, a �㽶��Ƶ professor connected him to an opportunity where he shadowed more than 70 hours for Mark Johnson at PTSR for a year. Simonsen continued to shadow in 2022 until last winter when Johnson offered him an internship.

“Although I’m an aide and have limited duties like helping patients with warm-ups or getting heat or ice packs, PTSR has a supportive environment,” Simonsen said.

PTSR’s cohesive, family-like environment helped Simonsen recognize he was on the right path — and grew his excitement to become a licensed physical therapist.

“My dream is to open an athletic training facility that coexists with a physical therapy center. Strength and conditioning is another passion of mine, I believe a service that will allow athletes to train and get treatment at the same facility could change the game of athletes’ health,” Simonsen said.

Simonsen said he plans to apply for physical therapy programs at Baylor University and the University of Nebraska Medical Center and continue to work for PTSR until he graduates in December.

By Cecilia Velarde, a junior marketing and communication studies double major from Loveland, Colorado

Her teammates would say she’s accomplished that.

Hansen, a senior exercise science major from Council Bluffs, Iowa, also focused more on off the field activities and became dedicated to volunteering, providing service to the College and community, and academic excellence.

Starting in 2021, she’s been the student director for Food4Thought, a non-profit program that provides meals to elementary school students in Hastings public schools.  She also takes the opportunity to give back to the campus by working concessions, taking tickets and running the scoreboard for athletic events.

Hansen, who is minoring in psychology and general science, has a penchant for academics. Although her humble nature will lead her to say that she is nothing special in the classroom, her record and her professors would speak otherwise.

She’s the recipient of a Tom McLaughlin Scholarship and Ringland Scholarship. In addition, she garnered NAIA Scholar-Athlete awards in 2022 and 2023, along with being a member of Psi Chi, the psychology honors society. Her effort in the classroom paired with her work as a rehabilitation technician at Mary Lanning Healthcare helped land her a spot at College of Saint Mary to pursue her doctorate in physical therapy starting in the fall.

Hansen said “the close relationships with staff and professors…and continuous support that lead to success” helped her become confident in her abilities. Though she was unsure about her ability to reach graduate school when she arrived on campus, through her hard work and that support from professors, she achieved her goal.

As she wraps up her senior year, Hansen is focused on completing her senior exercise science project in the Department of Physical Education and Human Performance. She and her classmate and teammate Natasha Keen are investigating the impact of dehydration on muscle soreness after a vigorous weight lifting session.

By Dr. Matthew Beeler, assistant professor of exercise science

The �㽶��Ƶ Physical Education and Human Performance Department is filled with a diverse group of talented students — and Helena Jorgenson from Gothenburg, Nebraska, is one such student.

A senior majoring in exercise science and minoring in art, Jorgenson has continuously excelled and impressed the faculty at �㽶��Ƶ. Throughout her high school career she was a prolific athlete competing in golf, softball, basketball and track and field.

Jorgenson has made the most of her college years. She’s a recipient of the Hewitt Academic Scholarship in addition to a Visual Arts Scholarship. Jorgenson is an active volunteer in groups across campus, volunteering for Local Global and the Student United Way. She is also a member of the Chi Omega Psi sorority.

Jorgenson isn’t all business, though. In her free time, she is a ravenous reader and currently devouring the entire Harry Potter fiction series.

“I love knowing who everyone is, feeling like one big campus family,” said Jorgenson, who transferred to �㽶��Ƶ from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. “I love walking from class to class and knowing everyone I see on the way. When I get to class, it feels like my little family is on campus. I love that I went from classes of 300 to 25 here at �㽶��Ƶ. This drew me to this campus.”

She has excelled academically at �㽶��Ƶ. Her academic success, along with her strong science background and her fantastic volunteer work, landed her a spot at Cleveland University-Kansas City, where she will pursue her Doctor of Chiropractic degree starting in the fall of 2022.

For her senior capstone project at �㽶��Ƶ, she’s assessing the differences in low back pain between men and women on campus. She hopes to determine if there is a difference in recovery time from low back pain between men and women.
Jorgenson said that her favorite part about being in the exercise science department is the community. “You get to meet so many wonderful people. I love getting to know my professors and my peers, and it feels like my second family,” she said.

By Dr. Matthew Beeler, assistant professor of exercise science

For as long as she’s lived, she’s played every sport. So it was no surprise that Ally Ginkens ‘20 would leave her hometown of Mullen, Nebraska, to go on and double major in exercise science and recreation & sport management at �㽶��Ƶ.

Soon, four years had passed and Ginkens had to make some life decisions.

“I had searched for physical therapy schools and even considered being an assistant, but I didn’t have a good feeling about any of the places,” Ginkens said. “It wasn’t until my strength and conditioning coach (Brett Wells) approached me with an offer to work as a graduate assistant at �㽶��Ƶ did my perspective begin to shift.”

Initially, Ginkens wasn’t so keen on the idea of sticking around Hastings. The more she pondered though, she recognized that being a graduate assistant at �㽶��Ƶ was an opportunity that she couldn’t reject, so she accepted the offer and spent the next 18 months working with different Broncos teams.

Little did she know, saying yes that one time would put her in position for the next opportunity: being named assistant strength and conditioning coach at the University of Kansas — an offer she also accepted and began in October of 2021.

“There’s so many people that have laid bricks that have granted me this opportunity. For instance, we had a past graduate assistant who interned at Creighton University, and because he did such an amazing job I was allowed to do the same. It was my athletic performance internship at Creighton that put me over the top for this job at the University of Kansas,” she said.

Ginkens said during this time, she had made the decision to be more intentional about saying yes. “If we wait until we’re ready, we’ll be waiting the rest of our lives,” she said.

Her primary responsibilities at KU include leading in the development and implementation of strength conditioning programs for the women’s tennis, women’s golf and women’s rowing teams.

Ginkens noted that while resources are greater in her new role, the job doesn’t change.

“People envision that the work is so different, however, I’m still training athletes to become better athletes,” she said. “Whether NAIA or Division 1, my job is to positively impact student athletes the way that I’ve been impacted.”

Over time, Ginkens has developed a number of skills. She is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), has passed the United States of America Weightlifting (USAW) Level 1 course and is both CPR and AED certified. She has experience coaching in basketball, volleyball, shotgun, football, tennis, golf and rowing teams.

“There are so many pieces to the puzzle that built my success story. My professors, my coach, peers. Some people see coaching and teaching as two different entities,” she said. “It’s been cool to see things that I’ve learned in the classroom implemented in my coaching.”

When asked what motivates her to succeed in the workplace she said many of her opportunities were because there was someone before me who was great at what they did.

“I want to continuously fulfill my purpose of positively impacting student athletes,” she said. “I want them to love what they do and enjoy doing it.”

By Kianté Stuart, a junior from Nassau, The Bahamas, majoring in communications studies, business administration and marketing.

On Monday mornings at 5:00 a.m. most people are fast asleep, getting their last few hours of rest before starting another week of work. Human Performance coaches, however, are not most people. Also referred to under the title of “Strength & Conditioning,” Human Performance coaches most days are the first ones into the building and the last to leave — sometimes by choice, but most of the time because of facility limitations and scheduling conflicts.

It is a young, energetic profession traditionally fueled by meat-heads and macho-men alike. Oftentimes, the Human Performance coach takes on various roles that stretch far beyond the scope of the weight room, such as being a motivational speaker, mentor and therapist for athletes.

On any given day, if someone had the opportunity to visit every collegiate weight room in the state of Nebraska, the athletic weight room in �㽶��Ƶ’s Lynn Farrell Arena would stand out — not because of its equipment or the athletes that lift there, but because of the Broncos’ Human Performance staff.

Currently in the state of Nebraska there are only five female collegiate Human Performance coaches — and three coach at �㽶��Ƶ. Their names are Shandra Farmer ’20, Ally Ginkens ’20 and Cassidy Dyhrkopp, and all second-year graduate assistants with the Broncos working with Brett Wells, the director of Human Performance and 2019 NSCA Nebraska Collegiate Strength & Conditioning Coach of the Year.

A fourth female Strength & Conditioning coach in Nebraska, Laura Buttermore, is an assistant coach with the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO). Before UNO, Buttermore coached from 2012 to 2018 in the weight room at �㽶��Ƶ. This means 80 percent of the female collegiate strength coaches in the state of Nebraska have coached at �㽶��Ƶ in the last three years.

Hooked on Human Performance

Ginkens, who majored in Exercise Science and Recreation & Sport Management, played volleyball at �㽶��Ƶ and was a member of the 2016 National Championship squad. The former team captain became interested in Human Performance when she first started working out in the Broncos’ weight room and began to see improvements in the performance of her teammates and herself.

“When I came to Hastings it was very obvious which freshmen had experience in the weight room and came from a high school that had a strength coach because they were progressing so much faster than players like me who had to start our progress from the ground up due to our technique being wrong from never having anybody to coach us on that before college,” Ginkens explained. “I was watching all my teammates making huge strides forward, while I was moving backward. So when I adjusted to the technique and began to see huge improvements I got hooked on human performance and what it could do for myself and others.”

Ginkens made the weight room her home when right before her senior season she received the news that former Broncos head volleyball coach Matt Buttermore was moving on to become the head volleyball coach at UNO.

“As a senior the last thing you want to do is start over and it felt like everything we knew had been erased,” Ginkens said. “It was a new culture, new lifestyle, new everything with a new coach and I just really found a home in the weight room where that culture remained the same despite everything in my world that was changing. It held everyone to a high standard and that was really what I clung to. It was a great place for me to exemplify leadership and hard work because it was something that I knew. It was familiar in a time where everything was changing.”

This sense of belonging and drive to become better inspired Ginkens to become a graduate assistant of Human Performance at �㽶��Ƶ where she now coaches women’s basketball, men’s and women’s tennis, shotgun sports and football in the weight room.

Finding another path

Farmer is also a Bronco alumni and decorated graduate of the �㽶��Ƶ women’s basketball team. As an athlete, Farmer received many honors on the court, including being named First-Team All-Conference her junior and senior years, and as a senior she was named First-Team All-American, the Great Plains Athletic Conference Player of the Year and the Omaha World Herald’s Midland Co-Female Athlete of the Year in addition to being a team captain.

Farmer, who studied business administration and human resource management as an undergrad, never considered the possibility of coaching until questions about her future in athletics became a consistent theme during her senior season.

“I had planned to earn a Masters of Business Administration somewhere else, get a business job and use my degree,” Farmer said. “But my senior year, after having a really successful season, I had been approached by multiple people about the possibility of coaching. So it got me thinking that if other people are seeing me as a good leader and having a way of being able to speak to people and help them out, maybe I do need to stay around sports. So this opportunity came up with coach Wells and the Human Performance staff and I took it right away.”

In order to receive the foundational knowledge needed to coach Human Performance, Farmer set out to preparing for the Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) exam through the National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA), and got enrolled in the United States of America Weightlifting (USAW) Level 1 coaching course with Ginkens and Dyhrkopp.

She now coaches the Broncos’ softball, men’s basketball and football teams in the weight room while attending University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK) to earn an MBA with an emphasis in Human Resources. Her dream is to utilize the combination of her coaching experience and business background to become an athletic director or other form of administrator within an athletic department so she can make the most of her education and stay around sports.

Unlike Ginkens and Farmer, Dyhrkopp did not attend �㽶��Ƶ as an undergraduate, but joined the Broncos’ Human Performance staff after coming highly recommended by her strength and conditioning coaches at UNK, where she ran track as a sprinter and competed in the long jump and triple jump events.

Dyhrkopp became highly involved in the Lopers’ weight room after seeing the positive results that strength and conditioning had on her performance as an athlete.

“In high school, I never really had a strength program. We just had the football coach who taught weights class,” Dyhrkopp said. “So when I got to college I had the best strength coaches I’ve ever had and actually saw myself improve in my sport and just life in general. That’s when it really clicked for me mentally about how much that relationship with the strength coach makes a difference and how much you can accomplish when you buy-in to what they’re doing.”

Dyhrkopp currently coaches the Broncos’ volleyball, men’s and women’s wrestling and football teams in the weight room. Her goal is to be a Human Performance coach, either at the collegiate level or in the private sector working with athletes. She has even entertained the idea of owning her own performance center one day.

Building relationships, growing confidence

When asked about what their favorite part of coaching is, Ginkens, Farmer and Dyhrkopp immediately came to a consensus: relationships.

“One of my favorite things is creating relationships, not just with my athletes but all the athletes in general and just getting to know them more than just as a player or as an athlete,” Dyhrkopp said. “Getting to build those relationships and watch them progress is so meaningful.”

Farmer added, “I just love having the connections and interactions every single day with other people. Being able to see the athletes and be around people who love playing their sport and want to be there; it’s amazing.”

But as great of a profession as coaching is, these grad assistants still experience plenty of struggle in their day-to-day coaching activities.

Ginkens pointed out that confidence is one of the most important attributes of being a coach, but it’s a trait that doesn’t come easy.

“Just as a young coach, you get questioned a lot,” Ginkens said. “Like, if I was five years older people would not even question things, but since I’m a young coach I feel questioned a lot about what I’m doing. So that can have an effect on developing confidence, because if you’re always being questioned about what you’re doing, you start to question yourself.”

For Dyhrkopp, her biggest struggle has been coming face to face with the realization that coaching is a lot more than just X’s and O’s and having lots of sports knowledge.

“When I first became a coach I thought the hardest part would be programming workouts and those other things that I didn’t have any experience doing, which of course was difficult at first,” Dyhrkopp said. “But what I didn’t expect was having to coach more than just technique; things like effort, body language and culture. When you become a college coach, nobody tells you that you’re going to spend most of your time coaching and managing attitude and effort. I assumed college athletes already had those things taken care of, but I learned differently very quickly.”

Dealing with stereotypes

On top of developing their identities as coaches, these women have also dealt with facing the stereotypes and assumptions that come with being females working in a male-dominated industry.

“It’s a struggle dealing with the social media influencer stereotype,” Ginkens said. “People think females in the fitness industry are only there to teach people how to develop their glutes and come up with all these 10-minute band workouts and things like that. People just don’t see females actually coaching athletic teams.”

Farmer said personal trainers and social media influencers have their place and do a lot of good. “But when that is the majority of what people see from females in the industry it just becomes much harder to be taken seriously when coaching with the goal of athletic performance,” she said.

They attribute these stereotypes to a large-scale issue in the realm of Human Performance by sharing: part of the problem is that the field is just over-saturated with unqualified people who are portrayed as personal trainers or specialists.

“That’s a huge reason why we’re seen as different in this setting,” Dyhrkopp said. “Because us as females have also portrayed ourselves this way. We have to get people to see that we can be the smart, sport scientist style of coach as well, not just the model or social media influencer.”

Despite the challenges, these coaches have taken an active role in battling biases and assumptions by proving their merit through their own coaching demonstrations and personal workouts.

“People can doubt our weight room abilities because we’re female, but it’s always funny when the athletes see us doing advanced weightlifting movements and get surprised at how good we are at them,” said Ginkens.

“I always think it’s funny when our athletes or other coaches walk by the weight room and see us working out and lifting heavy, then all of a sudden we get a lot more credibility,” Farmer said. “We are no longer seen as girls who are just there to clean up the weight room after sessions. But, it’s not until they see that we know what we’re doing when we finally get that response and respect.”

They’ve also seen these biases and assumptions leave the weight room and leak into professional interactions.

“One struggle I’ve specifically had is male coaches being nervous about working around a female every day. I’ve had guys feel that they don’t want me around because of ideas like ‘you shouldn’t cuss around a female’,” Farmer said. “People are raised to respect women and that is a great thing. However, when the ideology that men need to act or talk differently around females creates more barriers for women in the workplace, it becomes an issue that should be discussed. That’s just how it’s been for so long and if we don’t talk about it, it becomes this systemic cycle.”

On the opposite end of things, Gingens said she’s struggled with coaches specifically hiring someone because they are female.

“It’s like — no — I want to be the absolute best candidate you have, not the best female candidate you have,” Gingens said. “I don’t want to be hired because I’m a female. It’s just something I’ve struggled with. When I apply for jobs I’m starting to question: are you hiring me because you actually like my work ethic and what I have to offer as a coach? Or is it because I’m a female and I have some good qualities, but mainly it’s because you need to hire a female? I just want to be the best for the position.”

Building a better profession

Despite the struggle, these women are working through it, hoping to create a better coaching profession and advance the field of Human Performance through their efforts.

“People always talk about how this industry is male-dominated and you never really see females in it,” said Farmer. “The phrase I always come back to is ‘if not us, then who?’ If females don’t start doing this job, then we won’t progress or get anywhere in it. We are starting to see more females get into the industry. The change is starting to be made and it’s pretty cool that we get to be a part of it.”

Dyhrkopp said she fully embraces her role as a Human Performance coach and has complete pride in what she’s doing.

“We’re just out here making moves for everyone else,” Dyhrkopp said. “Now that I’ve taken the step to be a female Human Performance coach, whenever I’m looking at jobs or internship opportunities I always look to see if they have female coaches. That’s something that is just so awesome. And if you look around, you do start to see more and more females in coaching and that is just so cool.

“The positives we get are the same positives as any other coach who is benefiting their athletes. We’re here to do the same thing as them. But the added positive of it is that we’re helping to pave the way for other females in the future. However, we strive for the same things as any other strength coach.”

Ginkens said she believes the whole industry itself is making a big change.

“A strength coach in 10 years is no longer going to be portrayed as this huge meat-head, screaming and yelling at athletes,” she said. “And I think part of this change is females making their way into the industry. And I’m glad we’re going to be a part of it. If we keep going in the right direction it’s just a matter of time before having a female strength coach isn’t special, it’s just normal.”

When asked what advice she would give to other females who dream about working in Human Performance, Ginkens said “Go for it. It’s not going to be easy and you’re going to have to be tough. But just go for it.”

Farmer’s advice is to trust yourself.

“Know who you are and what you want to do, and don’t let people who don’t agree with it or don’t like you make you doubt yourself,” she said. “Do qualified work by growing through critique and disagreement, but don’t let it break you completely. Take the opportunity to put yourself in positions that you normally wouldn’t, so when your opportunity does come you’re ready for it.”

Farmer, Dyhrkopp and Ginkens have elevated the �㽶��Ƶ Human Performance program above any previous level. They bring intelligent work, accountability, vulnerability and goodwill to an athletic department that consistently reaps the benefits of their intentional efforts. Every day these women are working toward building a better world of athletics, and hope to spark the minds of others who wish to do the same.

By graduate assistant Cole Fisher ‘19