Tyler Jorgensen, Strength and Conditioning Coach, mentors athletes in weight training throughout the day, improving their strength and discipline while helping them build confidence, Jorgensen said.

Before coming to South four years ago, Jorgensen worked at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, in various coaching capacities, including coaching softball, boys’ tennis, and both women’s and men’s soccer, Jorgensen said. Jorgensen encourages his athletes to work hard every day, as that is what shaped him as a student athlete, he said.

“I work with very driven student athletes that want to excel at South,” Jorgensen said. “There is also great support from teachers and administrators.”

The new strength and conditioning coach position at South allows Jorgensen to spend more time with his family, as the position at Northwestern required a lot of travel, he said. Jorgensen came to South to make an impact on young athletes, he said.

“After my first round of interviews for this position at South, I was extremely impressed with the people here in District 225 and knew this is a place I wanted to be,” Jorgensen said.

Jorgensen earned a degree in fitness and sports management while playing running back at Midland University in Fremont, NE. Midland is a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) program, which is equivalent to a Division 3 school, Jorgensen said. Being a student athlete has made Jorgensen more passionate about doing his job today, he said.

“Being a student athlete had a big impact on my life,” Jorgensen said. “It had a very profound impact on how I coach and teach today.”

Jorgensen strives to give his best to the athletes at South, not only by being a mentor to students, but to coaches as well, Scott Nemecek, Varsity Girls’Basketball Head Coach, said.

“Jorgensen is lighthearted and has a great spirit, so it is always fun to go to the weight room and work out,” Nemecek said.

Jorgensen has helped Nemecek be a better coach by having modern styles of teachings, like being more lenient on athletes, and not being afraid to step in and help when things go out of order, Nemecek said. Jorgensen is also known to be an organized and accommodating person towards other coaches as well as students, Nemecek added.

Sophomore Riley Des Groseilliers, Varsity Girls’ Basketball player, saw improvement in strength after working with Jorgenson for the past two years. Des Groseilliers said Jorgensen pushes athletes to do their best while remaining patient in improving in their sport. After a recent knee injury, Des Groseilliers found motivation through Jorgensen who reassured her that her strength will gradually improve. Jorgensen felt that strength and conditioning was always the path meant for him as he knew the importance of it personally, he said.

“He meets us where we are at and helps us grow from there,” Des Groseilliers said.