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'Bern-outs' a secret to success of athletic teams

By Jacob Knabel on Jul. 7, 2017 in Athletic Announcements

He works behind the scenes and flies below the radar of many fans of the Bulldogs. He often is the first to arrive on campus every morning, settling in before the early bird gets the worm. Despite juggling the needs of so many coaches and athletes, Todd Berner somehow manages to draw rave reviews throughout the athletic department.

The first full-time Director of Strength Training and Conditioning in Concordia history, Berner is one of the unsung heroes behind the rise of Bulldog athletic teams in recent years.

“The lifting technique and the fundamentals that he hammers correlates to the field and has helped in countless ways,” says Head Football Coach Patrick Daberkow. “He builds functional athletic strength that transfers over to the field of play. He’s an expert at that. He’s a grinder and he always wants to be helping our student-athletes. He’s just a great addition to our athletic department.”

Berner possesses roughly 15 years of strength and conditioning experience and is entering his third year at Concordia. He oversees the weight rooms in the Walz Human Performance Complex and the PE Center. On the order of 200 to 300 student-athletes funnel through these two facilities on a typical day during the school year. Those days often begin with Berner climbing out of bed at 4 a.m.

One would never know it based upon the energy level he maintains throughout a day. Go ahead and go willy-nilly through a lift and watch Berner come running while blowing his whistle repeatedly. Berner is a stickler for proper technique. His passion for the profession and for growing student-athletes won’t allow him to stand idly by. He takes reward in seeing growth.

“That truly is my battery,” Berner said. “I am really much charged up when I see them pushing and discovering higher levels and reaching their potential. That’s why I do it. It’s a selfless position because the betterment of the athlete is the No. 1 priority. It’s a large volume of athletes and I try to show care and make a connection with all of them.”

A 2000 graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Berner previously worked in strength and conditioning at NCAA Division II institutions Northern State University and Winona State University. The York native is happy to be back in Nebraska. Says Berner, “Seward is a great place to raise my family. I’m glad to be part of this community.”

Berner is a valued member of the Concordia community. He understands how to craft workouts specifically tailored to enhance athletic movements on the playing surfaces. The athletes may not look forward to some of Berner’s grueling “burnouts,” but they understand that they will be better because of them.

“I’ve got to have perfect form and perfect technique,” Berner said. “The very firm foundation I stand on is the better you move in the weight room, the better you move out in the athletic world. We need the knees to work with the hips, the elbows to work with the shoulders and have our bodies work together. The intensity of the whistle is going to come out when I do see something wrong.”

Todd LaVelle’s softball program and Jason Weides’ men’s soccer program are examples of Bulldog teams that have elevated their profiles in recent years. Both heap praise upon the contributions of the strength and conditioning programs.

“I think he’s really helped our program progress,” Weides said. “I look at the success the last couple seasons and know that he was a big part of that. He’s really pushed our guys to see the team as the greater good and to be selfless. He’s always trying to make sure each guy is getting better all the time. He’s another vehicle to reinforce that and he’s really good at it.”

Michaela Woodward, who broke the softball program’s single-season home run record in 2017, made mention of Berner’s intense workout sessions as part of her senior day reflection. Her head coach is well aware of the positive influence Berner has had on the softball program. LaVelle feels confident in leaving strength and conditioning in Berner’s hands.

“He truly cares about each sport,” LaVelle said. “He makes the softball team feel like they’re getting all of his attention. He’s part of the team. He’s an extension of the coaching staff. He’s a very motivational guy and has gotten the best out of all of our softball players. I also love how he makes everything, not only sport-specific, but position specific as well.”

Berner started his career at the bottom of the ladder, tasked with cleaning and maintaining a weight room. Now he’s supervising a top-notch small college facility. He’s worked with Concordia weight room superstars like Erik Small from the football team and former women’s basketball 1,000-point scorer Becky Mueller. Berner arrived at Concordia after the late Derek Rodine (member of football and track programs), but makes sure to explain the meaning behind the new Rowdy Lifting Club plaques in the PE Center.

Every detail matters to Berner. Says Head Track & Field and Cross Country Coach Matt Beisel, “The instruction our athletes get from him is invaluable. I bring recruits to him and he always gets up from what he’s doing and comes to greet them and to tell them they’ll look great in Concordia blue. He tells kids that if you’re successful, then I feel like I’ve done my job. He’s a worker and he’s passionate about it. We could use about three of him.”

Berner is just thankful to be one of many essential ingredients necessary for a thriving athletic department that enhances the student-athlete experience. Says Berner, “There are a lot of great blessings that we can offer student-athletes when they come here. We have some fantastic resources. There are so many people that contribute to all of this.”