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Lending a helping hand: Bergan woking with alum Kamal this summer
KEENE, N.H. 8/1/11 – Serving as the strength and conditioning coach at Merrimack College in North Andover, Mass., Mike Kamal takes a lot of pride working with the Warriors to reach their athletic goals.
Kamal, a 2003 Keene State College grad, is also taking a good deal of satisfaction helping a student from his alma mater this summer, teaching the tricks of the strength and conditioning trade to Maura Bergan, a senior exercise science major from Manchester, Conn.
Kamal, who has worked at Merrimack the past five years, is more than happy to lend a helping hand to Bergan. "Keene State is the reason why I am where I am today," said Kamal. "I owe everything to Sarah Testo (the strength and condition coach at Keene State) and Chris Miles (the manager of KSC's Bodyworks Fitness Center)."
When Testo and Miles called inquiring about an internship opening this summer for Bergan, Kamal was glad to listen. "I've been asking Sarah and Chris for interns since the day I got here," he said. "Their opinion carries a lot of weight."
Testo and Miles have been keeping close tabs on Kamal's career progression. "We're very proud and happy for him because we can say that he came from our program," said Miles. "We knew Mike would ask a lot from Maura and we knew Maura was capable of stepping right in and being an asset."
Kamal's initial conversation with Bergan reinforced their recommendation. "As soon as I spoke to Maura on the phone, I could tell she got it," he said.
"I originally wanted to go to UConn. because it's closer to home, but it's such a big school and they get a ton of applications," said Bergan. "Chris and Sarah brought up Merrimack. They knew Mike and felt I'd get a lot more out of it."
Bergan couldn't ask for a better mentor. Originally from Salem, N.H., Kamal followed his older sister, Jennifer, to Keene State. Switching majors from physical education to health, promotion and fitness going into his senior year, Kamal knew he had finally found his niche. "I always loved the process of sports," he said. "Being 5-7 and not blessed with a lot of god-given athletic talent, I was always reading and researching and trying to find out better ways to train. I couldn't believe it when I found out there was a strength and condition profession. I can do this for the rest of my life and get paid for it? You've got to be kidding me."
Testo and Miles quickly sensed Kamal's enthusiasm toward the profession. "Mike had an amazing amount of energy and a big personality," recalls Miles. "He already knew what he wanted to do and Bodyworks provided him with the first stepping stone in his career."
Kamal fondly recalls his days at Keene State, including his time playing for the school's rugby team. "One of the first training programs I ever wrote was for the rugby team," said Kamal. "They had to listen to me. I was the captain."
Through Testo's recommendation, Kamal did an internship at the highly respected Mike Boyle's Strength and Conditioning facility in Winchester, Mass., and later earned a graduate assistantship at Springfield College. Kamal took off from there, working with football programs at the University of Iowa and Bucknell University before landing at Merrimack College.
It's not the first time Bergan, a receiver on the Keene State softball team, has caught a break.
A four-year player on a close-knit Manchester High team that was always in contention for the state tournament, Bergan reluctantly took off her shin guards when she came to Keene State. "I had played softball forever, but I wanted to concentrate on academics when I first came to school," said Bergan.
Immersing herself in the school's strength and conditioning program, where she serves as an instructor, Bergan also kept connected with the softball team while working with the school's Sports Information department. But it wasn't quite the same. "I really missed being part of a team," she said.
With her academics in order, Bergan got a break when late last summer, two catching recruits decided to go to different schools. She jumped at the opportunity to join the Owl softball team.
"I knew if I worked hard enough, I could help the team," said Bergan. "I'm very lucky that Coach Charlie Beach gave me the opportunity."
Bergan didn't disappoint Beach or her teammates. Catching the second half of doubleheaders, the junior receiver provided the Owls with solid defense while chipping in offensively with a .260 average. "For someone who hadn't played for two years, she did a very nice job," said Beach. "She seized the opportunity and ran with it."
Needing to do an internship to fulfill an academic requirement, Bergan, a member of the Little East All-Academic team, is spending the summer working with Kamal. "Because Merrimack has Division I hockey, it's allowed me to work with a certain level of athlete we don't have at Keene State," said Bergin, who also coaches kids attending the numerous hockey camps on campus. "I've also been able to build a network that will come in handy when I graduate."
"I put more on Maura than any intern I've ever had," said Kamal. "I want her to learn what it's like to be a full-time strength and conditioning coach."
Kamal gives Bergan high marks. "Maura has been awesome," he said. "I told her if there was a way I could keep her here next year, I'd give her this position in a heartbeat."
Despite the lofty praise, Bergin will conclude her internship later this month and return to Keene State in the fall. "Maura is going to come back with added knowledge, skills, and experience that not only will benefit her, but our entire staff," said Miles. "She's also going to be a helpful sounding board for other students when they get ready to do their internships."
"Many good things have come out of this experience," added Miles. "Not the least which is we get to talk to Mike a little bit more."
