A Strong Foundation
“Being an alum of Central has opened doors for me and helped me get my feet on the ground in my profession. Not only that, but I’ve also been able to connect at national conferences with strength and conditioning coaches around the country that are Central alumni.”
— Kohle Helle ’18
Kohle Helle ’18 spent most of his time at Central College in one of three places: The football field, locker room and weight room. These passions intersected with his studies as an exercise science major and paved the way for him to pursue a career in strength and conditioning. Today, Helle is in his eighth year as an assistant strength and conditioning coach for the University of Iowa football team.
Helle, who holds the single-game record for rushing yards by a quarterback at Central, began his coaching journey as a strength and conditioning coach to other teams on campus during his undergraduate years. He credits Central for opening the door for him to accept his dream job at Iowa.
“The Central ‘C’ carries more weight than I ever would have imagined,” he says. “Post-graduation, it led to me getting an internship opportunity at the University of Iowa. The Central network has been huge for me.”
That internship opportunity at the University of Iowa soon after turned into a job offer, which Helle accepted in August 2018. At the same time, he pursued his master’s degree in kinesiology from the University of South Dakota. As for that Central “C”? Helle’s Dutch network continues to play a big role in his career.
“Being an alum of Central has opened doors for me and helped me get my feet on the ground in my profession,” Helle explains. “Not only that, but I’ve also been able to connect at national conferences with strength and conditioning coaches around the country that are Central alumni.”
Helle also maintains contact with Central by mentoring Central students who come to the University of Iowa as strength and conditioning interns in the same role he did.
“The opportunity to be a mentor to Central students like I was mentored by my predecessors has been one way that I stay connected to Central,” Helle says. “We are more teachers than we are coaches. It’s a holistic approach because you’re really a health teacher who just happens to have a lot of fun and work in a weight room with great guys.”
Helle remembers his Central days fondly and encourages high school students looking at colleges to consider the value of a liberal arts education in Pella, Iowa.
“If you surround yourself with good professors, good coaches and a good community, you are going to rise to the level of the people around you. If I could tell my 17-year-old self one thing, it would be to have lofty goals and big dreams but also an open mind. At Central, I learned things out of my domain that will help me down the line as an individual, as a future father and just in life.”
As a recipient of financial aid during his years at Central, Helle encourages donors to consider the impact their donations have on Central students.
“Financial help can really bridge a gap between an opportunity you can’t take advantage of and an opportunity that you can jump on.”
Helle is grateful he had the opportunity to attend Central and make his mark on the academic, football and weightlifting programs. He recognizes the weight of the role that mentors and professors played in his own undergraduate experience and intends to carry the lessons he learned at Central through the rest of his career.