UNO Biomechanics Professor Balances Life on the Soccer Pitch, In the Classroom

by Brandon Bartling

Soccer season is demanding yet rewarding for Jorge Zuniga, a faculty member in UNO’s Department of Biomechanics by day and a head high school soccer coach by night.

His morning commute from his home in Waverly to UNO’s Dodge Campus gives him time to think, process and plan out his day. As an associate professor of biomechanics and the co-director of the Biomechanical Rehabilitation and Manufacturing Initiative (BRMI) at UNO, he fills his days with lab work, teaching and supervising and advising graduate and post-doctoral students.

When late afternoon hits, he makes his way past UNO’s soccer pitch at Al F. Caniglia Field to his vehicle. As he commutes back to Waverly, he’s already planning out the next few hours as part of his new role: Head high school soccer coach for the Waverly Vikings. The new responsibility gives him the opportunity to follow through on advice his father gave him.

“My dad used to say, if you’re good enough to support yourself, that’s fantastic, but if you can support a family, then that’s outstanding. What’s even better is when you have a little left over to support the community around you,” he said.

When the opportunity arose to give that little bit back to the community, Zuniga was initially concerned about managing his time. Ultimately, he was grateful for the support of his colleagues and the community-engaged university that led him to take on the challenge.

“It’s not just a soccer program, it’s a community, and UNO supports involvement in that,” Zuniga said. “They give you that opportunity to get to that next level. Imagine if every single one of us has a little left to help the community and help others. That helps everyone.”

Zuniga is no stranger to leading a soccer team. Since his undergraduate studies in his home country of Chile, Zuniga has worked with teams at different levels. Recently, he’s worked with young athletes in his community through the Waverly Soccer Academy (WSA) which helps them develop and improve as soccer players until they enter high school.

For Zuniga, working with young athletes is about values and potential. “It’s not about winning or not, even though you want to win, but it’s about how you go about winning,” he said. “We underestimate the seriousness and potential of these high school kids. When you talk to boys like boys, they react like boys. When you talk to them like men and like adults, they respond to that amazingly.”

Although the Vikings ended their 2023 season short of the NSAA state championship tournament, the team had a strong campaign earning a 10-6 record. Zuniga plans to continue developing players and building the program to make another run at the NSAA Class B championship.