Maverick Peak Performance Program to Advance Athlete Health, Research, and Community Impact

The Maverick Peak Performance Program combines sports science, biomechanics, and real-time data to enhance student-athlete performance, reduce injury, and fuel interdisciplinary research at UNO.

published: 2025/05/27
contact: Academic Affairs
email: academic.affairs@unomaha.edu

Two male students in UNO Athletic Training uniforms assist a female student lying on a treatment table by mobilizing her shoulder and arm in a classroom lab setting.

Students in UNO’s Athletic Training program practice manual therapy techniques as part of hands-on clinical education.

A student in a UNO Biomechanics shirt adjusts a large piece of exercise testing equipment while another student, seated and strapped in, performs an arm movement test.

A Biomechanics student at UNO demonstrates how to use an isokinetic dynamometer to measure arm strength and movement.

🎯 Project Focus

The Maverick Peak Performance Program (MPPP) brings together UNO Athletics, the School of Health and Kinesiology, and the Department of Biomechanics to create a national model for interdisciplinary athlete care and research. The program will integrate a full-time sports scientist in high-impact Maverick sports, including hockey, men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball, baseball and softball, to analyze sport-related data, mitigate injury risk, and optimize performance.

💡 Why It Matters

Athletes at the collegiate level are under constant pressure to perform, be resilient, and to stay healthy. But managing key injury and performance indicators is overwhelming for coaches and support staff.

Enter the MPPP:

Injury risk reduction through data-informed strategies
Research-based athlete monitoring and assessments
Student internships and applied learning opportunities
Community partnerships with clinics, youth orgs, and healthcare providers

🚀 Key Initiatives

Sports Scientist Integration: A full-time hire will lead athlete testing, training optimization, and performance analytics
Academic Pipeline: PhD and master’s students will support research, data collection, and applied learning
Community Impact: Partnerships with local schools and organizations will fuel youth athlete clinics, “coaches camps,” and injury prevention programs
Workforce Development: Students gain real-world prep for careers in sports medicine, athletic training, and biomechanics

🌎 The big picture

The MPPP reinforces UNO’s commitment to excellence and innovation.

Provides high-impact, hands-on learning for students in biomechanics, kinesiology, and athletic training
Produces real-world research that directly improves performance and health outcomes
Deepens ties with Omaha’s youth sports and healthcare system
Builds Nebraska’s pipeline of sports science and athlete wellness professionals

⚡ What’s next

The MPPP kicks off in July 2025 with the hiring of a full-time sports scientist and a PhD fellow. Baseline data collection and athlete onboarding begin this summer, with expanded community programming and academic outputs planned through 2027.