Luke Shepherd, known as Coach Shep, is a coach focusing on the player first mentality.  He is a hitting instructor and the manager of The WAVE Athletics.  He has spent the last 20+ years coaching athletics (softball, baseball, basketball, track, and golf).  Shepherd spent 15 years as a strength and conditioning coach, and he earned his Exercise Science degree at UNO. He has a passion for biomechanics (how they body moves through activities).  

In 2014 Coach Shep was transferred to Lincoln for his job as a club manager for Prairie Life Fitness.  He worked for Prairie Life Fitness for 16+ years as a trainer, fitness director and club manager before taking over as general manager at The WAVE Athletics in July of 2020.  Prairie Life Fitness taught him a lot about what it is like to work for and be taught by a "people first" mentality which parallels his coaching style, and what The WAVE Athletics is all about. 

Coach Shep spends most of his time coaching, and with his two daughters and wife (Melissa).  In his down time he spends it watching coaching videos on hitting and mental training.  

He works with both baseball and softball players.  

Amanda Schaefer, most know her as Coach AB, is a Pitching Instructor and Mental Skills Coach. She runs Fearless Fastpitch with a mission to impact young women on and off the softball field, preparing leaders for life outside the chalk lines. She currently serves as the Head Coach of Waverly High School Softball and is in her 3rd year with the program.

For the past 8 years, she has been instructing pitchers all over Nebraska as well as virtually in the midwest. Her philosophy is to create foundational mechanics to increase velocity and command while most importantly keeping pitchers mechanically safe to avoid injury. She pitched at Concordia University in Seward and received her degree in Business Administration.

She has also spent the last 2 years studying Performance Psychology as it relates to the mental side of softball. She teaches Mental Skills Training nationwide and coaches softball athletes in 24 different states! Through the Fearless Warrior Program, she has created a 3-Phase Framework to help softball players overcome their fears, increase their confidence, and perform at their best when it matters most!

Work with Coach AB:
Mental Skills Training Waitlist: fearlesswarriorprogram.com/waitlist
Pitching Lesson Waitlist: Email amanda@fearlessfastpitch.com

She is excited to build a strong community at the Wave. Be sure to say hello when you see her or find her in the Fearless Cage #6!

I am a former pitcher for the Nebraska Wesleyan softball team and I am currently an assistant coach on their team as a pitching coach.

I lettered four years with the Prairie Wolves and appeared in 75 games and I am 6th all-time in school history in appearances.

I currently am in my fourth year as head coach for Prodigy Easton.

Originally from Northern California (Redding, CA), Kacie was a three-sport athlete at Foothill High School Cougars in Palo Cedro, CA and very active in 4-H and raised cattle for the county fair. Kacie spent her collegiate playing career at Chico State (2010-2011) and Colorado State University (CSU) during the 2012 and 2013 seasons. At CSU, she majored in Animal Science with a minor in Business Administration. During her junior season at CSU, she started in 21 games and appeared in 29 games. This is also where she earned Mountain West Pitcher of the Year and NFCA All-Region honors and earning All-Mountain West honors. Senior season, she started 27 games and appeared in 34 games with a 2.37 ERA in conference play. She earned Academic All-Conference accolades and Mountain West All-Conference team honors.

Following her senior season, she stayed on staff as an undergraduate coach helping in the bullpen with pitchers and completing her degree. Finding joy in giving back to the game and helping pitchers improve in the circle (mentally and physically) and off the field, she joined the staff at New Mexico State University (NMSU) as a Graduate Assistant and pursued a Master’s in Animal Science.

Following her two and half years at NMSU she pursued a doctorate in Animal Science at North Dakota State University in Fargo. She now lives in York, NE with her fiancé and works at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln as the Beef Cow-Calf Specialist in the Animal Science department.

Robert Youngdahl spent time on the coaching staff at Morehead State.

Youngdahl came to Morehead State with Aoki after serving as the volunteer assistant at Notre Dame since the fall of 2015. He played for the Irish in 2014 and 2015.

As a coach he mentored his first All-ACC selection in 2017, when sophomore center-fielder Matt Vierling was selected to the third team. That followed a rookie campaign in 2016 which saw Vierling earn Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America honors.

Youngdahl, who earned a Bachelor’s Degree in economics from ND in 2015, finished up his two-year Irish career in that same year. After transferring from Iowa Western Junior College in the fall of 2013, the New Brighton, Minn., native overcame an up-and-down 2014 campaign to produce a standout senior season.

He started 59 games and appeared in all 60 contests in 2015, hitting .290 with 20 doubles, seven homers, 46 RBI, 18 walks, seven stolen bases and 35 runs to earn Third Team All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors. For his career Youngdahl earned two Monograms and had a slash line of .263/.430/.322 with 109 hits, 27 doubles, six triples, 10 homers, 63 RBI, 32 walks, 10 stolen bases and 54 runs scored. Youngdahl also doubled as a lefty pitcher and tallied a 1-1 mark and a 1.80 ERA.

Youngdahl and his wife, Benet, married in January 2016.

Kole is a Native of Lincoln Nebraska and graduated from Northeast High School. Kole attended
Allen community college where he earned his associates in science degree, and played 2 years of baseball. After earning his degree Kole transfer to the University of Louisiana Lafayette, and earned his Bachelors degree in Kinesiology and a minor in health science, again playing 2 years. Kole continued playing professional baseball after earning his degree for the Twins organization.

We are excited to have Coach Kole on staff. Coach offers hitting, catching, speed agility and strength and conditioning lessons.

Once upon a time, there was a 5-year-old girl who lived in Texas. One day, she was given a softball, and her life changed forever. That little girl fell in love with the game and craved to be in between the foul lines. By the age of 10, her attention was pulled to the mound. She was so interested in this position that she started her own pitching career. Passing through many years of blood sweat and tears, she was able to create memories and wonderful learning opportunities. She ended up playing at many different levels. From pitching for The Woodlands High School to playing for The University of Nebraska as a D1 athlete. 
Once her own playing career almost ended, she couldn’t stay away from the game. Continuing her love and passion, she decided to be a coach. This ended up opening many doors for her. She was able to move out to Singapore and help grow the game of softball on that side of the world. Once that journey was over, she was offered a position to help coach the Millard North High school softball team. She was able to coach two seasons for the Mustangs until she had another calling to be a full-time Elementary teacher. She had to put a halt to being a full-time coach, but she still longs to be a part of the softball world. If you haven’t figured out who that little girl was, it was me. Hi! I’m Caitlin Bartsch, I have been welcomed into The Wave family to help with pitching lessons and live hitting sessions. I am happy to be a part of The Wave family and would love for you to join us!

Recently graduated Husker, Peyton Glatter, is an Omaha native that attended Millard South High School and played summer ball for Nebraska Gold. She was a part of the 2015 ASA/USA 16U Gold National Championship Team, and amassed two state titles (2014, 2016) during her time at Millard South. Glatter was awarded to the Lincoln Journal Star Super-State team as a sophomore, junior, and senior including being named Omaha-Herald All-Nebraska team her junior and senior year, and was an NFCA first-team all-region honoree as a senior. 

At UNL she was a four year starter and a member of the 2022 Big Ten Championship team coached by Head Coach Rhonda Revelle, Hitting Coach Diane Miller, and Pitching/Outfield Coach Lori Sipple. At Nebraska she was a Six-Time Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll Member, Nebraska Bronze Academic Medallion winner, and a 3 year Tom Osborne Citizenship Team member. Glatter earned her degree in Communication Studies December of 2022 and is currently a Marketing Coordinator at Sideline Power. 

8 YEARS HEAD HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL COACH

17 YEARS HEAD COLLEGIATE SOFTBALL COACH

6 YEARS COLLEGE OF SAINT MARY (NAIA)

• 3 CONFERNCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
• 3 COACH OF THE YEAR AWARDS

8 YEARS SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE (NCAA II)

• 5 CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
• 4 COACH OF THE YEAR AWARDS
• 4 NCAA REGIONAL QUALIFIERS
• WINNINGEST COACH IN SCHOOL HISTORY

3 YEARS CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY (NAIA)

• 72-27 RECORD
• NAIA NATIONAL QUALIFIERS 2012

Dr. Sarah Rainey, Owner and PT at Invigorating Motion Physical Therapy, LLC

Dr. Sarah Rainey grew up on a farm in the Bennet/Palmyra Nebraska area. She earned her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Belmont University in Nashville Tennessee in 2009.

Dr. Rainey began her PT career in California where she worked in an outpatient clinic as well as working on the sidelines during games for high school football as the medical professional. Dr. Rainey moved back to her home state of Nebraska about 7 years ago and worked as a Rehab Lead in the Lincoln community.

Dr. Rainey’s passion to help people and desire to become a physical therapist stemmed from her own athletic career and fascination with the human body. She is determined to provide the best outcomes and prides herself in knowing she can spend the time necessary with each and every patient.

Dr. Rainey didn’t just want the typical PT clinic set-up – she understands there is a big hole missing between rehab and return to sport/fitness. She wants to fill that gap and specializes in full body movements, patterns and assessments to get her clients where they need to be. The focus at Invigorating Motion Physical Therapy is on full body movement and function. Finding the weakest link, pain and/or dysfunction to optimize sports performance, RESTORE movement quality and REVIVE our quality of life/sport. Dr. Rainey has certifications in dry needling, SFMA, FMS, YBT, FCS and TPI. 

If she could tell her patients anything it would be 1) pain is not normal and 2) Physical therapy is more than something you do after an injury - we can help prevent injuries with early intervention and guidance. 

Dr. Rainey is married to Jeremy and is the mother of two beautiful children, Kaiden and Anabella. She enjoys spending time doing outdoor activities with her family and friends.

Website: www.invigoratingmotionpt.com

Ms. Cristy Anderson is originally from Sioux Falls SD. She moved to Lincoln in 1994 and instantly became a Big Red Fan! In 2010 she moved to Waverly, wanting her daughter to experience “small town living” and has loved being a part of the Waverly community ever since. Cristy has worked as a registered nurse at Cancer Partners of Nebraska since 2004. Ms. Anderson is repeatedly inspired by her patients daily. She took this inspiration and coupled it with her main goal to “age gracefully” as a motivation to complete her Yoga Certification through Yoga and Ayurveda Center. Cristy has been teaching yoga classes at Cancer Partners of Nebraska for the past year. She leads yoga classes and workshops for cancer patients, their caregivers and staff as part of the wellness program. Cristy is excited to bring yoga and all its benefits to the Wave!!

Hi, my name is Amy Shanahan. As a professional in the health and fitness industry for the past thirty years, I have developed a passion for making fitness accessible for all individuals regardless of age or current physical abilities. I specialize in instructing fitness classes, personal training, and working with active older adults. I have a bachelor’s degree in health and exercise science and currently hold several national certifications and licenses. I believe in staying informed and educated in advances in exercise science in order to best serve my clients and participants in my classes. My greatest career satisfaction comes from assisting others in creating and reaching their fitness goals.

I am a student at Waverly High School (2024). I have played softball since first or second grade. I have ran track since seventh grade.

What do you enjoy most about athletics?
⁃ I enjoy meeting new people and getting new friends from athletics. Most of my best friends I met through athletics.

What has athletics taught you about life?
⁃ Athletics have taught me how to prioritize time, to be mature, and how to grow stronger from failure.

If you could go back and talk to yourself when you are starting a sport what would you tell the younger version of yourself?
⁃ If I were to go back and talk to my younger self I would tell them to stay motivated and keep a positive attitude even when things are hard or when I am going through a slump.

Who is your hero?
⁃ I have a lot of hero’s in my life. My mom is definitely the strongest woman in my life. My dad is one of my best friends. The bonds that I have with my parents are so important to me.

What are your biggest fears?
⁃ My biggest fear is being alone. 

What is your favorite family vacation?
⁃ My favorite family vacation was when we went to Nashville and Kentucky.

What motivates you to work hard?
⁃ My goals motivate me to work hard.

What is your favorite subject in school?
⁃ My favorite subject in school is Spanish.

What is your favorite food?
⁃ My favorite food either chipotle or pickles

What sports do you play?
⁃ I play softball and run and jump in track

What do you love about working at The WAVE?
⁃ I love working at the wave because I love seeing people work hard to achieve their goals.

My name is Malia Thoms. I am a student at WHS (2023). I have 2 siblings, 2 younger brothers. I love working with kids and I love helping them with the game of softball or baseball.

What do you enjoy most about athletics?
– The 1 thing I enjoy about athletics is getting to see each athlete develop in their own way.

What has athletics taught you about life?
– Athletics has taught me to never give up. If it gets hard, push through it and if you don’t, there is always someone else working out there trying to get better.

If you could go back and talk to yourself when you are starting a sport what would you tell the younger version of yourself?
– I would tell my younger self that it’s okay to fail.

Who is your hero?
– My hero is my great grandpa Wagner because he was a fighter and taught me to fight when it gets hard. He was a battler with cancer too and fought through that.

What is your biggest fear?
– My biggest fear is snakes.

What is your favorite family vacation?
– My favorite family vacation is Mexico.

What/Who motivates you to work hard?
– My dad motivates me because he pushes me to work hard in everything I do.

What is your favorite subject in school?
– My favorite subject in school is Math.

What is your favorite food?
– My favorite food is wings

What sport(s) do you play?
– The sport I play is softball.

What do you love about working at the wave?
– The one thing I love about working at The Wave is getting see each athlete develop their better self in softball or baseball.