“‘Everyone must leave something behind when he dies’, my grandfather said. ‘It doesn’t matter what you do’,” he said, “‘so long as you change something from the way it was before you touched it into something that’s like you after you take your hands away’,” Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451.
Mike Nicolarsen graduated from Kearney State College with a BA in health and physical education and a MA of secondary education. After graduation he was hired as an activities director, coach and educator at Ainsworth Public Schools. Following a short stint in the panhandle, Nicolarsen returned to his hometown of Hastings and was hired by the Hastings Public School District in 1992. Over the years he has taught a multitude of classes within the physical education and health arena.
This year, Nicolarsen announced he would be retiring from coaching volleyball, after over 30 years.
“I’m sad that Coach Nicolarsen is retiring. He’s my right hand man and a great coach. He is a great friend to me and the girls he has coached. Replacing him will be tough. We will have to see who applies for the position and discuss it with Mrs.Douglas,” Head Coach David Hepner said.
Nicolarsen has been the Intramural Sports Director, has served on the teachers’ negotiations team, taken two volleyball teams and assisted one to the Nebraska State Volleyball Tournament. He won college coach of the year for women’ s sports and he is in the coaching hall of fame at Hastings College.
“I love being close to the kids. It’s been a very rewarding experience and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. It makes me sad to know that when I walk into the gym during volleyball season I won’t be a part of that anymore, but there comes a time when you just have to say it’s time to hang it up,” Coach Nicolarsen said.
People come and go in students’ lives, but it takes a certain something in someone to leave a legacy like Mike Nicolarsen has.
“I’m thankful for everything Coach has given to the program. I don’t know what next year holds but it’s going to be different without him. We’re all going to miss him. He’s really taught us a lot,” junior player Annie Grealish said.
