As the winter settles in at Omaha North High School, a new season of sports kicks off, with basketball, wrestling, swimming, and others.  

Among these is one that has been gaining momentum. In 2021, the Powerlifting Club started at Omaha North High and was created by Mike Lathan Jr. 

Despite its growing popularity, powerlifting faces significant challenges. 

One challenge is the fact that is not recognized as an official sport by Omaha North or the Nebraska School Activities Association (NSAA). 

The lack of recognition means that the program receives no funding from the school.  

This places the responsibility of financial support on the shoulders of coaches, athletes, and their families.  

To make sure that students can continue competing, Lathan and his team have been fundraising to secure the necessary resources. 

Over the past four years, Lathan has encountered numerous challenges in his fundraising efforts.  

“The biggest challenge I face as the head coach of powerlifting is definitely the fundraising,” Lathan said.  

Looking forward, Lathan remains hopeful that powerlifting will eventually gain official funding, a change he believes would significantly elevate the profile of the sport. 

 “It will help grow powerlifting into a bigger light,” Lathan said. 

To generate funds, Lathan and his team have explored various fundraising efforts, from selling popular treats like World’s Finest Chocolate and cookie dough to promoting their own team merchandise.  

The standout success has been the sale of team apparel, including sweatshirts, t-shirts, and hoodies, which have proven to be the most successful option. 

In addition to fundraising, Lathan is focused on increasing the number of participants in the program.  

His promotions often involve hanging flyers around the school and sending out emails to spread the word. 

One issue that Lathan has run into with recruiting is that many find that powerlifting is just hard. 

Students who want to join have to be devoted, not only to their physical and mental capacity, but also to their time management.  

Powerlifting meets, typically held on weekends, can be demanding, often stretching from morning until night. 

Now sometimes, it may vary, but students, coaches, and their families could come to events at sunrise, and leave at sunset.  

“It takes a lot of manpower,” Lathan said. 

With the hard work from everyone involved, powerlifting is becoming a family.  

For team members like Turk Rooks, 11, and second-year powerlifter, the experience is rewarding.  

Rooks can often be stressed out from life and powerlifting is where he goes to solve his stress. 

“Powerlifting is where I go to take all my stress out sometimes,” Rooks said. 

His hard work highlights the positive impact it has on his life.  

Rooks also recognizes the importance of fundraising and actively participates in selling products to support the team. 

 Occasionally, Rooks even digs into his own pocket to help the team.  

“The most I ever paid was a good $25. It wasn’t that much, but it was just something nice,” Rooks said.  

He showcases the hard work and commitment that defines the Powerlifting team at Omaha North High School. 

Training and practice have started, and the first meet for the powerlifting team is scheduled for December 14th.