“I want to build a brand around the athletics program and really make it into something at Berkeley High School,” Coach Kirby Megorden, second year strength and conditioning coach at BHS, said.
After several months of progress since joining BHS in January, Coach Kirby (as he prefers to be called) is looking to launch the school’s new approach to athletics in his first full year. Unlike most schools in the nation who have limited access to advanced athletic equipment, Coach Kirby hopes to bring an elite data-driven training approach to BHS and transform Berkeley’s athletics program.
Coach Kirby first fostered his love for strength and conditioning in high school, influenced by the way in which his high school lacrosse coaches carried themselves with a true joy in what they were doing.
After pinpointing his passion for strength coaching, Coach Kirby internered with a program that trained professional athletes for the National Football League. He later attended Texas Christian University as a student assistant supporting several of the school’s Division 1 sports teams.
Coach Kirby then went on to spend a year working with a high school in Texas before coming to BHS in January of 2025. It was there, working with high school students, that Coach Kirby realized just how impactful his role could be for the lives of the young student athletes that he coached.
“The thing I definitely enjoy the most is, for these kids it’s brand new to them. So, I love teaching the kids the lifts and seeing how excited they are when they learn this stuff,” Coach Kirby said, “I had a really high level of strength conditioning in high school, so I want to try and bring that to a ton of kids.”
As Coach Kirby gears up for his first full year at BHS, he is hoping to implement several types of structured training regiments to the school’s athletic programs. Along with providing students with precise tools and data to support their goals and track progress, Coach Kirby hopes to collaborate with the University of California Berkeley to bring professional-level performance insight to BHS’ student athletes.
“I want to provide a really good education on exercise science. I feel the collaboration between universities and high schools is super untapped,” Coach Kirby said.
Beyond data tracking, Coach Kirby brings a unique coaching philosophy focused on collaborative learning between the athletes to the weight room. “I try to figure out what’s the best way they’re going to receive the information. I’m always trying to facilitate that self-taught process,” Coach Kirby said.
With his sights set on high-level performances and the success of every athlete, Coach Kirby is ecstatic for the BHS athletics to reach new heights and fitness levels. He has high hopes for this school year.
“I’m trying to create something very elite. We’re trying to bring that professional aspect to (BHS), and we pretty much have. We have all the tools, it’s just under construction,” Coach Kirby said.