Wyatt Schafer is a senior strength and conditioning coach at Sanford Sports in Fargo, North Dakota. He originally started in 2019 and rejoined the team in 2023.

Schafer attended Minnesota State University Moorhead and earned his bachelor’s degree in exercise science with a minor in strength and conditioning. His coaching career began as a personal trainer and coach in the Bismarck-Mandan area before joining Sanford Sports in 2019. 

In 2021, he moved to Arizona where he was the head swim coach for Arcadia High School and a strength and conditioning coach for FAST Foothill Acceleration & Sports Training. Schafer returned to Sanford Sports in 2023 and was promoted to senior strength and conditioning coach in 2024.

Schafer’s primary goal as a coach is to increase athletic performance and minimize injury risk while fostering an environment for students to grow as athletes and individuals. He believes that athletes learn best when they are given the opportunity to make mistakes but ultimately learn from them. 

He enjoys coaching and educating athletes to understand the impact of the changes coaches make to their training and how those changes help them reach their goals.

Schaefer enjoys working at Sanford Sports because of the freedom to create individualized programs for his athletes and teams. He appreciates that Sanford avoids using a cookie-cutter approach to training athletes, and that there are in-house physical therapists to collaborate with and provide the best care to athletes.

Schaefer is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). He is also a youth fitness specialist through the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).