Professional Philosophy

My father tells me that on the day that I was born, he and I laid in a hospital bed and watched the 1994 Auburn vs Kentucky football game. He would go on to say that this is when he taught me everything I needed to know about the game of football. I thoroughly believe that that this was the beginning of my love for athletics. Whether I was playing, watching, coaching or managing, athletics has been a key part of my life.

In my younger years, I was very active in sports, although never very good at any of them. After an injury in high school, it was decided that I would need to stop playing them all together. This would lead me to become a student coach with my high school’s football team. This position is what led to my passion for coaching. I would go on to coach many basketball and soccer teams on my own.

After high school, I was fortunate enough to be accepted at The University of North Alabama. Looking back, I never noticed how much of a blessing this was until now. I began pursuing a degree in Sport Management just hoping to get a degree in something that I was interested in. Little did I know, this would open my mind to all of the elements of sport. I had the chance to get a glimpse of areas I had never really considered such as: marketing, communication, management, and economics. The thing I cherished the most was the classroom discussions about the most controversial topics in sports. Learning about each of these areas taught me that there is a place for everyone who is interested in working in the field of athletics whether they are a sports journalist, ticket sales manager, athletic director, or coach.

While at UNA I had the chance to become an equipment manager with the Lion Football team. I would go on to do this for a total of three years, with the last year and a half being the head manager. This was the best decision of my life as I would make countless connections and lifelong friends. One such connection led me to Arkansas State University where I am now an intern equipment manager with the football team. I will also begin serving as a graduate assistant upon my graduation from UNA.

I have very strong views on some of the more controversial topics in sports. The one that I am most passionate about is the topic of whether all players should get a trophy in little league sports. I believe that the answer is they should be given one up until the age that the sport becomes more competitive. For example, a group tee-ball team should all be given trophies because children of that age do not know what they are doing for the most part, this league is for them to learn the rules of the games. As these children get older, they should not continue to receive trophies. They need to learn that you don’t always win in life and should now be convinced of that through trophies. Yes, these players should be recognized for effort, but this can be shown by a pat on the back rather than a trophy.