about

VISION

Live well. Inspire.

MISSION

My life’s purpose is to help others discover and pursue a purpose of their own.

VALUES

Serve first.

My first value is SERVICE. Others > self. I believe that my role and my purpose is to help other people become everything they can be. My career choice out of undergrad was to be an athletic trainer…a healthcare profession. Later, as a professor, I turned to teaching which is no doubt a SERVICE profession, too. And even when I am being creative and trying to inspire through my written or spoken words, it is in the hopes that others can max-out their potential.

Always growing.

Directional intent and focused, purposeful growth has revitalized my career, changed me as a person, and helped me become my own best. “Transformative” is a buzzword in leadership circles, but this one idea of deliberate and planned growth and development mentally, physically, spiritually, and socially was a radical change that has yielded considerable fruit in my world. I work to live a life that shows the results and the efforts of that constant pursuit of improvement and live life by my motto of better every day.

Relentless pursuit.

My third value is one I learned from an early age: be relentless in your pursuits. It starts with perception and even reaction, but once the decision is made to act, there is nothing of value left to do but act. Second guessing won’t help. Being paralyzed in indecision is no good. And half-hearted effort is a waste of time.

Being willing to go the extra miles, avoiding the temptation of comfort, and putting in the small steps day after day after day are the only sure-fire ways to know we’ve done our best and given our all in pursuit of our goals and dreams.

As a kid, we learned this early and it was reinforced often. Whether it was baseball, recess football, or eventually my deepest love of basketball, if you see that ball in play—or later in life, see an opportunity of any shape or sort—and don’t fully commit, someone else will most assuredly beat you. I was often a lazy athlete, and while I wanted what the successful players had, it took me longer than I care to admit to really understand how hustle can frequently overcome talent. However, when you commit to steady growth AND relentless pursuit, you get the benefits of talent AND hustle.

Vigilant action.

My last value: Vigilance. Entropy is not a theory. It is a scientific law. We live in a world that tends toward disorder. Proof of entropy are all around us. Don’t believe me? Leave your yard unattended for a few weeks and come back to it. Weeds will spring up and leave a once well-manicured source of pride a neglected eyesore, instead.

On the other hand, vigilance means we pay attention to detail. We don’t let what should have been obvious clues slip by us. And we don’t let our paths become overgrown with the telltale weeds of inattentiveness.

education

PhD, Teaching & Teacher Education/Physical Education, University of Arizona (2002)
MA, Teaching & Teacher Education/Physical Education, University of Arizona (2000)
BS, Athletic Training, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (1998)
AS, Pre-Physical Therapy, Southeastern Illinois College (1995)

experience

Assistant Dean of Faculty Development, School of Health Professions, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (2020-Present)
Associate Professor, Master of Athletic Training Program, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (2009-Present)
Adjunct Lecturer, Kinesiology & Sport Management, Texas Tech University (2011-Present)
Head Athletic Trainer, Southern Illinois Miners Professional Baseball (2008)
Founder, Owner, and Director of Sports Performance, Born Athletic, Inc. (2008-2009)
Assistant Professor & Program Director, Athletic Training, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (2006-2009)
Wellness & Fitness Center Manager, CTNA Work-Fit (2005-2006)
Head Athletic Trainer & Strength Specialist, Florida Firecats Arena2 Football (2005)
Head Football Athletic Trainer, Liberty University (2004)
Summer Intern Athletic Trainer, Oakland Raiders (2002)
Assistant Professor & Assistant Athletic Trainer, University of Texas at El Paso (2001-2004)
Head Athletic Trainer & Strength Specialist, USA Baseball Youth National Team (1999, 2001)