Running Head: PROFESSIONAL PHILOSOPHY

Theo Hagan
My Professional Philosophy
Wayne State University

PROFESSIONAL PHILOSOPHY
Take a moment to think back to when you were a child and what you enjoyed most.
Maybe you were a graceful, little ballerina. You could have even been a very talented writer or a
creative painter. Personally, I loved to play sports. My love for sports began on the baseball
diamond and has continued to grow as I work as a high school athletic trainer. I have experienced
the heartbreak of defeat and the jubilation of victory. I love the comradery that is developed with
teammates and the competitive nature it breeds in its participants. We have all had activities that
have a meaningful impact on our lives. For me, athletics have had an incredible amount of
influence. I attribute athletics with beginning the development of the values and morals that
make me the person I am today. It is with these values, my education, and my life experiences,
both good and bad, that I begin to formulate my professional philosophy.
My professional philosophy is the blueprint of how I will attain the career and personal
goals I have set for myself. I will admit, my goals have changed quite a bit over the past five
years. In high school I was dead-set on becoming an athletic trainer; which is exactly what I
achieved in my undergraduate education. I enjoy the fact that I can be around athletics and help
athletes with their injuries and rehabilitation to get back to the game they love. As I began my
first couple years as an athletic trainer at a large high school, I found myself longing for more
responsibility and satisfaction. I love my job and the opportunities it has created for me, but there
is something missing; something I know I will find in my future as a sports executive. I aspire to
have a career that has the opportunity for advancement so I can continuously set new goals to
strive for.
Goals are a crucial aspect in my journey towards becoming an executive in professional
baseball. The first goal I set for myself was gaining entry into a sports administration masters
degree program. Now where do I go from here? Next, I hope to find an internship in baseball.

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This will help me garner valuable experience and bridge the gap from the medicine of sport to
the business of sport. I am sure that I want to work in baseball. It is something that I have great
passion for and I will work as hard as humanly possible to get my foot into the door of the
industry. Finally, I want to be a role model for young professionals. In my time as a high school
athletic trainer, I have been fortunate enough to influence the lives of young people on a daily
basis. I want to be able to spread the knowledge and life experiences that I have gained over the
years, to the up-and-coming generation of baseball executives someday. I believe that my
experience of changing professions will also allow me to relate to and help other individuals who
are on a similar path.
Leadership is an essential piece of my professional philosophy. I have had the
opportunity to hold a position of leadership during my time as an athletic trainer. When it comes
to leadership, I believe that everyone should be treated with respect and their opinions valued.
No matter the employee, from the CEO to the entry-level worker, everyone has valuable ideas to
contribute. I also believe that leading by example is an imperative aspect of being a successful
leader. A leader can easily set the tone for the other members of a group or company by their
actions. As an athletic trainer, I am a clinical instructor for athletic training students at Michigan
State University. As a leader of those students, it is my responsibility to educate and demonstrate
the ethics of our profession, and to mold them into successful healthcare professionals. I am
confident that the leadership experience I have acquired during my collegiate and professional
career will help in my transition from athletic trainer to baseball executive.
When I think about how I will achieve my goals, I cant help but to think about famed
NCAA basketball coach, John Wooden. As a young teacher and coach, Wooden created his
pyramid of success. I remember a coach of mine sharing this with me as a high school student. I

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read about it, thought it was interesting, and moved on. I didnt really think too much about it.
However, as I grew older, I began to realize the magnitude of Coach Woodens pyramid of
success. I turn to coach Wooden when I need a word of encouragement. In an interview, Wooden
explained how he picked the most important building blocks for his pyramid. the first two
blocks that I chose were the cornerstonesif any structure is to have strength or solidity, it better
have a strong foundation one cornerstone is industriousness (Wooden, 2010.) When I look
at this statement, I feel a great connection with Coach Woodens mindset. When achieving goals,
there are no short cuts or tricks. You may be able to get by for a while, but it takes hard work and
dedication to reach your true potential and accomplish your goals.
As I previously stated, I am not a traditional entry-level sports executive. This is not an
excuse, it is simply motivation. I may have to work harder than others to get into a position to be
able to obtain the career I ultimately want. My past experiences, although not directly related,
still translate well to the field of sport administration. Communication, teamwork, diligence,
respect, integrity, and discipline are all skills that I have continued to develop during my time as
an athlete and working as an athletic trainer. These traits are an integral part in my professional
career and in achieving my personal goals. John Wooden said, Success is a piece of mind which
is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best that you are
capable of becoming (John WoodenAcademy of Achievement, 2010.) With this mindset, I
know that I can achieve the goals I have established for myself.
I think that a professional philosophy is an ever-changing, fundamental facet of a
persons portfolio. The experience, upbringing and education of a person make each philosophy
as unique as the individual who creates it. My personal philosophy has three main components;
to be a positive role model, to always lead by example, and to be an industrious worker. These

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will be the bases of my own personal pyramid of success. As Coach Wooden (2010) said, any
solid structure must have strong cornerstones. I know that with these foundations in place, my
pyramid will be durable and my goals will be attainable.

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References
John Wooden Biography -- Academy of Achievement. (March 3, 2010). Retrieved December 10,
2014, from http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/par0bio-1.